St. Mary's College Selected As Host For CA Teachers Summit In July

From Michael McAlpin of Saint Mary’s College of California:

The Kalmanovitz School of Education (KSOE) at Saint Mary’s College of California has been selected as a host for the Better Together: California Teachers Summit.

Utilizing teleconference and online streams, this one-of-a kind, one-day multisite statewide education summit will link 20,000 PreK-12 teachers together at 33 locations across California. The unique and free conference, which features a keynote from a nationally known education advocate, is designed to empower educators through the sharing of innovative strategies and build powerful teaching communities that positively impact students across the Golden State.

Saint Mary’s is the only independent college or university in the Bay Area hosting the innovative conference.

The College will host the event on Friday, July 31. The summit runs from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will be located in Saint Mary’s Soda Center, 1928 Saint Mary’s Road, Moraga.

KSOE Dean Christopher Sindt said Saint Mary’s is honored to participate in the conference. “Our involvement in this statewide summit underscores the Kalmanovitz School of Education’s reputation for innovative programs in teacher preparation, counseling, educational leadership, and professional development for educators at all levels.”

Sindt also said the forum echoes the school’s commitment to community engagement and aligns with its mission to “empower our students and communities by fostering academic excellence in support of social justice and the common good.”

The Summit is a result of an inventive public and private educational partnership between The New Teacher Center (NTC), California State University (CSU), the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) and its member institutions, including Saint Mary’s. The Summit’s events are supported by $3.5 million in grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to NTC, CSU Fullerton and fellow AICCU member Loyola Marymount University.

As teachers prepare for the upcoming school year, the Better Together: California Teachers Summit provides a unique opportunity to hear from nationally renowned speakers and give teachers a forum to share cutting-edge strategies and proven best practices led by teachers and for teachers. Teachers will come away with concrete tools and strategies for navigating recent changes in implementing the new California Standards, and a network of colleagues from their home region to support future collaboration. The summit also offers teachers attending the summit the opportunity to earn a .5 continuing education unit credit for a minimal cost.

In addition to televised insights from nationally renowned keynote speakers and beneficial workshops, the summit at Saint Mary’s will include three 10-15 minute “Ed Talks.”

These TED Talk-styled presentations will feature best practices discussions by three leaders in PreK-12 education, who are also KSOE alumni. They include Adam Clark, assistant superintendent for the Liberty Union High School District, Kevin Harrigan, education consultant and former superintendent of the Oak Grove Union School District and Kathleen Moore, curriculum coordinator for the San Ramon Unified School District.

All California teachers, teacher candidates and school administrators are invited to participate in this free summit. Events will be held at 33 locations throughout California and registration is free.

To attend the summit at Saint Mary’s, register online at stmarys-ca.edu/better-together-california-teacher-summit. For more information visit cateacherssummit.com, and follow #CATeachersSummit on Twitter for up-to-date information.