Keynote Speakers

Opening General Session: George Couros

About George Couros

George Couros is a leading educator in the area of innovative leadership, teaching, and learning. He has worked with schools and organizations around the globe to challenge traditional thinking and create a more connected world where all learners thrive.

Second General Session: Commissioner Mike Morath

About Mike Morath

Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, Mike Morath has served as Texas Commissioner of Education since January 2016. As commissioner, he heads the Texas Education Agency, which oversees pre-kindergarten through high school education for more than 5 million students enrolled in the state’s public schools. During his time at the agency, his work has focused on four priority areas: supporting teachers and principals; building a strong foundation of reading and math for all students; connecting high school to career and college; and improving low-performing schools. Prior to becoming the state’s education commissioner, Morath served on the Dallas ISD board of trustees for more than four years. A strong advocate of public education, Commissioner Morath graduated from Garland High School in Garland ISD. Thanks to the great public school education he received in Texas, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, summa cum laude, from George Washington University in two-and-a-half years.