Get to Know Our #NAESP19 Conference Speakers

We’ve got big things planned for attendees at the 2019 NAESP Pre-K–8 Principals Conference, and our keynote and pre-conference speakers are no exception.
Communicator
March 2019, Volume 42, Issue 7

We’ve got big things planned for attendees at the 2019 NAESP Pre-K-8 Principals Conferenced—and our keynote and pre-conference speakers are no exception. We’ve lined up leaders in education that will offer thought-provoking and inspiring insight into issues that principals deal with every day in their schools. Let’s take a look at who’s speaking at this year’s conference.

Pre-Conference Speakers

The conference opens a day early, on July 9, for those who sign up (for an additional fee) for one of our two pre-conference sessions.

Jennifer Abrams will present Swimming in the Deep End: What Does It Take? Abrams is an international educational and communications consultant for public and independent schools. She trains and coaches teachers and administrators issues like new employee support, supervision, being generationally savvy, having hard conversations, and collaboration.

During this session, participants will learn how to:

  • Assess their cognitive, social, and psychological skill sets;
  • Learn more about decision making and implementation of decisions, the complexity of it all and where we trip up;
  • Look at the research around why we are resistant to change and develop tool kit for how to manage resistance; and
  • Develop a bandwidth and strength around psychologically managing our ourselves and build our stress tolerance.

Stephanie Jones will present Navigating Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Science, Principal Practice, and Practical Application. Jones is a professor in early child development at Harvard University. Her research, anchored in prevention science, focuses on the effects of poverty and exposure to violence on children’s social, emotional, and behavioral development. Over the past 10 years, her work has focused on both evaluation research addressing the impact of preschool and elementary focused SEL interventions on behavioral and academic outcomes and classroom practices, as well as new curriculum development, implementation, and testing.

This intensive training will provide a framework for understanding SEL and bring the conversation full circle to provide an in-depth guide to 25 evidence-based SEL programs for elementary schools that profiles both lesson-based/curriculum and non-curricular approaches.

Conference Keynote Speakers

NAESP is thrilled to announce its top-notch keynote speakers. Here’s this year’s lineup.

Razia Jan, Founder and President of Razia’s Ray of Hope

Jan has worked for many years to forge connections between Afghans and Americans. Born in Afghanistan, Jan moved to the U.S. in 1970. In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack, Jan rallied her adopted New England community to send over 400 homemade blankets to rescue workers at Ground Zero. Through her involvement in the military’s Operation Shoe Fly, she coordinated the delivery of over 30,000 pairs of shoes to needy Afghan children.

She comes to our conference with a long history of advocating for improvements in education on a global level.

“The biggest hurdle to overcome regarding global education is the mentality of the community,” says Jan. “When educators face illiterate and ignorant people, they have to find a method to persuade them of the benefit of education.”

Jan’s keynote address is titled Global Education: Alike Yet Different.

Michael Fullan, Global Leadership Director, New Pedagogies for Deep Learning

Fullan is a worldwide authority on educational reform with a mandate of helping to achieve the moral purpose of all children learning. A former Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, he advises policymakers and leaders around the world to provide leadership in education.

“Quality learning that sticks with you for the rest of your life,” says Fullan. “Learning that engages the world and changes the world. Learning that focuses on the 6 Cs of Deep Learning—character, citizenship, collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking.”

Fullan’s keynote address is titled Leadership for Deep Learning.

Kwame Alexander, Educator, Author, and Poet

Alexander is a poet, an educator, and a The New York Times bestselling author of 28 books. A regular contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition, Alexander believes poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people around the world through The Write Thing, his K-12 writing workshop. He’s led cultural exchange delegations to Brazil, Italy, Singapore, and Ghana, where he built the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an international literacy program he cofounded.

“T.S. Eliot said, ‘Immature writers imitate. Mature writers steal.’ The way we become good writers is by reading,” said Alexander in a Q-and-A on his website. “My advice to young writers is to read. Learn what other writers have done right and wrong. This will help you find your own voice. Also, SAY YES!”

Alexander’s keynote address is titled Be Constructive With Your Blues: Seven Life Lessons Learned From Inspiring Teachers and Principals.

To learn more about the conference, including in-depth looks at each of our sessions, or to register, check out our NAESP Pre-K-8 Principals Conference website. There you’ll also find helpful information about traveling to Spokane, hotel accommodations, registration rates, keynote speakers, and more.

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