Lillian Lowery
Keynote: Lillian Lowery
Thursday, Feb. 16, 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. Constellation Ballroom
The Changing Role of State Education Agencies: What Does District-School Support Really Mean?
Lillian M. Lowery was appointed Secretary of Education for the State of Delaware in January 2009, after serving as Superintendent of the Christina School District in New Castle County, Delaware. Prior to her tenure in Delaware, Dr. Lowery was the Assistant Superintendent in Fairfax County Public Schools in Fairfax County, Virginia. Previously, she was an Area Administrator for Fort Wayne Community Schools in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Dr. Lowery has experience as a high school principal and assistant principal, a minority student achievement monitor, and a secondary English teacher.
Mary John O’Hair
Keynote: Mary John O’Hair
Thursday, Feb. 16, 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Constellation Ballroom
New Times Demand New Partnerships: Innovation for Next Generation Learners and Leaders
Mary John O’Hair has been the initiator of two Innovation lab ventures in two states. She will lead the audience into a look at a historical perspective of innovation, in a creative, Did You Know fashion. The audience will be challenged throughout the presentation to think about how schools, universities, communities, and other partners can transition in a world of next generation learners and leaders.
Dr. O’Hair will invigorate and challenge each person to become 21st century thinkers through collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical problem-solving. She will also share how she connects preschool through graduate education in her work at the University of Kentucky as well as globally.
Mary John O’Hair is the dean of the College of Education at the University of Kentucky. Her research and teaching interests lie in school-university-community partnerships; innovation and entrepreneurship; and international education networking. She has received over $40 million in funding and grants to support her research. O’Hair has published numerous articles and books on systemic innovation, organizational learning, and school-university-community partnerships.
Shane Lopez
Keynote: Shane Lopez
Friday, Feb. 17, 9:00 a.m.– 10:00 a.m. Constellation Ballroom
The How of Hope … and Why It Matters to Education
Surprising research shows how we think about the future actually makes our lives better today. In this presentation, Dr. Lopez will discuss the latest hope research and teach three hope strategies that could improve educational outcomes.
Shane J. Lopez, Ph.D., Senior Scientist in Residence, is an architect of the Gallup Student Poll. A measure of hope, engagement, and well-being, the Gallup Student Poll taps into the hearts and minds of American students to determine what drives achievement.
Doug Christensen
Keynote: Doug Christensen
Friday, Feb. 17, 2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. Constellation Ballroom
The New Common Core Standards: Hope and Possibilities, Limits and Liabilities
Currently serving as a consultant to the Council of Chief State School Officers in the implementation of the Common Core Standards, Dr. Christensen will provide an overview of the new Common Core Standards and their implementation, including the expectations that the new standards will significantly improve practices in our schools and impact teaching and learning, the work currently underway at the state and local levels to implement them, and the limits and liabilities of the new standards.
Doug Christensen is Nebraska’s Emeritus Commissioner of Education and has been recognized for his leadership as Administrator of the Year (Kansas), Superintendent of the Year (Nebraska), and Public Official of the Year (Governing Magazine).
America Ferrera
Closing Keynote: America Ferrera
Friday, February 17, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.*
*Note: This event will take place at the Hilton Baltimore’s Key Ballroom
Education: Changing Lives, Changing the World
America Ferrera is best known for her fearless portrayal of “Betty Suarez” on ABC television’s hit comedy Ugly Betty, a role that earned her an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as ALMA and Imagen awards.
Ms. Ferrera recently starred in the hit Oscar-nominated Dreamworks animated film How to Train Your Dragon and is currently preparing to record its sequel. Other acting credits include Lords of Dogtown (2005), How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer (2005), Under the Same Moon (2007), and both parts of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005, 2008).
Ms. Ferrera served as an artist ambassador for the global humanitarian organization Save the Children and recently raised more than $44,000 to build a new elementary school in Mali. She was the 2010 recipient of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s Inspira Award, and the recipient of the 2011 Global Action Award for Childhood Development and Education for her work with Save the Children in Mali.
In March 2011, Ms. Ferrera was named the national recipient of the Cesar E. Chavez Legacy Award for her commitment to helping lead underprivileged families and youth to a better life and education.
