Details have been released about an education forum in Buffalo with State Education Commissioner John King and Regents Chancellor Emeritus Robert Bennett.The 90-minute forum co-sponsored by WNED|WBFO Buffalo-Toronto will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, December 12, at the WNED studios at 140 Lower Terrace in downtown Buffalo. The first hour will be broadcast live on WNED-TV and WBFO 88.7 FM.
The focus of the event will be on education reform, teacher evaluations, and the new Common Core Learning Standards, which have been the subject of criticism from some parents. King participated in a similar session earlier this week in Jamestown.
The forum will be moderated by WBFO Station Manager Jim Ranney. WNED|WBFO President and CEO Donald Boswell and President of the District Parent Coordinating Council of Buffalo Samuel Radford III will convene the session.
Each of Western New York's 40 school districts will be allowed up to three representatives to attend the forum, including teachers, parents, and school administrators. Members of the DPCC will also be represented in the audience.
Commissioner King will open the forum by briefly reviewing what has been shared in other forums across the state. The majority of the time will be reserved for parents, educators and the public to submit questions concerning implementation of the Common Core standards.
Seating for the event is limited to 300. An online registration for the general public is being conducted at wned.org until Sunday, December 8 at midnight. Selection will be made by random lottery. Those chosen will be notified on Tuesday, December 10.