Arriving in San Diego for the 2022 AERA Conference

As luck would have it, one of the largest education conferences in the country occurred in my area. AERA – American Education Research Association – was in San Diego April 21-26. Over 13,000 attendees ascended onto the San Diego Convention Center and adjacent hotels to talk about all things education. The theme this year was Cultivating Equitable Education Systems for the 21st Century.

The conference was held in collaboration with the World Education Research Association, so there were a lot of folks from around the world speaking all sorts of beautiful languages. I even ran into a couple of Dutch women in the bathroom. I don’t speak Dutch but can understand when it is spoken. This surprised the women when I spoke with them. It was a little awkward but fine.

Masks and vaccinations were required, which I appreciated as a chronic asthmatic. For the most part everyone was very compliant – anything to stay in person. I was fortunate enough to have a panel accepted for presentation. The theme was strategies for First-Gen Student support and engagement. Aside from that obligation, I just walked around engaging in all the wonderful education talk! Being in person was definitely a wonderful and welcomed experience. Being virtual last year made it difficult to connect. As we all know, with education, it truly is about genuine connections.

So, I went and schmoozed and ate snacks that seemed to be at almost every session! I also reconnected with my favorite Starbucks drink – Chai Tea Latte! Had one every day when I got off the trolley in front of the San Diego Convention Center.

I finally got acquainted with folks who I only knew online. One I actually ran into on a random elevator of a hotel I was in. I only knew it was her because of her unique name! It dawned on me later who she was, so I reached out to her via Facebook, and we had a good laugh.

The book publishers were there as well…a smaller turnout than before, but still nice. Got to talk to many of them one-on-one. I had a special interest in books dealing with Education Law. Still on my bucket list is completing a Master’s in Legal Studies with a focus on education, so until then I read on my own about the topic.

It was odd that I was only able to find books on education policy, but not the laws that inform those policies. One book publisher was really surprised that his company didn’t have one and welcomed me to write one! A little out of my area of expertise – my wheelhouse as the business folks like to say – but I was flattered that he asked.

One publisher, Pearson, did have a book on education law. It’s called Legal Rights of School Leaders, Teachers, and Students, and I was able to pick up the last copy they had on hand at the conference. It takes a long time to compile the legal decisions to create such a book, so they usually only come out every few years. This is the latest, the 8th edition published in 2019. In addition to this, I bought 7 other books, ranging from the neuroscience of learning to the commodification of education…

I was invited to a couple of after parties during the five-day conference but skipped most of them to spend time with family. I was fortunate enough to have family in the area. This brought down the cost of attending substantially, which is why I was even able to go, so I hung out with them. If I was staying alone in a hotel, I would have gone, but…maybe next time.

Anyway, I learned so much and appreciated the hard work everyone put into making this conference so special. Next year’s conference will be in Chicago. Not sure if I will be going because it is far. For me, anything outside the state would require a minimum $3000 cash output for travel and lodging, and frankly I don’t have that readily available. Not with two growing kids, and on an adjunct’s salary. If things change, then maybe. In the meantime, I will enjoy the memories.

AERA is the best place for Education Geeks!