Maiden Leadership Conversations

Positive developments in Africa’s education sector have led to an increase in the proportion of adults who have completed secondary education. Yet the world of work they are destined to enter is developing at an even faster pace.  Technological advancements and widespread use of AI have transformed the work environment in ways that no longer align with a traditional secondary education.  In fact, many African employers already identify an inadequately trained workforce as a constraint to their businesses. How are we, as educators, changing our mindsets, practices and systems to ensure our students will be well-prepared for the world of work? Come learn how to build bridges between industry and schools, support students in working toward careers, and explore methods of job- and skills-matching.

In our dynamic world, education is pivotal for progress, yet traditional methods fall short. Enter visionary leadership. Visionary leaders foresee trends because we are learners first.  We foster trust and dialogue in our communities, which inspires innovation and transformational change. We craft agile policies, championing inclusivity and diversity, while fostering creativity. We create conditions that support teachers to skillfully reshape their teaching methods to meet students’ needs, and we prioritise adaptability, fostering environments for experimentation and improvement. Students are counting on us to become visionary leaders who catalyse sustainable change, challenge the prevailing norms that constrain learning and shape a more equitable future, leaving a legacy that transcends generations.  Conference sessions in this strand will teach you how. 

We want to equip students to be aware, engaged citizens of the 21st century, and we can best do so today with the aid of technology. We must not only teach our pupils how to utilise tech tools, but teach them how to be responsible and safe online, to understand and employ computational thinking, to effectively curate and evaluate knowledge attained digitally, and to use digital tools to successfully communicate with others.  Together at this conference, we will examine ways technology can be used to enhance the quality of education and its delivery; address issues related to accessibility; enhance depth of knowledge, learning, self-direction and collaboration; and address a variety of global education-related challenges.

We regularly invest in developing educators’ skills to teach well. Why not match that effort with investment in powering up students’ skills for learning well?  When we help students train their brains to strengthen the skills, mindsets and values needed to be effective learners, they can become independent thinkers, proactive contributors to their communities, as well as global citizens who are powerful leaders.  Conference sessions will focus on a wide range of learner-centred themes, from maths education and financial literacy to cultural competency and social-emotional development.  As a community of educators, we will learn from one another, in pursuit of learner success.

Student success is deeply linked to the well-being of both teachers and students.  Therefore, to create the future we want for tomorrow, we must create a learning environment where mental, emotional, and physical health is a top priority today.  Wellness requires that we cultivate a balanced approach to education, valuing both the mind and spirit.  It requires that we ensure every voice is heard and valued, including educators at all levels and students bringing varied perspectives. This is easier said than done, but by sharing research-informed practices, practical tips and inspiring stories at this conference, we will support attendees to make the well-being of every school community member a foundation of educational success.

Richard Culatta is an internationally recognized innovator and learning designer. As the CEO of ASCD/ISTE, Culatta is focused on supporting education changemakers to create equitable and engaging learning experiences for students around the world.

Prior to joining ASCD/ISTE, Culatta served as the Chief Innovation Officer for the state of Rhode Island. In this role, he led an initiative to make Rhode Island the first state to offer computer science in every K-12 school and created a state vision for personalized learning.

Culatta was appointed by President Obama as the Executive Director of the Office of Educational Technology for the US Department of Education. In that capacity, he led efforts to expand connectivity to schools across the country, promote personalized learning and develop the National Education Technology Plan. He also pioneered new opportunities for engagement between the Department, education leaders, and tech developers – including bringing top game designers from around the world to the White House to help re-think the design of assessments. Culatta also served as an education policy adviser to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and a Resident Designer for the global design firm IDEO.

Richard’s book Digital for Good: Raising Kids to Thrive in an Online World (HBR Press) uncovers the challenges with our current approaches to preparing young people to be effective humans in virtual spaces and presents a path to a healthier and more civil future digital world.

Culatta began his career in the classroom as a high school teacher and has coached educators and national leaders around the world on making learning more. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish teaching and a master’s in educational psychology and technology, from Brigham Young University.

Zaretta Hammond, M.A. is a national consultant and author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (Corwin, 2015).

She is a former high school and community college writing instructor. For the past 25 years, she has supported schools and other institutions in deepening their understanding and application of culturally responsive practices, the science of reading, and the science of learning. In addition, she has written articles and book chapters on these topics to help educators improve instruction.

Ms. Hammond is a strong literacy advocate who sits on the research advisory committee for Learning Policy Institute’s SoLD Alliance (Science of Learning and Development) program. She is also a member of the advisory board for the Consortium for Reading Education (CORE).

Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum was born on 9^th April, 1964 at Jachie in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Land Economy/ Business Administration with a major in Real Estate from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.  He holds a Master’s degree in Education Management from the University of La Verne, California and a PhD in Educational Policy, Planning and Administration from the University of Southern California. He is also an alumni of Kumasi High School in Ashanti Region where he obtained his Advanced Level education certificate.

He is the founder of the New Designs Charter Schools  in Los Angeles California. Prior to this, he worked as a Mathematics and Information Technology teacher at the Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, California for ten years.  During this period, he founded the International Studies Academy which served as a small learning community for students to thrive academically and socially. He also served as the lead Mathematics teacher at the University of California/Manual Arts Neighborhood Academic Initiative (NAI). He was part of the task force established by the National Research Center  for Career and Technical Education to develop a national model for career and technical education in High Schools and Colleges  in the United States.

In March 2017, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum was appointed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to serve as Deputy Minister for Education. In 2019, he was voted the Best Performing Deputy Minister of the Year by two research bodies: Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) and FAKS Investigative Services.

He is the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe Constituency in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

He is also part of the Works and Housing Committee as well as the Poverty Reduction Strategy Committee in the 7th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana.

Dr. Adutwum is passionate about Education. Education is what has brought him this far and afforded him all the opportunities he’s had.  Born in the deprived town of Jachie his only lifeline was Education. He dreams of a Ghana where every child regardless of their background, whether poor or privileged  will be afforded equal opportunity. Access, equity, quality and relance is what he intends to bring to  Education in Ghana. He believes that a whole school reform, emphasis on STEM/STEAM, a review of our curriculum to make our graduates fit for purpose will drive the  socio-economic development of Ghana  and getting it right will turn the fortunes of the nation around.

He has a dream and that dream is that our education will be able to shape the aspirations of Ghanaians for the transformation that we all seek.
He believes that to prepare Ghanaian students to be career ready, schools need to teach and adopt the 4Cs of the 21st Century Skills which are Critical thinking,  Creativity, Collaboration and Communication. The revision of our curriculum will help us realize this.

As the Minister of Education, he is honoured and humbled by the confidence  entrusted in him by the President, His excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

“If all hands are on deck, the Ghanaian dream will be a reality. You too can make it and you too can become an even better version of Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum.”

Patrick Awuah Jr. (born 1965) is a Ghanaian engineer, educator, and entrepreneur. Awuah established Ashesi University in 2002. Awuah has won many awards as an individual and as the founder of Ashesi University.

Life

Awuah grew up in Accra, Ghana. He attended the Achimota School where he was a house prefect. He moved to the U.S. in 1985 to attend Swarthmore College with a full scholarship. He earned bachelor’s degrees in Engineering and Economics, graduating in 1989. Following graduation, Awuah worked as a software engineer and program manager for Microsoft from 1989 to 1997. At Microsoft, he met his future wife, software testing engineer Rebecca Awuah.

In 1997,  Awuah left Microsoft with the goal of returning to Ghana to educate the next generation of African leaders. He enrolled at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, focusing his work on preparing a business plan for Ashesi. Awuah, Nina Marini, and other graduate students from Berkeley went to Ghana to do a feasibility study for opening a private university there. Awuah graduated with his MBA in 1999. That same year, he moved back to Ghana with his family to found Ashesi University. Awuah continues to serve as the president of Ashesi University.

Achievements and awards

• Ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor presented Awuah the Order of the Volta Award to recognise his contribution to tertiary education in Ghana in 2007.
• In 2009, Awuah won the John P. McNulty Prize.
• In 2010, Awuah was awarded the 87th most creative business person by Fast Company.
• In 2014, he received The Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award, which honours UC Berkeley alumni with distinguished records of service to their native country.
• In the same year, he was named best social entrepreneur by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
• In 2015, Awuah was listed by Fortune as number 40 in the world’s 50 greatest leaders and was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship.
• In 2017, Awuah was awarded the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) prize, a major global education award.

Ann Cunningham-Morris, Ed.S has served educators for over 40 years. She is the former Director of Professional Learning for ASCD USA, an international professional learning association for educators. She has also served as a district level instructional administrator, school-based administrator, teacher leader and classroom teacher. Additionally, Cunningham-Morris is an ASCD Faculty member and independent consultant, who has served many school systems throughout the world including South Africa, the Philippines, and the Middle East. She has written articles, and blogs, and provided expert interviews on these topics in her areas of expertise for a variety of professional publications. Cunningham-Morris is also co-author of the book, The Principal Influence: A Framework for Developing Leadership Capacity in Principals, published by ASCD. Cunningham-Morris received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree from Georgia State University. She has completed the Certificate of Advanced Studies program and post-graduate work in educational leadership at Illinois State University, the nonprofit executive leadership program at Georgetown University and most recently, a certificate in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida MUMA College of Business . Ann presently resides in Atlanta, Georgia USA with her husband of 44 years.

Irvin Scott joined the faculty of Harvard Graduate School of Education during the summer of 2016. At Harvard, Scott’s concentration is educational leadership. He is excited about his work teaching at HGSE in the School Leadership Program and Doctor of Education Leadership Program. “Both programs are producing amazing leaders who are doing great things on behalf of children throughout the country,” he says.

Before coming to Harvard, Scott served for five years as the deputy director for K12 education at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he led the investment of $300 million in initiatives focused on transforming how teachers are recruited, developed, and rewarded. This work was built on existing efforts that were occurring in the Gates Foundation’s Intensive Partnership. At the Foundation, Scott also led a team to initiate the Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers experience, which has become a teacher-driven movement and can be found in a majority of states across the country. Look up #ECET2 to learn more. This teacher-led effort involves bringing thousands of teachers together to collaborate with their peers, engage in teacher leadership, and celebrate the profession. In an effort to address educational inequities in the U.S., Scott also led an effort at the Foundation to build strong partnerships and deeper engagement between faith-based organizations that serve underrepresented students, families, and communities.

Prior to his Foundation work, Scott spent over 20 years working in the “trenches” as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, and chief academic officer. Right before going to the Foundation, Scott was the Chief Academic Officer for Boston Public Schools, where he was responsible for the academic programming of the school systems, as well as overseeing all regional superintendents and schools in the district. Scott previously served as high school academic superintendent for the district and co-chaired Harvard Universitys Urban School Leader’ Summer Institute.

In 2006, Scott was selected into the Urban Superintendents Program at Harvard University. After completing a year of intense course work, he interned with John Deasy, Superintendent of the Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland from 2007-2008. During that time, he led a team to plan and implement the district’s new Leadership Development Office for 225 principals.

Scott began his professional education experience in the classroom as an English teacher and choral director for fifteen years. He also served as the principal of McCaskey East High Schools in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for four years. As principal, Scott led a team of teachers and administrators to reform the 3,200-student high school into eight small learning communities, as well as to develop core curricula for all students. He also directed Project Forward Leap, a nonprofit, academic enrichment program for urban, middle-school scholars in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Lancaster Pennsylvania.

Scott holds a bachelor’s degree from Millersville University; a master’s degree in education from Temple University; and a master’s and doctoral degree from Harvard University.

Dr. Funke Baffour-Awuah is a renowned clinical psychologist, author, and keynote speaker who specialises in wellbeing and educational transformation. As the Head of Wellbeing Division at Al Rayan International School in Ghana, she spearheads innovative initiatives to foster a vibrant culture of health and happiness among students and staff. Dr. Funke’s work focuses on creating exceptional learning environments and integrating creativity and technology for enhanced student learning. Her international keynote speeches and consulting engagements promote positive mental health and empower individuals. She is also an author of engaging books that offer practical guidance on body image, self-esteem, and relationships. With her dynamic vision and unwavering commitment, Dr. Funke Baffour-Awuah brings a fresh perspective to education by implementing comprehensive wellbeing strategies, advocating for mental health empowerment, and fostering transformative learning experiences.

Former NBPTS Board member Peggy Brookins, NBCT, joined the National Board as Executive Vice President in December 2014 and was named President & CEO in November 2015. Her long career as an educator includes many national leadership positions and accolades. In July 2014, President Barack Obama named Brookins as a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. She came to the National Board from the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute of Technology at Forest High School in Ocala, Florida, which she co-founded in 1994 and where she served as director and as a mathematics instructor.

She served on the NBPTS Board from 2007 to 2011. In addition, she has served on the board of, The Conference Board of Mathematical Sciences Ad Hoc Committee on Teachers as Professionals, the Content Technical Working Group for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, a commissioner on the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), P21 Executive Board, and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Teacher Prep Commission. She has been a national trainer for AFT (Thinking Mathematics K-2, 3-6, 6-8 Common Core, collaborator and national trainer for Thinking Mathematics 6-8). She currently serves on the Advisory Board of Digital Promise, National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) Executive Board, Fund for Teachers Executive Board, Out Teach Executive Board, Bowie State University and the STAR Program Advisory Board, National Geographic Education Audit Advisory Board, Eddie and Jules Trump Foundation of Israel Advisory Board, the Class Strategic Advisory Board, the Learning Variability Project Advisory Board, Global Teacher Leadership Advisory Board, Teach Plus, and the Learning Policy Institute’s Spencer/Yidan Advisory Committee.

Brookins achieved her certification in Adult and Young Adolescent Mathematics in 2003 and renewed in 2013. She was inducted into the University of Florida Alumni Hall of Fame in 2009, Received the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) “Woodie Flowers” Award in 2016, is a Florida Education Association “Everyday Hero,” and received the association’s Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2013, Brookins was named an Aspen Ideas Festival Scholar.

Prof. George K. T. Oduro is a Former Pro Vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) . He is a Professor of Educational Leadership at the UNESCO Category 2 Institute of Educational Planning & Administration (IEPA) of UCC. He holds a PhD (CANTAB) degree from the University of Cambridge, UK. Prof Oduro is a professional teacher who has taught at all levels of Ghana’s educational system and has a strong passion for learning -centred leadership. He is Fellow of the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Australian Leadership Awards Fellowshio (ALAF) Scheme and the Galilee International Management Institute