CLEE’s Fall Meeting will bring together educators and leaders from across the country November 13-14 in Rhode Island for two days of hands-on practice, deep reflection, and shared learning. We will explore how nurturing adult learning is essential to advancing widespread leadership and sustaining student success. When adults grow together, they build collective capacity and improve student outcomes. Keynote speaker Dr. Barbara Mullen, known for her deliberate and confident advocacy for students, will share the ways she leads with a focus on healing to foster adult and student learning.
What excites you most about giving the keynote this year, and why should educators prioritize attending?
I am excited to return to CLEE because this is where I learned the most about adult learning. That foundation continues to guide me today. In the five years since leaving CLEE, my research and practice have consistently reinforced one idea: if we want widespread leadership in our schools and communities, we must invest in how adults learn. Expanding educators’ skills is not only about professional development, it is about creating the conditions where every adult can grow, lead, and in turn help students succeed. Educators should prioritize attending because leadership begins with nourishing yourself and your colleagues. When we nurture adult learning, we create the collective capacity to nurture students.
What do you see as the most important elements of effective educational leadership?
Effective leadership is rooted in love and empathy, because trust and collaboration cannot grow without them. Leadership must also be shared. When every adult in a school believes in the power to influence outcomes, leadership no longer rests in a role or a title, it becomes widespread.
For educators who may be new to CLEE’s core leadership practices or collaborative protocols, what encouragement or advice would you offer to inspire them to join the Fall Meeting?
Trust the process and trust the people. Collaboration can feel uncomfortable at first because it asks us to step back from old habits and step into shared responsibility. Widespread leadership depends on that trust. The more you lean into the process, the more you realize how much you can learn from the adults around you. That is what will sustain you and your students.
What key takeaways or insights do you hope attendees walk away with after your keynote?
I hope people leave with a clear understanding that healing is both a choice and a responsibility. If we want to improve children’s learning, we must first work on healing ourselves as adults. Widespread leadership requires adults who are willing to learn, reflect, and take responsibility for one another’s growth. When we choose to invest in our own learning, we create a culture where everyone, both adults and students, can thrive.
CLEE invites you to our second annual national gathering — Fall Meeting 2025!
Continue the work of collaboration and student-focused leadership in person this fall. CLEE Fall Meeting will bring together educators and leaders from across the country for two days of hands-on practice, deep reflection, and shared learning.
We will focus on facilitative leadership, adult learning, and building strong communities of practice.
Early Bird Deadline extended to September 15!
Don’t miss out on early bird registration for Fall Meeting! Early bird registration for Fall Meeting is extended through Monday, September 15 at $740. Groups of three or more can take advantage of the group rate of $690/person. Standard registration after Monday, September 15 will be $890/person.
Limited Workshop Presenter Opportunity – 1 spot remaining
Are you using collaborative tools and practices in exciting ways that you’d like to share? Do you want to host a learning session on a topic of interest? We invite you to offer a 60-minute Workshop at Fall Meeting! It will be an opportunity to share new skills and explore ideas in a collaborative setting with colleagues across the nation. You will get a $250 discount code to use when you register.