Are you ready to be inspired?
General Sessions will help you bring home new ideas to your district that are inspired by thought-provoking education keynotes.
AASA’s National Conference on Education will feature three influential and knowledgeable education keynote speakers to headline each day of the conference in daily General Sessions. Get a high-level view of education policy, transformational leadership strategies, and more.
There is one General Session each day. They include the award presentations, special appearances, and keynote addresses.
Download the NCE Mobile App to add General Sessions to your schedule and so much more.
Carole Basile
Dean, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
3:30 – 5:30PM
Leading for Variance?
The time has come to take a look at our education workforce, not from a recruitment and retention perspective but from a workforce design and development perspective. Who is in our workforce, who should or could be in that workforce, how do they work together, and what do our learners need to reach their human potential? These are questions that must be answered now and with urgency if we have any chance of sustaining and growing our public education system.
Carole G. Basile is the Dean of the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University (ASU). As Dean at ASU, her work has centered on redesigning the education workforce and workplace–creating models for team-based teaching through the Next Education Workforce and enhancing the decision-making of educators through Principled Innovation. Her focus is to drive more equitable working and learning environments for educators and learners. She is currently working with education organizations nationally and internationally to design new systems for educators and their students and enable organizational change. Her most recent co-authored book is Next Education Workforce: How Team-based Staffing Models Can Support Equity and Improve Learning Outcomes. She currently serves on the board of Education Reimagined, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and Teach for America Phoenix, and Carnegie Project for the Education Doctorate.
Freeman Hrabowski III
President Emeritus, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Owings Mills, MD
9 – 11AM
Preparing Students to Succeed in a Divided Society: The Power of Leadership, Education, and Stories
Dr. Hrabowski will focus on the power of stories in understanding who we are as a society and as individuals. He will place particular emphasis on the evolution of our nation as it has struggled to become more inclusive of all populations. He will draw on his own background as a child leader in the civil rights movement in Birmingham, AL and his more than four decades of academic leadership with a particular emphasis on STEM and inclusive excellence.
Freeman A. Hrabowski III, President Emeritus of UMBC (The University of Maryland, Baltimore County) served as president from 1992 to 2022. His research and publications focus on science and math education, with special emphasis on minority participation and performance. He chaired the National Academies’ committee that produced the 2011 report “Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America’s Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads.” He was named in 2012 by President Obama to chair the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. His 2013 TED talk highlights the “Four Pillars of College Success in Science.” In 2022, Dr. Hrabowski was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and he was also named the inaugural ACE Centennial Fellow, to be served upon his retirement from UMBC. In addition, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) also launched the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program ($1.5 billion) to help build a scientific workforce that more fully reflects our increasingly diverse country. In October 2022, he was named the inaugural Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture Speaker by Harvard. In April 2023, The National Academy of Sciences awarded him the Public Welfare Medal, the Academy’s most prestigious award, and inducted him as a member of the academy, for his extraordinary use of science for the public good.
Christian Jackson
Entrepreneur and Speaker, Edapt, Los Angeles, CA
10:30AM – 12NOON
Leading as AI Architects: Leading the Charge for Lasting District Achievement
In an era where educational leaders are constantly navigating brand-new technological challenges, AI offers unprecedented opportunities to enhance decision-making and streamline administrative processes. In this session, Christian, CEO of Edapt Schools, will reveal actionable strategies for leveraging AI to not only optimize workflows but also to truly empower educational leaders. By focusing on practical applications and avoiding the pitfalls of overhyped tech trends, attendees will leave with a clear roadmap to harness AI effectively—turning it into a tool that hones their leadership rather than hinders it. Discover how to lead with clarity among all of the tech noise and a forward-thinking mindset that prepares your district for the future.
Christian Jackson, 24, is an entrepreneur and speaker known for his innovative approach to problem-solving across industries. His business, Edapt, is making AI both practical and comfortable for school leadership, “future-proofing” districts in the process. A Loyola Marymount University Valedictorian, Christian transitioned from college directly into founding his own ventures. He focuses on applying existing technologies to new areas, streamlining processes for his clients. Christian's work reflects his commitment to social impact, earning him recognition from the UN with the International Award for Excellence in SDG Impact. His background in entrepreneurship and systems design allows him to communicate complex business and technical concepts. When not building or speaking, Christian can be found listening to souldies music – think Earth Wind and Fire, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder. Learn more at his personal site: https://christianjackson.me/.