Affecting Policy Change through Social Entrepreneurship
Panelists explored how social entrepreneurs are challenging the status quo in their fields by influencing policy-change or using policy-advocacy as a strategic tool to further their organization’s mission.

Chris Myers Asch (Mississippi Delta '94), Co-Founder, US Public Service Academy and Sunflower County Freedom Project
Timothy Daly (Baltimore '99), President, The New Teacher Project
Kristin Ehrgood (New Jersey '92), Founder & President, Sapientis; Founder & Director, The Flamboyan Foundation
Moderator: Christopher Gergen, Founding Partner, New Mountain Ventures

Managing Large, High-Performing Organizations: A Comparison Across Sectors
Panelists, representing the public, private and nonprofit sectors, explored the key factors and major challenges in managing organizations that truly distinguish themselves as high-performing and will discuss how these lessons can help drive achievement in our education system.

John Delaney, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Kaya Henderson (New York City ’92), Deputy Chancellor, District of Columbia Public Schools
Aylon Samouha, Senior Vice President of Teacher Preparation, Support, and Development, Teach For America
Moderator: Lawrence Stupski, Chair, Stupski Foundation (former President and Chief Operating Officer, Charles Schwab Corporation; National Board Member, Teach For America

Parents and Communities as Levers of Change in Schools
This panel explored how parents, communities and teachers can assist schools in taking concrete steps toward improvement and will discuss the role effective community involvement can have in advancing student outcomes.

Darryl Jones, Executive Director, Communities in Schools of the Nation’s Capital
Jacque Patterson, Project Director, Federal City Council
Cathy Reilly, Director, S.H.A.P.P.E.
Moderator: Tonya Kinlow, District of Columbia Ombudsman for Public Education

Retaining Excellent Teachers in the Classroom
This panel discussed the key levers for keeping highly effective teachers in the classroom for at least five years, focusing on how we should prioritize our efforts to retain talent in schools.

Dorothy Egbufor, Director, Professional Issues, Washington Teachers Union
Jason Kamras (Metro D.C. ’96), Director, Human Capital Strategy for Teachers, District of Columbia Public Schools
Emily Lawson, Founder and Executive Director, DC Prep
Karla Oakley (Mississippi Delta ’91), Vice President, Training and Certification, The New Teacher Project

Turning around Districts: Closing and Reconstituting Schools
Panelists discussed district innovations around school reform, with a focus on closing and reconstituting schools as a strategy for school improvement.

John Deasy, Superintendent, Prince George’s County Public Schools
Ramsey Green (South Louisiana, ’01), Deputy Superintendent for Budget and Policy, New Orleans Recovery School District
Kathi Littmann, Executive Director, Innovations Division, Los Angeles Unified School District
Deane Mariotti (Los Angeles, ’00) Manager of Program Investments, Chicago Public Education Fund
Peter Weber (Houston, ’94), Acting Executive Director of Human Resources, District of Columbia Public Schools
Moderator: Eric Lerum, Chief of Staff, Deputy Mayor of Education, District of Columbia

Using Politics, Policy, and Advocacy as a Force for Change
Working in policy, advocacy and politics gives alumni powerful positions from which to affect policies at the classroom, district, city, and state level. In this panel, alumni leaders in various areas of politics and policy discussed the numerous ways alumni can engage in these fields and how we can use politics as an influential lever in closing the achievement gap.

Sekou Biddle (New York City '93), Member, D.C. State Board of Education
Mark Fraley (South Louisiana ’92), Lead Organizer, Southeastern Wisconsin Common Ground, an Industrial Areas Foundation affiliate
Heather Peske (South Louisiana ’92), Director, Teacher Quality, The Education Trust
Abigail Smith (Eastern North Carolina ’92), District of Columbia Public Schools
Jason Unger (Los Angeles ’98), Senior Policy Advisor to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)
Moderator: Jen Bluestein, Vice President, Political Leadership Initiative, Teach For America

When Quality Counts: The Evolution of the Charter Movement in Washington, D.C.
Panelists discussed the evolution of the charter school movement in D.C. with a focus on the impact of closing/not closing low-performing charter schools on the overall movement.

Donald Hense, Chief Executive Officer, Friendship Charter Schools
Kristy Ochs (Greater New Orleans, ’03), Vice Principal, AIM Academy, KIPP D.C.
Greg Richmond, President and CEO, National Association of Charter School Authorizers

Moderator: Nelson Smith, President, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

Improving Academic Achievement through Innovative School Models
Panelists from single-gender, dual-leadership, arts-infusion, expeditionary learning, year-round, and co-teaching schools discussed how school structure can help drive student achievement.

Alan Coleman (Metro D.C. '00), 6th Grade Teacher, Capital City Public Charter School
Caroline John (Metro D.C. '03), Principal, Excel Academy
Kenyon Mial (Atlanta '01), Director of Year Round Programs, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
Sarrita Min (Newark '98), Director of Instruction, Bronx Lighthouse Charter School
Moderator: Dianne Morse Houghton, Chief Community Resource Officer, New Leaders for New Schools

Justice for Our Kids: Making the System Work For D.C. Youth
Panelists discussed how to reform a juvenile justice system that seems to lead many students toward prison rather than college and will explore the most effective ways to prevent youth from travelling this path.

David Domenici, Co-founder and Chair, See Forever Foundation; Principal, Oak Hill School
Hannah McElhinny, Deputy Trial Chief, Juvenile Section, Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia
Vincent Schiraldi, Director, District of Columbia Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services
Imani Walker, Co-founder and Director, The Rebecca Project for Human Rights
Moderator: Sue Lehman, Management Consultant; National Board Member, Teach For America

The Role of the Federal Government in Ensuring Accountability
Panelists discussed the evolving role of the federal government in education and working with states to hold all schools to the highest standards.

Leo Casey, Vice President, Academic High Schools, United Federation of Teachers
David Wakelyn (Los Angeles ’90), Senior Policy Analyst, Education Division, National Governor’s Association
Tracy Young, Deputy Secretary’s Regional Representative, U.S. Department of Education
Peter Zamora, Washington, D.C. Regional Counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Moderator: Gary Huggins, Executive Director, Commission on No Child Left Behind, Aspen Institute

Building Your Career at Teach For America
Staff members at every level play a critical role in helping us reach our ambitious goals and benefit from unparalleled leadership and growth opportunities as they advance within the organization. Leaders across Teach For America discussed their own career paths, how their work contributes directly to our mission, and available opportunities on various teams.

Kevin Huffman (Houston ’92), Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Teach For America
Miwa Kamras (Metro D.C. ’96), Business Partner, Teacher Support and Development, Human Assets, Teach For America
Taylor Ramsey (South Louisiana ’01), Managing Director of Institute, Teacher Preparation, Teach For America
Moderator: Talla Rittenhouse-Leo (Greater Philadelphia-Camden ’03), Director, Talent Recruitment, Human Assets, Teach For America

Do What You Love: Find a Career that Fits Your Strengths
Participants engaged in individual and group self-assessment exercises to learn more about themselves and how to leverage their strengths through their careers.

Facilitator: Kate Williams (Newark, ’02), Director of Career Development, Alumni Affairs, Teach For America

Excellence from the Start: Defining and Measuring Quality in Pre-K
Participants in this workshop discussed various approaches to evaluating early childhood education in age-appropriate and accurate ways.

Laura Bowen (Delta, ’00), Founding Principal of KIPP DC: LEAP Academy
Jeffrey Capizzano, Vice President, Public Policy & Research at Teaching Strategies
Facilitator: Sophia Pappas (Newark, 03), Director of Growth and Development, Early Childhood Education Initiative, Teach For America

How to Become a Nationally Board Certified Teacher
Participants in this workshop learned what it takes to become nationally board certified and the benefits associated with its recognition.

Anna Holmquist Davis, Executive Director for Government Relations National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
Stephen Helgeson, Vice President for Product Development, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
Norah Lycknell, Nationally Board Certified Teacher, Miner Elementary School
Ibari Iheanyi-Igwe, Nationally Board Certified Teacher, Paul Charter School

Leverage Your Corps Experience to Get the Nonprofit Job You Want
In this session, participants learned how to find the right non-profit opportunity for themselves, and how to market the unique skills they gained as a corps member in order to land the job they want.

Jocelyn Sherman, Director of Talent and Partnerships, Commongood Careers

Organizing for Change
This workshop explained and demonstrated strategies for effective organizing, with participants discussing community, political, and education organizing.

Facilitator: Mark Fraley (South Louisiana ’92), Lead Organizer, Southeastern Wisconsin Common Ground, an Industrial Areas Foundation affiliate

Pathways to Elected Office
This workshop discussed the skills, information, and strategies for successfully pursuing elected leadership.

Facilitator: Jacques Arsenault, Director, Political Leadership Initiative, Alumni Affairs, Teach For America

Pathways to Policy Leadership
This workshop clarified many of the skills, experiences, and training necessary to enter the policy field and advance toward positions of leadership.

Jesse Rauch (Metro D.C. ’04), Senior Legislative Analyst, Council of the District of Columbia
Other alumni working in policy
Facilitator: Sanjiv Rao (Bay Area ’94), Director, Policy and Advocacy Leadership Initiative, Alumni Affairs, Teach For America

Pathways to School Leadership
This workshop clarified the skills, experiences, and training necessary to secure school leadership roles in D.C.

Facilitator: Rachel Kelley (Baltimore ’00), Director, Charter School Partnerships, Teach For America

Teach For All: Helping Address Educational Inequity Globally
This presentation and discussion provided an overview of Teach For All, including efforts underway to support entrepreneurs in other countries who are pursing the development of the Teach For America model locally.

Facilitator: Laura Wilson (Bay Area ’96), Vice President, Country Relations, Teach For All
Representatives from some of these countries will be on-hand to answer questions.