Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal To Deliver Speech at AFC 2012 National Policy Summit

Jindal, fresh off signing bold voucher expansion, will delivery keynote address at next month’s school choice Summit.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal - photo: nola.com

(WASHINGTON DC) - Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will reflect on his state’s recent school choice expansion and stress the importance of continuing to increase educational options during a speech at the American Federation for Children’s third annual National Policy Summit, to be held on May 3-4 in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Governor Jindal’s appearance will come on the heels of a statewide, bipartisan expansion of the New Orleans voucher program, which the governor signed into law just last week. The recently-approved voucher expansion will make more than 380,000 students—almost half of Louisiana’s public school population—from low-income families in the state’s poorest-performing schools eligible to attend a private school of their parents’ choice. The program's expansions make it one of the largest-ever voucher programs in the country.

“We are truly thrilled that one of the nation’s most committed education reformers will join us for our 2012 Policy Summit,” said Betsy DeVos, chairman of the American Federation for Children. “Governor Jindal serves as an example of how strong leadership and a bipartisan approach can improve the lives of children, and we can’t wait to hear how he will inspire other governors across the country to stand up for children.”

Jindal has led efforts to reform the state’s education system since becoming Louisiana’s governor in 2008. He helped create the New Orleans voucher program and has been a champion for a number of other education reforms, including the expansion of high-quality public charter schools and a revamping of the state's teacher tenure laws.

The 55th governor of Louisiana and the first Indian American governor in American history, Jindal is a native of Baton Rouge and a graduate of Brown University. He received a political science degree from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.

He’s the latest in a string of high-profile speakers who have been announced as Summit speakers, including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Newark Mayor and fellow Rhodes Scholar Cory Booker, and author and commentator Juan Williams.

The American Federation for Children—the nation’s voice for school choice—is hosting its third annual National Policy Summit, entitled School Choice Now: Breakthrough Victories for Children, which will focus on the landmark expansion of educational options for children over the past year as well as the importance of continuing those reforms. The nation's premier gathering for advocates interested in the intersection of education, politics, and public policy, it will also include a series of panel discussions with state legislators, business and education leaders, and the nation’s leading researchers on school choice programs.

The Summit will be held Thursday, May 3 and Friday May 4 at the Westin Jersey City Newport in Jersey City, NJ. The Summit is open to the public via registration. For more information or register to attend the Summit, please visit www.AFCPolicySummit.com.

Source: federationforchildren.org (American Federation for Children)