NPR's Talk of the Nation: Changing Face of America

Live Town Hall Meeting: Cleveland, Ohio

Listen to Talk of the Nation's Town Hall Meeting from Cleveland, Ohio Thursday, October 26, at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.

Talk of the Nation Juan Williams

The Changing Face of Education

As a part of NPR's special series, The Changing Face of America, Talk of the Nation hosts a live town hall meeting from Cleveland, Ohio, where special guests and callers from around the country tackle one of America's hottest topics -- the changing face of education in America. This live broadcast will discuss whether public schools in the United States are adequately educating our children, how the school system is evolving to meet the needs of America's diverse communities and the growing controversy over academic standards and performance tests.

Join host Juan Williams and guests as they explore the current challenges facing education in America.

Guests:

Marshall Smith
* Professor of Education at Stanford University
* Former undersecretary of education (1993-2000)
* Was acting deputy secretary under Richard Riley (from 1996 until this past year)

Bruce Biddle
* Co-author of The Manufactured Crisis: Myths, Fraud, and the Attack on America's Public Schools.
* Professor emeritus of psychology and sociology, University of Missouri.

Alfie Kohn
* The Schools Our Children Deserve: Moving Beyond Traditional Classrooms and Tougher Standards (September 2000 Mariner Books)

Jeff Howard
* Founder and President of the Efficacy Institute
(Non-Profit Educational Training and Consulting Company)

The Changing Face of America is an 18-month-long NPR series that tells the stories of regular, everyday Americans and the issues they face at a time of rapid and dramatic change in the U.S. This special series can be heard on NPR's Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered and Morning Edition.