2023 Educators Forum Keynote Speaker

Savanna Flakes, EdS; Founder and Lead Consultant, Inclusion for a Better Future

Savanna Flakes is an award-winning motivational speaker and international education consultant whose mission is to ignite fires within others to create sustainable change on topics such as Inclusion and Equity, Social Emotional Learning, and Shaking Up Special Education. Savanna is the founder and CEO of Inclusion For a Better Future and she partners with school communities around the world to build teacher leaders and support effective instructional practices for students with special needs. Savanna serves as a Professor at American University, training teachers on best practices to reach ALL learners with exceptionalities. Savanna has received numerous honors and awards for her work in education such as the Public Service George Webber Award for Excellence in Education, U.S. Department of Education-White House Outstanding African American Educator, and National Association of Special Education Teachers Outstanding Special Educator Award. Savanna has published dozens of instructional articles with Education Week, Edutopia, Teaching Channel, and the Learning Disabilities Association of America. Savanna’s latest book, Shaking Up Special Education: Instructional Moves to Increase Achievement made a debut on the “2020 Top Books” list for education and the publication has been named one of the Best Special Education Books of all time. Savanna is a changemaker: working to utilize her education and passion to positively impact the lives of teachers, children, and families by coaching school communities on effective inclusive and equitable practices to reach diverse learners.

2023 Keynote Presentation:

Savanna provides a road map on why teachers are really superheroes in disguise. This has become even more apparent throughout and after the pandemic as they navigated unique and unprecedented challenges. Teachers use evidence-based strategies, collaborate with intentionality to increase access to the curriculum, and differentiate instruction to increase social and academic achievement for ALL students. This plenary will answer two fundamental questions – How can we remove barriers to increase access to academic content? How can we add more differentiation to engage learners? Providing meaningful learning experiences that support and challenge ALL students is truly our super strength!