Speech On US Public Education Reforms

Former President Of Yale University To Speak On US Public Education Reforms

Professor Benno Schmidt, former president of Yale University and chairman of the United States’ leading private manager of public schools, will deliver the New Zealand Business Roundtable’s annual Sir Ronald Trotter Lecture in Auckland this Wednesday.

In the lecture, titled Reinventing Public Education in America, Professor Schmidt will focus on the reform of public education in the US. He will discuss some of the conditions that have led to the reforms, current trends and debates in US public education and will put forward his view on what is needed for the future.

Professor Schmidt is one of America’s leading scholars of the US Constitution, the history of the US Supreme Court, the law of freedom of expression, and the history of race relations in America. He is currently Chairman of Edison Schools, a company which enters into partnerships with public education authorities to create innovative and world-class public schools. The Edison school design has been implemented in 113 public schools and more than 57,000 students currently attend Edison partnership schools (www.edisonproject.com).

Professor Schmidt is an internationally renowned educationalist and outspoken defender of freedom of expression and liberal education. He was president of Yale University from 1986 to 1992, and earlier in his career he was dean of Columbia University law school. He was chairman of Mayor Giuliani’s Task Force on The City University of New York. Professor Schmidt is a trustee of the National Humanities Center and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The Sir Ronald Trotter lecture was inaugurated in 1995 to recognise Sir Ron’s role as the New Zealand Business Roundtable’s founding chairman and his many contributions to business and public affairs in New Zealand.

Rick Marshall
Awaroa Partners Ltd
Tel: (04) 471 8206
Email: rmarshall@awaroa.com

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