Connect with fellow leaders and engage with practical approaches to enhance your wellbeing and contribute to better mental health outcomes in your school. Learn about trends in school mental health data and strategies that are improving connection and wellbeing in school communities. Develop connections with other leaders, to your own wellbeing and to the needs of your students and staff. Leave better equipped to prioritize your health and foster connection and wellbeing in your school.; Participants will engage with leadership strategies and practical ways to attend to their mental health and create healthier school communities.

Join us for an unforgettable journey through the extraordinary world of public-school educators and administrators. In this session, you will hear real-life tales that are so incredible, you will not believe they actually happened. From heartwarming life lessons to side-splitting laughs and jaw-dropping moments of craziness, our panel of seasoned educators will share their most captivating stories. This session is not just about entertainment; it is about finding inspiration, learning, and gaining valuable insights into teaching, learning, and effective management. Our storytellers will connect their experiences to the world of education, offering you a unique perspective on the challenges, triumphs, and the unexpected that comes with the territory.

District leaders will learn about K12 cyber security and connectivity activities currently underway, including funding available for all. MiSecure and SEN (Statewide Education Network) will share resources explaining the programs and help each district understand how they may participate.

School districts are at the heart of our rural communities, generational legacies are closely intertwined with the schools. Montabella values a rich tradition of families deeply connected to the district and all its activities. The evolution of education and the changing needs of the community reveal the story of how districts adapt to best serve their students, much like Montabella Community Schools. In the early 2000s, the district underwent a consolidation process that led to the closure of neighborhood elementary buildings, bringing all families to a consolidated campus. Over the course of two decades, the district united as a Mustang family. However, it wasn't until the 2018 facility bond that all students, from kindergarten to twelfth grade, found themselves physically connected in a single building that met today's safety and educational standards. The bond program had a dual focus: physically and metaphorically linking the campus and community. It achieved this by enhancing pedestrian and vehicular traffic safety, improving access to the athletic complex, and constructing an addition that bridges the elementary and secondary campuses, allowing students to move safely throughout the day.

Reimagining the Portrait of a Graduate in an AI world is essential to enable adaptability, address ethical challenges, emphasize collaboration, promote lifelong learning, and ensure equity and inclusion for all learners. As leaders, it is our responsibility to understand the WHY behind this imperative work and take proactive steps to prepare our graduates for the AI-driven future. This work will require leaders to serve as first learners and be able to rethink how they might leverage AI to prepare graduates for future success. This session will assist leaders in reimagining how this work can be achieved in their district. Overall, joining this session will equip you with valuable insights and practical strategies that will help you to reimagine a more future-focused Portrait of a Graduate. This session will empower you to prepare students for the future with confidence and ensure their success in a rapidly changing world. Join us and learn practical ways of reimagining the Portrait of a Graduate.

Rockford Public Schools’ Creative Teaching and Learning Center (CTLC) mimics the world of work. Designed using the SCALE-UP (Student-Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-down Pedagogies) instruction model for higher education, this innovative center puts students at the heart of the curriculum. Beyond changing the physical environment of the classroom, SCALE-UP also challenges educators to change how they deliver the curriculum and encourages students to get more involved in their own learning. We will share how the district approached curriculum changes in this space and the impact on students who use the center.

If you are facing difficulties passing a bond or if inflation is adversely affecting its value, it is important not to panic. There are alternative financial mechanisms available to improve your learning environment and upgrade your infrastructure. Our panel of qualified superintendents will share their unique experience and discuss effective strategies for overcoming funding limitations using a Guaranteed Energy Performance Contract.

The laws, regulations, court decisions and other published guidance impacting the area of labor and employment is expansive and ever changing with the constant updates and shifting labor market. Experienced Thrun labor and employment attorneys will provide an in-depth update surrounding this constantly evolving and complex area of law.

Ready to take your strategic planning to the next level? Join us for a practical session on how to leverage student enrollment projections effectively. Traditional methods using birth data and cohort survival rates fall short, especially for communities with school choice and transient populations. We'll show you updated, more accurate methodologies that address the challenges faced by smaller districts and declining enrollments. Discover how incorporating precise student enrollment projections into your planning process can impact decision-making for budgeting, staffing, and facility needs.

Come hear updates, lessons learned, and new opportunities emerging from this groundbreaking statewide collaborative program. The Talent Together team will share important information as well as communication tools that district leaders can use immediately. Applications for the next cohort of Talent Together teacher candidates are open as of January 15, 2023.

Region 1 - Richard A
Region 2 - Nicolet A
Region 3 - Marquettte B
Region 4 - Nicolet B
Region 5 - Joliet A/B
Region 6 - LaSalle A
Region 7 - LaSalle B
Region 8 - Richard B
Region 9/10 - Marquette A

Tighten your grip on your number 2 pencil and cast aside your Brene’ Brown leadership books as you embark on an adventurous tour through the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence in education. While ChatGPT will have its moment, the emphasis will be on highlighting a diverse selection of other powerful AI tools that offer immediate utility and those that provoke thought, inviting you to explore the captivating world of AI and unlock its transformative potential. Explore and discover AI tools that impact art, presentation, productivity, and more. Investigate how these cutting-edge AI tools impact how adults work in our schools, our students work and our communities.

This session will provide a brief overview on a broad range of legal developments, including recently enacted laws, significant court decisions, and other critical guidance impacting school districts. Thrun attorneys will cover a broad range of school law subjects. Noteworthy pending legislation will also be covered to help district leaders stay ahead of the game and aware of proposed changes to the law before such laws are enacted.

Professional learning in which individuals can design and pursue opportunities that are relevant to their current position and their future goals is a possible reality due to the influx of digital resources and increase in the number of professional learning opportunities offered by districts, regional organizations, non-profit organizations and even for-profit companies. But just how does an administrator put a system in place that is both flexible and holds educators accountable? Several districts will share how they have accomplished this; plus, gain access to freely available resources and templates that will help you implement a customized plan for this in your district.

Interested in diving deeper in advocacy and gaining an inside look at policies moving through the legislative process? In this session, you’ll learn more about engaging with elected officials, how they navigated policies last year, and an unfiltered look on what you can expect out of Lansing throughout 2024. Superintendents who have had experience advocating in the halls of the Capitol will be a part of the panel discussion to share tips and best practices. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and gain a blueprint on how to increase advocacy for their school community at the Capitol.

When does a student statement rise to the level of a “threat” and when is it protected speech? Are there special education issues to consider? This session will help administrators understand state and federal law and case precedent related to analyzing and responding to student threats both on and off-campus.

Many districts operate with restricted budgets, making it essential to explore innovative and cost-effective strategies that empower teachers, foster their long-term commitment to the profession, and tap into deeper dynamics of what makes schools places where teachers love to teach, and students love to learn. This session will dive into creative approaches, resourceful techniques, and alternative methods that can be leveraged to retain talented educators, even in the absence of a dedicated retention budget.

With the future of PA 152 and the state-mandated hard cap in flux, we may soon be back to the “old days” of negotiating and bargaining benefits. The more you know, the more you can control – don’t get caught flat footed! In this session we’ll discuss the latest developments surrounding PA 152, a behind the scenes look at what drives the cost of insurance and how to best be prepared when it comes to negotiations.

Effective Board Communication is an essential part of becoming a successful Superintendent. A team approach is best when communicating with the Board of Education. Learn how Board communication has become an art and a science in the Dearborn Public Schools. Incident Reports, Weekly Board Brief Reports, in-person meetings, and other forms of communication are essential to prevent surprises at the Board/Superintendent Leadership level. In addition, this session will provide strategies for Board meeting preparation when unexpected events can happen at any time. The new norm post pandemic and prosocial media with misinformation has created a venue for Board meetings to be the target for radical agendas. Dr. Maleyko has faced adversity but has survived with the implementation of effective strategies and the formation of a solid team to deal with extremely challenging situations.

As you find yourself preparing for the second half of the school year, it's not too early to start planning for next year. Come prepared to discuss with MASB's seasoned board members and educators a variety of topics to reflect on as you start to consider what the next school year holds for you, your board, staff and district. Topics covered will include the upcoming election season, your yearly calendar, evaluation, board self-assessment, and board norms, just to name a few.

Be uncommon. Be courageous. For your kids, your community, and mine. In this session, we'll dive into Brene' Brown's work on courage, bravery, and trust...and what that means for your leadership in our districts and schools. What does it mean to be the man (or woman) in the arena? What behaviors get in the way of courageous leadership? How can we become courageous and BRAVING leaders? We'll discover what exceptional leaders DO, and who exceptional leaders ARE...as well as examining why good leadership team’s stall. Be uncommon, be courageous, and don't miss this session.

Learn how to craft personalized communication that won't frustrate your stakeholders, and reuse content across email, social media, and district websites to boost your message across your community. This session will also explore modern ways to promote enrollment, employment, and school bonds.

We can't pause teaching and learning to wrap our brains around the challenges and opportunities AI presents. It requires a shift in our mindset as instructional leaders to adapt to a world with AI. Accessibility to the technology, once behind the scenes, poured accelerant on a conversation already underway: Now that AI is shaping nearly every aspect of our lives and is expected to transform fields from medicine to agriculture, and every facet of life. This session will help leaders develop a vision for guiding their districts in the AI Integrated World and prepare teachers and students for that world of tomorrow happening today!

Post Covid, students are increasingly disengaged, and staff are exhausted. This session will highlight how one small rural district created an advisory to improve engagement for both students and staff. The mission is to rebuild relationships through a focus on life skill development and soft skills to foster our expectations for a Portrait of a Graduate.

One of the greatest frustrations many districts face is failing a much needed facilities bond. In this session we will discuss the four reasons why voters don’t support facility bonds,what districts can do to win those voters over so the next bond passes, and learn from two districts who failed a bond request and how they were able to succeed with their next request.

District teams at Gratiot Isabella RESD are transforming MTSS practices and creating a lasting impact for student wellbeing, engagement, and instructional time. Participants will learn about how using the Transtheoretical Model of Change can be helpful in combating initiative fatigue and providing individualized support to schools. A variety of implementation strategies will be shared through the story of a school that established systems for measuring the effects of the change while engaging implementation teams in collaborative discussion about the results

Have you ever taken a survey and wondered what happened to the results? Learn two simple leader behaviors that can change how employees perceive the leadership in their schools and district departments. Results Rollout is a process of transparently sharing survey results and building a short action plan (one or two steps) to improve the employee experience. Rounding is a short conversation held periodically between leaders and employees that can be used as a follow-up “check” on how the action steps are working. These two leader processes are simple to learn, do not take much time to implement, and have a big impact on how employees feel about their leaders and their workplace

The session will discuss the innovation and investment in early childhood through the Preschool Development Grant (PDG), Michigan Early Childhood Connect (MiECC), and how the work is supporting early childhood systems building, both statewide and locally. This presentation will be centered on the Michigan Collection Action plan, and how the work of PDG and MiECC are working to create systems that support statewide infrastructure and support for local districts in helping prepare their local communities and ultimately, children prior to school entry.

The session focuses on enhancing engagement between the Superintendent, Board of Education, and students through initiatives like the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council, social media presence, school visits, and community visibility. Dearborn Public Schools – the 3rd largest district in Michigan, with 20,000 students – has seen a positive impact from the Advisory Council, fostering student voices and personal interactions. The "Students First Model" has resulted in increased morale, notable accolades, and achievements, including a 95% graduation rate, five National Blue Ribbon Schools, all Dearborn high schools recognized as Academic State Champs, and recognition as a top district for college admissions – sending 86% of students to college within one year of graduation, 20% above the state average.

Today more than ever, superintendents understand the critical importance of engaging the broader public in a meaningful way to support the success of the school district and the community it serves. Many have employed the Future Search process to create a community-wide conversation that results in a shared vision for the district – addressing the evolving needs of the students and the community. Intentional outcomes differ by district, but the impact is similar: Energized and engaged citizens who have a stake in the success of the district and a willingness to work together to honor the shared vision, values, and priorities. Benefits are many. The resulting clarity of focus sets the Board on a path to an effective governance role with the superintendent, gives administration defined purpose and actions, and supports organizational alignment with the things that matter most. Learn how this process has resulted in positive, sustainable relationships for over fifty districts and the communities they serve.

Using the learnings from TeachMichigan’s talent strategy around the retention, satisfaction, and growth of high-impact educators, participants will look at their own districts to identify areas where they may be able to adapt these learnings. Participants will walk away with tools to apply insights from the TeachMichigan model in their districts, as well as broader ways to retain the educators they have.

Explore best practices used to dramatically improve student achievement, attendance, graduation rate, and behavior-related outcomes in urban school districts. Participants will learn about practices used to achieve record breaking improvement in student outcomes in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, and St. Louis and the current implementation of those best practices in Kalamazoo.

In the complex world of education, simplicity is the key to scalable and sustainable transformation. Farmington Public Schools students engage in authentic, purposeful, impactful transfer tasks where students not only acquire knowledge, but apply that knowledge to new and innovative situations within their community. Fifth graders are using their knowledge of math to make a positive impact on pollinators in their local environment, and ninth graders are learning about the Vietnam War in an effort to empathize and drive support for Vietnam Veterans. Join FPS teachers and leaders to hear more about the simple, repeatable structures they have developed to drive deeper, more authentic learning for their students and their educators.

Improve communication in your rural district by learning how to blend organic, traditional, and digital channels for a personalized approach that's easy to understand. Learn to communicate effectively and gain community support for your initiatives – including when to use digital or hard-copy communications.

Discipline based on student speech is always a complicated and contentious issue, particularly when that speech is or implies a threat. Understanding the protections afforded to student speech and being able to distinguish “true threats” from objectionable but protected speech is more important than ever in this climate of school safety concerns. This session will cover the intersection of speech and student discipline on and off campus, including recent legal developments and common disciplinary mistakes.

Take a peek at some of the School ADvance updates necessary to incoporate legislative changes regarding educator evaluations. The presentation will provide ideas to make your job easier to learn and implement these adaptations.

Michigan schools have experienced huge losses in money, data, and time lost to hackers. Schools' weak infrastructure and new or inexperienced staff are prime targets for cybercrime. If you lose private information to bad actors, your dollars and community confidence will soon follow. Learn about emerging threats in cybercrime and signs of malicious content and discuss ways to train your staff and protect your data