2026 AAEA Summer Conference

Elementary school administrators share brief presentations on leadership topics they are passionate about.

Kindergarten teachers across the country are seeing the same challenge: more children are arriving at school without the language, self-regulation, and early learning foundations needed to succeed. The truth is, the readiness gap begins years before a child ever walks into a kindergarten classroom.

This session will explore how school leaders can strengthen kindergarten readiness by partnering with the early childhood programs already serving their communities. Participants will learn how collaboration with child care providers, preschool programs, and families can support stronger transitions to kindergarten, improve early literacy outcomes, and ultimately impact long-term student success.

If we want to see real impact in kindergarten, our vision must begin in the birth-to-five years.

In this session, I will share my journey leading a school through closing as part of our district's right sizing efforts, maintaining a positive school culture, and increasing our school letter grade from a D to a B. I will also share how we combined two school communities, on-boarded 7 new teachers, grew our school by 1/4, improved ATLAS assessment scores, and built a strong school culture through shared leadership.

Leadership is a constant balancing act. Effective school leaders must confront difficult issues with clarity and accountability while also creating a culture where students and staff feel valued, energized, and connected. Strong schools require both courage and connection because leadership is not about choosing between the hard work and the heart work. It is learning how to lead with both. In this session, participants will gain practical strategies for strengthening instructional and professional accountability while also exploring engaging ways to build positive culture through community partnerships, High Five Fridays, and meaningful staff and student celebrations.

Leadership is a constant balancing act. Effective school leaders must confront difficult issues with clarity and accountability while also creating a culture where students and staff feel valued, energized, and connected. Strong schools require both courage and connection because leadership is not about choosing between the hard work and the heart work. It is learning how to lead with both. In this session, participants will gain practical strategies for strengthening instructional and professional accountability while also exploring engaging ways to build positive culture through community partnerships, High Five Fridays, and meaningful staff and student celebrations.