Nearly 100 educators from across the state and students from the College of Education gathered October 18 for the first K-12 Professional Development Conference sponsored by the College of Education and the College of Education Alumni Association.

The goal of the conference, according to Barbara Markle, director of the Collaborative Leadership Center, was to educate teachers, principals, parents and other KÐ12 personnel, along with potential teachers, about research conducted in the College of Education.

During the keynote address, Nancy Flanagan, (MA ‘83), president of the Michigan Education Forum and former Michigan Teacher of the Year, challenged educators to "break out of our boxes" and learn more about what a classroom teacher can do to improve their performance.

Sessions included how to evaluate educational software, how schools can attain Blue Ribbon recognition, teacher leadership, school-to-work transition, and other topics to help teachers in the classroom.