Highlights from SXSW EDU 2019

For the fourth year in a row, PCGers joined educators, academics, practitioners, and innovators from across the world in Austin, Texas for SXSW EDU from March 4-7, 2019. This year, we were proud to lead and engage in discussions with this extraordinary community on ways to position every student for success—from special education, to equity, to school safety, and beyond. For a recap of PCG’s participation, including session highlights and team photos, check out our post here.

Big thank you to the SXSW EDU team and all fellow attendees for another year of inspiring takeaways. See you next year!

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PCG to participate at SXSW EDU: Focus will be School Safety, Special Education, and Equity


Twenty-nineteen marks PCG’s fourth year presenting at SXSW EDU, and the third consecutive year it has been selected to present via a competitive public voting process. On March 6th, 2019, PCG will lead two engaging sessions, first shedding light on what it means to presume competence when educating students with significant disabilities, and then exploring the differences between equality and equity. PCG will also sponsor the official Opening Party on Monday, March 4th to lead an important conversation on school safety.


“The SouthBy community is really forward thinking: they’re not afraid to engage on controversial or difficult topics, like school safety, for example. This is a hot button issue for many in our country right now but we need to be talking about it, we need to be focused on finding ways to ensure our schools are safe environments for kids and adults alike. There’s no better platform than SXSW EDU if you’re looking to collaborate and innovate with thought leaders and key stakeholders from across the country, which is why we jumped at the opportunity to sponsor the official Opening Party this year. We’re excited to help bring school safety into the forefront of the conversation right out the gate at SXSW EDU 2019.”

- PCG Vice President and SXSW EDU Advisory Board Member Tony Brown


Read the full press release here. We hope you’ll consider joining us and members of the SXSW EDU community as we engage on these critical topics to help all students succeed.

 

PCG’s SXSW EDU veterans share insights, tips, and highlights from past conferences


In a new blog post, PCG Principal and SXSW EDU Advisory Board Member Tony Brown shares his top five pieces of advice for making the most out of this iconic conference. Reflecting on the past four years of attending SXSW EDU in Austin, Tony’s insights run the gamut from planning and networking at the event to fun, authentic Austin attractions and breakfast tacos. Check out Tony’s expert advice here.

PCG’s own Equity champion Bruce Douglas—whose presentation was selected out of the more than 1,500 proposals submitted for SXSW EDU 2019!—was one of nine attendees the South By folks asked to share his perspective, goals for the conference, and schedule in a new SXSW EDU blog post here.

Also, in November, SXSW EDU published a guest blog post by our aforementioned equity champion, Bruce Douglas – it was his first (ever) blog post though you wouldn’t be able to tell from his detailed and poignant review of the 2018 panel discussion he found most impactful this past March at SXSW EDU. Bruce concludes his article by challenging readers to think about the role we can play in providing a more equitable school system, and how we can support closing the belief gap that all students can learn.

Read Bruce’s full reaction post, “Black Education in America,” via the SXSWEDU website here.

Here's a sneak peek at what PCG will be up to at SXSW EDU 2019!


SXSW EDU 2019:
Official Opening Party

Monday, March 4th from 7:30-11:00 p.m.
at Palm Door on Sixth

As the sponsor of the official opening party, PCG has partnered with SXSW EDU to host a School Safety-themed networking event that will bring together conference goers to engage on the critical topic of School Safety. Promoting the success of all students is something that we’re passionate about at PCG, and for students to succeed, they need safe schools and safe learning spaces to thrive. We hope you’ll consider joining this important school safety conversation with us at SXSW EDU!

Think Big: We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know - by Ashley Quick

Wednesday, March 6th from 3:30-3:50 p.m.
at the Hilton Austin Downtown, Salon H

In her session, Ashley Quick will shed light on the ideas of presumed competence/potential and the "least dangerous assumption" when educating students with disabilities, especially those with significant disabilities. Addressing barriers without prejudgment of students' ultimate capabilities is critical in helping all students reach their true potential. Ashley’s session will include real-life stories of students whose trajectories were changed for the better when competence was presumed. To learn more about what Ashley will be presenting on, check out her blog post here.

Equality V Equity: What’s the difference? - by Bruce Douglas

Wednesday, March 6th from 5:00-6:00 p.m.
at the Hilton Austin Downtown, Salon J

This presentation, which explores the differences between equality and equity, is being brought to SXSW EDU by the My Brother's Keeper (MBK) Forum. Equity and equality are pervasive topics both within and around school districts, but do we really understand the difference between the two. Superintendents have a daily responsibility to lead entire school districts towards ensuring each student has a quality education. However, we know that every student does not have access to the same education. Is that an equity issue, an equality issue, or both? To learn more about what will be presented on, check out Paul Wilson's blog post here.


Hope to see you in Austin!

Can't make it to SXSW EDU 2019?

You can join the conversation and follow along on social media using #PCGatSXSW. For additional information about SXSW EDU 2019, please visit their website at https://www.sxswedu.com.


Connect with us on social! Join the conversation using #PCGatSXSW.

 

About Public Consulting Group

PCG is a leading public sector consulting firm that partners with health, education, and human services agencies to improve lives. Our education solutions are supported by 30 years of management consulting experience and significant K-12 educational domain expertise. We provide educators with the tools and skills to use data to make effective instructional decisions. Our consulting services help schools, school districts, and state education agencies/ministries to identify and implement promising pathways to improve programs and processes, optimize financial resources, and promote student success. Our technology solutions support this work by giving educators the means to gather, manage, and analyze data, including student performance information.

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