This Week In Leadership – Back to School
Aug
06
2020
This Week In Leadership – Back to School
This Week In Leadership – Back to School
In collaboration with Equitable
August 6th @ 1:00 ET | 10:00 PT
A circulating question throughout society right now is the likelihood and safety of sending children back to school next month. This week’s Leadership Lounge episode will include the presence of several academic professionals, discussing their own thoughts and concerns about reopening schools for the 2020-2021 academic school year, how COVID-19 changed supporting LGBTQ+ students and educators, and how corporations can show support.
Moderator:
Connor Heffernan – Senior Director, Educator Market, Equitable
Connor is an insurance professional with General Management experience leading Strategy and Business Development functions. He has international exposure across Asian, European and U.S. markets in global, regional and in-country roles.
He is passionate NGO leader driving results in organizations that promote education and poverty alleviation. He is also motivated by attracting top talent and developing high performing, diverse teams.
Special Guests:
Eliza Byard – Executive Director, GLSENE
Eliza Byard, PhD, is the Executive Director of GLSEN, an organization recognized worldwide as a pioneering leader in the fight for educational equity and LGBT issues in K–12 schools. Byard joined GLSEN as Deputy Executive Director in 2001, and led the growth of GLSEN’s public education and advocacy efforts; youth leadership development programs; professional development for educators; research and program evaluation capacity; and in–school programming. During her tenure, GLSEN’s work has spurred a significant decline in anti–LGBTQ harassment and violence in schools; established a new professional norm of support for LGBTQ youth among educators, school administrators, and school staff in the United States; and sparked an international movement for LGBTQ–inclusive primary and secondary education. GLSEN currently partners with nearly 60 NGOs in three global regions to develop the evidence base for advocacy and program development to improve LGBTQ students’ lives in their respective countries.
Joe English – Executive Director, Hope in a Box
Joe English is the Founder and Executive Director of Hope in a Box, a national nonprofit that helps rural educators create safe and inclusive classrooms for LGBTQ students. The organization works with hundreds of schools across the country to provide“Hope in a Box”: curated books featuring LGBTQ protagonists, bespoke curricula for these materials, and training and mentorship for educators. Their work has appeared in Education Week, Teen Vogue, Forbes, Politico, Times Union, and The Advocate. Prior to Hope in a Box, Joe worked for Generation.org, the world’s largest education to employment NGO, leading Measurement & Evaluation. Previously, he worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he developed education and economic development strategies for nonprofits and state & local governments. Joe is the recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, Forbes 30 Under 30, and the Jefferson Award for Public Service, and he is a graduate of Yale University, where he was elected Student Body President.
Derrick Carlson – Monolingual English Second Grade Teacher, Chicago, Illinois (he/him/his)
This is my 7th year in education and I consider myself a life–long learner and I believe in bettering my teaching craft every year. I really enjoy teaching science and math. As I’ve grown older, I am becoming more well rounded as an educator because I have started to make the learning more interdisciplinary.