EdCircuit Staff 
Summit takes place October 9-11, 2024 in Portland, Oregon
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 7, 2024) – The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) will kick off its 21st National Education Summit on October 9, 2024 in Portland Oregon. The three-day Summit at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront, is the association’s flagship leadership development and networking event for administrators at schools and districts that serve primarily Latino and other historically marginalized youth.
The Summit will offer more than 50 workshops and presentations on the topics of educational leadership, technology, policy, social-emotional learning, and more; plus, engaging keynote addresses, panel discussions, student presentations, and a black-tie awards gala.
Among the highlights is a panel discussion October 11, 2024: “Voices of Valor: Empowering the Next Generation of Latino Writers” featuring Latino writers and industry professionals Leticia Ordaz, Maria Ott, Rene Sanchez, Zandra Jo Galván and LeAnne Salazar-Montoya. They will provide insights and strategies to help aspiring Latino authors navigate the publishing world. The Summit will also have an Authors’ Bookstore available after the session for those who want to purchase books.
“Latinos are significantly underrepresented in the publishing industry – both as authors, and as protagonists in children’s literature,” said ALAS Executive Director Ulysses Navarrete. “Representation matters. Our Summit focuses on collaboration and improving representation. This session will benefit the aspiring authors, the publishing industry as a whole, and the students who will one day read the authors’ work. It will be an invaluable discussion.”
About the Panel
“Voices of Valor: Empowering the Next Generation of Latino Authors” takes place at 8 a.m. PDT on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Panelists are:
Leticia Ordaz is an Emmy-winning anchor/reporter and author of several bilingual children’s books who founded the bilingual publishing house Cielito Lindo Books with a mission to increase diverse narratives in children’s literature. As a literacy ambassador and mother of two young Latino boys Ordaz is working hard to break barriers and change statistics that currently show only 7% of American children’s books feature Latinx characters or subjects, and only 10% of authors and illustrators in the U.S. are Latinx. of Kindness.”
Dr. Maria Ott is a former superintendent and currently holds the Irving R. and Virginia A. Melbo Chair in Education Administration at the USC Rossier School of Education. Ott’s work on cultural proficiency is detailed in her books, “A Culturally Proficient Society Begins in School: Leadership for Equity” (2011) and “Now What? Confronting Uncomfortable Truths About Inequity in Schools” (2023) with co-authors Carmella S. Franco and Darline P. Robles. Ott has presented to national audiences on the topic of her books and continues to contribute to the educational literature about the importance of cultural proficiency in closing achievement gaps.
Rene Sanchez is Interim Superintendent at the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union a preK-12 public school system in Vermont. He has also served as the superintendent of the Champlain Valley School District, the assistant superintendent of operations in South Bend, Indiana, and as a secondary principal in Houston and Austin, Texas. He has written chapters for educational leadership books focused on implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Science, Technology, Arts, and Math (STEAM).
Dr. Zandra Jo Galván is superintendent of the Salinas Union High School District. She previously was superintendent of the Greenfield Union School District and has worked in public education since 1993. She thrives on engaging other professionals around topics of relationship-building, emotional intelligence, organizational leadership, social justice, and equity, dismantling racism, challenging the status quo, social-emotional wellness, innovative technology, sisterhood circles of empowerment, and uplifting the next generation of scholars to flourish in a world that they challenge and design.
Dr. LeAnne Salazar-Montoya is an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and is vice president of the Nevada ALAS. She is former president of New Mexico ALAS and is an alumni of the ALAS Superintendents Leadership Academy. Salazar-Montoya is a tireless advocate for equitable educational opportunities for families and students in public education. As an author and educator, her work focuses on the concept of “windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors,” reiterating the importance of individuals being able to envision and achieve their potential.
The ALAS National Education Summit focuses on addressing challenges in the education system, particularly those impacting Latino students, and provides a forum for participants to engage in meaningful discussions and identify solutions that can be applied throughout the industry. The theme of this year’s Summit is “Embracing Tomorrow, Fostering Culture, Driving Change, and Promoting Collaboration.”
For more information about the Summit visit https://www.alasedu.org/annual-summit.
For more information about ALAS, visit www.alasedu.org.
About the Association of Latino Administrators & Superintendents (ALAS)
The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents [ALAS] is committed to providing a perspective to all aspiring school and district administrators, including superintendents, through programs, services, advocacy and networks rooted in Latino experiences and culture. Our Vision, Mission and Goals are to provide leadership at the national level that assures every school in America effectively serves the educational needs of all students with an emphasis on Latino and other historically marginalized youth through continuous professional learning, policy advocacy, and networking to share practices of promise for our students and the communities where we serve.
By the year 2026, Latino children will make up 30 percent of the school-age population. In the nation’s largest states – California, Texas, Florida, and New York- all of whom are ALAS State Affiliates – Latinos already have reached that level. It is of vital interest to invest in the education of every child, and the professional learning of all educators who serve Latino youth.
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Chaz Austin