LEAD Education Summit: Full Schedule

10:00am EDT

CTE Without Limits: Expanding Access, Equity, and Opportunity for All Learners—including Neurodivergent Learners

Monday July 27, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT

Career and Technical Education (CTE) can transform lives when access is intentional, inclusive, and aligned to workforce outcomes. Yet students with disabilities and other marginalized learners are often excluded due to systemic barriers and misaligned practices. Drawing on over three decades of experience as a CTE-certified teacher, school principal, and district leader, this session examines how districts can redesign CTE pathways to ensure equity, compliance, rigor, and meaningful postsecondary success. Participants will explore practical strategies to remove gatekeeping practices, align IEPs and instructional supports with workforce competencies, strengthen cross-department collaboration, and develop inclusive CTE models that lead to certifications, apprenticeships, and living-wage careers. Attendees will leave with actionable tools applicable across urban, suburban, and rural settings.

Speakers

Dr. Patricia Clark-Jeter

Monday July 27, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT
Room 288

Workforce Development & Living Wages for All Communities

11:00am EDT

CTE and Special Populations; Why it Works... Strategies to Support Special Populations in CTE Schools

Monday July 27, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT

Room 288

Speakers

Sabrinah Mubarak M.Ed

Monday July 27, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Room 288

Access & Equity Across Urban and Rural Schools

12:00pm EDT

Comprehensive Counseling Meets CTE: Creating Clear Pathways to College, Career, and Life

Monday July 27, 2026 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT

Room 288

This session explores how school counselors can leverage a comprehensive, data-driven counseling program—aligned with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model and RAMP framework—to intentionally integrate Career and Technical Education (CTE) into student success planning. Participants will examine how aligning counseling practices with CTE pathways strengthens academic engagement, supports postsecondary readiness, and creates equitable access to high-quality career opportunities. Grounded in research demonstrating that participation in CTE programs is linked to increased student engagement and reduced dropout rates, this session highlights the critical role counselors play in connecting students to relevant, real-world learning experiences. Attendees will also explore how today’s technical and skilled careers offer high-demand, high-wage opportunities, challenging outdated narratives about postsecondary success. Through practical strategies, examples, and collaborative discussion, participants will leave with actionable ideas to embed CTE into their comprehensive counseling programs—ultimately helping students build clear, purposeful pathways to college, career, and life.

Speakers

Dr. Jennifer Antoni

Monday July 27, 2026 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Room 288

Access & Equity Across Urban and Rural Schools

1:00pm EDT

V.I.P. NEXT LEVEL Leadership: ABOVE & BEYOND the status quo

Monday July 27, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT

Room 288

Designed for administrators, aspiring leaders, and beginning teachers, this session addresses the challenge of empowering leaders to move beyond the limitations of the status quo and lead transformational change. While leadership is not defined by position, it is defined by the courage to shape what comes next. Educational Leaders are often expected to lead within systems that unintentionally reinforce the status quo. Especially focusing on those who are believed to be educational agents of change, this session explores how leaders can move beyond these limitations to lead transformational change with clarity, confidence, and influence. Grounded in research and professional practice, the V.I.P. Leadership Framework, Vision, Innovation, and Passion, introduces a central strategy the 5-Star Collaborative Framework, a leadership model designed to strengthen professional capacity, collective impact, and sustainable leadership development. The framework focuses on five essential pillars: (1) Intra-collaboration, strengthening self-awareness and professional growth; (2) Inter-collaboration, fostering meaningful connections and partnerships across teams and organizations; (3) Leadership, cultivating voice, visibility, and influence; (4) Mentorship, developing guidance and support systems for emerging leaders; and (5) Sponsorship, advancing opportunities and advocacy for women in leadership. Through guided reflection and structured discussion, participants will identify practical strategies to strengthen leadership influence and move from awareness to acceptance to action, becoming advocates who elevate others and create pathways for success across educational communities.

Speakers

Dr. Maria Paradiso-Testa

Doctor of Educational Leadership, Monmouth University

Maria is a Doctor of Educational Leadership and an Adjunct Professor with Superintendent/CSA and Principal certifications. Having more than 25 years of educational experience, Maria is a Conference Host, a Grant Writer and a National & International Guest Speaker/Presenter. While... Read More →

Monday July 27, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
Room 288

Innovation in Teaching & Learning Across Contexts

2:00pm EDT

It Takes a Village: Building Impact Networks for Parent and Community Engagement in Urban CTE

Monday July 27, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm EDT

Room 288

Career and Technical Education (CTE) in urban communities is strongest when families, educators, and community partners function as a connected village. This session invites CTE practitioners to examine parent and community engagement through the lens of impact networks, intentional relationships that align people, resources, and shared responsibility for student success. Participants will explore practical strategies for building trust, strengthening family partnerships, and leveraging community assets across networks that support CTE pathways. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas to shift engagement from isolated efforts to sustained, community-driven impact.

Speakers

Candice Mott

Monday July 27, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm EDT
Room 288

Access & Equity Across Urban and Rural Schools

3:00pm EDT

Bridging Rural and Urban Learning Through Nature-Based Innovation

Monday July 27, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm EDT

Room 288

Workshop Description: Innovation in Teaching & Learning Across Contexts This experiential workshop supports educators in using hands-on, creative, and nature-connected learning to bridge rural and urban classrooms. Through gardening, habitat exploration, and climate-focused activities, participants explore project-based, competency-based, and culturally responsive practices using gardens, schoolyards, and local green spaces as living classrooms. The session blends tactile experiences—such as seed starting, nature journaling, and habitat mapping—with simple nature-exploration technologies like photo documentation and observation apps. Educators will learn scalable, low-cost approaches that work in under-resourced schools, including container gardens, pollinator habitats, and place-based climate projects. Participants leave with practical ideas and adaptable tools to create engaging, equitable, and resilient learning experiences rooted in nature and community.

Speakers

Hajjah Dena Corbin

Monday July 27, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm EDT
Room 288

Access & Equity Across Urban and Rural Schools

10:00am EDT

Developing Strong Simulated Work-Based Learning Experiences Embedding Resume Building, Mock Interviews, and Durable Skills for Career Readiness

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT

Room 288

This presentation will highlight how schools can design strong simulated work-based learning experiences that prepare students for life beyond high school. Participants will explore practical strategies for creating authentic career-connected opportunities that build durable skills through resume workshops, mock interviews, and other structured learning experiences. The session will focus on how simulated work-based learning can increase student engagement, strengthen career readiness, and expand access to meaningful preparation for all students.

Speakers

Dr. Eder Joseph

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT
Room 288

Workforce Development & Living Wages for All Communities

11:00am EDT

Digital Hustle: Empowering Student Athletes for the Workforce

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT

Room 288

Digital Hustle is an interactive workshop that helps schools, districts, community organizations, and corporate partners understand how to prepare students, especially student athletes, for future careers. Participants explore how athletic strengths translate into workforce competencies and engage in two hands-on activities using Adobe Express. Creating student digital portfolios and mapping athlete transferable skills to high-demand job requirements. The session focuses on digital fluency, STEM, AI literacy, and project‑based learning to promote Access for all.

Speakers

Yaritza Villalba

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Room 288

Workforce Development & Living Wages for All Communities

12:00pm EDT

Supporting Children with Autism: Visual Supports & PBS

Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT

Room 288

This workshop explores practical strategies for supporting children with autism through the use of visual supports and Positive Behavior Supports (PBS). Participants will learn how to create structured, predictable learning environments that reduce anxiety, increase engagement, and promote positive behaviors. The session will focus on understanding behavior as communication, using visuals to support comprehension and transitions, and implementing proactive strategies that help children succeed across classroom and community settings. Educators and practitioners will leave with practical tools they can immediately apply to support autistic learners.

Speakers

Dr. Emajonite Etienne

Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Room 288

Wellness & Whole Child Development

1:00pm EDT

Where Is the Magic? The Conscious Educator’s Power to Transform Classroom Behavior

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT

Room 288

Classroom management is often perceived as an innate “gift” that some teachers possess and others struggle to develop. To the untrained eye, highly effective classrooms appear almost magical, students are engaged, disruptions are minimal, and learning flows naturally. However, what appears to be “magic” is the result of intentional professional practice. The magic is not a mystery; it is the educator. This session challenges educators to examine how their own actions, reactions, tone, expectations, and instructional structures directly influence student behavior and engagement. Drawing on research in trauma-informed practices, conscious discipline, and culturally responsive classroom management, participants will explore how educators can unintentionally escalate student behaviors or intentionally de-escalate them through reflective practice and strategic instructional moves. Participants will engage in practical exercises that help them identify the subtle but powerful ways educator behaviors shape classroom climate. Through real classroom scenarios, reflective frameworks, and replicable instructional strategies, attendees will learn how to create learning environments where students feel safe, respected, and motivated to participate. The session will highlight how conscious educator practices improve classroom management, increase student engagement, and support equitable learning environments, particularly for students historically marginalized in traditional disciplinary systems. By the end of the session, educators will leave with immediately implementable strategies to strengthen their instructional presence, build positive classroom culture, and transform their classrooms into spaces where both teachers and students thrive.

Speakers

Donita Zepeda

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
Room 288

Innovation in Teaching & Learning Across Contexts

2:00pm EDT

Cross Curriculum Resource (Special Education) 9-12: Addressing Rural and Urban Programming Disparities

Tuesday July 28, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm EDT

Room 288

This 45-minute presentation examines disparities in special education programming between rural and urban school districts. Drawing from 30 years of professional practice across elementary, middle, and high school settings in North Carolina, the session highlights key differences in funding, academic interventions, vocational opportunities, and support structures for teachers and parents. Participants will explore how access to resources, particularly within the Occupational Course of Study (OCS) pathway for students with significant disabilities, directly impacts student outcomes. The session concludes with practical, implementation-ready strategies to promote equity regardless of geographic location.

Speakers