Focus on Education Lecturers

Fresh voices share valuable insight into the issues facing students today.

Saturday, March 29
Focus on… Last Chance, Never the Last Word
2:00 - 3:15 PM
While this may be one of Paul Houston's last chances to speak out as AASA's executive director, we know it won't be the last word. Join NSBA executive director Anne Bryant and Houston for a no holds barred interview. She'll ask the retiring leader provocative questions about school boards, team leadership, the real life of the superintendent, mayoral takeovers, presidential politics, and the course of our nation. You, too, can pose that question you have always wanted to ask Paul, and celebrate his terrific contributions to public education.

Saturday, March 29
Focus on… Understanding Student Aspirations: Enhancing the Learning Environment
3:45 - 5:00 PM
Join Russell J. Quaglia, President/Founder, Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations, for an examination of eight conditions in schools that affect aspirations, and look at data gathered from more than 200,000 middle and high school students that depict their perceptions of the teaching and learning environment. You'll leave with an understanding of how student aspirations can be used proactively to increase academic standards and develop productive citizens.

Sunday, March 30
8:45 - 10:00 AM
Focus on… Releasing Leadership Brilliance
Join speaker, author, and consultant Simon T. Bailey for a look at how egos and personal agendas get in the way of leadership success. You'll discover how to stay connected in order to re-ignite passion; explore why managing and influencing human energy is the key to long-term results; and understand how to use emotional intelligence to encourage others to release their brilliance and rekindle passions.

Sunday, March 30
2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
A Focus on… Health and Wellness: An Imperative for School Leaders in the 21st Century
Data tells us that education and health are inexorably linked-healthy students learn better and educated students make healthier choices, now and in the future. Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher makes the case for school leaders to promote health and wellness alongside academic goals and in partnership with parents and communities.

Presented by David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.; 16th U.S. Surgeon General; Director, The Center of Excellence on Health Disparities, The Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine

Monday, March 31
Focus on a Whole New Mind… What the forces of Abundance, Asia, and Automation Mean for Public Education
11:00 am - 12:15 PM
Doctors. Lawyers. Engineers. That's what our parents told us to be when we grew up. But were Mom and Dad right? In this provocative presentation, best-selling author Daniel Pink surveys evidence from around the world to reveal how the forces of Abundance, Asia, and Automation are nudging us into an era defined not by traditional "knowledge workers," but by creators and empathizers. He explains what this transformation means for education, and he offers hands-on tools and tips as well as real-life examples for how you can navigate this new terrain.

See special follow-up event: Lunch and Conversation with Daniel Pink (ticketed event).

Sunday, March 30
3:45 - 5:00 PM
National Teacher of the Year
Focus on… Beyond One Subject at a Time — Educating the Whole Child
Cross-curricular teaching allows students to experience a connection with and see a relationship between core subjects, such as math and reading, and others, like the fine arts, that equally challenge their minds and hearts now and as adults. As a music teacher in Granite Falls, Washington, Andrea Peterson, 2007 National Teacher of the Year, will outline how she has connected student projects in core classes with what she emphasizes in her music curriculum, thus challenging her students' creativity, understanding of learning connections, and brain capacity.