Media Advisory: Washington Post education columnist Jay Mathews to speak at WFU on March 7

Washington Post education columnist and author Jay Mathews will speak in Wait Chapel on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.

While many are focused solely on the problems and challenges facing the K-12 education system today, Mathews will address what he believes is right with American schools – the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme.

Hosted by Wake Forest University and The International Baccalaureate Schools of North Carolina, the event is free and open to the public. Camera crews may set up on the stairs to the right in Wait Chapel.

In attendance will be students, teachers and administrators of junior IB Diploma candidates visiting Wake Forest from across the state, including Parkland High School (Winston-Salem), Grimsley High School (Greensboro), Broughton High School (Raleigh) and High Point Central High School.

Earlier that day, Mathews will meet with local and state-level lawmakers and school administrators to discuss hot topics in public education. This event is closed to the public, but media may attend from 4:00 until 5:15 p.m. in the Byrum Welcome Center/Undergraduate Admissions Office. Please contact the WFU news office to attend.

In addition to writing for the Post for more than 40 years, Mathews is the author of multiple books including Supertest: How the International Baccalaureate Can Strengthen Our Schools, Escalante: The Best Teacher in America, and Work Hard Be Nice. Each year, he compiles the rankings of the nation’s top high schools for Washington Post.

While writing Supertest, Mathews became intimately knowledgeable about the IB Diploma Programme and even sat for the examinations. His deep understanding of IB objectives and results has made him a proponent of the challenging curriculum’s impact on students and their respective communities.

“We look forward to a discussion of how our educational system must prepare and push students to meet world-class standards,” says WFU Dean of Admissions Martha Allman. “The combination of academic rigor, global perspective and a serious emphasis on community and service make the IB Programme a compelling roadmap to excellence in education.”

Also of note, Guilford County Schools will accept applications for their magnet schools, including schools with the IB Programme, until March 16.

About Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University combines the best traditions of a small liberal arts college with the resources of a large research university. Founded in 1834, the school is located in Winston-Salem, N.C. The University’s graduate school of arts and sciences, divinity school, and nationally ranked schools of law, medicine and business enrich our intellectual environment. Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu.

Contact:

Katie Neal, 336-758-6141, nealkc@wfu.edu