2026 Auburn University Education Summit

First-floor Commons (attendees should enter the Duncan Drive entrance of the College of Education Building)

Coffee, Registration, light breakfast and networking

First-floor Commons, near the Learning Resources Center

Summit overview and welcoming remarks

K-12 Teacher Preparation: (Room 2233)

• The state of teacher education in Alabama - Dr. Martina P. McGhee (Auburn College of Education, Curriculum and Teaching)

In this interactive session, Auburn faculty members and education stakeholders will examine the current state of teacher education in Alabama. Participants will share insights into the key successes and persistent challenges shaping the K–12 education landscape. Discussion topics will include:

• Engaging, student-centered teaching and learning 

• Effective classroom management 

• Working with special student populations 

• Professional dispositions and the transition into the teaching field 

• Artificial intelligence: affordances and constraints

Principal/Superintendent Preparation: (Room 1102)

• Views from the Field- Dr. Jason Bryant and Dr. Andrew Pendola (Auburn College of Education, Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology)

This session is a collaborative discussion designed to surface needs, gaps in leadership preparation, and shared perspectives on what excellent early‑career leaders should know and be able to do. Includes round‑the‑room introductions to ground the conversation in practitioner experience and activities involving strengths and challenges from an instructional leadership lens (topics including teacher retention, mentoring, student discipline and emerging challenges such as Artificial Intelligence) and small-group practitioner dialogue on the following questions:

• Where are new leaders most prepared when they arrive?

• Where do they struggle in their first 1–2 years?

• What skills, mindsets, or experiences are consistently lacking?

• Which school‑level issues (time, resources, budgets, discipline, IEP/SPED) may universities underestimate?

• What program features would help produce excellent instructional leaders?

Special Education/School Counseling:

• View from the Special Education Field in Alabama –Dr. Kelly Schweck and Dr. Suzanne Woods-Groves (Auburn College of Education, Special Education, Rehabilitation, and Counseling) 1424 Lester Seminar Room

For this session, special education faculty will lead activities (small and large groups), and participants will inform programs about developments in the field. These include challenges, points of pride, strengths, areas that are improving, strategies that have been effective.

Attendees should be prepared with such questions as the following:

• In what areas are new special education teachers most preparedwhen they arrive?
• In what areas do new special education teachers struggle in the first 1–2 years?
• What features do you think would help produce excellent special education teachers?

• View from the School Counseling Field in Alabama - Dr. Malti Tuttle and Dr. John McCall (Auburn College of Education, Special Education, Rehabilitation, and Counseling) 1420 Hathaway Seminar Room

In this session, school counseling faculty will lead small- and large-group activities to inform programs about developments in the field. These include challenges, points of pride, strengths, areas of improvement, and strategies that have been effective in school counselor preparation.

Break

K-12 Teacher Preparation: (Room 2233)

• Developing Professional Teaching Knowledge through Lesson Study – Dr. Jada Kohlmeier and Dr. Jesús Tirado (Auburn College of Education, Curriculum and Teaching)/Drew Morgan (Auburn City Schools)

Lesson Study is a professional development approach that develops teachers’ professional teaching knowledge through collaboratively developing, implementing, analyzing, and revising a complex lesson to generate deep student thinking. Auburn City Schools and Auburn University’s Social Sciences Education Program will present their structure for Lesson Study at Auburn Junior High.

• Reimagining University-School Partnerships for Reciprocity and Impact - Dr. Heidi Hadley & Dr. Tierney Hinman (Auburn College of Education, Curriculum and Teaching)/Richard Brown, Cynthia Meals and Laura Dunlap (Lee County Schools)

This presentation focuses on an innovative model of university-school partnership that models how intentional, layered, and complex partnerships can positively impact students, preservice teachers, school improvement goals, and university faculty. We share how Auburn College of Education faculty and Beauregard HS and ES administrators have built a reciprocal partnership that attends to the emerging literacy needs of multiple populations.

• Small and Tall Teachers: School- University Reading, Math, and Science Partnerships that Benefit All – Dr. Megan Burton, Dr. Octavia Tripp, Katie Forster, AnnaBelle Williams (Auburn College of Education, Curriculum and Teaching)

Learn how dynamic school-university partnerships transform learning for both Tall Teachers (preservice teachers) and Small Teachers (elementary students)! Collaborations in science, reading, and math create reciprocal experiences that spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and build confidence. Join us to explore strategies that empower future educators while inspiring young learners.

Principal/Superintendent Preparation: (Room 1102)

• Matching Offerings with Needs - Dr. Jason Bryant and Dr. Andrew Pendola (Auburn College of Education, Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology)

This session focuses on aligning Educational Leadership programs with the current needs of practitioners, emphasizing collective problem‑solving and opportunities for Auburn’s College of Education to support the field. The session will include a program presentation by Dr. Demica Sanders of the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools and her overview of the Aspiring Leaders Mentorship Program and its role in developing emerging school leaders. The college’s Educational Leadership Program will also present program highlights on Capstone presentations, the strategic use of adjunct faculty, targeted cohort models, course development aligned with field‑based experiences and integration of real‑world leadership challenges into field projects. The following questions serve to prepare those for this session:

• What learning experiences are most valuable for instructional leaders?
• What barriers make it difficult for staff to engage in preparation programs?
• Are there individuals you wish would pursue preparation but don’t — and why?
• Where is deeper specialization needed rather than broad coverage?
• Do different leaders in your system need different types of preparation?
• Where is the greatest potential for district–university partnership, and what would make it useful?

Special Education/School Counseling:

• Program Innovations in Special Education – Dr. Kelly Schweck and Dr. Suzanne Woods-Groves (Auburn College of Education, Special Education, Rehabilitation, and Counseling) 1424 Lester Seminar Room

This session will involve special education faculty discussing current innovations in their program, including a program advisory board, a preparation program addressing P-12 certification, and an advanced bachelor's-to-master's program.

Attendees are asked to bring questions and be prepared to share their insights about our programs.

• Program Innovations in School Counseling – Dr. Malti Tuttle and Dr. John McCall (Auburn College of Education, Special Education, Rehabilitation, and Counseling) 1420 Hathaway Seminar Room

For this session, school counseling faculty will discuss current innovations within their program, including evidence-based and research-informed practices, the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies, while maintaining ethical practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and gain awareness of rural school communities. 

Attendees are asked to bring questions and be prepared to share their insights about our programs.

Lunch - First-floor Commons

K-12 Teacher Preparation: (Room 2233)

• A Shared Growth Experience for Mentor Teachers and Teacher Candidates – Dr. Marilyn Strutchens (Auburn College of Education, Curriculum and Teaching)

The paired placement clinical residency pairs two teacher candidates with one mentor teacher, encouraging collaboration, pedagogical risk-taking, deeper reflection, and better classroom management. The presenter will share how implementing the model has transformed Auburn’s secondary Mathematics Education clinical residency.

• Teaching “Difficult” Histories through Local Sites – Dr. Sara Demoiny and Dr. Jesús Tirado (Auburn College of Education, Curriculum and Teaching)

This presentation will focus on the development of difficult history pedagogy and examine how elementary preservice teachers utilized the pedagogy to create a fourth-grade field trip station at Pebble Hill, a local former plantation home. Alignment to the newly adopted Alabama Course of Study Social Studies standards will be highlighted.

• Enhancing Language Teachers’ Classroom Management Expertise Through Research-Informed Practice – Dr. Sarah Ahnell (Auburn College of Education, Curriculum and Teaching)

This presentation examines how research-informed approaches to classroom management can support instruction and student engagement. Drawing on recent work with Auburn Spanish and French teacher candidates, the session highlights practical strategies for translating theory into classroom practice and fostering engaging and responsive learning environments.

Principal/Superintendent Preparation: (Room 1102)

• Big Ideas and Opportunities - Dr. Jason Bryant and Dr. Andrew Pendola (Auburn College of Education, Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology)

This session focuses on connecting departmental research initiatives with practitioner needs by identifying practical implications, decision‑support tools, and opportunities for mutually beneficial research partnerships, with a focus on which aspects of the College of Education’s research best helps educators serve their mission, and how might everyone work together to make that happen.

The session will include research presentations from the Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology on the following:

• Truman Pierce Institute — Dr. Jason Bryant
• Workforce Development — Dr. Leslie Cordie
• Plains Research Consortium — Dr. Andrew Pendola

Special Education/School Counseling: (Room 1121 Bazemore Instructional Classroom)

• Research in SERC – Dr. Margaret Flores (Auburn College of Education, Special Education, Rehabilitation, and Counseling)

This session will describe intervention research that special education faculty implement in partnership with schools. Intervention research projects include mathematics, writing, and life skills. The session will also describe research associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies in counseling.

Attendees should bring questions or insights into how we can assist with research-based interventions or innovations in their schools.

Break

Final Reflections - First-floor Commons

Attendees will have the option to attend one of three optional closing sessions:

• Option One - Closing Panel:  What Employers Value in New Hires (2230 Leischuck Meeting Room)

District leaders share practical advice, encouragement and strategies for those entering the teaching profession.  Includes Q&A. Join an engaging conversation with education leaders and practitioners as they share what truly matters when hiring new teachers. Discover the qualities, skills, and attributes that set candidates apart, gain practical tips for launching your career, and learn about emerging trends in recruitment. Plus, meet our preservice teachers and hear their perspectives!

• Option two - New Building Tours (Starts at first-floor Commons)

Join us for a walkthrough of the newly opened College of Education Building, featuring modern learning spaces, collaborative zones, and innovative design.

• Option three - Discover Our Departments & Programs (First-floor Commons)

Stop by our tabling area to learn more about our departments and various programs. We’d love to share resources, answer your questions, and connect with you.