professional development
Ed Tech leaders to highlight CSBA’s July Leadership Institute
Code.org CEO Hadi Partovi and Google Vice President of Education and University Programs Maggie Johnson are among the top executives and leadership experts that will highlight CSBA’s 2018 Leadership Institute. The 2018 Leadership Institute will take place July 13–14 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
This year, the theme for the two-day event is “The Science of Leading Students to STEM Success” and is designed to provide governing board members with leadership skills training and the tools and resources needed to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) growth in schools. The event will include several speakers from STEM-based organizations, and state and national organizations who will share their unique perspectives on leadership strategies and trends in the STEM arena.

Partovi, Code.org’s CEO, is best known for starting the internationally recognized “Hour of Code” movement. Under his leadership more than 100 million students from around the world have become familiar with basic coding, resulting in schools around the globe establishing computer science classes. In the United States, 25 percent of students have been reached. Code.org’s mission is to expand access to computer science in all schools and increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities. Look for an in-depth interview with Partovi about his views on computer science education in the spring issue of California Schools magazine.

  • Leadership Institute focusing on STEM
    learning will feature prominent leaders
    in the field
Johnson manages Google’s K-12 educational programs in STEM and computer science, as well as the technical training, content development and information management programs for Google engineers and operations staff. She also manages the University Relations area, building research partnerships with faculty and labs globally, and manages Google’s strategic initiatives in online teaching and learning.
During the Institute, a special session has been dedicated to addressing another hot-button issue affecting every school across the state — school safety. The session will feature several experts on this issue. CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy expressed the importance of this session, stating, “Look, STEM and school safety are an odd pairing for any event, but we felt compelled to ensure that the several hundred board members who attend this event go home with some tangible skills and information related to school safety. This is an issue that’s impacting every community.”
This year, the theme is designed to provide governing board members with leadership skills training and the tools and resources needed to support STEM.
CSBA has confirmed the attendance of a number of additional Ed Tech leaders and university experts that will be announced in the coming weeks.
To register for the 2018 Leadership Institute, visit csba.org/LeadershipInstitute.