Tuesday | April 8, 2025
9:00 – 10:00 AM
Opening Keynote: Dr. Herbert T. Monroe III
Superintendent, Surry County Public Schools
Dr. Monroe has just been named Superintendent of Schools for Surry County in the East-Central area of Virginia. He served nine years in Caroline County as a Director of School Leadership and Improvement for two years and Assistant Superintended over the past seven years. Under his collaborative leadership, CCPS has increased the percentage of accredited schools, reduced chronic absenteeism and helped to create supports for mental health . Dr. Monroe’s motto of “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work” ignited and engaged students, parents, counselors, content liaisons, digital champions, instructional coaches, administrators, and the school board in developing Caroline County’s five-year strategic plan, Achieve 2027 and Caroline County’s K-12 Profile of a Graduate that ensures all students PreK-12 are college, career, and life-ready! Prior to being a central office Assistant Superintendent and Director, Dr. Monroe served as the principal of Henrico High School in Richmond, Va., from 2013-2016. Under Dr. Monroe’s leadership, Henrico High School was named one of the best high schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. He implemented programs to close the achievement gap among minority groups in math, reading, science and social studies by 10 percent; while successfully increasing the number of students taking Advanced Placement courses making Warrior Nation something special to BEHOLD! From 2007-2013, Dr. Monroe served in his first principal position at Lakeside Elementary School in Henrico County. Dr. Monroe was responsible for building a team that moved Lakeside Elementary out of school improvement to full accreditation within his first two years. In addition, Lakeside Elementary was recognized as a National Distinguished Title I School for improved student achievement and significantly closing the achievement gap among student groups.
Dr. Monroe received his Bachelor of Science degree from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, and his Master’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Educational Leadership and Administration. He holds a Doctoral degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University in Educational Leadership and Policy Study.
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Teachers say energetic, students say caring and parents say passionate to describe his presence in every field of human endeavor. While enjoying challenges, he thrives on working with people to help them set and reach their goals. In every situation, Dr. Monroe strives to find a win-win solution for each person. Dr. Monroe’s mission in life is leading students, teachers, and leaders to create a sense of belonging where everyone is safe, valued, empowered, learning, and willing to take risks by creating a culture where you can make mistakes without losing your dignity. He is currently in his 5th month as the Proud Superintendent of Surry County Public Schools, where he has implemented a culture of 3C’s Connection, Collaboration, and Communication to “Build Excellence, One Student at a Time!”
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Wednesday | April 9, 2025
8:00 – 9:00 AM
Closing Keynote: Charles Best
Chief Executive Officer, Lakeshore Learning Materials
Charles joined Lakeshore Learning Materials as Chief Executive Officer in 2023, bringing decades of experience as an innovator, philanthropist and changemaker in the education community.
Early in his career, Charles served as a high school teacher in the Bronx. In 2000, his desire to improve public education led him to found one of the first-ever crowdfunding platforms, DonorsChoose, which has now supported classrooms across the United States with more than $1.6 billion in
educational materials and services. Using crowdfunding as a force for equity, DonorsChoose has funded projects at 88% of the nation’s public schools, overwhelmingly in low-income communities.
As Founder and CEO of DonorsChoose, Charles built a world-class leadership team and board of
directors. As CEO of Lakeshore, Charles is using his deep academic knowledge and pioneering spirit to continue developing new ways to support teachers and families, equip classrooms and
enrich learning for all students.
Charles graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Yale College with a focus on history and teacher preparation.