PRE-CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
Sunday, June 26 ONLY
MORNING 9 a.m.–12 p.m.

Dr. Vernita Mayfield
Inspirational Speaker and Author
Leadership for Achieving Equitable Student Outcomes
The past two years have surfaced anew long existing disparities in educational outcomes between white students and students of color. Yet, with the urgency to address the problem comes a host of barriers that can potentially derail efforts. Changing leadership looks different when you are building the capacity of leadership, staff, the community, and possibly yourself to understand and challenge the legacies of inequity in schools. How do you champion and lead an initiative so emotionally gripping—that challenges cultural biases, scrutinizes traditional practices, and changes those that no longer serve all students as well?
Originally from Los Angeles where she was an elementary teacher, Dr. Vernita Mayfield found her first love serving and supporting students who have been historically marginalized. Since then, she has continued to do so through numerous positions of service including Secondary School Administrator, Director of Learning Services, School Improvement Specialist, and Consultant. In 2012, she founded Leadervation Learning. The organization supports leaders at all levels in creating systems that result in more equitable student outcomes using data driven processes with observable, measurable results. Learn more.
Sunday, June 26 ONLY
AFTERNOON 1–4 p.m. (Choose one of two options)
OPTION 1

Dr. Janel Keating
Superintendent, White River SD
Daunting Yet Doable — The Role of the Principal in a Professional Learning Community at Work
There’s no universal affection in this role! Do you have the courage to move beyond managing to leading learning and developing the leadership capacity in others? This session will focus on the critical leadership behaviors of the principal, assistant principal, and their relationship with the team leaders when building a collaborative culture, and a school-wide focus on learning both for students and the adults who serve them.
Pre-Conference Targets:
• Build capacity of staff to create a high performing PLC - time, resources, and support
• Disperse leadership throughout the school
• Create high-expectations for principals to stretch the aspirations and performance levels of each team
• Establish systems to facilitate and support the PLC process to include the master schedule
• Create a culture that is simultaneously loose and tight
• Ensure students have access to a guaranteed and viable curriculum unit by unit, and more
Dr. Janel Keating is Superintendent of the White River SD. She is a former elementary and middle school teacher, elementary principal, director of student learning, and deputy superintendent. Learn more.
OPTION 2

Dr. Vernita Mayfield
Inspirational Speaker and Author
Cultural Competence NOW: Discussion Exercises to Help You Understand and Challenge Bias, Racism and Privilege
Trying to build your knowledge of racism, bias, or privilege but not sure where to begin? Bring your team to this session and let's do it together! This 3-hour session will engage teams in highly interactive learning and discussions on a variety of topics related to understanding and achieving racial equity in schools.
Registering for a Pre-Conference?
The first 100 people to register for a PRE-CONFERENCE will receive a free copy of keynote speaker Dr. Richard White's book, I'm Possible: A Story of Survival, a Tuba, and the Small Miracle of a Big Dream (a $28 value).