September 12-14, 2018 | Little Rock, Arkansas
The National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices hosted its annual Governors’ Education Policy Advisors Institute from September 12-14, 2018. The Institute convened experts from 19 states, one territory and one international delegation to discuss pathways that can be utilized to lead toward effective education policy advancement. The event featured dynamic speakers on issues such as School Safety and Prevention, Early Childhood Education Finance, the Role of Philanthropy in Supporting Education and Cybersecurity and Coding in Schools. The sessions provided channels of communication for participants to openly discuss promising policy solutions.
Agenda | Presentations Day 1 | Presentations Day 2 | Presentations Day 3 | Resources
Day 1: September 12, 2018
Keynote Dinner Session
Keynote Speaker:
- Minnijean Brown Trickey, Civil Rights Icon
Moderator:
- Dr. Aaliyah Samuel, Education Division Director, NGA Center
Speakers:
- Janel George, Senior Policy Advisor, Learning Policy Institute
- Jason Willis, Director of Strategy & Performance in the Comprehensive School Assistance Program (CSAP), WestEd
- Dr. Francisco Duran, Chief Academic and Equity Officer, Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia
Day 2: September 13, 2018
Breakfast Keynote
Speakers:
- Governor Asa Huthcinson, Arkansas
Welcome and Overview
Speakers:
- Dr. Aaliyah Samuel, Director, Education Division, NGA Center
- Sara Shelton, Director of State Relations, Education Commission of the States
Session I: Good Jobs for All Americans
Speakers:
- Karen Baumgart, Director, BillingsWorks
- Siri Smillie, Education Policy Advisor, Governor Bullock, Montana
Carl D. Perkins Reauthorization Update
Speaker: Stephen Parker, Legislative Director, Education and the Workforce, NGA
Session II: Pathways to Graduation
Moderator:
- Stephen Parker, Legislative Director, Education and the Workforce, NGA
Panelists:
- Dr. Carey Wright, State Superintendent of Education, Mississippi
- Carmel Martin, Senior Advisor, State & Local Partnerships, Emerson Collective
- Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works
- Johan Uvin, President, Institute for Educational Leadership
- Kim Green, Executive Director, Advance CTE
Session III: A Practitioner’s Take on Technology in 21st Century Schools
Speaker:
- Chad Brinkley, School Innovation Specialist, Murfreesboro High School
Session IV: Financing Early Childhood Education with a Highly Qualified Workforce
Moderator:
- Dr. Beth Caron, Program Director, Education Division, NGA Center
Panelists:
- Donald Songy, Senior Education Policy Advisor, Governor Bel Edwards, Louisiana
- Gerald M. Cutts, President and CEO, First Children’s Finance
- Kathy Glazer, President, Virginia Early Childhood Foundation
Session V: Spotlight on the States: Supporting Teachers and Leaders
Moderator:
- Seth Gerson, Program Director, Education Division, NGA Center
Panelists:
- LaTanya Pattillo, Teacher Advisor to Governor Cooper, North Carolina
- Linda Fandel, Special Advisor to Governor Kim Reynolds, Iowa
- Dr. Wayne Lewis, Interim Commissioner of Education, Kentucky
Review and Next Steps
Speaker:
- Dr. Aaliyah Samuel, Director, Education Division, NGA Center
Seated Dinner: Cybersecurity and Coding in Schools
Speaker:
- Anthony Owen, Chief State STEM Officer and State Director of Computer Science Education, Arkansas Department of Education
Day 3: September 14, 2018
Welcome and Fireside Chat
Moderator:
- Dr. Aaliyah Samuel, Director, Education Division, NGA Center
Panelists:
- Kevin R. Klein, Director of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in the Department of Public Safety; Homeland Security Advisor to Governor Hickenlooper, Colorado
- Robert Runcie, Superintendent of Schools, Broward County Public Schools
Session VI: School Safety and Prevention: State Examples
Moderator:
- Dr. Aaliyah Samuel, Education Division Director, NGA Center
Panelists:
- Brian Mitchell, Director of the Office of Science, Innovation, and Technology to Governor Sandoval, Nevada
- Cara Sullivan, Deputy Legislative Officer, Office of Governor Larry Hogan
- Perry Plummer, Director of New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Office of the Governor of New Hampshire
- Dr. Sharon Hoover, Associate Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Final Remarks
Speakers:
- Dr. Aaliyah Samuel, Director, Education Division, NGA Center
- Mayor Mark Stodola, Little Rock, Arkansas
