REGISTER TODAY! | Keynote Speakers | Workshop Sessions | Schedule | Sponsors & Supporters | Conference Home | Travel Waiver | 2022 Fall Conference Photos

2022 NJPSA/FEA/NJASCD Fall Conference: Honoring Courageous Leadership

In addition to our keynote speakers, Heather Younger and Michael Jr., the 2022 Fall Conference features a great lineup of workshop sessions designed by a select group of school leaders and others from the education field. This year’s event kicks off with optional Pre-Conference sessions presented by NJPSA’s retirement guru Bob Murphy and LEGAL ONE’s education law expert David Nash for those of you who would like to launch your Fall Conference experience on Wednesday.

Pre-Conference

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

3:30pm – 5:30pm
Early Conference Registration

5:15pm – 6:30pm
Pre-Conference Workshop Sessions

LEGAL ONE HIB Law Update – David Nash, Esq., Director of Legal Education and National Outreach | Michael Kaelber, Esq., LEGAL ONE Coordinator of Online Course Development | John Worthington, Esq., LEGAL ONE Education Law Specialist | Sandra L. Jacques, Esq., LL.M., LEGAL ONE Supervisor of Legal Research & Content Development

This topic is in great demand from members throughout the school year. With major changes in HIB law going into effect for the 22-23 school year, it is more important than ever that our members understand the significant revisions in district policies and protocols that are required moving forward. The session will review new mandated reporting forms, requirements for responding to incidents, recent case law and real world scenarios. – Room: TBA

Retirement – Bob Murphy, Assistant Executive Director and Director of Retirement Services, NJPSA

Description coming soon. – Room: TBA

Workshop Sessions

Thursday, October 13, 2022

11:45am – 1:00pm
Session #1 Workshops

LEGAL ONE Hot Issues in School Law – Bob Schwartz, Chief Legal Counsel, NJPSA | David Nash, Esq., Director of LEGAL ONE and National Outreach | John Worthington, Esq., LEGAL ONE Education Law Specialist | Geta Vogel, LEGAL ONE Coordinator of Mental Health and Wellness

This session will provide a summary of the latest state and federal case law, statutory revisions and guidance from the USDE and NJDOE, including a review of key developments related to safety and security, bullying, and special education law. With so many changes in law being enacted each year, this session provides a critical overview of these changes and provides resources for those seeking additional information on particular changes in law. – Room: TBA

So You Want to be an Administrator, Now What? Supporting Aspiring Leaders – Corey Cohen, Dean of Students, Franklin Middle School Hamilton Campus | Corrina Parsio, Teacher Leader, Somerset County | Freddie Shaker, Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction, Somerville Public Schools

This workshop is designed to support aspiring leaders at various levels of their journey to leadership. Join us to explore ways to gain leadership experience that matters in an interview, build your professional affiliations, and create an attractive social media persona that will get noticed. Meet fellow current and future leaders as we navigate the road to an administrative position. – Room: TBA

The Mindful Principal – Joseph Diskin, Principal, Somerville Public Schools | Joseph Walsh, Principal, Somerville Public Schools

This inspiring, engaging and practical workshop introduces and explores mindfulness and its positive impact on improved job performance, present moment awareness, well-being, job satisfaction, resiliency, and leadership. It is specifically designed for school leaders in learning and exploring a variety of mindfulness practices to support social emotional learning in their personal and professional lives and school communities. In addition, participants will learn the latest neuroscience and positive psychology research on how mindfulness reduces stress and increases performance and how mindful practices enhance principal leadership and effectiveness. – Room: TBA

CAR: Fueling the Journey with Collective Efficacy and Systems Thinking – Pat Wright, Executive Director Emerita, NJPSA

“I can’t do one more thing!” How many times have you heard an educator say those words? The constant churn of initiatives, programs and compliance issues have become a distraction, weakening the foundation of sound educational practice and moving educators away from their primary focus – student learning. Explore the Connected Action Roadmap, a framework that helps instructional leaders build collective efficacy and establish a continuous cycle of school improvement. – Room: TBA

Leading in a Multilingual and Multicultural Environment: Lessons from Singapore – JoAnne Negrin, Ed.D. Supervisor, ESL/Bilingual/World Languages/Performing Arts, Vineland Public Schools

Singapore is a city-state with four official languages. It is an economic engine of Southeast Asia, drawing people from all over the world. How do you educate effectively across multiple languages? How do you apply an assets-based approach that celebrates all students’ backgrounds? The presenter, who received a Fulbright Fellowship to Singapore to study these issues, will bring back what she learned and how we can apply these lessons right here in New Jersey. – Room: TBA

Mindfulness for Educators – Pamela Moore, Assistant Superintendent, Millville BOE

As educators, we often do not have time for ourselves because we just “don’t have time.” In this session, we will learn why it’s important to find time, even if it’s just for a few mindful breaths. Mindfulness is an easy, applicable strategy to make an impact individually and as an educator. Participants will leave the seminar not only personally relaxed but with a stronger understanding of how mindfulness can be a valuable tool in achieving balance in our lives. – Room: TBA

Leading Change – Making Change Part of the Culture – Anthony Petruzzelli, Superintendent, Westampton Township Public Schools

Why do so many educators say, “we did this before and it didn’t work”. Because they are right! Adopting proven, research-based strategies should improve student outcomes. They fail 90% of the time due to poor or absent implementation strategies. Let’s discuss the basics of implementation science and learn what requires your attention when looking to make changes in your school. – Room: TBA

Freshman Seminar - Senior Mentoring program/course – Terence Johnson, Assistant Principal, Cumberland Regional High School | Joseph Spoltore, Assistant Principal, Cumberland Regional High School

To support our students during their critical transitional 9th grade year, we developed a successful mentor/transition program that is research based, entitled the “Freshman Seminar Course”. In this course, a select group of students are learning critical study skills, organizational skills, and character traits that are vital for academic success. We established a rigorous identification process to select Senior Mentors who display honesty, leadership, and are strong role models for the freshmen in this course. – Room: TBA

Creating a Culture of Collaboration and a Collective Purpose of Learning for All – Annie Corley-Hand, Principal, Berkeley Heights Public School District | Michele Gardner, Director of Special Services, Berkeley Heights Public School District

By acting with intention and focus and capitalizing on the skills of general and special educators we can establish an inclusive culture that champions equity and inclusion. This workshop will provide a rationale for collaborative partnerships between general and special education and the creation of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports Framework. Often students with disabilities are not included in this framework, restricting access to FAPE, and eroding the foundational concept of all students being general education students first. We will examine the current role of staff members, explore ways of leveraging the strengths of all educators, and explore ways to restructure the use of time and other resources. When a collaborative model between special and general education works, and students are our priority instead of labels, the benefits to our students are endless. – Room: TBA

How To Leverage Community Partnerships to Create Summer Programs – Dr. JanetLynn Dudick, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Long Branch Public Schools | Frank Riley, Assistant Superintendent of Leadership and Innovation, Long Branch Public Schools | Nicole Esposito, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Long Branch Public Schools

During the past 2 years, for all the challenges that the pandemic brought us, it also brought about tremendous opportunities. Through ESSR II and ARP Grants, schools nationwide have had the chance to provide things for their students never before offered, or, access to opportunities some students could only read about prior. In this presentation, 2 Central Office Administrators who oversee Summer Programs in their district will outline the impact ESSR II and ARP Funding, when combined with strong community partnerships, has on a summer learning program. In addition, during this presentation, participants will also be exposed to how to collect data throughout the summer to gauge the effectiveness of their program in order to make decisions for subsequent years. – Room: TBA

Thursday, October 13, 2022

2:00 pm – 3:15 pm
Session #2 Workshops

Collective Bargaining – Robert Schwartz,Esq., NJPSA Chief Legal Counsel | Bob Murphy, NJPSA Assistant Executive Director | David Nash, Esq., Director of LEGAL ONE and National Outreach | Gerry Toscano (NJPSA Field Rep) | Mike Vinella (NJPSA Field Rep)

Description coming soon. – Room: TBA

Sharing Success and Failing Forward: Top Lessons on Leadership – Tom Sharples, Assistant Principal - William Annin Middle School, Bernards Township | Neel Desai, Principal - Piscataway School District | Truc-Lan Vu, Assistant Principal - Washington Elementary School, Edison Township Public Schools

Our work is challenging and our roles are ever changing. In order for us to continue to grow and become stronger, we need to talk about our successes and the lessons we learned. In this session, we will reflect on situations from our leadership experiences and collaborate to use our collective failures to grow together and prepare ourselves for future situations. We will discuss various authentic “Lessons on Leadership (LoL),” so we can enhance our capabilities and become stronger, courageous leader. – Room: TBA

Harnessing Digital Tools to Promote SEL Within Your School Community – Scott Wisniewski, Assistant Principal

Wayne Valley has seen a decrease in HIB instances while increasing the emphasis on respect, understanding, kindness, and wellness. By empowering student and teacher leaders to work collaboratively to develop activities that promote social-emotional learning, school leaders can establish activities to improve the climate and culture of the school community. These activities including a Wellness Fair, Third Party Compliments, Mindfulness, and Mental Health Training have been met with success by our school community. – Room: TBA

Windows and Mirrors: Do all your students see themselves in the texts they read? – Kaitlin McCann, Assistant Principal

Students in English classrooms around the state are reading novels, short stories, and poems. Despite research which highlights numerous benefits of texts that can be windows and mirrors for all students, many classrooms and schools still lack diversity in their text selection. As our country grows increasingly more diverse, it is crucial that administrators determine avenues to support our teachers to go beyond the current literature and create a more inclusive literary curriculum. – Room: TBA

Do’s and Don’ts of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Navigating the DEI Space in School Settings – George E. Jackson, Ed.D., Educational Consultant | Jeanine May Silveri, Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction - Chesterfield Township School District | Coletta Graham, Principal of Instruction and Community Engagement - Chesterfield Township School District | Jaclyn Schaffer, Teacher
Chesterfield Township School District

The case for diversity, equity, and inclusion is clear: organizations that embrace diversity and actualize a genuine commitment to equity and inclusion outperform organizations that don’t. In this engaging and practical workshop, we will explore what DEI looks and sounds like in a school setting, identify where your school/district is in your DEI journey, and discuss ways to build upon your current strengths to actualize promise and avoid pitfalls associated with DEI initiatives in school settings. – Room: TBA

Stress: It’s a Social Problem. – Nadine Miles, Founder/Owner, Functional Medicine Physician Assistant

Anxiety/depression, disease, and medication use have escalated at alarming rates. Despite connectivity, people report feeling isolated. There is a weakness in self-esteem, and self-mastery required for successful development, parenting, and leadership. This series will dive deep into complex problems surrounding human development, and the flaws with the established norms of focusing on behaviors rather than the internal environment within individuals. We will discuss stress biology stress within the body’s internal systems, and identify unsuspecting sources of stress. You will learn how to positively impact yourself and others while investigating the effects of how our modern humancentric worldview has impacted our bodies, families, communities, environment, and those we serve. – Room: TBAA

Navigating Courageous Leadership: Would You Follow You? – Dr. Robin L. Moore, Principal

Description coming soon. – Room: TBA

Creating a Culture of Data – Natalie Franzi Dougherty, Supervisor of Elementary Education, K12 Instructional Technology & K12 ELL, Campbell Elementary School, Metuchen Public Schools | Kristina Bormann, Response to Intervention Teacher, Campbell Elementary School, Metuchen Public Schools | Meghan Jeney, Response to Intervention Teacher, Campbell Elementary School, Metuchen Public Schools

We ask teachers all the time to make data-driven decisions, but often our teachers are overwhelmed by the process. As school leaders it is our role to create scaffolded processes to help staff learn to analyze and take action. Learn how we created a personalized approach to data coaching by empowering our Response to Intervention Teachers and built systems of accountability to close achievement gaps. – Room: TBA

It Starts Now: Preventing School Refusal by Detecting the Early Warning Signs and Implementing Early Intervention Strategies – Jessica Gluck, Assistant Director of Special Services | Ray Renshaw, Director of Special Services

The session addresses the importance of early detection and early intervention strategies, at the elementary level, that will significantly reduce school refusal behaviors in students once they reach high school. Presenters will discuss early warning signs and specific strategies administrators and staff can implement, especially in grades K-5, to aid in the reduction of more significant school refusal tendencies, while effectively meeting the needs of students who struggle with anxiety and school avoidance. – Room: TBA

A Roadmap to Inclusive Practices in High-Quality PreK Programs – Michael Vargas, Director of Early Childhood Education - Belleville Public Schools | Scott Passner, NBT Supervisor of Preschool Programs/ Principal of NBTCC - North Brunswick Township Schools | Gina Acosta, Lead Infant and Early Childhood Consultation Specialist -Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health, Montclair State University

Collaboration between district leaders and state organizations will showcase high-quality, inclusive preschool programs and how to engage families of preschool students. A roadmap to guide leadership; vision; community engagement; and best practices for inclusive preschool programs will be on display. Educational leaders from Preschool Expansion Aid (PEA) districts and Montclair State University will demonstrate collaborative efforts to maximize community engagement and inclusive special education practices for public preschool programs with support of the NJIETA project.
– Room: TBA

Compassionate Leadership – Allison Staffin, Supervisor of C&I | Dr. Kwame Morton, Sr., Assistant Superintendent

Leadership directly impacts culture and climate in any building or school community. Compassionate leadership cultivates lifelong learning and establishes a system of trust between faculty and leadership. This workshop will identify the components of compassionate leadership, how it impacts climate and culture, and creates a system of comfort and growth for all stakeholders. We will provide our own examples, as well as work with participants to map out their own journey and next steps. – Room: TBA

Thursday, October 13, 2022

3:45 pm – 5:00 pm
Session #3 Workshops

LEGAL ONE Navigating First Amendment Rights and Electronic Communications for Students and Staff – Sandra L. Jacques, Esq., LL.M., LEGAL ONE Supervisor of Legal Research & Content Development | Michael Kaelber, Esq., LEGAL ONE Coordinator of Online Course Development

This session will include a review of the most recent case law, including the latest U.S. Supreme Court decisions on staff religious expression and student expression outside of school, the differences in rights of students and staff members, including political speech, as well as a discussion of how to address politically charged issues such as critical race theory and gender identity. – Room: TBA

Goverment Relations: “Inside Baseball” - An Insider’s Look At Education Policy Under the Golden Dome – Debra Bradley, Director of Government Relations

Influencing policy making is a core part of NJPSA’s membership services. Our Government Relations team works in coalition with key stakeholders, legislative staff and legislators. Government relations personnel can bring much needed information to the policy debate by sharing their expertise in a particular field with lawmakers. Come listen to New Jersey’s top education stakeholders about advocacy and policy making – including internal and external roles and responsibilities of government relations, best practices, pitfalls, some of the boundaries and opportunities that are all a part of making your case to the Legislature. There is sure to be some hilarity as well, as only stories that share the inner workings of Trenton can be told. – Room: TBA

NJASCD Ignite: Honoring Courageous Leadership – NJASCD

Join NJASCD and friends for a fast-paced, high-energy, action-packed Ignite! session. 10 presenters will each share 20 slides in 5 minutes focused on the conference theme of Courageous Leadership. Participants will learn from each presenter’s unique perspective and have the opportunity to network with other attendees and reflect on their leadership values. – Room: TBA

Strategies for Leading an Arts Integration Initiative in your School or District - Kim Tucker, Adjunct Professor and Educational Consultant – Stockton University and NJPSA/FEA | Phil Pallitto, Instructional Coach - Somers Point School District

Arts Integration is an approach to teaching and learning through which content standards are taught and assessed equitably in and through the arts. Arts Integration is the connective pathway toward reaching and teaching every child and empowers educators in their professional growth. This research-based curricular strategy has been utilized in classrooms for more than 30 years. This workshop will help school and district leaders understand the components to a successful arts integration initiative. – Room: TBA

Why Morale Matters - Building Staff Morale – Jennifer Viaud-Macones, Principal, Birchwood Elementary | Andrea Padelsky, Assistant Principal, Madison High School

Staff morale matters! Are your teachers and paraprofessionals feeling uninspired? Sometimes the repetition and typical mundane school environments can lead to low morale. Does the morale in your building need a little boost? Learn how to create environments in which staff feel loved, appreciated, and are motivated to come to work each and every day. – Room: TBA

New Jersey Schools to Watch – High Performing Middle Grade Schools Advancing Excellence in Middle Level Education – Rick Delmonaco, Co-Director NJ Schools to Watch/Principal, Carl H. Kumpf MS, Clark | Aimee Toth, Co-Director, NJ Schools to Watch/Principal - NJ Schools To Watch/Mountain View Middle School/Mendham

This session is designed to provide detailed information about the New Jersey Schools to Watch program. Schools to Watch is an initiative launched by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform in 1999. The Forum identifies middle level schools who are academically excellent, developmentally responsible, and socially equitable. The session will assist principals with assessing their practices through a self-study process to foster school improvement. – Room: TBA

A System of Teacher Beliefs: Strengthening Educator Efficacy with Organizational Mindfulness – Bruce ‘B.C.’ Preston, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Personnel

50 years of research shows Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE) – A staff’s belief in their combined capability to impact outcomes – has the greatest influence on student outcomes, improves job satisfaction, and increases persistence in the face of adversity. Although we know CTE is powerful, how do we build such beliefs? In this workshop, participants will learn and apply the strategies of Organizational Mindfulness to team level interactions that create a Collective Efficacy Belief System! – Room: TBA

Developing a Common Language for your ESL and Special Education Teams – Dr. Suzan Radwan, Director of Special Services , Hillsborough Public Schools | Dr. JoAnne Negrin, Supervisor of ESL, Bilingual Education, World Languages, & Performing Arts, Vineland Public Schools | Julie Ochoa, Supervisor of ESL and Bilingual Programs, Franklin Township Public Schools

Is this a language issue or a disability? When should I refer an ELL for special education services, and what do I need to do to get to that point? This workshop will review new NJPSA guidance on ELLs and Special Education Services. We will go beyond state code to discuss ways your district can create a culture of collaboration that will benefit your students. – Room: TBA

Creating a Collective and Cost-Effective SEL Model: Increasing Competency, Cultural Responsiveness, and Community Connections that Promote Mental Health and Wellness in Schools – Ryan Kline, Director of Special Services - Belleville Schools | Dr. Silvia C. Pastor, District Psychologist, Belleville Schools | Stephen Puglia, Assistant Director of Special Services - Belleville Schools

Description coming soon. – Room: TBA

Workshop Sessions

Friday, October 14, 2022

9:00 am – 10:15 am
Session #1 Workshops

LEGAL ONE Protecting Your Legal Rights as a School Leader – Dave Nash, Director of Legal Education and National Outreach, moderator | Panel Discussion with Robert Schwartz, Esq., NJPSA Chief Counsel | Robert Murphy, NJPSA Assistant Executive Director | NJPSA Legal Counsel: Andrew Schwartz, Esq. | John Farinella, Esq.| Carol Smeltzer, Esq. | Jordan Shead, Esq.

This session will include a review of the trends that the NJPSA legal team is seeing in legal issues that arise related to our members, lessons to be learned from case law, and strategies for protecting member rights moving forward. With NJPSA members involved in more legal issues than ever before, this session is critical to empowering members to know their rights and recognize when they need assistance from NJPSA’s legal team. – Room: TBA

Building Relationships Using a Trauma Informed Approach – Andrea Dougherty, Vice Principal, Gloucester City Public Schools

The ability to build and foster relationships with students allows them to succeed mentally, emotionally, and academically in our schools. It also allows them the opportunity to heal from previous trauma. Using a trauma informed approach, administrators and teachers will learn strategies that will support all our students in an appropriate and positive manner. – Room: TBA

ABC’s of Early Literacy Assessment – Susan E. Miller

The ABC’s of Early Literacy workshop addresses the important difference between the most popular early literacy assessments and the research that informs their levels of accuracy and validity. Participants will learn which assessments can be leveraged to best identify at-risk children and how that data can inform daily literacy instruction and inform intervention for struggling readers. All aspects of literacy assessments will be explored including screeners for handwriting, spelling, and writing. – Room: TBA

Leading Change in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Engaging and Empowering Stakeholders through Strategic Planning – Susan Totaro, Supervisor for Curriculum and Instruction, K-12,West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District High School South | Barbara Gould, Director of Counseling, Health and Wellness, West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District High School South | Jessica Cincotta, Principal, West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District High School South

The creation of a Strategic Plan can ensure decision-making at all levels reflects a deep commitment to equity, diversity and belonging; programs support inclusion rather than exclusion; stakeholders are visible in terms of resources and opportunities; and increase access to rigorous learning experiences. Participants will gain an understanding of the steps one district took to operationalize their equity goal and create a sustainable Strategic Plan with long term impact for students, families, and staff. – Room: TBA

Educator Resiliency Coaching – Patrick Higgins, Jr., Assistant Superintendent -Rockaway Township Public Schools | Michelle Dickinson, Workplace Mental Health Strategist & Resilience Coach - Trifecta MH, LLC

Although our focus has primarily been on COVID, safety, and remediating learning loss, we must pay much closer attention to the mental health of our staff. We’ve implemented a voluntary program in Rockaway Twp. to allow teachers to work with a Resiliency Coach/Mental Health Strategist on an as-needed basis. The amount of staff that are utilizing this resource is much higher than we anticipated, and it has caused us to rethink our approach to Educator Self-Care. – Room: TBA

Evolving Our Priorities Regarding Cybersecurity in K-12 Schools: Preparing for the Threats Posed by Phishing, Ransomware, and Unprepared Staff Members – Dr. Herbert Peluzzo, Department Chair for Social Studies and Media Services, East Brunswick Public Schools

Now that one-to-one is a reality, when are we going to seriously discuss cybersecurity? Have leaders considered if they are prepared to defend their data and building operations if a phishing email or ransomware attack disabled vital computer systems? This session will ask participants to engage in a needs assessment, discuss the value of cybersecurity training for their staff members, and share research-based strategies to strengthen their school/district’s cybersecurity defenses. – Room: TBA

Moving from Compliance to Engagement: Leadership that Builds Collective Efficacy – Barbara Wilchensky, Director of Curriculum, LAL/SS, Bridgeton Public Schools | Monica Poland, Principal, Bridgeton Public Schools

Collective Teacher Efficacy significantly impacts student achievement, but it is not something that leaders can mandate. Leaders must build collective efficacy and then continually support it. When leaders establish a high level of collective efficacy, the teachers are not simply compliant in their actions but are highly engaged. In this interactive workshop, leaders will reflect on current practices to determine the level of staff engagement and outline new methods to build collective efficacy. – Room: TBA

The New Standards for Professional Learning –Julie Glazer, President, Learning Forward New Jersey | Kim Tucker, Past President, Learning Forward New Jersey | Kim Honnick, President-Elect, Learning Forward New Jersey

Presenters representing multiple levels of school systems and the NJ affiliate of Learning Forward, will build awareness of the newly revised Standards for Professional Learning and their connection to equity. A discussion of how the standards lead to environments where educators and students have equitable access to powerful learning, the importance of coherence and alignment across roles and levels, and insights to design, implement, and sustain high quality professional learning will be included in this interactive session. – Room: TBA

Supporting LGBTQIA+ Folks in Our Communities – Louis Noha Manziano (they/them/theirs), Instructional Coach, Somerville

Description coming soon. – Room: TBA

Friday, October 14, 2022

10:45 am – 12:00 pm
Session #2 Workshops

Retirement – Bob Murphy, Assistant Executive Director and Director of Retirement Services, NJPSA

Description coming soon. – Room: TBA

Being a Growth Leader, Empowering Aspiring Classroom Leaders – Melissa Stager, Superintendent, Clinton Township School District | Corrina Parsio, Teacher Leader, Somerset County

Ever wonder how some leaders can inspire greatness in everyone around them? It is because they are a “Growth Leader”, they have built a network of leaders in their school to help support and move ideas towards shared goals. These leaders are the ones who amplify the intellectual abilities and passions of those around them. You will learn through concrete examples, how to take the traits of a “Growth Leader” and apply them to your own district before even leaving the room. We will help you to recognize those traits in others and to build the potential around you. Please bring your laptop to engage with the material! – Room: TBA

Personalized Learning Digital Tools and Strategies – Rosalie Morillo, Program Manager, Schools Content and Special Projects - Sustainable Jersey | Tiffany Lucey, Supervisor of Educational Technology, Careers and Life Skills, Toms River Regional School District; Kelly Stone, Long Branch Public Schools

The goal of a PK-12 education is to help students develop the skills and motivation to become independent lifelong learners. Digital tools and strategies are ideally suited for creating personalized environments and curriculum to help students grow as independent learners, offering an abundance of applications, resources, and communication and collaboration platforms. Learn how schools have successfully used these tools to implement personalized learning initiatives and the impact it has had on their students and staff. – Room: TBA

Evaluating Curriculum to be Culturally Responsive – Lois Baldwin, Hopewell Valley Regional School District | Vicky Pilitsis, Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Hopewell Valley Regional School District

Description coming soon. – Room: TBA

Ignite the S.P.A.R.K for LEADERS – JoAnn Nocera, Supervisor of Instruction, East Dover Elementary/Toms River School District

How can leaders help their staff to diminish burnout and bring awareness and wellness to the school community? By helping educators to Ignite the S.P.A.R.K. A 5-step SEL process that helps participants remove barriers and limiting beliefs and create a spark that ignites curiosity and creativity. Whether you are looking to create Rejuvenation stations throughout the school or just infuse creative SEL activities to your PD days or faculty meetings, JoAnn Nocera will show you some ideas and help you walk away with ready to use activities. – Room: TBA

Developing the Teacher Leaders Among Us with a TLC (Teacher Leader Cadre) – Danielle M. Shanley, Superintendent, New Milford Public School District | Lauren Odoksta, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction, New Milford Public School District | Caridad Chrisomalis, Director of Constructivist Learning, New Milford Public School District

Supporting authentic learning in educators is positively linked to improved student achievement. However, traditional PD adds little to educators’ long-term development. Learn how the New Milford Public School District successfully created its Teacher Leader Cadre (TLC) to cultivate leadership capacity in faculty members and influence the ways we think about adult learning and leadership. In 75 minutes, learn how to launch your very own TLC, while creating holding and learning environments for those amazing teacher leaders among us. – Room: TBA

Leveraging Student and Parent Tier 1 and Tier 2 Supports through Linkages with your County’s Care Management Organization – Dr. Paul Barbato, Dumont Public Schools | Dr. Teresa Taylor, Jackson Public Schools | Daria Tabbacchino, Bergen’s Promise, CMO

Learn about creative ways to infuse no-cost mental health support within your District that incorporates innovative and collaborative efforts with educational specialists, parents, administrators, and outside organizational affiliations to support NJTSS. – Room: TBA