Las Vegas Summit Offers K-12 Administrators Manageable Leadership Methods

PETERBOROUGH, N.H., April 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Staff Development for Educators (SDE), one of the nation's leading providers of professional development for K-12 educators, is pleased to announce its Administrator Summit pre-conference, taking place July 7, 2014, in Las Vegas.

A stellar team of educational thought leaders will speak to the needs of K–12 administrators in a variety of roles, from central office to building administrator. The cutting-edge program will address persistent challenges, offer new perspectives, and provide "next practices" that will positively impact every administrator's career, school, district, and community.   

"School administrators are under pressure to deliver on a number of fronts. This is the time they must step away from the familiar and step up to the unknown if they are to continually evolve and advance to the next level of success," says SDE's Kim Breton, who programmed the event.

"This year's theme—Manageable Methods for Success in Leadership—says it all. We've created an event that directly tackles the toughest 'unmanageables' in an administrator's life and offers simple, proven, and fresh solutions any leader can apply and benefit from."  

At the top of every administrator's list of challenges is the Common Core State Standards.  The 2014 Administrator Summit offers in-depth workshops to help administrators define exactly where they need to focus their attention to successfully implement the standards in their schools and the new assessment required by this initiative.

"This is the perfect opportunity for administrators to reflect on their existing implementation and how to get new and veteran teachers focused on the next steps. Every teacher can become internally motivated, action-oriented, and self-directed. Leaders hold that transformative power in their hands and we show them how to unleash it," explains Breton. 

Today's administrators must also deal with changes in the areas of teacher evaluation and effectiveness. They need to know how to conduct productive walk throughs and have tough conversations to enhance both teacher and student learning.

Another skill that clearly stands out in these turbulent times is the ability to inspire, advocate, and advance needed change—in spite of objections. And these are just some of the timely topics that will be addressed at the Summit.

"We've put together an amazing lineup of speakers than enables attendees to tap into a world-class, unique, and practical knowledge base that will help them raise their game and that of their staff," adds Breton.

The distinguished, National Board Certified teacher Robyn Jackson, Ph.D, will lead workshops on how to create school-wide rigor and improve teacher skill sets. Dr. Jackson is an award-winning administrator and author of The Differentiation Workbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Lessons that Help Every Student Meet the Standards.

Cassandra Erkens will kick off the day with her keynote entitled "Transformational Leadership." A champion of Professional Learning Communities, she is the co-author of Leading by Design: An Action Framework for PLC at Work Leaders.  

One of the nation's leading authorities on the Common Core, Bob Darnell, Ed.D., takes on implementation of the new standards and improving walk-throughs in his idea-packed sessions.

Rounding out the impressive roster is behavior expert and in-demand speaker Dan St. Romaine. In his interactive and entertaining workshops, he will deliver rich insight into dealing with difficult students, parents, and colleagues, as well as how to have more impact and influence in presentations.  

"In leadership, it's easy to get a little weary in the day-to-day battle and lose sight of the reasons why we do what we do. Attendees often report how, after this rewarding day, they are able to see their purpose more clearly and get their thinking and actions back in alignment," noted Breton.

The Administrator Summit is a pre-conference event offered by SDE to attendees of the National Conference on Singapore Math and the National Conference on Differentiated Instruction. The practical, content-rich, forum is designed for new, veteran, and aspiring administrators, superintendents, and principals. It combines substance and inspiration in an inspiring and interactive format.  Through 22 cutting sessions, the Summit offers a variety of real-world solutions that will take administrators to the next level in their journey of impact, excellence, and self-development.  

About SDE

SDE is one of America's leading providers of professional development for PreK through Grade 12 educators. Through Onsite PD, PD Events, Web-based PD, and PD Resources, the company empowers teachers and administrators across the country with ongoing professional development that is not only research-based, innovative, and rigorous, but also practical, motivating, and fun. All SDE training is presented by the nation's top authors and educational experts, with the goal of creating extraordinary classrooms that prepare students for the evolving demands of the 21st century.

For more information about SDE, educators are encouraged to visit www.sde.com, or to call 1-800-462-1478.

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