Sept. 25 – 27, 2019, Minneapolis, MN
The National Governors Association (NGA) Solutions: The Center for Best Practices Education Division (NGA Education) hosted its annual Governors’ Education Policy Advisors Institute on Sept. 25 – 27, 2019. The Institute convened policy advisors from 18 states and experts from across the country to network with each other and discuss pathways to lead toward effective education policy advancement. The event featured dynamic speakers on issues such as K-12 teachers and leaders, early education workforce, pathways to postsecondary education and the workforce, social emotional learning, K-12 finance, and many others.
Day 1: Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019
Session I: GEPA Only Programming
Speakers/Panelists:
- Tami Pyfer, Education Advisor, Office of Governor Gary Herbert- UT
- LaTanya Pattillo, Teacher Advisor to the Governor, Office of Governor
Roy Cooper- NC - Brian Mitchell, Director, Office of Science, Innovation and Technology- NV
- Siri Smillie, Policy Director, Education Commission of the States- MT
Session II: Role of the GEPA: Seizing the Moment of Opportunity
Speakers:
- Beth Caron, Director, NGA Education, NGA Solutions: The Center for Best Practices
- Scott Palmer, Managing Partner and Co-Founder, EducationCounsel
Session III: National State Membership Organizations Listening Session
Participants:
- Jeremy Anderson, President, Education Commission of the States
- Steve Bowen, Deputy Executive Director, State Leadership, Council of Chief State School Officers
- Michelle Exstrom, Group Director, Education Program, National Conference of State Legislatures
- Robert Hull, President and CEO, National Association of State Boards of Education
- Kathryn White, Director of Budget Process Studies, National Association of State Budget Officers
Session IV: Resources to Support Your State
Speakers:
- Paige Kowalski, Executive Vice President, Data Quality Campaign
- Wayne J. Camara, Horace Mann Research Chair, ACT
- Steve Voytek, Senior US Government Relations Manager, ACT
Day 2: Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019
Welcome and Overview
Speakers:
- Beth Caron, Director, NGA Education, NGA
- Ben Lathrop, NBCT, English Language Arts Teacher
- Iyanna Rogers, student, University of St. Thomas
Session V: Strengthening K-12 Teacher and Principal Development and Support Systems
Moderator:
- Seth Gerson, Program Director, NGA Education, NGA
Panelists:
- Alice Johnson Cain, Executive Vice President, Teach Plus
- Tara Kini, Director of State Policy, Learning Policy Institute
- Jackie Wilson, Assistant Professor of Education and Human Development, University of Delaware School of Education
Hot Topics: State Data Opportunities
Speakers:
- Scott Palmer, Managing Partner and Co-Founder, EducationCounsel
- Paige Kowalski, Executive Vice President, Data Quality Campaign
- Wayne J. Camara, Horace Mann Research Chair, ACT
Session VI: The Face of the Early Childhood Workforce: Leveraging ECE Apprenticeships to Bolster the Future Workforce
Moderator:
- Linda Hampton, Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Early Childhood (KY)
Panelists:
- Tara Dwyer, Special Assistant for Workforce Development, Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL)
- Secretary Derrick Ramsey, Secretary of Education and Workforce Development, Kentucky
- Siri Smillie, Policy Director, Education Commission of the States
Hot Topics: Education Strategies for a Skills-Based Economy
Speaker:
- Marni Baker Stein, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Western Governors University (WGU)
Session VII: NGA Solutions Overview & Gallery Walk
Speakers:
- Beth Caron, Director, NGA Education, NGA
- Amanda Winters, Program Director, NGA Economic Opportunity, NGA
Session VIII: Pathways to Postsecondary Education and The Workforce
Moderator:
- Amanda Winters, Program Director, NGA Economic Opportunity, NGA
Panelists:
- Robert Balfanz, Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Education; Director, Everyone Graduates Center
- Gary Cates, Senior Vice Chancellor, Ohio Department of Higher Education
- Stephanie Krauss, Senior Director, Jobs for the Future
- Ryan Reyna, Senior Director, Education Strategy Group
Featured Speaker:
- Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota
Welcome
Speakers:
- Beth Caron, Director, NGA Education, NGA
- Amanda Winters, Program Director, NGA Economic Opportunity, NGA
Session IX: Social-Emotional Learning and Whole Child Initiatives
Speakers:
- David Adams, Director of Social-Emotional Learning, The Urban Assembly
- Perry Plummer, Assistant Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Safety
- Stephan Turnipseed, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Pitsco Education
Hot Topics: Equitable Access to High-Quality Charter Schools
Speaker:
- Paul O’Neill, Co-Founder and Senior Fellow, National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools (NCSECS)
Session X: Designing and Strengthening High-Quality K-12 Finance Systems
Speaker:
- Jason Willis, Director of Strategy and Performance, WestEd
Hot Topics: High School Redesign
Speaker:
- Jenn Ellis, Director of Policy Engagement, XQ Institute, Emerson Collective
