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Pepperdine GSEP Co-Hosted Unprecedented Convening of 14,500 Teachers Across California


Los Angeles – July 31, 2015 – California is grabbing national attention and standing apart for its ability to bring diverse groups together to effectively implement the California Standards in English language arts/literacy and math. On July 31, more than 14,500 teachers came together at 33 locations across the state for Better Together: California Teachers Summit, a first-of-its-kind event designed to help teachers build a powerful network of peers, share best practices and access effective resources to implement the new California Standards. Teachers walked away with concrete tools and strategies and built a network of colleagues from their home region to support future collaboration.

Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Loyola Marymount, USC and Antioch, in partnership with New Teacher Center, the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, and California State University, co-hosted this unprecedented event, featuring:

  • Nationally renowned keynote speakers Yvette Nicole Brown, an actress and teacher advocate, and Leland Melvin, a NASA astronaut and STEM education pioneer.
  • Ed Talks offering funny, inspiring and poignant perspectives from teachers, including Pepperdine GSEP Associate Professor of Psychology, Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis.
  • EdCamp-style breakout sessions led by teachers on cutting-edge strategies that are working in classrooms across the state.
  • Special guest Kid President, a character played by 10-year-old YouTuber Robby Novak, offered an inspirational and humorous perspective on the important role of teachers. Calling the educators a "roomful of awesome" showed the importance of educators as individual who are  "shaping the world."

Together, teachers have the power to help each other succeed and to make an even bigger difference in their students’ lives, and the overwhelming success of the event demonstrates Californian teacher’s dedication proving this so.

For more information on the event, please visit www.cateacherssummit.com.

About the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP)

The Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) is an innovative learning community where faculty, staff, and students of diverse cultures and perspectives work collaboratively to foster academic excellence, social purpose and personal fulfillment. Through its integrative coursework and practical training, GSEP prepares students to serve the needs of others through skilled leadership. GSEP offers six master's and four doctoral programs across its five graduate campus locations throughout Southern California and online. Programs are fully accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the American Psychological Association.

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