2025 Spark Symposium
Keynote Speaker
Baruti Kafele
Education Speaker and Consultant at Principal Kafele Consulting, LLC
A highly-regarded urban educator in New Jersey for over twenty years, Principal Baruti Kafele distinguished himself as a master teacher and a transformational school leader. As an elementary school teacher in East Orange, NJ, he was selected as the East Orange School District and Essex County Public Schools Teacher of the Year and New Jersey Teacher of the Year finalist.
As a middle and high school principal, Principal Kafele emerged as a turnaround school leader which included the turnaround of "The Mighty" Newark Tech, which went from a low-performing school in need of improvement to national recognition, including U.S. News and World Report Magazine recognizing it three times as one of America's best high schools and Principal Kafele being awarded the coveted Milken Educator Award.
One of the most sought-after school leadership and classroom equity presenters in America, Principal Kafele is impacting America’s schools! For over 35 years, he has delivered over 3000 conference and program keynotes, professional development workshops, parenting seminars and student assemblies. An expert in the area of “attitude transformation,” Principal Kafele is the leading authority for providing effective classroom and school leadership strategies toward closing what he coined, the "Attitude Gap.”
Principal Kafele’s keynote at the Spark Symposium will address a pivotal issue in education today: “Closing the Attitude Gap.” In this thought-provoking session, he will challenge the prevailing notion that the achievement gap is purely academic and instead highlight the crucial role of student attitudes in achieving success. Principal Kafele will argue that the Attitude Gap—the divide between students who are motivated to excel and those who struggle with motivation—plays a significant role in student performance, especially for students facing the greatest challenges.
Whether you are an administrator shaping the vision of your school or an educator working directly with students, Principal Kafele will offer practical strategies to foster an environment that inspires motivation and perseverance. His insights will help you cultivate a school culture that empowers students to engage, pursue excellence, and overcome obstacles. By the end of this engaging session, you will have actionable tools to bridge the divide between students who are motivated to learn and those who need additional support to succeed.
Lunch Panel
Legislative Q&A
We’re excited to offer an engaging legislative Q&A session during lunch at the Spark 2025 Symposium! Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with a panel of experts, including Arkansas legislators, who will provide valuable insights into the latest legislative trends and issues impacting the charter school sector. Stay tuned for the announcement of our panelists!
Event Details
Tuesday, May 20th, 2025
State House Convention Center