KY schools face workforce shortages, accountability shifts, and rising student needs. This session offers a practical MTSS framework to integrate academic, behavioral, and wellbeing supports that strengthen teacher retention, reduce burnout, and improve outcomes. Drawing on district examples and collaborative tools, participants will explore how aligned tiered systems can enhance workforce stability, address chronic absenteeism, and elevate student success across diverse Kentucky communities.

The statistics say that nearly half of principals don't make it to their fourth year in the office—but I’m here to help you beat the odds. I spent years feeling like I was 'shot out of a cannon' every morning, wearing a mask of perfection while secretly wondering if I was the only one who felt completely isolated. In this transparent session, we will focus on the authentic leadership moves that actually lead to longevity. We’ll dive into the specific mistakes that nearly burned me out and the core values, strength-based leadership, and intentional systems that allowed me to thrive for over a decade as an elementary and secondary principal. You’ll leave with a practical "Power Move" playbook to help you stay true to your authentic self, leverage your team’s strengths, and reclaim your calendar from the daily chaos. Expect a high-engagement experience where we’ll connect, coach, and laugh our way through the real-world challenges of the first 1,000 days.

Big events bring big energy—and big responsibility. Are you truly prepared? This session equips school leaders with the tools and mindset to proactively plan for safety, security, and smooth execution before the crowds arrive. From athletic events to graduations and community gatherings, participants will focus on the behind-the-scenes work that determines success. Explore how to design comprehensive, event-specific safety plans that address risk assessment, communication, supervision, emergency response, and coordination with internal and external partners. Walk away with actionable strategies and a clear framework to ensure every event is safe, secure, and well-managed from start to finish.

Many educators approach AI as something to restrict or police. This session helps district and school-based leaders guide educators toward using AI as a learning partner instead. Participants learn how AI can function as a utility that supports thinking, revision, feedback, and professional learning while preserving human judgment. Leaders leave with a shared instructional lens to align expectations, support staff, and promote coherent, responsible AI use across schools.

Today’s school leaders coach teachers across four generations, each with different communication styles, expectations, and needs. When coaching isn’t differentiated, leaders experience resistance, frustration, and stalled growth. This session equips administrators with practical strategies to lead Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X, and veteran educators without lowering expectations. Participants will leave with tools and language that strengthen instruction, culture, and retention.

AI is rapidly changing education, but transformation requires leadership. This session invites educators to rethink learning design by using artificial intelligence to amplify student voice, agency, and thinking while reducing teacher workload. When process matters more than product, technology becomes an accelerator, not a replacement, and human intelligence reclaims its rightful place at the center of teaching and learning.

AI is rapidly changing education, but transformation requires leadership. This session invites educators to rethink learning design by using artificial intelligence to amplify student voice, agency, and thinking while reducing teacher workload. When process matters more than product, technology becomes an accelerator, not a replacement, and human intelligence reclaims its rightful place at the center of teaching and learning.

Join KCSS Training Coordinator Dan Orman for a powerful and eye-opening session that tackles one of the most overlooked aspects of school safety: what comes after dismissal. With decades of experience, Dan brings urgency and clarity to the critical concepts every school leader must understand to truly keep students and staff safe.

School safety doesn’t end at 3:00 p.m.—and neither does your responsibility. This session challenges leaders to ask the right questions, rethink assumptions, and identify the resources needed to ensure safety from the first arrival to the final lock-up. Walk away with a sharper lens on after-hours vulnerabilities, practical strategies to address them, and a renewed commitment to creating a culture of safety that extends beyond the school day.

Transitioning from teacher to administrator brings challenges rarely covered in preparation programs. This practical, experience-based session shares first-day lessons on supervising former peers, communicating across generations, and leading Gen Z teachers while supporting students. Participants will gain actionable strategies for building credibility, navigating difficult conversations, and fostering collaboration in diverse, multi-generational school environments.

With teacher burnout at critical levels, school leaders are vital to ensuring educator support. Leveraging 28 years of experience impacting 137,000+ teachers annually, New Teacher Center (NTC) is a national leader in induction and mentoring. Participants will explore the links between stress, resilience, and retention, gaining practical strategies to strengthen educators' stress response systems, reduce burnout, and cultivate long-term resilience.

While setting goals and collecting data are essential, they alone won't improve schools. This session teaches how to transform these processes into action using scorecards and short cycle action plans. You will learn about fostering collective commitment through clear communication, developing “winning moves” (strategies for goal achievement), and implementing short cycles of improvement to empower leaders to make timely mid-course adjustments.

Discover two distinct, innovative districtwide preschool models that demonstrate how intentional design strengthens early learning outcomes. Through an interactive panel with embedded Q&A, participants will explore the unique features, data-informed results, and strategic planning decisions behind each approach.