FETC names 2027 Coach Leaders speakers to tackle teacher burnout with AI

FETC has announced four Featured Speakers for its 2027 Coach Leaders track, aimed at helping instructional and technology coaches address record teacher burnout with practical AI strategies. The January conference in Orlando will center on tools, trust and leadership tactics designed to strengthen teaching and expand coach impact.

Why it matters: - Teacher burnout is one of K-12 education’s most pressing problems, and FETC is positioning its 2027 Coach Leaders track as a response. - The track is designed to give instructional and technology coaches practical AI tools and leadership strategies they can use immediately. - Brown University’s Annenberg Institute found that instructional coaching can significantly improve teacher quality, at a level comparable to the difference between a new teacher and one with five to 10 years of experience.

What happened: - The Future of Education Technology Conference announced four Featured Speakers for its 2027 Coach Leaders track. - The speakers are Tim Belmont, Crystal Uhiren and Scott Bricker. - FETC said the track will run during FETC 2027, scheduled for Jan. 26-29 in Orlando, Florida. - Registration is open at fetc.org. - Coach Leaders track access is included with All-Access and Session+ passes.

The details: - Tim Belmont is a technology coordinator and English teacher in Lyndhurst Public Schools. - Belmont is a two-time New Jersey Exemplary Educator, an ISTE Certified Educator and a Google Certified Trainer. - Belmont focuses on helping students build authentic voice through podcasting and digital media. - Crystal Uhiren is an instructional technology facilitator in Arlington Community Schools. - Uhiren has two decades of experience in secondary education. - Uhiren is a certified Apple Learning Coach, an AI enthusiast and an Edutopia contributor. - Scott Bricker is founder and CEO of AweFull Learning. - Bricker has 25 years of experience as a teacher, coach, tech director and school leader. - Bricker leads a Microsoft Global Training Partner focused on curiosity, neuroscience, AI and assessment. - FETC said the 2027 Coach Leaders track will include sessions, workshops and roundtables led by the featured speakers and other experts. - FETC says more than 8,000 educators from 1,300-plus districts across all 50 states attend the conference annually. - FETC says its exhibit hall includes more than 450 solution providers.

Between the lines: - FETC is framing coach development as a retention and performance issue, not just a training issue. - The speaker lineup mixes classroom experience, coaching practice and ed-tech leadership, which suggests a focus on usable tactics rather than theory. - The emphasis on AI, neuroscience and assessment reflects a broader push to make coaching more adaptive as school systems look for ways to support overwhelmed teachers.

What's next: - FETC 2027 will take place in Orlando at the end of January. - The Coach Leaders sessions, workshops and roundtables will give attendees a chance to hear from the featured speakers and apply practical strategies to school-based coaching. - FETC will continue promoting the conference to education technology leaders and K-12 educators ahead of the event.