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Press Release: VIRTUAL TEXAS TOWN HALL HOSTED BY FORMER EDUCATION SECRETARY MARGARET SPELLINGS SEEKS INPUT ON U.S. TECH POLICY


SPONSORED BY TEXAS 2036

MEDIA ADVISORY

May 24, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VIRTUAL TEXAS TOWN HALL HOSTED BY FORMER EDUCATION SECRETARY MARGARET SPELLINGS SEEKS INPUT ON U.S. TECH POLICY

[VIRTUAL, TEXAS] Following conversations with the White House and the FCC, former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, former Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick and Common Sense Media Founder and CEO James P. Steyer have announced the Future of Tech Commission. The Commission will convene a series of virtual town halls to collect recommendations for a comprehensive U.S. technology policy. The findings will get released by the end of the summer.

The Texas Town Hall is among the first of about a dozen town halls throughout the nation. It will provide leaders in education, technology and business the opportunity to provide input on how the U.S. should support and proliferate technological innovation for the future of education and the workforce and cultivate tech equity and digital access for all.

This Commission follows a similar effort, called the LEAD Commission, led by Steyer and Spellings seven years ago, that expanded broadband access in schools. This work hopes to spur technology policy.

WHAT: A Virtual Texas Town Hall hosted by the Future of Tech Commission

WHEN: 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Wednesday, May 26, 2021

WHERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/future-of-tech-commission-texas-town-hall-tickets-152114166567

WHO:

HOST: Secretary Margaret Spellings, President & CEO, Texas 2036

MODERATORS:

  • Evan Smith, CEO, Texas Tribune
  • Kirk Watson, Dean, Hobby School of Public Affairs, University of Houston and former State Senator

FEATURED SPEAKERS:

  • Mike Morath, Texas Commissioner of Education
  • Nicol Turner Lee, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
  • ​Stephanie Cawthon, Professor in the College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin

PANELISTS:

  • Nicole Anderson, President, AT&T Foundation
  • Larry Berger, CEO, Amplify
  • Pedro Martinez, Superintendent, San Antonio ISD
  • Joe May, Chancellor, Dallas College
  • Alfreda Norman, Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
  • ​Wynn Rosser, President & CEO, TLL Temple Foundation

WHY: Texas is a major tech hub. The Future of Tech Commission hopes to leverage this event to tap the state’s expertise and ingenuity to generate the best ideas to guide tech policy, particularly on spurring innovation and cultivating digital connectivity and literacy.

RESULTS: The feedback generated by the town halls, including detailed comments provided in an online form available to participants, will be compiled in a report that the Commission will deliver to federal policymakers, as well as with the media, stakeholders and the public, in order to spark further discussion and ultimately inform a modern comprehensive tech agenda for the nation.

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About Future of Tech Commission:

The Future of Tech Commission is an independent and bipartisan working group co-chaired by former Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick, Common Sense Media Founder Jim Steyer, and former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and formed in response to discussions with the White House and the acting FCC Chairwoman to recommend a coordinated tech policy agenda and blueprint for America’s future. For more information, visit www.futureoftechcommission.org.

About Texas 2036:

Texas 2036 is a nonprofit organization building long-term, data-driven strategies to secure Texas' prosperity through our state’s bicentennial and beyond. Texas 2036 offers non-partisan ideas and modern solutions that are grounded in research and data on issues that matter most to all Texans. For more information, visit www.texas2036.org.

Media Contacts:

Merrill Davis (Texas 2036)
Ph: 713-213-7297
Email: Merrill.Davis@Texas2036.org

Seth Oldmixon (Texas 2036)
Ph: 202-299-4109
Email: Seth.Oldmixon@Texas2036.org

Gary Susswein (Texas 2036)
Ph: 512-694-7909
Email: Gary@NewWestComms.com

Lisa Cohen (Common Sense)
Ph: 310-395-2544
Email: Lisa@LisaCohen.org

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