FETC 2027 adds AI and workforce summits for K-12 leaders

By AI, Created 10:36 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – FETC 2027 will feature 11 role-specific summits in West Palm Beach from Jan. 26-29, with new sessions focused on AI readiness, effective edtech and workforce preparation. The lineup is aimed at district and school leaders as schools face a widening gap between student AI use and teacher confidence.

Why it matters: - FETC 2027 is targeting the people who set district strategy, control budgets and shape classroom technology use. - The conference is framing AI readiness as a leadership issue, not just a teacher training issue. - The summit lineup is built to help K-12 leaders turn edtech into practical gains in student outcomes, teaching and school operations.

What happened: - FETC 2027 announced an 11-summit lineup for its Jan. 26-29 conference in West Palm Beach, Florida. - The conference theme is “Power Players.” - The new format centers on role-specific summits for district administrators, school leaders, IT directors and instructional coaches. - Registration is open at more information.

The details: - Two new AI-focused sessions anchor the program. - The AI Educator Summit is aimed at classroom teachers who need practical guidance on AI, including instruction, assessment and ethical use. - The AI Leaders Summit is aimed at district administrators and technology directors who need governance, strategy and implementation plans. - FETC says the AI Leaders Summit will include building a custom AI agent and a scalable governance framework. - The conference says 86% of students now use AI for schoolwork, while 30% of teachers feel confident doing the same. - FETC says 76% of education leaders view AI literacy as a basic student requirement. - FETC says nearly 60% of educators report there is not enough AI training in districts that offer it. - FETC says only 26 states have published AI guidance. - FETC says 68% of teachers have not engaged with district AI training. - Other summits will focus on workforce preparedness through Career Technical Education, esports career pathways, inclusive leadership, safety and security, assistive technology, cybersecurity and student well-being. - Seven additional summits will cover executive leaders, instructional coaches, IT leaders, librarians, and STEM and robotics leaders. - All summit sessions are available only to All-Access and Session+ pass holders.

Between the lines: - The conference is positioning itself as a working session for decision-makers, not a broad inspiration event. - The AI emphasis reflects a growing mismatch between student use of AI and district-level readiness to manage it. - The workforce and safety tracks suggest schools are looking for technology strategies that connect directly to employability, compliance and student support.

What’s next: - FETC 2027 will run Jan. 26-29. - Attendees who want access to the summit tracks must buy All-Access or Session+ passes. - The conference will continue to lean on implementation-focused programming for year-round community support.

The bottom line: - FETC 2027 is betting that K-12 leaders want less AI hype and more concrete plans for governance, training and classroom use.