This is a preliminary list of  confirmed speakers for the Education Writers Association’s 73rd annual National Seminar, to be held online July 21-24, 2020. A more complete list and full schedule can be found at our online agenda. 

Attendance at this important gathering of leading education policymakers, researchers, practitioners and journalists is restricted to EWA members who pre-register. EWA membership is free for journalists. And journalists can apply for scholarships to cover the registration fees. 

Communicators who join EWA as Supporting Community Members are also eligible and encouraged to attend. Supporting Community Members must register to reserve their seats ahead of time as well. 

Confirmed speakers, in alphabetical order:

John Bailey, visiting fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Kris English, Leaders Igniting Transformation

Denisa Gá​ndara, assistant professor, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Southern Methodist University

Kristin González, teacher, Sunset Ridge School, Northfield, Ill.

Laura Hammack, superintendent, Brown County (Indiana) Schools

Nikole Hannah-Jones, domestic correspondent, The New York Times Magazine

Bibb Hubbard, founder and president, Learning Heroes

Safiyah Jackson, early childhood systems director, North Carolina Partnership for Children

Laura Jimenez, director of standards and accountability, Center for American Progress

Aleesia Johnson, superintendent, Indianapolis Public Schools

Lindsay Jones, president and CEO, National Center for Learning Disabilities

Robin Lake, director, Center on Reinventing Public Education

Chris Lewis, president and CEO, Public Knowledge

Scott Marion, executive director, Center for Assessment

Evan Marwell, founder and CEO, EducationSuperHighway

Corey Mitchell, staff writer, Education Week

Wes Moore, CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation and coauthor of “Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of an American City” 

Stephanie Pacheco, Teens Take Charge

Toby Paperno, Teens Take Charge

Vimal Patel, senior reporter, Chronicle of Higher Education

Angel Pé​rez, incoming chief executive officer, National Association for College Admission Counseling

Jayde Powell, founder and CEO, Shopping Angels

Becky Pringle, vice president, National Education Association

Mario Ramirez, emergency medicine physician and managing director of Opportunity Labs

Richard Reddick, associate dean for equity, community engagement, and outreach, University of Texas at Austin College of Education

Keziah Ridgeway, teacher, Northeast High School, Philadelphia, Pa.

Aimee Rinehart, deputy director, First Draft

Brittney Robins, director of high school student support services at KIPP New Orleans and founder of Bright Minds

Roberto Rodríguez, president and CEO, Teach Plus

Tabatha Rosproy, 2020 National Teacher of the Year

Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab and research professor, Georgetown University

U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor

Matt Sigelman, CEO, Burning Glass Technologies

Ruth Simmons, president, Prairie View A & M University

Brandon St. Luce, Teens Take Charge

Michael Stratford, education reporter, Politico

Thomas Toch, director, FutureEd

Andrew Ujifusa, assistant editor, Education Week

Laurie VanderPloeg, director of the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education

Albert Wat, senior policy director, Alliance for Early Success

Richard Woods, state schools superintendent, Georgia Department of Education

Lakisha Young, co-founder and executive director, The Oakland REACH