CANCUN—What started off in 2014 as a simple idea, has blossomed into a major convening, drawing more than 700 educators from K-12 school districts and colleges and universities together to strategize and share best practices on how to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing urban schools around the globe. 
Dr. Chance W. Lewis
The International Conference on Urban Education (ICUE) has become the sought-after space where ideas are shared, and collaborations are formed. The biennial conference is the brainchild of Dr. Chance W. Lewis, the director of the Urban Education Collaborative and the Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professor in Urban Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Tired of simply gathering at conferences to rehash the same problems, Lewis had a vision that he wanted to spearhead a solutions-oriented convening that allowed individuals to put theory into practice, in an effort to yield positive outcomes for students attending schools in urban school districts.
That vision quickly gained traction.
“Too often, nobody has a framing for solutions, it’s not even pushed,” said Lewis. “And that’s what people want. People will travel to hear solutions and then work to implement solutions. It’s a gap we have to fill for people when we come to these types of gatherings so that they can have the information that they need and so that they can be equipped to go forward as well.”
Last week, ICUE kicked off its fifth convening and featured a keynote by Dr. Leslie T. Fenwick, dean emerita of education at Howard University and the author of the Jim Crow’s Pink Slip: The Untold Story of Black Principal and Teacher Leadership. Past keynote speakers have included Drs. Gloria Ladson-Billings, Tyrone Howard, Pedro Noguera, and Sonia Nieto.
