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School of Education
School Leadership Institute

2022 SURN Leadership Conference

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June 27-28, 2022

The SURN Leadership Conference is back in-person for 2022! Learning Leaders (Re)Unite to learn and exchange ideas in face-to-face conversations. School division teams and individuals attend the conference for the opportunity to share with other educators, discuss topics with leading researchers, reflect on the prior school year, be inspired, and plan strategically for the upcoming year.

Learning Leaders (RE)UNITE has been carefully designed with K-12 division needs in mind.

  • During the morning of day one we will participate in interactive design thinking with an emphasis on action and innovation. Learning leaders will engage with one another to examine their aspirations for student learning and the behaviors necessary to realize those aspirations.
  • Leaders will also participate in three (RE)UNITE sessions, as they engage with each other to untangle some of the persistent problems of education, particularly in a post-pandemic world. These sessions will highlight exemplars and innovators from the field. They will share and facilitate dynamic discussion and problem solving, and participants will leave with an action step for improvement. (RE)UNITE topics include learning loss, mentoring new teachers, leadership pipelines, assessment, evaluating culturally responsive teaching & leading, mental wellbeing, and more.
  • Thomas Guskey joins us on day two with a strong reminder that there are no simple solutions for the complex problems of education, as he shares the foundational research bases upon which we can design our next innovations.
  • This is the conference by you and for you, one where leaders will work together, share together, and (RE)UNITE in person as we prepare for the 2022-2023 school year.
  • School Divisions are encouraged to bring their your full leadership team (central office and building level; administrators and teacher leaders) to work and share across divisions and within your division.
  • As day two ends, we will provide boxed lunches and space for your teams to share their learning and plan forward.

Conference Materials:

General Sessions:
Igniting Positive Change with Design Thinking, Amy C. Colley, Ed.D.

ReUnite Session I:
Mentoring Novice Teachers For Increased Retention, Sarah P. Hylton, Ph.D.
Supporting Teachers to Success, Norfolk Public Schools
Shoring Up the Leadership Pipeline, Middlesex Public Schools & VCU School of Education

ReUnite Session II:
Communicating Effectively in a Post-Pandemic World, Betsy Overkamp-Smith, APR
Leading for Cultural Proficiency, Peggie Constantino, Ph.D.
Leading for Emotional Well-Being in Our Schools, Leandra Parris, Ph.D., NCSP

ReUnite Session III:
Cultivating a Culture of Instructional Coaching, Joy E. Martin, MA.Ed.
Digging Into Deeper Learning, Sarah P. Hylton, Ph.D.
Fostering Meaningful Family Engagement, Amy C. Colley, Ed.D. & Betsy Overkamp-Smith, APR