Keynote Speakers
Opening General Session: Steve Spangler
About Steve Spangler
He’s a best-selling author, STEM educator and television host who finds the most creative ways to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
He’s the guy who’s responsible for sharing YouTube’s first viral science video teaching people how to drop those little Mentos into a bottle of Diet Coke. Today, his videos on social media including Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube have more than 1 billion views (that’s with a “b”).
For the past 25 years, his books and online experiments have been widely used by parents and educators to increase student engagement and inspire young scientists to learn more about STEM-based careers.
If you saw the enormous mess that Steve repeatedly made on the Ellen Show over the past 15 years, you’ll understand why Ellen calls Steve… the science teacher you always wanted to have in school because the fire department shows up twice a year.
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.
Closing General Session: Dr. Lindsay Prendergast
About Lindsay Prendergast
Lindsay Prendergast brings nearly two decades of experience in global education, where her roles have ranged from leadership coach to principal, consultant, and classroom teacher. As the Assistant Director of Strategy & Development with the Danielson Group, she collaborates with districts, schools, and educators to promote equitable teaching and learning through the Framework for Teaching. Lindsay’s work centers on leading systems change and advancing instructional leadership with practical and impactful insights. Recognized as an ASCD Emerging Leader and Champion in Education as well as an AAIE Fellow, Lindsay is an established thought leader who frequently shares her expertise on leadership development, growth-centered supervision, and assessment practices through ASCD, Learning Forward, Edutopia, AAIE, EARCOS, AMLE, Cognia, and more. She co-authored bestselling Habits of Resilient Educators: Strategies for Thriving During Times of Anxiety, Doubt, and Constant Change (Corwin, 2024), as well as dozens of articles and manuscripts in the field of education. Driven by a commitment to impactful change and global competence, Lindsay’s work empowers educators to navigate complex challenges, fostering environments where both teachers and students thrive.