June 14, 2004

NSU Co-Sponsors Symposium: Journey to Diversity: 50 Years of Innovation and Progress

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL- Nova Southeastern University along with Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), Barry University, Florida International University, Florida Memorial College, Miami Dade College, the University of Miami, Dade County Council PTA, and the Southeastern Equity Center are sponsoring “First School Choice Symposium: Journey to Diversity – 50 Years of Innovation and Progress,” June 15-16, at the Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami Beach. The keynote speaker will be Nina Shokraii Rees, Deputy Under Secretary for Innovation and Improvement from the U. S. Department of Education.

The symposium is a celebration of the progress in achieving diversity from the Dade County Court ordered desegregation to its release after the court's unitary declarations. The M-DCPS Bi-Racial Tri-Ethnic Advisory Committee will be honored during a celebration on June 15 for its work over the past 35 years in the pursuit of diversity. The Schools of Choice Advisory Committee is assisting in this effort.

“First School Choice Symposium: Journey to Diversity,” will provide recent research on school choice and show the progress the country has made in seeking diversity in education. It will showcase various forms of choice in education, and d iscussions will be held on achieving gender, socio-economic and racial fairness in school choice. Additionally, the symposium will review the school system's journey from Court ordered desegregation to diversity.

For more information about the symposium, contact Gloria Simmons, Director Diversity Compliance Miami-Dade Public Schools, (305) 995-1580. To register for the symposium, contact Nigel Whyte, Nova Southeastern University, (954) 262-5082.