Photos from the Better Together: California Teachers Summit

Approximately 15,000 teachers, teacher candidates, and school administrators are expected to gather Friday, July 31, at 33 universities throughout California, including Sacramento State, for the Better Together: California Teachers Summit.

Sac State expects about 300 attendees at the Harper Alumni Center.

The free, first-time event is designed to facilitate networking opportunities for the state’s PreK-12 teachers to share successful classroom practices. One key aim is for teachers to emerge from the day with concrete tools and strategies for navigating recent changes in the California Standards in English language arts/literacy and math. The summit also will feature three 15-minute “ED Talks,” modeled after the global-scale TED Talks run by the Sapling Foundation.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson will be on site at Sac State, as will Sacramento State President Robert S. Nelsen. Torlakson and the three ED Talk speakers will be available to the media at 8 a.m.; the program will begin at 9 a.m. Two keynote speeches will be broadcast to all participants, who then can take part in small breakout sessions at their particular locations. The breakout sessions are modeled after Edcamp sessions, which, unlike traditional conferences, are not planned or scheduled until just prior to the event and strongly emphasize interactivity.

“Teachers are already driving innovation in the classroom and providing a bright future for California students,” Torlakson says. “This event gives teachers a chance to grow professionally by allowing them to share their ideas, ingenuity, passion, and best practices. It can help teachers make an even bigger difference in the lives of California students.”

Nelsen says the University is pleased to host the summit.

“Sacramento State is committed to providing quality educational opportunities for P/K-12 teachers, administrators, and others who are responsible for educating our children throughout the Sacramento region and beyond,” Nelsen says. “This work is crucial to boosting college readiness in our schools.”

The summit is sponsored by the California Department of Education, the California State University, the New Teacher Center, and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities. – Ahmed V. Ortiz

In the media: "Sacramento educators share teaching strategies," The Sacramento Bee