Thousands of educators heading to Rochester

School boards convention comes on eve of national election;
National political analyst, best-selling author, bullying prevention expert to headline event


FOR RELEASE:  October 18, 2012

CONTACT: David Albert
(518) 783-3716 or (518) 320-2221 cell
On Twitter: @nyschoolboards

Nearly 2,000 school board members, superintendents and educators from across New York will arrive in Rochester next week for the New York State School Boards Association’s 93rd Annual Convention and Education Expo.

The three-day event is being held Oct. 25-27 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center.

Among the headline speakers are FOX News political analyst and Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist Juan Williams; teacher and best-selling author Erin Gruwell, whose journey is chronicled in The Freedom Writers Diary, which became a movie with Oscar winner Hilary Swank; and bullying prevention expert Barbara Coloroso.

The convention comes as New York schools implement a number of key federal education initiatives – including Race to the Top and Common Core learning standards – as well as a number of new statewide measures such as teacher and principal evaluation systems and the Dignity for All Students Act. 

State Education Commissioner John King will also be on hand to discuss the impact of these initiatives on schools.

Below is a brief schedule of events. For the full schedule, please visit our website at www.nyssba.org/convention.

Thursday, Oct. 25
Teacher, best-selling author and education advocate Erin Gruwell will provide the convention’s keynote speech at 5:30 p.m.  Her speech will emphasize how school leaders can become catalysts for change.  Gruwell helped 150 of her students – many of whom were written off by the education system – to write a best seller, The Freedom Writers Diary, complete high school and attend college.

Earlier in the day, speakers at the pre-convention school law seminar will address a number of timely topics, including New York’s plan to protect the integrity of student assessments, legal issues facing school districts as they implement new teacher and principal evaluation systems, and protecting confidential student records in an era of cloud computing, among other topics.

Friday, Oct. 26
In an interactive session with school board members and administrators from around the state, State Education Commissioner John King will discuss education reform initiatives at 10:30 a.m.  Topics discussed will include teacher evaluations, Common Core standards, state testing, and closing the achievement gap.

At noon, the Education Innovation Luncheon will honor the winners of the inaugural “Be the Change for Kids” Innovation Awards.  Sponsored by the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany, the program recognizes school districts that have implemented innovative and cost-effective programs in science, technology, engineering and math-related disciplines. 

At 2:00 p.m., featured speaker Juan Williams will discuss the impact of the upcoming national election on schools and education.  Williams, a FOX News political analyst and regular panelist on “Fox News Sunday,” has covered politics for more than 35 years.

Saturday, Oct. 27
Educational consultant and author Barbara Coloroso will examine the societal factors that create bullies and provide advice on how to create a safe school environment for all students.  The session begins at 10:15 a.m.

Also, delegates from member school districts will vote on resolutions that will form school boards’ 2013 legislative agenda.  On tap are proposals that call for NYSSBA to seek legislation that would:

  • Enable local school districts to create regional high schools;
  • Enable local school districts to determine “seat time” requirements for graduation;
  • Eliminate the property tax cap; and
  • Prevent state education aid from being directed to competitive performance grants.

Overall, this year’s convention includes more than 100 seminars on such topical issues as preventing bullying, sharing services, using technology in the classroom, implementing the property tax levy cap, and managing school districts financial resources.

Photo Opportunities
In addition to the keynote speakers, education sessions and trade show, musical groups from several area school districts will perform throughout the event. Those groups include:

  • Webster Thomas High School Jazz Ensemble, Webster Central School District
  • Webster Thomas Select Choir, Webster Central School District
  • Woodmere Middle School Jazz Ensemble, Hewlett-Woodmere Central School District
  • Canandaigua Academy Mixed Chorus, Canandaigua City School District

Editor’s Note: NYSSBA welcomes media coverage of the Convention.  Detailed information is available on our convention website. If you anticipate attending, please notify us so that we can have credentials and press packets awaiting you at the registration area.

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