Seeking questions about new year for education heavyweights

The start of school in three weeks comes as initiatives to revamp instruction, assessment, and teacher evaluation ramp up.

The climate of change — and what it might mean for the city’s schools — is the subject of the “On Education” panel discussion that Manhattan Media is hosting next week. I’m moderating the panel along with Andrew Hawkins, managing editor of City Hall News.

The discussion, set for Thursday morning, is part of a series of policy breakfasts that Manhattan Media periodically holds, and the company put together the panel of government and policy leaders whose positions have helped shape the city schools.

I’m happy to report that the lineup now includes a working teacher, Stephen Lazar. A GothamSchools Community section contributor, Lazar helped organize the EDUsolidarity blogging event that attracted over 100 educators nationally to write about why they support their unions.

The other panelists are

  • Leo Casey, a UFT vice president;
  • Sydney Morris, co-founder of Educators 4 Excellence;
  • Eva Moskowitz, founder and CEO of the Success Charter Network;
  • Shael Polakow-Suransky, the DOE’s chief academic officer;
  • Bill Thompson, who is running for mayor;
  • Merryl Tisch, Board of Regents chancellor; and
  • Joseph Viteritti, a Hunter College public policy professor.

I have plenty of questions of my own to cram into the hour-and-a-half-long event. But I’m happy to take suggestions in the comments section for what I should encourage panelists to discuss.