NCLB Critic to Speak Dec. 4

Ohanian's talk, "Is Reauthorization the Right Thing to Do?" comes as Congress is faced with whether or not to reauthorize NCLB which mandates, among other things, annual testing in public schools. Ohanian is an outspoken critic of the law and believes there are many serious concerns about the effectiveness of it and its impact on public education.

Ohanian was the 2003 recipient of the National Council of Teachers of English George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language, which recognizes writers who have made outstanding contributions to the critical analysis of public discourse. The author of many books, Ohanian's bibliography includes the 2002 title, "What Happened to Recess and Why Are Our Children Struggling in Kindergarten?" She also co-authored "Why Is Corporate America Bashing Our Public Schools?" in 2004. Jonathan Kozol, author of "Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools," said of the book, "Kathy Emery and Susan Ohanian have written a magnificent, carefully documented, and high-voltage manifesto to confront the degradation of our nation's schools by powerful corporations whose self-serving motives and assaultive tactics have developed into a relentless and dehumanizing juggernaut."

There will be questions and conversation following her talk, which is co-sponsored by the SUNY Plattsburgh Education Department and the North Country Teacher Resource Center.