Craig Boyan is the president and chief operating officer of H-E-B. He joined H-E-B in 2005 as chief strategic officer and was an advisor to H-E-B for two years before joining the company. He graduated from Harvard College, cum laude in economics, and he was a member of the Harvard crew team. In his thought leader session, “Nobody Does Leadership Like H-E-B: A Conversation with H-E-B President Craig Boyan and TASA’s Kevin Brown,” Boyan and Brown, TASA’s executive director, will talk about the way H-E-B has supported the company’s team members and customized their approach for each community they serve. The pair will also discuss the toll the pandemic has taken on leaders in business and education, and the lessons they’ve learned while leading through historically challenging times.

Marisol Quevedo Rerucha serves as the Chief of Strategy and Partnerships for the National Parents Union. As a former teacher, principal, and district leader, she uses her voice to challenge systems of oppression and, more important, amplifies the voices of others. Her book, Beyond the Surface of Restorative Practices: Building an Organizational Culture of Equity, Connection and Healing, was released in March 2021. Leave her thought leader session, “Leading Restorative Practices,” with: a basic understanding of restorative practices and tangible resources to guide circles; resources to build systems, time, and space for restorative practices; and strategies to model and coach staff/teams in having difficult conversations and for holding each other accountable in a way that is loving and respectful.

Michael McDowell, Ed.D., is the superintendent of the Ross School District in Ross, California. Prior to being a school administrator, he was a leadership and instructional coach for the New Tech Network, supporting educators in designing, implementing, and enhancing innovative schools across the country. His thought leader session, “3 Key Practices for Developing Systems for Learning through Leadership: Clarity, Capacity, and Coherence,” will focus on developing educational systems that ensure more than one year’s growth in one year’s time for all learners in 21st century skills and academic content. McDowell will review the latest research in learning, leadership, and systems, and provide practical guidance for providing clarity of message, coherence of systems, and capacity development of employees to meet the growth demands articulated in the latest research.

Dr. Paul Bloomberg is the founder and Chief Learning Officer of The Core Collaborative (TCC), a professional learning network that specializes in learner-centered approaches to learning. Bloomberg is the co-author of the bestselling book and professional learning pathway, Leading Impact Teams: Building a Culture of Efficacy, and is the lead author of Peer Power! Unite, Learn and Prosper: Activate an Assessment Revolution. In his thought leader session, “Strengthening Teacher Agency with Impact Teams,” attendees will explore how Impact Teams leverage the sources of efficacy to amplify the most powerful influence over learning, collective teacher efficacy, which refers to a learning organization’s collective belief that through evidence-based, collective actions, they can positively advance student learning, including those students who are not contributing actively to their own learning or the learning of others.

Dr. Karen L. Mapp is a senior lecturer on education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the faculty director of the Education Policy and Management Master’s Program. She is also the leading national expert in fostering positive partnerships between schools and families. In her thought leader presentation, “Now More Than Ever: Family Engagement is Essential for Student Success,” Dr. Mapp will share what is known, given the extensive research on family engagement, about the powerful impact of effective family–school partnerships on students, parents, teachers, and schools. She will discuss what we have learned from the COVID-19 crisis and the national racial reckoning about the critical role of home-school partnerships to support student success and school improvement.

In her two decades as a consultant on education and economic class, Dr. Ruby Payne has published more than a dozen books and spoken extensively around the globe. Her thought leader session, “Relational Intelligence: Strategies to Reduce the Impact of Social Isolation,” will tackle the ongoing social effects of the pandemic on students. The former teacher, principal, and curriculum writer believes that future-ready students will need relational intelligence, and a key issue for schools is how to mitigate the impact on brain development of social isolation. Dr. Payne will define relational intelligence, identify the impact of social isolation on adolescent brain development and relational intelligence, and highlight strategies to lessen the impact of social isolation as a result of COVID.

Michele Gay is the executive director of Safe and Sound Schools, which she co-founded with Alissa Parker after both lost children at Sandy Hook Elementary. Safe and Sound Schools is a national nonprofit school safety advocacy and resource center that provides research-based tools and support for crisis-prevention, response, and recovery. Her thought leader presentation, “An Encompassing Approach to School Safety: Prepare, Prevent, Protect,” will share tools, resources, and programs designed to bring all stakeholders in the school community together for a holistic and comprehensive approach to school safety.

George Couros is a worldwide leader in the area of innovative teaching, learning, and leading, and has a focus on innovation as a human endeavor. In his thought leader session, “The Innovator’s Mindset,” Couros will share compelling examples of the innovator’s mindset that will make you laugh, cry, and think while reminding us to not only share the incredible stories from our schools but to create the stories we want to tell about our communities. Innovation in education is not about the “latest” technology but about creating new and better opportunities for our students. You will walk away from this session not only feeling reaffirmed but challenged to move your learning to the next level!

Book Signing Following Session