Today’s moderator: Maureen Downey

Maureen Downey has written about local, state and federal education policy at the AJC for 12 years. She’s also taught college classes in mass communications and journalism. However, she’s learned more about schools from having four children in them.

»Join the discussion online today: Share your opinions and ideas on Maureen's blog Get Schooled.

A conference in Atlanta brought together some of the brightest minds in education. I highlight their comments, most of which touched on the same theme: Make use of new technologies to customize education to the student. Many of the education innovators complained about the obsession with testing in schools, a topic addressed today by our guest columnist, a leading critic of high-stakes exams. Readers share their views on one of the most high-stakes exams of all, the SAT. Scores for the graduating class of 2013 were released last week, and Georgia and the nation saw no improvement.

Today's columnists: