ttf17: Full Schedule

8:30am CDT

Higher Ed Funding and Spending

Is there enough money available to educate the next generation of Texans — and who should foot the bill?

Supported by Deloitte

Moderators

Matthew Watkins (mod.)

Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Watkins writes about higher education and the business of college sports for the Tribune. Previously, he covered local government as the Dallas County government reporter at The Dallas Morning News and was a staff writer at the Bryan-College Station Eagle, covering a variety of topics... Read More →

Speakers

Dan Branch

Former State Representative

Branch represented Texas House District 108 from 2003 to 2015. He ran for Texas attorney general in 2014. During his legislative tenure, Branch served as chairman of the House Higher Education Committee and was the author of the “Tier One Universities” bill, which incentivized... Read More →

Garrett Groves

Economic Opportunity Director at the Center for Public Policy Priorities

Groves leads a team of policy analysts at the CPPP specializing in education and economics. He is a former Senior Policy Analyst for the National Governors Association, focusing on workforce, post-secondary education and economic development policies. Groves also worked for the Office... Read More →

Brenda Hellyer

Chancellor of San Jacinto College

Hellyer was appointed chancellor of San Jacinto College in 2009. Since joining the college in 1996, she has served in a number of executive positions including director of the San Jacinto College Foundation, executive vice president for resource development and vice chancellor for... Read More →

Kel Seliger

State Senator

Seliger, R-Amarillo, has represented Senate District 31 since 2004. He serves as chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee and sits on the Finance, Education, and Natural Resources & Economic Development committees. Before joining the Legislature, Seliger served four terms... Read More →

Paula Short

Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost for the University of Houston

Short, who joined the University of Houston in 2012 as a distinguished professor and founding director of the Institute for Policy Research and Evaluation, was named senior vice president in 2013. Previously, she served as vice chancellor for academic affairs for the Tennessee Board... Read More →

Saturday September 23, 2017 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Flawn Academic Center, Auditorium

Public & Higher Education

9:50am CDT

Testing, Accountability and College Readiness

Five superintendents on how to put the greatest number of students on the best path forward

Moderators

Eva-Marie Ayala (mod.)

Reporter for the Dallas Morning News

Ayala has been a reporter for the Dallas Morning News since 2012. She specializes in local, state, and national education news. Prior to joining the Dallas Morning News, Ayala covered education, economic development, and city government news for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for 11... Read More →

Speakers

Art Cavazos

Superintendent of Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District

Cavazos has led Harlingen CISD since 2013. He currently serves on several boards and councils, including the Texas State Board for Educator Certification, the Future-Ready Superintendents Leadership Network and the University of Texas College of Education Advisory Council. In 2017... Read More →

HD Chambers

Superintendent of the Alief Independent School District

Chambers has led Alief ISD since 2011. As superintendent, he has played an active role in education legislation, helping the Texas House develop House Bill 5 in 2013, which revamped the state’s curriculum and graduation requirements. Chambers also helped the House develop HB 22... Read More →

Paul Cruz

Superintendent of the Austin Independent School District

Cruz was named head of Austin ISD in 2015 after serving nine months as interim superintendent. He previously served as chief schools officer for AISD, supervising four associate superintendents and more than 120 campus principals. Cruz also served as the deputy commissioner for dropout... Read More →

Steve Flores

Superintendent of the Round Rock Independent School District

Flores has led Round Rock ISD as superintendent since 2013. Previously, he served as superintendent of Harlingen CISD and as assistant superintendent for both Pflugerville ISD and Round Rock ISD. Flores also worked as executive assistant for special projects for the Texas Association... Read More →

Susan Simpson Hull

Superintendent of the Grand Prairie Independent School District

Hull has led Grand Prairie ISD since 2007. She has been an educator for 37 years, serving as a superintendent for more than two decades and in five school districts. In 2005, she was named Texas Superintendent of the Year. Hull was appointed to the State Board of Educator Certification... Read More →

Saturday September 23, 2017 9:50am - 10:50am CDT
Flawn Academic Center, Auditorium

Public & Higher Education

11:10am CDT

The Right Response on Sexual Assault

What we learned from Baylor and where we go from here

Moderators

Morgan Smith (mod.)

Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Smith is an investigative reporter at the Tribune, where she recently completed a multi-part series on child sex trafficking. Previously she covered public education, including school finance reform and accountability and testing in Texas public schools. Smith’s political coverage... Read More →

Speakers

Paula Lavigne

Reporter & Data Analyst for ESPN’s Outside the Lines

Lavigne been with ESPN since 2008, working primarily for the investigative sports news show Outside the Lines. In this role, she has covered major sporting issues including Baylor University’s sexual assault case. Most recently, Lavigne is co-author of the upcoming book Violated... Read More →

J.M. Lozano

State Representative

Lozano, R-Kingsville, has represented House District 43 since 2011. He serves as chairman of the House Higher Education Committee and sits on the Environmental Regulation Committee. Previously, he served on the House Republican Caucus Policy Committee and as vice chairman of the House... Read More →

Wanda Mercer

Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas System

Mercer oversees academic affairs for the University of Texas System. She previously served as vice president for student life at Tarleton State University and associate vice president and dean of students at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. Mercer has also served as president... Read More →

Sierra Smith

Baylor University Student and Advocate for Sexual Assault Survivors

Smith is a junior at Baylor University. She is an advocate for reforming the handling of sexual assault cases at Texas colleges and universities. In April, Smith shared her story as a sexual assault survivor before the House Higher Education Committee, testifying in favor a bill that... Read More →

Kirk Watson

State Senator

Watson has represented Senate District 14 since 2007. He serves as vice chairman of the Senate Nominations Committee and sits on the Finance, Health & Human Services and Higher Education committees. In the 85th legislative session, Watson authored multiple campus sexual assault protection... Read More →

Saturday September 23, 2017 11:10am - 12:10pm CDT
Flawn Academic Center, Auditorium

Public & Higher Education

1:45pm CDT

Why School Finance is So Hard

Forget about adequacy and equity. We can’t even agree on whether more money is a good idea.

Supported by the Texas Association of Realtors and Raise Your Hand Texas

Moderators

Aliyya Swaby (mod.)

Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Swaby covers public education for the Tribune. She joined the Tribune in October 2016 from the hyperlocal nonprofit New Haven Independent, where she covered education, zoning and transit for two years. After graduating from Yale University in 2013, Swaby spent a year freelance reporting... Read More →

Speakers

Diego Bernal

State Representative

Bernal, D-San Antonio, has represented House District 123 since 2015. He serves as vice chairman of the House Public Education Committee and sits on the Administration and Urban Affairs committees. Previously, Bernal served as an attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and... Read More →

Mary González

State Representative

González, D-Clint, has represented House District 75 since 2013. She serves as vice chairwoman of the House Agriculture & Livestock Committee and sits on the Appropriations Committee. Previously, González worked for state Reps. Paul Moreno and Richard Peña Raymond, at the National... Read More →

Donna Howard

State Representative

Howard, D-Austin, has represented House District 48 since 2006. She serves as vice chairwoman of the Calendars Committee and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Budget Transparency & Reform. She also sits on the Administration, Higher Education and Appropriations committees... Read More →

Dan Huberty

State Representative

Huberty, R-Houston, has represented House District 127 since 2011. He serves as chairman of the House Public Education Committee and sits on the Pensions Committee. In the 85th regular legislative session, Huberty helped carry House Bill 21, which aimed to overhaul the state’s school... Read More →

Saturday September 23, 2017 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
Flawn Academic Center, Auditorium

Public & Higher Education

3:05pm CDT

What HBCUs Mean for Texas

By enabling educational attainment and opportunity, they strengthen communities and lift up students and families

Moderators

Corrie MacLaggan (mod.)

Managing Editor at The Texas Tribune

MacLaggan has previously worked as a national correspondent for Reuters, writing and editing stories about Texas and nearby states and overseeing a network of freelance writers. Before joining Reuters, she covered Texas government and politics for the Austin American-Statesman. She... Read More →

Speakers

Colette Pierce Burnette

President and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University

Pierce Burnette has led Huston-Tillotson since 2015. She serves on numerous boards and committees, including the steering committee for My Brother’s Keeper, an initiative started by President Obama to provide intervention and mentorship to young men of color, and on the board of... Read More →

Austin Lane

President of Texas Southern University

Lane has served as head of TSU since 2016. Previously, he served as executive vice chancellor of Lone Star College. He also served as vice president for student affairs at Tyler Junior College, where he directed a college-wide enrollment management team, and as the dean of students... Read More →

Michael Sorrell

President of Paul Quinn College

Sorrell has served as president of Paul Quinn College since 2007. During his tenure, the college was named the historically black college or university (HBCU) of the year and Sorrell was recognized as HBCU Male President of the Year. Prior to his appointment, he was a member of the... Read More →

James White

State Representative

White, R-Woodville, has represented House District 19 since 2010. He serves as chairman of the House Corrections Committee and sits on the International Trade & Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. Previously, White served as a professor of government at Angelina College. He is an... Read More →

Saturday September 23, 2017 3:05pm - 4:05pm CDT
Flawn Academic Center, Auditorium

Public & Higher Education

4:25pm CDT

One on One with Mike Morath

The Texas Education Commissioner on what it will take to make our schools and school districts the best in the nation

Supported by Pearson

Moderators

Evan Smith

CEO of The Texas Tribune

Smith is the CEO and co-founder of The Texas Tribune. Previously Smith spent nearly 18 years at Texas Monthly, including eight years as editor and a year as president and editor-in-chief. He also hosts Overheard with Evan Smith, airing on PBS stations nationally.

Speakers

Mike Morath

Texas Education Commissioner

Morath was appointed education commissioner by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2016. In this role, he heads the Texas Education Agency, which oversees pre-kindergarten through high school education for more than five million Texas students. Morath previously served on the Dallas Independent School... Read More →

Saturday September 23, 2017 4:25pm - 5:25pm CDT
Flawn Academic Center, Auditorium

Public & Higher Education