Apr. 20, 2019

LSR7’s Dr. Staci Mathes, Executive Director of Special Services, and Dr. Rexanne Hill, Executive Director of Student Support, joined more than 100 school district administrators from across the country on March 31st through April 2nd in Nashville, Tenn., to participate in the first ever AASA Social and Emotional Learning Cohort, presented by AASA, The School Superintendents Association, in partnership with Panorama Education, Move This World and Right at School. Educators engaged in meaningful dialogue with their peers about how Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is contributing to the whole child—from physical and mental health to the development of fundamental, lifelong-learning skills.

“On behalf of the students in the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, it was an honor to take part in this meeting to share best practices and key strategies about one of the most critical issues in public education today,” said Dr. Mathes. “I was proud to join my peers from coast to coast as we reflected on how to address the support structure around social-emotional learning.”

This cohort is designed to increase capacity to effectively lead change geared toward the social and emotional outcomes for all students. Educators had the opportunity to visit classrooms to get a firsthand look at social and emotional learning in action. Key speakers during the three-day meeting included Bill Daggett, founder and chair of the International Center for Leadership in Education, and Linda Darling-Hammond, professor emeritus of education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and president and chief executive officer of the Learning Policy Institute.

“No one can argue that this is one of the most critical fields in public education. We are hoping to grow this new cohort with leaders who are the leading innovators and risk takers in the field of SEL,” said Mort Sherman, AASA associate executive director, leadership network.

To join the conversation via Twitter, access #AASA_SEL.