sept. 11, 2025
1-2 pm eastern

Register for this webinar

Are you concerned about finding, growing and retaining strong teachers?
Teacher shortages have caused a number of issues including:

• exacerbated student learning gaps
• increased workload and stress
• an influx of more novice teachers from a variety of preparation pathways,  to name a few.

All new teachers need support in their first few years to master the art of teaching. Providing this support for more novice teachers with a larger span of beginning teaching skills now requires more time and intention from leaders.

In this webinar, learn about the importance and basics of quality teacher induction support and about SREB’s Teacher Induction Framework and services to help school districts with this challenge.

Who should attend? Anyone responsible for supporting new teachers: school and district leaders, mentor teachers, coaches, professional development providers, policymakers, ed prep providers, postsecondary faculty and staff, and novice teachers themselves.

Whether you want to strengthen your induction program or start a new one, you’ll take home actionable tools to prepare beginning teachers for long-term success.

Meet the Speakers

Sharon Contreras, Ed.D.
CEO, The Innovation Project
scontreras@tipnc.org

Sharon Contreras, CEO of the Innovation Project, holds unparalleled experience as a public education leader and a passionate advocate for children. She is passionate about providing a high-quality education to each child. She is a teacher at heart, a transformational leader and a passionate advocate for children and education. Growing up in Uniondale, New York, with nine brothers and sisters, she learned early to advocate for her right to an excellent education. Over the course of her 30-year education career, she has been the first woman of color to lead one of New York’s “Big 5” school systems in Syracuse, and the first woman and Latina to lead Guilford County Schools in North Carolina. She holds multiple degrees including: a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis and a Master of Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; a Master of Arts, English Literature; a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the State University of New York at Binghamton.

 

Eddie Ruiz, Ed.D.
Florida State Superintendent at Charter Schools USA
eruiz@charterschoolsusa.com

Eddie Ruiz served as assistant superintendent of the Division of Student Services, Equity and Access (SSEA) for the School District of Palm Beach County, the 11th largest district in the nation serving more than 193,000 students. Much of his career has been dedicated to creating and implementing initiatives aimed at closing the gap for students, increasing graduation rates and ensuring students are college and career ready. Throughout his 18 year educational career, Ruiz has made meaningful contributions to the lives of students by serving as teacher, dean, assistant principal, principal, director, instructional leader and mentor. He was named State Affiliate Latino Administrator of the Year in 2015 by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) and earned the prestigious Order of Pegasus award from the University of Central Florida.  Ruiz provides oversight of academics, school improvement, operations and leadership development for all schools managed by CSUSA in Florida.

 

Crystal Hall, M.Ed.
Senior Director, New Teacher Center
chall@newteachercenter.org

Crystal Hall has served three years as the Senior Director of Program and Partnerships at the New Teacher Center, where she oversees execution of the organization’s portfolio of partnerships and funders across the lower half of the country. Her work at NTC is a culmination of a career dedicated to ensuring all students have access to high-quality K-12 experiences. Drawing on over 13 years as an education consultant and organizational leader, Crystal leverages her skills in people leadership and development, academic vision setting, and strategic planning to ensure best in class content and partner experience across stakeholders. Her leadership of project teams supports partners in actualizing their goals, creating a ripple effect of positive change in schools and districts nationwide. Crystal’s passion for teaching began early, leading her to start her career as a high school math teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina. She quickly grew into an instructional leader, serving as a math department chair and instructional coach before moving into the non-profit consulting space. Crystal holds a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Math Education and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Supervision from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.