In this Issue
As the academic year moves toward its close, we are all taking stock of what has worked, what has improved our practice, and what we should carry forward into next year. This is a moment to connect reflection with evidence, attend to the tools that supported meaningful change, and consider how momentum can be sustained in service of our students and educators. In this month’s newsletter, we highlight stories and resources that link reflection to action, including Dr. Carol Forward’s learning in continuous improvement, upcoming CLEE learning opportunities that support planning, facilitation, and collaboration for the year ahead.
Learning in Action
- Spotlight: Turn Belief into Action with Continuous Improvement: An Interview with Dr. Carol Forward
- Services Highlight: New CLEE 2026-27 Program Calendar
- Your Fall Meeting Invitation
- CLEE/RIDE Apprenticeship Program Highlighted in CCSSO Brief
Reminders
- PRN Alumni Track 15 Event Roundup
- Thank You for 401Gives Gifts!
- Introduction to Adult Facilitation – Spring Cohort Last Chance
- Virtual Workshop Tomorrow
Each month, CLEE offers a question or two to help you reflect on your growth. Join CLEE on social media to share your answer.
As you look ahead, what will you keep, refine or let go of from this year to strengthen your impact next year?
Turn Belief into Action with Continuous Improvement: An Interview with Dr. Carol Forward
When Carol Forward, Principal of Warren Elementary School in Quaboag, Massachusetts, stepped into her new role, she focused not only on students, but also on the adults in her building. She sees leadership as ensuring she is “meeting the diverse needs and helping people to grow.” For her, leadership begins with supporting teachers and learning alongside them. As she explains, “professional growth leads to student growth. We, including myself, are all in this together.”
Through PLANS (CLEE’s educational leadership development program funded by a US DOE Grant), Carol has turned that belief into a clear path forward for her school. Rather than trying to address everything at once, she and her team identify, “small but big impactful changes leading to growth,” shifts that challenge staff and students while ensuring the right supports are in place.
“When I joined PLANS, I thought it was going to be a lot of extra disconnected work, but now I realize that this was exactly what I needed to hone in on the needs of my school and create impactful change to support students and teachers.”
One of the biggest shifts has come through the use of Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles. What once felt overwhelming now offers a structured way to step back and see the school more clearly. The continuous improvement process helped Dr. Forward “look at data objectively and without bias, assumptions or preconceptions,” which allowed her to identify trends, review data, and determine where growth is needed most. She can focus her leadership on the work that matters most for her school community.
Carol’s story shows that meaningful change does not come from doing more. It comes from doing what matters most together. With focus, support and shared commitment, even small shifts in practice can lead to significant gains for educators and students.
New CLEE 2026-27 Program Calendar
CLEE offers learning opportunities that fit your time and budget while supporting your goals. We are currently offering open programs designed to support educators at any stage of their journey. All sessions are open to any educator. Engage in one or more programs to build your capacity to collaborate to improve student outcomes.
Each session will tap the expertise of all participants and grow your knowledge, skills, and dispositions
Special Offer: Complete one session and receive a $50 discount code for your next
| Session | Outcome | Time Commitment | Cost | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLEE Fall Meeting | In-depth feedback and practice facilitating collaborative tools | Two full in-person days | $740 | October 8–9, 2026 |
| Facilitator Training (Virtual) | Develop deep facilitation skills to lead adult learning | Eight 3-hour virtual sessions | $1,200 |
Fall cohort
8/6, 8/12, 8/18, 8/27, 9/23, 10/29, 11/12/2026; 1/28/2027 Spring cohort 2/2, 2/25, 3/4, 3/25, 4/6, 4/29, 5/13, 5/27/2027 |
| CLEE Community of Practice | Feedback from peers and practice with collaborative tools in topic-focused sessions | Four 2-hour virtual sessions | $250 |
Implementing High-Quality Curriculum
8/19, 9/24, 10/29, 11/12/2026 Scaling What Works 1/28, 2/25, 3/25, 4/29/2027 |
| Facilitating Virtual Protocols | Deepen practice and confidence in leading virtual learning communities | Four 90-minute virtual sessions | $250 | 8/6, 8/13, 8/20, 8/27/2026 |
| Intro to Adult Facilitation | Flexible online learning in frameworks, tools, and mindsets for adult learning communities | 7 modules over 1 month | $175 |
Spring cohort
May 4 – June 5, 2026 Summer cohort July 27 – Aug 28, 2026 Fall cohort Nov 2 – Dec 18, 2026 |
| Intro to Continuous Improvement | Flexible online learning in frameworks, tools, and mindsets for identifying and testing student-focused improvements | 7 modules over 6 weeks | $175 |
Summer cohort
July 27 – Sep 18, 2026 |
| Virtual Workshop Series | Short practical experience with a collaborative tool | 90-minute topic-based virtual sessions | Free |
Sneak Peek: Taking Your Facilitation Online
May 7, 2026 Analyzing Student Work to Drive Improvement Sep 24, 2026 Giving & Receiving Feedback in a Learning Community Oct 22, 2026 |
“We are not doing this work alone. I have worked alongside brilliant colleagues at Fall Meeting and Facilitator Training who have joined me in dialogue, collaboration and shared problem-solving. Together, we strengthen our individual capacity and collective impact.”
-Cindy Townsend, Assistant Principal, Nathan Bishop Middle School, Providence, RI
Your Fall Meeting Invitation!
October 8-9, Massachusetts
You are invited to the CLEE Fall Meeting on October 8–9, 2026 in Norwood, MA! This year, we will focus on the heart of teaching and learning in every classroom: the interaction among teacher moves, student engagement, and the curriculum. Together, these elements shape what students experience. Fall Meeting brings educators and leaders together to strengthen these elements.
We will:
- Use facilitative leadership tools to drive student succes
- Share and gain expertise on adult learning and collaboration
- Build connections with a powerful national community
Registration Fees
- $600 – Group Rate (3 or more)
- $740 – Early Bird (through August 31, 2026)
- $890 – Individual Rate (after August 31)
Learning From Student Work Presenters Needed – Discounted Registration
Fall Meeting is a community event for and by the CLEE community and we need you!
We are seeking presenters to share student work. Do you have a piece of student work that you would like to examine along with colleagues in order to identify implications for teaching and learning? This opportunity is open to anyone who is attending the conference. School and district leaders can connect with an educator they are supporting to bring student work to share that is connected to their leadership questions and dilemmas.
As a token of our appreciation, the Learning From Student Work presenter registration fee is discounted to $500.
Scholarships
In honor of our inspiring colleague, Dr. Jonathon Ponds, CLEE is offering scholarships to cover registration fees to lower the cost barrier for Fall Meeting. We have a limited number of full and half scholarships available. We are unable to provide any travel or lodging support. Please apply if cost is a barrier to attend Fall Meeting.
CLEE/RIDE Apprenticeship Program Highlighted in the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) Brief
Strong school leaders are crucial for student success. The Rhode Island Department of Education in 2025 partnered with CLEE to launch the Rhode Island Registered Apprenticeship Principal Program (RIRAPP) with a goal to strengthen its current principal pipeline. RIRAPP is designed to build career skills through instruction and paid, work-based learning with a mentor in CLEE’s Principal Residency Network (PRN).
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) brief explores how registered apprenticeships, cross-agency collaboration and residency-based preparation models can strengthen principal pipelines.
PRN Alumni Track 15 Event Roundup
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Track 15 PRN Alumni Event on April 14. It was great to come together, reconnect, and celebrate the strength of our alumni network.
For PRN Alumni unable to attend, you were missed. We hope to see you at an upcoming event soon.
We’re already planning more opportunities to connect, learn, and grow together as a PRN community, including future events designed for both current participants and alumni.
Thank You for 401Gives Gifts!
For those that gave, thank you for your gifts to 401Gives in April. Your generosity made for our biggest day of giving ever with over $4,000 raised. Your support is still needed! Help grow the next generation of principals with a scholarship gift to the Principal Residency Network (PRN), CLEE’s residency-based principal certification program in MA and RI. Our hands-on program prepares aspiring leaders to improve schools by becoming strategists, data analysts, and champions for students.
Next cohort begins this week – Last chance to join!
Introduction to Adult Facilitation is a flexible, online learning course designed to build capacity in the frameworks, tools, and mindsets required to lead effective and collaborative adult learning communities.
Through seven course modules, participants learn how structured dialogue and guided inquiry create conditions for reflective practice and shared leadership. Each module offers practical strategies that can be applied immediately in professional learning settings to support instructional improvement and learner success.
Creating Collaborative Leadership is a free virtual workshop series designed for educators who want practical tools to lead strong, student-focused collaboration. Each interactive session builds a skill in facilitating adult learning, navigating complexity and strengthening instructional practice.
Tomorrow! – Sneak Peek: Taking Your Facilitation Online
May 7, 2026 | 4–5pm (Eastern)
Examine assumptions about virtual facilitation and practice targeted moves that increase engagement and rigor in online learning spaces.
