Stephen F. Austin State University

Texas school finance, policy making and accountability trends will be addressed at the third annual Texas School Law Conference at Stephen F. Austin State University. The conference will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, March 3, in the University Center Grand Ballroom.

Dr. Monte Moses, named Colorado Superintendent of the Year and the National Superintendent of the Year in 2005, will deliver the luncheon keynote address regarding education reform. Moses holds bachelor's and master's degrees from SFA and a doctorate from Vanderbilt University and has served as superintendent of the Cherry Creek School District in Colorado since 1991.

Moses is the author of two books and multiple articles regarding leadership and organizational improvement. He received the Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence in 1996 and was named Administrator of the Year in 2001 by the National Association of Educational Office Professionals.

Jeffrey Boyd, a partner at Thompson and Knight, will address public school finance. Former Texas deputy attorney general in charge of civil litigation, Boyd is currently a civil litigator advising and representing clients responding to government investigations and defending against government enforcement actions. Boyd is a member of the State Bar of Texas and a member of the Texas Supreme Court Rules Advisory Committee.

Boyd graduated cum laude from Abilene Christian University and summa cum laude from Pepperdine University School of Law, where he served as editor in chief of the Pepperdine Law Review. He has received the American Jurisprudence Award, the American Board of Trial Advocates Award and the United States Supreme Court Historical Society Writing Award.

Sandy Kress will discuss state and national policy making and accountability trends. He is a partner at Akin Gump Stauss Hauer & Feld and has served as senior adviser to President George Bush on education and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. His practice centers on public law and policy at the state and national levels, and Kress has served as president of the board of trustees of the Dallas public schools and currently serves on the Education Commission of the States.

Kress graduated from the University of California and with honors from the University of Texas School of Law. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the District of Columbia Bar.

Personnel issues, governance, open meetings and contract issues and updates to case law will be discussed during breakout session. Presenters include Bob Caster, Cushing Independent School District superintendent; Kelli Karczewski, Feldman and Rogers; Lynda Langham, assistant to the SFA general counsel and president of the Cushing Independent School District board of trustees; Jim Nardone, Cleveland Independent School District deputy superintendent; Joe Smith, TexasISD.com; and Kennard Independent School District representatives Sharon Young, Nancy Morgan and Denise Barclay.

Registration for the conference, including lunch, is $50. SFA students may register at a discounted fee of $20 or register without lunch for free. All participants must pre-register by Feb. 24. A registration form is available on the conference Web site at http://schoollawconference.sfasu.edu.