Check out the great preconference workshops we will be offering at the 2027 Making Schools Work Conference.

Preconference Sessions

For the 2027 conference, we will offer the following workshops: 

Conference Orientation: Get Connected. Get Engaged. Make Schools Work!

Presenters:  Bob Stokes, SREB

Description:  Why am I here, and what am I supposed to do? This free session for all attendees will help you navigate the MSW Summer Conference. Whether you are attending for the first time or have participated for years, SREB directors and coaches will guide you through activities to help you identify your problems of practice and use the conference app to create an efficient, customized agenda for your time in Louisville. You will also learn about the overall SREB MSW framework and how it can help you and your school develop a plan for continued success.

Pathways for Every Learner: Supporting Students with Special Needs in CTE

Presenters: Chris Bailey and Debra Cullen, SREB

Description: Career and technical education can be life-changing for students with disabilities and other specific needs but access alone is not enough. Students also need the right pathway, appropriate supports and instructional practices that help them succeed in classrooms, shops, labs and work-based learning environments.

This highly interactive preconference session will explore how state agencies, districts and career and technology centers can work together to reduce obstacles and build stronger support systems. Participants will examine practical approaches to pathway placement, accommodations, differentiated instruction, family engagement, career planning, work-based learning and transitions to postsecondary education and employment.

Designed for CTE administrators and teachers, CTE special needs liaisons, special education teachers and coordinators who support students with specific needs, this session will help participants examine real-world challenges, learn from promising CTE practices and leave with tools they can use immediately. Participants will gain practical strategies, planning tools, checklists and adaptable toolkits to strengthen access, instruction, student supports and program improvement for special populations across CTE programs and career pathways.

Making Schools Work When Things Get Hard: Building Systems That Can Respond, Recover and Thrive

Presenter: Erin Anderson-Williams and Linda Tyree, SREB

Description: Strong schools aren’t defined by the absence of challenges but by the systems, leadership and supports they have in place when challenges arise.

In this team-based preconference session, participants will explore what it takes to build a school that operates effectively, responds to disruptions, supports its people and remains focused on student success. Drawing on SREB’s Powerful Leadership Practices, Powerful Student Support Practices and Crisis Recovery Network, teams will examine leadership, operations, communication, decision-making, and student and staff support. Participants will identify critical vulnerabilities and develop practical strategies to strengthen school readiness, resilience and recovery.

This session is ideal for school teams that include principals, district administrators, counselors and teachers who want to build stronger support systems. Participants will leave with:

• A school readiness and resilience assessment
• Strategies for strengthening school operations during crises
• A School Systems Alignment Framework that connects leadership, operations and student support
• Concrete next steps for strengthening their school’s capacity to respond and recover

Next-Level Coaching with SREB’s Powerful Instructional Practices

Presenters: Jason Adair and Debbie Robertson, SREB

Description:  Ready to take instructional coaching beyond individual conversations and use it to strengthen teaching across your school? This interactive, three-hour session is designed for teacher leaders, instructional coaches and school administrators seeking practical ways to improve instructional quality through focused coaching and collaborative learning.

Participants will explore SREB’s Powerful Instructional Practices and coaching cycle, examine their current coaching approaches, and learn from colleagues across the region. They will leave with strategies for supporting content-specific teachers and teams, along with resources they can begin using immediately to strengthen instruction.

Leading What Matters: Powerful Leadership Practices for School Leaders

Presenters: Carita Venable, SREB

Description: School leaders are being asked to improve teaching and learning while navigating increasingly complex challenges, from staffing and student needs to competing priorities, limited time and the demands of continuous improvement.

This interactive, three-hour preconference session gives principals, assistant principals and district administrators an opportunity to step away from the daily demands of school leadership and focus on the practices that create conditions for effective teaching and meaningful student learning.

Grounded in SREB’s Powerful Leadership Practices, the session will help participants examine how leadership behaviors influence adult practices, school conditions, instructional quality and, ultimately, student outcomes. Through a principal panel, collaborative problem-of-practice discussions, networking, reflection and action planning, participants will explore real-world challenges facing school leaders and learn from their colleagues’ experiences.
 

AI With Purpose: Balancing Learning, Digital Wellness and Responsible Use

Presenters: Ivy Coburn and Leslie Eaves, SREB

Description:  How can we use artificial intelligence without outsourcing the thinking students need to do? In this interactive preconference session, teachers, coaches and school leaders will explore practical ways to balance high-quality learning, responsible AI use and digital wellness.

Using real-world scenarios and an offloading-versus-outsourcing framework, participants will examine when AI strengthens student thinking, when it hinders learning and how adults can model purposeful technology use. Participants will identify a priority need, begin developing a preliminary implementation plan and leave with a practical next step to refine throughout the Making Schools Work Conference and put into action in the coming school year.