The 19th Represents: Public Ed in the Pandemic

No issue is more critical to children and families right now than public education, with a global pandemic that’s keeping many kids home from school, forcing many women out of the workplace, and exposing — and worsening — massive disparities in educational advancement and opportunity.

Join us Oct. 21 from 1-4 p.m. CT for an afternoon of free virtual programming, where The 19th will elevate diverse voices, hear from national women leaders, and explore creative solutions to help parents and educators help kids.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts

Moderator: Amanda Becker, Washington correspondent, The 19th

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings

Moderator: Andrea Valdez, editor in chief, The 19th

Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile and student musicians from the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles: “The Joke”

The COVID generation: How underserved children are being left behind in the at-home era — and what we can do about it

Dr. Sharon L. Contreras, Superintendent of Guilford County Schools, NC

Luz Chaparro Hernandez, Teacher, Milwaukee Public Schools, WI

Susan Hudson, Teacher, Thornton Township HS District 205, IL

Moderator: Barbara Rodriguez, Statehouses Reporter, The 19th

Actor Natalie Portman: Selected readings from her new children’s book "Natalie Portman's Fables"

Teachers on the frontline: How educators and administrators are risking their health — and sanity — to keep kids on course

Dr. Ryan Daniel, Elementary School Principal, Prince George’s County Public Schools, MD

Tanya Suydam, Principal, Baboquivari Secondary Campus

Loni Watson, High School Counselor, Chadron Public Schools, NE

Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers

Moderator: Chabeli Carrazana, Economy Reporter, The 19th

Dr. Joyce Dorado, Director and Co-Founder of the Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in Schools program at the University of California San Francisco

Moderator: Cara Fitzpatrick, Story Editor, Chalkbeat

The 19th is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom reporting at the intersection of gender, politics and policy. We aim to empower women — particularly those underserved by and underrepresented in American media — with the information, community and tools they need to be equal participants in our democracy. This summer, The 19th launched a nonprofit news platform for women seeking news and information at the intersection of gender, politics and policy. The 19th aims to level the playing field with:

Free-to-consume and free-to-republish journalism that reimagines politics and policy coverage through a gender lens

Deep-dive, evidence-based reporting that exposes gender inequity and injustice, and reveals surprising and original stories on the issues that most deeply affect women’s lives, from health care to the economy

A newsroom that reflects the racial and socioeconomic diversity of American women and is devoted to covering all women with empathy

A digital platform for civil conversations and community building, and national events that bring our readers into direct contact with their elected officials

Learn how you can support our nonprofit newsroom here.

Note: our sponsors play no part in the selection of our event participants or programming.

The 19th Represents: Public Education in the Pandemic