AGENDA
Convening 2025 Workshops
Workshop Breakout #1
Centering the Educator Heart
In this session, we will settle in with a meditation, bringing ourselves into acceptance of self, liberating ourselves from our stories, while visioning for the future we desire. We will offer connecting breath to movement through multiple options and variations of ways to move or to be still in connection with ours and our community needs in mind, body and spirit. We will peak our flow in a strong warrior asana variation of our choice in a stance or seated position with an open heart and then bring ourselves back into grounding and manifesting through meditation. The theme of our practice together will be loving and bringing forward our full and truest selves to all that we do and specifically in our practice as educators in guiding the hearts and minds of our youth.
Note: To comfortably participate in this workshop, please bring your own yoga mat.
Alanna McCorkle is a student focused, centered, forward thinking, wellness focused, and visionary education leader.
Healing Ourselves (BIPOC ONLY)
Our ancestors, known and unknown, have handed down the wisdom to us to heal ourselves from both historical trauma and the ongoing trauma of navigating the world in which we live, work, and play. Let’s come together to share our wisdom, our narrative, and our strength.
Anita Garcia Morales is a presenter, facilitator, collaborator, educator, and coach. More about her in her own words, “I walk in purpose because I believe an inherent need is alive in each and every person for a sense of belonging, significance, connection, and community, and I am responsible for helping to create spaces and opportunities within my circles of influence, in all that I do, where all can show up fully, be embraced, and integrated as part of the beloved community.”
Dr. Norma Zavala is an education and health care advocate for those that have been historically disenfranchised. Her core value of equity is at the center of her work as a public school teacher and principal and in her service on boards and committees where she has represented the voice of the community.
She believes that intentional focus and collaboration is essential to ensuring that students, families access essential resources and an excellent education that supports them in reaching their potential and thus contributing to their health and a healthy community
NAKIA Academy, A Professional Learning Community by and for Educators of Color
NAKIA Academy is a mentoring and leadership academy jointly sponsored by OSPI and WEA, created by people of color and open to people of color. The purpose of NAKIA Academy is to form a community of continuous growth and support. Educators in NAKIA Academy come together to lead, organize and create equitable spaces in education. The academy brings educators together in cohort groups to focus on thinking, learning, interacting, skill-building, networking and joy.
Patricia Beuke is a current NAKIA academy facilitator.
Francine Oishi is a current NAKIA academy facilitator.
Conversation with a Legal Abolitionist: Decolonization and Decommodification Through Student Solidarity
This session will explore the basic logic of our economic model of education that deprives students of enrichment in furtherance of capital, and how it feeds the school-to-prison pipeline. We will discuss the value of solidarity between administrators, teachers and students and the need to acknowledge the shared experience of oppression. Attendees will leave with a better sense of the rationale behind our racist and oppressive education system and a framework of empowerment through solidarity in the struggle.
Frank Thomas is a lawyer, economic justice advocate and senior staff for the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission. Since joining the Commission staff, Frank has lead community forums in the wake of 2020’s demonstrations against systemic racism, co-authored original research on intersectional disparities in the WA court system, taught racial and economic justice education education to judges and attorneys, and worked on collaborative campaigns with community leaders for criminal justice reform. Frank has a B.A in finance from the University of Washington and a JD from UC, Irvine School of Law.
Empower Purpose: Avoid Burnout-Become a Thriving Social Justice Educator
Discover how to reignite your passion for teaching by finding your ‘power purpose.’ In this session, educators will learn how to move beyond burnout by cultivating a proactive sense of purpose that fuels motivation and fulfillment. Through reflective exercises and practical tools, participants will walk away with strategies to reconnect with their deeper “why” and sustain their energy in advancing racial and social justice, both in the classroom and in their personal lives.
Desmond Spann is an educator, advocate, and growth rap artist and leads workshops on personal growth and racial equity through his Thriving Teachers Circle membership community.
Student Voice and Choice
Student voice and choice is required to empower students to be a catalyst for positive change in their classrooms and community. Join our workshop as we investigate obstacles to creating a classroom environment where students feel comfortable using their voices. We will define what “Student Voice and Choice” is, strategize establishing norms for creating and cultivating voice and choice, and demonstrate teaching tools for engaging students. As collaborators, we will explore ways to give students a chance to grow in their confidence, find their voice, and utilize it to create a thriving learning community.
Sarah Frisbie, STEMbyTAF Transformation Coach, is a STEM coach who is as passionate about promoting mental health in our students as she is about empowering them to do amazing feats within in their communities!
Dave Orona, STEMbyTAF Transformation Coach, is a passionate teacher, coach, and mentor, who is known for his relational approach to education and working with others. Dave has worked in/with the Puyallup School District, Seattle Christian Schools, Franklin Pierce School District, Seatle Public Schools, and Federal Way Public Schools.
Dr. Arleatha Bryant is the STEM Integration Transformation Coach at Brigadoon Elementary and Olympic View K-8 Schools.
Jackie Wardrip Smith has been an educator for 10 years. For the last year, she has been a Transformation Coach with three elementary schools in the greater Seattle region. As a coach, she support teachers through project planning and development within grade K-5. She works with teachers and their administration to align priority skills and standards with instructional practices to incorporate project-based learning in a way that feels approachable and incorporates the specific needs of their students.
Burning Bright Without Burning Out: Surviving and Thriving in Dystopian Spaces
The world needs passionate and equity-minded educators in schools now more than ever, educators who care about and for students. Deep caring without support from others can also lead to burnout. Come learn how to survive and thrive, even when the world is a hot mess.
Dr. Erica Hernandez-Scott is the Executive Director of Washington State’s Professional Educator Standards Board. She has been an urban student, urban teacher, and urban teacher educator and has worked in education for 25 years.
Workshop Breakout #2
Dismantling and Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline: Voices of the Formerly Incarcerated Panel
Through an interactive discussion, modeling inquiry-based collaborative learning, we will address the consequences and present creative solutions to interrupting the school to prison pipeline. We will address the harm created in school systems that devalue the voices of marginalized students, including issues of curriculum and teaching, and present solutions that allow students (and teachers) to discover and become their authentic selves while challenging school policies and systems that subject students to harm and intellectual violence.
All of the co-facilitators are also formerly incarcerated.
Eugene Youngblood, released from prison in 2021 at the age of 48 spending nearly 30 years in prison, he is is a member of the Black Prisoners Caucus Community Group and the Black Rose Collective and director of community organizing for Look2Justice.
Thomas Hill is a member of the Black Prisoners Caucus Community Group and works for the Freedom Project in their R.P.K.C. Team (Regional Peacekeepers Collective) and as a C.A.R.E. Coordinator.
Oloth Insyxiengmay is a member of APICAG (Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Awareness Group) and works with community youth and providing re-entry support.
Dr. Mark Perry is formerly incarcerated, a sponsor for the Black Prisoners Caucus at the Twin Rivers Unit of the Monroe Correctional Complex, a Board member of the Seattle Clemency Project, a recently retired K-12 teacher and principal, and the author of “Walking the Color Line: The Art and Practice or Anti-Racist Teaching”.
Redefining Professionalism
Our collective liberation is intrinsically tied to our work. It’s our turn to define what “professionalism” means. We actively redefine qualified: What it looks like, sounds like, and behaves. While needing assurance of expertise (and potential), we redefine the fundamentals of labor and work.
We invite you to a listening circle to explore and validate lived experience, welcome collective confidence in change, find solidarity of diverse ideas, and practice defining our own future with boldness.
Julia Ismael (she/her), is the founder and Head Architect of Aspirations where she institutionalizes equity on the daily using community created evaluations and equitable complaint systems.
Rooted in Relationship: Inviting Restorative Justice into our Lives and Work
As Mariame Kaba says, “You are on the right path if you are intentionally trying to reduce the gap between your values and your actions”. If you are an educator that values interconnection, relationships, and healing harm/conflict, join our workshop! Together, we will explore what Restorative Justice (RJ) philosophies are and how to tangibly put them into practice through intentional community building circles.
Mari Ramirez (he/him) is a Restorative Justice Practitioner and Liberatory Educator with WA-BLOC, he loves to learn with and from youth and is always working towards being in loving relationship with himself and the world around him.
Anab Nur (she/her) is the Curriculum and Instruction Specialist at WA-BLOC, she works to create safe and liberating spaces for youth to learn and grow.
Moving Beyond Allyship: Creating Inclusive Spaces Within Schools for Queer and Trans Community
With the rise of legislation targeting queer and trans people, many educators, community members, and parents struggle to understand and support queer and trans youth. Through this workshop, we will co-create and co-facilitate a community gathering space to not only deepen political analysis on racism, gender, sexuality, and other identities, but to also strategize on ways in which we can create inclusive spaces within our communities for queer and trans youth to thrive beyond survival.
Ché Vázquez Colón is Caribbean neurodivergent trans person from Borikén (Puerto Rico) whose practice is decolonial, anticapitalist, anti-racist, and openly centers trans and disable folks.
Tiffany Tsai is a disabled, queer East Asian facilitator grounded in transformative justice and collective liberation in their work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging consulting and research.
Let This Radicalize You: Building Collectivity and Radical Praxis in Education
This session invites educators and leaders in education to explore how organizing can become a central practice in advancing educational justice. Rooted in principles of interdependence, mutual aid, and community care, we’ll reflect on our own organizing in solidarity for Free Palestine and the diverse roles we each play in collective movements. Participants will engage in practical exercises, drawn from the Let This Radicalize You Workbook, to develop the muscle of collectivity—preparing us to act when it matters most. Through discussions on organizing hurdles and a creative protest art activity, participants will be empowered to call each other in, challenge oppressive systems, and radicalize their approaches to building communities of care. Together, we will reimagine how organizing practices can support educational liberation.
Alejandra Pérez (she/ella) is an educator, community organizer, and a current PhD student in Culturally Sustaining Education at the University of Washington.
Sciatta Padmore (she/her) is a doctoral student in the Culturally Sustaining Education program at the University of Washington-Seattle and a Research Assistant with the Banks Center for Educational Justice.
Roberta Lee Collison (she/her) is a former teacher and current student and teacher educator in the (critical) Special Education program at the University of Washington.
Julie Feng is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington. She also serves as the Director of Communications for Scholar Fund.
Unweathering Racism: Strengthening Educational Practices to Protect & Empower Black Boys and Communities of Color
Unweathering Racism”” is a transformative workshop designed for educators, administrators, and school leaders committed to creating educational environments that empower and protect Black boys and communities of color. This workshop emphasizes both “”headwork””—focused on disrupting and dismantling oppressive structures—and “”heartwork””—nurturing empathy, respect, and a deep understanding of the cultural value of Black students. Through research, testimonies, you will walk away with tangible action plans that supports the critical reflection on how to “unweather” racialized practices within educational settings to foster spaces where Black boys, and marginalized communities, can thrive.”
Dr. Conrad Webster is a mental health advocate, critical race theorist, writer, organizer, facilitator, professor, and education consultant from Houston, TX.
Advancing BIPOC Women in K–12 Leadership: Challenges and Supports
This session explores the underrepresentation of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) women in K–12 leadership roles and the critical importance of their presence in shaping educational outcomes. Dr. Winmill, an immigrant Filipino educator with 32 years of global teaching experience, will present her qualitative constructivist grounded theory research. The study delves into the perceptions of BIPOC women regarding the challenges and supports influencing their transition into leadership roles in suburban school districts. Key themes include personal drive, mentorship, affinity groups, professional development, and institutional barriers. The session aims to provide actionable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in educational leadership.
Target audience: education leaders, school/university administrators, and educators of color.
Dr. Marissa Winmill, a Golden Apple awardee and national board-certified teacher, is a beacon of inspiration at Kent-Meridian High School. Her remarkable three-decade journey from the Philippines to Washington highlights her unwavering commitment to equity and social justice. Beyond the classroom, Dr. Winmill leads transformative initiatives like the “We Are America” book project and the Girls Who Code club. She empowers educators through the PSESD Educators of Color Leadership Community and WEA TPEP and NBCT Cadre training programs. Her dissertation on BIPOC women’s leadership in K-12 education highlights her unwavering commitment to fostering inclusive leadership, a mission she passionately pursues by mentoring and coaching the next generation of educational leaders.
A true pillar of her community, Dr. Winmill’s local and global initiatives embody a spirit of collaboration and empowerment, making a lasting impact on countless lives. She is not just an educator but a catalyst for change, inspiring the next generation to dream big and achieve even bigger.
Healing Through Yoga and Meditation
Practical techniques for experiencing release from stress, trauma and anxiety through meditation, yoga exercises and related holistic health practices.
Dada Shiilabhadrananda has been a Yoga Monk since 1977 teaching meditation, yoga and other holistic health practices around the world since then.
