During a period where the state of the world might seem desperate, Marcelle Haddix, dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s highly ranked education school, encouraged the crowd gathered for the AASA National Conference on Education's final general session to hold on to hope and envision possible futures.

Haddix is a leading scholar on literacy and teacher education and a longtime education leader, and she focused her 45-minute address on those three areas — cultivating lifelong literacy, strengthening the teaching profession and building up leaders. 

On literacy, Haddix motivated the crowd to broaden their understanding of what it means to be literate today and for the future. It requires anchoring literacy, teaching and learning on the needs of each student, not just a one-size-fits-all solution, she said.

“It can also mean uplifting, diverse stories and experiences so that everyone sees themselves reflected, while also learning about others and their experiences,” Haddix said. “We want literacy for all and to cultivate lifelong learners, readers, writers.” 

Amid an ongoing teacher shortage and dwindling funding, Haddix said she’s focused on finding ways to grow pathways for future educators and promoting teaching as a critical profession. 

“We have to reclaim the narratives on teaching and tell our stories,” Haddix said. “This helps us in creating teacher pipelines, introducing the field to young people much earlier. In terms of retention, we need to support cross-generational teacher mentor networks.” 

And, to the gathered education leaders, she implored them to not do their important work alone. Build a coalition of educators and find partners and collaborators who are ready to support you in your work, she encouraged. 

“We need collective strategy, not to do this work in isolation or in silence,” Haddix said. “As I often tell my team, we are stronger together.” 

Haddix ended her address with a message of hope.

“I am here because I am the dream of my ancestors realized; someone prayed for me before they even had a thought of me,” she said. “They imagined new possibilities. They planted the seeds that are blossoming in me. They dared to dream. They dared to have hope. So every time I enter a room I know that I am not entering alone. I carry their hopes and their dreams with me, and now it is our responsibility to be that ancestor for the generations to come.” 

(Sarah Lindenfeld Hall is a senior editor on Conference Daily Online and a freelance education writer in Raleigh, N.C.)