2024 MACTE Spring Conference
February 29th & March 1st, 2024 – Columbia, MO
Please note, The call for proposals button is active. The Registration button will be active once we open conference Registration.
Our Keynote Presentation: The Essence of Education
Shonta Smith, Ed.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Shonta Smith International, LLC
Presentation Abstract/Summary: The Essence of Education requires educators to be the change they need to see. During this session participants will learn actionable steps to make the necessary changes and adjustments to enhance the teaching and learning process. We will “Leap Into Learning” by looking at policies (Legislate), instructional practices (Educate), processes (Assess), and relationships (Partner) and the impact it has on teacher expectations, student engagement and academic achievement.
More about Dr. Shonta Smith
Dr. Shonta Smith is the “Essence of Education.” She has defied the odds. From the slums of inner city St. Louis, she knew early on that there was something more. Dr. Smith knew that life in and of itself was great. She knew that greatness was upon her and that it was her responsibility to be true to herself and do great things. Dr. Smith was blessed early on as she had the opportunity to participate in the voluntary desegregation program from 7th thru 12th grade. This experience allowed her to interact with various cultural groups and develop an appreciation for everyone’s cultural uniqueness. This opportunity set the foundation for Dr. Smith’s passion for culturally responsive teaching and resulted in the creation of Dr. Shonta Smith International LLC.
Dr. Smith is a tenured Professor and Department Chair in the Elementary, Early and Special Education Department at Southeast Missouri State University. She has over 31 years of experience in education. Of those 31 years, 17 years have been at the elementary, middle and high school levels. She has been a teacher, team leader, department head, coach, administrative intern and principal with the St. Louis Public Schools, Normandy School District, and the Ferguson-Florissant School District. The other 14 years have been at the collegiate level as an Adjunct Professor at Lindenwood University and as a Chair and tenured Professor at Southeast Missouri State University. Her research interests are African Centered Rites of Passage Programs, Culturally Responsive Teaching, and Instructional Leadership. Dr. Smith received her Ed. D. Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from St. Louis University, M.Ed. Master of Education in Counseling from the University of Missouri St. Louis and B. S. Bachelor of Science in Education from Harris Stowe State University. She is passionate about educating communities. Her motto is “One Team – One Goal – One Band – One Sound.”
Conference Pricing:
In an effort to maximize our limited time together, we are incorporating meals into conference fees: lunch and dinner banquet on Thursday, and breakfast (during MACTE business meeting) and box lunch on Friday. We hope you enjoy the convenience of remaining in the conference center for time with your colleagues. As our members may not be available on both days, options are available to attend either the full conference or a single day.
Note: To attend the keynote presentation you will need to attend the keynote dinner banquet on Thursday evening.
| Conference Options | Price |
| Full conference with Thursday banquet | $250.00 |
| Full conference no Thursday banquet | $225.00 |
| One Day Option (Thursday) with banquet | $200.00 |
| One Day Option (Thursday) no banquet | $175.00 |
| One Day Option (Friday) + Th banquet | $210.00 |
| One Day Option (Friday) | $180.00 |
To encourage early registration while accommodating for travel uncertainty, we will allow a one-time transfer of a paid registration to a colleague at your organization / institution if you are unable to attend the conference.
Hotel Reservations
Location: Courtyard by Marriott, Columbia, MO
Location: Courtyard by Marriott, 3301 Lemone Industrial Blvd., Columbia, MO 65201
A special MACTE room rate is available for a limited number of rooms at our host hotel on both Wednesday (2/28) and Thursday (2/29) nights. Click here to Book your group rate for Missouri Association of Colleges for Teachers Education Spring Conference.
We look forward to seeing you in Columbia!
Conference Schedule
The “Quick Agenda” is shown below. To download the full agenda, please use the link below.
2024-Spring-Conference-Agenda-Builder-Quick3Please note: The agenda is subject to change. Updates will be added here and to the PDF version once daily as needed.