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July 23, 2008 • Vol. XXXII • No. 2
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Page| Meet Your Workshop 2008 Speakers | |
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Speakers at Workshop 2008 in Atlantic City will feature some high-profile talent, including a CBS commentator who is a proud product of the often-maligned New York City public school system, and a Nevada teacher who surprised her class (and herself) by running for Congress after her students told her they believed ordinary citizens could not run for political office. Workshop 2008 will run from Tuesday, Oct. 28 to Thursday, Oct. 30. Wednesday Keynote Speaker: Nancy Giles of CBS Sunday Morning
Giles, who is also an actress and comedian, is a graduate of Oberlin College, has toured with Chicago’s Second City comedy troupe, and has extensive New York theater credits. In television, she appeared for three seasons on the drama China Beach and on the comedy series Delta, and she has been a guest on shows such as Law and Order, LA Law, Spin City and Fresh Prince. Giles has appeared in movies such as True Crime, Working Girl and Big. As a co-host of the radio show Giles and Moriarty (with CBS News correspondent Erin Moriarty), she won back-to-back American Women in Radio and Television Awards (“Gracies”) for Best Radio Talk Show. Thursday Keynote Speaker: Tierney Cahill, Teacher and Subject of Upcoming Movie
Cahill, the mother of three children and a sixth-grade teacher in Reno, Nevada, was teaching a civics lesson to her class when she told her students that anyone could run for public office. They disagreed, and even challenged her to run for office. Determined to prove her point, Cahill ran for Congress in 2000. Without large coffers and name-recognition, she lost the election to the incumbent, although she received an unexpected 34 percent of the vote. During the campaign, Cahill brought attention to some issues she felt deeply about, including education, mental health and nuclear waste. She also proved to her students that a “normal person” can run for office and make a difference. Cahill’s memoir of her Congressional race, Ms. Cahill for Congress: One Fearless Teacher, Her Sixth Grade Class, and the Election that Changed their Lives Forever, will be published by Random House in September. Cahill’s experiences are also the subject of the forthcoming film, Class Act, starring Halle Berry. Cahill will recount her inspirational experiences and speak on “Living Without Fear,” the importance of overcoming self-doubt and the fear of failure. Workshop 2008’s theme is “Guiding Tomorrow’s Leaders.” Information is available at the Workshop 2008 Web page. |
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On Wednesday, Oct. 29, CBS Sunday Morning commentator Nancy Giles will discuss “Teaching Matters.” Born and raised in Queens, New York, Giles will share her stories of the New York City public school teachers who inspired her, her own volunteer work with children, and the lessons learned from both.
Thursday afternoon’s closing session will feature Tierney Cahill, a teacher who became a Democratic congressional candidate—and the subject of an upcoming motion picture.