Pre-Conference Workshop: $325/member, $425/non-member, discount of 20% if 5 or more from the same school attend
2-Day Conference: EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT for PAIS members only, $325/member, EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT ACTIVE UP TO December 1, 2025
Regular Registration (after December 1): $420/member and non-member, Discount of 20% if 5 or more from the same school attend
AUDIENCE: PreK-12 teachers, Division Directors, Counselors, Learning Specialists
SCHEDULE:
Thursday, January 29, 2026
8:30am-12:00pm Pre-Conference Program: (additional cost, lunch included)
• Curriculum Review: Mission-Aligned Process & Planning. Presenter: Meera Shah of Trey Education
• 12:00-12:45pm - Conference Check-in
• 1:00-2:00pm - Keynote 1: Alan Brown
• 2:15-3:30pm - Workshop Session 1
• 3:45-5:00pm - Workshop Session 2
Friday, January 30, 2026
• 8:30-9:00am - Arrival
• 9:15am - Start
• 9:30-10:30am - Keynote 2: Jessy Molina
• 10:45am-12:00pm - Workshop Session 3
• 12:00-1:00pm - Lunch and Networking
• 1:00-2:15pm - Workshop Session 4
• 2:30-3:30pm - Keynote 3: AJ Juliani
• 3:45pm - Program Adjours
TRACKS:
• Teaching for all Brains: Supporting Neurodiverse Learners
• From Theory to Practice: Pedagogy that Works
• Primary Pathways: Teaching in the Early Years
PRE-CONFERENCE PROGRAM:
8:30am-12:00pm
Curriculum Review: Mission-Aligned Process & Planning
Audience: Division Directors, Assistant Division Directors, Academic Deans, Curriculum Coordinators, Department Chairs, Grade Level Leaders, teachers
This pre-conference workshop is designed for program leaders (department heads, academic deans, curriculum coordinators, division directors, etc.) who are beginning a curricular review journey and want to ensure that the process is grounded in their school’s mission and vision, is designed based on an understanding of how change happens, and is deliberate and thoughtful.
While there is not a one-size fits all approach to curricular review work, anchoring your planning in key principles will ensure that your efforts move your program and faculty forward.
Together, we’ll ground the work in the following questions:
• What’s the why? How are we connecting curriculum to mission?
• How might we embrace both autonomy and alignment in independent school curriculum?
• What frameworks for change might inform curricular leadership?
• How might I plan the work? (Stakeholders, metrics, resources, processes, structures, etc.)
• What can I learn from others doing the work?
In addition to the hands-on workshop, participants will be invited to gather on Zoom in the spring for a meetup to share progress, learnings, and support for next steps. ZOOM FOLLOW-UP: Wednesday, April 22, 3:30-5pm
KEYNOTES:
Presenter: Alan Brown
The People Behind the Pedagogy: Adult Wellbeing as a Key Ingredient in Good Teaching and Learning
The emotional labor of teaching is real. When we’re stretched thin — by student needs, parent demands, or the weight of life outside of school — our capacity to teach with clarity and compassion takes a hit. We may slip into survival-mode instruction, struggle to stay in the right relationship with students, or lose touch with the parts of the job that once brought us joy. In all cases, instruction suffers.
This keynote makes the case that educator wellbeing isn’t separate from teaching and learning — it’s central to it. The ability to teach well is dependent on our feeling well — well enough to stay present, responsive, and connected to our students. Together, we’ll explore practical strategies for teachers and the leaders who support them, with a focus on staying grounded, building strong relationships, and protecting the energy that good teaching requires. When we care for the people behind the pedagogy — not just as a nicety, but as a necessity — we create the conditions for deeper teaching, stronger learning, and more sustainable school communities.
Presenter: Jessy Molina
Narrative as Pedagogy: Guiding Curriculum through the Power of Story
Human beings learn through stories—they spark imagination, connect to lived experience, build empathy, and help us make sense of the world. This keynote explores how storytelling can guide curricular design, making learning more engaging, meaningful, and connected. Through practical examples and research-based strategies, educators will discover how to use narrative structures to frame lessons, build coherence across content areas, and spark deeper student engagement. Walk away inspired—and equipped—to make the story the heart of your teaching.
Presenter: A.J. Juliani
How To Lead Learning In An Age of A.I. and Distraction
Learn more about the timeless art of capturing attention and inspiring learning
Everywhere you turn, it seems there are a multitude of distractions. And, it’s not just YOU… it is OUR new reality! In a world filled with continuous partial attention and artificial intelligence, the best learning experiences are meaningful and relevant. The work of teaching, learning, and leading can be challenging on so many fronts. This keynote sets out to identify those obstacles and tackle them head-on through research, practice, and collaboration.
Everywhere you turn, it seems there are a multitude of distractions. And, it’s not just YOU… it is OUR new reality! In a world filled with continuous partial attention and artificial intelligence, the best learning experiences are meaningful and relevant. The work of teaching, learning, and leading can be challenging on so many fronts. This keynote sets out to identify those obstacles and tackle them head-on through research, practice, and collaboration.
