Call for Proposals
On behalf of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, thank you for taking the time to consider submitting a proposal for the 2027 National Conference on Education, February 25-27 in Atlanta, GA.
Each year, AASA searches for the "best of the best" presenters to engage attendees in conversations around cutting edge trends, issues and solutions in education.
Participation as a presenter will help attendees increase their leadership skills and professional competence, provide for an exchange of ideas and solutions and help attendees address hot topics facing today’s educators. In doing so, AASA, along with those selected presenters, will create a community of learning that will help America’s public school education leaders improve the quality of education for every child in every community.
Submissions are due by 11:59 pm ET on May 29, 2026. Please ensure you have thoroughly reviewed AASA's submission guidelines below prior to submitting a proposal.
Note: Login credentials for the conference submission portal are separate from your AASA login credentials.
Submission Information & Rules
- The submissions collected from this Call for Proposals will be considered for breakout sessions only.
- Breakout sessions take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and are 60 minutes in length.
- Presenters must be available on any day for which AASA assigns your session.
- Proposal submission does not guarantee participation in the National Conference on Education.
- The National Conference on Education is a noncommercial forum. Under no circumstances may a breakout session be used as a place for direct promotion of a presenter’s product, service or monetary self-interest. Sales pitches disguised as presentations will not be considered.
- All presenters must pay conference registration fees and have a registration badge. Please explain this policy to your co-presenters. There are no presenter registration discounts available. We cannot pay an honorarium or expenses for presenting breakout sessions at the Annual Conference, but hope that the intangible benefits of being a part of our educational programming make the effort worthwhile for presenters.
- Persons presenting at the conference are expected to use material and language that does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, physical ability, and/or sexual orientation.
- AASA does not pay ANY honoraria, speaker fees, or travel expenses to breakout session speakers.
- The Main Presenter is responsible for managing the submission process, as well as providing all required assets should the submission be selected.
- Main presenters may submit a maximum of 1 session. If you need to make an adjustment, you can withdraw an active submission and you’ll then be able to submit another. All adjustments must be made prior to the May 30 submission deadline.
- All National Conference on Education information and correspondence will be sent via email.
- Preference will be given to the sessions that follow the NCE Focus Zones as outlined below.
- Each proposal must have an active superintendent as part of the panel of presenters. We are looking this year for proposals that include teams of school district personnel as part of the presentation panel.
- Breakout rooms will be equipped with an LCD projector, screen, podium mic, laptop & sound patch and head table for three. Any other audiovisual equipment (i.e. flipcharts, etc.) must be requested by January 4, 2027.
- Dedicated internet is NOT provided in breakout rooms.
- Presenters agree to abide by the terms of the copyright release in order to present at the National Conference on Education.
- AASA may record audio and/or video presentations and make them available to members and other professional interested in the topic.
- Presenters agree to permit AASA to provide their contact information to attendees upon request.
- Presenters permit AASA to record their session for NCE attendees.
- Presenters understand that AASA does not provide hardcopy handouts to attendees.
- If your proposal is selected, AASA reserves the right to revise presentation titles, reassign the selected Focus Zone, and/or edit the program summary for promotional and program materials.
- AASA reserves the right to cancel a session based on noncompliance at any point. This includes, but is not limited to failure to fully register, failure to return required documents, presenter changes, etc.
- AASA may consider a submitted proposal for other meetings and/or conferences.
March 23, 2026: 9am ET
Call for Proposals Opens
May 29, 2026: 11:59 pm ET
Call for Proposals Closes
October 1, 2026
Notification of Acceptance or Rejection
October 15, 2026
Deadline for accepted presenters to return completed & signed presenter agreement
December 31, 2026
Deadline for accepted presenters to register (to be included in the conference mobile app)
January 4, 2027
Deadline for additional audiovisual requests
January 15, 2027
Deadline for presenters to submit electronic handouts to be posted to the mobile app before it goes live
Focus Zones
Presentations should feature at least one superintendent/school district leader and preferably team members from one or more school district(s)
Topics Include:
- Implement personalized learning systems for diverse student needs
- Integrate technology, including AI, to enhance individual learning pathways
- Expand project-based and competency-based learning models
- Promote student voice in shaping learning environments
- Support whole-child development, well-being, and belonging initiatives
Presentations should feature at least one superintendent/school district leader and preferably team members from one or more school district(s)
Topics Include:
- Strengthen financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and life skills
- Deepen digital citizenship and online safety
- Expand STEM, career exploration, and real-world credentialing
- Use community partnerships to provide experiential learning
- Support multiple pathways including college, career, and entrepreneurship
- Strengthen executive function capacities including focus, working memory, planning, and self-regulation to improve academic learning, adaptability, and real-life readiness
Presentations should feature at least one superintendent/school district leader and preferably team members from one or more school district(s)
Topics Include:
- Create supportive, inclusive cultures that reduce educator burnout
- Offer strong pipelines, mentorship, and leadership development
- Elevate innovative staffing models and flexible work options
- Develop workforce readiness for AI and emerging technologies
- Recognize and celebrate educator excellence
Presentations should feature at least one superintendent/school district leader and preferably team members from one or more school district(s)
Topics Include:
- Strengthen transparent communication with families and boards
- Increase student and family participation in decision-making
- Expand business and civic partnerships to enhance learning
- Build trust and community alignment around public education
- Use partnerships to advance equitable access to experiences and resources
Presentations should feature at least one superintendent/school district leader and preferably team members from one or more school district(s)
Topics Include:
- Advance comprehensive assessment systems beyond tests
- Use data ethically to guide instruction and system improvement
- Implement community-developed graduate profiles
- Evaluate the impact of programs and innovations
- Support consistent monitoring of whole-child well-being
Presentations should feature at least one superintendent/school district leader and preferably team members from one or more school district(s)
Topics Include:
- Promote positive school climate
- Expand mental health supports and crisis response capacity
- Include trauma-informed practices for students and staff
- Ensure safe physical environments and emergency preparedness
- Collaborate with local safety and health partners
Presentations should feature at least one superintendent/school district leader and preferably team members from one or more school district(s)
Topics Include:
- Maximize resource allocation and operational efficiency
- Build secure, resilient technology ecosystems including cybersecurity
- Ensure equitable access to devices and connectivity
- Plan for sustainable facilities and green operations
- Strengthen AI governance through policies that set expectations for data privacy, cybersecurity, transparency, and responsible use for students and staff.
- Showcase emerging AI tools to streamline operations
Questions?
Contact aasance@aasa.org
Key Dates & Deadlines
March 23, 2026: 9am ET
Call for Proposals Opens
May 29, 2026: 11:59 pm ET
Call for Proposals Closes
October 1, 2026
Notification of Acceptance or Rejection
October 15, 2026
Deadline for accepted presenters to return completed & signed presenter agreement
December 31, 2026
Deadline for accepted presenters to register (to be included in the conference mobile app)
January 4, 2027
Deadline for additional audiovisual requests
January 15, 2027
Deadline for presenters to submit electronic handouts to be posted to the mobile app before it goes live