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Game Changer Sessions

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

 

Session 1:  11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Natalie Wexler

 

Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning

 

Description: 

The “science of reading” often gets reduced to “phonics,” but there’s a lot of science that relates to reading comprehension as well. If we look at typical comprehension instruction through the lens of cognitive science, it becomes clear that we’ve unintentionally made reading and writing much harder than they need to be by separating them from each other and from content-area instruction. But cognitive science also tells us that a content-rich curriculum combined with explicit, manageable writing instruction can provide all the benefits of science-informed instruction and more. If we break down the artificial walls separating reading, writing, and learning, we can enable all students to reach their full potential.

About the Speaker:

Natalie Wexler is an education writer who has spoken before a wide range of audiences in the U.S. and elsewhere, focusing on literacy, cognitive science, and fairness. She is the author of Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning and The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—And How to Fix It, and the co-author of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades. She blogs at her free Substack newsletter, Minding the Gap, and is the host of Season One of the Knowledge Matters Podcast (“Reading Comprehension Revisited”) and a co-host of Season Three (“Literacy and the Science of Learning”).


Sponsored by:  
 

Session 2:  1:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.

Shalinee Sharma

 

All Kids Are Math Kids

 

Description: 

In this session, national bestselling author of Math Mind and Zearn CEO and Co-Founder Shalinee Sharma explores how to improve math outcomes for all kids. In alignment with South Carolina’s vision for math, participants will learn the importance of balancing conceptual understanding with procedural fluency. They will also learn how the Concrete–Representational–Abstract (CRA) progression provides a proven pathway to acceleration by helping students make sense of math.

About the Speaker:

Shalinee Sharma is the CEO and co-founder of  Zearn, the nonprofit behind the top-rated K–8 math learning platform. Rated Strong (Tier 1) by Evidence for ESSA for demonstrating causal impact, Zearn Math is used by 1 in 4 elementary-school and more than 1 million middle-school students nationwide. In addition to her role at Zearn, she authored the national bestseller, "Math Mind: The Simple Path to Loving Math.” She has shared her ideas on making math rigorous and accessible for all kids in numerous keynote talks, including her TED Talk, ‘4 Steps to Unlock Your Kid’s Math Potential.’ Sharma also serves on the Braven Board of Directors, is a Pahara-Aspen Fellow and serves as co-chair of the Brown University Advisory Council for the College. 
 
Before co-founding Zearn in 2012, Sharma spent more than a decade at Bain & Co. leading work for clients in various sectors including technology and education. She has a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University. As a mom of twins, Sharma is passionate about universal access to an excellent education.
 

Session 3:  2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Baruti Kafele

What Is My Value INSTRUCTIONALLY to the Teachers I Supervised?


Description: 

Principal Kafele contends emphatically, “The primary purpose of the supervision of teachers is student achievement and their continued improvement of instruction!” Due to the complexities of school leadership, it is easy to be so inundated by the non-instructional aspects of the work that the instructional side of the leadership inclusive of instructional coaching suffers. When the instructional side suffers, it adversely impacts the entire school academically. To that end, this high-engagement, self-reflective, one or two-day workshop comprised of Principal Kafele’s Instructional Leadership Framework will provide attendees with strategies for developing a skillset of instructional leadership proficiency while maintaining a focus on the instructional side of their leadership toward increasing the probability that student achievement and the continued improvement of instruction is the norm under their leadership. Attention will also be given to creating a school-wide culture of instructional leadership that is conducive to sustaining instructional leadership engagement and effectiveness over the course of an entire school year.

About the Speaker:

A highly-regarded educator over the past 38 years, Principal Baruti Kafele distinguished himself as a master teacher, a transformational school leader and an internationally-renowned education speaker, consultant and author. As an elementary school teacher in East Orange, NJ, he was selected as the East Orange School District and Essex County Public Schools Teacher of the Year and New Jersey State Teacher of the Year finalist.

As a middle and high school principal, Principal Kafele emerged as a turnaround school leader which included the turnaround of "The Mighty" Newark Tech, that went from a low-performing school in need of improvement to national recognition, including U.S. News and World Report Magazine recognizing it three times as one of America's best high schools with Principal Kafele being awarded the coveted Milken Educator Award for his leadership.

Known as "America’s AP & New Principals Leadership Coach," Principal Kafele is one of the most sought-after school leadership presenters in America. Over the past 40 years, he has delivered more than 3000 conference and program keynotes, professional development workshops, parenting seminars and student assemblies. Additionally, he is the creator and host of the popular AP & New Principals Academy, streamed live every Saturday morning on his AP & New Principals Academy YouTube channel at 11:00 ET.