By Anthony Cody.

There is less than a month to go before the third annual Network for Public Education conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. These are always special events, but this year will be especially significant because of the focus on civil rights. The full conference schedule is online now here. Here are some of the key parts of the conference that will make it so memorable:

1. Reverend Barber’s keynote. The Rev. Barber will open the conference on Saturday morning with a keynote that will connect the issues of education to the fight for civil rights and social justice. Rev. Barber has been a leader of the Moral Monday campaign, which has staged repeated acts of civil disobedience in the state capital, protesting for worker rights, voting rights and social justice. I heard Rev. Barber speak a couple of years ago and his speech alone is worth traveling across the country for.
2. NPE Movie night! On Friday, April 15, from 7 to 9 pm, there will be a special event showcasing some of the best new films focused on education issues. Many of the creators of the films will be on hand to introduce their work. Laurie Gabriel will share a clip from her film, Healing Our Schools. Dawn O’Keeffe will share GO PUBLIC!, Bill Baykan and Michael Elliott will share some short segments they have been working on, and we will also have scenes from Good Morning Mission Hill and the new film exposing the Gulen charter school scandal, Killing Ed.
3. Unsung heroes: School Librarians! Susan Polos, Sara Stevenson and Sara Sayigh will lead a discussion described this way:  “School librarians have been the canary in the public education coal mine. The first department to lose funding and staffing in the wave of “reforms” and the emphasis on testing, we are often experienced teacher leaders in our communities. We speak up for children and offer access to books, literacy, and information technology skills. We believe in inquiry, student privacy, the right to access all points of view, free reading (contrary to Common Core), and we represent an inconvenient truth that threatens those who wish to narrow curriculum and turn schools into test factories.”
4. A Conversation About School Choice. Mercedes Schneider’s upcoming book will focus on the well-honed strategy of “school choice.” For this conversation she will be joined by journalist Andrea Gabor, and New Orleans parent activist Ashana Bigard.
5. Testing and Justice: Growing Gaps, Shrinking Opportunities. For years we have been told that a focus on test score data would somehow reduce inequities. This amazing panel includes Alan Aja, Yohuru Williams and Carol Burris, who will share insights that show just how counterproductive our focus on test scores has been.
6. T-E-S-T, not P-L-A-Y, is a Four-Letter Word: Putting the Young Child and the Teacher at the Center of Education Reform: We will hear from some more of my heroes: Susan Ochshorn, Denisha Jones, Nancy Carlson-Paige and Michelle Gunderson. This session will be a powerhouse.  An excerpt from the description: “Little black boys are being suspended and expelled from preschool in record numbers. In the attempt to eradicate achievement gaps and get children ready for school, education policies have wreaked havoc with their development. Play and recess have virtually disappeared from the kindergarten, which is now “the new first grade.” Children are being assessed as young as four, and face high-stakes tests at the tender age of six. Demands of the Common Core have banished the kind of rich curriculum, with hands-on exploration and collaboration, which produces creative, productive, citizens of our democracy.”
7. NPE’s Teacher Evaluation Study: This one will be really newsworthy, as we will release a new report that we have been working on with a team of ten teachers and administrators around the country. We surveyed close to 3000 educators last fall, asking detailed questions about the impact recent changes to the evaluation process. The results will confirm what those of us working in schools know — these evaluations are having a very bad affect, and are driving down morale and wasting huge amounts of time. Teachers were not consulted when these policies were developed, but we will make sure their voices are heard here.
8. BATs on Cultural Competence: Gus Morales, Denisha Jones and Marla Kilfoyle will share some important ideas about this crucial topic. As the description states: “meeting the needs of all students means developing cultural competence. Saving public education means dealing with the racism from the past and present so that we have something worth fighting for in the future.
9. Bob Herbert’s keynote: Former New York Times columnist Bob Herbert has authored an incredible book, which Diane Ravitch called “the most important book of the year.” Diane writes: “Bob Herbert’s new book Losing Our Way: An Intimate Portrait of a Troubled America is one of the most important, most compelling books that I have read in many years. For those of us who have felt that something has gone seriously wrong in our country, Herbert connects the dots. He provides a carefully documented, well-written account of what went wrong and why. As he pulls together a sweeping narrative, he weaves it through the personal accounts of individuals whose stories are emblematic and heartbreaking.”
10. Edushyster in conversation with Peter Cunningham: Sharp-witted blogger Jennifer Berkshire will engage in a “spirited conversation” with Cunningham, who served as Arne Duncan’s press secretary for many years, and now runs corporate ed reform’s $12 million blog, The Education Post. Bring popcorn, this should be good.
11. Jesse Hagopian and Karran Harper Royal. Two incredible leaders from opposite sides of the country — Jesse Hagopian from Seattle, and Karran Harper Royal from New Orleans — will share the stage and talk about their work, and where our movement is headed.
12. Hundreds of the nation’s most passionate defenders of public education gathered in one spot! The best thing about these conferences is the chance to connect with readers of my blog, and other activists from around the country. I hope that if you are reading this, I get to meet YOU!

These are just a few highlights from the conference. Take a look at the conference schedule to see many more. There is still room to register, but the special rate at the Sheraton Hotel will expire on Wednesday afternoon, so try to book right away.

Here is the conference registration link.

And the special link for the reduced rate hotel rooms at the Sheraton is here.

Are you planning to come? What are you most excited about?