edWebcasts

Presented by Raegan Marriott, Fourth-Grade Student, John McCandless STEM Charter School (CA); and Courtney Berolzheimer, Program Director, Blackwing Foundation

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Blackwing Foundation.

The webinar recording can be accessed here.

In an increasingly digital world, students are spending more time on devices and less time engaging in the tactile act of handwriting. This shift impacts more than just legibility; it affects fine motor development, cognitive focus, and the personal pride students take in their work. When we move away from the keyboard and back to the page, we unlock a unique avenue for creative expression and mindfulness.

This edWeb podcast explores how to bridge this gap using Pathways to Creativity: The Lettering Series, a free program with ready-to-use resources designed to make implementation simple for educators. We discuss why tactile skills like functional cursive and hand lettering are vital for building student confidence and visual literacy. You hear a firsthand testimonial from an elementary student who has completed the program and will share how lettering helped her build confidence and discover a new outlet for creative expression.

We walk through a comprehensive, “grab-and-go” curriculum developed with professional artist Heather Martinez. Listeners learn how to integrate the program into their existing schedules to provide students with a lifelong creative skill. By the end of this session, you have a clear roadmap to help your students slow down, connect pencil to paper, and rediscover the joy of creating something by hand.

This edWeb podcast is of interest to elementary through high school teachers, school leaders, and district leaders.

Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

Presented by Sonja Bloetner, Director of Multilingual Achievement, Baltimore County Public Schools (MD); Dr. Karen Woodson, Founder and Lead Researcher, Leading for School Improvement; and Dr. Kia Johnson, Senior Director of PreK–12 Professional Development and Evaluations, Center for Applied Linguistics

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Vista.

The webinar recording can be accessed here.

As multilingual learner populations grow and diversify, district leaders face the critical challenge of serving older students with interrupted formal education who are under-credited and over age. How can we create meaningful pathways that lead to credentials, career readiness, and college access rather than pushing these students toward aging out?

Join Dr. Karen Woodson and Sonja Bloetner for this edWeb podcast as they share innovative, equity-focused strategies for supporting secondary multilingual learners through creative partnerships, flexible programming, and holistic support systems. Learn how Baltimore County Public Schools is pioneering a GED partnership model with community colleges, maximizing transfer credits, and building comprehensive support that addresses not just academics, but social-emotional needs, career pathways, and college access.

This edWeb podcast addresses:

• Designing flexible pathways for diverse ML populations (from students with interrupted education to gifted learners)
• Building strategic partnerships with community colleges for dual enrollment and seamless transitions
• Leveraging Title III and innovative funding models to sustain programming
• Addressing trauma-informed support and bilingual counseling needs
• Creating on-ramps to CTE completion, GED options, and AP/college-ready coursework
• Maximizing transfer credits and honoring previous learning
• Moving beyond the monolith: serving MLs across the full spectrum of needs

Whether you’re serving 100 or 3,000 secondary MLs, this session provides actionable strategies for building district-level systems that honor multilingual learners’ assets, meet them where they are, and open doors to their futures.

This edWeb podcast is of interest to district-level leaders, ESOL/ML directors, secondary principals, counselors, and instructional leaders working with multilingual populations in high school and above.

Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

Presented by Michael Lopes-Serrao, Superintendent, Parkrose School District (OR); Shelli Deaguero, Principal, Clara Brown Entrepreneurial Academy (CO); and Elizabeth Cushing, CEO, Playworks

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Playworks.

The edLeader Panel recording can be accessed here.

Chronic absenteeism remains one of the most pressing challenges facing schools today. While attendance data matters, improving attendance requires more than tracking metrics. It requires examining the daily experience students have inside the school day.

In this edWeb podcast, leaders from school and district contexts discuss how adult consistency, shared routines, and operational decisions influence student experience and attendance. The conversation focuses on what leaders can change within existing systems to create stronger conditions for belonging.

The panelists share lessons learned from aligning staff practices, addressing friction points in transitions and shared spaces, and making attendance strategies visible to boards and communities. Listeners leave with practical insight into strengthening schoolwide systems that support improved attendance outcomes.

This edWeb podcast is of interest to elementary through middle school district and school leaders.

Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

Presented by Mindy Reifer, MA, Elementary and Middle School Principal, ELA Specialist; Shanita Francis, Social-Emotional Brain-Based Learning Consultant; Zisel Roth, M.S.Ed., Grammar & Writing Curriculum Design Specialist, Author of 20+ Instructional Texts for K-8; and Jennah Schuh, M.Ed., SBL, SDL, Director of Education and Training, Achieve

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Triple C Writing.

The edLeader Panel recording can be accessed here.

The presentation slide deck can be accessed here.

This dynamic edWeb podcast empowers educators to transform grammar instruction from abstract rules into meaningful, practical writing skills. Listeners engage in a clear, step-by-step process for crafting strong core sentences within an effective structural framework—and then expand those sentences into well-developed, cohesive paragraphs.

As teachers experience this structured writing approach firsthand, they actively apply grammar terminology in authentic contexts, making it easier to translate these strategies directly into classroom instruction. The result is a practical, adaptable method that supports language and communication skills across all student populations.

By the end of this edWeb podcast, educators are able to:

• Distinguish between traditional grammar instruction and applied grammar strategies that promote authentic language development
• Implement effective techniques for teaching grammar in context rather than in isolation
• Evaluate and apply instructional tools that support sentence construction across multiple age groups and grade levels
• Design inclusive writing lessons tailored to general education, special education, and ESL/ELL/ENL/ML learners
• Utilize practical resources that encourage ongoing writing practice, reinforcement, and skill transfer

This edWeb podcast is of interest to K-12 teachers, school leaders, and district leaders.

Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

Presented by Hilderbrand Pelzer III, Educator and Author
Moderated by Dr. Martaluz Rodriguez Pozo, Account Manager, Learning Ally

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Learning Ally. 

You can access the webinar recording here.

Unlock actionable leadership strategies that shift school cultures toward equity, early literacy success, and transformative outcomes for all students. In this powerful edWeb podcast, award-winning educator Hilderbrand Pelzer III draws on over three decades of experience as a school leader and author of Unlocking Potential, including organizing one of the largest correctional education programs in the U.S., to illustrate how educational systems can interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline by strengthening literacy instruction and expectations for every learner.

Listeners explore how systemic leadership decisions shaped by culture, expectations, and instructional priorities directly impact student trajectories, particularly for underserved learners. Through compelling real-world examples and research-aligned insights, Hilderbrand reframes the role of literacy not just as an academic milestone, but as a core lever for equity and opportunity.

Learning objectives include:

• Explore the correlation between early literacy difficulties, prolonged disengagement, and eventual involvement with the criminal justice system
• Identify leadership practices that foster high expectations and equitable instructional systems
• Learn strategies school leaders can implement to support teachers in delivering evidence-based literacy instruction
• Recognize structural barriers and opportunities to transform school culture toward inclusive success

You gain the inspiration and actionable strategies needed to reshape your school culture. Equip yourself to support your most vulnerable populations, reduce dropout rates, and ensure every student has the opportunity to thrive—not just survive. This edWeb podcast is of interest to K-12 school leaders, district leaders, education technology leaders, and librarians.

Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

Presented by Karrie Schoettler, Instructional Coordinator, Multilingual Education Department, San Diego Unified School District (CA); Kate Crist, Founder and Director, Education 4500; Lynne Kulich, Ph.D., Head of Growth for Literacy, MGT; and Jen Knapp, Speech and Language Pathologist, Strategic Initiatives Manager, Really Great Reading

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Really Great Reading. 

You can access the webinar recording here.

Adolescent literacy outcomes improve when instruction, intervention, and support structures work together rather than in isolation. In this edWeb podcast, district and school leaders discuss how aligning Tier 1 instruction, intervention models, and professional learning supports stronger literacy outcomes for students in grades 6–12.

The panelists share how districts have reduced fragmentation, clarified priorities, and created systems that support consistent literacy instruction across middle and high schools. This edWeb podcast is of interest to middle and high school teachers, school leaders, district leaders, and education technology leaders.

Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

Presented by Krestin Bahr, Superintendent, Peninsula School District (WA); Tom Livezey, Superintendent, Oakridge Public Schools (MI); Dr. Mary Templeton, Superintendent, Lake Stevens School District (WA); and Amy McLaughlin, Cybersecurity Project Director, CoSN (Consortium for School Networking)
Moderated by Ann McMullan, Project Director, CoSN/AASA EmpowerED Superintendents Initiative, CoSN (Consortium for School Networking)

This edWeb podcast is presented by CoSN and AASA and sponsored by ClassLink.

The edLeader Panel recording can be accessed here.

There is no question that technology’s role in teaching and learning, as well as in school district operations, has grown exponentially in recent years. With an ever-increasing reliance on technology tools for multiple aspects of school functions, cybersecurity processes must be a top priority for all educators. Protecting school networks and information security are key requirements when it comes to effectively leveraging technology in multiple learning environments.

In this edWeb podcast, three leading superintendents join in conversation with CoSN’s Cybersecurity Project Director. Together, the panel engages in an interactive conversation regarding the reasons why cybersecurity must be a priority for school leaders. They also share effective policies and practices needed to successfully manage cybersecurity within school systems. The panel also discusses how best to adapt to technology innovations—such as AI—when it comes to keeping school networks secure. Access to multiple free CoSN cybersecurity resources is highlighted, including CoSN’s 2025 State Cybersecurity Legislation Report.

This edWeb podcast is of interest to K-12 district leaders, school leaders, education technology leaders, teachers, and librarians.

View all of the recent EmpowerED Superintendent edLeader Panels.

Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

Presented by Olga Cobb, Deputy Superintendent, Elementary, Salem-Keizer School District (OR); and Maya Valencia Goodall, Chief Impact Officer, CORE Learning

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by CORE Learning.

The webinar recording can be accessed here.

District leaders are often clear on what evidence-based instruction requires, but less clear on how to lead that work coherently across schools, roles, and initiatives. In this third edWeb podcast of Structured Literacy for Every Learner Week, Olga Cobb shares a district leader’s perspective on how Salem-Keizer School District approaches evidence-based instruction at scale.

She focuses on the leadership decisions that help align vision, professional learning, and classroom practice so literacy work is supported consistently without adding competing initiatives. Listeners gain insight into how district-level priorities show up in daily instruction, what leaders protect as the work scales, and how coherence is sustained while honoring local context across schools.

This edWeb podcast is of interest to K-12 school and district leaders.

This edWeb podcast is part of Structured Literacy for Every Learner Week.

Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

Presented by Amanda Fernandez, CEO and Founder, Latinos for Education; and Maya Valencia Goodall, Chief Impact Officer, CORE Learning

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by CORE Learning.

You can access the webinar recording here.

This second edWeb podcast of Structured Literacy for Every Learner Week explores what responsible, community-centered AI can look like in schools and why Latino leadership is essential to shaping its design and adoption. Listeners examine future-ready competencies students need in an AI-driven world, alongside lessons from deep, community-based work across California and Texas that foreground equity, trust, and local voice.

This edWeb podcast is of interest to K-12 school and district leaders.

This edWebinar is part of Structured Literacy for Every Learner Week.

Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

Presented by Miguel Cardona, Ed.D., Founding CEO, Cardona Solutions, and 12th U.S. Secretary of Education; and Maya Valencia Goodall, Chief Impact Officer, CORE Learning

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by CORE Learning. 

You can access the webinar recording here.

This first edWeb podcast of Structured Literacy for Every Learner Week examines national priorities for strengthening instructional quality and accelerating academic recovery, with a focus on literacy, support for diverse learners, and coherent pathways from early learning through postsecondary success. Listeners explore leadership and policy strategies that center student achievement while expanding access and opportunity.

This edWeb podcast is of interest to K-12 school and district leaders.

This edWeb podcast is part of Structured Literacy for Every Learner Week.

Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.