Building Community While Supporting Your Community
This session explores practical strategies for strengthening family engagement through authentic community partnerships. Participants will learn how schools and districts can build trust, leverage local resources, and create inclusive spaces that empower families as true partners in student success. Through real-world examples and actionable tools, the presentation highlights how intentional collaboration between families, schools, and community organizations leads to stronger support systems, improved outcomes for students, and more resilient communities overall.
Presenter:
- TK Fayne, MBA – Board Chair, Metro Nashville School Board
Data With a Soul: Governing for Equitable Student Outcomes in Urban Communities
Urban school boards are often presented with extensive student achievement and assessment data, yet many trustees struggle to translate that information into governance actions that lead to equitable outcomes. This session explores how school boards can use an outcome-driven governance framework to move beyond compliance and reporting toward disciplined progress monitoring that improves student achievement — without micromanaging district operations.
Presented from the perspective of a school board trustee serving Cedar Hill ISD — a diverse, growing district that defies simple classification — this session demonstrates that effective governance is driven by discipline and purpose, not geography. Drawing on real-world experience shaped by both opportunity and complexity, participants will examine how boards can center equity, ask better questions, and hold systems accountable for students most impacted by systemic inequities, including students receiving special education services.
This session will highlight how boards can use assessment and outcome data to surface gaps, monitor progress toward student outcome goals, and ensure that urban students are not reduced to numbers, but seen, supported, and served.
Presenter:
- TBD – School Board Trustee and community advocacy partner
From Practice to Policy Development: Scaling Student-Led IEPs for Impact and Excellence
Research consistently shows that meaningful student participation in Individualized Education Program (IEP) planning is a key factor in improving learning and postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities. Although IDEA requires students age 14 and older to be invited to IEP meetings during transition planning, attendance is not mandated. As a result, many students remain passive (or absent) from decisions that shape their educational trajectories. Even when they are present, meetings are often led by adults, limiting students' opportunities to build self-determination, self-advocacy, and goal-setting skills. Through intentional Student-Led IEP Planning and informed board policy development, schools can strengthen educational excellence, student achievement, and special education services. This workshop challenges traditional IEP practices by presenting Student-Led IEP Planning as a research-based approach that increases student agency, engagement, and ownership of learning. Facilitated by a seasoned Child Study Team practitioner, participants will examine how Student-Led IEPs promote equitable decision-making, align instruction with postsecondary goals, and develop the skills students need for success beyond school.
Presenter:
- Dr. Lamont Harris – Commissioner, Board of Education, Plainfield Public Schools
Urgency to Impact: How Philly Is Becoming One of America's Fastest-Improving Urban School Districts
Philadelphia has emerged as one of the nation's fastest-improving large urban school districts, as measured by National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) performance gains, graduation rates, and reductions in student dropout rates. NAEP, often called "The Nation's Report Card," measures student achievement in reading, math, science, and writing across the United States. Based on the District's performance on the 2024 NAEP, Philadelphia has rebounded from the pandemic more rapidly than both the national and state averages. It has outpaced the typical large-city district in math and reading recovery between 2019 and 2024. In fact, only one other major city school district has shown greater recovery in eighth-grade math.
In this session, participants will learn how the School District of Philadelphia is driving these gains through standards-aligned curriculum and core instructional resources, high-impact tutoring, strategic partnerships with universities, and a disciplined execution and accountability system. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for accelerating academic achievement in large, complex districts.
Presenter:
- Tony B. Watlington, Sr., Ed.D. – Superintendent, School District of Philadelphia
Reimagining Discipline Through Belonging: Using MTSS, Climate & SEL Data to Reduce Suspensions
Urban school districts must address discipline, school climate, and social-emotional learning (SEL) through cohesive, systemwide approaches to improve student outcomes. This session highlights how an urban district leveraged a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework to align discipline practices, SEL implementation, and school climate improvement in support of educational excellence.
Participants will learn how district leaders embedded restorative approaches and SEL expectations across MTSS tiers, clarified roles and processes for schools, and used climate, behavior, and discipline data to guide implementation and monitor impact. The session demonstrates how intentional alignment across prevention, targeted supports, and intensive interventions increased consistency, reduced exclusionary discipline practices, and improved student engagement and access to instruction.
Presenters:
- Jamila Adams - Assistant Director of Curriculum & Assessment, Gary Community School Corporation
- Dr. Cynthia Treadwell – Chief Academic Officer, Gary Community School Corporation
- Dr. Renita Craig – Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Gary Community School Corporation
- Mr. Glenn Johnson – Board Member, Gary Community School Corporation
Equity Unleashed: Advancing STEAM Innovations for All Students
This dynamic and interactive session spotlights how the Compton Unified School District turned equity into action by building a bold PreK–12 STEAM pipeline that expands access, accelerates achievement, and prepares learners for high-growth careers. Participants will experience how intentional design, courageous leadership, and community partnerships fuel a districtwide culture where STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) thrives on every campus.
Board members and district leaders will explore how governance, policy alignment, and strategic investment move equity from vision to daily practice. Through immersive AR/VR demonstrations, this session brings innovation to life — robotics, esports, drones, design thinking, and large-scale STEAM events that have transformed Compton Unified into a leader in connecting pathways from elementary through high school.
Participants will leave with a practical roadmap of proven models, scalable strategies, and actionable next steps to close opportunity gaps, strengthen STEAM systems, and ignite excellence across urban school communities — ready to lead transformation in their own districts.
Presenters:
- Micah Ali – President, Governing Board, Compton Unified School District
- Darin Brawley – Superintendent, Compton Unified School District
Board President's High School Leadership
Urban school districts serve students who often have limited access to direct mentorship from civic leaders and decision makers. This session highlights a board president-led high school leadership curriculum designed to intentionally cultivate student leadership, civic awareness, and postsecondary readiness in a majority minority urban district serving 34,000 students. The cohort was inspired by a moment of reframing student leadership, recognizing that students, not adults, are often the true presidents of their organizations. Through a seven-month curriculum, each of the district's seven elected trustees mentors student presidents from Student Council, Performing and Visual Arts, Athletics, FFA, and honor societies across six high schools. Each trustee leads one module aligned to the Seven Models for Successful Leadership, grounding lessons in lived governance and professional experience. By connecting board governance to student leadership development, this model strengthens student voice, builds confidence, and reinforces academic responsibility, service learning, and college readiness. Participants will learn how board-led student leadership cohorts can elevate educational success, foster civic engagement, and create leadership pipelines in urban communities.
Presenters:
- Justine Durant – Board President, Spring Independent School District
- Dr. Kregg Cuellar - Superintendent, Spring Independent School District
- Dr. Latracy Harris - Chief of Staff, Spring Independent School District
- Tranita Carrol - Executive Director, Spring Independent School District
When Trust Is Tested: How Boards and Superintendents Navigate Conflict Together
Urban school districts often operate under intense public scrutiny, complex community dynamics, and heightened expectations around equity, safety, and student outcomes. In these contexts, the strength of the board–superintendent relationship is critical to sustaining educational excellence. This session examines how trust, role clarity, and aligned governance practices enable districts to navigate conflict without disrupting instructional focus or organizational stability.
Co-presented by a superintendent and board trustee, the session offers real-world examples of how urban leadership teams responded to moments of tension — such as community pressure, difficult decisions, and public disagreement — while maintaining a shared commitment to students. Participants will explore practical strategies for engaging in healthy disagreement, preserving public unity, and repairing trust when missteps occur.
By strengthening governance relationships, urban districts can create the conditions necessary for safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments where educators remain focused on teaching and students remain at the center of decision-making. Attendees will leave with tools to model consistent leadership that builds confidence.
Presenters:
- Camille Hibbler – Superintendent, Ferndale Public Schools
- Sandra Dukhie – Board of Education Trustee, Ferndale Public Schools
Together We Rise: Student Outcomes Focused Collaboration Between Phoenix Districts
Phoenix is unique among its urban peers for not having one comprehensive school district. Instead, Phoenix is home to one unified high school district and a consortium of K-8 independent districts. Creating meaningful change in student outcomes requires intentional collaboration and a willingness on the part of boards across the city to put their students ahead of their egos and political careers. Leaders of several boards will share their collective work to bring student outcomes focused governance to the Valley of the Sun, and share how cross-community initiatives like Phoenix School Board School help to develop the next generation of board leaders.
Presenters:
- Megan Marie Frankiewicz - Board Member, Roosevelt School District 66 Governing Board
- Dr. Ashley Hodge – President, Roosevelt School District 66 Governing Board
- Carmen Trujillo – President, Phoenix Elementary School District 1 Governing Board
- Sophia Carrillo – President, Creighton School District 14 Governing Board
Using Artificial Intelligence to Support Student Growth
As part of its digital transformation roadmap and its migration to an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled technology paradigm, Newark Public Schools has devised and currently uses a formal AI adoption framework that facilitates a holistic, responsible, and equitable adoption of AI technology across the organization. This includes Teaching and Learning, Business Operations, and Information Technology, all of which are intended to lead to student growth. The seven-pillar adoption framework will also allow the district to address all concerns related to AI adoption, including network infrastructure, cybersecurity, data integrity, data governance, business process optimization, AI oversight, stakeholder representation, and stakeholder reskilling/upskilling.
Presenters:
- Abdullah Ansari – Executive Director, Information Technology, Newark Public Schools
- Hasani Council – Board President, Newark Public Schools
Abundance Mindset: Rejecting Scarcity of Access To High-Quality Programs
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), one of the nation's largest and most diverse school districts, serves a student population that includes a high percentage of multilingual learners, Latino students, African American students, and students from communities impacted by poverty. While MCPS benefits from significant assets, persistent opportunity gaps demonstrate how scarcity-based decision-making can exist even in well-resourced districts.
In this session, MCPS Board of Education members and the Superintendent will share how the district is intentionally shifting toward an abundance mindset, one that rejects scarcity by aligning governance, policy, and program oversight with student need rather than historical precedent. Participants will explore how MCPS leadership examined programs, budgets, and accountability structures to redesign system access to programming to ensure equitable access. Through district case examples, interactive discussion, and hands-on analysis, attendees will gain insight into how board–superintendent alignment can serve as a powerful lever for advancing program equity and sustaining transformational work at scale.
Presenters:
- Lori-Christina Webb - Chief of Staff, Board of Education, Montgomery County Public Schools
- Dr. Thomas Taylor – Superintendent, Montgomery County Public Schools
- Ms. Jeannie Franklin – Director, Department of Consortia and Application Programs, Montgomery County Public Schools
- Ms. Grace Rivera-Oven – Board Member, Montgomery County Public Schools
- Ms. Brenda Wolff – Board Member, Montgomery County Public Schools
Beyond Awareness: Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices to Support Diverse Students
Students bring complex life experiences into our classrooms that directly shape how they learn, behave, and engage. This session focuses on translating trauma-informed care from concept to practice in real school settings. Participants will explore the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), the role of intersecting identities, and how trauma shows up across student behavior. Using practical examples and implementation strategies, this session highlights how educators and leaders can build more predictable, supportive, and inclusive environments that reduce re-traumatization and strengthen student success. Attendees will leave with clear, actionable approaches they can apply in their own schools and districts.
Presenters:
- Michael Dodge – Commissioner, Greater Commonwealth Virtual School
- Kerry Martings – Executive Director, Family Engagement and Student Services, West Springfield Public Schools
- Stefania Raschilla – Superintendent, West Springfield Public Schools
The Courageous School Board Member: Leading with Critical Consciousness in Mind
Inspired by the article “Courageous School Board: Critical Consciousness and Excellence,” this session challenges school board members and educational leaders to rethink governance in an era of political division, public distrust, and persistent inequities. Grounded in Paulo Freire’s theory of critical consciousness, the session explores how courageous school boards can move beyond compliance and become transformational forces for equity, excellence, and democratic renewal. Participants will examine practical strategies for applying critical consciousness to budgeting, accountability, student safety, curriculum decisions, staffing, and community engagement. Through real-world examples and reflective dialogue, attendees will explore how school boards can center historically marginalized voices, confront systemic inequities, and lead with moral courage in politically charged environments. This session will leave participants with actionable tools to strengthen governance, build trust, and create school systems where equity and excellence are inseparable.
Presenter:
- Shawn Joseph – Associate Professor, Howard University & Interim Superintendent, Prince George's County Public Schools (
Governing Beyond the Four Walls of the Board Room
This session challenges traditional notions of school board leadership by equipping urban board members and superintendents with strategies to expand their governance impact through intentional public and private partnerships. A facilitated panel discussion will explore how districts can align with industry leaders, community organizations, and higher education institutions to unlock new resources, expand student opportunities, and accelerate achievement outcomes. Grounded in real-world examples from large and mid-sized urban districts, the session will highlight how partnerships can support workforce development pathways, increase access to innovative programming, and supplement district funding in a sustainable and strategic way. Attendees will gain insight into how governance teams can move from passive approval roles to active conveners of opportunity. This session directly supports educational excellence in urban communities by demonstrating how collaborative leadership can close opportunity gaps, enhance student readiness for college and careers, and bring additional investment into public education systems without compromising governance integrity.
Presenters:
- Devin J. Del Palacio – Vice President, Tolleson Union High School District Governing Board (AZ)
-
- Sophia Carrillo – President, Creighton School District 14 Governing Board (