Dr. John B. King, Jr., Secretary of Education under President Obama, To Present Keynote Address at Educator Conference in Minnesota

CENTER CITY, Minn., March 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The nationally-renowned BARR Center will welcome Dr. John B. King, Jr., Secretary of Education under President Barack Obama and President and CEO of The Education Trust, as keynote speaker for its upcoming conference "Excellence through Equity: The Power of BARR to Serve All Students."

Dr. King will deliver the keynote address at the conference, the first day of which will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 20 at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park, Minn. The event is open to the media.

In addition to Dr. King's address, the two-day conference will feature educators, researchers and national education experts who will discuss how the BARR (Building Assets, Reducing Risks) school improvement model can increase equity in schools and why it's critical that equity continue to be a focus of policy discussions at the national level.

During the second day of the conference, on Friday, April 21, participants will tour a local BARR school, St. Anthony Village High School, which has also been part of a BARR research study.  Click here for additional conference information.

About Dr. John B. King, Jr.
A passionate advocate and inspiring education leader, former Secretary of Education and President and CEO of The Education Trust John B. King considers himself living proof of the transformative power of a great education. According to Dr. King, "New York City public school teachers saved my life and gave me hope." After losing his mother at age 8, school became the haven of stability, structure and support that sustained him during his father's struggle and death from Alzheimer's disease. Parentless at age 12, he continued to immerse himself into a world of learning, theater productions and historical research projects created by caring, inspirational teachers and a safe, supportive school community.

To this day, Dr. King never misses an opportunity to celebrate the life-transforming power of educators. When President Obama named him as Secretary of Education at a White House ceremony, Dr. King once again thanked those teachers who had saved his life. He also shared a core belief that has driven him throughout his career: Education is at the very heart of America's promise of opportunity.

Dr. King is currently President and CEO of The Education Trust, a nonprofit organization that advocates for high academic achievement for all students, particularly low-income students and students of color. He was named Secretary of Education in January, 2016, succeeding Arne Duncan. Described as "an exceptionally talented educator" by President Obama, the appointment recognized Dr. King's lifelong dedication to preparing every child for success as a teacher, principal and leader of schools and school systems. As Secretary, Dr. King focused on advancing excellence and equity throughout preschool, K-12, and higher education, supporting educators and elevating the teaching profession and improving college access, affordability and completion. He had previously served the department as Delegated Deputy Secretary, overseeing overall operations and all pre-K-12 education policies, programs and strategic initiatives. This included leading the cross-agency work of President Obama's My Brother's Keeper initiative, focused on creating pathways to opportunity for boys and young men of color. Dr. King came to the Department of Education after heading the New York State Education Department (NYSED).

During his tenure as New York's first African-American and Puerto Rican Education Commissioner, the state was a national leader in many facets of education, including investing in high-quality early learning, raising standards for teaching and learning, providing strong professional development and innovative career ladder models for teachers and school leaders, as well as increasing educational opportunities in high-needs communities. At NYSED, Dr. King drew upon his extensive experience leading urban schools as Managing Director of Uncommon Schools, a nonprofit charter management organization and as Co-director of the high-performing Roxbury (Massachusetts) Preparatory Charter School, which he co-founded. Dr. King began his career teaching high school social studies in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Boston, Massachusetts. He holds a B.A. from Harvard University, an M.A. and Ed.D. from Teachers College of Columbia University, and a J.D. from Yale University.

Follow Dr. King on Twitter via @JohnBKing.

About BARR
BARR is a whole-school model for grades 6-12 that provides schools with a comprehensive approach to meeting students' academic, social and emotional needs. The model integrates eight proven strategies to  provide a structure that helps educators build safe, strong, trusting relationships with their students — and these connections pave the way for every student to engage in learning. BARR works with a school's existing curriculum and existing staff, and it can be used to attain any specific school goals. Materials, training, coaching, and outreach services are provided for BARR by Hazelden Publishing.

National recognition and awards include:

• BARR has received four Strong Ratings from Evidence for ESSA for Math and Reading improvement for all students as well as struggling students.
• Three evaluations of BARR, which each found highly statistically significant results, were reviewed by the U.S. Department of Education's What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) and "met evidence standards without reservation," the highest possible rating.
• BARR is recognized in the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Guide for Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs.
• BARR is included in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).
• BARR received the 2014 ACT College and Career Transition Award.

About the BARR Center
The BARR Center provides thought leadership, evaluation services, and oversight for the BARR model, its flagship program. As a 501(c) 3 organization, the BARR Center serves as the organizing body for the national BARR network. Learn more at www.BARRCenter.org and on Twitter: @BARRCenter.

About Hazelden Publishing
Hazelden Publishing is the leading provider of evidence-based resources for alcohol and other drug use prevention, violence prevention, and social-emotional learning solutions for students in elementary school through high school and into young adulthood.

Hazelden Publishing is a division of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's largest nonprofit treatment provider offering prevention and recovery solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care for youth and adults. Learn more at www.HazeldenBettyFord.org and on Twitter: @hazldnbettyford; @olweus; and @hzldn4educators.

SOURCE Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

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