For Centuries, we have cultivated a “box” in education. The kids who fit in it? They thrive. The kids who don’t? They’re lucky to survive. In this uplifting and practical session, join award-winning principal and best-selling author Pete Hall in an exploration of the top 5 reasons kids disengage, struggle, and drop out of school…and examine the highest-yield strategies for connecting, supporting, and altering the trajectory of our most precious and fragile students...while we still have them!

Participants will:

• Identify the underlying causes for kids who struggle in school;
• Analyze an array of strategies for building connections, igniting curiosity, and/or enhancing the relevance of education for kids who struggle in school; and
• Apply their learning to a "case study" student (from their own setting) to create a proactive plan that matches their needs.

Examine how one district designed and implemented a comprehensive paraprofessional learning academy that moves beyond compliance-based training toward sustained instructional impact. Explore structures, learning designs, and data systems that build paraprofessionals’ instructional expertise, confidence, and retention. Apply a scalable framework you can adapt to elevate paraprofessional learning and strengthen schoolwide capacity.

Participants will:

• Analyze a district-designed paraprofessional learning academy aligned to the Standards for Professional Learning to identify essential components of effective, role-specific professional learning;
• Examine how evidence-based learning designs and implementation structures support paraprofessional instructional practice, collaboration, and retention across general and special education settings;
• Apply practical tools including learning pathways, progress monitoring processes, and recognition structures to design or refine professional learning for paraprofessionals that advances school and district improvement; and
• Identify data sources and evidence measures to assess the impact of paraprofessional learning on educator performance, instructional support, and student learning.
   

The public education workforce is evolving. Paraeducator new hires are coming from a wide variety of backgrounds, some with little or no experience in schools, instruction, or with students. This session will focus on empowerment of novice paraeducators with induction programs that teach the necessary job-related skills paired with mentor programs that provide ongoing support and culture building, including the utilization of the NEA ESP Peer Mentoring Learning Path course.

Objective 1: become familiar with successful induction programming and identity specific strengths related to their own programs Objective 2: investigate individual settings and participate in strategic work with thought partners to analyze strengths and weaknesses Objective 3: develop a plan for data collection which will allow participants to better implement a plan of action for professional learning and support staff Objective 4: Create a plan of action for individual professional growth With consideration of the Learning Forward Standards (specifically the transformational process of equity drivers, evidence, learning designs, and implementation), our session aims to bring the description and learning objectives to life for all participants, whether ESP’s or district leaders. All participants will have the opportunity to actively engage with the content and with each other to gain a deeper understanding of what a successful induction program looks like. With a goal of creating a plan of action for individual professional growth, presenters will use a variety of materials and modalities to ensure all participants are engaged and inspired to implement their own action plan in their district!

Core Values: Exploring personal and organizational values (Collaboration) Exploring ethics and values is essential for developing a strong sense of identity and understanding at any age. Often, individuals have not taken the time to reflect on what they truly value; most employees will be hard pressed to recite their employer’s core values. Our workshop offers hands-on tools to spark conversations around personal values, attitudes, and behaviors, fostering a deeper sense of understanding and cooperation. Additionally, as you better understand your why and passion, we can avoid superficial adherence to organizational values and instead build upon common beliefs. Participants walk away with the power to shape company culture and environment.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: Identify and articulate their personal core values and explain how those values influence attitudes, decision-making, and behavior in professional settings. Describe the connection between personal values and organizational core values, including how alignment (or misalignment) impacts collaboration, trust, and workplace culture. Use a structured tool or protocol to facilitate meaningful conversations about values, ethics, and behaviors within teams, and students. Recognize barriers so they can apply values-based conversation tools with students, using age-appropriate strategies to help students identify their own values, connect values to choices/behavior, and strengthen collaboration in classrooms, student groups, or leadership settings. Develop at least one actionable strategy for strengthening culture and collaboration by reinforcing shared values in daily routines, meetings, and student engagement practices.