"The success of our nation is directly tied to the educational opportunities provided to future generations. Students must be given every possible opportunity to achieve their full academic potential." - Pennsylvania Congressman Chaka Fattah, a keynote speaker at the upcoming summit.

Access to effective teachers, a college preparatory curriculum, and equitable instructional resources: Those are just a few criteria for providing opportunities to learn for our nation's - and state's - students. To further examine these resources in order to close the opportunity gap, the Schott Foundation for Public Education, a Washington, D.C.-based foundation is hosting the nation's experts on public education on November 5-7 to brainstorm opportunities to learn in all of our schools. The national campaign meshes with the work that Good Schools Pennsylvania and the Education Law Center have undertaken to expand opportunities to learn in our state (see below for a story about a recent OTL summit in Pittsburgh). Are you interested in working with us to close the opportunity gap in your school district? A delegation from Good Schools Pennsylvania will be making the trip to D.C. Space is limited; contact an organizer from your region to express your interest in attending.

Important decisions affecting opportunities to learn will be made next month as school board elections take place across Pennsylvania. Good Schools Pennsylvania partnered with Berks County Community Television on October 16 to host a forum for candidates vying for a seat on the Reading School District's board. The district has many challenges awaiting the candidates - the highest poverty rate in the state at 80 percent, as well as the highest adequacy gap as identified by the costing-out study and education finance formula. Candidates were asked to clarify their positions on important strategies to close the achievement gap, as well as to discuss the link between an effective system of public education finance and the vitality of their communities.

We recently told you about a similar discussion taking place in the Norristown Area School District, as municipal and school officials from Norristown, East Norriton and West Norriton held a historic, first-time meeting to discuss their shared interest in controlling property taxes while ensuring quality schools. On October 24, that conversation was furthered at a school board candidate's forum co-hosted by the Norristown NAACP and the Norristown Area Parent's Club. In both forums, there were differing opinions on many topics, but there was also broad consensus that the costing-out study was an important tool to use in designing an effective system of public education, and that if struggling communities like Reading and Norristown are to revitalize, the state must continue to invest resources to ensure a high quality public education for all of its students. For more information about the forums or efforts to strengthen the district, contact Good Schools Pennsylvania organizer in your area.