Annual CELL event Nov. 16-17 offers more than 60 sessions for educators, community leaders
 
As state and federal governments press for fundamental change in our education system, Indiana’s premier school reform conference will gather key players from across the nation to discuss the latest thinking and the issues involved.
 
Hosted by the University of Indianapolis’ Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning, the Indiana’s Future conference on Nov. 16 and 17 will cover topics including school funding, performance-based pay for teachers, the drive toward national and international learning standards, and the call to rethink the way teachers and administrators are educated and licensed.
 
Highlights of the event at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown will include:

• Brad Jupp, special assistant to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, on labor-management relations in school reform and the use of federal stimulus money to boost student achievement;
• State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett on the Department of Education’s action plan for Indiana schools;
• National experts on aligning education with workforce and economic development;
• A panel discussion on the impact and future of Indiana’s charter schools, featuring the attorneys and policymakers who crafted the Indiana Charter Schools Law.

Now in its fifth year, CELL’s annual Indiana’s Future conference has provided networking and professional development opportunities for more than 3,000 Hoosier educators and community leaders, prompting Gov. Mitch Daniels to call it “one of the most important convocations in our state.”
 
Through the conference, CELL has played a key role in introducing and supporting the innovative New Technology and Early College high school models in Indiana. Eight New Tech high schools have opened already, 11 more are expected to open in 2010 and several more are preparing to open in 2011. CELL’s Early College network includes 20 Indiana schools in various stages of development. The 60-plus presentations at this year’s conference include national and local perspectives on these and other trends in education.
 
Early bird registration continues through Oct. 26, with a cost of $95 per individual or $75 per person for teams of three or more. The cost is $135 through Nov. 11 and $175 after Nov. 11.
 
For more information, click here or contact CELL at (317) 788-3777 or cell@uindy.edu.