Conference Emphasizes What’s Working For Charter Schools

charterschoolconference.com

The 16th annual Florida Charter School Conference has more than 750 attendees and 300 exhibitors.

Charter school supporters are wrapping up their annual conference today in Orlando.

More than 750 participants and 300 exhibitors registered for the two-day event.

They’re hearing about charter school best practices and teaching strategies that use technology to improve learning.

Over 80 breakout sessions are on the agenda, with titles like “Charter Support Unit: Here to Help You,” “Reinvent the Classroom by Unlearning,” and “Implementing Title I Programs in Charter Schools.”

The conference is presented by the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice (IEPC) and the Florida Education Foundation.

IEPC’s Executive Director, Michael Kooi, says Florida is a leader in providing high quality educational options.

“The conference celebrates the success of Florida’s charter schools and their unique ability to meet the needs of each student,” Kooi said. “By providing options, a student can choose the learning environment best suited to help them reach their highest level of achievement.”

Keynote speakers are CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts and Dr. Deborah Kenny, founder and Chief Executive Officer of a charter school network in New York known as Harlem Village Academies. Oprah Magazine calls Kenny a “visionary educator” and one of the most powerful women in the country.

This is the 16th Florida Charter School Conference.