Educator conference in Kansas City

The Summit: Restore

Introducing this year’s theme:

Restore: imagining a fresh tomorrow, today

Join us for The Educator Academy’s annual conference, The Summit. Each year our programming lifts up the good happening in education and empowers educators to make changes for education moving forward. This year’s conference theme is Restore: imagining a fresh tomorrow today. During this year’s Summit, we will focus on rejuvenating teachers. From this place of refreshment, we will proactively cultivate a better tomorrow together. Come to restore your belief in education, and leave with your spirits feeling restored. Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 22nd to hear from local experts, engage with peers in facilitated sessions, and connect with the education community at large. Check out previous Summit experiences here.

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Interested in attending The Summit: Restore?

Save The Date:

Saturday February 22nd, 2025

What to expect

Agenda

Check-in & Breakfast: Come connect with other teachers before the first session begins. Breakfast will be provided. We have a full day including a connection session, speakers, and facilitators! Click on the links below to read more about each activity for the day.
Guest Panel: Start the day off by hearing from local education leaders as they reflect on the future of education in Kansas City. More information on the panel will be coming soon!
Breakout Session #1: Next up is the first breakout session of the day. Individuals will choose between one of five sessions. Exact sessions are below.
Breakout Session #2: Following the first round of breakout sessions is another opportunity to learn from facilitators. During the second breakout session of the day, individuals will choose between one of the five sessions. Sessions are outlined below.
Lunch: Exact sessions will be shared soon!
Keynote Speaker: Omkari Williams: Following lunch will be the Keynote Speaker! We are thrilled to have author and activist Omkari Williams join us as The Summit as our keynote speaker. Read more about Williams’ work and what to expect below.
Closing: Finally, we will end our day with a raffle and closing.

Breakout Session One

Below are our first round of breakout sessions! Read below to learn a little bit about each of the offerings.

Sparking your Joy for Teaching through Thematic Units!

with Ellen Kirsch

Participants will: Gain the tools to create cross-curricular thematic units. Engage students while addressing multiple standards. Receive examples of school-wide, grade-level and classroom thematic (integrated) units. Find your joy and excitement for teaching.

About the facilitator: Ellen Kirsch is an Instructional Coach in the Hickman Mills School District. Ellen Kirsch has dedicated over 21 years to the field of education, serving as an educator, curriculum coordinator, and instructional coach. With a passion for fostering a love of learning and enhancing educational practices, Ellen has made a significant impact on students and educators alike. She has worked across diverse rural and urban settings, striving to create inclusive and enriching learning environments. Believing that education goes beyond academics, Ellen emphasizes the importance of social-emotional learning, creativity, and critical thinking.

Restore a Healthier and Happier State of Being

with Hawar Khalandi

This session at The Summit Restore will cover the impacts of negativity bias and positive impacts of positive emotions. Through this session, participants will understand how adopting a positive mindset can enhance performance, creativity, and productivity. We will explore the impact of positivity on reducing stress and improving overall well-being, while learning strategies to rewire their brains for optimism and improve resilience in the face of challenges.

About the Facilitator: Hawar Khalandi, EdD, brings an abundance of experience and passion to the field of education, having served as a teacher, buildingl-evel administrator, district-level administrator, and Marzano Associate. Since 2007, she has been dedicated to fostering an equitable and inclusive learning environment for all students. Hawar’s diverse background, extensive knowledge, and practical experience uniquely position her to provide practical and insightful perspectives that bridge the gap between educational theory and the real-world challenges faced in classrooms and schools.

Reflective Teaching for an Inclusive Tomorrow

with Dr. Lauren Anderson

This reflective teaching session equips educators with practices that foster inclusion and equity in the classroom. Participants will develop self-awareness, critically examine their biases, and learn practical strategies to implement reflective teaching in their daily practice.

About the Facilitator: Dr. Lauren Anderson is an educator, researcher, and advocate committed to transforming education through equity, reflective leadership, and critical self-awareness. With a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Kansas, an M.S. in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University and an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Dr. Anderson is passionate about driving change in education. Throughout her career, Dr. Lauren Anderson has taught a wide range of learners, from PK12 to adult learners in higher education. Her approach centers on reflective practices that engage educators in examining their own biases, values, and teaching philosophies to create more inclusive, equitable learning environments. With over a decade of experience in education, she is dedicated to advancing equity in educational environments and transforming organizational culture.

Observe It, Don’t Absorb It: Tips for Maintaining Health in Teaching

With Jessica Janis Health

For many educators, it can feel as though the world’s weight is on their shoulders, with many more people to help than time in a day. Learning to navigate a career as a helper while also prioritizing personal health is a balance all educators must learn in order to have long, fulfilling careers.

About the Facilitator: Jessica Janis works as an LPC and is the Director of Continued Education & Wellness for Country Crossroads Counseling, LLC. Ms. Janis began her experience in public education as a behavior interventionalist, transitioned to school counseling, and ended her career in education as a district lead counselor. Since shifting towards community mental health in 2020, Jessica Janis has specialized in training in trauma-informed schools, trauma-informed workplaces, behavior intervention, and burnout prevention.

The Power of Storytelling: Using Our Narratives to Inspire Students and Build Community

with Amanda Walker-Jackson

This session will center on storytelling’s importance for personal reflection and community building. It will highlight how educators can use their students’ narratives and stories to create a culturally responsive and empowering learning environment. This session at The Summit Restore focuses on how stories-whether shared through personal experience, literature, or creative expression-can foster emotional connection, resilience, and a sense of belonging for students.

About the Facilitator: Amanda Walker-Jackson is a teacher, and alum of The Educator Academy’s residency program.

Breakout Session Two

Below are our first round of break out sessions! Read below to learn a little bit about each of the offerings.

Restoring Voices Through Poetry: Empowering Cultural Exchange and Healing in Education

with Waleska Rodriguez

This session will explore how the Bicultural Poetry Program uses poetry as a restorative practice to connect students to their identities and cultural roots. Originally started as the Bilingual Poetry Program, it has evolved into a broader movement that encourages multilingual and multicultural expression. Educators will learn how the program creates spaces for writing, reflection, and cultural exchange, empowering students from diverse backgrounds to express themselves in meaningful ways.

About the facilitator: Waleska Rodriguez is a Venezuelan poet, writer, and multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the intersections of identity, culture, and language. As an immigrant, her artistic voice delves into themes of belonging, heritage, and the power of shared stories. She creates spaces that celebrate cultural histories, using art as a tool for empathy, and self-expression. Rodriguez is committed to bilingualism and immigrant advocacy, leading projects like the Bicultural Poetry Program and Our Identidad, Poetry Anthology. These initiatives empower immigrant communities to explore their identities through writing, offering a platform for underrepresented voices and promoting healing through poetry. As an editor, collaborator, and educator, Rodriguez’s work reflects her dedication to building cultural bridges and harnessing the transformative power of words for social change.

Growing Up with Pride: Fostering Additive Bilingualism in a Multilingual America

with Amanda Niedzwiecki

Learn how to implement translanguaging pedagogy to impact the future of the multilingual learners you serve right now, restoring the value of their multilingualism of which the American education system has historically stripped them.

About the Facilitator: Amanda Niedzwiecki is a bilingual educator working to improve the quality of and access to dual language education in Kansas City. She was a finalist for the Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teacher Leadership Award for guiding a team of teachers to apply research-based best practices to her school’s dual language model. She specializes in applying language acquisition strategies in the math classroom, knowledge that she has shared at La Cosecha and regional mathematics conferences. With a M.A.T. and an elementary math specialist certification, Amanda is now working on her PhD, exploring the bilingual brain in elementary math education.

Using Personal Organization As a Tool For Restoration

with Candace wilson

Flipping open an educator’s weekly to-do list, you’ll see a myriad of tasks. From grading student work, to PLC meetings, to working on grad school assignments, the number of tasks can feel never-ending. In this session, participants will learn how to conduct a weekly meeting with themselves to look ahead at deadlines, plan for personal commitments (travel! work out! errands!), and feel a sense of ownership over their week ahead. They will use personal organization as a way to communicate needs with their teams and manager, thus offering true opportunities to feel balanced and refreshed by their schedule – not defeated and drained.

About the facilitator: Candace Wilson has spent over a decade leading recruitment efforts for a national nonprofit as well as a public, charter school district in Missouri to ensure scholars have high-caliber educators in their classrooms. Candace has seen time and again how authentic relationship-building leads to world-class talent recruitment and hiring. Her school was recently named a US News and World Report Top 10 high school in Missouri and she knows devoted and dynamic teachers made this happen. To that end, she’s developed an expertise in the full talent cycle: outreach and cultivation, screening and interviewing, hiring and onboarding. Above all, Candace is committed to fostering a more diverse and inclusive educational environment: she’s proud to have played a pivotal role in increasing the representation of BIPOC educators over her tenure from 29% to an empowering 60%, creating a school community where teachers and leaders truly reflect the students served.

Parent Partnerships: One Solution to Preventing Teacher Burnout

with Cassandra Bruington

In this session, Cassandra Bruington, M.Ed., will guide school leaders through strategies to transform parent partnerships into powerful allies in preventing teacher burnout. Attendees will discover their Parent Partnership Archetype, learn how to engage families in ways that align with school goals, and create an action plan for immediate impact. This interactive session offers practical tools and a supportive network to help educators finish the year strong, reduce stress, and boost student success through meaningful family collaboration. Don’t miss this opportunity to restore your energy and vision for the future of education

About the facilitator: Cassandra Bruington, M.Ed., is a seasoned educator and leader of a 900-member parent community dedicated to empowering school partnerships. In her session at The Summit, Cassandra will guide school leaders to identify their Parent Partnership Archetype and create a personalized action plan to re-energize their approach. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to prevent burnout, boost student success, and align family engagement with district-wide goals. This session offers a new network of support, clear steps for leveraging parent partnerships, and a roadmap to finish the school year strong. Join Cassandra and restore your vision for impactful, lasting school success.

Restorative Strategies of a Teacher Leader

with Tawar Khalandi and Vonnie Clark

Whether it’s an official title or an informal designation, many educators serve as teacher leaders in their space. They are sought out for input and feedback, asked to be observed for best practices and to observe for the development of their collegues. In this session at The Summit Restore, we’ll breakdown some of skills, mindsets, and strategies any educator can implement as they pursue being a teacher leader or are seeking development as a current teacher leader

About the facilitators: Tawar started her career in education nearly a decade ago as a middle school math teacher. Currently, Tawar is a Program Manager that has the privilege of work with a various teachers all across the city. Vonnchet Clark has 11 years of experience in education. She earned her undergraduate degree in elementary education from UMKC and a master’s in early childhood education. After 9 years as a teacher, she transitioned to instructional coaching. Passionate about teaching the whole child, she focuses on fostering academic and social-emotional growth through engaging, effective instruction. Now, she empowers new teachers with tools and strategies to deliver high-quality, equitable, and individualized education.

SUmmit: Restore

Keynote Speaker: Omkari Williams

The Educator Academy is excited to have author Omkari Willaims join us as the keynote speaker at The Summit. Omkari Williams is the Gold Nautilus award-winning author of Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World (Without A Bullhorn). . Her book helps readers identify their “activist archetype” and map a personal action plan for engaging in small, change-making activities with potentially big impacts.

She has worked as an actor, political consultant, and coach. Though she has an affinity for supporting activists who identify as introverted or highly sensitive, as she does, she welcomes all people into the world of micro activism, a sustainable path to change-making based upon honoring the inherent dignity of all people.

As a queer Black woman, she shares her own story of challenging injustice to empower others to make a difference in their communities. She is host of the popular podcast, Stepping into Truth, where she interviews activists from all walks of life. Her recent keynotes include speaking to a Fortune 500 company, addressing educators from the Savannah, Georgia school system, and speaking to over 250 Philadelphia non-profits at an event hosted by the Philadelphia Eagles football organization.

She hosts the popular podcast Stepping Into Truth where she interviews activists from all walks of life.

She lives in Western Massachusetts where she enjoys being part of a vibrant community of artists.

For more information on this Speaker, please visit, www.pandelectures.com

FAQs

What is The Summit?

The Summit is a yearly conference for educators. Each year we reflect on the good things happening in education, and look ahead to the future of the profession. Through a variety of programming, attendees are offered tools, resources, and reflections that they can apply in the classroom immediately. Additionally, we carve out space for big-picture thinking where educators can think beyond their present classroom needs and look forward towards what is to come in education tomorrow.

Who is the sponsor for this conference?

The Summit is hosted by The Educator Academy, an education nonprofit with a vision to make an equitable education system a reality. The Educator Academy prepares individuals to become certified teachers of records through our residency and fellows program. Additionally, we offer professional development opportunities for teachers in the classroom through our mentor program. Find out more about who we are.

If you are interested in becoming a corporate sponsor or donor for this conference, please reach out to us.

What is the cost of attending?

The Summit: Restore is free! Additionally, some school districts offer professional development credit to their teachers for attending. We will provide updates as they become available.

Where and when is it?

The Summit will be a full-day event on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at The Kauffman Foundation Conference Center! The exact hours for programming will be shared at a later date.