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Friday, August 1
 

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
VV

Veronica Vergara

Middle School Principal, Lebanon R3 School District
avatar for Kyle Nelson

Kyle Nelson

Assistant Principal, Lebanon R3
avatar for Greg White

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

8:30am CDT

Boosting New Teacher Retention: Creating Sustainable Support Systems
Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Short Creek 2
This session explores how embedded professional development (PD), follow-up coaching, and targeted training create systemic change in education by supporting and retaining new teachers. Participants will learn strategies to integrate ongoing mentorship and instructional coaching, ensuring teachers feel equipped and confident in their roles. By focusing on sustainable support systems, we can bridge the gap between training and practice, ultimately improving teacher retention and student outcomes. Join us to discover how investing in educators through meaningful, job-embedded PD leads to long-term success in schools.
Speakers
avatar for Karen Bohannon

Karen Bohannon

Literacy Instructional Coach, Ozark School District
Ms. Bohannon has six years of experience as an instructional coach and has also eight years of classroom teaching experience. She has a Master’s in Education from Missouri State University and is working towards her doctorate in Educational Leadership at Southwest Baptist University... Read More →
AD

Amy Dunn

Literacy Instructional Coach, Ozark School District
Dr. Amy Dunn brings over a decade of instructional coaching experience and a diverse educational background. She holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. Currently, she serves as a K–4 Instructional... Read More →
RT

Rachel Tabuya

Principal of West Elementary, Ozark School District
avatar for Kendra Scott

Kendra Scott

Principal of Ozark South Elementary, Ozark School District
Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Short Creek 2
  Breakout Session Offered 1x

8:30am CDT

Is This For a Grade?
Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Cooper Creek 3
This session invites educators to reflect critically on their grading practices. To do this, teachers will be encouraged to reflect on what they are grading and whether those grades accurately represent what students truly know and can do independently. Through guided reflection and group discussion, teachers will explore strategies to ensure that assessments are meaningful and align with standards. The next time teachers hear, “Is this for a grade?” or “Will I ever use this?” they can provide an answer with confidence.
Speakers
AB

Allison Boyer

Instructional Coach, Logan-Rogersville
avatar for Alicea McDonald

Alicea McDonald

Literacy Specialist, Logan-Rogersville School District
Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Cooper Creek 3
  Breakout Session Offered 1x

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
ND

Niki Dailey

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

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

8:30am CDT

Partnering for Literacy: Empowering Parents to Support Striving Readers
Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Fall Creek
To maximize the impact of Reading Success Plans, bridging the school-home gap is essential. This session equips teachers with practical strategies and resources to guide parents in supporting their striving readers. We'll explore how to demystify reading challenges, provide accessible at-home activities, and foster collaborative partnerships that empower both parents and children on their literacy journey.
Speakers
avatar for Kristin Maerke

Kristin Maerke

Reading Interventionist, Republic School District
Kristin Maerke serves as a reading specialist for the Republic, Mo. school district. She is passionate about guiding striving readers to be independent problem solvers through explicit phonics instruction. Kristin has been trained in, Orton Gillingham, Reading Recovery and LETRs... Read More →
Friday August 1, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Fall Creek
  Breakout Session Offered 1x

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
avatar for Tracy Evans

Tracy Evans

Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Lebanon R3
avatar for David Rogier

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

9:30am CDT

From Stigma to Strength: How Student Leaders Are Revolutionizing Mental Health
Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Short Creek 3
Picture this: A high school where students thrive as mental health ambassadors, breaking stigmas and transforming their school’s culture. That's exactly what's happening at Branson High School, Missouri's leader in mental wellness classes. In this eye-opening session, dive into the journey of how they’ve turned traditional mental health support on its head by putting students in the driver's seat through partnerships with Burrell Behavioral Health and Sources of Strength. At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to communicate the benefits and barriers to such programs and create a plan to launch within their own campuses.
Speakers
avatar for Hannah Banderman

Hannah Banderman

High School ELA Teacher, Branson Public Schools
avatar for Josh Cheezum

Josh Cheezum

High School Social Studies Teacher, Branson Public Schools
Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Short Creek 3
  Breakout Session Offered 1x

9:30am CDT

Securing Success in Reading Success Plans
Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Fall Creek
Reading Success Plans can be complex, and ensuring their effectiveness is crucial. This session will equip you with practical intervention strategies informed by CBM data to accelerate students toward reading proficiency. Participants will leave with practical resources for progress monitoring and instructional planning.
Speakers
avatar for Kristin Maerke

Kristin Maerke

Reading Interventionist, Republic School District
Kristin Maerke serves as a reading specialist for the Republic, Mo. school district. She is passionate about guiding striving readers to be independent problem solvers through explicit phonics instruction. Kristin has been trained in, Orton Gillingham, Reading Recovery and LETRs... Read More →
avatar for Emily Hanson

Emily Hanson

Assistant Principal McCulloch Elementary, Republic School District
Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Fall Creek
  Breakout Session Offered 1x

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
GL

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

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
JR

Jarad Rinne

High School Principal, Licking R-8
AL

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

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
RW

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

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
avatar for Josh Welborn

Josh Welborn

El Specialist, Branson Public Schools
Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Room Location TBA
  Breakout Session Offered 1x

9:30am CDT

White Walls, Bright Lights, and Other Bad Decisions
Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Cooper Creek 3
What if there is a way to increase engagement and achievement without a new initiative or costly curriculum? Companies spend millions each year improving employees' workspaces because employee comfort is directly tied to their productivity and the company’s bottom line. Engagement and achievement are our bottom lines, but we rarely examine the impact of students’ working conditions in high schools. This session merges research from psychology and architecture with education and draws on original research with responses from 120 schools. Participants will be able to make tangible, practical changes to high school classrooms that increase student engagement and achievement.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Jamie Higgins

Dr. Jamie Higgins

English Teacher and Speech/Debate Coach, Clever R-V School District
Dr. Higgins spent most of her childhood in Pennsylvania before moving back to the Ozarks as a teenager. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in English Secondary Education, her Master of Arts degree in Teaching, and her Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership in Curriculum... Read More →
Friday August 1, 2025 9:30am - 10:15am CDT
Cooper Creek 3
  Breakout Session Offered 1x

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
KT

Karyn Tomkinson

National Literacy Director, Adjunct Professor, hand2mind
avatar for Jenn Wright

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
 
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