“America’s Educator,” two-time New York Times Bestselling author, friend to Oprah, and subject of a film about his unique and acclaimed approach to education, Ron Clark will be the keynote speaker at “A Day of Educational Innovation,” a one-day virtual conference on April 10 hosted by Harris County Department of Education’s Teaching and Learning Center.

The event will shine a light on innovative educational practices during Covid by offering out-of-the-box ideas to keep kids engaged and help teachers maneuver between in-person and virtual instruction.

“I hope that attendees walk away with practices they can implement the following Monday that will help to engage students in unique ways as well as connect with families and parents,” said event organizer Errica Dotson-Hooper.

Clark brings charisma, energy, and devotion to the education profession. He has worked with disadvantaged students in rural North Carolina and Harlem and founded the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia.

Clark started his teaching career at a challenging school. To engage its disaffected students, he rapped his lessons, dressed in costumes, and stood on his head, doing everything he could to make learning exciting. He brought joy to the classroom, and test scores soared. After five years at this school, during which time he was invited to the White House three times, Ron saw a TV show about challenges in New York City’s school system. He was compelled to move there and soon began teaching in Harlem. Within a year, all his students were at or above grade level.

“Ron Clark is out-of-the-box with all of his ideas and strategies for reaching students, and he has been able to transition that to virtual learning seamlessly,” said Dotson-Hooper. “I want teachers to hear from an expert who has been doing this work for a long time. Everyone became new teachers this year. Even the most veteran educator had to start from scratch doing things they had never done before. With that experience in mind, as we prepare for the next school year, I want to make educational innovators accessible to educators. I hope that this will re-energize them at a time when they are beginning to think about next school year.”

Other notable event speakers include Dr. Shaun Woodly, Too Dope Teachers, LaVondia Menephee, and Dr. Kiana Day Williams.

To register for the event, visit http://bit.ly/DEIFRC. The registration fee is $75 per person or $1,000 for a campus team of up to 20 people.