SXSW
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We’ve partnered with our network of senior education leaders and subject-matter experts to develop the following panel proposals which address the most pressing issues in public education today.
TO VOTE: Click on the panel titles below. Then, click on the “Vote Up” button. You will be prompted to register. After registering, you come back to this page and click on the panel title links or search for the panel names. We appreciate your support!
• Getting a Policy Win in the Midst of Hyper-Partisan Politics
• Student Identity: Cultivating Well-Being & Better Outcomes
• Teaching Patriotism & Pluralism Through Civics and History
• Beyond the Carnegie Unit: Career-Connected Learning
• Partnering with the Military to Boost Civics Education
• Uniting Forces: Military Leaders as Public Education Partners
• Jackson on the Rise: Collaborating on Community Challenges
• How Columbus Is Building Pathways to the Future of Work
• Tomorrow’s Principal Podcast: Will AI Be Your Next Principal?
Panel Descriptions
Getting a Policy Win in the Midst of Hyper-Partisan Politics
Despite the polarized climate, key educational policies are breaking through. Join us as we look at recent successes in areas like the science of reading, school choice, career pathways, and teacher pipelines. Experts from across the political spectrum reveal the strategic themes that these victories share. Bring your own policy challenge and get guidance on identifying the strengths and challenges of your advocacy effort and how you can create a path to bipartisan success. Let’s reframe contention as opportunity, and shape the future of education.
Student Identity: Cultivating Well-Being & Better Outcomes
Join us for a transformational session on how deeper understanding of student identity can improve academic achievement, student well-being, and life outcomes. We’ll explore how current practices in schools amplify stereotype threats, affecting students’ sense of validation and connection. You’ll learn evidence-based techniques for creating inclusive classrooms. We’ll also discuss how to cultivate a growth mindset in students, helping them to thrive in school and beyond. Together, we’ll tackle systemic barriers to student success and how to target policies that support emotional well-being.
Teaching Patriotism & Pluralism Through Civics and History
Preparing students to participate in American democracy is a foundational purpose of public education that is being lost with the decline of civics in classrooms. In this session, you’ll learn about Educating for American Democracy, a roadmap for excellence in civics and history. In a safe space, we’ll explore how to guide students through the history of the United States—instilling pride in our country while also acknowledging its complex past. You will also learn practical approaches to foster civic engagement and empower students to become informed, active citizens.
Beyond the Carnegie Unit: Career-Connected Learning
We will delve into the critical task of transforming public education through career-connected learning and why the traditional Carnegie unit is no longer enough to prepare students for the jobs of the future. We will discuss how we can redesign public education to incorporate durable skills to make sure that students are better prepared for the workforce and we’ll share valuable insights and actionable strategies for creating the systemic changes needed to provide students with the academic learning and practical experiences they will need to thrive in the future of work.
Partnering with the Military to Boost Civics Education
Public education is facing challenges in preparing students for active civic life. Learn about a new proposal to create a Civic Service Corps. The Civic Service Corp would consist of 1,500 military veterans who would train and deploy veterans across the country to help students learn durable skills and work with schools and communities to implement the Educating for American Democracy framework. Learn how this initiative would foster the civic engagement and career readiness needed to fortify our democracy and improve public education for all.
Uniting Forces: Military Leaders as Public Education Partners
Extreme polarization in our national climate presents serious challenges to public education and threatens the very democracy our military is sworn to protect. Simultaneously, military enlistment rates are declining and research indicates a waning commitment to democracy among young people. In this session you’ll engage with military leaders to learn how they can galvanize broader, bipartisan support for improving public education. You’ll learn how education leaders can engage with military leadership to improve national security by improving public education.
Jackson on the Rise: Collaborating on Community Challenges
While the water crisis recently dominated headlines about Jackson Mississippi, the city’s school system is quietly on the rise. Thanks to a unique combination of systemic school changes, city leadership, and place-based philanthropy, Jackson schools are seeing unprecedented growth in ratings. Now, the leaders driving Jackson schools’ transformation are collaborating across agencies to address citywide challenges. This session will describe their journey to success and ecosystem-level strategies for communities and schools to pursue economic mobility, student achievement, and public health.
How Columbus Is Building Pathways to the Future of Work
Students in Columbus have long been excluded from opportunities for economic mobility. Now, a new school superintendent, investments from the federal and private sectors, and visionary community leaders are changing the narrative. Learn how Columbus City Schools is capitalizing on transformative opportunities—such as a federal workforce hub and a new Intel plant—to improve student learning experiences, boost Black economic mobility, and potentially infuse $10 billion into the local economy. Hear from leaders who know the path to equity relies on connecting K-12 education to the future of work.
Tomorrow’s Principal Podcast: Will AI Be Your Next Principal?
In the AI era, the pace & scale of change is rapid. How must leadership change to meet this moment? This conversation focuses on the changing grammar of school & how principals can direct that energy. What will it take to respond to the deep need for student & adult well-being and global technological competition, the trauma catapulted by the global pandemic, & the drive to cultivate a racially just world? Hear concrete suggestions for what dramatic shifts in innovation, adaptability, and self-awareness look & sound like to create inclusive school environments that prepare students to thrive.