DAPHNE, Ala.—Daphne High School Principal Meredith Horton recently attended the National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference in San Francisco, where she learned teacher-evaluation tips and heard from several education experts and guest speakers.

Keynote speakers were Diane Ravitch, a research professor of education at New York University; Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor of education at Stanford University; and William Daggett, CEO of the International Center for Leadership in Education.

Horton said she learned a lot from the conference.

“Some of the themes that were mentioned included having a balanced curriculum; the arts,  for example, are a really important component of education. We can’t focus on testing; we have to focus on a balanced education,” Horton said.

The conference also offered tips for evaluating teachers. Horton said teachers are typically evaluated based on how well their students test, but the conference offered alternatives.

“The criteria for teacher evaluations should stretch beyond tests to include other things like responsibility, respect and perseverance. Tests only show one day; what about all the other days?” Horton said.

The event also focused on the Department of Education’s blueprint for reform, which “challenges the nation to embrace education standards that would put America on a path to global leadership,” its website states.

The blueprint will support state and local governments to ensure all students graduate prepared for college and a career. It outlines how state and local governments can help create college and career-ready students, how teachers and leaders can be effective, how to meet the needs of English learners and diverse learners, how to offer a well-rounded education, create successful, safe and healthy students and foster innovation and excellence.

“It was a very rewarding and motivating experience,” Horton said of the conference.

She said she decided to pay her own way to the conference because she thought the information she could learn would be worth it.