AI is moving fast — and so are the questions from teachers, parents, and students. Many districts are still figuring out where to start when it comes to policy and/or guidance. This regional think tank brings together school, district, and teacher leaders from across the region to have the conversations that matter most: What do we currently have in place? What are others doing? And what would actually work for our community?

Over these two hours, participants will share existing AI policies and guidance from their own districts, learn from the experiences of peers facing the same challenges, and spend the majority of the session collaborating to prototype practical frameworks that can be adapted and taken back home. This isn’t a lecture or a panel — it’s a working session designed for the people closest to the problem to build solutions together.

Please contact holly.lawrence@ckec.org with any questions. 

Scientists write to make sense of the world by observing, hypothesizing, arguing from evidence, and explaining. This one-hour session explores simple writing routines that strengthen scientific reasoning, build precise academic language, and make student thinking visible. Designed for K–12 science and aligned with phenomena based instruction, these strategies fit into everyday lessons and take minutes, not class periods. Leave with tools you can use in your classroom tomorrow.

Format: Virtual (Zoom) • 1 hour of PD/EILA credit provided • Zoom link sent prior to the session

When students explain their thinking, they understand math more deeply and writing makes that thinking visible. In this one-hour session, explore simple, high-impact writing strategies that strengthen mathematical reasoning, build precise language, and surface misconceptions in real time. Designed for K–12 math teachers, this session focuses on writing-to-learn and writing-to-demonstrate-learning routines that fit seamlessly into everyday instruction without adding extra workload. Leave with ready-to-use strategies you can use in tomorrow’s math lesson.

Format: Virtual (Zoom) • 1 hour of PD/EILA credit provided • Zoom link sent prior to the session

Social studies asks students to weigh evidence, take positions, and understand multiple perspectives, and writing is how they make that thinking visible. In this one-hour session, explore writing routines that strengthen argumentation, source analysis, and historical reasoning while moving students from recall to deeper thinking. Designed for K–12 social studies, these approaches fit into everyday instruction and are ready to use on Monday.

Format: Virtual (Zoom) • 1 hour of PD/EILA credit provided • Zoom link sent prior to the session

Writing is one of the most powerful tools for improving reading, thinking, and learning. In this one-hour virtual session, explore practical writing strategies that strengthen comprehension, analysis, and communication across K–12 ELA classrooms. Leave with ready-to-use approaches that fit seamlessly into the lessons you’re already teaching and can be implemented immediately to deepen student thinking and improve writing outcomes.

Format: Virtual (Zoom) • 1 hour of PD/EILA credit provided • Zoom link sent prior to the session

This professional learning series is designed for district and school leaders responsible for curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Through a sequence of collaborative sessions, participants will explore how to effectively implement and maximize their High-Quality Instructional Resources (HQIRs) to drive improved student outcomes.

Using the Curriculum Implementation Framework as a guide, leaders will learn how to develop and refine a local curriculum document, utilize the Pedagogical Practices Mapping Tool, and align learning targets, standards, lessons, and assessments to ensure coherence across their instructional system.

Each session will balance learning, reflection, and collaboration, providing opportunities for participants to:

• Examine tools and processes that strengthen curriculum implementation; 
• Apply learning to their own district or school context; 
• Engage in meaningful discussion and problem-solving with peers; and 
• Hear from other districts about their implementation successes and challenges.

By the end of the series, participants will leave with actionable tools, aligned curriculum structures, and strategies to ensure improved teaching and learning across classrooms.

The science of reading is not just a primary-grade concern—and many upper-grade students are still struggling with the demands of complex texts. In this session, we’ll explore what the science of reading means for grades 4–12. We’ll build a clearer understanding of how skilled reading develops over time and what factors most often interfere with comprehension in later grades. We’ll connect this research to practical, classroom-ready strategies that support students in navigating complex academic texts—through vocabulary development, sentence-level understanding, knowledge building, comprehension, and disciplinary writing across content areas. Whether you teach upper elementary or secondary, you’ll leave with research-informed strategies you can use immediately, along with a clearer picture of how your instruction supports students in becoming proficient readers of increasingly complex texts.

lindsey.ellis@ckec.org 

This 2-day workshop develops the knowledge and skill required to provide immediate mental health crisis interventions to the students, staff, and school community members who have been simultaneously exposed to an acute traumatic stressor. The PREPaRE model emphasizes:

• preventing and preparing for crises
• reaffirming physical health and welfare, and perceptions of safety and security
• evaluating psychological trauma risk
• providing interventions
• responding to mental health needs
• examining the effectiveness of crisis preparedness

 

NOTE: Registration Deadline is Friday, August 14 at 4:00 pm ET.  

Participants must attend the entire day and stay through the end of the day on both days to take the post-test in order to receive a certificate of completion.

This training is offered at no cost by the KDE Stronger Connections Grant!  However, due to having to purchase seat licenses ahead of time, anyone who cancels registration after Friday, August 14, 2026 will be billed for the license fee.

6.5 Hours of EILA will be available each day.  Participants must commit to attending the entire day on both days and allow for some preparation time prior to the training.

CKEC and SESC invite you to the second session of the Virtual Parent,  Family, & Community Engagement Cadre.

Building on our work together, we’ll continue exploring ready-to-use tools and best practices for bringing families more fully into students’ school experiences—and connect with colleagues across the region to share what’s working in your schools and learn from theirs.

This is the second of four sessions. New participants are welcome to join anytime—come for the full year or just the sessions that fit your schedule.

Contact:  lindsey.ellis@ckec.org

CKEC and SESC invite you to the Virtual Parent, Family, & Community Engagement Cadre, meeting 9:00–10:00 AM ET.

Together, we’ll explore ready-to-use tools and best practices for bringing families more fully into students’ school experiences—and connect with colleagues across the region to share what’s working in your schools and learn from theirs.

This is the first of four sessions. Join for the full year or just the sessions that fit your schedule.