ANNOUNCEMENT: researchED US 2020 POSTPONED

Hello, Ed Cases. Wherever you may be, I wish you peace and strength in these uncertain, troubling, and truly historic days.

I’m writing to announce that the researchED US event scheduled for 24 October in Philadelphia is being postponed.

Though the program was already (and quite impressively, I must say) rounding out as the pandemic hit the US a few months ago, we recently decided that it’d be unwise to proceed. There’s simply too much still unsettled regarding travel, congregation, and other guidelines to do so.

Thanks to all the speakers who so graciously committed their time, to our venue (St Joseph’s Prep), and to the Prep’s wonderful Dave Fortin. Your generosity and flexibility are greatly appreciated.

FINALLY: I’m using use the blog to make this announcement, as I would like to share a few points of interest that can be hard to fit onto tweets. I promise not to keep you long, as I know everyone has many other matters to be tending. If you have questions about any of the points below, please reach me through the blog, email, Twitter, etc.

We have every intent to have another US event as soon as we can. I would love to give a timeline, but it’s simply impossible until some things play themselves out. Please stay tuned, and watch the Twitter handle (@researchED_US). My hope is that spring of 2021 will be workable.
If you’re interested in the types of content available at researchED conferences, you may want to check out researchEDHome (follow on Twitter at @researchEDHome). It’s a series of FREE VIDEO SEMINARS available on YouTube, presented by folks who are familiar presences at researchED conferences around the world. I did one myself and I’ve been tuning into them as I can, and I can say with no hesitation: if there’s better free video-based PD out there, I have no idea what it would be. (RESOURCES: researchEDHome YouTube channel, researchEDHome schedule.)
Building off the success of other canceled rED events in the UK that offered virtual substitutes (and, of course, researchEDHome), we’re giving some thought to a virtual researchED conference to stand in place of the Philly event. A few committed speakers have already expressed that they’d be willing to submit video sessions, so it sure seems like something we could engineer. Again: stay tuned, and feel free to lend suggestions if you have them. We’ll announce whatever we know as it takes more shape.
Please know that, in this unexpected interim between events, I and others are working on strengthening researchED US at its more strategic, organizational levels. We may have to sit down for a while, but I assure you we won’t sit still.

Thank you so much for reading this far, and for your interest in researchED US. We’re of course heartbroken about having to make this announcement, but all of us have many other important matters to focus on right now.

We’ll be back soon. Stay safe.