**CANCELLED** Summer Academy

Summer Academy

According to the National Education Association, 90 percent of educators say that feeling burned out is a serious problem. Before we can expect school staff to support students and their needs, we need to make sure we are supporting our educators. Facilitators of this academy have extensive experience working in schools and have seen an increased need for system support, as well as the need for change in the way staff in all educational roles are viewed and valued. The presenters have a passion for helping ALL educators feel that they are seen as professional and that they have a voice at the table as they work together to best serve students.

This Academy’s goal is to work together to build changes in the schools so that clear communication happens, staff have autonomy and are seen as not only educators but as professionals whose lived experiences are honored and humanized. This academy wants to reclaim resilience in a way that doesn’t put pressure on the individual but instead on the system.

The academy will address how resilience can be cultivated, increased, and sustained in the school system.

The academy is asking for teams of professionals to attend together, voices from all areas of the school with different backgrounds, education, and areas of expertise. Who are we talking about? EVERYONE working in education; paraprofessionals, education assistants, teachers, social workers, counselors, speech and language clinicians, occupational therapists, school nurses, leadership staff, nutrition staff, administrative assistants, and transportation staff.

This academy will address the importance of cultivating community and understanding amongst multidisciplinary teams by:

• Identifying individual core values
• The importance of trust
• Acknowledging experience
• Addressing roles and barriers
• Tips and tricks to support classrooms
• Teaming strategies (access to student documents IEP, PBMPs, medication information)
• Neurobiology of the brain and meeting students needs
• Tips and tricks to increase safety in the classroom
• ACE’s for students AND staff
• Diversity and inclusion in regards to belonging and psychological safety

Presenters:

Kathy Flaminio, LGSW, MSW, E-RYT-200, is the founder of movemindfully®, a training and consulting company that brings the science of mindfulness, movement, and social-emotional learning into educational, therapeutic, and home environments. She is the creator of movemindfully training, workshops, products, and curricula that teach trauma-responsive mind-body practices for self-regulation, focus, and overall well-being. With a master’s degree in social work, Kathy holds more than 20 years of experience in regular and special education and was adjunct faculty for Saint Mary’s University.

Noah “NuhuBabuKubwa” Isaiah Sims, Director of Equity for Brooklyn Center Community Schools. As a leader in Systemic Equity, I am deeply committed to decentering normative patterns of systemic racism, white supremacy, and oppression along the lines of gender identity, sexual orientation, class, ethnicity, and culture. I employ a range of theoretical and practical modalities to guide instruction, build curriculum, and create culturally responsive/racially literate mental models. I am well versed in the heuristics of Cultural Anthropology, Post-Colonial Theory, Diaspora Studies, Critical Race Theory, Emancipatory Pedagogy, and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy.

Char Myklebust – Dr. Charlene Myklebust, Psy.D., holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Adler University in Chicago and earned her educational administration credentials from the University of Minnesota. She is President and Educational Leadership Consultant with EQ Learn, LLC, and Stone Arch Learning, LLC, providing in person and online continuing education courses. Char has served as a regular and special education teacher, public school administrator, mental and chemical health provider, and Executive Director of Mental Health and Partnerships in Intermediate District 287.

Kendra Vessey is the Professional Development and Mentor Specialist for Northeast Metro District 916, where she oversees all non-licensed mentor programs, provides, and creates training and supports for Education Assistant Specialists in the Setting IV Special Education Programs, and also provides training and onboarding to all newly hired Special Education staff. Kendra has worked in a variety of special education settings as well as conducting Psych observations for the Anoka Hennepin Special Education Eval team. Kendra is certified in Professional Crisis Management, Teacher Child Interaction Training, and as a Youth Mental Health First Aider.

Renee Swanson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education grades K-6, a Master’s degree in Special Education – Autism Spectrum Disorder, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Renee started her career in education in federal setting 3, self-contained, autism classrooms. She worked as a paraprofessional and then as a teacher after obtaining her teaching license. Renee left the classroom to gain clinical experience while she worked towards her BCBA certification. She currently works as a Behavior Intervention Specialist for intermediate District 287, a federal setting 4 school serving students with unique needs.

Linnea Devine is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker by the State of Minnesota. She is a Mental Health Therapist for her private practice The Holding Space, Certified in Compassion Fatigue Therapy, Board Approved Behavioral Health Supervisor for the State of Minnesota, Trained in Restorative Practices, Somatic Trauma Therapy, Trained in Dare to Lead™ and TF-CBT (Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Linnea is the Senior Mental Health Specialist with Metropolitan Educational Cooperative Service Unit, where she works on a multidisciplinary team to enhance, coach, and provide mental health supports to educators, administration and students impacted by the residual effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic and mental health symptoms impacting their day to day lives.

Allie Taylor is a Licensed Special Education Teacher with her Master in Education, who was formerly an institutional juvenile probation officer in an environment where she noticed a strong need for mental health support for youth. Many of the students she served had individualized education plans (IEP) and were not attending school or were enrolled in an Intermediate school district. She returned to school to obtain her master’s degree in special education because she wanted to work with youth in a more proactive way. She became a teacher in a Federal Setting IV school and was instrumental in creating the Educational Mental Health Classrooms (EMHC), designed to support students  who have experienced significant trauma and need more support regarding their mental health and educational needs.

Rebecca Hudlow is an experienced registered nurse, school nurse and health services director. She has worked in public health, education, wellness, safe and drug free schools along with human resources involvement in areas such as OSHA compliance and workers compensation. Rebecca has spoken at state and national nursing conferences, was consultant and trainer for Hazelden Betty Ford and a speaker for the Bureau for Education and Research. She has served on national and state boards for School Nursing and has been honored as State School Nurse Administrator.

Abby McLain has committed her career in education to supporting students with significant social-emotional needs. After six years in special education classrooms teaching this population, she transitioned to a role as a behavior intervention specialist at an intermediate district that serves students with unique needs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education as well as a master’s degree in Restorative Practices. Abby has a passion for restorative practices, trauma-informed teaching, and behavioral data collection and interventions.

A light breakfast will be provided for all THREE days and lunch will be provided on the FIRST and SECOND day of training. 

*This training will be held with a minimum of 60 participants. If the minimum number of participants is not met, we will need to cancel the training. Notification of cancellation, if minimum is not met, will be by June 9th for the June 20-22 academy and by July 28th for the August 8-10 academy.

Cost:

$325 Member (First 10 schools who sign up with a licensed staff may bring a paraprofessional at no extra cost!)

$400 Non-Member

Please make checks payable to Metro ECSU and mail to: 

Metro ECSU
Attn: Blia Xiong
2 Pine Tree Drive, Suite 101
Arden Hills, MN 55112

Please note: If an invoice is required, an additional fee of $10 will be applied. 

Cancellation: You can cancel your own registration for an event before the cancellation deadline. (Please check the event information for specific cancellation details.) If the event has a fee, refunds are possible only if cancellation is prior to the deadline. If you do not attend and do not cancel prior to an event, you are still responsible for payment and will be billed.

Special Accommodations: Please alert BrightWorks 2-3 weeks prior to the workshop/event if you need special accommodations, including sign language interpreters. (BrightWorks requires a notice of 2 business days to cancel a sign language interpreter. If you fail to cancel, we reserve the right to bill your school/district for this expense.) Update your profile as needed. Special accommodations are not included with each registration, but are stored in your profile until you make changes.