Press Contact: Teri L. Sullivan
WKNO/Channel 10
(901) 729-8735
tlsullivan@wkno.org
May 16, 2012
For Immediate Release
“Newsmakers” Features Chris Barbic, Superintendent of
Tennessee’s Achievement School District
WKNO-TV will premiere a new edition of Newsmakers featuring a conversation with the newly appointed Superintendent of Tennessee’s Achievement School District, Chris Barbic, on Wednesday, May 30 at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 10. It will repeat on Thursday, May 31 at 5:00 p.m. on WKNO2, available over the air on Channel 10.2 and on Comcast Digital Cable Channel 910.
Eric Barnes, publisher of the Memphis Daily News and host of WKNO’s weekly series Behind the Headlines, will host the half-hour interview with Barbic, focusing on his efforts to improve education for kids in low-performing schools in Memphis and throughout Tennessee.
85 schools in Tennessee are performing among the bottom 5% in the state. 69 of those schools are in Memphis. The Achievement School District is specifically focusing on building relationships and transforming schools in Frayser, where 11 of the 14 schools in the neighborhood are in the bottom 5%.
Barbic will also discuss his history with successful charter schools in Texas, and his belief that charter schools play a role in fixing bad schools, but aren’t the only approach.
“To accomplish our ambitious goal of transforming the lowest-performing 5 percent of schools in Tennessee into the top 25 percent in the state, it is important that we build deep relationships with the community,” said Chris Barbic. “WKNO is a key partner in our work to heighten awareness around the possibility of building a system of top-performing schools in Memphis.”
“The public school system in Tennessee is a hot-button topic” said Michael J. LaBonia, WKNO President and CEO. “It is an important issue affecting everyone, and the community needs to be informed. As one of the main missions of public television, we are proud that WKNO is able to offer programs that inform a more educated citizenry.”
About WKNO
WKNO is a non-profit, private foundation serving the Mid-South for more than 50 years. An important community resource, WKNO uses the power of non-commercial public broadcasting to provide the Mid-South with quality educational and cultural programs that inform, entertain, and inspire. For more information: wkno.org
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