Join us on Saturday, May 15th for a virtual Sisterhood Symposium, an opportunity to check-in with your colleagues and friends to discuss the difficult issues facing Women in School Leadership. This free event is open to all, register now to save your seat. You will be sent a link for the virtual event the day prior to the Symposium.

Our Voices are Vital!

Although women are underrepresented in all areas of school leadership, more women today are finding ways to prepare for and take advantage of positions in leadership.

The Sisterhood Leadership Symposium, co-sponsored by ACSA, CAAASA and CALSA, is an inclusive space that brings together women in the education profession, women in leadership positions, and women leaders seeking to advance their career for a one-day event focusing on leadership, diversity, and empowerment. It is designed to honor and value the diverse and rich strengths that make us bold and courageous leaders for the students and communities we serve. Session content addresses relevant topics within the education field and provides practical tools and resources for attendees to implement at work right away.

Symposium goals:

• Raise the voices of women in the profession
• Share and promote work-life balance of women
• Explore pathways to leadership
• Provide educational learning opportunities related to an equity-driven culture
• Understand the importance of an Executive Presence

Tentative Date: May 15, 2021
Virtual Event

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Registration Fees: TBA

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Agenda

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Optional Coffee Hour

9:20 - 9:45am Breakout Sessions

Leading from Your Core Values
Dr. Lorraine Perez, Assistant Superintendent, Student Services, San Bernardino City USD; Dr. Rachel Monarrez, Asst. Superintendent, Continuous Learning, San Bernardino City USD
Our stories and ability to convey them are critical to the relationships that we build as leaders. We use them to inspire and connect with our teams, and they provide insight to who we are and what we value. The presenters will share their leadership story, anchored in their own core values. During the session, attendees will be guided through identifying their core values using an approach that will promote reflection. Participants will explore various stages in their lives and leadership, focusing on events and experiences that shaped them. The way we experience life as women provides insight that needs to be seen as an asset, our time together will support this perspective. Attendees will use their (reaffirmed or newly discovered) core values to develop their own leadership stories.

Building a Legacy of Phenomenal Leadership
Dr. Teresa Alonzo, Associate Director, School Networks, WestEd
How do you lead phenomenally? Do you build capacity in your system? Do you create opportunities for others to develop as leaders? In this session, participants will learn about tools and processes used to build teams that are purposeful, focused, and get results! Grounded in research and used with leaders across California and beyond, participants will practice using tools and processes to engage their teams in reflection, refine focus, measure impact and plan powerful implementation of their improvement efforts.

Making Yourself Marketable - tips and tricks
Dr. Antoinette Gutierrez, Principal, San Bernardino City USD
You are an aspiring administrator or are looking to move up to the next level. What can you do to increase your marketability, prove that you add value to the organization, and still hold true to your values? This session will explore what you truly hold in your heart as your guiding principles, what you can do to demonstrate your worth to those who make decisions, and other tips for being successful in moving up in administration.

10:05 - 10:30am Breakout Sessions

Leaving the Nest- Learning to Soar!
Dr. Atikah Osman, Assistant Principal, Orange USD
This presentation aims to inspire current teachers and site leaders to take risks and make their next move into administration and leadership by exploring core values and finding their "why". Participants will learn how to enhance their toolboxes, sharpen necessary skills, and build up a resume of experience to take that next step into administration by creating mock resumes and participating in role-playing and interviewing. It will also cover how to build relationships, network, and interview for that next job by learning how to create a professional learning network via social media among other strategies. Most importantly, the presentation will overview the first 90 days on the job and how to soar in your new role in leadership and management by learning how to set SMART goals in the first 90 days.

Beyond "Leaning in": Increasing Gender Equity in Leadership
Dr. Mercedes Lovie, Assoc. Superintendent, Oceanside USD
"Leaning in" is often suggested to women. However, this advice has not eliminated the barriers facing women in attaining leadership roles. Data shows that 76% of teachers are women, yet only 51% of principals are women. At the superintendent level, the percentage of women and people of color is even lower. Learn about the influences upon women aspiring to educational leadership and how organizations and individuals can address these concerns. Identify how myths, bias, and systemic barriers contribute to gender inequity and gain strategies about how to address these issues in your organization.

Dismantling the Imposter Syndrome- You Deserve to Be in the Room
Dr. Alicia Montgomery, Executive Director, Center for Powerful Public Schools
As women, how often do we feel like we don't deserve to be in our leadership position, we don't deserve to be in the room frequently dominated by males. In this workshop, participants begin to grapple with some of the barriers preventing them from tapping into their power and achieving at high levels due to the Imposter Syndrome. Then, participants will develop a plan for systematically removing those barriers from their life- both personally and professionally.