Dear Colleagues:
I am so excited to welcome many of you to our Annual Conference this year in Vancouver, British Columbia! I’m sorry that many of you from the United States may have challenges securing permission to attend the conference. Having previously served on a school board and in the central office, I can certainly understand that eyebrows may rise when you seek permission to attend a conference out of the country, particularly to a place as beautiful as Vancouver, British Columbia. We are holding our conference in Vancouver not only to connect with our Canadian colleagues but also because of the powerful learning we can only offer there.
Here I’m offering five reasons we are excited about being able to make this unique learning opportunity available to you. I hope that these reasons will be helpful in convincing others about the necessity of traveling less than one hour across our border to attend Learning Forward’s Annual Conference this year.
First, you are probably aware that British Columbia was recently cited as one of the five top world performers for professional learning. If you have not seen the report Beyond PD: Teacher Professional Learning in High-Performing Systems, then I encourage you to study it and share it with others. Educators from two of the highest performers (Shanghai and British Columbia) will be present and showcased at the conference. In addition, Michael Fullan, Andy Hargreaves, and Carol Campbell will be releasing the results from a first-of-its-kind study on the state of professional learning across Canada. The study will offer specific recommendations on what the rest of the world can do and learn. Be the first to receive those findings and begin to consider what actions your district or organization will take.
Second, you are able to connect with colleagues from around the world, given the diversity of our presenters and exhibitors in this location. As you know, every day we have an opportunity to eat together and network. By choosing your tables strategically, you will expand the network you can tap for years as sources of support for addressing challenges and staying on the cutting edge. In addition, we have designated times for role-alike networking so you can meet and connect with people in your position. If you have specific interests and needs and even the precise presenters with whom you want one-on-one time, our conference support team is prepared to make that happen. Just as you can always call me directly to talk about a professional learning question, our presenters, keynoters, and lecturers offer the same support throughout the conference.
Third, there is a line-up of presentations unmatched in any previous program. More than half of the 900+ presenters and exhibitors will be from Canada and beyond, offering attendees powerful insights and practices. Also, with so many sessions showcasing international practices, we had to choose the cream of the crop to present on behalf of the U.S.
Fourth, this is the second year that Learning Forward’s Redesign PD Community of Practice school systems will convene and present throughout the conference. Twenty- two leading school systems and charter organizations are studying and working collaboratively to solve two huge challenges we have faced for years in professional development: how to measure and report impact of our work and how to create coherent, aligned, and relevant systems of support for teachers. This is the only conference where you will be able to attend sessions that feature all these school systems and the solutions they have generated thus far. You can read more about this important work and these school systems on page 11 in your program guide and here on our website. Study the various sessions they are offering and then issue a special invitation to sit at one of the meals or meet for breakfast to learn more about their important work.
Fifth, the Learning Forward conference is the only convening where you can have access to the entire Learning Forward Board of Trustees, Foundation Board of Directors, and Learning Forward staff and senior consultants.Everyone is there to help you find solutions to your problems. Only here can you meet the people implementing the processes and programs that you want to learn more about; expand your professional learning network for future growth opportunities; meet leaders in your own state during state affiliated-activities; and sit down with a member of the Foundation board to see what kind of funding might be available to support your own career plans. And yes, I also meet with members throughout the conference.
I hope these reasons have compelled more of you to consider joining us this year in Vancouver. As an added incentive, the prices of the hotels are very reasonable – 25-30% less than last year; the flights are also economical from many cities.
Finally, if this letter helped, let us know. If you wrote your own justification that made the case for your attendance, please share. Thank you for your ongoing support to ensuring every educator experiences great professional learning every day.
All the best,
Stephanie
