Dynamic Speakers to Present at the 2017 Public Policy Institute
In This Section
By: Christina Koch, NASP Manager, Professional Relations
As the school year comes to a close, it is time to start thinking about summer professional development! Earn CPDs and grow your advocacy skills at the 2017 GW/NASP Public Policy Institute (PPI) in Washington, D.C. This year's theme is "Equity and Access to High Quality Public Education: National Policy Directions to Address Educational Disparities". The deadline to register for PPI with early bird pricing is May 15th and with such a hot topic we are beginning to reach capacity.
At this time, we are excited to announce some of the national experts who will explore how to recognize and address educational disparities that interfere with the provision of a high quality education.
Basic Training (3-Day, July 17-19): The 3-day basic training focuses on how federal and state education policy and grassroots advocacy shape positive learning environments for all students.
The basic training will feature policy expert Maria Ferguson, Executive Director at the Center on Education Policy, speaking on the evolving role of the federal government in public education. Additionally, the President of First Focus, Bruce Lesley, will present the 2017 Children's Budget which show how the federal budget invests in children and Family. The demographics of the American student will be presented by Annie E. Casey Senior Research Associate leading the National Kids Count project. Additionally, Dr. Nate von der Embse, School Psychology Assistant Professor and NASP Government and Professional Relations co-chair, will present the theory behind educational policy and grassroots advocacy. Our featured theme speaker will be Dr. Sam Ortiz, Professor at St. John's University and CLD expert, presenting on "Educational Disparities and the Achievement Gap: Understanding Why English Language Learners Aren't' Catching Up". The basic training will culminate with the hands-on opportunity to meet and greet elected officials and their staff on Capitol Hill advocating for school mental health services and supports.
Advanced Training (5-Day, July 17-21) and the 2-Day Special Topic Training (July 20-21): In addition to all of the offerings included in the 3-day training, 5-day training participants will explore the conference theme in greater depth by examining how administrative policy and educational practices can support underserved student populations. Previous PPI attendees (starting in 2010) are eligible to attend the 2-Day Special Topic PPI which will include the speakers of Day 4 and 5 of the Advanced Training.
Advanced training featured speakers will include George Mason University professor Dr. Paul Gorski author of Reaching and Teaching Students in Poverty and Dr. David Shriberg, Loyola University professor and social justice expert, exploring the origins of personal and systems bias through culture and tradition. Additionally, former NASP President and national leader Dr. George Batsche, Professor at University of Southern Florida, will present on how to reduce disproportionality within an MTSS framework, with an emphasis on student mental health. Other presentations and activities will showcase school based practices to engage vulnerable student populations and their families, explore the impact of trauma on student access to a high quality education, and review the implications of the recent Supreme Court case, Endrew vs. the Douglas County School District ,on the determination of "reasonable educational benefit.".
You won't want to miss this outstanding professional development opportunity! Limited spaces are available. Register before May 15th for a $30 savings: http://www.nasponline.org/research-and-policy/public-policy-institute-(ppi)