California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA) Holds Annual Summit in Sacramento
By Nicolas Ibarra | OBSERVER Editor
More than 600 educators and education stakeholders from across California are in Sacramento to attend the annual conference hosted by the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (www.caaasa.org).
The sold-out event, themed “An Equitable Approach to Aligning Education and Health for the Success of African American Students and Other Students of Color,” will be held March 30-April 1 at the Sheraton Hotel. Greater Sacramento.
The three-day professional development conference will include workshops, designed to raise awareness of issues affecting African American educators, administrators, and students; plenary sessions and panel discussions with renowned educators, elected officials, and business and community leaders from across the country. Pre-conference events taking place today include a Parent Empowerment Summit and a Youth Leadership Conference.
Registration is open for virtual participation in plenary sessions only. You can register at this link. The plenary sessions are as follows:
Wednesday, March 30, 8 a.m.- “Addressing systemic inequalities during COVID19 with a focus on students with the highest needs”; 12:15 p.m.- “The Importance of Ethnic Studies in California Schools.”
Thusday, March 31, 8 a.m.- “An Equitable Approach to Aligning Education and Health to Support Success for African Americans and Other Students of Color”; 12:15 p.m. – “Maximize federal and state resources to ensure educational equity for African American students and other students of color.”
Speakers include: Congressman Bobby Scott, Rep. (D-VA 3rd District) Dr. Miguel Cardona, U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, President, CA. State Board of Education, founder of the Learning Policy Institute.
Friday, April 1, 7:30 a.m. – “Universal Pre-School: The Roadmap to Equity for BIPOC Children, Families and Communities”; 10:45 a.m. – “Addressing information and education issues in communities of color due to COVID19.”
Speakers include: Tony Thurmond, CA State Superintendent of Public Instruction Lillie Tyson-Head, Founder, Voices of Our Fathers and daughter of Tuskegee study victim; Camilia Chavez, Executive Director, Dolores Huerta Foundation.
Founded in 1993, CAAASA is a 501c3, educational equity, and advocacy organization that works through collaboration, networking, and direct community engagement to promote the success of African public school students and families. -American, Latin, and other underserved K-12 public schools in California. CAAASA members include principals, administrators, teachers, and other education professionals from across California. Although its primary focus is education, CAAASA has been at the forefront of many issues impacting the health of the African American community. (www.caaasa.org)