As a follow up to the "leadership" conference our overly-large school district held this week, we’ve been asked to complete a survey about the speakers and sessions. As you might expect, the final question asks for ways the affair could be improved next year. And it really needs improvement!

Although I don’t expect the superintendent to take my ideas, I want to offer some suggestions for keynote speakers who will punch the assembled administrators right in their minds. Someone who will challenge their traditional way of thinking when it comes to organizing and running a school, and the education process in general.

I’ve got a short list in mind but does anyone out there have a recommendation?

Whoever the speaker is must be able to connect with a couple thousand people at one time (I told you we were big!) and have a solid idea of why our educational system is messed up in the first place. And they can’t be afraid of pushing an auditorium full of educational traditionalists in the direction of some radical changes.

I’ll pay for the suit of armor they’ll need. :-)