|
Keynote Speaker Biography and Featured Sessions
Dr. Stefan Bean
Dr. Stefan Bean serves as Orange County superintendent of schools, guiding regional efforts to ensure every learner has the knowledge, skills and opportunities to thrive. With nearly 30 years in education, he is known for building genuine connections and leading with heart.
As county superintendent, Dr. Bean leads the Orange County Department of Education, which provides direct instruction to the county's most vulnerable students and critical support to 28 local school districts and more than 40 charter schools serving hundreds of thousands of learners. Under his leadership, OCDE's work is anchored in the 5-3-1 Strategic Plan, emphasizing student success, service excellence and shared leadership
Dr. Bean was unanimously appointed as Orange County's 12th Superintendent of Schools in June 2024 and was elected by the Orange County voters in June 2026 to a full four-year term. Before joining OCDE, Dr Bean served as superintendent for Aspire Public Schools in Los Angeles, where he oversaw 11 TK-12 campuses after advancing from principal to superintendent during nearly 12 years with the organization. He subsequently served as executive director of the Irvine International Academy.
Dr. Bean draws strength and perspective from his own journey as an English learner and a student with a disability. Those early experiences shaped a career dedicated to supporting marginalized students and fostering inclusive, collaborative environments where every voice is heard. His approach is rooted in the framework he calls LIFTED - an acronym for listen and learn, inspire potential, foster authenticity, transform through hope, empower through strength and develop others.
Born in Saigon in 1971 as Nam Le Thanh, Dr. Bean overcame extraordinary early challenges. Stricken by polio and abandoned at age 2, he was brought to the United States as part of Operation Babylift during the Vietnam War. At age 4, he entered the U.S. foster care system and was later adopted by the Bean family, who provided the love and stability that helped shape his future.
"I want our students across Orange County to know that I've got their backs, no matter what, and that they should use me an an example," he said. "No matter what they're going through, no matter what challenges they may face—whether they have a disability, a speech impediment, whether they speak English as a second language or whether they're experiencing trauma – I want them to know that I'm there, and I'm going to protect them and help them throughout our county.
Featured Sessions #1
From Compliance to Culture: Using Your PDP to Align District and State Mandates, Dana Aguilera & Chloe Suberville
Administrative leaders are often caught between district mandates, state requirements, and the desire to maintain a strong IB culture. This session reframes the Programme Development Plan (PDP) as a strategic tool rather than an additional task. Participants will explore practical strategies for using the PDP to align priorities such as LCAP, MTSS, and state requirements within a unified school vision. Presenters will demonstrate how the IB framework can serve as the foundation for school-wide alignment, ensuring that systems such as professional learning and student support reinforce a cohesive IB identity. Administrators will have the opportunity to begin developing or reflecting on their current PDP.
Building a Culture of Service: A K-8 Approach to Meaningful Community Impact, Kristin Bernier and Christine McLaughlin
This interactive session explores how service learning builds meaningful connections across the PYP and MYP at Competitive Edge Charter Academy. Participants will see how students create authentic community impact through the 5th Grade Exhibition and 8th Grade Community Projects while developing leadership, collaboration, and global citizenship skills. Presenters will highlight the school's “Friday Families” structure, which brings together one student from each grade level (K–8) to foster mentorship, relationships, and service with local and global partners. Through student artifacts, reflection protocols, and examples of service, participants will explore how service learning is embedded into school culture to promote ownership and engagement.
One Framework, One Plan: Aligning IB, WASC, and LCAP, Mark Benson
This workshop explores how site and district leaders can move from fragmented compliance systems to a streamlined approach that reduces initiative fatigue by aligning International Baccalaureate (IB), WASC, and LCAP priorities. Participants will learn how to use IB expectations and WASC findings to establish coherent priorities for curriculum, instruction, and resource allocation. Presenters will share strategies for designing integrated structures, such as shared planning time and data-driven protocols, that meet IB standards and WASC recommendations while incorporating CTE, AVID, and career pathway programs. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for using accreditation and reporting processes to support continuous school improvement.
Featured Sessions #2
The Science of Learning Through an IB Lens: One Framework, Many Priorities, Laurel Ferreira
This interactive workshop connects the science of learning with the IB Learner Profile, Approaches to Learning, and Approaches to Teaching. Participants will explore practical strategies that position the PYP as a unifying framework for student agency, inquiry, SEL state standards, and college - and career readiness.
From Requirement to Impact: Service as Action in Practice, Carole Mortl and Allison Acabibi
Service as Action is a core component of the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) that empowers students to apply their learning in real-world contexts while developing collaboration, empathy, and problem-solving skills. This session provides practical tools for implementing Service as Action, including a customizable process journal template, guidance for using Google Sheets to organize opportunities and track participation, and reflection prompts. Presenters will also share strategies for finding volunteer opportunities, integrating AI to support student learning, and incorporating Service as Action into IB units. Attendees will leave with adaptable resources and strategies to build a more structured and sustainable program.
Integrating College Dual Enrollment with the IB Diploma Programme, Kate Keener & Jade Rogers,
Discover how to maximize student opportunities by weaving Dual Enrollment (DE) and IB curricula into a unified pathway. This session provides a practical guide based on a successful three-year effort to align core IB DP courses with their college-level equivalents. Presenters will share strategies for navigating administrative hurdles, aligning curriculum while maintaining IB standards, supporting student success in a dual-credit environment, and building the qualified teams and K–14 partnerships needed to sustain this work. Attendees will leave with ideas for implementing collaborative systems that increase access and equity while maintaining the gold standard of an IB education.
Featured Sessions #3
The Adaptive IB Coordinator: Leading transformational chane by navigating power and leveraging adult learning theory, Rick Barlow
IB coordinators often lead from the middle, carrying responsibility for programme success with limited formal authority. This interactive workshop introduces a practical leadership framework focused on two often invisible levers of change: navigating power and leveraging adult learning theory. Through case analysis and structured discussion, participants will examine how these forces influence teacher behavior, shape school culture, and affect school improvement efforts. Attendees will leave with strategies for applying adult learning principles, analyzing the role of power in school-wide change, and identifying actionable leadership moves to build leadership capacity.
Approaches to Learning: building from one year to the next, Kelsey Day & Chloe Suberville
The 30 Second Read: Making IB count in the Profile and counselor Letter, Maria Andrade Johnson,
Admissions readers spend only a few minutes with an application — and often less than a minute with your school profile. In that window, does IB read as rigor, or as an acronym they have to decode? This session looks at the profile and the counselor letter as a paired advocacy strategy: what admissions officers actually look for, which IB details change how a file is read, and how to intentionally craft the counselor letter— translating the Extended Essay, TOK, and CAS into evidence of a student's intellectual and personal profile. Lastly, a demonstration of the IB Recognition Database, available to you, students, and families in making their college lists and decisions. An interactive component working with existing school profiles and counselor letters. Coordinators will leave with a checklist, sample language they can adapt immediately, and a guide for recommendation letters to distribute to teachers.
| 
