connectEd 2023 was a great success - a day full of collaboration, sharing, & connecting with others in the charter school space. With amazing guest speakers, a Q&A with an experienced leadership panel, and great recommendations for resources, charter school leaders nationwide have the tools to develop and improve their schools for their students, families, and faculty. Let’s reflect on our amazing speakers and talks!
Daniel Casselli | President at BuyQ
Daniel shared great insights and visual resources into the financial side of running a charter school. With financial concerns being the #1 reason for charter schools closing, Daniel helps charter schools nationwide do more with their money. Struggling to understand group purchasing? Wanting to reduce costs? Daniel knows the answers!
Dr. T.J. Vari & Dr. Joseph Jones | TheSchoolHouse 302 - “The Power of Praise”
Creating a supportive and positive culture for faculty and staff ischallenging. Dr. Vari and Dr. Jones, co-authors of “The Power of Praise”, dive into the importance of giving feedback, team-building, and passionate leadership practices. One of their tips is to praise for both effort and excellence! Check out their amazing books and resources.
Marketing Workshop | Kelly Popp - “Social Media for Charter School Success”
A brief workshop on social media - which can be an intimidating topic that is often pushed to the back burner for many charter schools. Social media is an innovative turn on “word-of-mouth” marketing where you can showcase what happens inside your classrooms and around your charter school's community. Engagement with other schools, businesses, and families in our area will make your school stand out!
Alex Knowlton | Google Expert at Sebo Marketing - "Website Performance Checklist”
Alex provides a valuable checklist for charter school administrators that will help your school rank higher on Google and provide a user-friendly experience for students, families, and faculty. Having a working, optimized site with data tracking in place can help fill your classrooms.
Michael McColley | Marriage and Family Therapist
Connecting, interacting, and actively listening to your students can create a welcoming and safe environment for children. Michael dives into the power of reflective listening and the impact you can have on your students day-to-day.
Leadership Panel | Q&A
Anders Lindgren: Running a school at 22, Anders had to learn, quickly, on how a school operates behind-the-scenes. Anders is now the Founder and President of SchoolOps, a training and coaching organization that helps schools nationwide run smoothly on a day-to-day basis through high-quality professional learning.
Beth Napelton: Beth acknowledges leadership roles in schools are challenging to navigate. Although doable, the challenges, stress, pressure can build up quickly. Beth offers executive coaching and consulting services for senior leaders in education to help navigate these difficult challenges.
Dustin Canter: Dustin shares some amazing insights into implementing changes and boosting morale within your organization. Dustin speaks with educational leaders and innovators nationwide.
Molly McGowan Gorsuch | Rhodes Branding - “School Branding: Beyond the Basics”
Branding - more than just a logo and colors. Molly discusses K-12 branding essentials that can help your school stand out amongst others. She gives great examples of businesses with bold branding and how you can apply these strategies to your charter school.
Dallan Wortham - “Enrollment Favors the Bold”
After years of not making confident decisions, Dallan wasn’t getting any closer to where he wanted to be. He shares that the charter schools that are exceeding are not afraid to make bold decisions on their marketing plan. Take that step, go to the next level!
Thank you to all of our amazing speakers for taking time out of their busy schedules to chat with us. We loved sharing ideas, collaborating, and networking with other charter schools leaders. Until next time!