Symposium to consider 'Rhetoric of Race and Achievement Gaps'

The Spring 2011 Symposium of the Racial Initiatives for Students and Educators (RISE), set for Feb. 18 at CU-Boulder, features two panels and a keynote addressing "Equity in Education: Examining the Rhetoric of Race and Achievement Gaps."

The event begins at 9 a.m. in the Wolf Law School Wittemyer Courtroom with a welcome by School of Education Dean Lorrie Shepard and Law School Dean David Getches. The first panel, from 9:15 to 10:45 a.m., addresses "What is the rhetoric framing public discourse surrounding race and achievement gaps in the United States?" The second panel, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., considers "How does racism contribute to the rhetoric of achievement gaps and race in education, policy and law?" From 1 to 2 p.m., keynote speaker David Stovall discusses "Reframing the Gap: Educational Debt and the Responsibility of Socially Conscious Educators in Troubling Times."

Panelists/moderators for the symposium include: David Connor, Rita Kohli, Emma Perez, David Stovall, Michele Moses, Catherine Smith and Elizabeth Dutro.

The event is free and open to the public.

R.I.S.E. is a student organization established to extend the diversity and social justice goals expressed in the University of Colorado, School of Education's (SOE) mission statement. The group's purpose is to create a safe space for the critical discussion of race.