Where All Students Thrive: A Catholic School Inclusion Conference

1801 Bristol Avenue Northwest,Grand Rapids MI 49504

13 June, 2023

Description

Widen the Circle! This day-and-a-half long conference is packed with a variety of learning and networking activities. It is designed for Catholic school teachers and leaders seeking knowledge and skills to create schools and classrooms that meet the needs of all learners. With a focus on students with disabilities, these keynotes, workshops, breakouts, and facilitated discussions will help teachers and leaders grow in their confidence and ability to serve all students. Why attend this event? Studies show that inclusion is beneficial to ALL members of school communities, and our mission calls us to create places of belonging for all children. Leave this conference equipped with the tools to create schools and classrooms where ALL learners can succeed. Network with other teachers and leaders with inclusive mindsets and goals to achieve excellence and fullness of mission. Conference Schedule: Tuesday, June 13th 12:45pm-4:45pm Keynote, Breakouts, Small group processing; Workshop Wednesday, June 14th 8:45-3:45 Keynote, Panel, Breakouts, Plan & Design Inclusion Solutions, LLC works with faith-based schools across the country to strengthen the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to create places of belonging for all children. Main Presenters: Dr. Michael J. Boyle, Colleen McCoy-Cejka, & Crystal Brooks Michael J. Boyle, Ph.D. is the Director-Partnerships and Content at Inclusion Solutions, LLC. Dr. Boyle has worked in education in a variety of settings and roles. Most recently, he served as the superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Joliet-Illinois. Prior to this position, Dr. Boyle served as the director of the Andrew M. Greeley Center for Catholic Education at Loyola University Chicago. As a school psychologist at both the high school and elementary levels, he worked with students across a broad range of areas of exceptionality. He has also served as a special education administrator in several public school districts. Additionally, Dr. Boyle also served as principal in a Catholic elementary school. Among his works, the National Catholic Education Association published Dr. Boyle’s book A Light Unto My Path: A Model of Accompaniment for Fostering Mental Wellness (co-authored with Dr. Sandria Morten) and Ensuring a Place at the Table: Systems for Support for Students with Disabilities in Catholic Schools. He has also contributed a chapter to the book, Scholarly Essays on Catholic School Leadership: Research and Insights on Attaining the Mission of Catholic Schools. Dr. Boyle serves as the board chair of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability. He also serves on the board of directors of Loyola Press. Additionally, he served on the governing board of the Journal of Catholic Education. Dr. Boyle has provided staff development programs to educational agencies both nationally and internationally in the areas of response to intervention in Catholic schools, inclusion, and mission-driven leadership in the context of Catholic education. Crystal Brooks, M.A., CCC-SLP, is the co-founder of Inclusion Solutions, LLC. Building upon a professional career as a practitioner, educator, state agency specialist, and Catholic school leadership team member, Crystal empowers educators to reach the goal of an inclusive educational community where all students are welcome. With a background in special education, Crystal is well-versed in evidence-based teaching practices that result in academic, social, and emotional growth for all students in the classroom. She advised and consulted with leaders in special education while working at the Arizona Department of Education, working to improve educational outcomes for students with high-incidence learning disabilities. This passion led her to her work in private schools focused on building inclusive communities where all students are welcomed and every child belongs. Crystal is a board member for The Matthew 19:14 Project, a non-profit organization supporting inclusive efforts in Catholic schools in Arizona. In addition, she is a coach for AZin, a network of faith-based practitioners focused on increasing school options for exceptional learners. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and an adjunct faculty member with Northern Arizona University and Estrella Mountain Community College. Colleen McCoy-Cejka, M.A. is the co-founder of Inclusion Solutions, LLC. This company is built upon her experiences as a parent, teacher, elementary and high school principal, assistant superintendent, and curriculum director for the Diocese of Phoenix, and several nonprofit volunteer roles. Colleen co-founded The Matthew 19:14 Project in Phoenix in 2014, is a founding member of the Arizona Inclusion Network (2021), and is an executive committee member for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability. These organizations all seek to provide resources and networking opportunities for people who want to better serve people with disabilities. Colleen has presented and partnered with organizations, dioceses, and schools throughout the country to increase teacher and leader capacity around knowledge, skills, and dispositions to effectively serve schools and classrooms that recognize a need to improve their approaches to neuro-diverse learning communities. She is the co-author of Setting the Table: A Guide for Diversified Learner Program Development in Catholic Schools (with Crystal Brooks) through the NCEA. She can also be heard on the Loyola Press Podcast The Catholic Teachers’ Lounge.