Miles to Go: Join us for the 2025 Issues Forum
By Dr. Kenita T. Williams, COO, Southern Education Foundation
When I think about the students I’ve met across the South, bright, curious, full of potential, I am reminded both of what is possible and of the miles we still have to go on the road to educational justice. Education justice is not just a policy goal; it is a moral imperative. This November, SEF will bring together leaders, educators, and advocates from across the region at our 2025 Issues Forum. It is a time to reflect, to learn, and above all, to act. The theme, Miles to Go: The Road to Education Justice, is a reminder that while we have made progress, far too many students still face barriers that limit their opportunities.
At the Issues Forum, we will confront the hard questions facing education across the South:
- How do we ensure every learner, no matter their zip code, background, or circumstance, has access to a high-quality education?
- How can we dismantle the systemic barriers that persist in classrooms, districts, and communities?
- And how do we turn conversation into concrete action that changes lives?
Want a glimpse of what’s in store?
Opening Night: Legacy & Reckoning
The Forum kicks off at the TEP Center with a powerful evening honoring New Orleans’ civil rights legacy. We’ll hear from Gail Etienne and Leona Tate, two of the courageous students who integrated the city’s public schools in 1960. Together, we’ll reflect on the 20 years since Hurricane Katrina, its lasting impact on education, and the lessons New Orleans offers for advancing justice and opportunity across the South.
Plenary Sessions
Our main stage sessions will dive into the pressing issues shaping education in the South today:
- What Desegregation Means Today – exploring how desegregation can meaningfully advance education opportunity in 2025 and beyond.
- The Southern Landscape of Postsecondary Opportunity – examining what it takes to ensure access, completion, and success in higher education.
- Financing Equal Access in Early Childhood Education – elevating solutions for fair and sustainable funding in a fragmented system.
- 20 Years After Katrina – reflecting on lessons from navigating educational disruptions, disasters, and political crises.
Breakout Sessions & Strategy Labs
Dozens of expert-led sessions will provide opportunities to roll up our sleeves, share best practices, and build strategies rooted in policy, practice, and community voices.
From receptions to informal meetups, you’ll connect with changemakers working toward a shared vision of education justice. This year’s Forum is a call to action. Together, we’ll confront the past, navigate the present, and shape a future where every student has access to a high-quality education.
We hope you’ll join us in New Orleans from November 4–6, 2025. Be part of the dialogue. Witness bold ideas. And take action alongside us to ensure that education justice is not just a promise, but a reality, for every student in the South.