We know budgets are tight and funds are scarce, so we've extended the regular registration deadline to February 15th. Register Now!

Join us for our 35th Annual North Carolina Middle School Association Conference, "Sun, Fun, & Middle School" March 14-16th at the Koury Center and Sheraton Four Seasons. We're hard at work to make this conference the best ever!

Keynote Speakers at General Sessions

TODD WHITAKER - One of the nation's leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness, Todd Whitaker's message about the importance of teaching has resonated with hundreds of thousands of educators around the world. Todd is a professor of educational leadership at Indiana State University and he has spent his life pursuing his love of education by researching and studying effective teachers and principals. Todd was a math teacher and basketball coach in Missouri. Todd then served as a principal at the middle school, junior high, and high school levels. He was also a middle school coordinator in charge of staffing, curriculum, and technology for the opening of new middle schools. Todd has written sixteen educational books including the national best seller, What Great Teachers Do Differently, Teaching Matters, Great Quotes for Great Educators, What Great Principals Do Differently, Motivating & Inspiring Teachers, and Dealing With Difficult Parents.

DEBBIE SILVER - Debbie Silver is an award-winning educator with 30 years experience as a classroom teacher, staff development instructor, and university professor. Her numerous recognitions include being named the Louisiana State Teacher of the Year. She has been a featured teacher for the PBS Online Teacher Chat, and has worked with educators in 46 states, Canada, Asia, and Europe. Debbie's book, Drumming to the Beat of a Different Marcher: Finding the Rhythm for Teaching a Differentiated Classroom, is a best seller, and a song she co-wrote with Monte Selby is featured on his CD. Audiences everywhere respond to Debbie's use of humor and sensitivity to remind them of how important teachers are in the lives of children.

Special Guest Presenters

BARBARA BLACKBURN - Barbara Blackburn has taught early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school students and has served as an educational consultant for three publishing companies.She is now an Assistant Professor of middle school education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Blackburn has authored seven books, including books in the A to Z series. Her newest book, Rigor is NOT a Four Letter Word shows teachers how they can raise the level of rigor in their classrooms and provide challenging learning experiences for their students. She is currently working with Dr. Ron Williamson on Rigorous Schools and Classrooms: Leading the Way, which will be released in February, 2010.

STEVE HOELSCHER - Steve Hoelscher is coordinator of the Michigan Middle Start Comprehensive School Reform effort, a state-based partnership that provides technical assistance and professional development to middle grade schools, he provides project leadership and facilitation of the project. Steve previously served as an urban principal, counselor and teacher for thirty years in Michigan, and is an active member of the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform. As a principal, he led the school community in changing from a traditional junior high to a middle grades school based on creating a community of learners. The school was recognized for its academic excellence, social equity, and developmental responsiveness and for demonstrating gains in student learning.

MELBA JOHNSON - Melba Johnson, a national educational consultant, conducts staff development for middle school and high school teachers throughout North Carolina and across the country. The focus of her trainings includes curriculum alignment and the use of visual and tactile strategies in reading, writing, and grammar. As a consultant for Thinking Maps, Inc. and co-author of Write…for the Future, she does extensive trainings in writing workshops and Thinking Maps. Currently, she is developing another publication to assist students in preparing for college entrance exams such as the PSAT, SAT, and other standardized assessments.

KEN MCEWIN - Ken McEwin is Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Coordinator of Middle Grades Teacher Education at Appalachian State University. He is a former sixth grade teacher and school principal, and has extensive experience as a consultant to schools, districts, state departments of education, higher education institutions, and policy-making bodies. Dr. McEwin is author of over 100 professional publications that focus on middle level education. He has served in many leadership positions, including president of the National Middle School Association. He is also recipient of a number of awards for his work in middle grades education including the John Lounsbury Distinguished Service Award and was the founding recipient of the Ken McEwin Distinguished Service Award.

NANCY POLETTE - Nancy Polette has been an educator for more than 30 years and is the author of over 150 professional and children's books, including Building Brain Power with Books, Award Winner Gifted or Goof-Off, Research Without Copying, Power or Politics and more. She is a professor of education at Lindenwood University, Missouri. She has served as Director of Library/Media and Gifted Programs in St. Louis County schools, as the Director of the Laboratory School, Lindenwood University and as an instructor at St. Charles Community College. School Library Journal describes her as "an educator with imagination, creativity and an appreciation for the intelligence of children."

ERIC ROWLES - is a nationally recognized trainer, speaker, and consultant who has worked with over 150,000 youth, adults, administrators, professionals, and policy makers. His energetic and innovative training and presenting skills, coupled with his advanced degrees in curriculum development and design, led to the creation of Leading To Change, Inc. Eric's previous experience includes his work as Senior Director of Training with the Youth Leadership Institute (CA), Director of Leadership Development at Rutgers University (NJ), Middle School Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator, (CA), and the faculties of Rutgers University and UNC-Charlotte. Eric was also a professional DJ in Los Angeles, and ran a traveling theater company that toured for over 10 years.

JEFFREY WILHELM - Jeffrey Wilhelm, author of Reading Don't Fix No Chevys: The Role of Literacy in the Lives of Young Men, enjoys living on the edge where he is often in danger of falling off! He even eats anchovies on his pizzas. Jeff has been a teacher of reading and the language arts at the middle and secondary school levels for fifteen years. He is currently an associate professor of English at Boise State University where he teaches courses in middle and secondary level literacy. He works in local schools as part of the Adolescent Literacy project and a new Professional Development Network. He is currently engaged in founding a new National Writing Project site at Boise State University.His best-selling book Standards in Practice: Grades 6-8 was released by both NCTE and IRA as an addendum to the national standards.

RON WILLIAMSON - Ron Williamson is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Eastern Michigan University. He served as a junior high and middle school teacher, school and district administrator, and served as Executive irector of NMSA. Ron was a facilitator for "Principals Make the Difference in Standards-Based Reform." Kappan cited two of his publications as part of "the essential core readings for middle level educators." In addition, he has published two books on scheduling to improve student learning. He was honored with NASSP's prestigious Gruhn-Long-Melton Award for lifetime achievement in middle level leadership. Ron is past-president of the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform.

Plus other special guests from NC and around the country bringing you the latest strategies to help your class and school succeed!

CONCURRENT SESSIONS:
On Monday & Tuesday we will provide 160 hour-long interest sessions on a broad variety of topics relevant to middle level education. Choose from topics like Accountability, "Closing the Gap," Classroom Management, Leadership, Organizational Structure, Safety and Discipline, Integrating Technology, Teaching Special Populations, Interdisciplinary Instruction, Student Services, Teaming, Advisor/Advisee, the Role of the Arts, Teaching in an Instructional Block, "Schools to Watch," Professional Development, Inclusion, content-specific presentations in ALL major areas, and much, much more.

	until the 2010 conference!