We continue the March Madness following our “Brackettology” campaign, featuring our Keynote speaker Dr. Mark Brackett of Yale’s Center for Emotional Intelligence, by bringing our NCSC16 charter school conference bracket to your attention.
Here are our not-so-final-four reasons to be at NCSC16 and take advantage of this great educational platform: Network—Networking opportunities at the conference are what truly sets NCSC apart. The casual conversations that take place in networking lounges, happy hours, and state meetings will provide your team with unmatched connections, insights, and inspiration. Both charter school veterans and those new to the movement are encouraged to share wisdom, challenges, and trends taking shape in the sector. Content—We are excited to offer 120 breakout sessions tailored to meet the needs of our attendees and create an atmosphere that encourages innovation. Our five programming strands are designed with all levels of staff in mind. There sessions are designed for a variety of audiences, from teachers looking to engage students with interactive classroom models, to school leaders seeking to recruit and retain highly-effective staff, to administrators developing and implementing a new school-wide assessment, and board members searching for new fundraising ideas. Take a sneak-peak at 2016 breakout sessions and start building your preliminary NCSC16 schedule. More sessions will be posted throughout April. Speakers—On Monday, June 27th we are excited to kickoff NCSC16 with opening keynotes from National Charter Schools Hall of Fame recipient Dr. Howard Fuller, an address by National Alliance President and CEO Nina Rees, and a speech by an “ace” of a charter school founder. Join us Tuesday, June 28th to hear Dr. Sugata Mitra discuss self-organized learning environments and how we can empower children to learn through curiosity. Then watch as we award $250,000 to the winner of the 2016 Broad Prize Award for Charter Schools. Finally, hear our closing keynote Dr. Marc Brackett, the inspiration for this entire “Brackettology” campaign, share the impact of emotional intelligence on student academic performance and school climate on Wednesday, June 29th. Community—NCSC attendees represent all 50 states, and the majority are charter school leaders. Conference attendees are also charter school administrators, board members, teachers, policy makers, office staff, and other charter advocates. NCSC16 is about learning from the veterans and innovators in our field and sharing best practices and lessons learned with one another. These are just four of the many reasons to come down to Nashville and be a part of NCSC16. We are excited to host such a dedicated and inspirational group of charter school advocates, who are doing all they can to craft Big ideas for a Brighter Future. We’ll be sharing more details as the conference draws closer, including the announcement of our celebrity guest speaker!
Precious Jenkins is the Coordinator, Programs at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.




