IASB Convention 2024

Today, students born into poverty face incredible hurdles throughout their educational journey. But together, we can change that! School board members and education leaders play a crucial role in creating environments that deeply impact children and families living in poverty. Adopting a poverty-informed lens can transform school communities, creating an environment which uplifts and supports ALL students.

Join us for an eye-opening session where you’ll participate in an interactive poverty simulation, which will challenge your beliefs, dispel pervasive myths, and uncover the real obstacles to educational success. You’ll walk away with actionable, proven tools to remove poverty barriers and improve educational outcomes for all students. Don’t miss this chance to revolutionize your approach and make a lasting impact on your students' lives!

Keynote speaker Donna Beegle grew up in generational poverty and dropped out of high school in ninth grade. Donna went from high school dropout to earning her doctorate, and brings 34 years of research and practical experience to the table. Co-facilitator Elia Hernandez-Moreno contributes extensive expertise in breaking the cycle of poverty and promoting college readiness. Elia will weave her insights on adding value to others' lives, and how to transform compassion fatigue into compassion satisfaction in this interactive workshop.
 

Facing change, challenges, and uncertainty can make it difficult to stay positive. In the opening general session, Keynoter Sarita Mabin will empower you to handle tough conversations while preserving positive relationships. But how do we maintain positivity and focus for ourselves? Join Sarita after her keynote for an exclusive deep dive into strategies for recharging, resetting, and rekindling your passion for board work during challenging times. She will share her three P's for staying positive and guide you in using 'resiliency resources' to bounce back. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with Sarita!

A high-performing district has a clear purpose: ensuring high levels of learning for all students. When everyone shares a passion for education, how can we build team synergy to align agendas and ideals, so our district functions as a cohesive unit? Join Keynoter Anthony Muhammad as he explores the theoretical framework he designed for developing a collaborative culture.

Join Keynoter Donna Beegle at 2 p.m. to explore actionable strategies to break poverty barriers for our students! Donna will dive deeper by introducing case studies of schools improving educational success. Board members and leaders will explore the five key strategies included in her "Opportunity Community Schools" model based on research and proven to increase attendance, improve grades and school completion, and engage students and families who live in the crisis of poverty. Throughout this deep dive, Donna will share how this model can provide a structure for increasing community partnerships.