On October 8th and 9th, the George W. Bush Institute’s Alliance to Reform Education Leadership (AREL) will bring together over 80 leaders in education reform from throughout the country to advance its mission of ensuring there is an effective principal, able to significantly advance student achievement, at the helm of every school. The convening is not open to the public but can be followed using #ARELConvenes and on the Bush Institute’s blog.
Representatives from AREL’s Network of 28 innovatively designed principal preparation programs – including founders of influential nonprofits, charter management organization directors, school district chief executive officers and superintendents, and university chairs and departmental directors – will be among those attending. Other participants will include policy makers, foundation directors, Bush Center leadership, and former members of the Bush Administration.
Throughout the two-day convening, participants will engage in collaborative breakout sessions led by Bush Institute fellows, AREL staff, and AREL Network representatives. Each session will focus participants on critical elements of quality principal preparation and allow for the sharing of best practices in the field.
While sharing innovations and improvements in school leader preparation will be central to the convening, AREL Program Director Dr. Kerry Ann Moll sees the upcoming convening as one part of a larger movement to dramatically improve the way our Nation’s principals are prepared and supported.
“AREL convenes education leaders from across the country not only to share best practices in education leadership, but also to demonstrate to the country that AREL’s vision to have a well-prepared principal for every child in every school is possible. AREL and the programs in the Network are leading the way,” said Moll. “At the conclusion of AREL’s convening, programs will return home emboldened by aligned ideas and strategies gained during our time together, and be even more steadfast in our mission to prepare principals equipped to make transformative changes for schools, communities, and students.”
National leaders including Secretary Margaret Spellings, who recently began her tenure as President of the George W. Bush Foundation, will speak to the importance of school leadership during the convening. Ambassador Karen Hughes, former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs under the Bush Administration, will address participants in a keynote speech on education and leadership.
Through a combination of collaboration among reform leaders, professional development, and inspirational speeches from national leaders, Moll contends, “This convening will set a tone: school leaders are critical in the lives of our children and to the development of their teachers.”
The convening can be followed using #ARELConvenes and on the Bush Institute’s blog.