Ybarra kicks off conference for nearly 800 educators

Superintendent Sherri Ybarra will kick off the 2017 Federal Programs Conference on Wednesday, April 5 welcoming nearly 800 educators from across Idaho.

Ybarra will open the conference with an update on changes in federal education law and policy. The address comes on the heels of a national meeting between state and federal education officials reviewing plans for accountability and funding.

“This is a time of tremendous change in the federal government’s approach to education,” Ybarra said. “I am cautiously optimistic that we will see a return to more flexibility and local control of schools, while still assuring the public and parents that all students are learning and our tax dollars are well spent.”

Conference attendees manage federal education programs for disadvantaged, English learners, and students with disabilities in local school districts and charter schools.

The three-day conference in Boise offers more than 100 breakout sessions for educators. Some sessions showcase promising local programs and others offer information on best practices and new research on improving instruction.

The conference also will feature several nationally recognized keynote speakers including:

- Wednesday — Dr. Luis Cruz, a former high school teacher, principal and administrator who now presents methods focused on transforming school culture.

- Wednesday — MK Asante, a best-selling author, award-winning filmmaker, recording artist and a tenured professor of creative writing and film at Morgan State University.

- Thursday — Dr. Diane Staehr Fenner, president of SupportED, LLC, a woman-owned small business that provides educators of English learners needed skills and resources.

- Thursday — Charlotte Danielson, a former economist, and expert in the area of teacher effectiveness, specializing in the design of teacher evaluation systems.