AASPA's 88
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 12-15, 2026 AUSTIN, TX
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PRE-CONFERENCE SESSIONS
Pre-Conference Sessions are three-hour, in-depth learning experiences designed for deeper exploration of critical topics impacting today’s school HR leaders. These interactive sessions provide participants the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities, guided discussions and practical application of strategies they can implement in their districts. Attendees will leave with tangible tools, resources and a stronger network of colleagues.
Monday, October 12
AM Pre-Conference Workshops: 8:30am - 11:30am
With the All Access Registration you may choose 1 AM and 1 PM session.
1. H.R. in the C.A.R: Driving Culture, Appreciation and Recognition Through Storytelling
Presented by Dr. Dale Fisher, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Deerfield Public Schools District 109, Deerfield, IL and Gabriel Cappozzo, Director of Human Resources, Beach Park School District, Round Lake, IL
What drives retention, recruitment, and morale in today’s schools? Culture, Appreciation, and Recognition. H.R. in the C.A.R. is a creative initiative that puts Human Resources in the front seat, literally, by capturing authentic staff stories in a fun “car interview” format. Modeled after the energy of car karaoke, these sessions highlight the people behind the profession while also celebrating the local community that supports schools. This presentation will show how HR leaders can move beyond compliance and become the chief storytellers of culture. By combining recognition with authentic voices, districts can strengthen staff retention, market their brand, and reinforce district pride, all while sharing stories with their people and building meaningful relationships.
2. FMLA & ADA and What You Should and Shouldn’t Say
Presented by Barbara Erickson, Partner, Hodges, Loizzi, Eisenhammer, Rodick & Kohn LLP, Itasca, IL
This session will explore real world methods for coordinating the use of the FMLA with the Americans With Disabilities Act and how schools should be communicating with staff needing leave and/or accommodations in the workplace in order to effectively manage the convergence of these two major laws. The session will go over the major points of each law and how they intersect but then focus on scenarios demonstrating what HR personnel should say in certain situations, when to say it (what not to say) and what to do with the information once it is acquired.
3. Riding the Wave of Generative AI in Education: The Good, the Risky, and the Non‐Compliant
Presented by Rebecca Bailey, Partner and Amber King, Partner, Thompson & Horton LLP, Houston, TX
How will artificial intelligence reshape the work happening across our schools—and are you ready to dive in? Generative AI is rapidly transforming daily tasks in education, from recruitment and communication to documentation, policy development, and staff support. These tools can bring new levels of efficiency and creativity to school operations. But with the sunshine come real “don’t get burned” concerns. Misusing AI can lead to issues with data privacy, bias, accuracy, transparency, and compliance with state and federal regulations. Grab your sunglasses and join us for this dynamic session where we’ll review demos of how AI tools can streamline common school workflows, highlight practical benefits AI brings to educational environments, explore the legal, ethical, and operational risks every school professional should know, and offer strategies to use AI effectively while avoiding compliance pitfalls. Come make a splash and get AI ready for the season ahead!
4. From Guesswork to Game Plan: Building a Strategic HR Roadmap with Data That Drives Decisions
Presented by Dr. Amy Dillon, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Dr. Jaime Dial, Assistant Superintendent for Quality and Student Services, Park Hill School District, Kansas City, MO
School district human resources teams often operate at the center of complex decisions involving staffing, recruitment, retention, and compliance. But how can HR leaders move beyond reacting to immediate needs and begin making proactive, strategic decisions? This session explores practical strategies for shifting from day-to-day problem solving to intentional strategic thinking in school district human resources. Participants will learn how one district created a strategic plan with clear action steps, translated workforce data into meaningful insights, organized the metrics into a clear and useful dashboard, and used the data to guide conversations with district leadership.
5. Difficult Conversations
Presented by Sarah Marriott, Assistant Superintendent of HR, Liberty Public School District 53, Liberty, MO
Description Coming Soon!
6. TBD
Session & Description Coming Soon!
PM Pre-Conference Workshops: 1:00pm - 4:00pm
With the All Access Registration you may choose 1 AM and 1 PM session.
7. Civil Rights Speed Dating: A Fast-Paced Compliance Lab for K-12 School Personnel Administrators
Presented by Jackie Gharapour Wernz, Legal Consultant, ECR Solutions LLC and Holly McIntush, Partner, Thompson & Horton, LLP, Austin, TX
Civil rights compliance in K-12 schools is complex, fast-moving, and rarely confined to a single law. Title IX, Title VI, Section 504, the ADA, retaliation standards, and First Amendment considerations often overlap, and school personnel administrators are expected to respond quickly and correctly.
This highly interactive three-hour session uses a “speed dating” format to walk participants through a rapid series of real-world civil rights scenarios. Every 15–20 minutes, small groups rotate to a new hypothetical and work through key questions: Which laws are triggered? What immediate steps are required? Where are the legal risks? How do different laws and requirements intersect? Each round concludes with a focused debrief highlighting practical response strategies and common compliance pitfalls.
This format has received outstanding feedback from AASPA members, who describe it as engaging, practical, and immediately applicable to the challenges they face in their districts. Participants leave with clearer triage frameworks, stronger documentation practices, and greater confidence navigating today’s civil rights landscape.
8. Don’t Get Burned: How to Conduct Legally Sound Employee Investigations
Presented by Rebecca Bailey, Partner and Amber King, Partner, Thompson & Horton LLP, Houston, TX
Just like a day at the beach, employee‑related crises can roll in fast — sometimes as gentle waves, other times as tidal surges. With state and federal laws requiring specific responses — and with today’s heightened scrutiny — educational leaders cannot afford weak or inconsistent investigations. This session equips HR professionals, campus leaders, and administrators with a practical, step‑by‑step framework for conducting lawful, effective, and defensible investigations into employee misconduct… without getting swept away.
Using real‑world examples and a clear investigative roadmap, we’ll walk participants through the entire process: from understanding underlying risks to defining the scope, gathering reliable evidence, conducting focused interviews, evaluating credibility, and preparing well‑reasoned investigation reports. Attendees leave with tools they can use immediately — whether they’re navigating a minor splash or a full‑blown storm.
9. Hot Topics in School Law: What Every School HR Leader Needs to Know Now
Presented by Namita Brown, Partner and Sara Boucek, Partner, F3 Law, Oakland, CA
School personnel administrators face an ever-evolving legal landscape. This timely session will highlight the most important
developments in school law affecting PK–12 districts, with a focus on employment-related issues impacting HR professionals.
Presenters will discuss recent legal decisions, emerging trends, and practical compliance strategies related to employee discipline,
investigations, leave laws, discrimination and harassment claims, and other pressing workplace issues. Attendees will leave with clear guidance, practical tips, and proactive strategies to help navigate complex legal challenges and support effective personnel
management in their districts.
10. From Backlog to Board-Ready: How AI Can Rescue Your HR Policies
Presented by Jessica Bennington, Executive Director of Human Resources, Ogden School District, Ogden, UT
Are you drowning in a backlog of outdated Human Resources Board policies and ever-changing state and federal regulations? You do not have to tackle the compliance mountain alone. In this engaging, practical session, discover how to leverage Artificial Intelligence as your ultimate HR compliance partner. We will explore real-world strategies for using AI to instantly cross-reference decades-old policies against current employment laws—like the ADA, Title IX, and state-specific statutes—to quickly identify hidden legal vulnerabilities and generate precise, board-ready redlines. Whether you are an AI novice or looking to refine your workflows, you will leave with actionable tools, prompt engineering tips, and the confidence to transform tedious policy reviews from a months-long headache into a streamlined, highly efficient process.
11. The Best Candidates are Already in Your Building: A Retention-First Approach to Leadership Development
Presented by Dr. Kerri B. Stroka, Deputy Superintendent, Orange-Ulster BOCES, Goshen, NY
In an era of unprecedented workforce shortages, the most effective recruitment strategy may already be walking your hallways. This interactive session explores how intentional leadership development and strategic mentorship can transform your current staff into your future administrative team—while simultaneously boosting retention and organizational culture. When districts invest in growing leaders from within, they create a dual benefit: employees feel valued and stay longer, while organizations cultivate candidates who already understand their mission, culture and community. Retention IS today's recruitment. This session will demonstrate how strategic mentorship and creating pathways for growth can address the critical workforce shortages facing K-12 education in both educator and administrative roles.
Participants will explore:
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Practical frameworks for identifying and nurturing emerging leaders at all levels
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How to create meaningful leadership opportunities that don't require a title change
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Mentorship models that develop administrative capacity while honoring educators' current roles
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Strategies to build a sustainable leadership pipeline that addresses both educator and administrative shortages
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Real-world approaches to "leading from the ground up" by empowering staff closest to students
12. TBD
Session & Description Coming Soon!