The Institute

What’s unique about this convening?

• Designed by California early education district leaders who are part of the DIAL EE Fellows
• District leadership teams will explore the core tenets of early education and create a shared purpose
• Differentiated content based on district context and individual roles related to early education (e.g., early education, human resources, curriculum and instruction, fiscal, special education, expanded learning, etc.)
• Individualized district data packets to support governance and leadership toward planning and implementation
• 4 days of content in October and November, and up to 3 hours of dedicated and focused facilitation in December 2023 for each district leadership team
• District teams will be organized around specific initiatives in early education, such as inclusion, community schools, and expanded learning

Who should attend?

District leadership teams made up of individuals who are key decision-makers with a role in planning and implementing various components of UPK, with at least one individual who is directly responsible for early education and at least one individual in cabinet or higher (e.g., superintendent, deputy superintendent, assistant superintendent, or board member). Team members may include representatives from departments/divisions such as early learning, expanded learning, special education, curriculum & instruction, assessment, professional development, human resources, fiscal/budget, and operations, as well as community partnerships (e.g., Head Start and community child care providers, service providers, Local Planning Council, and others).

Agenda at a Glance

Keynote Speaker

Brian L. Wright, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor, Program Coordinator of Early Childhood Education in the Department of Instruction & Curriculum Leadership in the College of Education & Coordinator of the Middle School Cohort of the African American Male Academy at the University of Memphis. He teaches undergraduate- and graduate-level courses that include, but are not limited to, culture and learning, indigenous and decolonized philosophies/epistemologies, critical pedagogies, and masculinities in urban schools. His research examines high-achieving African American boys in urban schools (P-12), racial-ethnic identity development of boys, STEM and African American boys (P-12), African American males as early childhood teachers, and teacher identity development. He has published articles in Urban Education, Theory Into Practice, and The Journal of Negro Education, to name a few. He has co-authored articles that have appeared in Young Children, Teaching Young Children, EXCHANGE, Childhood Explorer, Gifted Child Today, Handbook on Gifted Education, Psychology Forum, Journal of African American Males in Education, Boyhood Studies & others. He is the author, co-author, and editor of four books, of which two are award-winning (2018 NAME Philip C. Chinn Book Award), bestseller book, The Brilliance of Black Boys: Cultivating School Success in the Early Grades (2018 –publisher: Teachers College Press, Columbia University), and co-editor and author of the award-winning book Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8, Fourth Edition.

Sessions

• 21st Century School Leadership Academy
• Breaking Barriers
• California Collaborative for Educational Excellence
• Community Schools Learning Exchange
• Cultivate Learning at the University of Washington
• Fresno County Superintendent of Schools
• Kings County Office of Education
• Madera County Superintendent of Schools
• Napa County Office of Education
• Partnership for Children & Youth
• Santa Clara County Office of Education

Sponsors