June 16, 2009
John Lyles: 770-473-2730

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Partners with Clayton County Public Schools to Advance Black Male Achievement
Symposium to Addresses Culturally-Appropriate Policy and Strategies to Reform Education for black males

Jonesboro, GA - The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), Clayton County Public Schools (CCPS), and the Open Society Institute's Campaign for Black Male Achievement will present a District-Level Forum (DLF) on Thursday, July 23, 2009 from 8:30 am.- 4:00 pm.  The title of the forum is "Breaking Barriers: Fostering Excellence among Black Males in Public Schools."  The day-long event will be held at the Clayton County Public Schools Professional Learning Center, 1087 Battle Creek Road Jonesboro, Georgia.

"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allocates $90.9 billion to reform and modernize education," noted Dr. Ivory A. Toldson. "This is an unprecedented opportunity to chart a new course for Black males by making sure that education reform is consistent with evidence-based findings on Black male success factors."  Dr. Toldson is Senior Research Analyst for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Associate Professor at Howard University, and author of “Breaking Barriers: Plotting the Path to Academic Success for School-age African American Males."

Funded by the Open Society Institute's Campaign for Black Male Achievement, this is the second in a series of forums to elevate the national discourse on black male achievement.  The first forum in Washington, DC attracted more than 200 school board members, school administrators, parent and student activists, and key policymakers at the national and local levels.  Breaking Barriers provides an opportunity for local and national leaders and community residents to engage in a solution-focused discussion. "Following our very successful education forum on Capitol Hill, we are excited to collaborate with a public school district to directly impact young black males," said Dr. Elsie Scott, President and CEO of the CBCF.

Clayton County Public School's Dr. Chandra Johnson, Executive Director of Research and Dr. Qiana Cutts enthusiastically accepted the role of local liaisons for the Atlanta Breaking Barriers event. The two recently completed study on an all male academy in Clayton County, which will be featured in a special edition of the Journal of Negro Education on educating black males. Admission is free, however the demand typically exceeds capacity. Those interested in participating can contact Dr. Ivory A. Toldson at itoldson@cbcfinc.org or Dr. Chandra Johnson at cfjohnson@clayton.k12.ga.us.  Go to www.cbcfinc.org for more information.

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CBCF was established in 1976, as a non-partisan, non-profit, public policy research and educational institute. Our mission is to serve as the catalyst that educates future leaders, minority-focused organizational leaders, and organized labor to effect positive and sustainable change in the African American community.

The mission of Clayton County Public Schools is to provide a safe and supportive environment that promotes the highest quality education for each child.