This full-day, hands-on workshop introduces business professionals to the practical side of AI. You’ll learn how tools like custom GPTs, automation workflows, and modern language models can streamline operations, improve communication, and unlock new capacity across your team. The day blends clear explanations, real examples, and guided activities that help you identify high-impact opportunities in your own work.

The focus is simple: show you what’s possible, what’s practical, and how to take the first steps with confidence. You’ll leave with ideas you can use immediately, a better understanding of the AI landscape, and a roadmap for applying AI responsibly and effectively in your organization.

Christine Gregory is one of SSC's most beloved presenters. She is an AI genius, and a curriculum and assessment consultant. For the past several years, she has worked with schools all over southern Minnesota on data analysis, data visualization, and curriculum development. Previous to that she worked for Rochester Catholic Schools as the Director of Teaching and Learning working alongside teachers and principals. She has spent a great deal of time recently on investigating AI for educators as she is a firm believer in its transformative power for education as well as its potential to help educators avoid burnout. Her areas of focus include: AI for education, data analysis, data visualization, and curriculum development. In addition to professional life, Christine is a mother of four, football fan, coffee lover, and avid board game geek.

Problems, Paper Trails, and Personnel: Escaping the ‘Wait… Wait… Do Nothing’ Trap

When personnel issues arise, waiting to take action can turn small problems into big headaches. This session equips supervisors with the skills to address concerns promptly, document accurately, and ensure records reflect facts, not opinions. Learn how to identify issues early, prevent escalation, and create documentation that stands up to scrutiny. You’ll leave with practical strategies to protect your school, your staff, and yourself while fostering a culture of accountability and trust.

This webinar serves as an introduction to the upcoming Document, Discipline, Dismiss training in April as well!

This webinar will be lead by Doug Hazen, EdD, of McGrath Training Solutions. 

Learn more about an upcoming opportunity for McGrath's Intake and Investigatio at SSC!

Financial Forecasting and Comparative Analytics in Times of Budget Cuts and Financial Uncertainty

Session description: 

As school districts face rising costs and aging infrastructure, fiscal sustainability is vital. This session offers a practical framework for long-range financial forecasting to identify budget gaps and viable strategies. Learn to evaluate and present revenue and expenditure options where districts have successfully engaged stakeholders, built public trust and adopted sound financial plans. Tools for financial forecasting will be illustrated.

Learning objectives 

·       Identify key financial trends impacting school district budgets 

·       Engage stakeholders effectively in fiscal planning discussions 

·       Employ strategies for balancing revenues and expenditures

Presenter contact information and bios

Lori Volz

Director

Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors

(612) 876-4505

lori.volz@bakertilly.com

Bio: Lori Volz has more than 40 years of experience in school finance and has worked in three Big 9 school districts over the course of her career as executive director of finance and operations/deputy superintendent. She currently serves Minnesota public schools as financial advisory consultant with Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors.

In a two-part series (scheduled for April 7 and May 5) participants will investigate a toolkit to review and revise the student code of conduct to align with current practices, incorporate non-exclusionary discipline practices, and become more accessible to families and students. Participants will be given the opportunity to reimagine their discipline practices and improve school climate. The goal of this toolkit is to ensure all districts have the capacity to develop robust procedural guidance that firmly centers discipline practices that are restorative, supportive, and non-exclusionary. Building leadership teams are encouraged participate together.

Facilitated by Shannon Helgeson and Ross Herdina of Agile Ideas Leadership, this is an opportunity for instructional coaches and educational leaders of all levels of experience, and for those who want to strengthen their facilitation skills.

Peer-to-peer leadership, such as in instructional coaching and peer mentorship, can have a significant impact on student achievement and lead to actual implementation of initiatives and professional development. However, many schools implementing this model discover quickly that peer support roles can be difficult - and even isolating. Topics for this 3-part cohort include: Coaching Conversations and Feedback Models, Facilitating Adult Learners, and Building a Culture of Learning through Transformational Coaching.

By the end of this series, participants will be able to do, know, or understand a) how to establish a coaching system in your organization, b) structured conversation models that drive decision making and create team buy-in, c) feedback systems and culture, d) the power of facilitative leadership, and e) the partner approach to learning and growth.

Participants will have opportunities to share ideas, practice conversational and coaching strategies, increase their professional skills, and establish strong systems that will help your coaching program flourish. Instructional coaches and others who lead teams and give feedback are encouraged to participate.

Audience: Instructional coaches, peer mentors, and others who provide job-embedded feedback and support

Join us virtually for an opportunity to connect with other school mental health professionals (school social workers, school counselors, etc.) to discuss relevant topics to our day-to-day work. More information about the agenda will come out closer to the date.

CEU's provided.

School Nurse Community of Practice for the 25-26 School Year.

Agenda will be shared closer to the date

Participants will learn practical, brain-based strategies to shift from negative, reactive thinking to patient, growth-oriented responses that support wellbeing at home, work, and in their community. Through hands-on activities and real-world practice, they will leave with concrete tools to strengthen emotional regulation, communication, and community-minded habits.

Document, Discipline, Dismiss Course

REGISTER AT https://bit.ly/4sa5kkG

Easy-to-use tools and communication framework for the safest ways to minimize risk when disciplining and/or terminating employees

Participants learn:

• how to address employee performance issues with legally-fit and educationally sound documentation;
• skills needed to effectively deal with difficult performance-related issues;
• tools for consistent compliance with due process and just cause standards;
• how to distinguish between management rights and employee rights; and,
• ways to effectively communicate verbally and in writing.

Registration Fee: $525 per participant (includes lunch)

Thanks to the generous hosting support of Southeast Service Cooperative, COMPLIMENTARY seats are being offered for Superintendents and HR Directors from participating districts with discount code SSC_2026. All other participants can apply code SAVE20 to receive 20% off. 

For more information, please visit McGrath's website.

Testimonials from recent course participants: 

"This has been one of the most informative and purposeful trainings I have attended as a School Administrator. The subject matter and the content is very useful and relative to the day to day work in education." -- JD Johnson

"Outstanding course, and certainly worth the investment. Would highly recommend this course to all managers and HR professionals. Very organized, easy to follow, reference guide provided, and the facilitator was top notch!" -- Laura McDonald

"Every administrator needs this training. It provides a very clear template to support administrators for common difficult conversations and the necessary documentation that follows." -- Chris Jensen 

REGISTER AT https://bit.ly/4sa5kkG

This course thoroughly addresses the intake and investigation of Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, and Bullying concerns and complaints and provides everything administrators need to confidently take a complaint through its entire lifecycle (inquiry, full investigation and appeal/hearing).

REGISTER AT: https://bit.ly/4lgiScx

Participants who successfully complete the Intake & Investigation Course receive a certificate of completion that they are compliant with Title IX regulations and are knowledgeable about the following:

• The role and responsibilities of school administrators and the site-level complaint manager
• Proactive approaches to warning signs and rumors
• How to track and respond to rumors and patterns of victimization
• How to conduct an environmental scan of the school population to identify multiple victims and witnesses
• How to conduct effective interviews
• A complete system of legally fit procedures, forms and analytical tools for investigation
• Sensitivity to and appropriate interaction with the alleged victims, perpetrators, witnesses, community members and media during an investigation

Registration Fee: $725 per participant (includes lunch)

Thanks to the generous hosting support of Southeast Service Cooperative, COMPLIMENTARY seats are being offered for Superintendents and HR Directors from participating districts with discount code SSC_2026. All other participants can apply code SAVE20 to receive 20% off.

For more information, please visit McGrath's website at https://www.mcgrathtraining.com/trainings/response-system 

Short video testimonial from Independence Community School District (Iowa)

Additional testimonials:

"Very thorough training. I have been through several different trainings for bullying/harassment/title ix, and this is by far the most useful and best fit for k-12 schools. This system is very practical and easy to use." -- Staci Deutsch

"Our public school executive leadership team attended the McGrath Response System training and it was one of the most comprehensive professional development programs we have engaged in over 10 years. We feel fully equipped to return to our organization and implement the System including training our staff and educating our students and families." -- Lynne Goncalves

"This was one of the most valuable trainings I have participated in as an educator. The materials were high quality and presented in a manner that helped us understand their application and use in the district. These materials will position our district to better support concerns and complaints raised by our community and reduce our liability." -- Doug Dandridge

REGISTER AT: https://bit.ly/4lgiScx

Every student needs to be in the classroom in order to learn and feel connected to their teacher and peers. When it is harder for educators to create the conditions where students can be successful, a problem-solving mindset is required.

Implementing the Catalyst Foundational Skills along with increased cognitive knowledge and understanding of students’ complex needs increases educators’ success with the students who are most likely to be misunderstood, marginalized, and misrepresented.

Course Outcomes:

• Understand why some of the most common classroom practices have unintended negative impacts on students.
• Identify the characteristics of students who are most likely to be misunderstood, marginalized, and misrepresented by others.
• Increase your flexibility.
• Access an even wider range of strategies to expand the impact of the 12 Foundational Skills so that you can problem solve specific situations, maximize resources (of all types) by creating a “buffer” to Tier 2 interventions, and prioritize and narrow student interventions.

Required Prerequisite: The Foundational Skills

Facilitators: Jake Scott and Leia Ward, The Catalyst Approach

Stay tuned for details regarding the agenda.

AI Unleashed 2027: STEM Forward Educator Forum! Join us Wed., Feb4, 24th 4:30-7:30 PM at Wood Lake Meeting Center.

The festivities kick off with an exciting Pitch Competition for two prizes of $10,000 followed by multiple STEM sessions focusing on emerging technology, STEM education standards support, community conversations related to the STEM workforce, and the Technology Playground where you can try out the latest and greatest tech and resources!

Network with educators, share best practices, & build connections. CEUs & dinner provided. Perfect for K-12 educators, STEM enthusiasts, future teachers, & those hiring a STEM workforce.

Free for STEM Forward members, $125 for non-members.

Contact: Vic Dreier | vdreier@ssc.coop