Keynote Speaker
Dr. Scott Smith
Director of Career, Standards, and Assessment Services,
Kansas Department of Education

Dr. Scott Smith worked at KSDE in academic standards, large-scale assessments, and accountability. In addition, Scott spent ten years coaching and teaching high school English and Spanish. Since 2003, Scott has served as graduate faculty in Philosophy of Education at the University of Kansas.

Fred Brown
Director of Strategy and Development,
Learning Forward

Educators today are working so hard to meet the learning needs of their students, but are school systems doing what's necessary to meet the learning needs of their adults? In a "learning system," educators at the district and school levels share responsibility for their own learning and for ensuring great teaching for every student every day. During his remarks at lunch, Frederick Brown will expand on these and other key ideas from the newly released text Becoming a Learning System.

Jeff Baxter
2014 Kansas Teacher of the Year

The explosion of technology and global change has created a complex environment for today's students. What should the 21st century classroom look like? How should we educate students for a future we cannot predict. Jeff Baxter's presentation delivers substance and hope for the critical role teachers will play in teaching students for tomorrow. Jeff's presentation delivers substance and hope for the critical role teachers will play in teaching students for tomorrow by focusing on problem-solving and collaboration as part of any content or curriculum.