NEASC2024: Full Schedule

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7:00am EST

Breakfast

Friday November 22, 2024 7:00am - 8:15am EST

Foyer

Good morning and welcome to Day 2 of the conference. A buffet breakfast will be available to kick off your day.

Friday November 22, 2024 7:00am - 8:15am EST
Foyer

Meal

7:00am EST

Visit our exhibitors!

Friday November 22, 2024 7:00am - 1:00pm EST

Foyer

Stop by to say hello to our conference exhibitors. View the complete exhibitor directory.

Friday November 22, 2024 7:00am - 1:00pm EST
Foyer

Break/Exhibits

7:00am EST

Welcome/registration desk open

Friday November 22, 2024 7:00am - 1:00pm EST

Atrium

Make sure you've downloaded the Sched app and connected to the #NEASC2024 event to use the agenda and networking tools. Make sure to set your profile to "Public" so you can interact with other attendees.

NEASC staff will be available at the Welcome/registration desk throughout the active hours of the conference. Stop by and say hello!

Friday November 22, 2024 7:00am - 1:00pm EST
Atrium

Break/Exhibits

8:15am EST

Day 2: Opening Session, EdTalk

Friday November 22, 2024 8:15am - 8:30am EST

Pacific D-H (Ballroom)

Join us for an inspiring kickoff of Day 2 of the conference!

Speakers

Mark Bernstein

National Director, Content and Implementation, Curriculum Associates

Mark Bernstein joined the education publishing and service arena in 2004 after years of success as a youth motivational speaker, on-air television host/producer, and teacher. At every stage of his career, Mark has combined his multiple talents in public speaking, presentation design... Read More →

Friday November 22, 2024 8:15am - 8:30am EST
Pacific D-H (Ballroom)

Keynote/Plenary

8:30am EST

Inspiring a Brighter Future: Leveraging the Power of Our Shared Humanity

Friday November 22, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am EST

Pacific D-H (Ballroom)

Speakers

Bloodine Barthelus

Founder and CEO, Wellness Embodied

Dr. Bloodine Barthelus is the Founder and CEO of Wellness Embodied, dedicated to the health, wellbeing, and transformation of adults by prioritizing their full humanity through self-awareness, compassionate care, and empowered action. Formerly, Dr. Barthelus served as the Senior Director... Read More →

Friday November 22, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am EST
Pacific D-H (Ballroom)

Keynote/Plenary

9:30am EST

Coffee/networking

Friday November 22, 2024 9:30am - 9:45am EST

Foyer

Join us for coffee, company, and conversation!

Friday November 22, 2024 9:30am - 9:45am EST
Foyer

Break/Exhibits

9:45am EST

All Together for Equity: Moving Towards the Common Good

Friday November 22, 2024 9:45am - 10:45am EST

Pacific A-B

Too often, community responses to inequities see schools as the primary drivers of societal change. This presentation addresses this critical dilemma â€“ how can educators teach inclusive content and implement equitable teaching practices without the engagement of all members of the school community â€“ including all families? Clearly, we cannot create inclusive schools without also addressing bias and discrimination in the broader community. This presentation will focus on two main ideas. First, we'll explore how to build inclusive school environments within our increasingly diverse school populations. Discussion will include how a family's social identity influences their engagement and advocacy and why educators should expect conflict as part of the family-school relationship (and what to do with it!). Second, we'll explore how families from high income backgrounds upend education equity and ways to address this issue and move our entire school community towards education for the common good.

Speakers

Liz Dempsey Lee

Educational Consultant, Liz Dempsey Lee Consulting

https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-dempsey-lee/

Friday November 22, 2024 9:45am - 10:45am EST
Pacific A-B

Session, Unplugged

9:45am EST

Fostering Inclusive Learning Communities through Global Literature

Friday November 22, 2024 9:45am - 10:45am EST

Mediterranean

In today's diverse educational landscape, cultivating inclusive school cultures that honor the unique backgrounds and perspectives of all students is essential.

In this session, participants will explore strategies for selecting diverse materials, innovative assessment practices, and methods to foster inclusive dialogue. They will engage in curricula design that celebrate global voices, using a case study as the starting point, leaving with practical tools and resources to create empathetic learning environments that empower all students to build a common purpose.

Speakers

Jefferson Pereira

Language and Literature Educator, Consulting Curriculum Designer and Content Developer, United Lisbon International School

Jefferson Pereira is an educator with twenty years of experience in teaching and nearly a decade in curriculum design and materials writing. His professional work includes writing CLIL, TBL, and project-based coursebooks for middle and secondary school learners, now used across Latin... Read More →

Friday November 22, 2024 9:45am - 10:45am EST
Mediterranean

Session

9:45am EST

Governance, Ethics, and Risk: Navigating AI Adoption in Schools

Friday November 22, 2024 9:45am - 10:45am EST

Caspian

The rapid adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education offers exciting opportunities but also presents significant ethical, legal, and operational challenges for schools. This session provides school leaders, educators, and IT professionals with a comprehensive overview of AI governance and ethics, focusing on the critical steps needed to navigate this technology responsibly.

We’ll explore the implications of legal changes and global trends, detailing how schools can meet upcoming regulatory deadlines requirements, ensure compliance, and mitigate risks. This engaging and practical session will empower participants with strategies to embrace AI’s potential while upholding the highest standards of ethics and governance. Join us to prepare your school for the future of education in an AI-rich world.

Speakers

Mark Orchison

CEO & Founder, 9ine

Certified Privacy Practitioner, ITIL, MSP, PRINCE2 Mark Orchison is the CEO of 9ine, a leading provider of technology, cyber and privacyservices to schools. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Mark is a highlyrespected thought leader in the field of technology, cyber... Read More →

Friday November 22, 2024 9:45am - 10:45am EST
Caspian

Session

9:45am EST

Guiding Documents: Bringing Clarity to Conflict

Friday November 22, 2024 9:45am - 10:45am EST

Atlantic 3

This session will use tabletop activities to demonstrate the value of developing internal "Guiding Documents" around hot-button or risk-rich topics. When working through difficult topics - politics, identity, conflict, to name a few - policies often fall short of delivering solutions that preserve relationships. Guiding documents are internal resources that supplement policies and offer clarity around shared priorities, allowing those on the front lines to navigate complexity with clarity and generosity. Using real and relevant examples, this session will explore effective strategies to restore and/or preserve important relationships while navigating difficult topics.

Speakers

Amy Chaney

Principal, Lexington Christian Academy

Amy has been an educator, leader, and administrator in independent schools for 14 years. She holds an MFA, MBA, and Master's in Christian Leadership as well as a Certificate in School Management & Leadership from Harvard University. In addition to her experience in schools, Amy is... Read More →

Friday November 22, 2024 9:45am - 10:45am EST
Atlantic 3

Session

9:45am EST

Performance Based Promotion: Putting Students at the Center of All Learning

Friday November 22, 2024 9:45am - 10:45am EST

Atlantic 1

What would it look like if you replaced tests and letter grades with projects, portfolios and public exhibitions? What if students moved on to the next level, not based on age or time, but when they demonstrated proficiency on essential skills? Performance-based promotion is the fundamental premise of Parker Charter, a public charter school in Massachusetts with 29 years of experience of using portfolios and public exhibitions to assess student readiness to move to the next level of study. This session details how the teachers and students of Parker Charter design and complete projects, share feedback, make revisions and progress through the program. The highlight of the session will be small group discussions with Parker students who will share their academic portfolios, showcasing their growth over time. The students will reflect on the process of learning and what they learned about themselves through hard work, reflection and revision.

Speakers

Student Presenters

Students will participate in several sessions at this year's Showcase. As an organization dedicated to student agency and to the amplification of diverse voices and perspectives, NEASC is proud to offer a selection of student-centered presentations. See session descriptions for d... Read More →

Brian Harrigan

Head of School, Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School

Friday November 22, 2024 9:45am - 10:45am EST
Atlantic 1

Session

9:45am EST

Project POG: Purposeful Design for PreK-12 Curriculum and Instruction

Friday November 22, 2024 9:45am - 10:45am EST

Atlantic 2

Madison Public Schools, CT will share their journey in transforming districtwide systems to leverage Profile of a Graduate (POG) through district curriculum design standards, performance assessments and teacher and leader evaluation. Their eleven-year journey has resulted in almost 900 adopted units (across disciplines) that ensure a systemic approach and shared values to develop the Profile of a Graduate in all learners. We will examine the districtwide tools and systems that support foundational element 2.2a and many of the sub-elements of the NEASC section on Student Learning. We will illustrate the system through our journeys in reimagined high school pathways and authentic examples of transformative K-12 curricula. Student voice is an important part of the redesign process. Take a close look at the design of a course and a unit where students develop in both content and profile of a graduate capacities which are ultimately demonstrated in end-of-unit complex performance tasks.

Speakers

Gail Dahling-Hench

Assistant Superintendent, Daniel Hand High School / Madison Public Schools

https://www.madison.k12.ct.us/departments/central-office-staff-directory

Michelle Horn

Curriculum Generalist, Daniel Hand High School / Madison Public Schools

Anthony (T.J.) Salutari, Jr.

Principal, Daniel Hand High School / Madison Public Schools

Friday November 22, 2024 9:45am - 10:45am EST
Atlantic 2

Session

10:55am EST

50 Years of Lessons Learned: Student Voice in Schools

Friday November 22, 2024 10:55am - 11:55am EST

Atlantic 1

Explore the power of student voice and identify why "student voice" is integral to learning success for all students in our schools. In this session participants will consider working definitions of student voice in shared decision making using a democratic school high school as the model. This presentation of a governance model will uncover a range of challenges and supports to building opportunities for student voice in our schools. Examples will be given on how a school community can grow the supports and build bridges to meet the challenges of growing student voice in their school community. Time allowing, each school will have an opportunity to make an action plan to take back to their school.

Speakers

Linda Addante

Advisor to Council, NEASC Coordinator, Dresden School District

Julie Stevenson

Principal Hanover High School, Dresden School District

Student Presenters

Friday November 22, 2024 10:55am - 11:55am EST
Atlantic 1

Session

10:55am EST

A Sense of Belonging: Unifying diverse marginalized students and communities through a common competency framework and digital portfolio system

Friday November 22, 2024 10:55am - 11:55am EST

Atlantic 2

This session will involve participants in small group discussion, active listening, critical and creative thinking, and sharing your own experiences and expertise. We will discuss diversity and marginalisation, in international contexts and in your own context, and introduce you to The Digital School: its vision, mission and core values; its diverse operational contexts, working with marginalised students in 14 countries; and the model that unifies these diverse individuals and communities. Marginalised students lack access to consistent structured education, and digital education is helping to provide that access. But even when they have access, there is often no system to collect evidence of learning, further hindering students’ continuing journeys into higher education, vocational training, and employment. We will outline the aspirational partnership between The Digital School and Mastery Transcript Consortium, created to design a competency framework, a digital portfolio system, and a portable digital credential, specifically to benefit marginalized students.

Speakers

Susan Bell

Chief Program Officer, Mastery Transcript Consortium

With nearly two decades of experience working in public school systems, Susie supports MTC’s network of member schools as they work together and within their high schools to implement a Mastery Transcript or MTC Learning Record. Susie had previously served as the superintendent... Read More →

Lesley Snowball

Director of Education, The Digital School, Dubai

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-snowball-71a78517/

Friday November 22, 2024 10:55am - 11:55am EST
Atlantic 2

Session

10:55am EST

Co-opt, Corroborate and Co-Create: Implementing School's Evidence based Well-being approach: a Case Study

Friday November 22, 2024 10:55am - 11:55am EST

Atlantic 3

Does my school explicitly foster an intrinsic escalation of one's wellbeing among students? How might students be involved in developing and monitoring a wellbeing toolbox? This proposal is school's pilot project, an action research method focused on building and postulating learner centred Wellbeing strategy central to school's culture and environment. Through its strategic intent and social-emotional learning programmes, the school started addressing Student's well-being as an inclusive practice since 2018.While the school's Accreditation data and Cambridge Well-being Check evidence shows high levels of school life satisfaction, it highlights limitations related to intrinsic satisfaction. Drawn from Laura Taylor, et.al., Subjective wellbeing Concept (IBO,2022), this proposal intends to address these limitations by gathering qualitative and quantitative evidence to examine the factors that influence the self-perceived wellbeing of students and teachers in school context. The school's survey sample comprised of 500 high school students and 150 teachers, 50 sample interviews and reflective anecdotes.

Speakers

Sonali Bajaj

Deputy Head Secondary School, Dhirubhai Ambani International School

View on LinkedIn

Swarnalatha Potukuchi

Curriculum Coordinator and Accreditation Coordinator, Dhirubhai Ambani International School

https://www.linkedin.com/in/swarnalatha-potukuchi-0b1386176/

Rachana Shah

Head of Learning Support and Child Protection Officer, Dhirubhai Ambani International School

Friday November 22, 2024 10:55am - 11:55am EST
Atlantic 3

Session

10:55am EST

Educating Human Beings: Authenticity, Agency, and Transformationally Relevant Schools

Friday November 22, 2024 10:55am - 11:55am EST

Mediterranean

Too often students experience school as a series of things that happens to them over which they have little or no control. This leads to transactional mindsets and a sense that all school is for is investing in future (markers of) success: college/university acceptance, major, grad school, career, salary. This session challenges educators and leaders to think of school as an investment in who our students are now, as people developing identities, figuring out how they want to see and be seen in the world, forging world views, and determining how they want to act and interact with others. Through a spider chart activity on educational models, a discussion of ways to leverage external motivators (like grades) for intrinsic passion development, and a reflection on what constitutes true 21st century skills and capacities, participants will acquire strategies and tactics for combatting relevance resistance and for making school more human-centered.

Speakers

Marc Aronson

Dean of Acadmics, Cheshire Academy

Marc Aronson is Dean of Academics at Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, Connecticut. He started there as a member of the English Department in 2008 after three years at AMSA Charter School in Marlborough, Massachusetts. He holds a BA in English from Tufts and an MSc in Comparative and... Read More →

Rachel Wright

Director of the Merle-Smith Campus, Moravian Academy

Rachel serves as the upper school director at Moravian Academy in Bethlehem, PA, the ninth oldest independent school in the nation. Rachel got her start in education as a math teacher in the School District of Philadelphia and made the switch to independent schools in 2011. Rachel... Read More →

Friday November 22, 2024 10:55am - 11:55am EST
Mediterranean

Session, Unplugged

10:55am EST

From Questioning to Connecting

Friday November 22, 2024 10:55am - 11:55am EST

Caspian

In this session you will learn about how questions can launch community in your classroom. All you need is a willingness to learn about others and the enthusiasm to share a little about yourself.

Speakers

Mark Bernstein

National Director, Content and Implementation, Curriculum Associates

Friday November 22, 2024 10:55am - 11:55am EST
Caspian

Session

12:00pm EST

Lunch, EdTalks, closing session

Friday November 22, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST

Pacific D-H (Ballroom)

Join us for lunch, EdTalks, and our closing session as international, independent, and public school leaders come together to discuss important themes in school leadership.

Speakers

Damon Smith

Interim Chief Operations Officer, Cambridge Public Schools, MA

Damon Smith is the Interim Chief Operations Officer (COO) for the Cambridge, MA public school system. Responsible for the general administration of the operations of the public school district, the COO is also the district leader and liaison for capital improvement projects and other... Read More →

Fadia Rostom Makdisi

Principal- Educator-Workshop Facilitator- Public Speaker, Saint Agnes Academy

As a proud mother of three daughters and a first-generation immigrant, Fadia understands the transformative power of education. Having experienced its life-changing benefits firsthand, she is privileged to serve the community in the field of education. She is driven by a deep commitment... Read More →

Friday November 22, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST
Pacific D-H (Ballroom)

Keynote/Plenary