WASHINGTON, March 11, /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Chaka Fattah (D., PA) this week met with first lady of Haiti Elisabeth Preval, Louisiana Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas, and George Washington University President Steven Knapp to discuss the future of education in post-earthquake Haiti.

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At the meeting, it was announced that Haiti will be launching a new national effort to increase access to high-quality publicly funded education for all of the nation's children. This work will build on the success of post-Katrina education in Louisiana with the assistance of Paul Vallas and Congressman Chaka Fattah. Vallas, who has been praised for his work in rebuilding New Orleans schools from the ground up in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, will work with the people of Haiti and Congressman Fattah to rebuild Haiti's educational system.

Fattah, the creator of several successful educational programs, including America's largest pre-college awareness and readiness program, is one of America's leading voices on education. He is eager to join the effort.

The literary rate in Haiti is around 50 percent and the overwhelming majority of Haitian families must pay for their children's education, in spite of living in extreme poverty. "The education system in Haiti was struggling before the earthquake hit," Fattah said. "This is a chance to extend a basic American right – free elementary and secondary education for all children – to this impoverished country. We know how critical universal education has been to building the American middle class and we look forward to the power of education to help Haiti rebuild."

The Congressman, who worked with Paul Vallas during his tenure in Philadelphia, spoke of his breadth of experience and skills, "Paul Vallas is eminently qualified to work on this effort, and I'm looking forward to assisting him and the government of Haiti to build a better, stronger, sustainable education system."

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah

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