Northwestern College will host a Leadership in Education Conference on Monday, Oct. 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The event will take place in the college’s DeWitt Learning Commons.

Designed for leadership teams, instructional coaches, teacher leaders, building- and district-level administrators, curriculum directors and aspiring education leaders, the conference will focus on creating a collaborative culture for teaching and learning. Attendees will explore how their roles can cultivate transformative learning environments. The conference will include two keynotes and 12 breakout sessions.

Author and speaker Jimmy Casas, owner and CEO of J Casas and Associates and an adjunct professor at Drake University, will open the conference with a keynote on building capacity in teams. While principal at Bettendorf High School, Casas was named the 2012 Iowa Secondary Principal of the Year by School Administrators of Iowa and was selected as one of three finalists for the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ 2013 National Secondary Principal of the Year award. He was invited to speak at the White House on the Future Ready Schools pledge in 2014, and he received the Bammy Award for National Secondary Principal of the Year in 2015.

Dr. Ryan Wise, director of the Iowa Department of Education, will give the closing keynote. His presentation will focus on teacher leadership and a systemic approach to strengthening education in Iowa. Wise has worked in education at the local, state, national and international levels. In 2017, he was named the Policy Leader of the Year by the National Association of State Boards of Education. He is a founding staff member of Teach for All, a global network of education entrepreneurs.

Breakout sessions during the conference will focus on building relationships; leading teams; and supporting the social, behavioral and mental health of students and teachers. The sessions will be led by regional educators, administrators and professionals.

“We are fortunate to bring high-quality leadership training for teachers and administrators to northwest Iowa,” says Gary Richardson, director of Northwestern’s Master of Education program. “We look forward to hearing from two strong keynote speakers and a cohort of experienced education leaders.”

Registration for the Leadership in Education Conference is $90 and is due Oct. 9. Attendees can pay an additional $50 for a license renewal credit or $150 for a graduate credit. More information and the registration form can be found at www.nwciowa.edu/EdLeadership.

The conference is offered by Northwestern College Graduate School & Adult Learning in partnership with the Northwest Area Education Agency.