2022 ACSA Women in School Leadership Forum

Gifts for our attendees made possible by Stifel.

The first 25 yogis to attend the Sunrise Yoga session will receive a complimentary yoga mat as a gift.

Continental Breakfast will be available starting at 7am. Feel free to come early and bring your food back to your room after your morning walk or come and mingle with others over breakfast anytime before the welcoming remarks that start at 8:15. Coffee, fruit and pastries will be available all morning in the Pavillion.

Educational leadership is full of challenging experiences, humiliating disappointments, and mind-boggling changes that can send the best leader into a tailspin. In her book, Weathering the Storms of Administrative Leadership, Dr. Donya Ball helps administrators learn to face these challenges with grace and poise.
Whether just beginning their journey or well along the path of leadership, administrators will learn to admit mistakes, develop communication skills, pivot during disaster and crisis situations, and build a branding strategy to present themselves effectively to the watching world.

This presentation will be your guide as you embark into a difficult leadership world for which there is often no roadmap. The relatable anecdotes and practical guidance will help you weather the storms and adjust your sails to navigate the ever-changing tides of the educational world.

Come learn from and grow with one another as we discuss our evolving diversity, equity and inclusion journeys! We are passionate district and site leaders from Las Virgenes Unified School District who will share our years-long process to demonstrate and put into action a deep commitment to social justice. The work began with policy, curricular standards and staff development, and has deepened and broadened. Learn about our urgent yet patient work, our steps and missteps, and engage in activities to teach one another. Leave with first steps and next steps regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as tips regarding sustaining oneself throughout this challenging, rewarding work.

Aligning your leadership identity and your leadership purpose to obtain the professional outcomes you desire is essential to building a successful career path for yourself. Women must be aware of their own identity markers in order to perpetuate their message, goals, and expectations. It is helpful to reflect on how our gender, age, race, marital status, and education might influence how we are perceived by others and how we want to be perceived. This session seeks to explore leadership as an identity marker. It will challenge participants to consider who they are as a leader and how they identify as a leader. The overall goal of this session is to have each participant answer the following questions: Are you leading in your purpose and if so does your leadership identity speak to that purpose? Can an understanding of leadership as an identity marker assist you in supporting the leadership development of another?

This session seeks to inspire through the stories and strategies that connected the SisterCircle. This session will be interactive, with opportunities for participants to engage with stories of women in attendance.

Join the SisterOur Sister Circle of leadership! Presenters Pam Gildersleeve-Hernandez, Zandra Galvan, Jessica Gomez, and Veronica Godinez are a group of female educational leaders who have come together with fellow female education leaders Rosa Perez-Isiah. They actively seek to uplift, encourage, and empower each other and the network's sister leaders. The goal is to amplify and lift other female voices.

The SisterCircle is a group of female educational leaders that have come together to uplift, encourage, empower, and amplify other female voices. Our goal is to be a support network for one another and to assist our sister leaders in establishing and maintaining their networks. We inspire and support other female leaders to keep moving up the educational ladder.

We look forward to meeting session attendees and  to connect with other female leaders. Let's do this together!

Our panel of experienced leaders will guide you through a 30-minute mock interview followed by a feedback session to help you become more successful in the interview process. It is important to keep your interview skills current as you never know when your next job opportunity will manifest. Please bring 5 copies of your resume with you for feedback, if available. Note: interviewee slots are limited, however, you are welcome to observe from the audience. We will do our best to get you one of your requested spots.

Sign up for your interview here.

Grab a cup of coffee before your next session.

The importance of self-worth, confidence and action or inaction. How those will make you shine.

Higher education is linked to higher earning potential, but not all students who graduate are able to pursue a college degree. Minority students and lower-income students are less likely to apply to college than white middle or upper class learners. Dr. Barbara Mullen, Cambridge Public Schools, and Dr. Shelly Viramontez, Campbell Union School District Superintendent, have both pioneered groundbreaking programs in their districts to help break down the inequalities of the college application process.

Port Chester Public schools eradicated the need for college applications by granting any student who obtains a high school degree admission into SUNY Westchester Community College, and Campbell Union School District recently won an award for its Family Engagement Institute which promotes family engagement, college-going culture, school and workforce readiness, and pathways to postsecondary education. These programs support students in their higher education journey and remove inherent inequalities in the broken college admissions system.

Drawing on the work and research of Brene Brown, Liz Wiseman, Susan Scott, and others, participants will extend their understanding of mentoring and coaching, think about how to create powerful and mutually beneficial relationships with colleagues, and learn how to develop collective efficacy in their organization.

How does gender impact us personally and professionally? Are women pursuing leadership on a path or a highway? In this session, we will examine the ways that people who identify as women navigate advancement in educational leadership. Research based challenges specifically facing women will be discussed. The role of allyship, mentoring, and sponsorship will be explored along with specific actions that women can take to increase leadership opportunities.

Welcoming Remarks: Erin Simon, ACSA President

All leaders will encounter crisis situations and will face challenging times. In today’s environment, we often need to deal with the ramifications of a crisis that did not occur in our community. Whether an isolated incident such as an on-campus safety issue or a long-term event such as a health pandemic, leadership during these times requires confidence and skill. Learn how to maximize your abilities and mitigate the challenges associated with being a female leader. A 20-year superintendent and a communications specialist will share their experiences and give practical tips about leading and communicating through difficult situations at the school site and district level. Learn about the leadership behaviors and communication strategies that are necessary during challenges. Participants will leave the session with tools to use at their work locations.

Recruitment, and especially retention, of school leaders of color has historically been a struggle. Today, that struggle is of enormous importance and impact to our diverse student population. Although studies have repeatedly shown that student achievement increases when leaders who reflect the student demographic are present at school sites, leaders of color continue to be significantly underrepresented in K-12 school/district administrative positions.

This presentation will reveal successful strategies when recruiting, retaining, supporting and coaching diverse administrators. First, we describe the importance of ensuring the administrative ranks reflect a diverse workforce in several respects. Valuing and recognizing diversity is imperative to maintain a competitive advantage, enhance productivity, effectiveness, and sustained competitiveness.

Next, the presenter will discuss specific successful strategies including but not limited to active and targeted recruitment, one-to-one personal outreach and support systems (e.g., networking, mentoring and coaching), tailored to a diverse workforce.

What if, with one word, you could articulate how you feel about work, including your energy levels, stress, motivation, quality of work, and productivity? What if this word could help your supervisor and team know how they could support you emotionally, professionally, and collaboratively? What if finding the right word could help you understand yourself, your experience, and how to advocate for yourself in the office and at home? Join Joy Dardenelle and Sharon Brown for an interactive session as they share a system developed and piloted during the pandemic to increase self-awareness and self-advocacy at work while also improving team collaboration and productivity. Discover how the Emotional Engagement at Work scale can also help you and your team's work-life balance and professional satisfaction.

Female leaders must develop skills to be results-driven in a highly competitive, male-oriented, organizational system. In districts big or small, leaders must direct their attention to building capacity for sustainable improvement through a culture of shared leadership and systemic collaboration. Using the research of Kirtman & Fullan (2019) to connect knowledge of personal leadership behaviors to organizational effectiveness, participants will learn the 7 key competencies of highly effective school leaders and workplace behaviors. This session will focus on understanding the skills that female leaders must amplify to garner intended outcomes and understand the competencies that "push" and those that "pull" change. Individuals will assess themselves and have results that can guide their work for personal growth and whole-system change. Additionally, participants will be able to directly engage with a highly effective female Superintendent and a female systems leader about their application of this work to influence change and empower others.

Our panel of experienced leaders will guide you through a 30-minute mock interview followed by a feedback session to help you become more successful in the interview process. It is important to keep your interview skills current as you never know when your next job opportunity will manifest. Please bring 5 copies of your resume with you for feedback, if available. Note: interviewee slots are limited, however, you are welcome to observe from the audience. We will do our best to get you one of your requested spots.

Sign up for your interview here.

Grab a yummy snack in between your sessions.

As with athletes, coaching can take school leaders from good to great. Determining if you need or want one is the first task; learning how to work effectively together is imperative to make the most of coaching. A two-time regional Superintendent of the Year,. Sandy Lyon is an experienced coach who regularly provides guidance to new and aspiring leaders.

This diverse panel of successful female superintendents will share their stories and their path to the top spot, the superintendency baby! Their stories will demonstrate that, if you are willing to take on this challenge, there is a way for you to lead a school district as the superintendent. These successful women have different backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and ages. They lead small, large, urban, rural, and suburban districts. They will breakdown the application process and activities you can engage in now to prepare for the role. Their ability to lean into their challenges, and their vulnerability with sharing their struggles, will inspire and fire you up!

Being a woman leader has allowed many of us to be in places and rooms that can be so intimidating. Leading while dealing with feelings of not measuring up, not deserving, and imperfection can sometimes be debilitating. In many cases, it has many women stuck in positions or organizations, they really need to move on from. This presentation will examine the why this is the case and how the role the Imposter Syndrome plays in limiting our growth professionally and personally.

Be the best choice for the position. Women are often overlooked as potential candidates for higher level positions and must mitigate perceptions once in the interview. Is what you are doing now preparing you to be the best choice for the next promotional opportunity? Do you communicate confidence in your current job and in applications and interviews? Learn how to empower yourself by setting the stage now for career advancement and being prepared to wow them in the interview. Learn how to overcome challenges specific to women in a new leadership role. Being appointed superintendent before the age of 40 and staying at that level for 20 years has given me a unique perspective on how to move up in the system and stay in the top leadership role. My hope is that more women will have the opportunity to say, “What glass ceiling?”

We’ve made it to the top of our careers, but we look around and don’t see many people who look like us in the board room. We begin to wonder, are we a fraud? Do we deserve to be here?

Imposter Syndrome is more common for women of color conquering spaces for the first time. Emmy Nominated Television Anchor, and Award-Winning Author, Leticia Ordaz will share her personal story of success and how she gets out of her way when the camera turns on, and she's advocating for her community.

According to Heriot-Watt University and the School for CEOs, more than half of women said they have felt like impostors, compared to only 24% of men.

This session will teach women in education how to lead more effectively by quieting the noise in their heads. Learn some critical strategies to continue to lead the way with confidence, achieve more success, open the door for more women in leadership positions, and advocate for underserved students who are counting on us.

After all, if we don’t believe in ourselves, why should anyone else?

Repeat after me:

I’m Brave

I’m Fierce

I Belong!

This session will show Aspiring or Experienced Administrators how easy it is to engage a wide variety of partners utilizing the power of leading with social influence. Attendees will discover new and fun ways to grow your social media presence and increase partner engagement. The session will also dive into how social media can help you develop your own professional learning network to support you as a 21st century educator and leader as well as useful tips/tricks to use social media to tell their story.

A woman’s perception of leadership begins not with academic success, her first big break, or when she’s named to a position of power. The trajectory to female leadership starts much earlier and is defined by key influences throughout life. As female leaders, we have the opportunity to impact these influences by creating environments where girls and women can thrive, and implementing initiatives that support, advance, and empower them. It is not only the right thing to do, it is a strategic and thoughtful approach to school and district improvement. Join Dr. Candy Singh as she shares clear and decisive steps to move more women forward on the path of leadership.

What started as a book club born out of the pandemic, emerged a convening of six female Principals who brought leadership dilemmas to the table for input, reflection and thoughtful action. With myriad experience - from the almost brand new Principal to the experienced site leader - this group honors the voice of all who seek to make impactful change within their school communities.

With 6 leaders who represent a diversity of colors and cultural backgrounds, our discussions are made for anyone who wants to think about leadership dilemmas through six different perspectives and experiences.

What we aim to do is share the collegiality that we have experienced over our time together, and to encourage more women to find connections with and through other female leaders.

You’ve worked hard to get where you are in your career. But what if someone tried to sabotage everything you’re working toward? And the real shocker? What if it was you?

We can all be our own worst enemy when it comes to moving forward in our careers. Recent doctoral research conducted by four educational leaders suggests that it’s not unusual for women to engage in behaviors that prevent them from maximizing their personal power in their work and personal environments. Join us for a career-changing workshop that will explore the phenomenon of self-sabotage and outline its dynamics and provide solutions to recognize it’s signs and get you moving forward. Learn how to stop holding yourself back so you can grow your career and move your organization forward.

Work is slippery. Roll over in the morning and we’re already reading email. There’s no slow lane or off ramp in any true capacity. Yet, it’s not enough to work hard, pay our dues or wait for others to notice. Worry, pressure and fatigue are always nipping at our heels. The only way to conquer the seesaw of life is through new habits and new stories.

This session introduces five levers to reshape our inner narrative. Small lifts that push us to dream smaller, set limits, and break free of self-doubt will underscore conversations and reflections. As participants look inward to change their leadership trajectory, they stumble upon the sweat spot of empowerment.

Stemming from Brene Brown’s definition of vulnerability, this presentation will review a timeline of County Office of Education staff engagement leveraging virtual resources to uplift the voice of all staff and illuminate ideas, topics, and questions building camaraderie and connection. The focus of the session will be on actionable steps toward equity, techniques for engaging attendees in present day scenarios, and a review of a model for facilitating sessions centered in connections to literature, advanced thoughts, and equitable discourse with a diverse group of staff.

While Title IX became law 50 years ago, administrators still struggle to implement its many requirements. This session will guide administrators through Title IX’s requirements for ensuring equitable participation opportunities and equal treatment and benefits in athletics. Learn valuable tips to ensure equity and compliance in the district’s athletic programs while navigating the potentially complicated landscape of staff, boosters and parents.

Our panel of experienced leaders will guide you through a 30-minute mock interview followed by a feedback session to help you become more successful in the interview process. It is important to keep your interview skills current as you never know when your next job opportunity will manifest. Please bring 5 copies of your resume with you for feedback, if available. Note: interviewee slots are limited, however, you are welcome to observe from the audience. We will do our best to get you one of your requested spots.

Sign up for your interview here.

Join us for an opportunity to outline your plan for equity and leadership in your system! Arrive thinking about what you hope to accomplish, leave with a draft plan. Participate in a WestEd facilitated writing session using guiding questions and just in time inspiration. Listen to the stories of three systems leaders as they describe the rewards and challenges of focusing on leadership and equity while juggling the many responsibilities of the last two years. Listen to Norma Martinez, a superintendent who began a sustained equity conversation with her governing board, Monica Anzo, the assistant superintendent who engaged each of her schools to identify a singular focus for English Learners and Carol Castro, who led a pilot effort across a small sector of a district division that resulted in a system-wide conversation focusing on equity and the LCAP. Engage with these leaders while drafting your plan for equity and leadership.

We cannot do it alone. Now more than ever leaders need to intentionally create spaces of belonging, connection, affirmation and empowerment for ourselves and others. Our relationships with our close sister friends can increase our sense of purpose, boost happiness and improve self-confidence/worth. In this interactive session you will leave with strategies for:

1) encouraging and supporting those you lead, as well as those in your sister circles;
2) networking and connecting strategies for building and leveraging valuable relationships; and
3) empowering yourself and others to rise.

Be ready to connect, as you will leave this session with an increased network of sister leaders.

In the book "How Women Rise: Habits that Hold Women Back" Helgesen and Goldmsith address the 12 habits that hold women back. In her research, presenter Dr. Griffin used those habits and asked about the lived experience of women of color high school principals and the strategies that they utilized to overcome them. Dr.'s Griffin and Petersen will present the research findings that all female leaders can find useful, affirming, and timely.

Presenter will share relevant data about women in tech with a focus on Women of Color along with strategies & resources on lifting up California girls to become the NextGen of Women in Tech Leaders.

Link to presentation slides.

Veteran, Author, Motivational Speaker
Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch is a renowned, charismatic, passionate and influential speaker with a mission to empower the next generation of leaders. Throughout her career, Consuelo has shared her personal knowledge on becoming an effective leader in today’s global marketplace with hundreds of schools, colleges, universities, corporations, and government institutions both in the U.S. and abroad.

Born and raised along the border in a small barrio in Laredo, Texas, Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch is all too familiar with the challenges of poverty, discrimination and illiteracy. Although she grew up without material wealth, Consuelo was taught by her immigrant parents that she was rich in culture, tradition, values and faith.

Consuelo’s Military Career
The values Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch learned as a child were reinforced throughout her career in the United States military.

After graduating from Hardin Simmons University, Consuelo entered the U.S. Army as an officer and served for two decades. During that time, she broke barriers and set records in the military where she became the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field of the U.S. Army.

When the opportunity arose to assume a command post, Consuelo shocked the military by deciding to retire. She chose to honor her mother’s dying wish – for her to return to her roots and become a community leader. In 1996, Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch founded the human development company, Educational Achievement Services, Inc. (EAS, Inc.), to fulfill her mission of preparing tomorrow’s leaders.

Consuelo’s Awards & Honors
Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch’s dedication to the youth of America has garnered her numerous awards and citations from educational institutions, government agencies, professional organizations, and the national media.

Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch has been profiled on CNN’s Latino in America, Univision’s Don Francisco Presenta, the Lifetime Network, National Public Radio, the syndicated television program Hispanics Today, and American Latino Television’s Latination program. Consuelo has also been featured in Hispanic Business magazine’s 100 Most Influential Hispanics in America, O Magazine, LatinaStyle, Vanidades, and Glamour magazine.

Works by Consuelo Kickbusch
Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch has produced several materials as trademarked tools to reinforce her messages. They include two videos titled, ¿Por Que No – Why Not? and Journey to the Future.

As a follow-up, Consuelo produced two audio CD’s titled, Shared Leadership and Mensaje a Mi Gente (Message to My People).

She also published a book titled, Journey to the Future: A Roadmap for Success for Youth, which provides practical techniques for children to develop higher self-esteem and achieve personal goals while establishing a framework for early leadership development.

Consuelo Today
Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch currently shares her story with people of all ages and creeds. She is doing exactly what she preaches – living a legacy. Her strong dedication to saving the youth of America (including those living under similar circumstances as she did during her childhood) has led Consuelo to work with over one million children and their parents across the United States.

Consuelo’s clients include: Wal-Mart, State Farm Insurance, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, Costco, Sodexho, Dell, Boeing, Nordstrom’s, Lockheed-Martin, National Association of Women in Law Enforcement, the National Football League, Avon, IBM, Verizon, the Cities of Dallas and San Antonio, National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI), U.S. Postal Service, U.S Drug Enforcement Agency, National Association of Hispanic Realtors, Department of Education, and NASA-Ames Research.

Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch is the proud mother of five daughters, the proud grandmother of 4, and currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband, David.