Catalyst for Educational Change

09/03/2026

We’re excited to share a free virtual professional learning opportunity for educators on September 16!

The THRIVE Conference: Providing Joyful Growth Opportunities for Educators, hosted by Kathleen Kennedy and Dr. Naomi Hall, is bringing educators together for an afternoon of engaging conversations, practical ideas, and meaningful professional learning.

We’re proud to have Elisa Brente from Catalyst for Educational Change joining the conference at 4:30 p.m. Central for:

Reading’s Missing Half: Strengthening the Connection Between Reading, Thinking, and Learning

Reading and writing are often treated as separate parts of literacy instruction, but some of our deepest thinking and learning happens when the two work together.

During her session, Elisa will explore the important role writing plays in strengthening comprehension, deepening thinking, and helping students make meaning from what they read.

Rather than traditional sit and get PD, THRIVE sessions are designed as fireside chats that create space for real conversation, practical ideas, and Q&A.

📅 September 16
⏰ 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. Central
💻 100% virtual
🆓 Completely FREE
📜 5 hours of Continuing Education credit available for Illinois and Oklahoma educators

Join us for Elisa’s session, stay for the full conference, or share this opportunity with an educator or school team who might benefit.

We hope to see you there!

Register here: https://nrhdynamic.com/thrive-conference-opt-in?am_id=elisa4902

09/02/2026

Why do great plans fall apart once the school year gets moving?

The challenge is rarely creating the plan. The real challenge is keeping it alive when priorities compete, schedules fill up, and the daily demands of school take over.

Our latest CEC article looks at why improvement efforts lose momentum and what leaders can do to keep the work focused, aligned, and moving forward.

Read more on CEC's SubStack: https://cecweb.substack.com/p/why-great-plans-fall-apart-in-september?r=6b170v&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Blog Authored by Dr. Margo Sickele, Strategic Advisor at CEC

08/31/2026

Interest-based bargaining gives school leaders and labor partners a different way to approach the table. Instead of starting with positions, teams focus on the interests underneath them, look for shared goals, and work together toward solutions.

That sounds simple. In practice, it takes skill.

CEC's IBB Facilitation Training gives participants the chance to build and practice those skills, from preparing bargaining teams and structuring conversations to navigating difficult moments and impasse while maintaining trust and neutrality.

This fall's training pairs self-paced online learning with live virtual sessions, plus 12 months of access to additional tools and resources.

Fall 2026 IBB Facilitation Training
October 19, October 26, and November 2

08/27/2026

Two great days of learning at Army Trail Elementary in Addison School District 4!

Tiffany Layton spent two days with the Army Trail team digging into writing instruction, sharing ideas, and thinking together about how to help students become stronger, more confident writers.

The conversations centered on something practical: how to strengthen writing within the curriculum teachers are already using. That kind of work matters. When educators have a shared vision and tools they can actually use on Monday, students feel the difference.

We're proud of Tiffany and this team for the energy, openness, and commitment they brought to this work, and we're excited to see where they take it next.

If your school or district is thinking about how to strengthen writing instruction, we'd love to be part of that conversation.

08/25/2026

Over the past two weeks, CEC has been in schools and districts working on what matters most once students are in the building.

At Calvin Coolidge Elementary in Lansing School District 158, Tiffany Layton moved teams toward clearer roles, intentional planning, and instruction built around student need.

At Canton Middle School in School District U-46, Jon Dambek worked with new co-teaching pairs on common language and clear responsibilities before habits set in.

At Talcott Academy, LEA ANNE FROST kicked off a year long partnership with SECA training and support for new co-teaching pairs.

Crystal Conley worked with SECAs across Chicago Public Schools at Swift Specialty School, Kilmer Elementary, and Haugan Elementary on protecting student dignity and independence and strengthening partnership with teachers.

Margo Sickele partnered with paraprofessionals at Pittsville School District to connect daily support to student learning, knowing when to step in, step back, and make support purposeful.

Jon onboarded paraprofessionals at Prairie Hills School District 133 and Alsip School District 126, connecting their daily work to instruction and student independence.

At Frazier International Magnet School, Jon built awareness of High Quality Instructional Practices and how their support can reinforce instruction rather than interrupt it.

Shelley Taylor led SECA learning at Harold Washington Elementary, deepening paraprofessionals’ understanding of their role and how adults work together around student needs.

At Washington Irving Elementary, Christopher Collins brought SECAs and teachers into one room to define what strong partnership looks like.

Chris spent two days with Frazier’s full staff, connecting what an IEP says to what teachers actually do and how teams know students are progressing. The goal was never compliance. It was daily practice.

At Cooper Dual Language Academy, Chris pushed staff to think about adapting instruction for individual students without giving up grade level rigor.

At Lozano Bilingual & International Elementary, Jon led SECA training alongside full staff SPED foundations.

In Addison School District 4, Tiffany led Data Driven Collaborative Teams, helping educators turn student data into instructional response. This week, she is leading our Writing Framework cohort building a shared approach to writing across leaders, coaches, and teachers.

Shelley also launched the NL Reads K–3 Writing Initiative, bringing a focused vision for early writing directly to teachers as the year begins.

Different schools. Different needs. Different entry points. One goal: build the capacity of the adults and systems that shape students’ experiences every day.

We are incredibly proud of our team and the schools we partner with, and the thoughtful work happening every day to strengthen support for students!

08/24/2026

A strong vision can bring a leadership team together in August, but what keeps a team aligned when the year gets difficult?

In this post, Crystal Conley explores what alignment actually looks like before students return, from clarifying decision making and establishing visible commitments to shaping shared goals and building in time to check progress.

The work may not be flashy, but it is what turns shared vision into shared ownership.

Read more on CEC's Substack: https://substack.com//note/p-211231389?r=6b170v&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web

08/17/2026

🎉 It's National Nonprofit Day! 🎉

Today we're celebrating the schools, districts, and educators who make our work meaningful and the incredible CEC team that shows up every day to be a catalyst for collective solutions and innovation in more educational environments.

We believe that together, all educators and school leaders can make equitable, inclusive, and student-centered large-scale organizational change. That belief is why we're a nonprofit mission first, always.

Thank you for being part of the journey with us. 💛

08/17/2026

Welcome back!

For many schools across the country, this week marks the start of a new school year. New goals, new opportunities, and a renewed focus on the students and communities we serve.

The first day of school is more than a date on the calendar. It reflects months of preparation, collaboration, and hard work from educators and leaders getting ready for the year ahead.

As classrooms fill back up and school communities reconnect, we want to recognize the leadership, dedication, and teamwork that make a strong start possible.

At CEC, we believe strong school years start with alignment: a shared vision, clear priorities, and systems that support both educators and students.
Wishing educators, leaders, students, and families a great start to the school year!

08/17/2026

Last week, Catalyst for Educational Change joined National Education Association (NEA Today, the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), the Delaware State Education Association, the California Labor Management Initiative (CA LMI), the NEA Teacher Leader Academy (TLA), and Educators Thriving in New Jersey for three days of intentional conversation on the future of labor management collaboration in education.

This wasn’t a group meeting for the first time. We share history, and much of what we do draws on research and work we’ve built together over the years. This convening was about elevating our collective impact: taking stock of what we’ve already built as a network and asking, together, how we push it further.

One question sat underneath all three days: How do we build the kind of trust between educators and administrators that actually changes what happens for kids in classrooms?

Not the version of trust that gets written into a contract, but the kind that shows up in daily decisions: how leaders and staff handle hard conversations, whether decisions and plans are made with multiple voices in the room, and whether people believe the other side is actually trying to make things better.

What stood out most was the depth of the conversation. Three days of this same group thinking out loud together, building on shared history and shared research, and coming out the other side with a clearer sense of what’s possible when we point that collective work in the same direction.

Grateful to every organization in the room, especially NJEA, for bringing us all together. This work is better because we’re building it together.

More to come!

08/14/2026

A great start to CEC’s yearlong partnership with Mancos School District RE-6 in Colorado!

On Monday, CEC worked with PreK through 12th grade educators to explore how High Quality Instructional Practices can strengthen the student centered and project based learning already happening across the district.

Throughout the day, teachers engaged in thoughtful conversations around clarity, modeling, scaffolding, feedback, and student independence, while making connections to their own classrooms and projects. The day ended with time to put that learning into practice by strengthening and redesigning upcoming instruction.

A special thank you to Audrey Hazleton and Adyan Farrar for their leadership, partnership, and thoughtfulness in shaping this work alongside CEC. Their commitment to supporting educators and building on the great work already happening in Mancos was evident throughout the day.

CEC is proud to partner with Mancos this year, and we’re excited to build on the learning, conversations, and momentum from this first day as the work continues throughout the year.

Colorado Department of Education

hashtag