EdCircuit Staff 
For 2020, the Future of Education Technology Conference has aligned 150+ sessions and workshops across all content tracks with the Future Ready Framework and has increased support of its partnership with Future Ready Coaches and Librarians
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.―The National Future of Education Technology® Conference (FETC®) today announced a partnership with Future Ready Schools® (FRS), whose framework for supporting the visioning, planning and implementation of digital learning is aligned to sessions and workshops throughout the 2020 conference. FRS is a project of the Alliance for Excellent Education focused on providing districts with resources and support to ensure that local technology and digital learning plans align with instructional best practices, are implemented by highly trained teachers, and lead to personalized learning experiences for all students. Through this partnership, FETC―the largest, independent education technology conference―and FRS will collaborate to deliver these benefits to a group of thousands of educators from across the country at FETC 2020, January 14-17 in Miami, Fla.
“We’re proud to add Future Ready Schools as a partner for FETC 2020 as we work together with their team to continue enhancing the quality and breadth of professional development content we provide to our participants,” said Dr. Robert M. Avossa, Senior Vice President & Publisher, LRP Media Group. “Like FETC, Future Ready Schools has made a clear effort to design content relevant to all the important roles across school districts. This creates a natural synergy between our organizations and, looking at the program for our upcoming conference, it’s evident that there are numerous new learning opportunities that will inform and inspire FETC attendees.”
More than a quarter of FETC’s 600-plus learning opportunities for educators and administrators from all roles are specifically aligned to relevant pillars of the FRS framework. These sessions are tagged in the FETC program and will include such diverse subject matter as transformational leadership, district data analytics, recruiting and retention, selecting safe and appropriate digital devices, digital equity, coding and robotics, and much more. The FRS-aligned learning opportunities are spread across each of FETC’s six targeted content tracks: Future of Ed Tech Administrator; Future of Ed Tech Information Technology; Future of Ed Tech Educator; Future of Ed Tech Inclusion & Special Education; Future of Ed Tech Coach; and Future of Ed Tech Library Media Specialist.
“Today’s school leaders face myriad challenges—from implementing higher state standards, ensuring sustainability of the digital conversion and dealing with stagnant school budgets to questions about privacy and finding ways to move from a sit-and-get model of professional learning to one that is more relevant and personalized,” said Thomas C. Murray, Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools. “Leaders have more opportunities than ever before, but more on their plates at the same time. It’s vital that they have a starting point for their visioning moving forward, and events like FETC demonstrate where leaders can start and embrace transformation.”
There are five FRS frameworks built with specific information for individual roles: district leaders, principals, technology leaders, coaches and librarians. Each framework is built on the following seven “gears,” which are present in FETC’s FRS-aligned sessions: Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment; Personalized Professional Learning; Budget and Resources; Community Partnerships; Data and Privacy; Robust Infrastructure; and Use of Space and Time.
FETC’s content tracks for tech coaches and library media specialists are newly added for the 2020 event, created to provide targeted professional learning to support these essential, evolving roles. The new tracks will be strengthened by a partnership with Future Ready Librarians and Coaches, an expansion of the Future Ready initiative aimed at raising awareness among district and school leaders about the valuable role librarians and coaches can play in supporting the Future Ready goals of their schools and districts. Enhancing this partnership will be the presence of Shannon Miller, national spokesperson for Future Ready Librarians, and Brianna Hodges, spokesperson for Future Ready Coaches, as featured presenters at FETC. Both Miller and Hodges will present a number of relevant sessions for their respective audiences.
The conference will take place January 14-17, 2020 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami, Fla. It will feature an opening keynote from best-selling author Daniel Pink and a STEM keynote from Justin Shaifer, founder and executive director of Fascinate, Inc., as well as the return of the popular TechSHARE LIVE!, presented by Adam Bellow, Hall Davidson, Leslie Fisher and Kathy Schrock. There will also be an Expo Hall filled with the latest and greatest education technology solutions from more than 400 companies and a wide variety of learning and networking opportunities for all attendees.
Registration is now open for the 2020 Future of Education Technology Conference. For additional information and to register, visit fetc.org/register or call toll-free 1-800-727-1227. Educators who register before November 8, 2019 will save up to $150 by securing the Super Saver rate.
About the Future of Education Technology® Conference (FETC®)
The Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) annually attracts thousands of education and technology leaders for an intensive, highly collaborative exploration of new technologies, best practices and pressing issues. With basic to advanced sessions tailored to the needs of each role in the digital transformation, FETC is known as one of the nation’s premier preK-12 education technology events. FETC provides school and district administrators, classroom teachers, IT professionals, special education directors, curriculum and media specialists, and other educators with roles or interest in ed tech, the opportunity to explore the most effective integration of technology across the curriculum. FETC offers a balanced blend of administrative, instructional and technical content through targeted sessions, intensive workshops, hands-on demonstrations of the newest products, and more. Visit fetc.org for more details.
About LRP Media Group
LRP Media Group, founded in 1977 by Kenneth Kahn, is an innovative media giant serving millions of business and education professionals worldwide. Specializing in education administration, education law, education technology, federal employment, human resources, workers’ compensation and disability, LRP produces thousands of books, pamphlets, newsletters, videos and online resources. The company also produces five industry-leading print and digital magazines for key decision-makers: District Administration, Human Resources Executive®, HRM Asia, Risk & Insurance® and University Business. Additionally, LRP annually delivers top-quality training and professional development to more than 80,000 professionals through its 13 award-winning conferences and tradeshows in China, Singapore and the United States. LRP currently employs more than 500 professionals in its Connecticut, Florida, Pennsylvania, Singapore and Washington, D.C. offices. Headquartered in Palm Beach County since 1996, the company has more than $70 million in annual revenue. For a complete list of LRP resources, eCourses and conferences, please visit www.lrp.com.
About Future Ready Schools
Future Ready Schools® (FRS) is a bold effort to maximize digital learning opportunities and help school districts move quickly toward preparing students for success in college, careers, and citizenship. FRS provides districts with resources and support to ensure that local technology and digital learning plans align with instructional best practices, are implemented by highly trained teachers, and lead to personalized learning experiences for all students, particularly those from traditionally underserved communities. FRS is led by the Alliance for Excellent Education alongside a vast coalition of organizations. Learn more at FutureReady.org
