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Michelle Hughes, assistant professor of education at ���ϰٿ�, tackles the complex issues regarding today’s education climate in a lecture, “Hot Topics and Highlights in Public Education,” on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 5:30 p.m. at University Club, 1332 Santa Barbara St. The lecture is free although seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please call (805) 565-6051.

“No Child Left Behind, testing, technology, state and Common Core Standards, teacher quality, and social issues permeate the media and people’s perceptions of public education,” Hughes says. She’ll share the hidden treasures and stories of success in Santa Barbara County’s public schools that foster and promote student achievement in our community.

Hughes, who earned a bachelor’s degree in English and teaching credential from ���ϰٿ� in 1989, has worked as a teacher and assistant principal in Santa Barbara for two decades. For seven years she taught English at Goleta Valley Junior High School, assuming several leadership roles. She earned a master’s degree in educational leadership and an administrative services credential from CSU Northridge. She was assistant principal at Dos Pueblos High School for 13 years, heading the school’s writing and research teams for California Distinguished Schools and National Blue Ribbon Schools.

Hughes is currently a doctoral student in George Fox University’s Educational Foundations and Leadership program. Her research interests include professional teaching dispositions and character education.

The lecture is part of ���ϰٿ� Downtown: Conversations about Things that Matter, which is sponsored by the ���ϰٿ� Foundation.