Keynote Speaker - Crystal Kuykendall

Dr. Crystal Arlene Kuykendall is considered one of the most dynamic individuals of our time. A critical thinker, analyst, motivator, and mentor. Dr. Kuykendall has astounded audiences and individuals through the power of her observations and the warmth of her words. A highly sought after and savvy speaking sensation, she is an engaging educator, human relations expert, legal analyst/litigator, endearing author and loving mother.

A former elementary and secondary public school teacher, Dr. Kuykendall has taught at Seton Hall University and Montclair State University. She is the former Executive Director of the National Alliance of Black School Educators. She also served as Director of Urban & Minority Relations for the National School Boards Association and the Director of the Citizens Training Institute for the National Committee for Citizens in Education. Appointed by U.S. President Jimmy Carter to the National Advisory Council on Continuing Education, she served as Council Chairperson from 1979- 1981. She was also chosen by the editors of Ebony Magazine as one of the "50 Leaders of the Future" in 1979.

Dr. Kuykendall is the author of Developing Leadership for Parent/Citizen Groups, Improving Black Student Achievement through Enhancing Self-Image, and a motivational calendar for parents entitled You and Yours: Making the Most of this School Year. Her book, From Rage to Hope: Reclaiming Black and Hispanic Students, published in 1992, is considered by many a “timeless treasure” and is a national best seller. In May 2004, the second edition of this national bestseller, “From Rage to Hope II”, was published.

Dr. Kuykendall has been exemplary in leadership, public service, and corporate success. She has served on numerous boards and committees and has received over 200awards and commendations for her efficacy in facilitating personal and professional empowerment, problem resolution and organizational growth.

Dr. Kuykendall received her B.A. from Southern Illinois University (Carbondale) as a Government major and graduated from Montclair State University (Montclair, NJ) with a Master of Arts degree in Sociology. Through a Ford Fellowship, she received her Doctorate in Educational Administration from Atlanta University. In 1981, Dr. Kuykendall received her Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center and was admitted to the Bar Association of the District of Columbia in 1988.

Tuesday May 3, 2005

8:15 am - 9:15 am

General Session - William Modzeleski

Mr. Modzeleski is the Associate Deputy Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools. He is involved in the design and development of drug and alcohol prevention programs, violence prevention programs, and activities especially as they affect the school and in school health-related issues. Mr. Modzeleski assisted in the design of the Safe Schools Act of 1994, a bill developed to provide assistance to local educational agencies for violence prevention activities, and in the reauthorization of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act.

Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Modzeleski was detailed to the Department of Education from the U.S. Department of Justice to serve as Executive Director of the National Commission on Drug-Free Schools. The Commission on Drug-Free Schools was established by Congress to develop recommendations for achieving drug free schools and campuses. It is the fourth major Commission Mr. Modzeleski served on. The others dealt with family violence, child abuse and child molestation, drug use, and youth violence. (Attorney General's Task Force on Family Violence, President's Child Safety Partnership, White House Conference for a Drug-Free America.)

Mr. Modzeleski has over 25 years of experience at the local and Federal levels in criminal and juvenile justice areas. While at the Department of Justice, he served in a variety of capacities including: Juvenile Justice and Corrections Specialist; Staff Director of the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; Director of Family Violence Programs; and Federal Coordinator of High Impact Cities Program (Newark, New Jersey).

Tuesday May 3, 2005

11:15 am - 12:15 pm

Special Presentation - Student Performance
Bang, Bang, You’re Dead

This play is a thought-provoking look at the tragic and lasting consequences of an impulsive and horrific act of violence. It was written after the true-life event on May 21, 1998, when a 15 year-old boy from Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon, brutally shot and murdered his own parents, and then opened fire on his fellow students the next day at school, killing two and injuring many others. The play was originally sponsored by Ribbon for Promise, a national group formed in Springfield after the shooting took place, to fight the horror of school violence across the country. There is nothing in this show that glorifies or glamorizes violence. In fact, the play makes us all take a long, hard, look at the desensitization of violence in our society, and the potentially deadly effects of teasing, taunting, and alienating troubled classmates.

Wednesday May 4, 2005

Closing Luncheon 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

Keynote Speaker - Thomas Lickona

Dr. Thomas Lickona is a developmental psychologist and Professor of Education at the State University of New York at Cortland, where he has done award-winning work in teacher education and currently directs the Center for the Fourth and Fifth Rs (Respect and Responsibility). He has also been a visiting professor at Boston and Harvard Universities.

His publications include a graduate text, Moral Development and Behavior (1976); a popular book for parents, Raising Good Children (1983); a book describing his 12-point character education program, Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility (1991); and a collection of essays by various authors, Character Development in Schools and Beyond (1992). Educating for Character has been praised as “the definitive work in the field” and was named winner of a 1992 Christopher Award for “affirming the highest values of the human spirit.” Dr. Lickona’s current work includes directing an 18-month study of high school character education and a forthcoming report, Smart and Good High Schools: Developing Excellence and Ethics for Success in School, Work, and Beyond, with national dissemination in January, 2005.

Dr. Lickona’s work has been featured in the New York Times Magazine article cover story, “Teaching Johnny to be Good” (April 30, 1995); in two videos, “Character Education: Restoring Respect and Responsibility in our Schools” and “Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education” (National Professional Resources); and in a four-part video training series on character education (Quality Educational Media, Inc.) In October, 2001, the Character Education Partnership presented Dr. Lickona with the “Sandy” Award for lifetime achievement in character education. He has also been a guest on numerous radio and TV talk shows, including The Larry King Live Radio Show, Good Morning America, and Focus on the Family.

Dr. Lickona holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the State University of New York at Albany and has done research on the growth of children’s moral reasoning. He has been named a State University of New York Faculty Exchange Scholar and the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the State University of New York at Albany.