9:00 a.m. – 10:10 a.m. 

Advocacy & Leading from Where You Are

This session will focus on the power of advocacy and leading from where you are within the PAIU organization.  Participants will gain an understanding of how, within their role, they can advocate for education and the importance that Intermediate Units play within the commonwealth

Dr. Francine Endler, Executive Director, Central IU 10

Rebranding Your IU & Developing a Brand Ambassador Program

This session will provide details about rebranding your IU and developing a comprehensive Brand Ambassador Program to help monitor and uphold the brand standards.

Robyn Gross, Educational Marketing Lead, Bucks County Intermediate Unit 

Sarah McCluan, Assistant Director, Marketing & Strategic Communication, Allegheny IU

Joseph Shaulis, Esq., General Counsel, Allegheny IU

Internal Staff Communications

Maximizing Internal Staff Communications to create workplace community and a sense of belonging for all staff. This session will explore new trends, strategies, and platforms for maximizing internal staff communications.

Tina Viletto, Director, Community & Government Relations, MCIU

Shannan Guthrie, Program Director - EDO/Communications, Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13

Executive Functioning, Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety, and SES

Executive function (EF) skills have been linked to academic achievement and learning outcomes in children. This session will explore the relationships that exist among Executive Function (EF) skill deficits, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and socioeconomic status (SES). It will also focus on intervention and resources for explicit instruction and how to create an EF rich environment.

Keith Watson, Ed.D, Assistant Director of Student Services, Capital Area IU 15

Connecting the Dots Around Suicide Assessment

The mental health of children has become a big talking point in light of the pandemic, but study data shows the problem has been percolating for years. One area of special concern is suicide. The PPS department of our IU sought to provide a structure around suicide assessment and intervention. This session will explore shared procedures to address suicide amongst all of our IU learners with considerations for developmental levels, disability, and educational placement. Assessments, checklists, resources, safety plans, and other tools needed to take students safely from first reports of suicidal ideation to reentry to the school setting will be discussed.

Dr. Laura Sharp, Supervisor of Pupil Personnel Services, Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12

Meeting the Mandate: Act 55 Training Requirements, Resources and Strategies for Coordinators and School Staff

In this session, participants will learn the details of Act 55 and its impact on school safety and security. The session will focus on the training mandates and grant funding. There will be two lenses for this discussion. Number one, we will discuss enhancing the safety efforts within our IUs and our internal employees. Number two, we will discuss how we can help our member schools improve their school safety. We will look at available resources and how to utilize those resources strategically. Participants will gain a new understanding of the Act 55 mandates and develop a plan of action to do more than comply with them. Participants will be able to create a plan that meets the needs of their organization and increases school safety for all stakeholders.

Yvonne Teed, Pandemic Coordinator/Safety and Security Coordinator, Northwest Tri-County IU 5

Joe Rice, Student Services Supervisor/School Safety and Security Coordinator, Westmoreland IU 7

Disciplining Employees for Their Speech in 2023: The Age of Social Media

Attorney Elizabeth Kelly, King, Spry, Herman, Freund and Faul, LLC

Promoting Professional Integrity

Topics include: Review of the Educator Discipline Process, including conduct that can result in professional discipline and recent changes to the Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators; Introduction to the Model Code of Ethics for Educators and Chapter 49’s new ethics requirements for induction and continuing professional development; Review of school entities’ duties under the Educator Discipline Act, including mandatory reporting for chief school administrators; and strategies for preventing educator misconduct. 

Shane Crosby, Executive Director/Legal Counsel, Professional Standards and Practices Commission

Correcting the Crisis

In this session, we will engage in conversations and activities focused on how IUs can improve the lifecycle of an educator. Creating opportunities for new and future educators to explore the field of education in a positive way through systemic change and value focused culture will be a goal of this session.

Susan Griffith, D.Ed, Curriculum Director, ARIN IU 28

Stacie Isenberg, Curriculum Specialist, ARIN IU 28

Creating Your ESA Business Toolkit - A Design Thinking Approach

This session will focus on how the principles of the Stanford d.school's Design Thinking Process were combined with the work of Duncan Simester, MIT Professor at the Sloan School of Management, to help innovators and solution designers at the Lincoln Intermediate Unit (LIU) "Create, Capture, and Deliver Value" to their customers. We will share how we created a business "toolkit" and the accompanying professional development that has begun to support LIU staff as they solve and design for customer challenges in unique and value-driven ways for the recipients of our services.

Jared Mader, Director of Educational Technology, Lincoln IU 12

Ben Smith, Assistant Director of Educational Technology, Lincoln IU 12

Navigating Board Policy & Administrative Regulations

Have you ever wondered how policies, procedures, and handbooks relate to each other? This session delves into how the roles of the board and administration drive the distinction between policies and procedures, how policies guide the creation and implementation of procedures and handbooks, and best practices in drafting and updating policies, procedures, and handbooks.

Jennifer J. Hanlin, Counsel, Fox Rothschild LLP

Rachel's Challenge in Pennsylvania: Highlighting IU Programs and How to Get Started

We’ve reached over 30 million students, parents, and educators in over 20K schools across the nation; and much of that great work has been done right here in Pennsylvania. Come hear directly from IU leaders who have implemented our program in their area, and understand how to get started preventing violence, bullying, anxiety, depression, loneliness and self harm in the schools you serve. 

Rachel’s Challenge is the most extensive school program worldwide for creating positive school cultures, ending school violence in all its forms, and improving youth mental health. 

Kristi Krings, CEO, Rachel’s Challenge

Current Trends in LEA and Cooperative Procurement: A look at current trends, market drivers, and regulatory factors influencing K-12 procurement

Procurement in the K-12 space has changed dramatically over the last five years. Factors such as Uniform Guidance implementation, COVID, ESSERS funding, supply chain issues, and the growth of national cooperatives has changed the purchasing landscape and necessary skill sets for school district personnel.

In this session, learn the drivers of these trends and how LEA’s can effectively collaborate to ensure regulatory compliance, gain efficiencies, and generate cost savings. 

Steven Frey, Senior Collaborative Services Manager, Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13

Supporting Student Mental Health in the School Environment

This session will overview the essential components of comprehensive school mental health approaches and how they align with multi-tiered frameworks. Best practices and approaches for mental health promotion, suicide prevention, early identification and referral, and crisis response will be highlighted. Key resources available at the state and national level to support school mental health efforts will be shared.

Perri Rosen, PhD, NCSP, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Countywide Recruitment Campaign

In recent years, Chester County school districts and the CCIU have experienced increasing challenges in filling open vacancies, especially among support staff positions. Each individual school district has initiated more visible campaigns in an effort to attract new talent, but the question was raised: what more could be done collectively at a county level?

Joanne Redden, Assistant Director of Human Resources, Chester County IU 24

Project SEARCH Kalahari: Meet Interns & Tour of the Program

Project SEARCH Kalahari was established in 2016 - 2017 school year. Our employment rate is consistently above the national average for Project SEARCH programs. This session will provide a behind the scenes tour to see the Project SEARCH Interns in action, tour of the program, internship departments, meet & greet with current Project SEARCH Interns and hired Project SEARCH graduates.

Mason Messinger, Colonial IU 20

Jennifer Jones-Baur, Colonial IU 20

Project SEARCH Kalahari Interactive Skills Assessment

This workshops will offer an interactive demonstration of skills assessments used to evaluate perspective interns prior to their acceptance to the Project SEARCH program. We will model work stations, discuss and share rubrics utilizes through the assessment stage. Discuss importance of observational data such as: student soft skills, communication, interactions, and teamwork.

Mason Messinger, Colonial IU 20

Jennifer Jones-Baur, Colonial IU 20

2022-2023 Aspiring Leaders: Wrap-up & Debrief

In this session, the members of the 2022-2023 Aspiring Leaders cohort will assess their experiences in the program and discuss ways they can continue their personal professional development. (Note: this session is for the 2022-2023 cohort, the new 2023-2024 cohort meets on Wednesday, 5/31)

Kim Talipan, Assistant to the Executive Director, Carbon Lehigh IU 21

Dr. Brad Landis, Assistant Executive Director, Montgomery County IU 23

The Three Dimensions of Student Engagement

This interactive session will explore the three dimensions of student engagement, focusing on culturally responsive teaching to increase student engagement and implement technology in meaningful ways.

Lauren Cunningham, Curriculum Services Supervisor, Westmoreland IU 7

Building a Comprehensive Safety & Security Program: Engaging Your Schools and Community Partners

In this session, participants will learn practical strategies to grow their safety and security program. Discussion will focus on identifying constituent needs, engaging local and regional partners, carving out a “niche” and leveraging existing assets to position the intermediate unit as a resource for school safety throughout the intermediate unit’s area of responsibility. The session will place a particular focus on available resources at the local, regional, and national level that safety and security coordinators can access to develop and grow their program. In addition, case studies and “real world” successes and challenges will provide examples, best practices and pitfalls inherent in the work. Participants will leave the session with actionable items to implement in their respective intermediate unit.

Aaron Skrbin, Director of Safety and Security, Allegheny IU

Operationalizing a Vision for Trust & Unity

Are you looking for ideas to overcome division in your community and refocus your leadership efforts on supporting learners? Are you interested in a new model for strategic planning? If so, you do not want to miss the chance to hear from IU13 leaders who will share how they are operationalizing a vision to "cultivate the conditions for TRUST and UNITY within our educational systems and communities to ensure that all learners are well-served." In this session you will learn more about IU13's Vision, Focus Areas, and Commitments; a process to elevate and prioritize action; and steps to engage a variety of internal and external stakeholders in this timely and important work.

Matt Stem, Executive Director, Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13

Joey Rider-Bertrand, Ed.D., Director of Instructional Services, Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13

Kelly Galbraith, Ed.D., Program Director of Teaching and Learning, Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13

additional IU 13 leaders

Rachel's Challenge: Positive Action Programs that Build Kindness and Connection

We know that teachers, administrators, and parents are stretched thin. Our programs are simple, flexible, sustainable, and designed to be student led. Learn how mental health programs that engage student voice can reduce strain on faculty and lead to sustainable results. Through shared experiences, modeling behavior, and inviting students to have ownership, our ground-up approach can achieve transformational change while respecting your resources.

For 20 years Rachel’s Challenge has been the leader in bringing permanent, positive culture change to schools. Rachel’s Challenge is an evidence-based, tier one, proactive, preventative intervention for all forms of youth violence.

Equitable Financial Education  - Private Sessions - CANCELLED

UPDATED: Equitable’s Force for Good Initiative: School Programs Available for Teachers & Students

Join us and learn about Equitable’s force for good initiative and the programs we sponsor for both teachers and students. From funding classroom projects, to helping keep your school safe, our Equitable Excellence scholarships, student loan forgiveness assistance and SADD programs all combine to provide you with a unique and robust holistic experience.

Leslie Ogden, Regional Vice President, Equitable Financial

Terrell Bowman, Financial Consultant, Equitable Financial