Vision 2015 Conference Summary – Afternoon Breakout Sessions

There were seven breakout sessions, held during morning and afternoon sessions. Several sessions were held twice during the day. Here’s a selection of three of the afternoon sessions:

Beyond Race to the Top focused on the conclusion of Race to the Top, considering how to sustain momentum of successful and support reform initiatives, while continuing to innovate and evaluate successes. The facilitator was our President and CEO, Paul Herdman. The session participants were Merv Daugherty, Superintendent of the Red Clay Consolidated School District; Mark Murphy, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education; and Kathleen Thomas, a teacher at Caesar Rodney High School and former state Teacher of the Year. The  conversation centered around specific ways in which Race to the Top has benefited each of the the panelists, as well as persistent challenges such as funding flexibility and teacher recruitment.

Engaging Students in Owning Their Learning focused on student empowerment, examining strategies to promote student efficacy, including personalized learning, experiential learning, and other innovative practices. The session facilitator was Michael Watson, Chief Academic Officer at the Delaware Department of Education. The participants were Dawn Alexander, a preschool teacher at Warner Elementary School; Amy Cantymagli, School Leader of the Delaware MET, a charter high school, which is scheduled to open in fall 2014; and Paul Ramirez, an English teacher and Department Chair at Howard High School of Technology. Each of the panelists shared their experiences with empowering students, speaking about a “flipped” mindset: a seed for a new philosophy where teaching is student-centered and every student and teacher owns a growth mindset.

Connecting Across Schools and Districts focused on sharing best practices and innovative thinking through the public education system, investigating what’s being done and what’s possible for schools and districts to better collaborate to improve student learning across the entire state. The session facilitator was Susan Bunting, Superintendent of the Indian River School District. The participants were Lamont Browne, Head of School and Principal at East Side Charter School and Albert DuPont, Assistant Superintendent at Seaford School District.

Related Topics: Vision 2015 conference summaries 2013