Tom Bloch, author of Stand for the Best and co-founder of Kansas City’s University Academy, and the school partner with the Kansas City Public Library to host a series of thought-provoking presentations by national experts titled What Works in Urban Education.

The first talk in this series features Eric Hanushek, the Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and a leading expert on educational policy specializing in the economics and finance of schools. The presentation takes place on Thursday, January 22, at 6:30 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

Hanushek’s ongoing research spans a number of the most important and controversial areas of education policy, including the impact of high-stakes accountability, class size, and teacher quality.

A 2004 recipient of the Fordham Prize for Distinguished Scholarship, Hanushek is a member of the International Academy of Education, the National Academy of Education, and an elected fellow of the Society of Labor Economists. Hanushek is also a prolific author with books including Courting Failure: How School Finance Lawsuits Exploit Judges’ Good Intentions and Harm Our Children, The Economics of Schooling and School Quality, and Making Schools Work: Improving Performance and Controlling Costs.

A limited number of copies of Stand for the Best by Tom Bloch will be available to attendees at no charge. What Works in Urban Education is co-sponsored by University Academy. Hanushek’s appearance is co-sponsored by the Show-Me Institute and the Downtown Council.