Room 5

6pm-8pm

8am-9:30am

9:30am-9:45am

9:45am-10:45am

• Room 1: The Mississippi Computer Science and Cyber Education Equality Act Discussion
  Shelly Hollis, Chris Champion

  This session will provide an overview of the recently enacted legislation requiring all schools to offer a computer science course by the 2024-2025 school year. Participants will learn about the educational and industry gap that drove the need for this legislation, review the current course options available.
  
  Shelly Hollis joined the Research and Curriculum Unit of Mississippi State University (MSU) in November 2014 as a project manager. In 2018, Hollis became the Assistant Director of the Center for Cyber Education. Hollis oversees the development and implementation of the K-12 computer science initiative for the state of Mississippi, leading ongoing CS curriculum development and updates, facilitating training of K-12 teachers in CS content, and securing funding to support CS education. Prior to joining MSU, she worked in a Mississippi public school district managing district technology.
  
  Chris Champion, a native of Greenwood, Mississippi, serves as the Vice President for Government Relations for C Spire, a diversified telecommunications company headquartered in Ridgeland, MS. In that role Chris has oversight of both federal and multi-state policy issues for the company. In addition, Chris manages the company’s political engagement activities. Prior to joining C Spire Chris, was vice president in the Cornerstone Government Affairs Jackson, MS office where he represented a variety of clients in the agriculture, energy, corrections, and nonprofit sector. Before returning to Mississippi to join Governor Bryant’s staff in 2012, Chris worked as a special assistant to United States Senator Roger Wicker in Washington, D.C. A graduate of the University of Mississippi, he has been recognized as a Top 50 Under 40 businesspersons by the Mississippi Business Journal and is a graduate of the Mississippi Economic Council’s Leadership Mississippi Class.

• Room 2: Why ACT Exam Review is Vital for Your 2021 Strategic Planning
  Candace Smith, Gina Morgigno and Barbie Bassett

  A discussion about how Mississippi schools are seeing drastic increases in their students’ ACT scores and how your school can be positively impacted. Presenters Candice Smith, retired English III teacher will share insights into how Jumpstart’s online, on-demand ACT review satisfies the need for differentiated learning and assists students of all backgrounds in achieving improved scores by providing a feasible and practical approach to preparing for the ACT Exam; Gina Morgigno from Pearl will give insights to proper classroom implementation and Mississippi Media Personality; Barbie Bassett who will share how the Jumpstart ACT Review helped make a dramatic score improvement for her senior.
  
  Candice Smith has completed 18 years in education and decided to take a break from the classroom. She has taught 7th and 8th grade language arts as well as regular English II and English iii, Speech and Debate as well as ACT PREP.
  
  Gina Morgigno has 26 years of public-school experience working as a counselor and administrator in Mississippi. She currently serves as the District Test Coordinator and Director of Counseling for Peral Public School District. She has also been an ACT Test Center Supervisor for 26 years. She is National Board-Certified Counselor and is a certified school administrator.
  
  Barbie Bassett graduated from Mississippi College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications. She received a Master of Science degree from Mississippi State University with concentration in Broadcast Meteorology. Barbie has been granted the Seal of Approval from the American Meteorological Society and has been awarded Best Weathercast by the Associated Press several times.

• Room 3: Leadership Teams Engaging in Critical Thinking to Create Strategies to Address the Challenges of Learning Loss
  Dr. Susan Rucker, NCEE; Dr. Christy Maulding and Angie Abernathy, Starkville Oktibbeha School District

  Leadership is critical to the goal of improving quality of teaching and learning across the District. Leadership has a vital role in setting the vision for teaching and learning and ensuring consistent and coherent expectations and supports. They also carry the role in ensuring consistency and coherence in each school and at each grade level. These roles require a strong foundation of knowledge and common understanding in academics and the social and emotional aspects related to motivation and engagement and cultural aspects of learning. Creating an innovative way to design structures and supports for supporting continuing teacher professional learning, including scheduling to provide time for teacher collaboration and intervisitation is a role that we must not take lightly.
  
  In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 education demands innovative ambitious action or else districts, and states will not meet their goals for children by returning to the same programmatic reforms of the past. The time is here to invest in sweeping, systemic change, informed by the policies, practices, and system design features of the world’s highest performing countries.
  
  In this session we will create a discussion around some specific ways some districts are considering and are in the process of determining the strategies needed within their own local context to pursue the creation of a world-class plan for implementation, implement that plan, and refine and improve their current systems to match the performance of the world’s best and to address learning loss.
  
  Dr. Susan Rucker currently coordinates the i3 and SEED grants in Mississippi. Prior to these grant opportunities she led the MSLEADS grant, a five-year USDOE School Leadership grant. Susan is a NISL facilitator of the EDP, Instructional Coaching, Systems Design Benchmarking, Facilitation Certification Institute, Early Childhood, and Students with Disabilities. She also coordinated the Mississippi Superintendent Academy. Prior to leading the Mississippi office, Susan served in several different leadership positions (school level principal at all levels) in K-12 education in addition to her state-level leadership positions. She retired from the Mississippi Department of Education as the Deputy State Superintendent for Instruction and then began her work at NCEE.
  
  Dr. Christy Maulding began her career in the Rankin County School District (RCSD), the third largest district in the state. During the 22 years she worked in the RCSD she served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and Assistant Superintendent. Maulding served as the District Work Based Learning Coordinator for Hinds Community College where she supported students on each campus in their career and technical work-based learning opportunities. In 2017 Maulding joined the leadership team in the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District and currently serves the district as Deputy Superintendent. She also works as an adjunct professor for the Education Leadership Department of Mississippi State University.
  
  Angie Abernathy has been an educator for 27 years including teacher and curriculum specialist. She currently works for the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District as a Math Curriculum and Intervention Specialist. Prior to working in Starkville, Angie worked for Rankin County School district as a teacher and a Math curriculum specialist for 16 years. Angie believes in promoting the academic success and well-being of every teacher and student by building relationships, having high expectations for rigorous curriculum and instruction, and offering authentic student experiences.

• Room 4: Social Media, Students and Employees
  Jim Keith and John Hooks, Adams and Reese LLP
• Room 5: Promethian ActivPanels
  Amy Marchbanks - AXI Education

  In this session, learn the basics of effective instruction with the Promethean ActivPanel. From connection and care to software fundamentals, this session is designed to cover first steps for any new Promethean districts or those who’d like a refresher workshop. Session is best designed for principals looking to include Promethean in their school districts or want to know more about how their teachers are currently using them in instruction.

10:45am-11:00am

11:00am-12:00am

• Room 1: Something Extra
  Lee Ann Fulton and Scott Cantrell, Discussion Leaders

  Many administrators find themselves searching for that “lil’ something’ – something’ “to get our classrooms, grade levels, building levels, or district over the proverbial accountability model hump. Hear ideas from Performance Based Education Company’s academic coaches Lee Ann Fulton and Scott Cantrell on the specifics of Powerful Planning and Delivery that tie directly to low-hanging fruit and realistic accountability model goals for classrooms, buildings, and districts.
  
  Scott Cantrell began working with PBEC as a data and accountability model specialist in July 2019 after retiring with 28 years of work experience in various MS public school districts. Scott's first 17 years in education were spent in various levels from the classroom to the athletic field to building-level administrative positions, but in 2008 he began his 11.5-year career as the Monroe County Superintendent of Education. Throughout his career as superintendent, Scott served as President of MASS, along with serving on various MDE committees around accountability, accreditation, and licensure.
  
  Lee Ann Fulton is a 30 year veteran of MS public schools in which she held numerous teaching and building / central office administrative positions. Over the last 4 years while working with PBEC, she has become widely known for her expertise and innovation in not only tracking student data, but also in building quality lessons and units around student data. Numerous administrators and teachers from across the state who have benefitted from Lee Ann's teacher/ administrator coaching practices consistently request her services each school year.

• Room 2: Revisiting to Reset: Getting Back to the Basics
  Jennifer Weeks and Nicole Cooley

  The 2020-2021 school year required district leadership, principals, and teachers to step out of comfort zones to learn new ways of leading, teaching, and learning. The effects of constant interruptions in teaching and learning prompted districts to revisit the foundational basics. Through these experiences, the KIDS FIRST team has guided districts through research-based practices that will encourage a “Reset for the 2021-2022 school year”. This high-impact session will center around revisiting and revising systems that are proven to be successful, leaving participants with practical tips and tools around the following:

  • Resetting the data to instruction system, including both instructional and student data
  • Revisiting mapping and instructional guidance, focusing on depth of standards and ensuring instructional shifts are addressed
  • Revisiting curriculum resources, focusing on high-quality instructional materials
  • Revisiting instructional practices, ensuring ALL students have supported access to master skills and concepts
  • Revisiting ACT preparatory materials and instruction
  • Resetting to ensure a cohesive community of all stakeholder
  
  
  Jennifer Weeks, Head Coach and Special Education Coach along with Nicole Cooley, ELA Support Team Member. Jennifer is a former Special education teacher, psychometrist, and district administrator. She most recently served thirteen years as an Assistant and Associate Superintendent for Desoto County Schools. Her Analytical and strategic planning have helped these districts and others target specific areas for growth, including ACT, and create customized plans to ensure necessary gains.
  
  Nicole Cooley is a former ELA classroom teacher and lead teacher. With 9 years of experience coaching teachers, instructional leaders, and students, she has positive, proven results that impact teacher growth and student learning outcomes. She is currently leading teams in developing services and materials using the Kids First Workshop Model, including writing, fluency, and ACT.

• Room 3: Emotional Control De-escalation
  Jeffrey Artis, FBI, Retired

  Retired FBI agent Jeffery Artis leads this training will focus on gaining and maintaining control of your emotions and others involved in a crisis or day-to-day interactions. Learn from a career FBI special agent how to assess, action to take in disarming your most emotional control moments in your daily activities. He is a proud graduate of Miles College having earned a BA degree in Political Science. Jeffery served the community for more than 30 years as a devoted law enforcement official. He served as a support employee in the Birmingham and Memphis Divisions of the FBI and upon graduating from New Agent’s Training was assigned to the Jackson Division where he served until his retirement. Over the span of his career, SA Artis (retired) has investigated all manner of offenses to include organized crime, government fraud, drugs, violent crimes, child pornography, public corruption, and civil rights violations. The sessions are interactive, entertaining, and thought provoking. You will walk away from this course feeling confident in your abilities to resolve conflicts and create solutions for our communities

• Room 4: An Innovative Approach to K-12 Education: “The New Albany Way” A Path to a Brighter Future.
  Lance Evans, Superintendent, Superintendent; John Ferrell, Assistant Superintendent; Robert Garrett, Director of Technology

  In this session, members of the New Albany School District will outline innovative initiatives within the district. These initiatives Include: using virtual reality for career exploration and workforce development: innovative learning labs: training teachers to use classroom technology to positively impact classroom instruction both virtual and in-person: revamping your district’s social media presence: and solutions for a comprehensive teacher evaluation rubric. Connections between the New Albany District and business/industry as well as workforce development will be presented.
  
  Lance Evans, Ed.D. a 21-year educator, is currently the Superintendent of Schools for the New Albany School District. Dr. Evans believes that innovation is a key component to educating students of the 21st century. To accomplish the monumental task of educating students of today, a multifaceted approach is essential to ensure the success of all students.
  
  John Ferrell, Assistant Superintendent, New Albany Schools and Robert Garrett, Director of Technology, New Albany Schools, will co-present with Dr. Evans.

• Room 5: Worker’s Compensation
  Brian Johnson, Fisher Brown Bottrell

  Workers’ Compensation – Think you can’t control everything? Think again! Participants will come away with tips and strategies to prevent accidents on campus and ensure a safe and secure work environment

12pm-1:45pm

1:45pm-1:55pm

2:00pm-3:00pm

• Room 1: Strategic Planning for Transformational Leadership
  Jayne Ellspermann

  Time is a nonrenewable resource. How can you leverage time to ensure that you balance the important and the urgent, and know the difference between the two? Using 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years as a backdrop, we will dive into the practical elements of how to plan for the 2021-2022 school year and create a way of work that will create transparent, collaborative leadership in your school.

• Room 2: A Truly New Perspective on the Accountability Model and How You Can Improve Your District….
  David O. Cress and Josh Stanford, MDE

  A brief history of how we got to where we are in education and how properly implemented Cohort Academic Classes can improve your school’s performance.
  
  David Cress was the Career Academy Director of The Academy of Multimedia & Communications in Madison County Schools from 2012 to 2020. He also served as History Department chairperson at Rosa Scott School. In his roll at MDE, Mr. Cress helps oversee Career Academy development and implementation, curriculum writing, academic cohorts, work-based learning, industry certifications, students’ professional portfolio development, new program design, and all things associated with MDE’s mission to get students College and Career ready.
  
  John Stanford is Program Supervisor for STEM and Career Academies.

• Room 3: Virtual Reality, Innovate Your Delivery System

  2020 provided us with an opportunity to innovate and potentially change the course of education forever. New ways of presenting instruction and supporting students were implemented. But where do we go from here? What are your options for providing virtual instruction? Which best practices should you employ to meet the needs of every student? Whether your schools are 100% virtual, onsite, or a combination of the two, this session will provide solutions to ensure your students are successful. Come join us!

• Room 4: Impact of School Law, the Mississippi Code of Ethics State, and Local Policies on the K-12 School Setting, Including Probable Future Legal Issues as a Result of COVID 19
  Dr. Ben Burnett

  Dr. Burnett, Executive Vice-President of William Carey University, and retired Mississippi Superintendent will share research and insights on how to prevent potential litigation in our schools. As schools have been in unchartered territory for over a year now with virtual learning and other issues surrounding COVID 19, there is an even bigger need to train all school personnel on the basics of how to avoid legal problems facing school employees as well as school districts. Dr. Burnett will draw on his experience as a 17-year public school administrator as well as being the lead teacher for school law at William Carey University

• Room 5: Investigations, MS Code of Ethics, and Plan of Improvement/Nonrenewals

  “I beg your pardon?” Sexual harassment, investigations, MS Code of Ethics. Think it’s not being discussed on your campus? Think again! Mr. John Hooks will run participants through the gamut of Title VII and Title IX. He will share practices of ensuring a safe and orderly school culture for all school staff. Participants will walk away with specific action steps that should be taken before and after a claim of sexual harassment and grievances amongst employees in general.

3:00pm-3:15pm

3:15pm-4:15pm

• Room 1: “So You Want to Be Superintendent” Things to Consider Superintendent Panel Discussion
  Chris Fleming, Senatobia Schools; Joe Nelson ED.D. Clarksdale Schools; Lance Evans ED.D., New Albany Schools; Hillite Hudson, Kemper County Schools.

  Come listen to new Superintendents share their first year experiences leading in their respective communities. Hear about what they learned, and how they may have prepared a little differently.

• Room 2: CTE Updates of the V State Plan
  Dr. Aimee Brown

  This presentation will provide an overview of the Perkins V State Plan and how effective implementation can positively impact student achievement in Mississippi. Measures of career readiness such as ACT Work-Keys, industry certifications, and Work-Based Learning will be discussed.
  
  Dr. Brown has 23 years of experience in education and has served as the MDE State Director of Career and Technical Education since July 2019. Prior to her current position, Dr. Brown served as the Director of Career and Technical Education and Career academies for Madison County Schools for 13 years. She also previously served as the Director of Career and Technical Education for Newton Municipal Schools and as a teacher for Leake County Schools and Meridian Community College. In her roll at MDE,
  Dr. Brown oversees career and technical education curriculum and assessment, student organizations, Work-Based Learning, the financial and programmatic aspects of the Perkins V State Plan, and Mississippi JROTC.

• Room 3: Pathways to Proficiency
  Paul Shelly

  The standard benchmarking procedures (assessing new and/or more rigorous material at the end of each grading term) is not working for students who are behind. Helping students recover learning loss takes identifying gaps, providing next step instruction, and administering targeted student measures. This session will demonstrate a model of learning recovery following these steps.
  
  Paul Shelly is a former Mississippi public school teacher and administrator (Meridian/Tupelo). He co-founded Educational Leadership Solutions in 2003, a company dedicated to helping Mississippi schools manage data, assess students, and provide next step instructional resources for teachers.

• Room 4:
  Mr. Chris Wooten

  From posting positions to new employee orientation, the hiring process plays an important role in setting the tone of expectations in your district. This session will leave participants with ideas about employee handbook necessities and beyond that set everyone up for success.

4:30pm-5:30pm

• Room 1: High School
• Room 2: Middle School
• Room 3: Elementary School
• Room 4: Assistant Principals
• Room 5: MSASPA

Sessions conclude for the day

6pm

8am-9:30am

9:30am-9:45am

9:45am-10:45am

• Room 1: Preparing to Become A Superintendent: It Is A Process!
  Denotris R. Jackson, M.Ed., MSBA Executive Director, Tommye C. Henderson, Ph.D., MSBA Superintendent Search Coordinator

  Aspiring superintendents often make the mistake of believing that meeting the qualifications to be a superintendent, which are outlined in MS Code 37-9-13, makes one ready to be a superintendent. In reality, the state qualifications are just one step in the process to becoming a superintendent. Where inin the PROCESS are you, and what are your next steps? What are school board members looking for in the next superintendent? STEP into this session to find out what the Mississippi School Boards Association Superintendent Search Team has discovered through their process of conducting more than 125 superintendent searches.

• Room 2: How to Stand Out and Lead Like a Pro
  Dr. David Lee, USM Professor of Educational Leadership

  Going PRO as a leader means leaving your amateur ways behind. You must “Stand Out” from others if you are going to be effective in the future. Average will not cut it. This session will teach you how to operate out of a different playbook. It will also teach you how to become a “Person of Interest” that others want to follow.
  
  Dr. Lee is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at The University of Southern Mississippi. He obtained his doctorate degree in leadership from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He has served as a teacher, principal, superintendent of schools, deputy state superintendent of education for the State of Louisiana, college professor, and local school board member, and currently Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at The University of Southern Mississippi. He has served as consultant to school systems and Fortune 500 companies all over the world. He has over 35 years of experience driving change in organizations and providing the motivation that enables people to be better at what they do. David is the author of three books, The Motivating Administrator, Run from the Nuts, and Teachers’ Lounge Mafia. He also publishes articles in leading industry journals. His latest is Ten Laws of Good Board Governance, published by the National School Boards Association. He has developed a national school board training model based on his groundbreaking research linking school board behaviors with student achievement.

• Room 3: Professional Development That Strengthens School Culture
  Nason Lollar, Ed.D. and Syl Burrell, Assistant Principals, Germantown High School

  This interactive session will engage participants in professional development activities designed to spark discussion among teachers about effective instructional strategies, while reinforcing standards of professional conduct. When combined with a heightened focus on coaching and feedback, cross-content PLC groups at Germantown High School elevated the level of conversation in our building and improved the overall culture of.

• Room 4: “Accelerating Student Learning Recovery”
  Dr. Patrice Pujol, National Institute of Excellence in Teaching

  Learning acceleration and recovery is a critical priority for schools as they continue to meet the needs of their students in these unprecedented times. In this session participants will explore a cycle of learning acceleration with emphasis on important steps to take, questions to ask to implement the cycle, considerations for coaching teachers, the role of student work and assessment in the learning acceleration, ad how to engage students in the process so they take responsibility and ownership over their learning. Presenter: Dr. Patrice Pujol serves as Senior Executive in Residence of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET). In this role she is responsible for the development and support of new partnerships, advancing NIET’S name recognition and services on the Executive Leadership Team for the organization.

• Room 5: It’s All About Personality
  Stephanie Permenter

10:45am-11:30am

11:00am-12:00pm

• Room 1: Leveraging Your Leadership for Cultural and Academic Change
  Debra Houghton, Principal and Nicole Cockrell, Assistant Principal Mannsdale Upper Elementary School

  This presentation will look at the power of informal teacher observations and feedback loops. The presenters will share how active listening during feedback loops has led to big changes in their building. They will also share the calendar they use and ideas for teams and strategies they use to create culture during observations and feedback loops. The presentation will conclude with a ‘Principal’s Exchange’ of best practices in our schools.
  
  Debra Houghton, Ed.S., is Principal at Mannsdale Upper Elementary School and Mississippi’s 2020 Administrator of the Year.
  
  Nicole Cockrell, Ed.S., is Assistant Principal at Mannsdale Upper Elementary School. Principals Houghton and Cockrell have teamed together to lead a new elementary school in Madison County Schools to high levels of educational excellence for their students and teachers.

• Room 2: How to Stand Out and Lead Like a Pro
  Dr. David Lee, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, USM

  Going PRO as a leader means leaving your amateur ways behind. You must “Stand Out” from others if you are going to be effective in the future. Average will not cut it. This session will teach you how to operate out of a different playbook. It will also teach you how to become a “Person of Interest” that others want to follow.

• Room 3: Maximizing YOUR Capacity in the Assistant Principal’s Role: How good do YOU want to be?
  Lewis Bradford and Matt Buchanan

  Being an Assistant Principal is a hectic but rewarding job. In our presentation, we will discuss how to maximize your opportunities to grow as a leader while making a positive impact in student’s lives. We will impart time-saving techniques, explain how to manage lofty expectations, student communication, workplace management, and self-care all while fully supporting your Lead Principal. Real-life experiences will be stirred into the learning process to make it entertaining and enduring. Attendees will leave knowing the job will be wild, but so worth it.
  
  Lewis Bradford in 2010 received his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Mississippi College, graduating with highest honors.
  
  Matt Buchanan received his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2008 in Mathematics Education. In 2012, he received his master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Mississippi. Currently, he is working on his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at the University of Southern Mississippi with an anticipated completion in 2022. Mr. Buchanan began his teaching and coaching career at Northwest Rankin High School in 2008. From 2012-2014, Mr. Buchanan served as Transportation Director at Brandon High School. He has served the last seven years as Assistant Principal at Northwest Rankin High School. In late April 2021, Mr. Buchanan was named Principal at New Albany High School.

• Room 4: So, You Have an Instructional Coach…Now What?
  Dr. Andy Parker

  Join us to explore the roles and responsibilities of academic coaches, instructional coaches, and interventionists and how they should work in schools. We will explore planning for those positions, utilizing them effectively, and creating school systems and rhythms to manage their work to get results for students.
  
  Dr. Andy Parker is an energetic, motivational leader and speaker who has been teaching students and leading schools and districts for the past 30 years. He is currently serving as the Director of Professional learning and Leadership Development at Bailey Education Group.His background in high school English and his passion for leadership and supporting those in leadership roles propelled him to begin writing his book, Building Brilliant Schools: What GREAT Leaders Do Differently, which will be released later in 2021. Implementing his GREAT leadership philosophy in the role as high school principal, Dr. Andy and his team accomplished these GREAT results: the school’s rating moved from underperforming to high performing; coaches and students secured 7 state championships in a five year period, up from 1 in the school’s history; the school’s dismal drop-out rate – one of the highest in Mississippi – dropped to one of the lowest in the state, coupled with one of the highest completion rates! An energizing, humorous, and frank speaker on issues about school leadership and cultural competence, Dr. Andy also coaches leaders in school and districts across Mississippi and Louisiana to transform school culture and improve student and teacher performance.

• Room 5: Let’s Talk Mental Health Wellness
  Stephanie Permenter

12:00pm-12:15pm

12:15pm-1:15pm

• Room 1: High School
• Room 2: Middle School
• Room 3: Elementary School
• Room 4: Assistant Principals
• Room 5: MSASPA

1:15pm-6pm

6pm

8:15am-9:30am

9:30am-9:45am

9:45am-10:45am

• Grand Ball Room: Mississippi Department of Education Updates
  Dr. Paula Vanderford
  Dr. Nathan Oakley

Ron Kyzar is a registered representative offering securities through Lincoln Financial Securities, Member SIPC. Ronald Kyzar Financial Services and Lincoln Financial Securities are not affiliated. Ron has had 35 years of experience assisting public employees plan for their financial future.

10:45am-11:00am

11:00am-12:00am

• "Like" Groups Debrief
• Q&A / Conference 2021 Discussions
• Door Prize Drawings

12pm