Governor Patrick to Speak at Citizen Schools Summit

CONTACTS:Stacey Gilbert Nee, Citizen Schools, Cell: (617) 309-7133, staceygilbertnee@citizenschools.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BOSTON-BASED NATIONAL ORGANIZATION CONVENES NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EXPANDED LEARNING TIME IN THE HUB

Organization Releases Report on National Initiative to Partner with Schools to Lengthen the School Day

Governor Deval Patrick to Speak at Gathering __________________________________________________________________________

Boston, MA – July 12, 2012 – On July 13th and 14th, Citizen Schools, a Boston-based national education organization that partners with low-income middle schools to extend the learning day with innovative academic and apprenticeship programs, is convening a national conference on expanded learning time (ELT) at the Microsoft NERD Center in Cambridge, MA. The Citizen Schools’ ELT Summit will gather over 220 school and district leaders, teachers, policymakers, and education thought leaders to explore the opportunities, challenges, and success strategies of ELT collaboration.

At the event, Citizen Schools will release a report on the first year of the organization’s national initiative to partner with schools across the country to lengthen the learning day. The report outlines how the organization has replicated a successful ELT partnership model first implemented with the Clarence Edwards Middle School in Boston, MA. In addition, the report takes a look at the initiative’s results, as well as funding models and four keys to successful ELT partnership: leadership, planning, collaboration, and data collection and sharing.

"Expanded learning time offers a powerful way to address America's growing class-based opportunity gap and to provide all children with the extra learning time and successful experiences that their wealthier peers may take for granted," said Eric Schwarz, Co-Founder and CEO of Citizen Schools. "Citizen Schools now has a national track record of teaming up with district public schools to dramatically improve schools serving some of the highest need students in the nation. The ELT Summit will allow Citizen Schools and its school and district partners to further refine this promising model, helping to develop a new school design equipped to meet the needs of the 21st Century."

On July 13th, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick will deliver remarks at the gathering and address the state’s support for ELT and the importance of ELT partnerships. On July 8th, Governor Patrick signed the $32.5 billion FY2013 budget, increasing funding for the state’s ELT Initiative to $14.17 million, an increase of $250,000.

“Massachusetts leads the nation in education innovations to close the achievement gap and I am proud of our continued investments in expanded learning time as a school improvement strategy,” said Governor Patrick. “Through partnering with Citizen Schools, many of our most innovative schools are proving how community organization partnerships can help lengthen and transform the school day, allowing all students to reach their full potential.”

For more about the ELT Summit, click here.

For a list of speakers, including Governor Patrick and Acting Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education Michael Yudin, click here.

For a list of participating schools from Massachusetts and across the country, click here.

About Citizen Schools

Citizen Schools is a leading national education initiative that partners with middle schools to expand the learning day for children in low-income communities across the country through afterschool and expanded learning time programs. The organization mobilizes a second shift of afternoon educators, who provide academic support, leadership development, and "apprenticeships"—hands-on projects taught by volunteers from business and civic organizations. At over thirty middle schools in eight states, Citizen Schools students develop the skills they need to succeed in high school, college, the workforce, and civic life.

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