General Sessions
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Keynote: Dr. Joe Sanfelippo, Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District in Fall Creek, WI
Under Dr. Sanfelippo’s leadership, the Fall Creek School District was named an innovative district in 2016 and 2017 by the International Center for Leadership in Education. Joe has authored multiple books, including the best-selling Hacking Leadership: 10 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Learning That Teachers, Students, and Parents Love and his latest, Lead From Where You Are: Building Intention, Connection, and Direction in Our Schools. He was selected as one of 117 future ready superintendents in 2014 and one of 50 superintendents as a personalized learning leader by the United States Department of Education in 2016. Education Dive named Joe their national superintendent of the year in 2019.
Why Rural Matters: Making Report Data Applicable and Actionable
Join the National Rural Education Association, in partnership with the Rural School and Community Trust, for the launch of the 2023 Why Rural Matters report. The 2023 edition is the tenth in a series of reports analyzing the contexts and conditions of rural education in each of the 50 states and calling attention to the need for policymakers to address rural education issues in their respective states. Over its 20-year history, the report has provided guidance and direction to policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. Join this interactive general session to learn more about the report, key findings, state-by-state dashboard, and how you can make the report data applicable and actionable in your own state.
Friday, November 17, 2023
General Session: Perspectives on a Fair Chance at a Good Rural LifePanelists:
Sweeney Windchief, Associate Professor in Education, Montana State University
Sheneka Williams, Professor and Chairperson, Department of Educational Administration, Michigan State University
Jeff Carlson, Advisor,
T-Mobile Education Team
Keynote: Hamish Brewer, Speaker, Best-Selling Author, Transformational Change Catalyst, and Business Consultant
Hamish is a powerful and positive disruptor who transcends the status quo and typical norms in leadership and education. Mr. Brewer is a globally recognized advocate who built his reputation on results and performance, becoming affectionately known as the relentless, tattooed skateboarding principal with his galvanizing message to “Be Relentless” and his high-octane delivery style. Mr. Brewer served as an award-winning principal at both the secondary and elementary school levels. Under his leadership, his elementary school was recognized as a nationally distinguished Title 1 school, and Hamish has since gone on to turn around one of the toughest middle schools in the state of Virginia. Hamish is the best-selling author of Relentless: Disrupting The Educational Norm, published in 2019.