Workshop Materials

Communicating Change to Families and Communities: Building Understanding Beyond the Building
Change in schools does not happen only inside the building. It is understood, questioned, supported, and sometimes resisted in homes, communities, and conversations beyond our walls. This session will focus on how leaders and teachers can communicate change with clarity, empathy, and purpose so families and communities understand not only what is changing, but why it matters. Participants will explore ways to anticipate questions, reduce confusion, build trust, and create communication that honors the perspectives of those most impacted. Together, we will consider how thoughtful communication can strengthen relationships, support implementation, and help school communities move forward with shared understanding.

Building Leadership Capacity: Growing the Next Generation of Teacher Leaders
Strong schools do not grow from leadership that sits in one office. They grow when leadership is intentionally cultivated, shared, and sustained across the organization. This session will focus on how school and district leaders can identify, support, and develop teacher leaders in ways that build collective capacity rather than simply add more responsibility to already full plates. Participants will examine the conditions that help teacher leaders thrive, including trust, clarity, voice, coaching, and meaningful opportunities to lead. Together, we will consider how to create pathways for teacher leadership that support professional growth, strengthen school culture, and build the next generation of educational leaders.

Reclaiming the 98%: Rethinking Family Engagement as a Driver of Equity: Students spend approximately 2% of their lives in school. The remaining 98% is shaped by families, caregivers, communities, culture, access, relationships, and the systems that surround each child. This session reclaims the "why" of education by examining family and community engagement as an equity-centered responsibility that extends beyond the classroom. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, this 60-minute interactive session explores how students develop within interconnected systems, including home, school, community, policy, and culture. Participants will consider how these systems either strengthen or limit access, belonging, communication, and opportunity for students and families. Participants will analyze current engagement practices through an ecological lens, identify barriers to authentic partnership, and examine the differences between traditional family involvement and sustained, reciprocal engagement. Through guided reflection, discussion, and practical application, participants will consider how schools can design engagement structures that are inclusive, culturally responsive, and connected to student learning. Participants will leave with a clear, research-based framework, practical tools, and an initial action plan to strengthen family and community partnerships in ways that support equitable student outcomes across 100% of students' lives.

Inquiry-Based, Multidisciplinary Unit Design Series: This four-day collaborative design series engages educators in developing a complete, inquiry-based, multidisciplinary unit that serves as a model for high-quality instruction at the ELEMENTARY level. Participants work together to design a cohesive unit grounded in a compelling inquiry question and aligned to grade-level standards across content areas. Throughout the series, assessment is intentionally embedded to make student thinking visible and to inform instructional decisions. By the end of the four days, teams will have a fully developed unit that demonstrates how inquiry, interdisciplinary planning, and assessment work together to support deep learning.

Helping Students Build Independence and Strengthening Communication Strategies: This full-day professional learning workshop supports support staff in strengthening their role in promoting student independence while improving communication within instructional teams. Support Staff play a critical role in supporting students’ academic, social, and behavioral success. When support strategies intentionally focus on independence rather than dependency, students gain greater confidence, ownership of learning, and long-term success in inclusive classrooms.

This full-day professional learning workshop supports the district’s Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs) in strengthening the visibility, effectiveness, and alignment of their services within inclusive school environments. Rather than focusing solely on compliance-based documentation, this session centers on how COTAs can intentionally measure and communicate the impact of their support services, apply Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) best practices, and reinforce consistent student regulation strategies across classrooms. The workshop balances clarity with application, honoring participants’ professional expertise while strengthening coherence between related services, instructional priorities, and districtwide practices.

This interactive half-day professional learning session introduces educators and school leaders to the essential components of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as a proactive, equity-centered framework for strengthening school climate and student success.

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Participants will build a shared understanding of PBIS, examine practical classroom and schoolwide applications, and begin developing a focused action plan to strengthen Tier 1 implementation. The session balances research-based foundations with hands-on application, discussion, and collaborative planning tailored to elementary and secondary contexts.

Using the NYS Social Studies Anchor Standards to Deepen Instruction in Middle School Classrooms: This interactive professional learning session strengthens middle school social studies instruction by purposefully using the New York State Social Studies Framework. Teachers will examine how Key Ideas, Conceptual Understandings, Social Studies Practices, Unifying Themes, and the Inquiry Arc work together to elevate historical thinking, civic reasoning, and student engagement without adding workload or compliance-driven tasks.

250 Years, 250 Voices: A Storytelling Curriculum Project - Develop a storytelling curriculum that connects the past and present through student-led oral history, creative writing, and digital media. This project encourages students to seek out and share voices that represent the full spectrum of American experience. Ideas and strategies for teaching all students, including MLLs, will be shared.

Freedom to Inquire: Inquiry-Based Learning Across Disciplines: Inspired by the spirit of revolutionary thought, this workshop helps teachers design cross-curricular inquiry units around independence, rights, and democratic ideals. Emphasis is placed on student agency and authentic assessment. Ideas and strategies for teaching all students, including MLLs, will be shared.

Designing Schools for Belonging and Well-Being: Drawing from recent studies in neuroscience, psychology, and school climate, this course emphasizes the leader’s role in fostering environments where students and staff feel seen, heard, safe, and supported. Topics include trauma-informed leadership, SEL integration, supporting MLLs, and staff wellness systems.

Reimagining Family & Community Engagement Through Research - Grounded in recent research on family-school partnerships, this course explores new frameworks for building reciprocal, linguistically and culturally responsive relationships with families. Participants will examine studies on engagement during crisis periods (e.g., COVID-19) and design implementation strategies that align with current community needs.

250 Years, 250 Voices: A Storytelling Curriculum Project - Develop a storytelling curriculum that connects the past and present through student-led oral history, creative writing, and digital media. This project encourages students to seek out and share voices that represent the full spectrum of American experience. Ideas and strategies for teaching all students, including MLLs, will be shared.

Freedom to Inquire: Inquiry-Based Learning Across Disciplines: Inspired by the spirit of revolutionary thought, this workshop helps teachers design cross-curricular inquiry units around independence, rights, and democratic ideals. Emphasis is placed on student agency and authentic assessment. Ideas and strategies for teaching all students, including MLLs, will be shared.

The Nurse’s Voice: Building Trust Through Communication with Families & Communities: This full-day workshop empowers school nurses to strengthen trust with families and communities through clear, proactive communication. Participants will learn how to set boundaries around what can be shared under FERPA and HIPAA, craft messaging for newsletters, social media, and parent updates, and manage challenging conversations with confidence. They will also design a yearlong communication calendar aligned to health needs and district priorities, while gaining ready-to-use templates, resources, and messaging samples. By the end of the day, nurses will leave with practical tools and a personalized plan to support consistent, professional, and approachable communication all year long.
 

Designing Schools for Belonging and Well-Being: Drawing from recent studies in neuroscience, psychology, and school climate, this course emphasizes the leader’s role in fostering environments where students and staff feel seen, heard, safe, and supported. Topics include trauma-informed leadership, SEL integration, supporting MLLs, and staff wellness systems.

Year of Independence: A 12-Month Parent Engagement Framework: Design a year-long calendar of monthly family events that align with key themes from the Declaration: freedom, justice, voice, and community. Includes templates for newsletters, family learning nights, and intergenerational storytelling projects. Ideas and strategies for teaching all students, including MLLs, will be shared.

Year of Independence: A 12-Month Parent Engagement Framework: Design a year-long calendar of monthly family events that align with key themes from the Declaration: freedom, justice, voice, and community. Includes templates for newsletters, family learning nights, and intergenerational storytelling projects. Ideas and strategies for teaching all students, including MLLs, will be shared.

This half-day professional learning workshop introduces middle and high school educators to the essential components of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). Participants will build a shared understanding of MTSS as an integrated framework that supports academic, behavioral, and social-emotional growth. The session is highly interactive, combining direct instruction with case studies, data analysis, and collaborative action planning tailored to secondary school contexts.