NE TURN’s spring 2018 conference kicked off a series of smaller trainings in response to the needs of participating teams. The first offering titled “Labor/Management Learning Teams,â€was held August 16, 2017 and 60 building administrators and teacher leaders from Saco, SAD 55 and Portland, Maine districts attended. CEC Senior Director Mary McDonald facilitated the training, which focused on Michael Fullan’s Coherence Framework and the cultural shifts needed to re-engage practitioners. Participants also explored how to effectively engage in difficult conversations, as well as tools to strengthen collaborative partnerships.
The second workshop was hosted by Plainville District on August 29, 2017 and featured Mike Lamb from Turnaround for Children. He focused on addressing the social-emotional learning needs of all students. Approximately 100 educators serving on SEL teams from five other districts, including Boston, Saco, SAD 55, Portland and Quaboag attended. This was the opening event for the 2017-18 school year for the Plainville District. Participating teams focused on the science of brain research and trauma, the impact and implications for learning and what educators need to know and do to support all students. Lamb assisted each team in developing a plan to implement SEL strategies throughout their districts.
The Boston Teacher Union hosted the NE TURN fall conference with eight teams from Maine, Massachusetts and New York in attendance. Adam Urbanski, founding director of TURN, offered some opening comments regarding the challenges and commitments by educators to help students succeed. The Rennie Center’s research report “Social-Emotional Learning: Opportunities for Massachusetts and Lessons for the Nation,†provided a strong view on the implementation of SEL strategies across the nation. Breakout sessions provided opportunities for deeper learning on SEL from CEC Senior Director Shelley Taylor. Boston shared their partnership work creating “Boston Hub Community Schools†and CEC Consultant Ann Cummins-Bogan addressed the need to focus on the “right drivers to deepen student learning.†Saco and Plainville joined Dr. Saul Rubinstein from Rutgers University, to share their experiences with the Rutgers-Cornell research study on the impact of union-management partnerships. SAD 55 Early Career Leadership Fellows and association leaders described their efforts to develop strong leaders among early career educators. Joann Quinn, Global Director for New Pedagogies for Deeper Learning, wrapped up the conference by focusing on what deep learning for students looks like in classrooms and school around the globe.