The General Session is set for 9-11 a.m. at the Bayou Theater at Fort Polk. 

Keynote speaker for the General Session is Jamie Vollmer, president of Vollmer, Inc., a public education advocacy firm working to increase student success by raising public support for America's schools.

Vollmer is the author of the highly acclaimed book, Schools Cannot Do It Alone, proclaimed by the American School Board Journal as one of the "top ten books of the year." In 2012, he was named the Friend of Texas Public Schools, and the Friend of Ohio Public Education. He is the 2010 recipient of the Learning and Liberty award presented by the National School Public Relations Association for his efforts to build trust and support for public schools.

Once a harsh critic, he is now an articulate champion of America's public schools. Over the last twenty years he has worked with educators, parents, and community leaders to remove the obstacles to student success. Read more about his background here.

Other presenters during the General Session may include:  

• Mike Reese for Fort Polk Progress and Gen. Hickman for Fort Polk;
• the Vernon Parish School District;
• the Rapides Foundation;
• and representatives from the Louisiana Department of Education, Louisiana Economic Development and the Louisiana Military Affairs Council.

Other possible topics for the general session include:

• Education Rankings:  How Vernon Parish Schools compare nationally
• Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
• Action Plan to elevate Vernon Parish Schools from Good to Great!
• Tools and Technology Available to Support Teachers, Parents and Students

An afternoon Parent University will be held at the Fort Polk Warrior Community Activity Center (WCAC) from 1-3 p.m. The sessions will be broken out by grades:  pre-K through 3rd, 4th - 8th, and 9th -12th.

The times and topics for the sessions are still being determined, based on information gathered from a recent parent survey. The team hopes to have a draft agenda by the week ending 2.21.14.  

An evening session will be held from 6-7 p.m. to provide a recap of the Symposium to working parents.  The location for the evening session is to be announced.  Additional information can be found at www.fortpolkprogress.com.

We've engaged both Facebook and Twitter to promote the symposium. A Facebook event for the symposium is in the works.

Registration for the events, which are free and open to the public, is open at www.fortpolkprogress.com. Seating is limited, so we encourage people to register ahead of time.

We'll have a flier and poster promoting the symposium available for display at schools and local businesses soon. We also encourage you to post the symposium date and times in a visible spot both at your business or school as well as on your websites and social media. If you would like fliers or posters, please contact Tammy Sharp at 337-378-9329.

If you are involved with a civic organization and would like to schedule Mike Reese to speak to your group about the symposium, please don't hesitate to call Tammy Sharp at 337-378-9329.

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