Leadership EDIT 2025

Knowing about inequities and trauma-informed practices is one thing—having the courage to act is another. In urban schools, where the stakes are high and the pushback is real, it’s easy to stay in the “awareness” stage. But real change happens when we move past knowing and step into action - we have to be the shift.

This interactive session is designed to help leaders shift their mindset, build confidence, and practice boldly. Through scenario-based practice, collaborative discussions, and problem-solving, participants will explore strategies to create and sustain equity-driven, healing-centered school cultures—even when it's tough. Pulling from trauma-informed leadership, equity-driven education, and transformative school culture, this session will provide tangible tools to move from awareness to action.

Expect real talk, hands-on engagement, and a space to think, process, and practice. Because leadership isn’t just about what you know—it’s about what you do. Be the shift.

Participants will:

- Engage in scenario-based practice to navigate real leadership challenges.
- Explore strategies to lead equity work with courage and purpose.
- Reflect on their role in shifting school culture and taking meaningful action.

This presentation will examine how educators' pre-existing bias can create systems of inequity for our students, especially those in urban schools. Attendees will learn to recognize their own bias and how to eliminate them in the educational setting. Educators will leave being able to create equitable and fair practices for their schools.

Participants will grade their current practices using a rubric assessment that follows the PTA's national standards for family-school partnerships; share and analyze their successes regarding family and community engagement strategies; share and analyze their toughest challenges regarding family and community engagement; and brainstorm ways to address the 6 standards of family-school partnerships: 1) Welcome All Families, 2) Communicate Effectively, 3) Support Student Success, 4) Speak Up for Every Child, 5) Share Power, 6) Collaborate with Community.
The facilitator will present best practices / examples of impactful efforts collected from administrators across the nation and task participants with tweaking and possibly applying these efforts to their own schools and districts.

In Beneath the Surface: Recognizing and Reaching Our Internalizing Students, we will take a deep dive into understanding and supporting students who struggle silently. Participants will explore why reaching internalizing students is critical (Reaching the Hidden Reefs), gain practical tools for identifying them (Navigating with the Right Tools), and develop strategies to create safe, supportive environments where they can thrive (Creating Safe Harbors). Through interactive discussions, real-world scenarios, and collaborative problem-solving, attendees will engage in meaningful conversations about the hidden struggles of these students. Reflection activities and takeaway resources will ensure that learning extends beyond the summit, empowering educators to implement strategies in their own schools. By fostering continued dialogue and action, this session will help shift the tide in supporting internalizing students effectively.

Relationships are the cause and the cure for the biggest challenges in education. Teacher satisfaction and retention, academic performance, truancy, behavior, and parent engagement are all impacted by relationships. For our schools to become a desired destination for all, we have to cultivate a more positive and connected environment. Cultivating relationships with a diverse group of people isn’t a skill set that every educator has mastered. This session is designed to equip educators with the tools needed to increase connection and establish trust to develop stronger relationships.

In a system that glorifies overwork, rest is a radical act of resistance. This session explores how grind culture in education leads to burnout and diminished effectiveness, particularly for trauma-informed leaders and educators. Through critical reflection and interactive discussion, participants will unpack the systemic roots of overwork, redefine their relationship with rest, and learn strategies for reclaiming time and energy without guilt.

This session fosters open dialogue and personal introspection, creating space for educators to challenge unsustainable work expectations and embrace practices that support their long-term well-being. Participants will leave with practical tools for embedding radical rest into their leadership approach, setting boundaries, and modeling a healthier work culture that benefits both staff and students.

Participants will leave the session with the ability to apply their understanding of complex trauma in their work with students. Participants will collaborate in designing interventions for students with complex trauma that is appropriate for their role. The presentation will include active engagement strategies, anecdotal examples from Dr. Moore's professional work, and the energy of a presenter who is passionate about professional development. Participants will collaborate in groups to integrate their learning and walk away with strategies for their work with students with complex trauma.