Transformative Principal

Gina Rodriguez-Nunez - Tippin Born and raised in El Paso, Texas. Proud graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso. Received my Bachelors of Interdisciplinary Studies, Bachelors of Liberals Arts. Masters of Education I was an assistant principal for 7 years. I was named principal of Tippin elementary in 2009. I have served the Tippin community for 12 years. Raised by two hard working parents who immigrated to the US after they were married. My mother was a stay-at-home mother and my father worked at a break making factory. When I entered school I only spoke Spanish. I am a product of the bilingual program in EPISD. I later became a bilingual teacher and now a supporter of the EPISD dual language program. I am married and have 3 amazing children. While I am not being a principal I enjoy spending time with my children, traveling and reading. Brittni’s situation taught me a lot about my role as an administrator. Being present for them What can the school do for you? It’s easy to shy away from situations like

Dr. Temple is the Sealy and Smith Chair of Violence Prevention at the University of Texas Medical Branch, as well as a Licensed Psychologist and the Founding Director of the Center for Violence Prevention. His research focuses on the prevention of interpersonal, community, and structural violence, and has been funded through the National Institute of Justice, National Institutes of Health, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has over 200 scholarly publications in a variety of high-impact journals including JAMA, JAMA Pediatrics, The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, Pediatrics, and the Journal of Adolescent Health. He recently co-edited a book on adolescent dating violence, is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Primary Prevention, and is on the editorial boards of four other scientific journals. Dr. Temple recently co-chaired the Texas Task Force on Domestic Violence and served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Psychological Association. Locally, he served for 7 years as the Vice Pre

Regina Collins is the Principal of the Global School at the Florida Virtual School.  Florida Virtual School is a national organization serving K - 12 students in online education for over 23 years.  She has 20 years in education and 11 of them in virtual education.  In her role as the Global School Principal, she collaborates with a diverse group of people to work towards the common goal of increasing student achievement and retention in an online setting.  She has a way of encouraging students and staff to remain positive and persevere while adapting to change.  And boy has the last 13 months or so really tested that skill! She believes partnerships with parents and school districts are essential to enriching the experience at FLVS Global School.  Prior to joining FLVS in 2010, she also has experience teaching at the elementary level where she passionately pursued strategies to reach the individual needs of each of her students. Teaching is an art and science Organization Development Manager National Standa

Rashard Curmon is a graduate of Elizabeth City State University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with a minor in Speech Pathology, a Master of Arts degree in Teaching from East Carolina University, and a Master in School Administration NC State University. Rashard is a former Language Arts teacher. Rashard has served as an Assistant Principal, Instructional Coach and has worked at all three levels: elementary, middle, and high school. He currently resides in Winterville, North Carolina, and is a Principal for Lenoir County Public Schools. Elementary school principal - School opened in 2009 6th in 12 years Learn as much as you can. Don’t come in with a savior complex. What are the early wins for you? Clear vision and mission Didn’t take the route where you watch for six months to a year. Culture of collaboration Gracious space My total focus was achievement. Urgency is now! Instructional framework I had to bei n classrooms. I can’t move our school instructionally if I don’t know what’s going on

Jeff Carrus is an assistant principal in Katy Texas. 8th year being an assistant principal. Taught in New York for five years and then Surgarland and now in Katy. Young Men’s Group Mainly at-risk students. Meet once a month - shirts and ties. Goal setting & Accountability. The young men needed to be part of something. How to help young men have leadership opportunities. What can you do when you’re walking the building the make it better? Finding students who aren’t the leaders in student council. Bringing Rugby to schools. Students become coaches. How to be a Transformative Principal? Every single interaction is a chance for us to better a relationship. What can we do to leave that student in a better place? Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where

Jeanne Collins is the Superintendent Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union. Vermont is very rural. Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative Pivoting quickly in the spring - hindsight wasn’t effective. Spent summer identifying essential components of our curriculum Essential elements remote learning schedule, predictability, consistency, guide on what to expect. Remote for a month. Guide on what to expect. Livestreamed as opposed to a virtual school. 80 minute block not designed to be a stand and deliver. Assignments in Google classroom. As Parent and benefit of a schedule Game format on Wednesdays - How do we learn from the valuable lessons and opportunities? Parents Adjusted during pandemics, but they want to go back Learning Pathways Handbook for Students, Parents and Staff RNESU Remote Learning Guidance for Staff Re-Opening Learning Information for Parents Wednesday Teacher Planning & Remote Learner Expectations  Edmentum, Seesaw Separate remote teachers vs. livestreaming classrooms. Lessons learned -

Lindsay Lyons is an educational justice coach who works with teachers and school leaders to inspire educational innovation for racial and gender justice, design curricula grounded in student voice, and build capacity for shared leadership. Lindsay taught in NYC public schools, holds a PhD in Leadership and Change, and is the founder of the educational blog and podcast, Time for Teachership. Students are not often involved Consistency 5 key tips Mindset - radical collegiality Representative leadership team Clear when we’re making decisions that are not appropriate for students/others Use stakeholder research - perception data Meet consistently. How to deal with transient students. Students presenting to leadership team. Dana Mitra’s student voice pyramid Why Jethro hates Activism. How to be a transformative principal? Take stock of your leadership and how you make decisions Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum

Dr. Gregory Gardner, Jr. began his educational career in 2007 in the Griffin-Spalding County school system at Carver Road Middle School.  He spent seven years there as a Language Arts, Social Studies, and remedial reading teacher.  Over the course of those seven years, he helped to pilot the Positive Behavior Intervention System program and served as a member of the leadership team. In 2014, Dr. Gardner completed his doctoral studies in Curriculum and Instruction, and he began the transition process to become an assistant principal.  Later that year, he was promoted within the same school, where he spent four years as an assistant principal.  During those times, Dr. Gardner was a part of the administrative team that lead Carver Road Middle School to recognitions from the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) as a Model School for 2016 and 2017, and the team continued to exceed performance measures through the use of a transformative model that led to a shift in instructional practice and a f

David Wood is a former consulting actuary to Fortune 100 companies. He built the world’s largest coaching business, becoming #1 on Google for life coaching and coaching thousands of hours in 12 countries around the globe. As well as helping others, David is no stranger to overcoming challenges himself, having survived a full collapse of his paraglider and a fractured spine, witnessing the death of his sister at age seven, anxiety and depression, and a national Gong Show! He coaches high-performing business owners to double revenue, and their time off by focusing on less and being 30% more courageous in their business or career. Why it’s important to lead yourself Why Playing Safe is the Most Dangerous Thing You Can Do. What would it look like to step even further out of your comfort zone? Name that mouse - Something I’m constantly chasing. I notice this is happening… We can pay upfront or we can pay over time. Model for tough conversations I didn’t lead with my agenda, I led with a connection. We’ve learned

Greg Doverspike is a superintendent of Durand-Arkansaw School District in Western Wisconsin. How principals get paid. Everything’s negotiable. Equal pay for admin team. What if high school principal does more evening supervision? Everyone knew the increase would be worth it for that person who got a big increase. Alt comp package in district. I believe in transparency. Drip method - a conversation over time. Laying the groundwork. Involve the staff and have skin in the game. How to be a transformative principal? Don’t take yourself so seriously. Remind yourself why you’re in it! Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where they’re at. The videos are 5–6 minutes, kids love them, teachers love them, and you will too. There’s no guesswork in the program becau

Brian Hyosaka is a Chicago native and has spent time around the world I’m originally from the Chicago area and am the son of career high school special educator.  I grew up playing a multitude of sports and got into coaching alongside my sister who is also a teacher.  For a few summers during college, I was splitting my day interning at my dad’s company and coaching swimming.  Each day, I would dread going to the office and count the hours until I could be with young people coaching swimming.  That final summer proved pivotal and I came to the realization that pursuing business or an office type job was just not for me. Thankfully, Teach For America existed to allow me to jump into teaching and utilize my bilingualism in Spanish.  I knew that in order to truly give education a shot, I needed to leave my friends and family in Chicago, so I moved to Denver to teach 5th grade in a bilingual classroom.  Unlike most of my friends at the time, I ended up staying in Denver for 5 years teaching in the same school.  D

Social Media Kids don’t know what makes their heart sing. Melissa Bernstein, along with her husband Doug, is the Co-Founder of the toy company Melissa & Doug, which has created over 5,000 children’s products and sold billions of dollars of toys since its inception. Raised by educators, Melissa and Doug started the business in their garage in 1988, and they’ve been on a mission ever since to provide open-ended, inventive, non-technologically driven playthings for young children. Throughout Melissa’s remarkable career, she kept secret her lifelong battle with severe depression and anxiety. She reveals her struggles in LIFELINES, her first book, which she wrote to help others who are also suffering. Melissa’s book heralds the launch of LifeLines.com, an online ecosystem she and Doug are underwriting to support those seeking support, guidance, and community on their mental health journeys. Melissa lives in Connecticut with Doug and their six children. Why release it now. How was Melissa and Doug Nobody saw t

Paul Marble has served his entire career as a teacher and administrator in three Massachusetts high schools, including a private boarding school, large urban district school, and a charter public school. Paul taught IB English at Sturgis for six years; was Principal for six years; became Executive Director in July of 2016; has made numerous presentations about the IB Diploma Programme and its implementation; is an IB Site Visitor; and is an IB Workshop Leader, helping experienced IB teachers from across the nation support diverse learners in their classrooms. He also has developed and led teacher workshops for the IB Organization’s Bridging the Equity Gap project. International Baccalaureate Programme is over 50 years old and is a way to support students who were traveling from US to Europe. Learner profile and how the focus has changed during the pandemic. IB Demands an understanding of different types of knowledge and how they relate to each other. Understanding that the world is complex and global. What t

Dr. Chad Dumas Twitter is an educational consultant, international presenter and award-winning researcher whose primary focus is collaborating to develop capacity for continuous improvement. Having been a successful teacher, principal, central office administrator, professional developer and consultant in a variety of school districts, he brings his passion, expertise, and skills to his writing and speaking as he engages participants in meaningful and practical learning. In his new book, Let’s Put the C in PLC: A Practical Guide for School Leaders, Chad offers readers and audiences educational research, engaging stories, hands-on tools, and useful knowledge and skills they can implement immediately. The results of Chad’s work speak for themselves. One district was identified as “Persistently Lowest Achieving” upon his arrival, and within a few years — by applying the principles of his book — multiple schools were recognized as National PLC Models for improving student learning. Chad has served on and led accr

Dr. Kirk Wheeler has been the STS Head of School since July 2005 and has been in education for thirty years. Previously, he served as the Preschool – 12 Curriculum Coordinator and Lower School Principal at the American School of Rio de Janeiro, a classroom teacher at Vail Mountain School, and supervisor for the summer mountain program for the Town of Vail. His teaching experience includes physical education, Spanish, first through fourth grades, and middle school language arts. His leadership philosophy is embodied in the phrase, “Educational Leadership through Partnership.“ Dr. Wheeler believes that two elements define 21st century schools: relationships and ”edgework." Dr. Wheeler is a former member of the Board of Governors for the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS) and founding member of the Rubicon Educational Foundation Board of Directors. He currently serves on the Accreditation Committee for NWAIS and the CustomED Board of Directors. Dr. Wheeler holds a Doctorate in Education, with a

Robert E. Quinn has spent the last 40 years doing research, publishing, teaching, consulting, and speaking to more than half of the Fortune 500. He is the Margaret Elliot Tracy Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business.  His research and writing focuses on purpose, leadership, culture and change. He is one of the leaders in the field of Positive Organizational Scholarship and a cofounder of the Center for Positive Organizations at the University of Michigan. He has published 18 books.  His book, Deep Change is a long-term best seller and has been used across the planet. His book, The Best Teacher in You won the Ben Franklin Award designating it the best book in education. His latest book is The Positive Organization: Breaking Free of Conventional Cultures, Constraints and Beliefs. His next book will be The Economics of Higher Purpose: Eight Counter Intuitive Steps for Creating a Purpose Driven Organization. He is particularly known for his work on the competing values framewo

Dr. Stacey Gonzales is the director of curriculum and instruction at Consolidated High School District 230 in Illinois. Virtual Career day - This is an opportunity to connect kids For them it is a straight line. K–12 is a straight line. How to bring experiential learning into the classroom? Be intentional to support social and emotional supports. Radical Candor Can’t grow without some friction. Everything takes 3–4 times as long. Guiding coalition - find your people who have the passion and vision. Don’t be afraid of the bureaucracy and politics. How to be a transformative principal? Be visible. Teachers need permission. Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where they’re at. The videos are 5-6 minutes, kids love them, teachers love them, and you will too

Jennifer Sullivan, M.S. is an executive functioning coach and author based in southeastern CT. She is founder of Fast Forward College Coaching and offers customized college support for diverse learners and their parents as they prepare for the transition to (and through) college. She speaks nationally to high schools, educators, and parent groups about differences between disability support in high school and college, executive functioning success in college and the parent perspective of the college transition. She is author of the book, Sharing the Transition to College: Words of Advice for Diverse Learners and Their Families. Helping kids transition to college When to start planning. What opportunities exist for students with disabilities? More than the dichotomy of career or college One of the ways we can prepare students is by reaching down to middle school. Include middle schooler teachers and leaders about transitioning to college. LifeCourse tools Self-advocacy and self-awareness. When kids have a pr

Sam Sochet was celebrated as the 2019 New York City High School Principal of the Year by the  NYC High  School Principals Association, for his monumental work in transforming Martin Van Buren High School, a large comprehensive high school in Queens, New York.  When Sam took over as principal in 2012, the school’s 4-year graduation rate was below 50%, and approaching NY State Receivership status.  Undaunted by the odds, within six years, through a concentration on three “big rocks” (emphasizing in order Culture, Community, and Learning and Teaching), the school moved its graduation rate to 80!  This was done while retaining the teaching staff.   During his 7+ years as principal, the school also achieved similar increases in College Readiness, Student Attendance, and new found access to academic programs such as Robotics, Health Careers, Pre-Law, as well as Science Research.  Sam has over 32 years of experience as a highly successful Teacher, Science Chairperson, Assistant Principal, and Principal.  Sam taught

Dr. Sebrina A. Lindsay-Law serves as the Coordinator for Equity and Opportunity in the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Virginia Beach City Public Schools.  Prior to serving in this role, Dr. Lindsay-Law worked as a school improvement specialist, secondary social studies teacher, and middle school dean.   Dr. Law attended Old Dominion University where she obtained a bachelor of arts degree in secondary social studies education.  Then she earned a master of art degree in administration and supervision from The George Washington University.  In August 2019 she completed her doctorate degree in educational leadership and policy studies from The George Washington University.    She believes through inclusive conversations, empathetic listening opportunities, and adaptive practices teams can establish solution oriented outcomes to support communities and organizations.  Furthermore, when teams and organizations utilize strengths to guide conversations, practices, and systems then teams can have sust