Annual SURN conference empowers school leaders to navigate challenges with clarity and purpose
Educational leaders from across Virginia came together at the William & Mary School of Education on June 16-17 with a shared purpose: to sharpen their leadership and deepen their impact. Hosted by the School-University Resource Network (SURN), the 27th Annual SURN Leadership Conference afforded participants an opportunity to explore the theme “Learning Leaders DECIDE – What are you going to do?” The conference was designed to inspire and equip educational leaders with the tools they need to thrive in their roles.
Held each summer, the conference is designed to support those who lead schools and districts in navigating today’s complex challenges. The conference brings together school leaders, university faculty and education professionals to examine their impact as leaders through a focus on evidence-based practices, systems thinking and well-being in education.
This year’s event opened with a keynote from W&M economics professor Peter Atwater ’83, a nationally recognized expert on the impact of confidence on decision-making and author of “The Confidence Map: Charting a Path from Chaos to Clarity.” Atwater’s talk provided an energizing and interactive start to the conference, helping leaders examine how desire for certainty and control influences the decisions they make and encouraging them to build confidence as a foundational leadership skill.
Atwater discussed his “Confidence Quadrant” and helped participants unpack the intersection of certainty and control and its impact on their decision making. This perspective helped attendees examine the challenges of leadership in complex and shifting educational environments through a fresh lens.
SURN Executive Director Amy Colley M.A.Ed. '90, M.Ed. '01, Ed.D. '14 noted, “Atwater’s words resonated with leaders and provided a framework for navigating the stacked vulnerabilities leaders encounter as they lead schools and districts.” 
On the second day, Phil Wagner, clinical associate professor in organizational behavior at William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business and recipient of the 2024 Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award, delivered a keynote titled “Building Bridges: The Science of Connection.” Wagner’s session explored the science and psychology behind human connection, emphasizing its critical role in fostering understanding and collaboration.
Throughout the two days, the conference offered a wide range of breakout sessions presented by William & Mary faculty, regional educational leaders and professionals from peer institutions. Topics included aligning curriculum, assessment and instruction, decision making, specially designed instruction, communication, asset mapping, behavior management and more. Participants were encouraged to select sessions aligned to their leadership goals and needs. Attendees engaged in deep learning around instructional leadership, data use and systems thinking, focusing on translating research into action.
SURN Assistant Director Sarah Hylton ’89, M.Ed. ’97, Ph.D. ’21 shared, “a hallmark of professional learning at SURN is including a structured time for reflection and synthesis. John Almarode, professor of education at James Madison University, always brings a positive and enthusiastic energy as well as the capacity to pull together research and action for the K-12 field of practice. We were excited to have him join us to lead the reflection and synthesis.”
Almarode shared the power of evaluative thinking for educational leaders as a practical and hopeful way to send participants out to do the work they have been given to do in K-12 education.
Now in its 27th year, the SURN Leadership Conference continues to build on its legacy of developing educational leaders across Virginia. Those who attended this year shared overwhelmingly positive feedback.
“A heartfelt thank you to the SURN team for the opportunity to join such an esteemed lineup of presenters. Honored to contribute to this powerful conversation and inspired by the commitment of those leading change in schools across the Commonwealth!” wrote one participant. Another reflected, “I am so thankful for the thoughtfully and intentionally designed learning experiences that allow leaders to reflect and grow!”