EVENTS

Monday, November 17, 2014

Time: 11:30am (Reception) – 12:00pm-1:30pm (Luncheon Program)

Keynote Speaker: Ember Reichgott Junge

Former Minnesota State Senator

Topic: The Changing Landscape of Public Education: Innovative Trends and Breakthroughs

Ms. Junge will talk about innovative strategies she has observed in K-12 public charter and district schools, including personalized learning, teacher professional partnerships and teacher-led schools, and breakthroughs in areas like technology and parental engagement.

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Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Time: 12:00pm – 1:30pm

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Henry S. Bienen
President Emeritus
Northwestern University

Topic: A Present and Future Look at U.S. Education Policy and Reform

Location: The Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, Lakeview room, 120 E Delaware Pl, Chicago, IL 60611

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Date: Monday, March 3, 2014

Time: 12:00pm – 1:30pm

Moderator: Dr. Norman Weston, Professor Emeritus, National Luis University

Panel guests:

Mr. Olavi Göös, Honorary Consul of Finland in Chicago

Ms. Eun Yi Jeong, Director, Korean Education Center, Korean Consulate General in Chicago

Location: The Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, Lakeview room, 120 E Delaware Pl, Chicago, IL 60611

Topic: Finnish and Korean education system for K-16 and best practices.

Mr. Olavi Göös’ presentation overview: Finnish school system is not the best in the world but it is the best for Finnish children. The presentation is covering the background for a school reform in Finland, which has brought learning results of Finnish kids onto the world map. There is no silver bullet for success in education reform in Finland, but some issues will be brought up, which have had a major influence for success. Some of these issues are quite opposite compared those applied in the USA and which are often explained as no success in US reform because of diversity of the country. Is it really so? This presentation will enlighten these issues. They will give new fuel for school reform discussions.

Ms. Eun Yi Jeong’s presentation overview: In the Concept Talk, Ms. Jeong will represent Korean Education with emphasis on distinguished educational characteristics that lead Korea to top of top nations in Education.

The significance of good teachers is no secret based on an increasing body of studies demonstrating the strong link between teacher quality and student achievement. Needless to say, top concern for schools, communities, and nations is to ensure that schools are staffed with best teachers in the belief that they are the most influential resource for students’ success in the academic life. To achieve excellence in the teacher workforce, South Korea is serious about developing and rewarding great teachers. That means recruiting top college graduates into teaching and training them effectively for the job. This presentation will examine how South Korea actively maintains the status of teaching as a profession.

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