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Tuesday, November 3
 

7:45am EST

Leadership Summit Registration
Tuesday November 3, 2026 7:45am - 8:00am EST

Tuesday November 3, 2026 7:45am - 8:00am EST

8:00am EST

Breakfast
Tuesday November 3, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am EST
Special thanks to event sponsor zSpace for their generous support of this conference activity. 
Tuesday November 3, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am EST
  Networking: Meals & Breaks

9:00am EST

Welcome & Keynote: Forward Together with George Couros
Tuesday November 3, 2026 9:00am - 11:00am EST
Forward Together: Moving People from Conflict to Community in Contentious Times
George Couros opens the 2026 SETDA Leadership Summit with a keynote that speaks directly to the challenges leaders face today. In Forward Together, George explores how schools and organizations can rebuild trust, strengthen relationships, and foster genuine community even when tensions run high. Blending storytelling, research, and his decades of experience helping educators navigate change, he offers clear, actionable strategies for moving people from division toward shared purpose.

The result is a keynote that’s energizing, honest, and deeply grounded in humanity—setting the tone for a Summit focused on connection, leadership, and collective impact.
Speakers
avatar for George Couros

George Couros

Tuesday Keynote
George Couros is a worldwide leader in the area of innovative teaching, learning, and leading, and he has a focus on innovation as a human endeavor. Most importantly, he is a proud father and husband. His belief that meaningful change happens when you first connect to people’s hearts... Read More →
Tuesday November 3, 2026 9:00am - 11:00am EST
  Learning Sessions

11:00am EST

Break
Tuesday November 3, 2026 11:00am - 11:15am EST

Tuesday November 3, 2026 11:00am - 11:15am EST
  Networking: Meals & Breaks

11:15am EST

Annual Membership Convocation
Tuesday November 3, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm EST
In addition to our usual board and member committee reports and sharing the board election results, our voting State Education Agency (Class I) members will consider and act on proposed membership actions.

This membership meeting is open to all current members, partners, and anyone interested in our organization's mission.
Tuesday November 3, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm EST
  Membership Convocation

12:15pm EST

Lunch
Tuesday November 3, 2026 12:15pm - 1:15pm EST

Tuesday November 3, 2026 12:15pm - 1:15pm EST
  Networking: Meals & Breaks

1:30pm EST

Student Voices Panel:
Tuesday November 3, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm EST
Hear from local student leaders on how they are using technology in active ways to solve community problems.
Tuesday November 3, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm EST
  Learning Sessions

2:30pm EST

Break
Tuesday November 3, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EST

Tuesday November 3, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EST
  Networking: Meals & Breaks

2:45pm EST

Charting the Future of AI Literacy: Defining What Every Student Should Know and How States Get There
Tuesday November 3, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EST
Move from AI literacy theory to practice. Learn how states are defining essential AI literacy competencies and how a collaborative network is implementing, testing, and refining resources that bring those standards to life in schools.
Tuesday November 3, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EST
  Breakout Sessions

2:45pm EST

Navigating K-12 Purchasing: Partnering with ESAs, States, Affiliates & Vendors
Tuesday November 3, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EST
Learn how to identify the right partners and procurement pathways for successful technology initiatives. This session examines the role of intermediary agencies alongside contract vehicles and cooperative purchasing strategies that can accelerate access to solutions while meeting compliance requirements
Tuesday November 3, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EST
  Breakout Sessions

2:45pm EST

OER and Open Practice as an Antidote to Platformization
Tuesday November 3, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EST
Corporations with multi-layered ed tech "stacks" increasingly shape how students, teachers, and administrators are assessed. This session offers a more human-centered approach to building educational ecosystems through open practices and shared resources—creating a durable, sustainable system guided by educators’ expertise.
Tuesday November 3, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EST
  Breakout Sessions

2:45pm EST

Privacy, Screen Time, and Students: Rebuilding Trust in EdTech
Tuesday November 3, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EST
As concerns about privacy, screen time, cybersecurity, and technology effectiveness grow, how can the education community restore trust? This session brings together diverse perspectives to explore shared responsibilities and practical solutions for states, districts, and vendors.
Tuesday November 3, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EST
  Breakout Sessions

2:45pm EST

Trust Is the Infrastructure: Leading Digital Learning That Lasts
Tuesday November 3, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EST
As AI, privacy, interoperability, and digital learning expectations accelerate, leaders need more than tools; they need trust-centered systems. This session shares a practical framework for translating policy into practice through clear communication, professional learning, inclusive design, and implementation structures that educators and communities can sustain.
Tuesday November 3, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EST
  Breakout Sessions

3:30pm EST

Break
Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:30pm - 3:45pm EST

Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:30pm - 3:45pm EST
  Networking: Meals & Breaks

3:45pm EST

From Curiosity to Confidence: Building Trustworthy AI Through Assurance, Guardrails, and Best Practices
Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm EST
How can schools embrace AI innovation while protecting students? This session explores practical frameworks for evaluating AI tools, building educator confidence, and implementing safety guardrails that prioritize privacy, human oversight, and student well-being.
Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm EST
  Breakout Sessions

3:45pm EST

From Landscape to Launch: Lessons from Statewide AI Research and Real-World Implementation
Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm EST
How can states move from understanding AI readiness to implementing AI at scale? This session explores AI adoption trends, readiness data, and emerging needs across education sectors, alongside Indiana’s statewide AI pilot, procurement framework, and lessons learned for turning insights into action.
Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm EST
  Breakout Sessions

3:45pm EST

Legislation to Protection: How LB937 and SLCGP Anchor a Statewide Cyber Program
Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm EST
State Partners including the Nebraska Department of Education, Office of the CIO and the ESU Coordinating Council work together to support cybersecurity preparedness in K-12 schools statewide. From best practices to cyber assessments and state-level purchases of tools and services, we work together to improve our cybersecurity from the smallest to the largest school districts.
Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm EST
  Breakout Sessions

3:45pm EST

Life, Learning, and Work in an AI World
Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm EST
Artificial Intelligence is transforming our world at a rapid pace—bringing new tools, reshaping roles, and creating opportunities and challenges in equal measure. Along with the promised benefits, there are also many downstream outcomes that will be potentially disruptive unless we can proactively prepare for - and navigate through - the storm that lies ahead. 
Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm EST
  Breakout Sessions

3:45pm EST

The EdTech Leader’s Change Management Playbook
Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm EST
EdTech initiatives rarely stall because the technology fails; they stall when people and systems are not ready for change. Based on CoSN’s 2026 Blaschke Report, this session helps leaders apply change management strategies to AI, cybersecurity, platform transitions, and other wide scale technology initiatives with clarity, confidence, and sustainability.
Tuesday November 3, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm EST
  Breakout Sessions

4:30pm EST

Professional Learning Committee Meeting
Tuesday November 3, 2026 4:30pm - 5:15pm EST
The Professional Learning Committee exists to provide relevant, high-quality professional learning opportunities and to facilitate the development and advancement of job-related skills and knowledge of members. In particular, the committee will focus on opportunities designed to build stronger and more effective state leaders and to develop future SETDA leaders. The committee will review, identify, develop, and provide professional learning opportunities on an ongoing basis to meet emerging needs of the SETDA membership.
Tuesday November 3, 2026 4:30pm - 5:15pm EST
  Committee Meetings

4:30pm EST

State Action Committee Meeting
Tuesday November 3, 2026 4:30pm - 5:15pm EST
The State Action Committee exists to inspire and assist states to act collaboratively to advance education through technology policy and practice. It will develop and implement processes to align SETDA initiatives and projects with member priorities for collaboration, and assist states to improve learning by addressing relevant issues and national needs.

Tuesday November 3, 2026 4:30pm - 5:15pm EST
  Committee Meetings

6:30pm EST

SETDA Awards Dinner & 25th Anniversary Celebration
Tuesday November 3, 2026 6:30pm - 8:30pm EST
Who will we honor this year? At SETDA's annual recognition of leadership, we will name the State Leader of the Year as well as the recipients of the State Policymaker award, the Federal Policymaker award, the State Achievement awards, and the Candice Dodson Influencer award. 

Special thanks to event sponsor ClassLink for their generous support of this conference activity.
Tuesday November 3, 2026 6:30pm - 8:30pm EST
  Community Gatherings
 
2026 SETDA Leadership Summit
From $948.66

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