SURN Leadership Conference
The 28th annual SURN Leadership Conference brings together school and district leaders to look, listen, and learn as they explore persistent problems of practice. This year’s theme, Learning Leaders IMAGINE, invites leaders to look beyond the boundaries and barriers and visualize education from a different perspective.
- Imagine schools where deep understanding of brain-based science drives improvements in school climate, instruction, and discipline.
- Imagine students exploring academic content, trades, and wellness in the most meaningful ways possible.
- Imagine schools engaged in productive discourse around what matters most.
- Imagine students, teachers, and leaders prepared to flourish in an AI-driven world.
- Imagine robust retention of teachers and leaders in our schools.
Our keynote speakers, session leaders, and staff will focus on just that – helping leaders imagine schools where leaders innovate and create as they meet the changing needs of students.
Keynote Speakers & Workshop Leaders
Confirmed keynote speakers and workshop leaders include Horacio Sanchez, Daniel Biegun, Emily Gerst & Phil Wagner.
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W&M SURN is excited to host Horacio Sanchez as the opening keynote speaker for this year's conference. Horacio has been a teacher, administrator, clinician, mental health director, and consultant to the Departments of Education in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. He is the author of the best-selling book, The Education Revolution, which applies brain science to improve instruction, behavior, and school climate.
The SURN Leadership Conference features two interactive workshops in addition to keynote speakers. The two workshops are opportunities to dig deep and practice. Daniel Biegun, author of The Active Learning Revolution, studies active learning, including the benefits of increased learning and decreased disruptive behaviors, improved critical thinking skills, better knowledge retention, and improved interpersonal skills. His workshop is an opportunity for leaders to consider what’s possible for increasing opportunities to respond in their schools.
In their workshop, Emily Gerst (Director, Conflict Resolution & Education, W&M) and Phil Wagner (Clinical Associate Professor, Organizational Behavior, Raymond A. Mason School of Business, W&M) make the case for conflict as necessary, personal, and helpful in our leading lives. Participants will identify their predominant conflict styles, learn to raise issues clearly, yet kindly, explore how to handle emotion in conflict, and learn how to deal with defensiveness. Participants will leave with actionable frameworks for raising issues well and navigating conflict productively.
Concurrent Session Leaders
Confirmed concurrent session leaders include Kimberly Richardson, Kipp Rogers, Natalie Street, Darra White, Ethel Francis, Kate Maxlow, Stacey Rodgers, Heather Peterson, Jennifer Thomason, Chris Garies, Veronica Hurd, Wayne Santos, Darrell Pankratz, Shelagh Gallagher, Shelley Littleton, Mike Littleton, Jason Betzner, Gwen Best, Angela Seiders.
Concurrent sessions feature topics aligned to the conference theme including: model practices for teacher induction and retention; system level models of aligning curriculum; building level moves for strong culture and climate; feedback; coaching; leading assessment efforts; division level approaches to AI; supporting principals at the district level to improve teaching and learning; leadership for inclusive practices; behavior management; journey mapping, empathy mapping, and stakeholder mapping; the five roles of the retention‑focused principal; and more!
Bonus Feature
Join us after the conference on Monday, June 15 for a bonus feature, a special screening of the documentary, Multiple Choice.
AUDIENCE
- K - 12 School and Central Office Leaders
DETAILS
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Monday & Tuesday, June 15 - 16, 2026
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8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Registration opens at 8:00 a.m.
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W&M School of Education
FEES
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$500/individual - SURN Division Member
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$600/individual - General (Non-SURN Division Member)
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$475/each - Team (3 or more), SURN Division Member
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$575/each - Team (3 or more), General (Non-SURN Division Member)
Includes morning coffee, conference, lunch, & materials each day
Register here:
Credit Card Store Check/Invoice Store
Please email surn@wm.edu with any dietary needs you have prior to June 1, 2026. After this date, we are not able to accommodate dietary requests.
SURN is unable to provide a refund for this event. If a registered individual cannot attend, a substitute can be sent in their place. Please email surn@wm.edu with this change.
Registration will close approximately one week in advance of this event or earlier, if the event reaches capacity. We will update this webpage when registration closes.
If you're interested in your division joining SURN, please have your Superintendent or Superintendent's designee contact Amy Colley at accolley@wm.edu.
Please email surn@wm.edu for questions about registration or this event.