Great Schools Partnership

10/05/2026

"It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, or what role you hold: you have a voice, your ideas matter, and you have the ability to make a difference."

New on the Great Schools Partnership blog: "Student Board Members: More Than a Title" by Kadence Illig.

Kadence is a high school student from Western Massachusetts, a Student Board Member on the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District School Committee, and President of the Executive Council at the National Student Board Member Association (NSBMA). In this post, she reflects on what student leadership actually requires: bridging the gap between students and the adults who make decisions about their schools, and building the trust it takes to turn conversations into real change.

Kadence will join fellow NSBMA Student Board Members at our SRIA 2026 keynote panel, Students at the Table: Building Community Through Student Voice.

Read the full post here:

Student Board Member Kadence Illig on how youth representatives amplify student voice, bridge school communities, and build a culture where every student leads.

10/01/2026

🌟SRIA 2026 Session Spotlight! 🌟

Four sessions worth building your schedule around:

✅ Beyond Engagement: Building Schools With Families and Communities | Lawrence Public Schools shares how Parent University and other initiatives have strengthened connections among schools, families, and community partners.

✅ Building a Promise Zone: Bringing Communities Together | Go behind the scenes of Waterbury, CT's Brass City Promise Zone, bringing schools, families, and community partners together to support children from cradle to career.

✅ Better Together: Braiding UDL, Culturally Responsive, and Trauma-Informed Practices | Teachers from U-32 High School in Montpelier, VT, share how they wove Universal Design for Learning, culturally responsive practices, and trauma-informed approaches into an interdisciplinary climate resiliency unit.

✅ Cultivating Leaders, Strengthening Schools: Learning, Community, and Action | Drawing on the Maine Impact Education Fellowship and featuring one of our inaugural fellows, this session explores how cohort-based leadership development builds confidence and drives change in schools.

Have you signed up for SRIA yet? There are still a few seats available!

Register today to catch these sessions and more:

School Redesign in Action 2026 is the Great Schools Partnership's fourteenth annual conference, bringing together educators, students, and community partners

09/21/2026

🔗LINK IN CAPTION🔗

Session descriptions and the full SRIA 2026 schedule are live!

With so many strong sessions on the schedule this year, we can't fit them all in one post! But we couldn't wait to share how the day kicks off: a keynote panel, Students at the Table: Building Community Through Student Voice, featuring National Student Board Member Association members from across Massachusetts.

Beyond the keynote, get ready for:
📚 Sessions built alongside real districts, schools, and organizations
🛠️ Tools, protocols, and frameworks you can bring straight back to your team
🎙️ Practitioners speaking from their own experience
🌟 A full day designed around this year's theme, Community at the Core

Explore the full schedule and session descriptions here: https://sria2026.sched.com/

09/14/2026

Register now for our annual School Redesign in Action (SRIA) conference!

Attendees can expect:
🌱 Frameworks and practices rooted in research and evidence
🤝 Safe, intentional spaces to feel, reflect, and learn
🎙️ Student voices sharing their lived experience
😊 Laughter, aha moments, and active listening
✨ Facilitators excited to share their work
⚖️ Equity-centered learning

Come with your team and leave with new resources, real strategies, and a full cup!
📆 Thursday, October 15, 2026
📍 Four Points by Sheraton, Norwood, MA
💲 Adult: $300 | Student: $50 | Groups of 5+: $250 per person

See the full event listing and RSVP at this link: https://tinyurl.com/SRIA26

09/08/2026

🎉 Session descriptions are live for SRIA 2026!

With so many strong sessions on the schedule this year, we can't fit them all in one post!

So here's an overview of what's ahead:
🎓 A student keynote panel from the Student Board Member Association
🏫 Sessions built alongside districts, schools, and organizations doing the work
🛠️ Tools, protocols, and frameworks you can bring straight back to your team
🎙️ Facilitators speaking from their lived experiences
🌟 A full day of equity-centered learning

The whole conference will be built around our theme, Community at the Core, exploring the integral role of community engagement in equity-centered school improvement.

Follow the link to explore the full session lineup for yourself and make sure to register soon, as space is limited!

Check out the schedule for School Redesign in Action Conference

09/01/2026

Good news, Maine educators! We're extending the application and nomination deadline for the Maine Impact Education Fellowship to the end of the day Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

We've seen such a strong and wide range of applicants so far, and we want to make sure everyone who's interested has the chance to take part.

This leadership development experience, created by Great Schools Partnership and Educate Maine, brings together principals, teacher leaders, instructional coaches, support staff and other educational leaders from across Maine.

Fellows receive:
🎓 Free high-quality professional development from GSP
💵 $1,000 stipend
📋 One-on-one leadership coaching
🤝 A network of educators across New England

Does this sound like a fit for you or someone you know? Follow the link for details, applications, and nominations:

The Maine Impact Education Fellowship is a leadership development experience by Great Schools Partnership and our partners at Educate Maine, cultivating a

08/24/2026

Last week to apply, Maine educators!

Applications and nominations for the Maine Impact Education Fellowship close August 31st, 2026.

This leadership development experience, created by Great Schools Partnership and Educate Maine, brings together principals, teacher leaders, instructional coaches, support staff, and other educational leaders from across Maine.

Fellows receive:
🎓 Free high-quality professional development from GSP
💵 $1,000 stipend
📋 One-on-one leadership coaching
🤝 A network of educators across New England

Does this sound like a fit for you or someone you know? Follow the link to apply, nominate, or learn more:

The Maine Impact Education Fellowship is a leadership development experience by Great Schools Partnership and our partners at Educate Maine, cultivating a

08/24/2026

08/21/2026

Registration is open for our annual School Redesign in Action (SRIA) conference!

Attendees can expect:
🌱 Educational frameworks and practices rooted in research and evidence
🤝 Safe, intentional spaces to network, reflect, and learn
🎙️ Student voices sharing their lived experience
😊 Laughter, aha moments, and active listening
✨ Facilitators excited to share their work
⚖️ Equity-centered learning

Come with your team and leave with new resources, real strategies, and a full cup!

📆 Thursday, October 15, 2026
📍 Four Points by Sheraton, Norwood, MA
💲 Adult: $300 | Student: $50 | Groups of 5+: $250 per person

Follow the link for details and registration: https://tinyurl.com/SRIA26

08/20/2026

Maine educators, have you applied for the Impact Education Fellowship? There is no fee to apply!

This leadership development experience, created by Great Schools Partnership and Educate Maine, brings together principals, teacher leaders, instructional coaches, support staff, and other educational leaders from across Maine.

Know someone in your network who would make a great fellow? Nominations are open too!

Fellows receive:
🎓 Free high-quality professional development from GSP
💵 $1,000 stipend
📋 One-on-one leadership coaching
🤝 A network of educators across New England

Does this sound like a fit for you or someone you know? Learn more and apply:

The Maine Impact Education Fellowship is a leadership development experience by Great Schools Partnership and our partners at Educate Maine, cultivating a