The Virtual National Charter Schools Conference (NCSCvirtual) covered some of the most timely and critical topics for schools. We have an entire library of high-quality videos your peers have rated as highly relevant to their jobs. NCSCvirtual sessions are available on-demand for registered attendees and include over 30 recorded presentations, keynotes, and resources. One of the many perks of a virtual event is being able to watch (and rewatch) sessions on-demand and discover new ideas. So, we hope you will continue to engage with the content and share it with your colleagues.
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Connect with your peers to learn, share, and network in the NCSC Virtual Learning Community Facebook group. We will also host exclusive events, including weekly themed discussions, networking happy hours, and author/speaker interviews.
NCSC virtual Top 10 Sessions
1. DISCOVER HOW GOOGLE CAN HELP YOU MEET THE CHALLENGES OF DISTANCE LEARNING
Presenters: Jennifer Vaden Barth, Google; Lisa Cutshall, Five Star Technology Solutions
Comments from Attendees: "Grateful for a well-informed, resourceful session."
"Great session! The information is so useful and can be used in any remote learning classroom."
2. SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING AS A PATHWAY TO EQUITY IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT
Presenters: Shawn Hardnett, Founder and CEO, Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys PCS; Lindsey Minder, Manager of Partnerships, Transforming Education; Gabi Netter, Associate Partner, NewSchools Venture Fund
Comments from Attendees: "Absolutely phenomenal discussion and presentation by both Lindsey and Shawn. They put some real world experiences into a format that was easy to understand and apply. I look forward to, hopefully, hearing from them again in the future."
"As a school counselor, SEL is something I incorporate into my every day practice. It is helpful to hear how to do this from a full-school level."
"Shawn was phenomenal - putting concrete, actionable steps around SEL, with a focus on young men of color. Very informative. Thank you."
"Omg!!!!! Omg!!!!!! Once again, omg!!!! I feel so encouraged by this talk. I see the path taken by Mr. Hardnett and feel so driven to RELATE with staff and students and parents as THE driving force as we go forward. I don’t have words to express my gratitude. Thank you."
3. A TRAUMA-INFORMED RESPONSE TO COVID-19
Presenters: Craig Beswick, Vice President of School Development and Leader in Trauma Informed Systems, Learn4Life Network; Taera Childers, Area Superintendent, Learn4Life Network; Michelle Berry, Area Superintendent, Learn4Life Network
Comments from Attendees: "Amazing training that can be applied in any charter school. I loved the transparency, resources and videos provided."
"I appreciated the slides, videos, resource ideas and variety of presenters. Very powerful examples of how to best serve students through these difficult times and through a student's ACES. AND brought the attention on to the staff and how they have needs, too, but that there are ways to help them stay strong as well. Very Highly Recommended."
"THIS is what I needed! This was so encouraging because not only do I have a better understanding of the trauma and needs people have but I have some specific practical ideas to implement!"
4. DON'T REMEDIATE - ACCELERATE!
Presenters: Dr. David Steiner, Executive Director, Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy, and Professor of Education, Johns Hopkins University; Roblin Webb, Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Freedom Preparatory Academy; Dan Weisberg, Chief Executive Officer, TNTP
Comments from Attendees: "Enjoyed the session. It shifted my thinking on how to best meet my students' needs that come to me falling behind. Thank you!"
"I have always championed high expectations - so glad to see data supporting acceleration vs. remediation. This session was a wealth of information. Kudos to the school leaders!"
5. TEACHER RETENTION DURING CRISIS
Presenter: Kelly Gleischman, Managing Partner, EdFuel
Comments from Attendees: "I enjoyed this session. The information is so useful and applicable to my role."
"Kelly was very knowledgable and provided extremely helpful information."
"Great insights and thoughtful, relevant presentation. I loved the visual and the presentation moved well"
6. REOPENING SCHOOLS IN A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY: INSIGHTS FOR SCHOOL LEADERS
Presenters: Bill Kurtz, Founding CEO, DSST Public Schools; Shawn Hardnett, Founder and CEO, Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys PCS; Emilio Pack, Chief Executive Officer, STEM Prep Schools; Diane Tavenner, Co-founder and CEO, Summit Public Schools
Comments from Attendees: "Awesome discussion especially reminding us to be a team and bring our students and teachers back in a safe environment."
"Great opportunity to learn how we can be more efficient in what we are doing to help our students. Thank you!"
"I liked the idea about having accountability partners for staff at school to check in with each other to share what's going on in their personal lives during this time with family, etc. I think as educators we are so focused on our students that it can be easy to forget about the needs of the staff. Without acknowledging the personal concerns of the staff, they can't effectively serve the students. Wonderful and insightful presentation!"
7. LEADING IN A CRISIS: NAVIGATING STUDENTS, STAFF AND SUPPORTS
Presenters: Naomi Shelton, Director of Community Engagement, KIPP Foundation; David McGuire, Principal, Tindley Preparatory Academy; Demetrius Ball, Principal, Iron Horse Middle School; Dr. VaShawn Smith, Principal, Grandview Middle School
Comments from Attendees: "I enjoyed the positive vibes from each of the presenters. I was excited to hear about the virtual fire drill and how they kept connection and relational ties with their students and families."
"This was one well-prepared team of experts and moderator. I got a lot out of this and felt good about how our children are in good hands if they can all have leaders like you all."
8. THREE THINGS TO GET RIGHT IN REMOTE LEARNING
Presenter: Doug Lemov, Uncommon Schools
Comments from Attendees: "This was absolutely the best session I viewed, and I HAVE recommended it to several colleagues through the sharing links! Doug didn’t just tell us WHAT to do for engaging online learning, but showed us HOW to do it! I finally have some peace of mind that I’ll be able to successfully reach my kids during this unprecedented time."
"Great session! It really gave me a good feel of what a good virtual lesson looks like, and how to provide positive feedback and learning opportunities for all students in the class."
9. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: PATHWAY TO CREATING SAFE, EQUITABLE, AND HEALTHY CLASSROOMS AND SCHOOLS
Presenter: Dr. Marc Brackett, Founder & Director, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence
Comments from Attendees: "Very impressed with this presentation and will recommend his tools and website/blog/etc to our Admin team at my school."
"Enlightening and Powerful session! Much to ponder and help myself & others with. Grateful for his personal transparency. I'm Enriched!"
"This session gave me very specific strategies and resources that will help me to support my students more effectively. Also, it was aligned with what classrooms need right now in the midst of...2020."
10. EDUCATIONAL EMANCIPATION BY US, FOR US: A FRANK DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CHALLENGES FACING CHARTER SCHOOLS LED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR
Presenters: Ronald C. Rice, Senior Director, Government Relations, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools; Rafiq R. Kalam Id-Din, Founder & Managing Partner of Ember Charter Schools for Mindful Education, Innovation and Transformation; Ana Ponce, Executive Director, Great Public Schools Now; Soenda Howell, Investment Principal, Charter School Growth Fund
Comments from Attendees: "Thank you so very much for this very informative session. Great feedback for teachers who want to support their schools."
"As a funder focused on growth, I really appreciated hearing the different POV on growth."