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Keynote Speaker Biography and Featured Sessions
The IB & A Vision for the Future of Education, Dr. Robert Kelty, Head of Development, Outreach, & Relations IB North America
Robert Kelty is the Head of Development, Outreach, and Government Relations for the International Baccalaureate (IB) North America, which includes the United States and Canada. He began his career with Teach For America in 2001 in Crownpoint, New Mexico, located in the heart of the Navajo Nation. Since then, Dr. Kelty has held several significant roles, including head of school, superintendent, member of the national Teach For America team, and an elected official as the Coconino County Superintendent of Schools.
In his current role as Head of IB North America, Robert is responsible for government relations at the federal and state levels, fostering national and international partnerships, and driving the growth of the IB.
Dr. Kelty holds a doctorate from Northern Arizona University (NAU), which also awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2008. He is a former Arizona Teacher of the Year, has been published in the Journal of American Indian Education, and was a lead author of On Indian Ground: The Southwest (2021). Additionally, he was a signatory on an Amicus Brief to the Ninth Circuit concerning federal obligations to Native American education.
A frequent public speaker, Robert recently delivered a keynote at the National School Board Association's Advocacy and Equity Summit in Washington, D.C., where he discussed a renewed vision for public schools in an era of accelerated choice. From his early days on the Navajo Nation to his work today, Robert’s career has been committed to the idea that education can be transformative to life outcomes and that every child deserves access to an excellent, meaningful, and proactive education.
Featured Sessions #1
Funding for an International Baccalaureate (IB) program by effectively leveraging the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) process, Vanessa Eastland, Chief Financial Officer for Ontario-Montclair School District
Explore how to align the IB program's goals with the state and local priorities outlined in the LCAP, demonstrating its value in improving academic achievement, promoting college and career readiness, and fostering a positive school climate
Coherent Curriculum- Integrating Local and Grade-Level Requirements to Create Effective Learning Experiences, Kelsey Day & Chloe Suberville, IBWS Senior Managers
We will explore practical ways to create coherence across these multiple expectations while keeping student learning at the center. We will examine strategies for aligning standards with the POI and subject frameworks and consider how the Learner Profile and Approaches to Learning can serve as unifying elements when designing curriculum. We’ll discuss how to shift from simply “covering content” toward building connected, concept-driven learning experiences that foster deeper understanding and transferable skills.
Connecting our School Communities: A Case Study of the ToK Exhibition, Jared Phelps, DP Coordinator Bonita Vista High School
Jared will share work that he does with other IB Schools in his area to host a ‘San Diego ToK Exhibition Day.’ The process of hosting a large event involving multiple schools can be daunting but can serve to build relationships between schools and connect teachers who might otherwise exist in silos.
Featured Sessions #2
IB's AI Policy in Practice - Erika Wanczuk, IB English Language and Literature and ToK teacher La Costa Canyon High School
As we all work to navigate the shifting landscape of AI in our world and our classrooms, this session will serve as an informative opportunity to work through guidance from the IB on the use of AI in the classroom. Where are there opportunities for learning, and what are the pitfalls that teachers are facing? This session will include practical implementation strategies, and opportunities for discussion. Erika has presented widely on the use of AI in schools - often in correlation with California State University San Marcos.
Reason, Reflect, Retain: Brain-Based Strategies for the IB Classroom, Laurel Ferreiri – CAWS Vice President/IBC Jefferson Elementary School
Discover how to boost student learning by tapping into how the brain builds knowledge through reasoning and reflection. This interactive workshop connects IB Approaches to Learning with practical classroom strategies that deepen understanding and retention.
Designing for Growth: Using ATL Skills to Backward Plan for Assessment-Capable Learners, Rick Barlow, CAWS President
How can MYP teachers use ATL skills not as an add-on, but as a driver for student growth and assessment readiness? This session explores how intentional backward planning can place ATL development at the heart of student success. Participants will examine how to start with a unit’s summative assessment, identify the academic skills required for mastery, and match those to relevant ATL skills. Together, we’ll consider strategies for designing scaffolded learning experiences and reflection opportunities that support skill development and deepen student ownership of learning. Resources and planning tools will be shared to support continued application beyond the session.
Featured Sessions #3
Creating a Culture of Service - Ashley Hensen- IBC Pacific Beach Middle School
This session is designed to develop a culture of service in the MYP setting. Make the shift from service being a requirement, to creating a buzz of excitement around service in action. I will share how to support students through attaining their community service hours in years one and two of the MYP, which then builds to the essential steps of developing and executing a successful Community Project in year 3. We will focus on fostering a deep understanding of service as action and its integral role in both academic development and personal growth. Participants will learn how to identify community needs, plan impactful projects, and effectively reflect on their contributions.
Coherent Curriculum- Integrating Local and Grade-Level Requirements to Create Effective Learning Experiences, Kelsey Day & Chloe Suberville, IBWS Senior Managers
We will explore practical ways to create coherence across these multiple expectations while keeping student learning at the center. We will examine strategies for aligning standards with the POI and subject frameworks and consider how the Learner Profile and Approaches to Learning can serve as unifying elements when designing curriculum. We’ll discuss how to shift from simply “covering content” toward building connected, concept-driven learning experiences that foster deeper understanding and transferable skills.
Building Agency Within the Systems of Your PYP Community - Elizabeth Weiser, CAWS PYP Representative/IBC PYP Casita Center World School
Have you considered what student agency might look and feel like when aligned with state and IB standards, as well as school and district expectations? This session will bring philosophy and research to real-world examples, and provide opportunities to crowd-source inspirations from each other. Looking through multiple contexts (lessons, classroom, school, and community), we will explore shared commitments to inspire agency in learner-centered systems.
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