Classical Education Symposium 2025 Leadership Sessions
LEADERSHIP SESSIONS:
APEX Instructional Coaching Course: Sneak Peak
Jennifer Ramirez & Mary Chin
This session will offer attendees a look into the APEX course on Instructional Coaching that will run next July 2025. We will share some resources and strategies to utilize during the coaching process that are explored during the course. The second half of the workshop will explore ways to reach teachers with various drivers so all faculty feel supported in their growth.
APEX Highlight: Personal Leadership I (With Over 50,000 Leadership Books on Amazon, Why Oedipus, Odysseus, and Athena Can Change Your Life!)
Amber Dyer
Leadership is not for the faint of heart! It requires courage and prudence beyond one’s self; yet with over 50,000 books on leadership listed on Amazon and dozens of new leadership theories advanced over the past 100 years, where does one start?
As classical school leaders, we begin always with first principles—with the wisdom of the ages that has stood the test of time. This workshop will provide highlights from Great Hearts’ Apex Personal Leadership I course, which builds upon the wisdom of the three Delphic maxims inscribed in the Temple of Apollo: “know thyself,” ” nothing in excess,” and “certainty brings ruin.” Participants will consider classical lessons on personal leadership applied to modern leadership challenges in K-12 classical schools.
Dr. Dyer will share how the wisdom of Sophocles’s Oedipus the King, Homer’s Odyssey, Aeschylus’s Eumenides, and Drs. Donald and Louise Cowan’s Classic Texts and the Nature of Authority offer insights that can change one’s trajectory as a leader… and why a Fortune 100 company reached out to her when modern leadership theories fell short.
People Leadership: Leading with Influence
Jerilyn Olson
You have been tapped to lead a project. You are excited to get meaningful work done, but you don’t have formal authority to direct the people or resources. Now what? In this session, we will look at leading with influence when you are assigned the task but not the title. Looking at classical principles of phronesis (practical wisdom) and modern principles of leadership and change management, we will think together about how we can get stuff done while loving people well. Come ready to think about an actual change you want to make in your organization.
Beating Burnout by Cultivating Wonder Within
Meghan Muyanja
We cannot cultivate wonder in students if teachers in the classroom are not experiencing wonder on a regular basis. But teaching is hard, mind-bending, soul stretching, tiring work and it can be difficult to cultivate wonder in our own souls while struggling to meet all our professional and personal responsibilities. Come learn some simple consistent actions, gleaned from the wisdom of the past and my own personal experience, that can help you build the momentum you need to cultivate wonder within.
What are the Fundamental Principles of Getting Fundraising Right at your Organization?
Genevive Peterson
This session will be collaborative and focused on the tools and techniques necessary to advance your organization to the next level. What does it truly take to be an influential fundraiser, and how can organizations look at philanthropy from a new lens? Let’s explore the latest tools and strategies to advance your school or organization to the next level of philanthropic success.
Leading Through Change
Deborah Rickey & Alison Westerlind
In education, implementing and working through transitions and change has become a common occurrence for every school leader. Whether it is changes in staff, curriculum, students, policies, facilities, community, or so many more, these have become a standard part of the leader’s work and what the leadership team has to help others navigate through. However, most leaders and their teams have not had training or a framework to use as they navigate transitions to help them be successful. It’s important to understand how adults work through change and reflect on how these changes might affect them personally. Much of our work with leaders and teams focuses on developing effective leadership teams and working through transitions and change.
Fill the Seats: the Social Media Ecosystem for Enrollment Growth
Shannon Richards-Nieves
Leverage a powerful social media ecosystem that captures attention, builds trust, and creates an “invisible list” of warm, engaged prospects who are highly likely to convert into enrolled students.
During the session, we will break down this social media ecosystem step-by-step. You’ll discover how to craft this content strategically to tell your school’s story, highlight your unique strengths, and connect emotionally with parents. We’ll explore how it generates awareness to a ready-to-enroll audience who already feels connected to your mission.
You’ll walk away with a complete framework, from ideation to execution, for building content that is proven to boost enrollment. And oh yeah, this ecosystem runs on minimal dollars!
Carrying Out Mission/Vision – Lessons in Growth from a Serial Educational Entrepreneur
Jason Doughty
How well do you know your mission and vision? Can you explain it succinctly and compellingly in any setting? Jason Doughty, Interim Executive Director of Great Hearts Texas, will share hard-earned lessons from over a decade of experience growing schools across multiple regions. This engaging workshop dives into the critical importance of deeply understanding your mission and vision—not just as a guiding force for your organization but as a tool to inspire and engage various audiences, from prospective parents and community partners to potential hires and leadership candidates.
Throughout the session, Jason will explore how your understanding of mission and vision influence key moments: school tours, casual networking events, coffee with an HM, parent teacher conferences, professional development sessions, and more. You’ll learn why mission and vision should be central to every hiring decision and how neglecting this alignment can lead to challenges down the road. Participants will leave with actionable strategies for weaving mission and vision into every interaction.
Spark Wonder: Designing PD That Inspires Teachers and Classrooms
Corinne Jacobson & Mary Chin
This workshop equips leaders in classical education with the tools to design professional development that cultivates vibrant, intellectually rich classrooms. Through structured planning and practical techniques, attendees will craft PD sessions that inspire educators to deepen their practice, engage students with wonder, and reinforce the enduring values of a classical education. Ideal for school leaders, instructional coaches, and administrators committed to excellence in teaching and learning.