NewSchools-Aspen Institute Summit 2012, produced in partnership with NBC News’ “Education Nation”
Fifteen Million Children in Poverty: Education Entrepreneurship and America’s Most Urgent Challenge
The NewSchools-Aspen Institute Summit is an invitation-only event featuring top practitioners and thinkers working to transform education in underserved communities. Summit 2012 will begin with evening festivities on May 1, 2012 and continue through the day on May 2.
Registration will be open from 7am-9pm on May 1, and beginning at 6:30am on May 2.
Tuesday May 1, 2012
6pm-8pm Opening Reception, generously hosted by Target
8pm-10:30pm Exclusive screening and discussion of Won’t Back Down
Speakers
- Ben Austin, Parent Revolution
- Daniel Barnz, Director of Won’t Back Down
- Michael Flaherty, Walden Media
- April Stout, New Teacher Center
- Doreen Diaz, parent
Moderator
- Julie Mikuta, NewSchools Venture Fund
10:30pm Late-Night Stand-Up Open-Mike Ed Reform with Rick Hess
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
6am–7am Yoga
For a centering start to your Summit experience, we invite you to join us for a complimentary yoga class Wednesday morning. All levels are welcome and mats will be provided.
6am–7am Early Riser Lounge
Are you an early riser? Or an East Coaster cast as an unwilling early riser? The Early Riser Lounge will provide you juice, coffee, newspapers, news radio, and a feeling of home.
7am–8am Breakfast
7am–8am Buddies Welcome Breakfast
A special breakfast for those participating in the buddy system. A great opportunity for Summit first-timers to meet their buddies in person and connect with others.
8am–9:30am Opening Session
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Speakers
- Ted Mitchell, NewSchools Venture Fund
- Jonathan Schorr, NewSchools Venture Fund
- Laysha Ward, Target
Is the Movement Moving Fast Enough?
Amid a struggling economy and rising numbers of children in poverty, we ask: Is the movement where it expected to be in 2012? An appraisal of the progress of education entrepreneurs to date and a call to action.
Speakers
- Howard Fuller, Institute for the Transformation of Learning at Marquette University
Moderator
- Jonathan Schorr, NewSchools Venture Fund
Respondents
- Norman Atkins, Relay Graduate School of Education
- Kaya Henderson, District of Columbia Public Schools
- Jonah Edelman, Stand for Children
- Roy Gilbert, Grockit
- David Domenici, Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings
10:00am–11:00am Breakout 1
Out of the Hothouse: From Top Charters to Big Districts
Roland Fryer’s Apollo 20 project is working to translate charter practices into district successes in Houston, and it’s demonstrating exciting early results. What’s happening there, and can it work elsewhere?
Speakers
- Roland Fryer, Harvard University, Education Innovation Laboratory
- Tom Boasberg, Denver Public Schools
Moderator
- Carlos Watson, Goldman Sachs
Teachers Talk…About Reform
Critics say current reforms, which emphasize data-driven accountability, amount to blaming teachers. Advocates say reform empowers teachers. What do actual teachers think? Participants will hear from teachers from a variety of backgrounds on these topics and will have a chance to get their questions answered.
Speakers
- Brooke Buerkle, Relay Graduate School of Education
- April Stout, New Teacher Center
- Marisol Castillo, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
- Tilney Wickersham, Alice Deal Middle School
- Jordan Wise, Education for Change
Moderator
- Ellen Moir, New Teacher Center
Fun and Games — and Real Learning: Game-based Learning in the Classroom
Entrepreneurs are bringing the look and feel of digital games to classroom learning to enhance student engagement. Can games raise engagement and achievement, or are they a distraction to purposeful reform? This session will bring together teachers, game creators and investors to talk about opportunities for games to generate real learning outcomes and the realities of trying to integrate games into a classroom environment.
Speakers
- Jessica Millstone, Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop
- Michael Levine, Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop
- Aylon Samouha, Rocketship Education
- Michael Angst, E-Line Media
- Robert Torres, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- John Richards, Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop
Moderator
- Virginia Edwards, Education Week
Design Thinking for Policy Change
Federal education policy is stuck in gridlock, and our basic method of crafting policy seems obsolete. How might design thinking illuminate our approach to creating policy to reorient our focus on solutions? This session will begin with an introduction to the design-thinking process by IDEO. Participants will apply design thinking to a particular education policy challenge involving technology.
Speakers
- Sandy Speicher, IDEO
- Hailey Brewer, IDEO
- Ben Riley, NewSchools Venture Fund
Facilitators
- Michael Petrilli, The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
- John Bailey, Whiteboard Advisors
- Chris Cerf, New Jersey Department of Education
- Jon Schnur, America Achieves
- Ellen Winn, 50CAN: The 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now
- Joy Silvern, United States Senate
Resources
- Design Thinking for Educators
- Government Digital Services: Design Principles
- Stanford d.schools Prezi
Can Blended Learning and “No Excuses” Coexist?
Blended learning—where face-to-face and online learning intermingle—is emerging as a promising approach to personalizing instruction. Yet many successful “no excuses” schools view blended learning with skepticism. Can the proven strengths of “No Excuses” live happily with the potential for new technologies to enable differentiated instruction and self-directed learning?
Speakers
- Doug McCurry, Achievement First
- Liz Arney, Aspire Public Schools
- Alex Hernandez, Charter School Growth Fund
Moderator
- Stacey Childress, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Coffee Talk: Transformational Teachers
Join Teach For America’s Chief Knowledge Officer, Steven Farr, in a dialogue about TFA’s exploration of makings and marks of transformational teachers — those who not only alter their students’ academic trajectory, but position them for a different path in life.
Speaker
- Steven Farr, Teach For America
11:30am–12:30pm Breakout 2
Disruption and the Public Good
Entrepreneurs have brought disruptive innovation not just to private enterprise, but to areas of public good, from energy to medicine, with major benefits to the public. Yet education has been slow to learn from the work of entrepreneurs in other sectors. Extraordinary entrepreneurs focused on key areas of public good—health care, green energy, and food and nutrition—will share their stories, lessons, and advice.
Speakers
- Rushika Fernandopulle, Iora Health
- Danny Kennedy, Sungevity
- Kristin Groos Richmond, Revolution Foods
Moderator
- Kim Smith, Bellwether Education Partners
The Achievement Gap: Is there an App for That? Generously sponsored by Target
The education technology market is developing rapidly and education entrepreneurs, frustrated by the fragmented, regulated K-12 institutional market environment, are devising new ways to spread their innovations, through freemium, viral products that reach teachers and even parents directly. What will these changes mean, and are they good for underserved students?
Speakers
- Sam Chaudhary, Class Dojo
- Tim Brady, Imagine K12
- Gwen Baker, Bellwether Education Partners
- John Danner, Rocketship Education
Moderator
- Dave Goldberg, SurveyMonkey
Resources
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- When Technologies Collide: Consumer, K-12 and Higher Ed, by MindShift
At the Core of the Common Core
The Common Core State Standards aim to change everything—and for innovators and entrepreneurs, they may. With the simultaneous implementation of the Common Core State Standards in 46 states and DC, there is the potential for a truly national market. But how will the Common Core actually affect the classroom? A key author of the Common Core State Standards will lead an immersion experience.
Speakers
- David Coleman, Student Achievement Partners
Moderator
- Ross Wiener, The Aspen Institute
Building Better New Teachers: How to Start a Teacher Prep Program
More and more, charter organizations and districts are training their own teachers—and a handful have started full-fledged ed schools. What does excellent teacher training look like? In a rapid-fire Q&A full of both substantive information and levity, participants will hear from pioneers in this field on creating and running a teacher preparation program.
Speakers
- Heather Kirkpatrick, Aspire Public Schools
- Michael Goldstein, MATCH Education
- Brent Maddin, Relay Graduate School of Education
Moderator
- Brian Sims, Academy for Urban School Leadership
Coffee Talk: Education Entrepreneurs without Borders
Education entrepreneurship and venture philanthropy are going international. A conversation between an entrepreneur and a philanthropist who share beliefs and span borders.
Speakers
- Allison Rouse, EdVillage
- Ashish Dhawan, Teach For India
12:30pm–2pm Lunch
1pm-2pm
Race to the Top: Out of the Starting Gate, but Any Closer to the Finish Line?
Race to the Top spurred a flurry of policy enactments and other ambitious reform commitments. Entrepreneurial organizations feature prominently in many of these reforms. Two years into this endeavor, what have we learned? What are the most promising developments, and where is the work off-course or struggling? What have entrepreneurial organizations learned about working “inside” the system, and how should they approach Race to the Top Round 3?
Speakers
- Joanne Weiss, U.S. Department of Education
- Mitch Chester, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
- Jean Desravines, New Leaders
Respondents
- Chris Cerf, New Jersey Department of Education
- Michael Petrilli, The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
Moderator
- Rehema Ellis, NBC News
2pm–3pm Breakout 3
The View from the Other Side: Entrepreneurs Running Systems
A wave of leaders from entrepreneurial organizations has moved to head up large traditional systems. Now that they are there, how their views changed, and how do they see innovative organizations fitting into their reform agenda? What do they wish outside organizations would do now that they are on the other side?
Speakers
- Cami Anderson, Newark Public Schools
- Kaya Henderson, District of Columbia Public Schools
- Chris Barbic, Achievement School District, Tennessee
Moderator
- Jim Blew, The Walton Family Foundation
Big Data: Will It Change Everything? This session generously sponsored by Pearson
“Big Data” is the hot topic in the worlds of high-tech and business, and a major force in our daily lives — “a new class of economic asset, like currency or gold,” according to the New York Times. Education data lags, with non-comparable grades and once-a-year standardized tests. But massive growth of digital data in education is coming. What will it mean, and how can we leverage it for the benefit of low-income students?
Speakers
- Jose Ferreira, Knewton
- Steve Schoettler, Junyo
- DJ Patil, Greylock Partners
- John Behrens, Pearson
Moderator
- Karen Cator, Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education
Teaching in the Digital Age This session generously sponsored by Target
Over the coming years, teachers will have access to a rapidly widening array of technology tools that help to personalize learning for students. However, the impact of these tools on student learning will depend in large part on the instructional skills of teachers. How does the role of the teacher change in classrooms infused with technology?
Speakers
- Barbara Shaw, A.L. Holmes Elementary School
- Wendy Chaves, Alliance Technology and Math Science High School
- Robert Pronovost, Belle Haven Elementary School
- Missy Vu, Rocketship Los Sueños Academy
- Tina Krekoukis, IS 228 / School of One
Moderator
- Eric Westendorf, LearnZillion
Teachers, Principals, Faraway Places: Rural Innovation
Rural education reformers face unique challenges finding teachers and principals due to isolation and low public funding. These constraints have bred innovative solutions to teacher recruitment, instructional delivery, and professional development. A group of top rural education leaders will explore innovative solutions to the challenge.
Speakers
- Scott Shirey, KIPP Delta
- Tom Torkelson, IDEA Public Schools
- Clay Whitehead, PresenceLearning
- Alyson Mike, New Teacher Center
Moderator
- Michael Tipton, Teach For America, Southern Louisiana Region
Coffee Talk: Using Storytelling to Communicate your School’s Vision and Impact
In a hands-on workshop with the photo-video artists behind the “In Their Own Words” display at Summit, learn how to tell engaging, authentic, emotional stories about students and school. They will work you through their step-by-step process.
Speakers
- Annie Escobar, ListenIn Pictures
- Ethan Goldwater, ListenIn Pictures
3:30pm–4:30pm Breakout 4
W(h)ither Federal Education Policy?
A conversation between key leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties on the federal role in education, the future of No Child Left Behind, and how the 2012 election will affect education reform.
Speakers
- Senator Michael Bennet
- Secretary Margaret Spellings, Margaret Spellings & Company
Moderator
- Rehema Ellis, NBC News
Got Grit?: Psychological interventions that close achievement gaps
Many students who seem academically prepared fail to persist toward a college degree. For some, that’s because they lack the mindsets or skills for success in their new educational environments. Fortunately, relatively brief experiences that change students’ psychology can lead to reductions in achievement gaps even years later. Discussion will focus on insights from the psychology of student resilience and taking these interventions to scale.
Speakers
- David Yeager, University of Texas at Austin
- Gregory Walton, Stanford University
- Donald Kamentz, YES Prep Public Schools
- Laura Keane, Mastery Charter Schools
Kickstarting Innovation for English Language Learners and Special Education Students
Schools face unique challenges in serving English Language Learners and students with special needs, but few entrepreneurs have taken on the complexities of serving these special populations. This session will confront the achievement gaps that exist within ELL and special education student populations. Participants will transition to working groups with entrepreneurs and school leaders to devise action steps.
Speakers
- Daniel Yoo, Goalbook
- Teddy Rice, Ellevation
- Jack Lynch, PresenceLearning
- Richard Nyankori, Insight Education Group
- Kenji Hakuta, Stanford University
- Cami Anderson, Newark Public Schools
- Jordan Meranus, NewSchools Venture Fund
- Dustine Borges, Fowler Unified School District
Coffee Talk: Beyond College Readiness: Preparing Successful College Graduates
Just as K-12 educators focus on empowering students to excel to and through college, so too must higher education leaders focus on facilitating success through and beyond college. What else might K-12 educators and their advocates do to cultivate the knowledge, skills and mindsets our students need for college persistence and success? How can the higher education community better leverage these qualities to launch first-generation college students into lives of greatness? How might we all work together? Learn how one college currently engages these questions.
Speaker
- Daniel Porterfield, Franklin & Marshall College
Resource
- Top Colleges Can Help Transform Education, Daniel R. Porterfield
Life’s a Pitch!
Early on in an edtech startup’s life, there are three critical “decision makers” that have the ability to directly impact the long-term viability of a company: 1) venture capitalist (the funder); 2) the teacher (the customer); and 3) the district administrator (the purchaser). Join us as we observe how three entrepreneurs from the Imagine K12 cohort pitch in front of these three important constituents. Participants will leave with a more nuanced understanding of how these three groups make decisions.
Speakers
- Shawn Carolan, Menlo Ventures
- Hae-Sin Thomas, Education for Change Public Schools,
- Tim Cawley, Chicago Public Schools
- Alan Louie, Imagine K12
- Michael West, Socrative
- Kirill Kireyev, Instagrok
- Jan Zawadzki, Hapara
Moderator
- Wayee Chu, NewSchools Venture Fund
4:45pm–6pm Closing Plenary
What are the prospects for change that will benefit the education of America’s 15 million low-income children? Rahm Emanuel’s vantage points have included Capitol Hill, the White House, and now, Chicago’s City Hall. In this closing session, he offers a view into the future of reform.
Speakers
- Mayor Rahm Emanuel, City of Chicago
- Laurene Powell Jobs, Emerson Collective and NewSchools Venture Fund board member
- Ted Mitchell, NewSchools Venture Fund
6pm-7:00pm Closing Reception
Ongoing
Please Touch the Technology
This interactive exhibit allows participants to explore and play with current innovations in education technology. It includes tools and content for some of the most challenging problems: tools for special education students, examples of blended learning classrooms in action, data dashboards, and college readiness supports, along with promising learning games.
“In Their Own Words”
An exhibit of the faces and stories of the students we are serving, created by ListenIn Pictures
All-Day Networking
A networking lounge will remain open with coffee and snacks all day. The Band Room is a great place to coordinate with those you know, or meet someone new.
Summit Sponsors
We are deeply grateful to the generous sponsors who are helping make Summit 2012 possible.