Colorado Leaders Fireside Chat As we convene for the 8th Annual Leadership Forum, we'll kickoff with reception and fireside chat with local leaders, including Colorado Commissioner of Education, Dr. Katy Anthes, and the Superintendent of Denver Public Schools, Dr. Alex Marrero. This fireside chat will address the current state of education and how field is changing, with insights from these two esteemed leaders.Dr. Katy Anthes is widely respected for her commitment to listen to diverse perspectives and develop solutions that are founded on productive middle ground. Keeping students’ best interests as her top priority, she focuses on providing high quality expertise and support to districts and educators working to enhance student achievement.Dr. Alex Marrero has been honored as an outstanding administrator by the Latino Caucus of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators and inducted into the New York Academy of Public Education. He received a Leadership and Excellence in Education Award from the Association of Dominican-American Supervisors and Administrators and was recognized as a Latino Administrator of the Year by the Association for Latino Administrators and Superintendents.
The Great Emergence: Innovations Supporting the New Era of Education This session will highlight the voices and work of school district leaders who have successfully navigated the complexities and challenges of the past two years. Additionally, the panelists will share recent innovations that have emerged in their school district communities.
Our Schools, Our Nation: Reclaiming the Narrative of Public Education Community support plays a significant role in the advancement of our public schools. An informed public who believes in the mission of education and understands the value high-quality public schools bring to their lives, provides a foundation from which our system can strengthen our society. As the communication and media landscape has evolved over the past decade, communicating effectively about the impact of our schools has become a greater challenge amid competing messages and special interests. To ensure the future success of our nation, we must reclaim our story in order to inspire continued support for current and future generations.
Reimagining Accountability and Growth Measurements for a Competency Based System Through the Success Ready Students Network, the state of Missouri is reimagining the educational model from the student up. This group of educators, alongside innovation partner, EducationPlus, are designing instructional practices that support a holistic approach to student learning to achieve the goal of every student developing with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to be high school, college, career, and workplace ready. During this session, you’ll see innovative strategies and examples of successes already taking place across the state through this competency-based learning approach and learn ways to apply this method across your own state or district.
Rural school systems across the country have traditionally innovated out of necessity, and our current educational reality allows the opportunity for rural leaders to be even more bold in transforming their schools. From recruitment and retention to broadband access to educator housing, the barriers to meeting rural education needs have never been more challenging. Join four innovative rural educational leaders for an interactive session that highlights some outstanding ingenuity that can be replicated in your schools, no matter the locale!
A Conversation with Dr. Marzano Leading a Competency-Based System So All Students Thrive Join Dr. Robert Marzano to hear about his vision for K–12 education that focuses on one simple truth: the vast majority of schools can be highly effective in promoting student learning. To show how, he created the Marzano High Reliability Schools framework. This framework, based on 40 years of educational research, defines five progressive levels of performance that a school must master to become a high reliability school—where all students learn the content and skills they need for success in college, careers, and beyond. In this session, the group will interact with Dr. Marzano to learn more about the High Reliability Schools framework and walk away with robust and engaging microlearnings from Discovery Education that focus on the framework components.
Statewide Partnerships: Driving Equity and Unlocking Access to High-Quality Content for Students, Educators, and Families This session explores how education and corporate leaders collaborate to make their states a better place to learn, work, and live. These innovative, unique partnerships support teachers and provide students of all ages with the academic and technical skills, knowledge and training necessary to succeed in future careers and to become lifelong learners. Statewide partnerships create not only more equitable learning environments in which all students have access to the resources and experiences they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond, but also a deeper, more diverse pool of talent that will drive economic prosperity across the state.
Sustaining Progress When Funding Ends As a result of the pandemic, state departments and school districts have benefited from ESSER funds to address a variety of needs ranging from facilities to infrastructure to high impact curriculum resources for the classroom. As a result we know that leaders are keenly aware and planning for how they will continue this work beyond the limitations of ESSER funds. We will be joined by an expert in federal policy and funding as well as a former state leader to share our current reality, strategies for sustaining funding, and innovative ways that ESSER funding is being used.
A Playful Approach to Scaling Whole-Child Education for Early Learners As a result of the pandemic, young learners are entering our schools having had fewer opportunities to socialize with peers, develop agency and grow fundamental numeracy, early language and literacy skills. To ensure these students are ready to actively engage in learning, education leaders must think beyond helping kids prepare for school, by helping schools prepare forkids. In this session, the early childhood leader, Sesame Workshop, will explore the research behind playful learning experiencesused to scale equitable access to whole-child growth and ensure all kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder.