LEAD conference program
Join us at McNamara Alumni Center for two days of actionable insights, tools, and strategies to help you create more equitable education systems at the Leading in Equity, Action, and Diversity (LEAD) conference.
A full schedule of events is available below. Note: All speakers and times are subject to change.
Day 1 program details
8 - 9 a.m.
9 - 9:15 a.m.
9:15 - 10:15 a.m.
Registration and networking breakfast | Memorial Hall
Welcome and introduction to keynote | Memorial Hall
Keynote | Memorial Hall
Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings is Professor Emerita and former Kellner Family Distinguished Professor in Urban Education in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction and was Faculty Affiliate in the Departments of Educational Policy Studies, Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis and Afro American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the Immediate Past President of the National Academy of Education. Ladson-Billings’ research examines the pedagogical practices of teachers who are successful with African American students.
Ladson-Billings is the author of her newest book, Justice Matters, as well as the critically acclaimed books: The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children, Crossing over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms, and Beyond the Big House: African American Educators on Teacher Education. She is editor of 9 other books and author of more than 100 journal articles and book chapters. She is the former editor of the American Educational Research Journal and a member of several editorial boards. She has won numerous awards for her scholarly work.
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Morning breakout sessions
Location: Johnson Great Room
Description: Discover how West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan Area Schools embeds social justice learning in its fourth grade classrooms through exploring social identities, developing an appreciation of diversity, exploring social justice issues, and building empathy. It put the vision of social justice education into its classrooms, which have become a place with informed, empowered students, who are inspired to change the future. Hear what they do, how they do it, and how their students are taking action!
Location: Thomas Swain Room
Description: Culturally relevant and inclusive mathematics teaching and learning experiences are essential in Minnesota classrooms. This session is aimed at moving participants from "it's a good idea" to "what can we do in our next math lesson." While the title appears elementary, the content is essential for any grade level.
Location: Ski-U-Mah
Description: The far-reaching consequences of chronic absenteeism affect student learning and engagement but also impact the likelihood of on-time high school graduation. This session will provide an overview of the most effective solutions to addressing absenteeism, and dive into detail on an effective model of intervention: the Check & Connect Student Engagement model paired with the AmeriCorps Promise Fellow program.
Location: Heritage Gallery
Description: Schools are experiencing massive shifts in student populations, which has prompted the field of education to focus on teachers’ knowledge and skills to work with students whose backgrounds and experiences differ from theirs. We describe the experiences of educators as a decisive element in seeking to transform educational inequities through socially just teaching.
11:45 - 1 p.m.
1:15 - 2:15 p.m.
Lunch | Memorial Hall
Keynote | Memorial Hall
Dr. Anton Treuer (pronounced troy-er) is a Professor of Ojibwe in the Department of Languages and Indigenous Studies at Bemidji State University. He has a BA from Princeton University and an MA and PhD from the University of Minnesota. He is Editor of the Oshkaabewis (pronounced o-shkaah-bay-wis) Native Journal, the only academic journal of the Ojibwe language and the author of many books including Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask, The Language Warrior’s Manifesto: How to Keep Our Languages Alive No Matter the Odds, Warrior Nation: A History of the Red Lake Ojibwe (Winner of Caroline Bancroft History Prize and the American Association of State and Local History Award of Merit), Ojibwe in Minnesota (“Minnesota’s Best Read for 2010” by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress), The Assassination of Hole in the Day (Award of Merit Winner from the American Association for State and Local History), Atlas of Indian Nations, The Indian Wars: Battles, Bloodshed, and the Fight for Freedom on the American Frontier. He has also edited numerous books of illustrated short stories written in the Ojibwe language such as Awesiinyensag, that bring to life stories told by Anishinaabe elders. (“Minnesota’s Best Read for 2011” by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress).
2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Afternoon breakout sessions
Location: Johnson Great Room
Description: Elevating student voice is a goal that most schools and districts aspire to do. How many schools and districts actually accomplish this goal? Who carries the weight of implementing student voice and student recommendations? This session will provide an example of how school leaders use and operationalize recommendations of Youth Data Analyst (YDA) interns in schools for the purpose of antiracist school improvement.
Location: Thomas Swain Room
Description: In this session, participants will co-create necessary space to collaboratively learn about the significance and strategies to humanize leadership and equity to meet today's challenges in a post-pandemic world. Participants will draw on their lived experiences to situate the learning into their context. Dau Jok will leverage insights from Indigenous knowledge systems and Pk-12.
Location: Ski-U-Mah
Description: With the implementation of the ethnic studies bill and the social studies standards that include a new ethnic studies strand, it’s crucial for administrators to understand the tenets of ethnic studies and how it differs from other areas in the humanities. Come and engage with a panel of practitioners to discuss what ethnic studies is and the pedagogies that are used in this field.
Location: Heritage Gallery
Description: This session will examine the ways in which colonial structures persist within educational systems and highlight the necessary work of decolonization. Drawing upon the tenets of Tribal Critical Race Theory, the session will highlight practical strategies and culturally responsive practices that educators can implement to create indigenized, antiracist, and supportive environments for Indigenous students.
3:45 - 5:45 p.m.
Reception | The Commons, Thomas Swain, University Hall, and cafe/patio
Day 2 program details
8 - 9 a.m.
9 - 9:15 a.m.
9:15 - 10:15 a.m.
Registration and networking breakfast | Memorial Hall
Welcome and introduction to keynote | Memorial Hall
Keynote
Dr. Gholnecsar (Gholdy) Muhammad is an associate professor of literacy, language, and culture in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Illinois Chicago. She has previously served as a classroom teacher, literacy specialist, school district administrator, curriculum director, and school board president. She studies Black historical excellence in education, intending to reframe curriculum and instruction today.
Dr. Muhammad’s scholarship has appeared in leading academic journals and books. She has also received numerous national awards and is the author of the best-selling book, Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy. Her book, Unearthing Joy, is the sequel to Cultivating Genius and provides a practical guide for putting culturally and historically responsive education into curricular practice.
She also co-authored Black girls’ literacies: An Edited Volume. Her Culturally and Historically Responsive Education Model has been adopted across thousands of U.S. schools and districts across Canada. In 2022 she was named among the top 1% Edu-Scholar Public Influencers due to her impact on policy and practice. She has also received numerous awards from national organizations and universities. She was named the American Educational Research Association Division K Early Career Award and the 2021 NCTE Outstanding Elementary Educator in the English Language Arts. She has led a federal grant with the United States Department of Education to study culturally and historically responsive literacy in STEM classrooms.
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Morning breakout sessions
Location: Johnson Great Room
Description: This panel brings together local, Black scholars and practitioners in a structured dialogue which will highlight key historical and contemporary scholarship, policy, and practice related to the state of Black educators and Black education.
Location: Thomas Swain Room
Description: Explore the transformative impact of Check & Connect on the educational journey of American Indian students with disabilities. Discover how this approach fosters meaningful connections and promotes academic success, empowering students to thrive.
Location: Ski-U-Mah
Description: School leaders from Anoka-Hennepin and Mahtomedi as well as Representative Clardy (DFL-Inver Grove Heights) from the Minnesota House of Representatives will share how their leadership influenced a positive climate and inspired practice changes to increase equitable achievement. They will discuss how they leveraged strengths for successes and addressed implementation struggles and pivots.
Location: Heritage Gallery
Description: In this session, participants will engage in conversation about the collaborative work of ISD 917, MN Humanities Center, and Metro State University to strengthen the retention and resilience of teachers from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups through mentorship, affinity groups, and graduate coursework supported by PELSB grant funding. Learn how strategic partnership can improve organizational culture and increase collective efficacy and how your school or district may be able to get involved!
11:45 - 1 p.m.
1:15 - 2:15 p.m.
Lunch | Memorial Hall
Policy debrief | Memorial Hall
2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Afternoon breakout sessions
Location: Johnson Great Room
Description: Explore the experiences of Columbia Heights Public Schools' (CHPS) students, teachers, and parents working in partnership with Black Men Teach, an organization that empowers the growth of Black male teachers. Black Men Teach strives to create the conditions where Black male elementary teachers thrive in Minnesota. CHPS is committed to diversifying the workforce and fostering a caring academic culture for learners and staff.
Location: Thomas Swain Room
Description: This session will center linguistic justice as a core component of educational equity for multilingual learners. Participants will explore multiple approaches to language in policy and practice and will leave with actionable strategies to create more just multilingual ecologies in schools, including (free or low cost) professional learning resources that can be used in schools or districts to support systemic changes.
Location: Ski-U-Mah
Description: Wondering what resources are available to meet new state English Language Arts (ELA) standards that include Indigenous perspectives? Join Odia Wood-Krueger (Metis) and Danielle Grant (Little Shell Ojibwe) as they discuss new publications created through the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s Understand Native Minnesota campaign. This session will provide guidance for using these resources and implementing Indigenous Education for All.
Location: Heritage Gallery
Description: Willow Lane Elementary, a racially identifiable school in the Twin Cities, has significantly improved literacy outcomes among its student population over the past three years. This session offers a detailed examination of Willow Lane's strategies and methodologies. Attendees will gain insights into a leadership framework that promotes socially just literacy practices while developing collective-efficacy for its educators.
3:45 - 5:45 p.m.
Reception | The Commons, Thomas Swain, University Hall, and cafe/patio