During FETC 2027, nationally recognized principals will address key K-12 hurdles: AI integration, keeping teachers on staff, and tackling chronic absenteeism.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL, UNITED STATES, July 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Four Featured Speakers have been unveiled for the 2027 School Leaders track at the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC). These leaders are nationally recognized principals and school administrators who, day in and day out, navigate AI adoption, teacher retention, and efforts to strengthen school culture.
According to research from the Learning Policy Institute, the Wallace Foundation, and Frontiers in Education, the principal is consistently identified as the single most critical element for confronting K-12’s toughest issues—ranging from staffing shortages and habitual absenteeism to worsening student mental health and AI’s classroom disruptions. The numbers speak volumes: schools run by well-prepared principals see an 89% annual teacher retention rate, while those under less-prepared leadership retain only 78%. When a strong principal departs, student achievement may keep dropping for as long as five years.
The principals featured in the FETC 2027 School Leaders track are:
Ashley Moore (Principal Mo), Principal of The Empowerment Academy and winner of the 2024 Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals Connected School Leader Award. Drawing on 18 years of classroom teaching, special education, and administrative experience at her PreK-8 school in Baltimore, she offers a hands-on viewpoint on using AI in school leadership.
Dr. Kim Abel, Head of School at Optima Academy Online, ranks among the first U.S. educators to examine how agentic and adaptive AI are transforming learning. In Orlando, Abel leads one of the nation’s first K-12 schools to incorporate virtual reality into everyday instruction, merging research with practical use.
Dr. Danny Steele, Speaker & Author, Leadership Learning and Culture, LLC, brings 31 years of experience across every tier of school leadership and six books focused on school culture and leadership. His work explores what keeps schools and staff grounded when everything around them is shifting—particularly during times of rapid change.
Dr. Sonal Patel, CEO of Educate2Elevate, holds a doctorate in Leadership for Educational Justice. Her session will tackle one of K-12’s most urgent equity concerns: guaranteeing that every student gains meaningful access to edtech, AI, and computer science through human‑centered learning experiences.
The FETC 2027 School Leaders track covers the full range of challenges principals and school leaders currently face—from adopting AI and retaining teachers to building culture and improving student outcomes. These featured speakers join a larger lineup of school leadership specialists delivering concurrent sessions, roundtables, and hands-on workshops throughout the conference.
FETC 2027 takes place January 26–29 in Orlando, FL. Registration is open at fetc.org, with group discounts for teams of three or more.
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About FETC
The Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) (https://www.fetc.org/) serves as the premier gathering and year-round professional learning community for education technology leaders, innovators, and educators committed to driving measurable outcomes. Through in-depth seminars, collaborative roundtables, interactive workshops, and carefully reviewed sessions, FETC provides K-12 leaders and teachers with proven strategies and tools ready for immediate use. The event’s vast exhibit hall features over 450 leading solution providers, and FETC’s partnerships with industry organizations and state education technology associations amplify diverse viewpoints and nurture grassroots innovation.
Arc
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Jodie E Buenning
Buenning Strategies
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