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National Education Summit Oct. 9-10, 2020 Focuses on Equity and Leadership in Action
Friday, October 09, 2020 8:00 AM MDT to Saturday, October 10, 2020
Category: Partner Meetings and Events

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

National Education Summit Oct. 9-10, 2020 Focuses on Equity and Leadership in Action

Association of Latino Administrators & Superintendents (ALAS) Virtual Summit features keynote speakers John Leguizamo and education evangelist Jaime Casap, as well as a panel including New York City Department of Education Chancellor Richard A. Carranza

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 2, 2020) – The Association of Latino Administrators & Superintendents (ALAS) will host its National Education Summit virtually live on Oct. 9-10, 2020. The conference features inspiring keynote speakers such as actor and Latino/a/x advocate John Leguizamo and global education evangelist Jaime Casap, along with panel discussions with action-oriented superintendents from across the country to discuss the issues of equity and leadership in education and a musical performance by Grammy nominee Lupita Infante.

“The events of this year have exposed deep educational inequities for students across our country which underscore our Latino/a/x youth,” said Dr. Maria Armstrong, Executive Director of ALAS. “Strong leadership is critical to address these inequities. Our virtual National Education Summit will, for the first time, bring together parents, teachers, counselors, administrators, superintendents and board members to help get everyone on the same page in providing a quality educational experience for our students.  There has never been a better time to bring the ALAS community together to address educational inequities.”

The summit “Equity Leadership in Action: When to Sprint and When to Pivot,” will take place from 3:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. EST Oct. 9, 2020, and from 11:30 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. EST on Oct. 10, 2020. Every paid administrator registration includes one complimentary registration for a school board member and one complimentary registration for a parent.

In addition to impressive keynote speakers and thought provoking breakout sessions, the event features two informative Superintendents Plenary Panels. One panel COVID and Beyond: Exposed Inequities Part Two reunites five superintendents from an ALAS event held in April for a panel discussion about the education inequities that have surfaced during the pandemic. Speakers include:

Richard A. Carranza is Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education. He leads the largest system in the nation, serving 1.1 million students, as parents and educators address the current crisis, in addition to long term issues of bias, structural inequities, and low expectations that in his words have, for too long, impacted black and brown students, students with disabilities, and those whose families speak English as a second language.

Dr. Gustavo Balderas is Superintendent of Edmonds School District, Washington and the 2020 National Superintendent of the Year. Throughout his career Dr. Balderas has focused on leadership and increasing cultural proficiency, including developing equity systems around student behavior and teacher hiring practices. Currently, his team is providing tens of thousands of meals, child care, and distance learning to his students and community.

Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney serves as the Superintendent of Schools for the Aldine Independent School District. She has received several distinctions and honors, including being named a finalist for the 2020 Female Superintendent of the Year by AASA and was named Superintendent of the Year for Texas in 2017. During the current coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Goffney is ensuring that Aldine ISD continues to focus on issues of equity - including ensuring all families have access to learning, meals, and consistent contact with teachers and counselors for support.

Dr. Don Austin is the Superintendent of Schools for the Palo Alto Unified School District. As one of the premiere school districts in California, PAUSD serves a diverse range of students from advantaged children of tech industry giants and Stanford University professors to historically underrepresented students from poverty. Dr. Austin was born and raised in Chula Vista, California, attended Baker University in Kansas, and has served the students of California for the last 25 years.

Ms. Theresa Plascencia is Superintendent of Waukegan Public Schools, District 60, in Waukegan IL. Ms. Plascencia has made social activism and equity the key focus of her educational career, with an emphasis on providing all students with the tools they need to be successful in society. She is leading the efforts to provide remote learning, internet devices, and meal services.

The second panel Latina/x Leadership in Action: Media, Politics and the Economy During the Time of COVID features Celina Estrada Thomas, superintendent of Hutto ISD in Texas, Dr. Danna Diaz, superintendent of the Reynolds School District in Oregon, Socorro Shiels, superintendent of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District in California, Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez, superintendent of Hartford Public Schools in Connecticut, Elsie Rodriguez, superintendent of the Monroe-Woodbury School District in New York and is facilitated by Dr. Maria Chavez Armstrong, ALAS executive director.

The virtual online Summit will also include more than 20 live workshops for attendees, including some in Spanish, and networking opportunities. The event is made possible in part by the pro bono support of Education Elements, a K-12 strategy consulting firm that believes schools grow when people grow.

To register, visit https://www.alasedu.org/event/alas-17th-annual-education-summit/

About the Association of Latino Administrators & Superintendents (ALAS)

The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) is a national non-profit organization with the mission to provide leadership at the national level that assures every school in America effectively serves the educational needs of all students with an emphasis on Latino/a/x youth by building capacity, promoting best practices, and transforming educational institutions. ALAS is committed to identifying, recruiting, developing and advancing Latino/a/x school administrators in order to improve the educational accomplishments of Latino/a/x youth.

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