12th Annual Leadership Symposium: All Children Have the Potential for Greatness

“Framing Gifted Education as Talent Development for All: A Critical Perspective for School Leaders” was the focus of the 12th Annual Leadership Symposium sponsored by the Department of Administrative and Instructional Leadership (DAIL) within The School of Education (SOE) on March 8 on St. John’s University’s Queens, NY, campus.

Frank C. Worrell, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Education and Director, School Psychology Program at the Berkeley School of Education, served as the symposium’s keynote speaker. In his address, Dr. Worrell shared, “Outstanding contributions as an adult are determined by a combination of nature (potential) and nurture (opportunities, training, education). Potential is not always visible or evident, and will not develop into expertise if it is not developed. Thus, the role of education is to provide children with broad opportunities to develop their talents, recognizing that some talents will not emerge until the middle and high school years. Educators should not think that they know which child has the potential for greatness, but assume that all children have that potential.” 

This symposium was so important, Dr. Worrell observed, because “everyone was concerned with how to best serve the youth of our nation and help those who have the least power and privilege to pursue their dreams, whatever those dreams may be.” 

Close to 200 people attended the symposium, which featured research presentations by 18 recent graduates from the School’s doctoral program, as well as five breakout sessions administered by local school principals and professors. The symposium was first held in 2013 under the direction of James Reed Campbell, Ph.D., Professor, Administrative and Instructional Leadership. Today, it continues under his leadership, along with James D. Wolfinger, Ph.D., Dean, The School of Education; Stephen Kotok, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Administrative and Instructional Leadership, and DAIL Chair; and DAIL faculty, administrators, and staff.

“The Leadership Symposium was again very successful, with an excellent keynote speaker, very good roundtable presentations, and excellent superintendent’s breakout sessions,” said Dr. Campbell.

Weedens E. Blanchard ’94SVC, ’97MBA, ’07PD, ’17Ed.D., Principal, Holy Cross High School, and Adjunct Assistant Professor in The School of Education, underscored that the symposium was a “phenomenal day of learning and research.”

“It was a sincere pleasure serving as the Chair of the Special Education/Disability Roundtable at the 12th Annual DAIL Leadership Symposium,” he said. “I saw an outstanding array of research that lends to our field of education.”

“Every year, I am so impressed with this symposium,” said Dean Wolfinger. “As a School, we take up topics that are critical to education today and bring in world class researchers to spark our conversations. The School of Education is an incubator for the research and teaching necessary to advance education in New York City and far beyond.”