“I'm back in the saddle again
Out where a friend is a friend”
--Gene Autry
Maybe these Gene Autry lyrics are just a bit dated. Or maybe I’m just a bit older than the law allows. But I can’t help but hear these lyrics playing in my head.
Why?
Because after almost two years of being stuck in the office, conducting all our regional events in front of a computer, February saw us taking our show back on the road.
Don’t get me wrong, our remote events were wonderful. And we were fortunate to have some of the nation’s brightest and most knowledgeable education minds participate (literally hundreds of the top individuals in education). In fact, I dare say that no other organization in education even came close to the type of participation we experienced. But even so, one can’t help but experience a little cabin fever after 23 months.
And besides, the Learning Counsel is an on-location, be-there experience. There really is no substitute for being in the room. Since its inception, the Learning Counsel has made its bones by two things. One, gathering, sharing and interpreting the best, most relevant research in all K-12. And two, Taking our show on the road, meeting face to face with education leaders in every major metro and every tiny town.
Big ideas from Education’s biggest thinkers
We share our wisdom, we talk, but most of all, we listen. The wisdom we’ve encountered and the friends we’ve made have allowed us to become a powerful force for positive growth and transition in education. And not because we are so smart, although we have our moments, but because the collective wisdom in the education biz is amazing. We invite and present the very smartest of your peers, the crème de la crème of education’s biggest thinkers. And for those of you who can’t make the event, we report all these bright ideas through our media outlets, which incidentally keep growing like a weed.
At last count, we had better than 300,000 top education leaders who subscribe to our media, as well as a handful of the top education media platforms who graciously carry this wisdom to extend our influence.
So how does it feel to be back in the saddle, as it were? Absolutely fantastic. And unbelievably tiring. But once we get back in traveling shape, we’ll still feel absolutely fantastic. And hopefully, a little less tired.
Response to our “road show” has been very gratifying. Crowds are modest at this point, but the make up of our audience has been even better than expected. At our last event, we had a large number of superintendents, many from districts who had never participated. To a person, they expressed excitement for the experience, and everyone walked away armed with enthusiasm and fresh new ideas to serve their learners. Our industry partners had the opportunity to meet with our superintendents, chief academic officers, technology directors and other participants. And even though we don’t see a lot of hard selling going on, we do see a lot of relationships being formed, and the friendships forged at our events result in years of business transactions. Everyone wins. Our districts can explore their needs without pressure; our business partners are able to form real, lasting relationships and our learners come away with better educations and improved futures.
Join us
By the way, if you would like to explore the possibility of becoming one of our business partners at our freshly re-minted regional Transition Discussions, I would invite you to speak with Annette Erwin on our team (annette@learningcounsel.com). We have a few more events this Spring (see below) and then a good bit more in the Fall.
March 3 - Belton, Missouri
March 8 – Boise ID
March 15 – Baton Rouge
March 22 – Meriden CT
March 24 – San Antonio
March 29 – Houston
March 31 – Minneapolis
For the complete schedule for 2022, click here.
We hope to see you at one (or more) of our events. Get out of the house, hop on a plane, and come and say Hello. One of the things I can safely say about the education biz is that it is a relationship business. It feels so good to be out at events, seeing your old friends, and making new friends. There is so much value in relationships, and I so enjoy the atmosphere of these small, regional events. The large events can be so impersonal, but the smaller, intimate events are absolutely grand.
It feels like a great weight has been lifted. The long sentence is over. The sun is shining. The air is fresh, and as I climb back on my trusted steed, I can’t help riding with a song in my heart.
I’m back in the saddle again!
About the author
Charles Sosnik is an education journalist and editor and serves as Editor in Chief at the Learning Counsel. An EP3 Education Fellow, he uses his deep roots in the education community to add context to the education narrative. Charles is a frequent writer and columnist for some of the most influential media in education, including the Learning Counsel, EdNews Daily, EdTech Digest and edCircuit. Unabashedly Southern, Charles likes to say he is an editor by trade and Southern by the Grace of God.
