Summer Conference Keynotes
Meet the Keynotes
Prominent educators, Ron Clark, Jessica Cabeen and Salome Thomas-EL will share invaluable leadership insights designed to help you navigate change while fostering a sense of belonging and joy in your learning community.
Be 1% Better!
Ron Clark, Founder of the Ron Clark Academy, NYTimes Best Selling Author, and Disney’s American Teacher of the Year
In this energizing and practical keynote based on his book Be 1 Percent Better, Ron Clark shares simple, achievable strategies that will help you thrive even when you feel exhausted or overwhelmed. He reminds educators they do not need massive bursts of inspiration to make meaningful progress. You only need small, consistent choices that move you forward one percent at a time. Through realistic habits and mindset shifts that can be implemented immediately, Ron offers an honest and uplifting message that restores purpose, joy, and momentum in the classroom.
Ron Clark’s outstanding success with students from low-wealth areas of North Carolina and New York City led him to be named Disney’s American Teacher of the Year. He is a New York Times Best Selling author, and his classes have been honored at the White House on three separate occasions. Clark’s teaching experiences in New York City are the subject of the uplifting film, The Ron Clark Story, starring Matthew Perry. Currently, Clark serves as a teacher and administrator at the Ron Clark Academy, an award winning and internationally acclaimed middle school in Atlanta, GA. The school serves as a training site for educators, and each year thousands of teachers and administrators from around the world visit the school to be trained in their methods for helping all students achieve success.
Dream Big, Live Colorfully, Lead Boldly: Developing Your Best Self at School and Home
Jessica Cabeen, EdD, Speaker and Principal
During this empowering keynote, you’ll explore ways to maintain wellness in all aspects of your life while navigating education challenges. Dr. Jessica Cabeen will share strategies to set personal goals and priorities in the four balance quadrants—positional, personal, professional, and passion. Learn how to manage processes effectively, be present in the moment, handle challenging situations with grace, and reignite personal passions to bring authenticity to your position. Walk away with a renewed sense of passion and practical strategies to leave work at work and live your life.
Dr. Jessica Cabeen is sought after for speaking around unconventional leadership, innovative learning environments for students, self-care for educators and early learning. Due to her diverse leadership experiences, she draws on stories and examples that span PreK-12th grade. She utilizes research-based strategies, puts them into practice, and shares them with audiences in an easy-to-use format. Her humor and examples of what to do (and what not to do) resonate with educators across the globe.
Choosing to Stay in Challenging Times: Leading with Resilience, Joy and Belonging
Salome Thomas-EL, EdD, K-8 School Principal
Leadership in education has never been more demanding—or more essential. In this thought-provoking session, Dr. Salome Thomas-EL speaks directly to school and district leaders about how to build cultures of resilience, inclusion, and joy. He’ll share how authentic relationships, culturally responsive practices, and mentoring can support the retention of teachers and leaders, and help teams thrive through adversity and challenging times. Principal EL will explore how to cultivate positive environments and a strong sense of belonging—empowering you to take risks, make bold decisions, and challenge the status quo. Leave with strategies to cultivate cultures where both staff and students feel seen, heard, and motivated to reach their full potential.
Dr. Salome Thomas-EL is currently a K-8 principal in Wilmington, DE and received national acclaim as a school leader, teacher and chess coach in Philadelphia, where his students have gone on to win world recognition as Eight-Time National Chess Champions. Principal EL is the author of six best-selling books, including Passionate Leadership, and his newest book, Meet Their Needs, and They’ll Succeed. He has received the Marcus A. Foster Award as the outstanding School District Administrator in Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania’s distinguished Martin Luther King Award. Principal EL was featured on Good Morning America and appeared on the Oprah Radio Network.
