Last year for the innaugural I had my boss pay for everything (hotel, tickets, flight, even a stipend for food).

This year, I will have to pay my own way, which is not easy as a student.

but I hope to be there.

Makes me all the more wanting to go!  It would be damn good to see you again, big guy. Virginia misses ya'.  I miss you!  But if you're turning Georgia any more the bluer, which I'm sure you are, than I guess we can forgive you for moving away.  You know my email.  Tell me where you're staying and I'll try to get close. 

but the schedule is not yet locked in stone.  There will be a general panel on education on Friday and tentatively a roundtable discussion on educational assessment and accountability on Saturday.  I cannot yet announce the participants because nothing is formalized.

I will get to Chicago on Wednesday morning August 1st to help set up, and am staying until fairly late on Sunday.

Do they still have some volunteer spots open.  I'm sure I can crash at a friends place, and if Vols. get free tix as last year, I know I can pay the nice man at the Greyhound counter to get me there.

I don't know, as I am not involved with that.  I will help the day before because I can.  That is the extent of my volunteering, other than I pay my own way to run my sessions.

BTW -  Tom Hauser really appreciated reading what you said.