2025 GOCSD Innovation Summit: Full Schedule

Access the pages below to learn more about our conference, registration, speakers and sponsors. Visit our Innovation Summit site for details about the venue, food, lodging, purchasing a t-shirt, and more.

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8:30am CDT

BOOM! Leadership Systems That Save Time, Energy, and Your Sanity

Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT

Cooper Creek 2

This high-energy BOOM session will walk attendees through four powerful leadership systems designed to streamline operations, empower teacher leaders, and build sustainable structures that save time and reduce stress. Each segment will be fast-paced and full of ready-to-use templates, calendars, tools, and ideas to take back immediately. When the timer buzzes, the next topic begins—whether you’re ready or not! At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to implement at least three time-saving systems in their building or department that support instructional leadership, culture building, and staff empowerment.

Speakers

Veronica Vergara

Middle School Principal, Lebanon R3 School District

Kyle Nelson

Assistant Principal, Lebanon R3

Greg White

Assistant Principal, Lebanon R3

I have a passion for education and giving students experiences that inspire their desire for learning.

Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Cooper Creek 2

Breakout Session Offered 1x

AUDIENCE Elementary, Intermediate (4-6), Middle/Junior High, High School, Administrators, Professional Developers, Instructional or District Specialists
LEVEL Any

8:30am CDT

Inquiry-Based Mathematics Instruction

Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT

Short Creek 4

Direct instruction is often the preferred method to deliver content. However, I found myself asking How much are my students actually thinking? Come to this session to experience a hands-on lesson from a student’s perspective. Be ready to think and work out problems with manipuatlvies, draw visual representations in order to deepen conceptual understanding. Once the session is over, you will understand the long-term benefits of inquiry-lessons for your students. This breakout session is meant to challenge your current mathematical teaching practices.

Speakers

Stephanie Frigerio

5th Grade Educator, Branson School District

Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Short Creek 4

Breakout Session Offered 1x

AUDIENCE Elementary, Intermediate (4-6), Middle/Junior High
LEVEL Intermediate

8:30am CDT

Lead & Learn: Turning Students into Classroom Leaders

Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT

Short Creek 1

What if your students took the lead in their own learning—engaging more, thinking critically, and inspiring their peers? In this dynamic session, you’ll discover powerful Leader in Me strategies to transform students from passive learners into proactive leaders in the classroom. Learn how to foster student-led discussions, encourage peer mentoring, and create a culture where everyone has a voice and choice in their learning journey. By the end of this session, you’ll walk away with actionable techniques to empower students to seek first to understand, synergize with peers, and take ownership of their growth. Get ready to lead—and learn—as we cultivate a classroom culture of responsibility, independence, and collaboration that prepares students to thrive both inside and outside the classroom!

Speakers

Niki Dailey

3rd grade co-teacher, Waynesville R-VI School District

Candice Sullivan

District Instructional Coach, Waynesville R-VI School District

Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Short Creek 1

Breakout Session Offered 1x

AUDIENCE Elementary, Intermediate (4-6), Middle/Junior High, High School, Professional Developers, Instructional or District Specialists
LEVEL Intermediate

8:30am CDT

Middle School Counselor Playbook: When to Call, Collaborate, and Maximize Their Impact

Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT

Compton Ferry

School counselors play a vital role in student success, yet their responsibilities are often misunderstood. This session will clarify the differences between counselors and other faculty while showcasing how they support SEL education and student well-being. Participants will explore practical strategies for collaboration and uncover the hidden strengths of school counselors—like maintaining a poker face in outlandish situations and mastering the art of open-ended questions. By understanding these skills, educators can work more effectively with counselors to create a supportive learning environment where students thrive.

Speakers

Morgan Hoey

School Counselor, Republic Intermediate School

Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Compton Ferry

Breakout Session Offered 1x

AUDIENCE Intermediate (4-6), Middle/Junior High, Administrators
LEVEL Beginners

8:30am CDT

Press Start To Level Up Your Classroom: Using Gamification To Turbocharge Engagement

Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT

Roark Creek

Are you interested in gamifying your classroom but don't know where to start? Gamification can be as simple or involved as you want. Choose from three levels of integration: Easy, Medium, and Advanced. Gamify an individual lesson, a unit, or even a whole course. Zachary Hamby, a 2020 Missouri Teacher of the Year Finalist, will share his own experiences with gamification—including projects such as choose-your-own-adventure writing assignments, Pokemon-style card games, content-related social deduction games, gamified scoring guides, and even a semester-long house challenge and badging system. Teachers will leave with access to free resources for gamifying their own classrooms!

Speakers

Zachary Hamby

High School Teacher, Ava R-1 Schools

For the last eighteen years, Zachary "Zak" Hamby has been a high-school English teacher in rural Missouri, and in 2020 he was a finalist for Missouri Teacher of the Year. Zak is also the author of a variety of textbooks: the Mythology for Teens series, the Reaching Olympus series... Read More →

Rachel Hamby

High School Teacher, Ava R-1 Schools

Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Roark Creek

Breakout Session Offered 1x

AUDIENCE Intermediate (4-6), Middle/Junior High, High School
LEVEL Any

8:30am CDT

Effective Co-Teaching leads to Meaningful Interventions

Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT

Short Creek 3

Co-Teaching is growing and knowing how to effectively co-teach is not easy. We will go over the co-teaching model with how to effectively use it from the Regular Educator and Special Educator perspectives. Effective Co-teachings leads to effective interventions with all struggling learners and we will model examples of effective interventions. Co-taught or not you will leave with ideas to improve your teaching and make more effective interventions in your classroom/school for the 2025-2026 school year.

Speakers

Dr. Hadlee Goldberg

Special Education Teacher, Ozark High School

Brandi David

Mathematics Specialist, Hand2Mind

Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Short Creek 3

Breakout Session-Tier 1 Sponsor Showcase: Partnering with Member District

AUDIENCE Intermediate (4-6), Middle/Junior High, High School, Administrators
LEVEL Any

8:30am CDT

Missouri Partnership Panel hosted by Curriculum Associates

Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT

Boston Ferry

David will be hosting a panel of Experts from Partner Districts; join us as they explore how Curriculum Associates and i-Ready is enriching the lives of their leaders, educators, and students through Assessment, Core, and Services.

Speakers

Tracy Evans

Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Lebanon R3

David Rogier

Educational Sales Consultant, Curriculum Associates

Founded in 1969, Curriculum Associates, LLC designs research-based print and online instructional materials, screens and assessments, and data management tools. The company's products and outstanding customer service provide teachers and administrators with the resources necessary... Read More →

Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Boston Ferry

Breakout Session-Tier 1 Sponsor Showcase: Partnering with Member District

AUDIENCE Pre-K - 2, Elementary, Intermediate (4-6), Middle/Junior High, Administrators, Professional Developers, Instructional or District Specialists
LEVEL Any

9:30am CDT

The Elephant in the School: Efficacy Development to Shift Learning in Your System

Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT

Boston Ferry

We all want efficacy in our schools, but are we willing to do what it takes to create it? Are we creating the necessary time and space to design for the sources of efficacy? Are we manipulating the structures we have control over to ensure that talent is maximized and turnover is minimized? Explore one district’s attempt to reorganize time and space to create a collaborative climate and culture that maximizes staff efficacy development by paying attention to the sources that create it.

Speakers

Garrett Lowder

Assistant Superintendent: Academics, Marshfield R-1 School District

Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Boston Ferry

Breakout Session Offered 1x

AUDIENCE Pre-K - 2, Elementary, Intermediate (4-6), Middle/Junior High, High School, Administrators, Professional Developers, Instructional or District Specialists
LEVEL Any

9:30am CDT

The Power of CONNECTION CODES: Building Better Teams, Stronger Students, and a Thriving School Culture

Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT

Short Creek 4

Discover how the CONNECTION CODE can transform your school’s culture from the inside out. In this engaging session, Dr. Jarad Rinne and Mrs. Angela Loughridge share real-world strategies for using CONNECTION CODES to strengthen staff collaboration, enhance student relationships, and improve behavior across campus. Learn how understanding personality styles leads to more productive teams, empowered students, and a thriving educational environment.

Speakers

Jarad Rinne

High School Principal, Licking R-8

Angela Loughridge

JH Principal, Curriculum Director, Licking R-8

Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Short Creek 4

Breakout Session Offered 1x

AUDIENCE Elementary, Intermediate (4-6), Middle/Junior High, High School, Administrators, Professional Developers, Instructional or District Specialists
LEVEL Any

9:30am CDT

Think Big: Transforming Special Education Math with Building Thinking Classrooms

Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT

Short Creek 3

In this hands-on session, explore how to apply Peter Liljedahl’s 14 Building Thinking Classrooms principles in a special education setting. Engage in dynamic thinking tasks that reveal student thought patterns, provide meaningful practice for consumer math, and build student confidence. Discover how these fun, semi-structured tasks promote problem-solving and communication while offering creative opportunities for earning low-stakes points. Walk away with practical strategies to foster deeper mathematical thinking. At the end of the presentation, participants will have the tools to implement thinking tasks that encourage risk-taking, promote productive struggle, enhance math confidence, and uncover valuable student insights.

Speakers

Rubecca Wilson

Special Education Math Teacher, Republic High School

Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Short Creek 3

Breakout Session Offered 1x

AUDIENCE Elementary, Intermediate (4-6), Middle/Junior High, High School, Professional Developers, Instructional or District Specialists
LEVEL Any

9:30am CDT

To Infinity and Beyond: How to utilize AI in the classroom.

Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT

Room Location TBA

One of the most common concerns among teachers is feeling overwhelmed by the countless tasks they are expected to complete. With growing class sizes and the diverse needs of each student, keeping up can be challenging. Many of the most meaningful aspects of teaching are limited by time and energy constraints. My goal is to change that by helping teachers use AI to eliminate tedious tasks from their schedules, allowing them to focus on the most important part of teaching—building relationships with students. I will be giving a presentation over some of the most powerful AI tools available today, and explain how they can save you energy and time. We will get hands on with these tools; please bring a charged laptop.

Speakers

Josh Welborn

El Specialist, Branson Public Schools

Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Room Location TBA

Breakout Session Offered 1x

AUDIENCE Pre-K - 2, Elementary, Intermediate (4-6), Middle/Junior High, High School, Professional Developers, Instructional or District Specialists
LEVEL Beginners

9:30am CDT

Proactive Prevention: Leveraging MTSS and Effective Tier I Instruction to Address Reading Challenges

Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT

Room Location TBA

Proactively addressing reading challenges requires a strong foundation in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and high-quality Tier I instruction. This engaging session will explore how structured literacy, evidence-based practices, and early identification can prevent reading difficulties before they escalate. Participants will learn how to strengthen Tier I instruction to meet diverse student needs while leveraging MTSS to provide timely, targeted interventions. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, educators will leave equipped to implement a proactive, prevention-focused approach that improves literacy outcomes for all students. Join us for an interactive session designed to inspire and empower educators!

Speakers

Karyn Tomkinson

National Literacy Director, Adjunct Professor, hand2mind

Jenn Wright

Reading Interventionist, MO SOR FB Admin, North Kansas City

Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Room Location TBA

Breakout Session-Tier 1 Sponsor Showcase: Partnering with Member District

AUDIENCE Pre-K - 2, Elementary, Intermediate (4-6), Administrators, Professional Developers, Instructional or District Specialists
LEVEL Any

9:30am CDT

Taking Care of Priority One - Our Students!

Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT

Cooper Creek 1

Learn how school districts can build a culture that empowers teachers and school staff to meet their students' health, hunger, and hygiene needs so they can succeed in school. This session explores how Care to Learn helped Republic School District build connections and community by meeting students' basic needs.

Speakers

Krystal Simon

Chief Executive Officer, Care to Learn

Matt Pearce

Superintendent, Republic School District

Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Cooper Creek 1

Breakout Session-Tier 1 Sponsor Showcase: Partnering with Member District

AUDIENCE Pre-K - 2, Elementary, Intermediate (4-6), Middle/Junior High, High School, Administrators
LEVEL Beginners

9:30am CDT

GOSPED Roundtable: Networking Opportunity for Educators with an Interest in Special Education

Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT

Hensley Ferry

**Networking Roundtable for Educators & Administrators** Join us for a dynamic networking roundtable where educators and administrators from all grade levels (PreK-12) can come together to share resources, ask and answer questions, and exchange innovative ideas. This collaborative space offers a unique opportunity to connect with peers, learn from each other’s experiences, and build a strong professional network. Whether you're seeking solutions to challenges or looking to inspire new initiatives, this roundtable is your chance to engage in meaningful conversations with fellow educators. Don’t miss out on this chance to grow and learn together!

Speakers

Christina O'Neill

Special Education Teacher, Nixa Public Schools

Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Hensley Ferry

Roundtable Session

AUDIENCE Pre-K - 2, Elementary, Intermediate (4-6), Middle/Junior High, High School, Administrators
LEVEL Any