Education Week’s annual Leadership Symposium will be live and in-person in Washington, D.C., this spring! Join school and district leaders from across the nation for three days of empowering strategies, networking, and inspiration.
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Through a variety of session formats, guests, and topics, each day will offer attendees opportunities to dig into some of the most urgent issues education leaders are facing and learn about real-world solutions. Attendees will leave with actionable takeaways that can be applied in their own schools and districts, as well as an expanded network of professional colleagues to continue learning from.
Gain insight and ideas to:
- Build momentum and sustainability for learning recovery
- Learn about proven tactics to help guide your strategy for the 2023-24 school year
- Discover the latest findings and best practices from EdWeek’s journalists and researchers
- Find inspiration, empowerment, and community
Need some help convincing your boss or school board that you should attend? Most Leadership Symposium attendees have the costs of their registration badge paid for by their school or district. Download this letter template that you can use to convince your school board or administrator to approve and fund your trip.
Teaching & Learning
Topics include Getting New Teachers Off to a Strong Start, Supporting Accelerated Learning, and Teacher PD That Works.
Thriving Staff; Thriving Students
Topics include Successful Responses to the Student Mental Health Crisis, , Building a Bench of Diverse Educators, and Fostering Inclusive Learning Environments.
Leadership
Topics include What It Takes to Be a Resilient and Successful Leader, Confronting the Challenges and Opportunities Ahead, and Getting Buy-In for Big Changes.
This year’s symposium will feature two half-days (Wed. 5/10 and Friday 5/12) and one full day (Thursday 5/11) of content focused on Teaching & Learning, Thriving Staff; Thriving Students, and Leadership.
Click on the days below to see the schedule of empowering sessions, inspiring speakers, and valuable networking opportunities.
Wednesday, May 10
12pm ET
Check-In and Welcome Lunch
1:10pm ET
Welcome Remarks
Beth Frerking is Education Week’s editor-in-chief.
Michele J. Givens
Chief Executive Officer,
Education Week
Michele J. Givens is the President & CEO of Education Week and EdWeek Market Brief.
1:20pm ET
Leaders To Learn From Recognition Ceremony
Meet our 2023 Leaders To Learn From honorees, some of the most innovative school district leaders in the nation.
1:50pm ET
Panel Discussion: What It Takes to Be a Resilient and Successful Leader
The long-tail effects of disrupted schooling and a sharply divided political climate remain major challenges to K-12 leaders at all levels. In this discussion, panelists will discuss the traits and practices district and school leaders need to be resilient in the face of those pressures and how they can keep themselves and their teams focused on supporting excellent teaching, student well-being, and widescale learning recovery for all students.
Denisa R. Superville is an assistant editor at Education Week who focuses on principals and school leadership.
Michael Hinojosa
Former Superintendent, Dallas ISD, TX
Dr. Michael Hinojosa served more than 27 years as a superintendent/CEO of six public education systems, including two of the 25 largest school systems in America, Dallas ISD in Texas and the Cobb County School District in suburban Atlanta, Georgia.
Eliza KimLy
Head of Schools, Bright Star Schools, CA
Dr. Eliza KimLy is the co-Head of Schools for Bright Star Schools, and the former founding principal of Rise Kohyang Middle School. As co-Head of Schools, she leads the development and execution of a rigorous instructional program that serves all students and supports principals to achieve their schools’ goals.
Julia Rafal-Baer
Co-Founder and CEO of ILO Group
Julia Rafal-Baer, Ph.D., has dedicated her career to helping all children achieve their potential. After beginning her career as a special education teacher in the Bronx nearly two decades ago, Dr. Rafal-Baer is now a top education advisor who leads high-performance, high-impact organizations nationwide. She is a trusted confidante to the nation’s most effective state education leaders and superintendents, directly coaching over forty leaders into the superintendent and state commissioner roles, 80 percent are leaders of color and 60 percent are women.
2:30pm ET
Industry Perspective: What Longitudinal Analyses of Reading Proficiency Reveal
Sponsored content provided by Renaissance
Is Grade 3 reading proficiency the definitive gate we think it is? Are students’ literacy realities set even earlier, or can they be changed? How effective are interventions? Let’s explore recent studies of how students are performing, how they grow (or fail to grow) across the school years, which students are struggling the most, when reading interventions have the greatest chance of success, and how often we really impact student performance in life-changing ways.
Is Grade 3 reading proficiency the definitive gate we think it is? Are students’ literacy realities set even earlier, or can they be changed? How effective are interventions? Let’s explore recent studies of how students are performing, how they grow (or fail to grow) across the school years, which students are struggling the most, when reading interventions have the greatest chance of success, and how often we really impact student performance in life-changing ways.
Gene M. Kerns, Ed.D.
Chief Academic Officer, Renaissance
Dr. Kerns advises educators in both the US and the UK about academic trends and opportunities. Dr. Kerns is a leading authority on education standards in the US and England, learning progressions, formative assessment, personalized learning, and the application of insights from the “science of expertise” within K–12. He delivers highly sought-after presentations each year—often to standing-room-only crowds of educators and administrators. Prior to joining Renaissance: Dr. Kerns served as the Supervisor of Academic Services for the Milford School District in Delaware, was an adjunct faculty member at the University of Delaware, and held various other teaching and administrative positions in Delaware and Virginia.
2:45pm ET
Coffee and Networking Break
3:00pm ET
Flash Briefing: The Big Challenges and Opportunities Ahead: Survey findings from district and school leaders
What are district and school leaders most optimistic about? What is keeping you up at night? In new survey data from the EdWeek Research Center, we'll give you a close look at the attitudes and outlooks of your fellow K-12 leaders right now.
Holly Kurtz is the director of the EdWeek Research Center.
3:15pm ET
Industry Perspective: Safeguarding Students: Preventing the Inevitable
Sponsored content provided by The Safeguarding Company
When the inevitable student crisis occurs, we rally the resources needed to respond. But crisis response is the most costly, time-consuming, and least impactful student support a school can provide. How can we transition from high-stress reactivity to a culture of proactive intervention? Discover how shifting resources to early prevention case management of student needs and concerns can provide interventions and supports that resolve issues, avert crises, and prevent threats from materializing—not just reducing risk and harm, but making the inevitable preventable.
When the inevitable student crisis occurs, we rally the resources needed to respond. But crisis response is the most costly, time-consuming, and least impactful student support a school can provide. How can we transition from high-stress reactivity to a culture of proactive intervention? Discover how shifting resources to early prevention case management of student needs and concerns can provide interventions and supports that resolve issues, avert crises, and prevent threats from materializing—not just reducing risk and harm, but making the inevitable preventable.
Curtis Linton
Education Consultant, The Safeguarding Company
Curtis Linton is bringing Safeguarding as a student-wellness practice to U.S. schools. For the past twenty years, Curtis has studied and documented the most impactful educational practices through best-selling books, award winning media, and impactful partnerships with student-centered educators in all 50 states.
David Cittadino
Superintendent, Old Bridge Public Schools, NJ
David Cittadino is Superintendent of Schools in Old Bridge, New Jersey with over 25 years of experience in two of the state’s largest urban and suburban school districts. In 2020, he was a regional Superintendent of the Year. He is a certified New Jersey School Safety Specialist.
3:30pm ET
Learn & Reflect: Why Is It So Hard to Talk to Each Other?
In this interactive session, learn why binary and rigid thinking is unhealthy for K-12 education and how, as leaders, you can help break through some of the factionalism and division that has complicated the work of teaching and learning in the last couple of years.
Kevin Bushweller oversees coverage of educational technology and learning environments for Education Week.
4:30pm ET
Day 1 Closing Remarks
Thursday, May 11
8:00am ET
Breakfast with Leaders To Learn From
Get to know EdWeek's past and present Leaders to Learn From honorees over breakfast. Network and find synergies with your areas of expertise and professional interests.
9:00am ET
Flash Briefing: What Teachers Are Thinking Now
The Education Week Research Center presents fresh data and insights into teachers' overall job satisfaction and their perspectives on the profession.
Holly Kurtz is the director of the EdWeek Research Center.
9:15am ET
Panel Discussion: Getting New Teachers Off to a Strong Start
Many teachers encounter challenges in their early years in the classrom that make them question whether they should leave or stay in the profession--a long-standing issue that has become more acute in recent years and complicates an already tenuous staffing situation in many communities. In this discussion, panelists will tackle key questions around what district and school leaders can do better to support their rookies and what they may be overlooking that can make the difference between a teacher staying or leaving.
Madeline Will
Staff Writer, Education Week
Patrick Harris II
Dean of Students, The Roeper School
Patrick Harris II is a human first. Also, he is a Black queer writer, storyteller, and a 6th Grade English teacher and middle school dean of students. Hailing from Detroit, he has won multiple national teaching awards and recognitions for his leadership and innovation in the classroom, including the Early Career Leadership Award from the National Council of Teachers of English, being named an Emerging Leader by ASCD, and being named a 30 Under 30 Honoree in 2020 by the International Literacy Association. Patrick is the author of the new memoir with a call-to-action: The First Five: A Love Letter to Teachers.
Susan Moore Johnson
Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Susan Moore Johnson, a former high school teacher and administrator, is the Jerome T. Murphy Research Professor in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she served as academic dean from 1993 to 1999. She is a member of the National Academy of Education.
Johnson is a national expert on teachers’ work and the policies that shape it. She directs the Project on the Next Generation of Teachers at Harvard, where she and her colleagues have studied alternative preparation, hiring, induction, performance-based pay, teacher leadership, and local union leadership. Johnson’s recent book, Where Teachers Thrive: Organizing Schools for Success (2019), explores how schools that succeed in low-income communities support and enhance their teachers’ work.
Johnson is a national expert on teachers’ work and the policies that shape it. She directs the Project on the Next Generation of Teachers at Harvard, where she and her colleagues have studied alternative preparation, hiring, induction, performance-based pay, teacher leadership, and local union leadership. Johnson’s recent book, Where Teachers Thrive: Organizing Schools for Success (2019), explores how schools that succeed in low-income communities support and enhance their teachers’ work.
10:00am ET
Industry Perspective: Insights from the Frontlines: Lessons Learned and Hopes for the Future of Teaching and Learning
Sponsored content provided by Project Lead the Way
As a former teacher and district leader, Catherine learned many important and useful lessons throughout the years from the students and educators she served. Catherine has witnessed firsthand the power and value of great teaching and coaching. Now a national education nonprofit leader, Catherine regularly meets with students, educators, and community members across the U.S. Hear her lessons learned, observations, hopes, and ideas for the future of PreK-12 teaching and learning.
As a former teacher and district leader, Catherine learned many important and useful lessons throughout the years from the students and educators she served. Catherine has witnessed firsthand the power and value of great teaching and coaching. Now a national education nonprofit leader, Catherine regularly meets with students, educators, and community members across the U.S. Hear her lessons learned, observations, hopes, and ideas for the future of PreK-12 teaching and learning.
Catherine Minihan
Executive Vice President and Chief Impact Officer, Project Lead The Way
Dr. Catherine (Katie) Minihan is Executive Vice President and Chief Impact Officer at Project Lead The Way, an organization empowering PreK-12 students across the U.S. to develop in-demand knowledge and skills in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. Prior to joining PLTW, Dr. Minihan served as Deputy Superintendent for Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation in Southwest Indiana. She started her career as an elementary school teacher and has been working in the field of education for almost 20 years.
10:15am ET
Leadership Interview: How to Build a Bench of Diverse Educator Talent
Two district leaders — one from a large school system, the other from a rural one — discuss the successful strategies they have used to recruit, hire, and retain teachers of color and teachers who are bilingual. Hear what's worked, what hasn't, and the advice they have for others.
Alyson Klein
Assistant Editor, Education Week
Alyson Klein is a veteran education writer who has covered K-12 schools for more than a dozen years. She covers the latest developments in educational technology, including topics such personalized learning, data privacy, digital curricula, cybersecurity, and teacher professional development. She is also the lead writer for Technology Counts, Education Week’s annual report about the state of educational technology.
Natalie Griffin
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Director of Special Programs, Mineral Wells Independent School District, Mineral Wells, Texas
Natalie Griffin has served Mineral Wells ISD in various roles since 1997. Her roles in the district include teacher, instructional specialist, assistant principal, principal, and currently the executive director of special programs. As the executive director of special programs, she writes and oversees grant funds for multiple grant programs as well as partnering with the public library to provide adult ESL for qualifying residents. She also provides support and guidance with the following programs: at-risk, homeless, immigrant, migrant, foster care, and bilingual/ESL. Her passion for the underserved English language learner has brought Mineral Wells ISD into compliance with Texas Education Agency standards and built a well-staffed, robust program for these students.
Chimere Stevens
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Senior Director of Diversity Recruitment, New York City Public Schools
Chimere Stephens is the Senior Director of Diversity Recruitment for New York City Public Schools as well as the Director of NYC Men Teach. NYC Men Teach exists to ensure there is equity in the recruiting, training, hiring, and retention of quality educators that reflect the cultural diversity of the students they serve.
Chimere is a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated, where he serves as a charter member for Tau Chi Sigma, the organization’s first ever chapter dedicated solely to serving The Bronx.
Chimere’s impact on education also expands internationally. He has worked to strengthen educational opportunities for students and families in Moscow, Russia; Kingston, Jamaica; and Mexico City, Mexico. Born and raised in The Bronx, Chimere is a graduate of Fordham University, where he holds his B.A. in English Literature.
Chimere is a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated, where he serves as a charter member for Tau Chi Sigma, the organization’s first ever chapter dedicated solely to serving The Bronx.
Chimere’s impact on education also expands internationally. He has worked to strengthen educational opportunities for students and families in Moscow, Russia; Kingston, Jamaica; and Mexico City, Mexico. Born and raised in The Bronx, Chimere is a graduate of Fordham University, where he holds his B.A. in English Literature.
10:35am ET
Coffee and Networking Break
10:50am ET
Featured Speaker: ChatGPT, A.I., and How Schools Should Be Thinking About Digital Learning
In this keynote address, Khan Academy Chief Learning Officer Kristen DiCerbo will draw on her background in educational psychology to discuss why schools should not ban ChatGPT and other AI technologies, but rather use them as learning opportunities; how artificial intelligence will influence teaching and learning in surprising ways; and the steps schools should take to use digital learning tools to improve instruction and support students’ social and emotional skills. Audience Q&A is encouraged.
Dr. Kristen DiCerbo
Chief Learning Officer, Khan Academy
Dr. Kristen DiCerbo is the Chief Learning Officer at Khan Academy, a nonprofit dedicated to providing a free world class education to anyone, anywhere. In this role, she brings her background in learning science to leading the content and product teams.
Dr. DiCerbo’s work has consistently been focused on embedding what we know from education research about how people learn into digital learning experiences. Prior to her role at Khan Academy, she was Vice-President of Learning Research and Design at Pearson, where she led a team of researchers and learning designers conducting new research in learning and assessment. She also previously served as a research scientist supporting teaching and learning in the Cisco Networking Academies and as a school psychologist in an Arizona school district. Kristen received her Bachelor’s Degree from Hamilton College and Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at Arizona State University.
Dr. DiCerbo’s work has consistently been focused on embedding what we know from education research about how people learn into digital learning experiences. Prior to her role at Khan Academy, she was Vice-President of Learning Research and Design at Pearson, where she led a team of researchers and learning designers conducting new research in learning and assessment. She also previously served as a research scientist supporting teaching and learning in the Cisco Networking Academies and as a school psychologist in an Arizona school district. Kristen received her Bachelor’s Degree from Hamilton College and Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at Arizona State University.
11:45am ET
Industry Perspective: The Audacious Pursuit of Scaled Impact
Sponsored content provided by SAGA Education
The challenge of adaptation versus replication is common for organizations seeking to scale their impact. In this session, you’ll learn how to embrace this dilemma and build more equitable and effective solutions for communities.Discover the power of building communities of practice and how collaboration between different stakeholders in the education ecosystem, including district leaders, researchers, and policymakers, can lead to more effective learning outcomes.
The challenge of adaptation versus replication is common for organizations seeking to scale their impact. In this session, you’ll learn how to embrace this dilemma and build more equitable and effective solutions for communities.Discover the power of building communities of practice and how collaboration between different stakeholders in the education ecosystem, including district leaders, researchers, and policymakers, can lead to more effective learning outcomes.
Alan Safran
CEO,
SAGA Education
Alan Safran is the Co-Founder, CEO, and Chair of the Board of Saga. He has had a 30-year career in public education at the state and local levels. He served nine years at the Massachusetts Department of Education, including a period as the state’s Deputy Commissioner of Education for Policy and Administration.
He led the Match Charter Public School network in Boston for 9 years, where he was the co-designer of the school’s high dosage tutoring program, the first such model in the country (and helped coin the phrase “high dosage tutoring.”). He and AJ Gutierrez then incubated the dissemination of high-dosage tutoring out of the Match School base to Lawrence, MA, Stamford, CT, and Chicago, IL, and then, in 2014, founded the edtech nonprofit Saga. Alan has a law degree from George Washington University a bachelor’s degree from Princeton, and he and his wife split their time between Boston, MA, and Washington, DC. They have three grown children in DC, NY, and LA, and a mid-size, middle-aged black labrador, Colbie.
He led the Match Charter Public School network in Boston for 9 years, where he was the co-designer of the school’s high dosage tutoring program, the first such model in the country (and helped coin the phrase “high dosage tutoring.”). He and AJ Gutierrez then incubated the dissemination of high-dosage tutoring out of the Match School base to Lawrence, MA, Stamford, CT, and Chicago, IL, and then, in 2014, founded the edtech nonprofit Saga. Alan has a law degree from George Washington University a bachelor’s degree from Princeton, and he and his wife split their time between Boston, MA, and Washington, DC. They have three grown children in DC, NY, and LA, and a mid-size, middle-aged black labrador, Colbie.
Robert Runcie
Interim CEO, Chiefs for Change
| Robert Runcie has blended his two decades of private sector technology, management consulting, and entrepreneurship experience with 18 years of leadership in urban public schools to deliver innovation, organizational and systems change, and improved student outcomes. In his current role with Chiefs for Change, he oversees staff and day-to-day operations and provides coaching and thought partnership to members of the network and participants in the Future Chiefs leadership development program. As the former superintendent of Broward County Public Schools, Runcie led the nation’s sixth largest district, with more than 260,000 students and 35,000 employees, and oversaw an annual budget of $4 billion. |
12:00pm ET
Networking Lunch
1:30pm ET
Interactive Breakout Session 1: The Power of the 'Stay' Interview
Holding onto high-performing teachers and staff is critical and experts say using a "stay" interview with such employees is an effective retention strategy. A veteran school district recruiter demonstrates what a "stay" interview looks like, including the types of questions to ask, who to target with such interviews and when. Participants will then conduct their own "stay" interviews and report back on the experience.
Victor Diaz
Director of Human Resources, Phoenix Elementary School District, AZ
Dr. Victor Diaz is the first person in his family to graduate from college, so he understands the importance of an education as well as the many barriers that can exist in taking such a path. It was with these experiences in mind that he first decided to become a teacher and has continued to work in public education for over 20 years. Currently the Director of Human Resources in Phoenix Elementary School District #1, Dr. Diaz oversees the human capital functions of Arizona’s first public school district, including leading recruitment, hiring, and staffing initiatives across the District. He began his career as a high school and middle school English teacher, earning an M.A. in Educational Equity and Social Justice from San Francisco State University and later becoming an academic coach and curriculum specialist before entering the field of Human Resources. In 2012, he was elected to the Governing Board of the Osborn School District in Phoenix, the same year that he earned his Ph.D. in Education Policy and Leadership Studies from Arizona State University. He is currently an Executive Board Member of the Arizona School Personnel Administrator’s Association.
1:30pm ET
Interactive Breakout Session 2: Teacher PD That Works
Keeping teachers engaged in their own learning, while empowering them with the instructional practices that are most effective is the essence of great professional development. Two leaders will walk through how they have succeeded in changing teacher practice--one in math instruction and and the other in reading instruction.
Alyson Klein is an assistant editor for Education Week.
Tonya Clarke
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Coordinator of K-12 Mathematics, Clayton County Public Schools, Jonesboro, Ga.
As a Mathematics Coordinator for Clayton County Public Schools with over 20 years of experience in education, Dr. Tonya Clarke has a laser focus on increasing achievement in mathematics for all students. Her team’s work focuses on creating structures and establishing partnerships that support teachers with implementing widely accessible teaching practices. As founder of the I’m W.O.K.E. Project (Widening Options through Knowledge and Empowerment), Dr. Clarke and her team guide teachers through a process for developing and implementing culturally relevant and sustaining mathematics practices. I’m W.O.KE. Projects use highly accessible teaching practices that guide students through applying mathematical models to investigate social, economic, environmental, and political issues. As a consultant to several educational organizations she has had the opportunity to work with teachers and leaders around the world, most recently in Ghana, Malaysia, South Africa, and Singapore. Through her work in Clayton County, her consulting work, and her service with the NAACP, Dr. Clarke continues to cultivate critical consciousness. Her devotion to equitable learning environments and student empowerment motivates her to continue supporting strong implementation of equitable teaching practices and the development of programs that make math matter for every student every day.
1:30pm ET
Interactive Breakout Session 3: Getting Buy-In for Big Change
Getting teachers, administrators, and staff members on board with new initiatives is one of the hardest things for leaders to do. One leadership team will walk through how they brought an entire school district into the hard work of reorienting their thinking and their practices to support a newer population of students.
Ileana Najarro is a reporter for Education Week covering race and opportunity in schools across the country.
Kristie Ezzell
Former Principal, Russellville Elementary School
Mrs. Kristie Ezzell just recently retired and joined the Kids First Education team to extend her lifelong passion of serving children. Kristie is accomplished in leadership, as well as instructional models. She led a school with one of the highest populations of EL students in Alabama, where she and her staff consistently and quickly transitioned many of them into proficient English speakers and readers. Mrs. Ezzell was employed at Russellville City Schools for 31 years. She served as Principal of Russellville Elementary for 15 of those years. Leaving was bittersweet as she hired almost 100% of the staff. Her school was most recently named a CLAS School of Distinction and CLAS Banner School for their region. Russellville Elementary was one of eight Banner Schools for the state of Alabama. The school was also recently named as an Alabama Reading Initiative “Spotlight School” for the Science of Reading. They were one of twelve schools in Alabama chosen for this honor. Also, the school was named an AL 200 Bicentennial School in 2018 and was one of very few schools that was visited by Governor Kay Ivey as part of the “Governor’s Tour of Schools” in October 2019. Additionally, in 2019 Russellville Elementary won the “Alabama Imagine Your Future” for the state of Alabama with Imagine Language and Literacy. She served as a presenter in 2021 for over 200 Alabama administrators for CLAS (Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools). The topic was “Tried and True Practices for EL’s.”
Heath Grimes
Superintendent, Russellville, Ala. School District.
Dr. Heath Grimes is in his 8th year as superintendent of Russellville City Schools. He previously served as an elected superintendent in Lawrence County, Alabama. He has been a special education teacher, an assistant principal, and a head football coach. Dr. Grimes is an active member of Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, where he served as the first president of Alabama Leaders Advocating for English Learners, an organization that he led the effort to develop. Dr. Grimes also serves on the board of directors of the School Superintendent’s Association as president-elect.
1:30pm ET
Interactive Breakout Session 4: How Districts and Schools Can Support Accelerated Learning
While the work of learning acceleration takes place in classrooms, district and school leaders must adapt prioirities and plans to support that work effectively--whether it's changing the school day schedule or providing coaches/mentors to teachers. An expert in learning acceleration will discuss the core elements of the practice. Participants will brainstorm ideas together for making learning acceleration work in their respective schools and districts.
Lesli Maxwell is managing editor of Education Week.
Ben Fenton
Chief of Growth and Delivery, Instruction Partners
Ben serves as the Chief of Partnership Growth and Delivery for Instruction Partners, a national non-profit organization that works shoulder to shoulder with schools, districts, and states to support great teaching and accelerate student learning. In his role, he is responsible for the quality and impact of partnerships with more than seventy school systems as well as a number of state education agency partners, all focused on building leadership capacity to support content-specific instructional improvement. Ben began his career in education as the co-founder of New Leaders, a non-profit that trains school leaders for high-poverty schools. He managed all operations, local program implementation, and district partnerships as New Leaders grew from startup to a $20 million organization. He later led the organization’s research team, serving as the lead author of Breakthrough Principals (Jossey Bass, 2016), and advised states and districts on principal quality policies. More recently, Ben served as a Senior Advisor to Turnaround for Children and as a founding board member for TeachPlus, and he currently serves as a board member for Urban Teachers.
2:50pm ET
Coffee and Networking Break
3:05pm ET
Panel Discussion: Successful Responses to the Student Mental Health Crisis
Rising rates of child and youth anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges are impacting districts and schools more than ever. Hear from leaders who are finding creative and sustainable ways to meet students' mental health needs.
Libby Stanford
Libby Stanford is a reporter covering politics, policy, and general education issues for Education Week. Previously, she wrote about local education issues at The Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C., and the Summit Daily News in Summit County, Colo. She studied journalism and Spanish at the University of Missouri.
Andria Amador
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Senior Director of Behavioral Health Services, Boston Public Schools
Andria Amador, Ed.D NCSP, is the Assistant Director of Behavioral Health Services for the Boston Public Schools (BPS). Andria has dedicated her career to urban school psychology and began her career as a school psychologist before becoming an administrator. Andria, along with her staff and partners, have developed the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model (CBHM). CBHM is a multi-tiered system of supports designed to support the behavioral health needs of students across a continuum of prevention, early-intervention and intensive services. Implementation of CBHM requires BPS school psychologists to expand their scope of service delivery to include all NASP Domains of Practice. Andria had the pleasure of serving as the Past President of the Massachusetts School Psychology Association. She is the Delegate Representative for the Northeast for the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and is also the coordinator of the NASP Supervision Interest Group.
Nate Thompson
Director of Social, Emotional, and Behavior Services, Littleton Public Schools, CO
Nate Thompson LCSW, is the Director of Social, Emotional, & Behavior Services for Littleton Public Schools. He did not attend Harvard, never played professional sports and is not popular on social media but is lucky to have a job that helps him live out a mission of serving others by working with educators, students, and families to create school environments that support mental health, inclusivity, and social emotional learning. He is frequently invited to share how LPS built a comprehensive approach to mental health and safety that has been widely recognized for its use of innovative technology, creative funding models, interagency partnerships, research, and student leadership. And he is also highly skilled in corny Dad Jokes.
3:50pm ET
Industry Perspective: From Words to Action: Realizing a Truly Inclusive Educational Experience
Sponsored content provided by Landmark College
For decades, elementary and secondary school leaders have espoused the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, but what are we truly doing that will fundamentally improve our schools in these areas? Are we shifting the paradigm? This fireside discussion will look beyond compliance initiatives in order to truly support diversity, equity, inclusion, and access for marginalized students.
For decades, elementary and secondary school leaders have espoused the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, but what are we truly doing that will fundamentally improve our schools in these areas? Are we shifting the paradigm? This fireside discussion will look beyond compliance initiatives in order to truly support diversity, equity, inclusion, and access for marginalized students.
Adam R. Lalor
Vice President for Neurodiversity Research and Innovation; Co-Director of the Center for Neurodiversity at Landmark College
With nearly 20 years of diversity advocacy work, Dr. Lalor is a regularly invited to speak about issues of equity, access, and inclusion at colleges, universities, secondary schools, and corporations around the nation. His research focuses on supporting the educational success of students with disabilities.
Kelly M. O’Ryan
Equity and Title IX Coordinator, Windham Northeast Supervisory Union, VT
A practitioner-scholar, Kelly O’Ryan focuses her research on minoritized student belongingness, restorative practices, and equity initiatives in education. Ms. O’Ryan is the recipient of numerous grants related to equity implementation, and has extensive expertise translating theory to practice in education.
4:05pm ET
Leadership Interview: Best Practices for Supporting Students in Gifted Education and Special Education
Gifted educaton is too often reserved for white and higher-income students, while students in special education are too often limited in the types of courses they take and the experiences they get in school. Hear from two leaders who've pushed back on those barriers--one who has nearly doubled the numbers of low-income and Latino students in gifted education and the other who has dramatically expanded career and technical education with a vision that puts many more special education students on a solid path to thriving, independent lives.
Sarah D. Sparks covers education research, data, and the science of learning for Education Week.
Anthony Vargas
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Supervisor of Gifted and Talented Programs, Manassas City Public Schools, Manassas, Va.
Anthony Vargas is the Supervisor of Gifted/Talented and Advanced Programming for Manassas City Public Schools. He received his bachelor’s degree in secondary social studies education from Millersville University, and started his teaching career at Manassas Park Middle School. After completing his first year, Mr. Vargas attended Arkansas State University where he later received his master’s degree in gifted and talented education. He then revamped the middle school gifted program and provided more professional learning opportunities to staff. Mr. Vargas then took on a position as a gifted resource teacher in a neighboring county while completing an additional master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Virginia. In his current role, Mr. Vargas has increased representation of historically excluded students in programming and has expanded enrichment opportunities. Raised in poverty without having access to many opportunities himself, Mr. Vargas intimately knows the struggles of many of his students and unwaveringly places emphasis on supports for everyone.
Dean McGee
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Deputy Superintendent, Educational Services and Innovative Programs, Kern High School District, Bakersfield, Calif.
Dean McGee is the Deputy Superintendent of the Kern High School District in California where he has led the Educational Services and Innovative Programs division since 2014. The responsibilities of this division include career and technical education, information systems and instructional technology, regional occupational training programs, adult education, alternative education, special education, and school-to-career pathway development for students transitioning to work and college.
4:25pm ET
Day 2 Closing Remarks
5:00pm - 6:30pm ET
Cocktail Reception
Friday, May 12
8:00am ET
Networking Breakfast
9:00am ET
Flash Briefing: A Look at Student Engagement and Motivation
Fresh data and insights into what district leaders, school leaders, and teachers are seeing with student engagement and motivation.
Holly Kurtz is the director of the EdWeek Research Center.
9:15am ET
Featured Speaker: A Leader's Agenda: Cultivating Joy, Resilience, and Learning at School
Be the leader who lifts and empowers others in your school communities, cultivating cultures of joy, resilience and learning. Learn ideas and inspiration for developing schools where teachers and students feel seen, heard and valued.
Dr. Salome Thomas-EL
Principal, Author
Dr. Salome Thomas-EL lives in Pennsylvania with his family and has been a teacher and principal since 1987. He is currently a K-8 principal in Wilmington, DE and received national acclaim as a teacher and chess coach at Vaux Middle School in Philadelphia, where his students have gone on to win world recognition as Eight-Time National Chess Champions. Principal EL is the author of the best-selling books, I Choose to Stay (Movie rights optioned by Disney Films), and The Immortality of Influence, which stresses the importance of leadership, mentoring, parenting and service to others. He is also the co-author of 3 new books, Passionate Leadership, Building a Winning Team, and Retention for a Change. Dr. EL speaks to groups around the country and frequently appears on C-SPAN, CNN, and NPR Radio. Principal EL has studied abroad at Cambridge and the University of London, in England, Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, and holds a doctorate in Education Leadership from Wilmington University in Delaware. He has received the Marcus A. Foster Award as the outstanding School District Administrator in Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania’s distinguished Martin Luther King Award. Reader’s Digest Magazine recognized Principal EL as an “Inspiring American Icon.” Dr. EL was recently featured on Good Morning America and appeared on the Oprah Radio Network. Learn more at https://www.principalel.com/about
10:15am ET
Industry perspective: Leading with Critical Conscientiousness in Mind
Content provided by AASA
Discover how critical conscientiousness can play a role in successfully navigating challenging times. During this session, Dr. Joseph will present three key life lessons as a pathway to achieving better life outcomes. Participants will gain a greater understanding of the power of critical conscientiousness and how mindsets can help one live a more purposeful life.
Discover how critical conscientiousness can play a role in successfully navigating challenging times. During this session, Dr. Joseph will present three key life lessons as a pathway to achieving better life outcomes. Participants will gain a greater understanding of the power of critical conscientiousness and how mindsets can help one live a more purposeful life.
Dr. Shawn Joseph
Co-Director of the AASA, Howard Urban Superintendent Academy and Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy Studies at Howard University
Dr. Shawn Joseph’s passion for equity and social justice has led him to serve in a number of positions in the world of education. He has been an English teacher, reading specialist, school administrator, central office administrator, and superintendent in Delaware (Seaford School District) and Tennessee (Metro Nashville Public Schools). He served on the faculty of Fordham University in the Department of Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy during the 2019-2020 school year and is currently Co-Director of the AASA/Howard Urban Superintendent Academy and Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy Studies at Howard University.
10:30am ET
Coffee and Networking Break
10:45am ET
Panel Discussion: Build Thriving, Inclusive Learning Environments Through Student Voice
Giving students a robust, rich experience in their K-12 years is the mission of any district, any school. Why then, are they so often left out of the decisionmaking process when all policies and practices ultimately impact their experiences at school? Meet leaders who have actively broken that tradition and are supporting and advocating for bringing students in on collaborative decisionmaking on everything from dress codes to school budgeting.
Mark Lieberman is a reporter for Education Week who covers school finance.
S. Kambar Khoshaba
Principal, South County High School, VA
S. Kambar Khoshaba is the principal of South County High School in Lorton, Virginia. He has been a school leader for 20 years and previously worked as a school counselor, special education teacher, and wrestling coach.
Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Family and Community Engagement Manager, Phoenix Union High School District, Phoenix, Ariz.
Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval is an advocate of student voice, civic leader, community activist and humanitarian. She currently serves as the Family and Community Engagement Manager for the Phoenix Union High School District, where she has been enriching the lives of our youth for over 29 years. She serves as the McKinney-Vento and Foster Point of Contact and is responsible for establishing and coordinating district-wide dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement strategies for opportunity youth who have been historically disenfranchised or marginalized.
11:30am ET
Leadership Interview: Invest and Reinvest in Relationships
Looking ahead to the end of the school year and planning for a new one, two leaders talk about the importance and imperative of building strong relationships--with teachers and staff, parents, students, and communities. Hear how they've approached this experience and developed trust during a challenging time to create a strong community culture and a shared sense of purpose to support student learning and success.
Elizabeth Rich is the assistant managing editor, opinion for Education Week.
Darin Thompson
Principal, Henrico County Public Schools, VA
Dr. Darin A. Thompson is a high school principal in Henrico County, Va. He has nearly a decade of diverse leadership experiences as a middle and high school principal in rural, urban, and suburban school districts.
Richard Tomko
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Superintendent, Belleville Public Schools, N.J.
Dr. Richard Tomko has had numerous administrative responsibilities during his 24-year career in educational administration. He has been a building administrator at the middle and secondary levels and responsible for district-wide curriculum, assessment, innovative program initiatives, technology, and professional development while serving in central office positions for the last 14 years. Prior to his arrival in the Belleville N.J. Public Schools District, Dr. Tomko held the positions of Director of Athletics; Assistant Principal; Principal; Assistant Superintendent; and Superintendent of Schools in several public school districts in multiple counties in New Jersey. He also began to research the achievement gaps between learners and the transition of students from 8th to 9th grade, making changes to programs and personnel to help students be successful in their classes.
11:50am ET
Closing Remarks
Beth Frerking is Education Week’s editor-in-chief.
12:00pm ET
Farewell Lunch
Who will I hear from?
Learn from senior K-12 district and school leaders and nationally recognized leadership and policy experts. Check back for an updated speaker list.
Dr. Salome Thomas-EL
Principal, Author
Dr. Kristen DiCerbo
Chief Learning Officer, Khan Academy
Andria Amador
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Senior Director of Behavioral Health Services, Boston Public Schools
Tonya Clarke
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Coordinator of K-12 Mathematics, Clayton County Public Schools, Jonesboro, Ga.
Natalie Griffin
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Director of Special Programs, Mineral Wells Independent School District, Mineral Wells, Texas
Dean McGee
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Deputy Superintendent, Educational Services and Innovative Programs, Kern High School District, Bakersfield, Calif.
Chimere Stevens
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Senior Director of Diversity Recruitment, New York City Public Schools
Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Family and Community Engagement Manager, Phoenix Union High School District, Phoenix, Ariz.
Richard Tomko
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Superintendent, Belleville Public Schools, N.J.
Anthony Vargas
2023 EdWeek Leader to Learn From | Supervisor of Gifted and Talented Programs, Manassas City Public Schools, Manassas, Va.
David Cittadino
Superintendent, Old Bridge Public Schools, NJ
Victor Diaz
Director of Human Resources, Phoenix Elementary School District, AZ
Kristie Ezzell
Former Principal, Russellville Elementary School
Ben Fenton
Chief of Growth and Delivery, Instruction Partners
Heath Grimes
Superintendent, Russellville, Ala. School District.
Patrick Harris II
Dean of Students, The Roeper School
Michael Hinojosa
Former Superintendent, Dallas ISD, TX
Dr. Shawn Joseph
Co-Director of the AASA, Howard Urban Superintendent Academy and Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy Studies at Howard University
Gene M. Kerns, Ed.D.
Chief Academic Officer, Renaissance
S. Kambar Khoshaba
Principal, South County High School, VA
Eliza KimLy
Head of Schools, Bright Star Schools, CA
Adam R. Lalor
Vice President for Neurodiversity Research and Innovation; Co-Director of the Center for Neurodiversity at Landmark College
Curtis Linton
Education Consultant, The Safeguarding Company
Catherine Minihan
Executive Vice President and Chief Impact Officer, Project Lead The Way
Susan Moore Johnson
Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Kelly M. O’Ryan
Equity and Title IX Coordinator, Windham Northeast Supervisory Union, VT
Julia Rafal-Baer
Co-Founder and CEO of ILO Group
Robert Runcie
Interim CEO, Chiefs for Change
Alan Safran
CEO
Darin Thompson
Principal, Henrico County Public Schools, VA
Nate Thompson
Director of Social, Emotional, and Behavior Services, Littleton Public Schools, CO
Thank you to all our symposium sponsors
View pricing and register below. This event is exclusively for district and school leaders. Education Week reserves the right to review and revoke registrations from individuals who are not employed in this capacity.
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Hotel & Travel Information
The Symposium will be held at the Grand Hyatt Washington, located at 1000 H St NW in Washington, DC. Located in in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C., it’s just steps from the Metro, as well as the city's monuments, historic structures, diverse neighborhoods, and green spaces.
The nearest airports are Ronald Raegan National Airport (DCA), Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI).
The nearest airports are Ronald Raegan National Airport (DCA), Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI).