Thought Leader sessions are large-format educational sessions that touch on some of the most critical topics in the public education field.
Thursday, February 15
All times are Pacific Standard Time (PST)
9:00 – 10:00am
LEADERSHIP FOR IMPACT
Join executive directors for AASA, ASCD, ISTE, NAESP and NASSP for a panel discussion on building unified messages about public education for maximum collective impact.
LEAD FROM WHERE YOU ARE
You are the one in that chair. You are the one who answers 5, 7, or 9 board members who don’t work in school but determine whether or not you are doing a good job. You are the one who answers to the community. That gets isolating. Leading with INTENTION creates purpose. Leading with CONNECTION creates momentum. Leading with DIRECTION creates collective efficacy. Leading with all three in mind will not only reduce isolation and build your capacity but also foster an environment where everyone in your organization has the best opportunity to lead from where they are.
10:15 – 11:15am
GAME-CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES FOR RURAL YOUTH
Great opportunities for rural youth, connecting work based learning and higher education, equal hope for meaningful careers and viability of local economic development. Hear from Superintendents in AASA’s Advancing Rural Education cohort how they are building industry credentials and enhancing pathways for rural youth in their states.
BUILDING THE LEARNING ECOSYSTEM: HOW SUMMER AND AFTERSCHOOL SUPPORT ACADEMIC RECOVERY
Students learn and develop skills inside and outside of school. Nurturing a thriving learning ecosystem is key to academic and social-emotional advancement. AASA is a key partner in the US Department of Education's Engage Every Student Initiative which works to ensure all young people that want a spot in a high-quality afterschool or summer program can have one. Hear from superintendents and national leaders on building strong partnerships and learning ecosystems.
12:45 – 1:45pm
RECLAIMING THE NARRATIVE
Public schools have become culture war battlegrounds as politically motivated groups targeted initiatives around race, equity, social-emotional learning, gender identity and diversity and inclusion concepts. How can school district leaders effectively respond and reclaim the narrative so that parents and the community support this crucial work? How do we navigate these treacherous waters while pursuing their educational goals and honoring personal ethics?
A panel of superintendents who have confronted culture war issues in their districts will share how they have been able to frame their communications efforts to address concerns and strengthen parent and community understanding and support for their work in these areas. This session will also synthesize the results of a number of studies that point to ways to better frame our communications. The session will engage participants in thinking through ways they can reclaim the narrative and strengthen parent and community support.
2:15 – 3:15pm
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
In this new report sponsored by the Wallace Foundation, authors map characteristics to Leadership Pipeline domains and considerations about embedding equity into leadership pipeline development. Learn from Dr. Mark Gooden of Columbia University about leading with the idea that leader standards should focus explicitly on equity and justice and forge principals who support culturally responsive instruction by making sure enrollees can identify equity-focused teaching practices and develop the skills to ensure these practices are used schoolwide. Two highly successful Superintendents Dr. Jill Baker of Long Beach Unified and Tony Watlington of the School District of Philadelphia will share research-based applications in their Leadership Pipeline initiatives.
GIRLS WITHOUT LIMITS: HELPING GIRLS ACHIEVE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND INTERPERSONAL STRENGTH
Cultivating the next generation of female leaders requires more than developing the women in front of us who are already on a leadership path. Rather, it requires that we invest comprehensively in the girls and young women who are just beginning to understand themselves, their potential and their options for their futures. Much of who and what we become as adults is influenced by the early messages and experiences of our child and teen years. For girls, many of these messages continue to be confusing, limiting and restricting. We can be part of creating a future where girls have limitless opportunities and women are well-represented at the highest levels by implementing concrete and actionable strategies in our professional and personal lives.
Friday, February 16
All times are Pacific Standard Time (PST)
11:15am – 12:15pm
Creating Equity in Practice for the Success of Learners with Disabilities
This session is led by national thought leader Dr. Carol Quirk of the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education. Superintendents from two districts, Michael Simick of Deerfield, IL and Kim Moore of Richland School District Two, SC will share their practices for building equity through inclusive practice. The session will focus on systemic changes needed to implement inclusive Practices for improved student outcomes. Presenters will unpack the organizational structures that impact authentic inclusion and build a culture of collaboration with shared responsibility.
HOW PRINCIPALS AFFECT STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS
Educators and researchers have long known that school principals are essential to school success. Systematically synthesizing 20 years of empirical research linking school principals to student outcomes, this groundbreaking report commissioned by the Wallace Foundation quantifies just how much effective principals matter. It also identifies the domains of principal skills and behaviors linked most closely to student achievement and highlights the important role principals play in advancing equity in their schools.
12:45 – 1:45pm
DRIVING K20 COMMUNITY ACADEMIC AND WORKFORCE PATHWAY SUCCESS THROUGH DATA DRIVEN PSED PARTNERSHIPS
The power to impactfully change trajectories of young learners lives within a region are exemplified by the data informed collaborations amongst the Greater San Diego K12 Districts and the San Diego & Imperial Counties Community Colleges. Learn how through academic and workforce-oriented partnerships the area school districts created a data aware culture that led to data driven partnerships with their feeder institutions and the local workforce. Understand how district faculty engaged in the process leading to a sustainable self-perpetuating set of pathways engines for learners. Hear from leaders of each sector on how they created a data informed culture among K12 administrators and how that catalyzed working together to address the opportunity to elevate the prospects for all learners in their community. This session will include outcome data, and thoughts from these leaders that will enable you to leave this session with a playbook on how to engage or ramp up a default feeder relationship into one that is elevating learners by design.
2:30 – 3:30pm
TRANSFORMING SUMMER: EVIDENCE-BASED DESIGN FOR JOYFUL LEARNING
Interested in redesigning your summer program to accelerate learning and promote student and staff wellbeing? Hear leadership teams from two districts share how they are reimagining summer as a critical tool in their plan to support young people, especially for those students who need it most. The teams will discuss strategies for shifting mindsets around summer – including who attends summer learning programs and why – and designing high-quality learning opportunities that are joyful and engaging for students and adults. They will also talk about evidence-based practices that they are implementing to promote strong outcomes. Finally, district leaders will share specific tools that helped their teams make these moves. Participants will have time to interact with these and other evidence-based tools for strengthening summer learning, and will leave with an understanding of how summer can be revitalized to help districts achieve goals for young people.
3:45 – 4:45pm
SCHOOL-BASED STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT YOUTH MENTAL WELL-BEING
Our young people continue to struggle with their mental wellness following Covid-19. Young people have experienced severe challenges including economic stress, fear, grief, and loss that have led to psychological distress, especially depression and anxiety. The Child Mind Institute (2023) reveals that 17 million youth residing in the U.S. will have a mental health disorder by age 18. This distress has been compounded by the epidemic of loneliness and isolation. This Thought Leader session will spotlight what works to support our students' well-being. Panelists will not only share their expertise in working with students, but also proven tools and resources. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers with the panelists following the presentations.