BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//ddaysoftware.com//NONSGML DDay.iCal 1.0//EN BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND:20260909T200000Z DTSTAMP:20260705T205633Z DTSTART:20260909T120000Z LOCATION: Macon\, GA US SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:2026 SSTAGE Fall Conference UID:a4373651-8edf-4063-a4da-4d488374ef88 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

2026 SSTAGE Fal l Conference

September 9\, 2026 \;| \;Anderson Conference Center\, Macon\, GA | \;8:00am &ndash\; 4:00pm

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MTSS Mastery: \;Advancing Literacy and Learning

Featuring:

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Dr. Shaun Woodly
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(Founder/Author/Speaker&ndash \; Teach Hustle Inspire) \;
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Dr. Gene Kerns
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Shawn Blanchard
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( Mentor/Author/Speaker/VP of Learning &\; Development &nd ash\; Fullmind Learning)
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Jeannie Morris
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(Assistant Director GaMT SS &mdash\; Office Whole Child Supports&mdash\;Georgia Department of Educa tion)
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Colleen Jones
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(2026 SSTAGE STAR Award Wi nner&ndash\;Principal&ndash\;Central Middle School&ndash\;Carroll County S chool District)
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Dr. Jeff Washington
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(Principal&mdash\;Eagle Spri ngs Elementary&mdash\;Houston County)
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About the Conference: \;
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The conference will feature \ ;presentations that explore MTSS and Whole Child approaches that meet stud ents where they are balancing academic limits and expectations with studen t behavior and wellbeing. MTSS\, when done with fidelity\, s parks the desire to learn through evidence-based classroom management stra tegies that empower extraordinary educators and the students they serve. A s educators\, we delve into Georgia&rsquo\;s Early Literacy Act (HB 538) a nd the latest work of the Georgia LIteracy Council using the Science of Re ading and Adolescent Literacy strategies and evidence-based instruction to empower our students in mind\, body\, and spirit to reach their full pote ntial and to pursue their true purpose in life. Featured speakers\, Dr. Sh aun Woodly\, Dr. Gene Kerns\, and Shawn Blanchard will empower educators w ith discussions about modern classroom culture\, high expectation\, and st ate literacy mandates. (BONUS: All attendees will receive a copy of Dr. Wo odly&rsquo\;s book\, The League of Extraordinary Educators. \; \; \;
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About the Presenters : \;
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Dr. Shaun Woodly is a nationally recog nized educator\, speaker\, and creator of The Science of Modern Classroom Management\, a science-based behavior management and student engagement fr amework that blends principles of behavior science with practical strategi es to transform behavior and boost student success. A former Teacher of th e Year and 15-year veteran educator\, Dr. Woodly has dedicated his career to helping schools transform the way they approach classroom management an d student engagement. He&rsquo\;s trained thousands of teachers across the country to understand the science of behavior and use it to design learni ng environments where students naturally thrive. By embracing this shift f rom management to design\, he helps educators create classrooms where disr uption isn&rsquo\;t just managed\, it&rsquo\;s prevented\, and where engag ement isn&rsquo\;t just hoped for\, it&rsquo\;s engineered. He is a two-ti me bestselling author and the founder of Teach Hustle Inspire\, a movement empowering educators with the tools to break through traditional barriers \, embrace proven approaches\, and create classrooms where every learner t hrives.
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Dr. Gene Kerns is a third-generation educator with teachin g experience from elementary through the university level and K-12 adminis trative experience. He currently serves as Vice President and Chief Academ ic Officer of Renaissance Learning. With more than 20 years of experience in leading staff development and speaking at national and international co nferences including South by Southwest (SxSW) EDU\, London&rsquo\;s Westmi nster Education Forum\, the ASU/Global Silicon Valley (SGV) Summit\, the 4 2nd Annual Mexico TESOL Conference\, and the Global Education Technology F orum of China. His former clients include administrators&rsquo\; associati ons across the country and the Ministry of Education of Singapore. Gene re ceived his bachelor&rsquo\;s degree and master&rsquo\;s degree from Longwo od College in Virginia and also holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from t he University of Delaware with an emphasis in Education Leadership. His mo st recent work has been focused on assessment and literacy. His first book \, inFormative Assessment: When It&rsquo\;s Not About a Grade is published by Corwin Press in both English and Arabic. His second book\, Unlocking Student Tal ent\, was released by Teachers College Press in December of 2017. His newest book\, Literacy R eframed\, was released in 2021 through Solution Tree.\n
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~~Shawn Blanchard~~ From humble beginnings on Detroit's west side to earning mult iple mathematics degrees\, Shawn Blanchard's journey is one of remarkable achievement. He has not only adopted youth but also led a math department to rank in the top 5% in NYC\, taught at prestigious colleges such as the University of Michigan\, and served on the Mayoral Cabinet of Detroit as t he Director of Youth Services. During his tenure\, he secured over $7 mill ion in funding to create jobs for more than 5\,600 young people\, launchin g the "Grow Detroit's Young Talent" youth employment initiative. Shawn als o served as the Detroit Mayor's Office Liaison for President Barack Obama' s "My Brother's Keeper" (MBK) initiative. In addition\, he served on sever al boards\, including the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Red Wings Little Cae sars Arena Community Board. \;Dubbed the "Mentorship Specialist" by For bes Magazine\, Shawn is a best-selling\, national award-winning author\, a nd a highly sought-after speaker. From his personal success he has created a publishing company and taught thousands how to become author speakers. His compelling TEDx Talk and appearances on CNN\, Essence Magazine\, Black Enterprise\, and other platforms have solidified his reputation as one of America's top millennial influencers. Shawn received the Presidential Com munity Service Award from President Barack Obama and in 2024\, he was hono red with the prestigious Educator of Excellence Award by the State of Sout h Carolina and has recently become the Vice President of Learning &\; D evelopment at the Ed Tech company\, Fullmind Learning.
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Jeannie Morris is Assistant Director for the Office of W hole Child Supports at the Georgia Department of Education. In this role\, she manages the Georgia Multi-Tiered System of Supports (GaMTSS) team and has been charged with leading efforts to integrate the academic\, behavio ral and wellbeing supports within a multi-tiered system of supports. \ ; Prior to this position\, Jeannie served as the School Climate Program Ma nager for a short time and served as a School Climate Program Specialist s upporting FDRESA\, HGRESA and OKRESA. Before joining the GaDOE\, she was a long-time employee of FDRESA serving as a GLRS director\, GNETS director\ , and GNETS site coordinator. Prior to her experience at GNETS\, Jeannie t aught special education and also served as a teacher of gifted and talente d students.
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Colleen Jones has been a n educator for 20 years and currently serves as Central Middle School Prin cipal. While serving as an elementary principal\, Mrs. Jones found a deep love for Ed. Tech\, supporting struggling learners\, and data analysis to support students in setting goals for their own success. Mrs. Jones is pas sionate about student achievement. As the lead learner of Central Middle S chool\, Mrs. Jones is committed to seeking ways to energize teachers and m otivate students to grow and reach their personal goals. Mrs. Jones believ es that every student has more potential than they realize\, and through g oal setting\, hard work and consistent adult coaching and support\, studen ts can reach their full potential in life. Her mottos are hustle hope and sling dopamine everyday. Your energy is the thermostat to your school. Cen tral Middle school was recently named a AMLE national school of distinctio n. This is an honor that only 84 schools internationally hold. \;
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Dr. Jeff Washington\, Principal\, Eagle Springs Elementary School in Houston County\, bring s over 20 years of experience across multiple facets of education\, includ ing educator\, instructor\, coach\, assistant principal\, principal\, and mentor. His diverse background has equipped him with a deep understanding of student achievement\, school leadership\, and community engagement. His work has been recognized by prestigious awards\, including the School Bel l Award\, the Jimmy Stokes Distinguished Service Award\, and most recently \, Dr. Washington is honored to be named the 2026 NAESP Georgia&rsquo\;s N ational Distinguished Principal. Driven by passion for student success and a dedication to empowering future leaders\, Dr. Washington continues to m ake a lasting impact both within his school and throughout the greater edu cational community.
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Registration Will Include:
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Access to presenter-provided resources\, continental Breakfast\, catered Lunch and Morning and Afternoon Snacks\, SSTAGE Membership for Non-Members ($1 00-Annual Membership)\, &\; a copy of The League of Extraordinary Educators by Dr. Shaun Woodly \;
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Lodging Link (coming soon)
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Agenda Link (coming soon)
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Questions? Email Joan Whitehead-Freeman at jwhitehead@gael.org. \ ;
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Cancellation Policy \; for the 2026 SSTAGE Fall Conference is as follows and acknowledgement is ~~requ ired during registration:~~
\nTo cancel participation for an event\, SSTAGE must receive written notice (email jwhitehead@gael.org) sev en calendar days prior to the scheduled workshop/conference. An administra tive fee of $25.00 will be charged for cancellations. Requests for a refun d must be received in writing at least seven calendar days prior to the st art of the conference and must be addressed to jwhitehead@gael.org. SSTAGE encourages participants to find a substitute. Replacements will be welcom e\, and there will be no charge to transfer a registration to a colleague for the event. Advance notice of replacements is preferred. If an individu al registers and does not attend the event\, he/she will be marked as a "n o show" and the full conference fees shall apply. Registrants are responsi ble for payment. Refunds will not be made for &ldquo\;no shows&rdquo\;. Re funds and reimbursements will not be transferable to other workshops or co nferences. In the event of inclement weather which may impede or prevent c onference attendance\, or which may give cause to fully cancel the confere nce\, a credit will be provided to the registrant or school/system. Refund s will not be made for conference cancellations due to COVID-19\, severe w eather or weather events which may cause the conference to cancel. SSTAGE is not responsible for United States Postal Service mail or electronic mai l failures.
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