FUTURE FOCUSED.

INNOVATION SUMMIT 2022

Keynote Speakers

BILL DAGGETT

creating future-focused
schools

My drive to lead educational reform started in the classroom over 50 years ago. My experience as a teacher, a local administrator, and a director with the New York State Education Department revealed how necessary it was that we start preparing our children for the future, instead of maintaining the stagnant systems of education of the past. I have committed myself for the past several decades to revitalizing PreK–12 systems across the world by challenging our assumptions about the purposes, benefits, and effectiveness of current practices. In establishing the International Center for Leadership in Education, I have been able to leverage the experience and skills of a passionate community of educational leaders to help me in this effort. Together, using research-driven methodologies, we have inspired and enabled thousands of schools and districts to improve culture, teaching practices, and student achievement.

My work and ICLE’s work will not be done until our public school systems can effectively improve outcomes for all students. This is especially close to my heart. My daughter, Audrey, struggles with a neurological disorder. Learning disabilities like Audrey’s, if not addressed in our schools, affect the opportunities of millions of students. I owe so much to Wildwood Programs in upstate New York where Audrey receives the attention she needs to be the best she can be.

When not crisscrossing the globe, you can find me volunteering at Wildwood with my wife, Bonnie.

KIM BEARDEN

creating a climate and
culture of success

Kim Bearden is the cofounder, executive director, and language arts teacher at the highly acclaimed Ron Clark Academy, an innovative middle school and educator-training facility in Atlanta. Over 85,000 educators from around the world have visited Kim's classroom and have attended her workshops to learn better ways to engage students, build relationships, foster academic excellence, enhance communication, and create a climate and culture for success.

In 2016, Kim was honored at the White House for being inducted into to the National Teachers Hall of Fame. She was selected from over 70,000 nominations to be honored as the Disney American Teacher Awards Outstanding Humanities Teacher, and the Milken Family Foundation selected her to receive the Award for Excellence in Education. She is the winner of the InfluencHer Award, the University of Georgia Outstanding Educator Award, and the Turknett Character Award for Servant Leadership. Mercedes-Benz recognized her in their Greatness Lives Here campaign, and Women Works Media Group has named her one of Georgia's Most Powerful and Influential Women.

Kim has spoken at hundreds of in-person events across the country as well as in South Africa, London, and China. Additionally, she is a sought-after virtual speaker and trainer. Her newest virtual course is available through Premiere University.

Over the past thirty-four years, Kim has been a teacher, instructional lead teacher, curriculum director, school-board member, staff-development trainer, and middle-school principal. Kim is a bestselling author of three books: Crash Course: The Life Lessons My Students Taught Me; Talk to Me: Find the Right Words to Inspire, Encourage, and Get Things Done; and her newest book, Fight Song: Six Steps to Passion, Power, Peace, and Purpose.