U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, in a live appearance, will spotlight what parents can do to help their children develop the strong math and science skills necessary for global competitiveness during the February edition of the U.S. Department of Education's TV show, "Education News Parents Can Use."

The program will be carried from 8 to 9 p.m. EST tonight on the Dish Network, dozens of PBS stations and numerous cable outlets. Others, including The Learning Channel, will broadcast the show on a tape-delayed basis. A complete listing of viewing options is available at www.ed.gov/news/av/video/edtv/index.html. In addition, the program will be webcast live and archived at www.connectlive.com/events/ednews/.

During the show, Secretary Spellings will also discuss how the administration's reauthorization proposal and President Bush's 2008 budget will build on the success of No Child Left Behind Act and improve and strengthen America's public schools.

Video features will follow the secretary's appearance highlighting keys to success at Main Elementary School in Rome, Ga., and Lincoln Elementary School in Mount Vernon, N.Y. -- 2006 NCLB-Blue Ribbon Schools.

In the second half-hour, guests will describe promising practices, as well as the vital importance of building good math and science skills for the 21st Century. Among those who will appear:

• Mike Buck, assistant superintendent of Rome City Schools in Rome, Ga.
• Brenda Smith, superintendent of the Mount Vernon City School District in Mount Vernon, N.Y., where all 11 elementary schools—despite low-income surroundings—have either met or exceeded state and federal guidelines under No Child Left Behind.
• Larry Faulkner, chair of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel commissioned by President Bush.
• Kathy Cloninger, chief executive for the Girl Scouts of the USA.
• Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, first occupant of the Frederick P. Rose Directorship of the Hayden Planetarium in New York and an astrophysics teacher.

The "Education News Parents Can Use" TV series airs monthly during the school year.

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