Parents are invited to come to St. Croix Educational Complex Thursday evening to hear two renowned education experts talk about how V.I. parents can help their children succeed.
Speaking Thursday will be New York University professor Pedro Noguera, who was on President Obama’s short list for Secretary of Education, and internationally recognized speaker and author Stephen Sroka.
The two are coming to St. Croix this week to deliver keynote lectures for a professional development conference for the St. Croix District Education Department. But with two such highly regarded speakers on hand, the Education Department arranged for the two to also give a talk to V.I. parents.
The lectures, free and open to the public, begin at 6 p.m. in the Education Complex Auditorium. Noguera will speak first, on the topic of "Schools in Crisis: Building Partnerships for Mutual Benefit." Sroka, will follow, speaking from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Sroka, who grew up in the projects with severe health problems and was once labeled "retarded" by his teachers, is today an award-winning health educator who teaches at Case Western Reserve. He is the author of several books and is an educational consultant on sex, drugs and violence to departments of education and health throughout the world, including Guam, England, Switzerland, Guatemala and the Cayman Islands.
Janine Schuster, deputy St. Croix District superintendent, said Noguera is "a really dynamic speaker on educational disparities" and outcomes between different ethnic and racial groups.
"Both speakers will talk to parents about what they can do to help their children achieve," she said.
The main, daytime conference for teachers is intended for a variety of audiences involved in planning and delivering instructional and support services to the grade-school population. The two-day conference has some 98 workshops on all manner of topics for teachers and other education professionals. Sessions for all instructional personnel, support and ancillary staff will be held at the Educational Complex from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Registration begins 7:30 a.m. on Thursday.