Outstanding program planned for 2008 NSBA Annual Conference
02/08 -- Want to improve your students’ academic performance? Reduce the achievement gap? Help your board become more effective? Learn about the latest trends and research?
You’ll find answers to all these questions -- and much more -- at the NSBA Annual Conference, March 29-April 1, in Orlando, Fla. With more than 200 workshops scheduled, school board members and superintendents will find useful and timely information on just about any issue their districts are likely to face.
To help school board leaders figure out how to plan their conference experience, the workshops are organized into 10 topical program tracks: accountability, alignment, climate, collaboration, community engagement, continuous improvement, school law, standards and assessments, technology, and timely debate.
Two mini-tracks -- on 21st century skills and health and wellness -- offer enhanced programming in these specialized areas.
Thinking of investing in new curriculum materials, energy-conserving facilities, the latest technology, security systems -- or anything else to help your schools provide a world-class education? You’ll find exactly what you’re looking for -- and much more -- at the Exhibition. About 375 companies and organizations will be on hand, offering the latest educational products and services.
The Exhibition again will offer the popular Music Main Street and Health and Wellness Pavilion, which this year will feature live demonstrations and a health fair.
Also new this year, the Exhibition will have a Marketplace area, where attendees will be able to purchase items from vendors.
Towering figures on the national scene -- former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, actor and author Sidney Poitier, TV journalist Jim Lehrer, and radio host and author Garrison Keillor -- will address the General Sessions.
These sessions not only provide inspiration and entertainment, but will offer insights and personal stories illuminating how public education fits into global, historical, and cultural trends.
The Focus on Education lectures offer a perspective on the key issues and trends in public education from nationally renowned experts, including:
• former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher on health and wellness;
• best-selling author Daniel Pink on the new forces shaping our society and economy;
• Russell J. Quaglia, president and founder of the Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations;
• author and consultant Simon T. Bailey on leadership;
• National Teacher of the Year Andrea Peterson on educating the whole child; and
• NSBA Executive Director Anne L. Bryant and Paul Houston, the retiring executive director of the American Association of School Administrators.
While the General Sessions and Focus Lectures stress the big picture, the workshops address every detail school leaders need to know to be effective school policymakers. Topics cover everything from raising test scores to engaging the community in strategic planning, from improving the school climate to attracting the best teachers.
Most workshops are about an hour and 15 minutes long, but school leaders interested in more comprehensive explorations of timely issues should check out the three-hour “deeper look” sessions scattered throughout the conference.
In addition, several sessions are designed to meet the special needs of superintendents, urban school leaders, board support professionals, school attorneys, and members of NSBA’s caucuses. The “board member boot camp” sessions provide in-depth skills training to make sure new school board members are ready to take on the challenges of school leadership.
A new event this year is the Youth in School Governance Institute, a two-day session for student representatives on local school boards.
And don’t miss the National Affiliate Center, a place to unwind and network with other school leaders, as well as participate in educational sessions and roundtable discussions.
Other conference events include a behind-the-scenes tour of Disney World’s technology innovations; the Evening with Student Stars, featuring talented student performers; and the Walk of Excellence showcasing innovative district programs.
The Annual Conference is packed with learning opportunities, professional development experiences, and nuts-and-bolts training on how to incorporate best practices into your schools. Your biggest challenge is likely to be deciding which sessions to attend.
For more information about the conference and to register online, visit www.nsba.org/conference. Check out “My Online Conference Planner” on the website, which lets you search the entire conference program and create a personal schedule that you can save online and update later.
| Reproduced with permission from School Board News. Copyright © 2008, National School Boards Association. Opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect positions of NSBA. This article may be printed out and photocopied for individual or educational use, provided this copyright notice appears on each copy. This article may not be otherwise transmitted or reproduced in print or electronic form without the consent of the Publisher. For more information, call (703) 838-6789. |