“From the Heart of a Teacher” education summit Sept. 26 at George Mason Manassas

Rodney Jordan, author and Manassas 5th and 6th grade teacher, will host “From the Heart of a Teacher” education summit Saturday, Sept. 26 at George Mason University’s Manassas Campus.

Jordan said in a press release, “It’s about time the public hear from those ‘on the ground’ soldiers rather than people with a hidden agenda or disconnection from the classroom.

Panelists from the D.C. metropolitan area and other regions as far north as New York City will look at multiple pieces of the education puzzle: standardized testing, social promotion, education policy, teacher retention, and parental involvement.

Keynote speaker, Gabe Sonnier, who was a janitor for 27 years before becoming the principal of Port Barre Elementary School in Louisiana, will share his incredible story in perseverance and determination.

Jordan is no stranger to education reform. In his first published book, Tired of Being Black, readers learn how he went from being the student no teacher wanted in class to the teacher in whose classroom all students wanted to be.

“I decided to host this event because Americans are continuously being misled about the day-to-day challenges our educators, our support staff, and our students are facing,” Jordan was quoted as saying in a press release.

Hal Parrish, Manassas mayor and candidate for the U.S. Senate,  is expected to be in attendance along with city council and school board members from the surrounding area, the news release said.