Welcome to the 2023 ESSA Conference
The Educator & School Excellence team is excited to announce that this upcoming ESSA Conference "The Power to Make a Difference", will be a live, in person event, January 25-27, 2023, at the
El Conquistador, Hilton Resort , in Tucson Arizona.
With every event, our intent is to bring you all meaningful and timely content. Hope to see you all there!!
The conference is SOLD OUT!
Hotel Reservation
Hotel Reservation Rates & Charges: Unfortionately there are no additional rooms available at the conference rate. Please visit the resorts website to view their rates and room availability.
Hotel questions or for additional assistance: 1-888-370-0980
Other nearby hotels include:
Please note that if you are not staying at El Conquistador parking is free at a first come, first serve basis. The resort does have vallet parking availabe for a fee if space is available.
Registration
Cost to attend: $450 per person
Dates of Conference: January 25-27, 2023
Registration is SOLD OUT!
Boot Camp will be held virtually! Visit the Boot Camp webpage for more information.
For information about the 2023 Conference App and instructions on downloading the app:
- Superintendents
- Principals
- Teachers
- Support Staff
- Before and After School Coordinators
- Grant Writers
John F. Eller
John F. Eller, PhD, has served as director of the educational leadership doctoral program at St. Cloud State University, worked with educational leaders at Virginia Tech University, and developed teacher leaders in a master’s program. He is a former principal, director of a principal’s training center, and assistant superintendent for curriculum, learning, and staff development.
Dr. Eller specializes in dealing with difficult people, building professional learning communities, employee evaluations, conferencing skills, coaching skills, strategic planning strategies, school improvement planning and implementation, differentiated instruction, leadership for differentiation, employee recruitment, selection, and induction, supervisory skills, and effective teaching strategies. He has served as executive director of Minnesota ASCD. He has written articles for Superintendents Only and is author of Effective Group Facilitation in Education: How to Energize Meetings and Manage Difficult Groups, and coauthor of Working With and Evaluating Difficult School Employees, So Now You’re the Superintendent, and Energizing Staff Meetings and Creative Strategies to Improve School Culture.
Dr. Eller earned a PhD in educational leadership and policy studies from Loyola University Chicago and an MS in educational leadership from the University of Nebraska Omaha.
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 Morning Keynote
Making a Difference: School Turnaround-Ingredients for Success
Timothy D. Kanold
Dr. Timothy D. Kanold is an educator, husband, father, friend, runner, author and presenter. From Illinois, he served as a mathematics teacher, as the Director of Mathematics and Science and as school district Superintendent at the number one rated public high school (open enrollment) district (Stevenson HSD 125 in Lincolnshire) as rated by niche.com.
His 2017 book HEART: Fully Forming Your Professional Teaching and Leading Life! became a national best-seller and received the Gold Medal Independent Publishers award in New York, for the field of Education in 2018. His follow up 2021 book, SOUL!: Fulfilling the Promise of Your Professional life is currently on amazon’s best-seller list. With his colleague Tina Boogren, he recently released his 2022 book, Educator Wellness: A Guide for Sustaining Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Social Well-Being.
Dr. Kanold received the 2017 Ross Taylor / Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award from the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics and the international 2010 Damen Award for outstanding contributions to education from Loyola University Chicago where he received his doctorate in educational leadership and counseling psychology.
Dr. Kanold is committed to equity, excellence, and social justice reform for the improved learning of students and school faculty, staff, and administrators. He conducts inspirational professional development seminars worldwide with a focus on improving student learning outcomes through a commitment to the PLC process with a distinct focus on living a well-balanced, fully engaged professional life of wellness and well-being using strategies for reflection and self-care.
He now lives and works in Northern California with his wife Susan and their Golden Retriever, Fibonacci.
Thursday, January 26, 2023 Morning Keynote
Emotional and Social Wellness as the Pathway to Living Your Best Life!
Timothy D. Kanold extends the foundation of Educator Wellness by taking a deep dive into two of the four dimensions from his Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework—emotional and social wellness. Participants are reminded to live their best lives for the benefit of others as they move into this second day of growth and learning together.
Participants can expect to:
- Examine two dimensions of the Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework—social and emotional wellness—and consider specific routines and strategies associated with each.
- Discover what it means to be happy and joyful at work.
- Consider essential research behind compassion and self-compassion as a pathway to avoid emotional exhaustion and burnout.
- Examine one strategy for improving social intelligence.
- Become aware of positive impacts on others, despite obstacles.
Hamish Brewer
Hamish Brewer is a powerful and positive disruptor who transcends the status quo and typical norms in leadership and education. Mr. Brewer is a globally recognized advocate who built his reputation on results and performance, becoming affectionately known as the Relentless, Tattooed Skateboarding Principal with his galvanizing message to "Be Relentless" and his high-octane delivery style.
Mr. Brewer served as an award-winning principal at both the secondary and elementary school levels. Recognized as the NAESP Nationally Distinguished Principal and Virginia Principal of the Year, he was also honored with the VAESP School Bell Award and ASCD Virginia Impact Award. Hamish was named a Northern Virginian of the year by Northern Virginia Magazine and Principal of the Year for the online national publication – Education Dive. Prince William County Public Schools named Hamish the school division's Principal of the Year and Hamish was recently recognized by Omega U as the Principal of the Year.
Under his leadership, his elementary school was recognized as a Nationally Distinguished Title 1 School, and Hamish has since gone on to turn around one of the toughest middle schools in the state of Virginia. Mr. Brewer is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker – motivating and inspiring audiences around the world, including being recognized as a TEDx speaker.
Originally from New Zealand, Hamish earned his first degree from the University of Auckland. Mr. Brewer is currently a doctoral student at Virginia Tech University. Hamish is the best-selling author of “Relentless – Disrupting The Educational Norm, published in 2019.
Mr. Brewer currently consults with businesses and organizations around the world on leadership, culture, organizational performance change and improvement. As a Beachheads advisor to the New Zealand Trade Enterprise, he assists New Zealand businesses with their growth and advises them on strategic development in the North American marketplace.
Mr. Brewer previously served at the state level as the Federal Relations Coordinator on the Board of Directors with the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals and was a lead fellow of NAESP’s Center for Innovative Leadership. He is a school turnaround and school improvement specialist, working with some of the most at-risk students in the United States. Mr. Brewer was highlighted as a Hometown Hero by Fox 5 in Washington, DC. With more than 32 million views, his story is a viral sensation through the Freethink docuseries “Relentless”, and features in national news broadcasts across the United States and Australasia, including NBC and Lester Holt. Mr. Brewer is also featured in the skateboarding humanitarian documentary Humanity Stoked.
Friday, Janaury 27, 2023 Morning Keynote
Relentless
Sometimes you have to hear the things you don’t want to hear in order to move forward, to be better and to get results. Hamish will take you on a hard-hitting journey that will challenge you to rethink your practices, to disrupt the norm and change the game. Find out if you have or are willing to go one more round, if you’re willing to advocate for every single stakeholder. Find out if you’re willing to take your organization to the next level.
*** Q&A to be following Keynote***
Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Bonnie Little Graham
Bonnie Little Graham joined Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC in 2009. Ms. Graham actively represents federal education grantees and subgrantees in the resolution of adverse audit and program review determinations, false claims act investigations, and other administrative legal actions. Ms. Graham has successfully resolved significant audit findings for her clients through administrative appeal proceedings, as well as through settlement negotiations and cooperative audit resolution techniques. Ms. Graham also works closely with clients on issues pertaining to “high risk” grantee and subgrantee designations, and on cost allocation matters, including indirect cost rate development, negotiation, and application.
Ms. Graham regularly assists her clients with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) and other administrative statutes and regulations, such as the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) and the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), providing workshops and trainings, developing compliant policies and procedures, and reviewing contracts and other grant-related documentation for compliance with federal requirements. Ms. Graham also works with clients on the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), and Title IV of the Higher Education Act, conducting mock-reviews of program implementation and advising on federal requirements, best practices and allowable flexibilities.
Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Graham worked as an associate at a corporate firm in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2021, she became a Certified Grants Management Specialist.
Kelly Christiansen
Kelly Christiansen joined Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC in August 2015 as a Legislative Assistant and was promoted to Legislative Analyst in 2019. Ms. Christiansen helps monitor federal proceedings that affect education funding for states, districts, and other clients and tracks federal regulations, judicial decisions, and guidance regarding education issues. She also contributes to Brustein & Manasevit’s weekly “Federal Update” for the firm’s clients.
Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Christiansen interned on Capitol Hill for U.S. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, supporting the education and healthcare staffers. She has also worked as a Relay for Life intern for the American Cancer Society. Ms. Christiansen received her Bachelor of Arts in Government from the College of William & Mary in May of 2015.
HeinfeldMeech
Karin Smith
Karin Smith is a Partner at HeinfeldMeech an accounting and audit firm in Arizona. Karin has over 20 years of school administration, school finance, accounting and consulting experience where she has had responsibilities in all areas of financial management, including budget development, federal program administration, purchasing, accounting, payroll, and risk management. Prior to joining HeinfeldMeech, she served as the Chief Financial and Operations Officer for the Kyrene Elementary School District. Karin has also served as Adjunct Faculty for Northern Arizona University teaching School Finance. She has obtained her Certificate as a Certified Administrator in School Finance and Operations from Association of School Business Officials International and is a Certified Fraud Examiner through Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
Dr. Steve Constantino
Dr. Steve Constantino is one of the most sought-after keynote/endnote speakers and workshop leaders in the United States. His successful and innovative career in leadership both in business and education coupled with his many years of research, writing and practice in the field of family engagement in education place him in a very unique position. His messages of engagement, innovation and entrepreneurial leadership find him at ease and in command of his audiences in both business and educational settings.
