Several key speakers at the American Association of School Administrators' annual conference in Tampa Feb. 14 to 17 seemed to agree that the old ways of rote memorization, standardized testing, and chalkboards are not what students need to succeed in today's schools and the world at large.

Several key speakers at the American Association of School Administrators' 2008 conference in Tampa seemed to agree that the old ways of rote memorization, standardized testing, and chalkboards are not what students need to succeed in today's schools and the world at large. However, while the word "innovation" rolled freely from everyone's lips, speakers had different interpretations for what that should mean.

Pulitzer Prize winner Frank McCourt, a master storyteller and teacher; Daniel Pink, another award-winning author and an expert on global markets; and CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O'Brien are among the key attractions at this year's American Association of School Administrators (AASA) National Conference on Education, which begins Feb. 14. The conference is in it's 104th year.

At the American Association of School Administrators' annual conference last week, a common theme emerged: Strong educational leadership is the key to transforming public schools--and preparing today's generation of students for success in an increasingly complex world.