Special Guest Speakers

[...] The Indiana native who grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, earned his doctorate in educational policy studies, and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, in 1998 and 2004, respectively. He received his Master of Education in educational foundations from UH Mānoa in 1994 and his bachelor’s degree in humanities from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, in 1988.

Tanabe began his teaching career at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, where he co-founded and directed the Research Center for Cultural Diversity and Community Renewal.

He has authored journal articles, book chapters and commissioned reports on such issues as teacher morale and parent and community engagement in local public education. His scholarship has focused on educational access for economically disadvantaged children and youth, anti-discrimination and affirmative action in education, and social power in education. [...]

Sean Cain is a former high school principal, central office administrator, and state director of the Texas High School Innovative Redesign Project. Currently, he works with numerous school districts in the design and implementation of improvement initiatives. With a focus primarily on school leadership, Cain coaches and trains school board members, superintendents, principals, and teachers on an almost daily basis. A co-author of the Washington Post's best-selling non-fiction book, The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction, educators from across the country read and respond to his on-line school leadership column, Lead Your School. The daily column can be accessed at www.LYSNation.com