NEFEC held its annual Summer Leadership Conference at the Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra on July 11-13. Over 300 participants including district superintendents, district level staff, school-based administrators, and instructional coaches attended the conference entitled, "Navigating the Future."
The conference kicked off with keynote speaker Malcolm Mitchell, former NFL New England Patriot and Super Bowl Champion. Malcolm has numerous awards both on and off the field, but considers discovering a love of reading his greatest achievement. He shared his journey as a struggling reader and how the perseverance of one teacher made the difference in his life. NEFEC arranged for that teacher, Holly Stone, to surprise Malcolm with her attendance (pictured below left). Malcolm was nearly overcome with joy.
Concurrent sessions included presentations on Florida's B.E.S.T. standards, teacher motivation, student engagement, and continuous school improvement. The Florida Department of Education presented sessions on Florida's assessment system, implementation science, and quality Pre-K classrooms.
Gerry Brooks, life-long educator and comedian, closed the conference with humor and encouragement by sharing his strategies for leading others to be responsible for their own personal climate and culture in the workplace.