This session will help participants review school data to develop plans and set intentions leading to change in students’ school experiences. Highlighting a targeted approach designed to address discrepancies in outcomes of Black students in grades 3–5, presenters will share their journey from inception to current progress, and a transparent look at next steps. School leaders will walk away with practical strategies to plan, communicate, and actively dismantle inequities within their own buildings. Devices required
Jodie is a School Counselor at Alston Ridge Elementary School in Wake County Public Schools with 14 years of experience. A passionate advocate for student success, she led her school to achieve RAMP status in 2023. Jodie is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher and a Licensed Clinical... Read More →
Dr. Trina Clinkscales is a dedicated School Counselor at Alston Ridge Elementary School, bringing 25 years of experience as an elementary educator and counselor to the Wake County Public School system. Throughout her career, she has served students and families in Greenville, Gwinnett... Read More →
Niko is the Principal of Alston Ridge Elementary School in Wake County Schools. He has served as an elementary school principal and assistant principal for 15 years at Alston Ridge Elementary, Fuller Magnet Elementary in Southeast Raleigh, and Forestview Elementary in Durham Public... Read More →
Wednesday July 22, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT Room 13
Just like the weave of a piece of cloth determines its strength and beauty, intertwined supports for our Beginning Teachers are essential to grow their efficacy and job satisfaction for retention. Hearing from four varied perspectives in the BT support process (Principal, BT Mentor Coordinator, Alternative Licensure BT, and SPED BT) will provide actionable ideas to apply to schools of all levels.
This session equips school leaders with practical strategies to build momentum, strengthen buy-in, and navigate resistance leading PLCs to move beyond compliance to a culture of shared ownership and results. Walk away with clear next steps to onboard teams, sustain engagement, and keep the work focused on what matters most: student learning.
PLC Coordinating Teacher, Office of Professional Learning, WPCSS
With 20 years of professional experience in education, DeJuana Richardson serves as a PLC Coordinating Teacher in the Office of Professional Learning at Wake County Public Schools. She is a two-time graduate of Fayetteville State University, where she earned degrees in Elementary... Read More →
Wednesday July 22, 2026 12:25pm - 1:25pm EDT Room 13
If we could just manage our time better, we could get everything done, right? Wrong! There is not enough time, no matter how well organized, to meet everyone’s needs and check all the tasks off your to- do list. The first step towards reclaiming leadership purpose is to stop trying to manage time and start managing priorities! This session will help you make the perspective shift and provide some basic tools to make priority management both practical and impactful.
Frederick Buskey was a K-12 teacher and administrator for 17 years. He is a National Board-Certified Teacher, former middle school and high school teacher and coach, and county office Special Education Coordinator. He has experience working in international schools and rural schools... Read More →
Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am EDT Room 13
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future concept; it is a current leadership reality. This hands-on planning lab empowers school leaders to take a courageous stand on AI implementation. Using NotebookLM and district context documents, participants will collaborate to draft their own school-level AI "Expectations and Empowerment" guides. We will align our work with the Innovative Designer (DLS.ID.4) standard, balancing the "Compassion" of academic integrity with the "Courage" to embrace new technological frontiers. Attendees will leave with a tangible plan to lead their staff and students into a future where AI is used ethically and effectively. Devices are required for this session.
Senior Director of Digital Learning and Libraries, Wake County Public School System
As the Senior Director of Digital Learning and Libraries for the Wake County Public School System, Pam Batchelor is dedicated to preparing students for a rapidly evolving digital world. She leads strategic instructional initiatives across the district, with a current focus on using... Read More →
Director of Digital Content and Instruction, WCPSS
I serve on the Digital Learning and Libraries team for WCPSS and work with the Digital Learning Coordinators to support all staff on the selection and integration of digital resources to meet instructional needs. I am actively involved in our AI policy development and training, implementing... Read More →
I have been serving in the Wake County Public School System since 2003. I was a Language Arts teacher for ten years, an In-School Suspension Coordinator for two and a half years, and an Instructional Technology Facilitator for two and a half years. I have been on the front lines and... Read More →
Thursday July 23, 2026 10:10am - 11:40am EDT Room 13
Research consistently demonstrates that school leaders influence student achievement not primarily through management tasks, but through specific leadership behaviors that shape teaching, learning, and school culture. Drawing on the framework from Grissom, Egalite, and Lindsay's How Principals Affect Students and Schools (2021), this session will help principal teams examine how leadership behaviors emerge from strengths in people, instruction, and organization. Participants will assess their current leadership practices, identify opportunities to expand Assistant Principal leadership capacity, and develop a shared leadership action plan that strengthens school outcomes. This session is designed for principal–assistant principal teams seeking to move beyond task delegation toward intentional leadership distribution that increases instructional impact and organizational effectiveness.
Executive Leadership Coach, Wake County Public School System
Rob Epler currently serves as an Executive Leadership Coach in the Wake County Public School System. His previous roles include Southwestern Area Senior Administrator, Elementary Principal, Assistant Principal, Magnet Coordinator, and High School English Teacher. As the Principal... Read More →
Sr. Director Chief of Schools, Wake County Public Schools
Senior Director Secondary Executive Leadership Coach Former Principal East Millbrook Middle Former Principal Brentwood Elementary WCPSS Principal of the Year 2015-2016
We became leaders because we wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, but when we spend the majority of our time putting out fires, even productive days can feel purposeless. In this interactive session, we will learn and practice a simple 3-question coaching strategy that will help others grow through reflection and will help you fulfill your leadership purpose. The technique takes less than five minutes, but the impact endures. As a result of this session, you will be able to support teachers and other leaders using a simple reflective process in five minutes or less and will become more aware of the many opportunities you have to use the technique each day.
Frederick Buskey was a K-12 teacher and administrator for 17 years. He is a National Board-Certified Teacher, former middle school and high school teacher and coach, and county office Special Education Coordinator. He has experience working in international schools and rural schools... Read More →
Thursday July 23, 2026 12:45pm - 1:45pm EDT Room 13
This professional development session is designed to equip principals and assistant principals with the knowledge and leadership strategies necessary to support effective implementation of the new North Carolina ELA standards for 2027-2028. During the 60-minute session, school leaders will explore the major instructional shifts within the standards and examine how rigorous literacy instruction should appear across grade levels.
I have been a public educator for almost 20 years. I started my teaching career in Pennsylvania as a 7th grade ELA teacher. After teaching middle school for 7 years, I began teaching high school English. When I moved to WCPSS, I served as an Intervention Coordinator and an Assisant... Read More →
Senior Administrator Elementary ELA, Wake County Public School System
Meghan Clark serves as Senior Administrator for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment with the Wake County Public School System, where she leads district initiatives focused on literacy, curriculum development, instructional excellence, and educator professional learning. With 24... Read More →
Thursday July 23, 2026 1:50pm - 2:50pm EDT Room 13
