2026 VBCPS Summer Leadership Conference

9:30am EDT

Build a Culture of Writing Excellence

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

Join us as we explore ways to strengthen writing instruction and inspire meaningful student growth in Grades 3–5. In this session, teachers and leaders will collaborate to use a writing continuum as a roadmap for student progress and instructional alignment. We will examine strategies for coaching and collaboration, such as the RACE framework and writing exemplars, ensuring students produce clear, evidence-based responses to reading. We will demonstrate how to leverage HMH resources and the Standards of Learning to create a unified school-wide strategy to impact student achievement while fostering a genuine love for writing.

Speakers

Angelia Ragland

ELA Instructional Specialist, Department of Teaching and Learning

Cindy Matney

Reading Specialist, New Castle ES

Heather Quinn

Principal ES, New Castle ES

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 1-Challenge and Support Each Student to Excel and Be Future Ready
Strand Lift Up

9:30am EDT

De-Escalation for Leaders: from Crisis to Calm

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

In today’s classrooms, educators frequently encounter students exhibiting signs of high anxiety, frustration, or interfering behavior. When a student’s emotions escalate, traditional disciplinary responses can sometimes worsen the situation. This interactive, evidence-based professional learning session equips administrators and support staff with the practical tools and psychological insights needed to defuse tense situations before they escalate into crises. Participants will learn how to read early warning signs, regulate their own stress responses, and apply verbal and non-verbal techniques that restore safety and connection to the learning environment.

Speakers

Felicia Shelton

Behavior Intervention Specialist, Office of Student Support Services

Lauren Ross

Behavior Intervention Specialist, Office of Student Support Services

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 2-Enhance Student Well-Being Resilience and Responsibility
Strand Lift Up

9:30am EDT

From Poster to Practice: Bringing the Future-Ready Profile to Life

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

How do you move the Future-Ready Profile from a poster on the wall to daily student experiences? In this interactive session, you will explore the systems, leadership moves, and structures that support embedding Future-Ready Profile attributes into Tier 1 classroom practices and school culture. An administrator and teacher leader will share implementation strategies and examples from their school that bring the Future-Ready Profile to life, followed by collaborative planning time for you to identify next steps for your own building. You will leave with ready-to-use examples and actionable ideas for implementation.

Speakers

Allison Sansone

Professional Learning Specialist, Professional Growth and Innovation (PGI)

Kylie Gray

Grade 2 Teacher, Kempsville Meadows ES

Christa Markert

Principal ES, Kempsville Meadows ES

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 1-Challenge and Support Each Student to Excel and Be Future Ready, Goal 2-Enhance Student Well-Being Resilience and Responsibility
Strand Lift Up

9:30am EDT

Leveraging the Tier 1 Behavior Checklist to Support Student Success, Elementary

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

Discover how one school’s leadership team built a strategic, schoolwide system to strengthen Tier 1 behavioral and social-emotional learning practices. Using real examples, planning tools, and the VBCPS Tier 1 Universal Behavior Checklist, you'll explore practical ways to enhance support for students and staff. Together we will engage in collaborative inquiry and you will leave with actionable, customizable ideas to implement in your school this year.

Speakers

Heather Shuler

Assistant Principal ES, Windsor Oaks ES

Andrea Curney

Coordinator of Behavior Intervention,, Office of Student Support Services

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 2-Enhance Student Well-Being Resilience and Responsibility
Strand Lift Up

9:30am EDT

The Foundations of Visible Learning: Cultivating Climate

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

This session opens with a direct challenge to the language we use when we talk about students and builds the case that culture is not the soft stuff, it's the precondition for all of the instructional work we're asking teachers to do. Leaders will examine how adult culture in PLCs shapes classroom culture for students, explore what collective efficacy actually requires of a faculty, and consider their own role in modeling the learning environment they want teachers to create.

Speakers

Chad Gangwer

Coordinator of Elementary Social Studies, Department of Teaching and Learning

Tiffany Mack

Elementary Language Arts Coordinator, Department of Teaching and Learning

Laura Silverman

Director of Title I Programs, Department of Teaching and Learning

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 1-Challenge and Support Each Student to Excel and Be Future Ready, Goal 2-Enhance Student Well-Being Resilience and Responsibility
Strand Build Up

9:30am EDT

Why Science?

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

To be successful in a rapidly changing world, students must be able to think critically, ask questions, analyze information, and use evidence. This is why science is for all! How can we ensure that all students have access to meaningful science experiences and are Future-Ready? This session will support school leaders in leveraging the practices of teacher clarity to prioritize science instruction and build a shared understanding of science as a way of thinking, not just a subject. Leaders will leave inspired and equipped with clear, actionable strategies to support high-quality science instruction in their schools.

Speakers

Tatjana Roth

Elementary Science Instructional Specialist, Department of Teaching and Learning

Nancye Flinn

Elementary Science Coordinator, Department of Teaching and Learning

Thursday July 23, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 1-Challenge and Support Each Student to Excel and Be Future Ready
Strand Lift Up

10:45am EDT

Foundations of Visible Learning: Success Criteria

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

This session makes the case that success criteria are more than a tool for teachers; they are a tool that puts learning in the hands of students. It establishes the distinction between learning intentions and success criteria and names the most common misalignments. Leaders will carry out the idea that when students have a specific and honest picture of what success looks like, they can begin to recognize their own gaps and take ownership of their learning.

Speakers

Mary Clifford

Instructional Specialist, Department of Teaching and Learning

Meghan Mosher

Instructional Specialist, Department of Teaching and Learning

Lorena Kelly

Executive Director of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction, Department of Teaching and Learning

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 1-Challenge and Support Each Student to Excel and Be Future Ready.
Strand Rise Up

10:45am EDT

From "Special Event" to Daily Standard: Coaching Sustainable Hands-On Science

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

This session equips coaches and leaders with a framework to help teachers overcome the barriers to inquiry-based learning. While experiencing the explore before explain model via a hands-on lab, participants will analyze a coaching model that integrates tech and gifted pedagogy to streamline logistics and reduce teacher workload. We will share how our approaches over the past several years are resulting in improved outcomes for our students. You will leave with a "coaching toolkit" designed to build teacher confidence, create a sustainable science lab structure, and empower staff to lead future-ready, hands-on science for every learner.

Speakers

Chad Huff

Instructional Technology Specialist, Corporate Landing ES

Jessie Comba

Gifted Teacher, Corporate Landing ES

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 1-Challenge and Support Each Student to Excel and Be Future Ready, Goal 3-Value and Invest in Staff, Goal 5-Advance Organizational Excellence
Strand Build Up

10:45am EDT

Inspiring Impact in the Classroom: Bringing Co-Teaching and HQIM Reading Strategies to Life

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Discover two powerful reading strategies already embedded in your High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) and see how to bring them to life in the everyday classroom through the lens of co-teaching. Watch us model co-teaching in action for an informational and literary text drawn directly from the curriculum. Walk away with two co-teaching models highlighting powerful reading strategies that work for all students, whether you're a classroom teacher, a co-teacher, or a leader looking to strengthen collaborative instruction.

Speakers

Alyson Szykuc

Special Education Coordinator, Office of Programs for Exceptional Children

Korrin Nash

Elementary Language Arts Instructional Specialist, Department of Teaching and Learning

Marissa Robinson

Special Education Coordinator, Office of Programs for Exceptional Children

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 1-Challenge and Support Each Student to Excel and Be Future Ready
Strand Lift Up

10:45am EDT

Make Coaching Visible: Turning Instructional Coaching into a Strategic Leadership Asset

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Instructional coaching is often busy—but is it visible, strategic, and impactful? This interactive session helps coaches and school leaders move beyond one-to-one support and leverage coaching as a driver of schoolwide improvement. Grounded in Visible Learning, participants will explore how to shift from teacher clarity to student ownership of learning and use coaching cycles to spread high-impact practices. Through hands-on reflection and planning, attendees will audit current coaching structures, identify opportunities to support and amplify practice, and develop a practical plan to make coaching more visible and aligned to student outcomes. Walk away with clear next steps for immediate implementation.

Speakers

Megan Allen

Instructional Specialist, Department of Teaching and Learning

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 3-Value and Invest in Staff
Strand Build Up

10:45am EDT

Progress with Purpose: Monitoring Behavior Change in MTSS, Elementary

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

This session focuses on writing high-quality, measurable behavior goals and effectively monitoring progress within an MTSS framework. Participants will learn how to develop goals that are specific, observable, and aligned with student needs. The session will also cover practical methods for collecting behavior data to track growth and guide instructional decisions. Emphasis will be placed on ensuring goals are actionable and progress monitoring is systematic, helping educators make informed adjustments to interventions. Attendees will leave with tools and strategies to strengthen both goal development and ongoing monitoring of behavior supports.

Speakers

Kelsey Jeffreys

Behavior Intervention Specialist, Office of Student Support Services

Andrea Curney

Coordinator of Behavior Intervention,, Office of Student Support Services

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 2-Enhance Student Well-Being Resilience and Responsibility
Strand Lift Up

10:45am EDT

Shifting from Compliance to Ownership: Leading Inquiry-Based Science PLCs Through Clarity

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Discover how one school is using inquiry-based PLC cycles to shift science instruction from teacher compliance to authentic ownership. Through the lens of clarity and Visible Learning, this interactive session will explore how leaders supported teachers in implementing inquiry-based science and visible writing strategies that deepened student thinking and engagement. Participants will experience elements of the inquiry cycle, reflect on real challenges and successes, and leave with practical tools to launch or strengthen inquiry-focused PLCs in their own schools. Attendees will engage in collaborative processing activities, examine leadership moves that built teacher capacity, and walk away with actionable next steps for implementation.

Speakers

Alexandra Shea

Instructional Technology Specialist, Landstown ES

Allison Jordan

Principal ES, Landstown ES

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 1-Challenge and Support Each Student to Excel and Be Future Ready, Goal 3-Value and Invest in Staff
Strand Rise Up

10:45am EDT

Unlocking the Power of a Word - Using Vocabulary for Reading and Writing Success

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

In this session, participants will explore the critical role vocabulary and oral language play in strengthening reading comprehension and developing effective writing skills. After learning how the brain stores vocabulary, we will highlight evidence-based strategies for promoting vocabulary acquisition, including approaches for morphology and processing content vocabulary. Strategies will support vocabulary growth for all populations. Participants will leave with practical tools to enhance students’ word knowledge, retention, and meaningful application across content areas. Administrators will examine how they can support consistent, evidence-based vocabulary practices across classrooms through instructional feedback, PLC conversations, and a shared vision for literacy instruction.

Speakers

Karen Kaas

Elementary Language Arts Instructional Specialist, Department of Teaching and Learning

Nancye Flinn

Elementary Science Coordinator, Department of Teaching and Learning

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 1-Challenge and Support Each Student to Excel and Be Future Ready
Strand Lift Up

1:00pm EDT

Beyond Prompts: Expanding Your Toolbox with Behaviors

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

When supporting students with intense social/emotional and behavioral needs, school administrators are often the "final responders" when student behaviors escalate beyond what staff can manage effectively. This session provides high-level, strategic practices designed specifically for principals and division leaders to support the management of crises with composure, empathy, and clarity.

Speakers

Alyson Szykuc

Special Education Coordinator, Office of Programs for Exceptional Children

Marissa Robinson

Special Education Coordinator, Office of Programs for Exceptional Children

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 1-Challenge and Support Each Student to Excel and Be Future Ready
Strand Rise Up

1:00pm EDT

Breaking the Silos: How Holland Elementary Built Impactful PLCs for Instructional Assistants

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

While Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are a staple for certified staff, the essential "boots on the ground"—our Kindergarten and Special Education (SPED) Teacher Assistants (TAs)—are often left out of the collaborative loop. This session chronicles the 2025–2026 journey of Holland Elementary as we moved from "haphazard updates" to structured, data-driven PLCs for support staff. We will share the logistical blueprint for carving out time in a rigid elementary schedule, the specific frameworks used to empower TAs, and the measurable impact this shift had on student intervention and staff morale.

Speakers

Alainya Abdelkader

MTSS Coach, Office of Student Support Services

Beth Stone

Reading Specialist, Holland ES

Christina Cronauer

Title I Resource Teacher, Holland ES

Tara Brewer

Principal ES, Holland ES

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 1-Challenge and Support Each Student to Excel and Be Future Ready, Goal 3-Value and Invest in Staff
Strand Build Up

1:00pm EDT

Confident Readers, Courageous Learners

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

This session explores how educators can intentionally build students’ courage to learn by creating classroom conditions that support academic risk-taking. Participants will examine strategies such as building relational trust, designing appropriately challenging tasks, and providing incremental success criteria so students experience frequent success. Using the TIRES framework (Tasks, Input, Responses, Evidence, Success), educators will learn how to structure lessons that increase student participation, confidence, and resilience. Examples from elementary literacy and content classrooms will demonstrate how these practices help develop engaged, future-ready learners who feel empowered to take risks and persist in learning.

Speakers

Korrin Nash

Elementary Language Arts Instructional Specialist, Department of Teaching and Learning

Leyla Caralivanos

Reading Specialist, John B. Dey ES

Tiffany Mack

Elementary Language Arts Coordinator, Department of Teaching and Learning

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 2-Enhance Student Well-Being Resilience and Responsibility
Strand Lift Up

1:00pm EDT

Rethinking Rigor: A Schoolwide Journey to Deeper Learning

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

This session explores how Trantwood Elementary developed and implemented a shared definition of rigor across classrooms. Participants will learn strategies to build staff buy-in, create a clear and actionable definition, and embed rigor into daily instruction. Practical tools and examples will support participants in applying this work within their own school contexts.

Speakers

Brooke Martinette

Instructional Technology Specialist, Trantwood ES

Janice Clark

Gifted Teacher, Trantwood ES

Sean Holleran

Principal ES, Trantwood ES

Stephanie Lopez

Assistant Principal ES, Trantwood ES

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 1-Challenge and Support Each Student to Excel and Be Future Ready
Strand Lift Up

1:00pm EDT

The Foundations of Visible Learning: Learning Intentions

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

This session takes on one of the most common misconceptions: that posting a learning target is the same as establishing a learning intention. It builds the case that a learning intention is not the setup for a task but a lens students carry through the entire learning experience and that when teachers genuinely work from one it changes how they plan, how they respond to students mid-lesson, and how they close a lesson. Leaders will leave with a clear framework for distinguishing strong learning intentions from task descriptions and tools that they can use immediately.

Speakers

Chad Gangwer

Coordinator of Elementary Social Studies, Department of Teaching and Learning

Lorena Kelly

Executive Director of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction, Department of Teaching and Learning

Robyn Cady

Early Literacy Coordinator, Department of Teaching and Learning

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 1-Challenge and Support Each Student to Excel and Be Future Ready
Strand Rise Up

1:00pm EDT

Vision to Action: Implementing and Sustaining Effective Mathematical Instructional Practices

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

This session supports administrators and math specialists in designing, implementing, and sustaining a shared vision for high-quality mathematics instruction over time. Using their school’s concept map, participants will refine and align a coherent math vision with the broader schoolwide vision, grounded in the 8 Effective Math Teaching Practices. Through collaborative planning, they will identify key structures, entry points, and indicators for scaling implementation over time and connecting vision to daily practice. Participants will also explore how this framework can strengthen instruction and coaching across all content areas. Administrators and math specialists are encouraged to attend together.

Speakers

Mary Clifford

Instructional Specialist, Department of Teaching and Learning

Meghan Mosher

Instructional Specialist, Department of Teaching and Learning

Thursday July 23, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Elementary School Attendees

Compass to 2030 Goal Goal 1-Challenge and Support Each Student to Excel and Be Future Ready
Strand Build Up