Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will reflect on his state’s recent school choice expansion and stress the importance of continuing to increase educational options during a speech at the American Federation for Children’s third annual National Policy Summit, to be held on May 3-4 in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Governor Jindal’s appearance will come on the heels of a statewide, bipartisan expansion of the New Orleans voucher program, which the governor signed into law just last week. The recently-approved voucher expansion will make more than 380,000 students—almost half of Louisiana’s public school population—from low-income families in the state’s poorest-performing schools eligible to attend a private school of their parents’ choice. The program’s expansions make it one of the largest-ever voucher programs in the country.

Read the entire release here. 

Newark Mayor Cory Booker will extol the virtues of school choice and education reform during a keynote address at the American Federation for Children’s third annual National Policy Summit, to be held on May 3-4, 2012 in neighboring Jersey City, New Jersey.

Booker, who has been a leading voice for providing more and better educational options for children in low-income New Jersey families, is one of the foremost champions of school choice across the country. The Democratic mayor has also been a strong advocate for New Jersey’s Opportunity Scholarship Act, a proposed bill that would create a scholarship tax credit program for children in the state’s lowest-performing school districts.

“Cory Booker is one of the most committed advocates in the ongoing fight to give our country’s children hope through better educational opportunities,” said Kevin P. Chavous, senior adviser to the American Federation for Children. “We’re grateful to have such an inspiring and important leader join us at our Summit, especially someone like Mayor Booker, who represents a new generation of school choice champions nationwide.”  Read the entire press release online here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 9, 2012)—New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will deliver a keynote address at the American Federation for Children’s third annual National Policy Summit, to be held on May 3-4, 2012 in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Governor Christie, who has championed school choice and education reform since even before his election as the Garden State’s chief executive in 2009, is one of the nation’s leading voices advocating for parental empowerment in education. Christie was also the keynote speaker at the Federation’s first annual summit two years ago in Washington, D.C.

“We’re honored to once again welcome Governor Christie to discuss the importance of education reform and school choice in New Jersey and nationwide,” said Betsy DeVos, chairman of the American Federation for Children. “Governor Christie stands with a growing chorus of leaders from across the political spectrum who are committed to putting children first and empowering parents with educational options.” Read the entire release online here. 

Join us for our third annual insider school choice briefing. What progress has been made and where are we headed in the coming year? Hosted by the American Federation for Children and the Alliance for School Choice, “School Choice Now: Breakthrough Victories for Children” connects donors, policymakers, and opinion leaders to discuss how we can best provide educational opportunities to the children who need them most. 

Space is limited – Register today!

The event will begin with a luncheon on Thursday, May 3, 2012, and end the following day with a closing lunch on Friday, May 4, 2012.

We have reserved a special room block rate of $269 for guests at the Westin. Call the hotel at 201-626-2900 and ask for the American Federation for Children room block, or book your room online here.

The American Federation for Children today announced that retired Intel Corporation CEO and board chairman Craig Barrett will participate in the third annual AFC National Policy Summit to be held May 3 – 4 in Jersey City, New Jersey. Dr. Barrett will be interviewed by Lisa Keegan, CEO of the Education Breakthrough Network.

Dr. Barrett is a leading advocate for improving education in the U.S. and around the world. In 2009, he stepped down as Chairman of the Board of Intel Corporation, a post he held from May 2005 to May 2009. He also served as CEO of the organization for seven years before becoming board chairman. Dr. Barrett has been an outspoken ally in the fight for education reform and will speak about the need for improved technology in America’s schools.

Following his work at Intel Corp., Dr. Barrett became the president and chairman of BASIS School Inc., an Arizona-based network of successful charter schools. He is also chairman of Achieve Inc., chairman of Change the Equation, a national coalition of CEOs seeking to create widespread literacy in science, technology, engineering, and math, and chairman of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s Arizona Ready Education Council.

The summit, titled School Choice Now: Breakthrough Victories for Children, will bring together the nation’s premiere policy experts, advocates, and champions of school choice to discuss the significant growth of school choice in 2011 as well as the prospects for even greater expansion in 2012.

The American Federation for Children’s National Policy Summit will be held at the Westin Jersey City Newport Hotel in Jersey City on Thursday, May 3, and Friday, May 4, 2012.  Renowned journalist and political commentator Juan Williams will be giving a keynote speech and additional well-known speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Juan Williams—one of the nation’s leading journalists, commentators, and political analysts—will deliver an address on school choice at the American Federation for Children’s third annual National Policy Summit.

Williams will give a keynote speech on the importance of educational options, which he has called the “civil rights issue of our time,” at the third annual summit hosted by the American Federation for Children—the nation’s voice for school choice. 

Williams is the author of six books, a renowned writer and journalist, and currently serves as a political commentator for Fox News.  He previously hosted “Talk of the Nation” and “America’s Black Forum” on National Public Radio and worked as a political columnist, editorial writer, and White House correspondent for more than 20 years at The Washington Post.   

Click here to read the entire press release!