2026 ACSA Women in School Leadership Forum

Artificial intelligence can save time, improve communication, and support decision-making, but only when it is aligned to the needs, expectations, and policies of your organization. This hands-on workshop moves beyond theory and provides the opportunity to design and build a customized AI assistant using Gemini Gems.


Participants will learn how to create Gems that reflect district frameworks, reinforce responsible and ethical use, and support real tasks such as communication, lesson support, policy guidance, and operational workflows.


This interactive session is designed for educators ready to move from exploration to practical application. By the end of the session, participants will have a functional starting point for a Gemini Gem they can immediately use and refine in their own context.


Participants will leave with:

1. A step-by-step process for designing and building a Gemini Gem aligned to district policies and instructional goals;
2. working draft of a customized AI assistant to support their own workflow or team needs;
3. Strategies for embedding guardrails that promote ethical use, protect data, and maintain academic integrity
4. Practical examples of how Gems can support communication, instruction, and operational efficiency; and Ideas for scaling AI assistants across teams or departments while maintaining consistency and trust

Schools are being asked to evolve at an unprecedented pace: strengthen instruction, respond to student mental health needs, increase engagement, redesign learning experiences, and prepare students for an uncertain future. Amidst this change, one essential question often goes unmeasured: How are the adults doing?

Fifteen districts partnered to better understand educator well-being, leadership, and labor-management collaboration as interconnected conditions that shape whether people thrive, stay, and lead forward together. Findings showed that educators with stronger collaboration and support were more likely to recommend their district as a workplace, remain in the profession, and report higher job satisfaction and well-being.

This session explores how collaborative leadership practices can strengthen educator resilience, reduce depletion, and create conditions for sustainable change. Participants will hear from district and labor leaders about the realities and successes of collaboration; reflect on how personal and organizational values shape decisions during stress and change; explore strategies to strengthen trust, communication, and shared accountability; and engage in a listening and reflection protocol they can immediately use with teams and colleagues.

Participants will leave with practical tools, reflective protocols, and research-informed strategies to strengthen relationships, sustain teams, and cultivate systems where educators and students thrive together.

What happens when strong leadership, trust, and shared purpose align at the highest levels of a school system? This session highlights the partnership between a female Superintendent and an all-female Board of Education, anchored by a collaborative relationship with the Board President that is redefining governance and student-centered decision-making.

From the Superintendent’s hiring, district leaders established a culture grounded in transparency, mutual respect, and continuous communication. Through proactive dialogue, the Superintendent and Board President work together to address community concerns, prepare for challenging agenda items, and navigate controversial topics.

Their unified approach has enabled the district to successfully tackle complex issues, including the adoption of Ethnic Studies, the implications of Mahmoud v. Taylor, instructional program changes, race relations, and grading practices, all while keeping equity, integrity, and student success at the center of every decision.

Participants will gain practical strategies for strengthening Superintendent–Board partnerships, fostering trust, improving governance practices, and leading through complex issues with clarity and cohesion. This session provides actionable tools districts can immediately apply to build responsive leadership teams focused on unity, resilience, and meaningful progress.

Educational leadership spaces often privilege dominant narratives, leaving leaders from historically marginalized communities, particularly women, women of color, and Black women, navigating systems that were not designed with them in mind. This session centers the experience of leading from the margins and offers leaders both validation and practical tools to sustain themselves while continuing equity-centered work.

Grounded in doctoral research, district leadership practice, and lived experience, this workshop explores the power of critical reflection, storytelling as resistance, and intentional coping strategies for leaders operating at the intersections of race, gender, and power. Participants will engage in structured reflection, shared narrative practices, and planning tools designed to support clarity, agency, and resilience when systems fail to change

The session intentionally creates a brave, supportive space where leaders can reflect honestly, hear lived experiences, and leave with renewed purpose and concrete strategies for navigating inequitable systems.

Key Audience Takeaways

1. Explore how race, gender, and systemic inequities shape leadership identity and decision-making.
2. Apply critical reflection and storytelling as tools for clarity, advocacy, and resilience.
3. Identify strategic practices, including support networks, boundary-setting, and preemptive planning, to navigate inequitable systems with clarity and conviction.

Female leaders in education often navigate complex leadership spaces shaped by visibility, representation, resilience, and responsibility. While educational leadership can be deeply rewarding, it can also entail isolation, heightened scrutiny, and pressure to continually prove competence. This interactive session explores how motivation, identity, and sense of belonging influence the leadership experiences of females in education.

Grounded in research and lived leadership experiences, this workshop will provide participants with opportunities to reflect on their leadership journeys, identify strategies to sustain resilience, and examine practices that cultivate belonging and equity within school communities. Participants will leave with practical tools to strengthen leadership identity, support wellness, and foster inclusive leadership spaces for themselves and others.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
1. Examine how identity and representation shape leadership experiences in education.
2. Identify factors that impact motivation, resilience, and belonging among women leaders.
3. Reflect on personal and systemic barriers that influence leadership sustainability.
4. Apply practical strategies to cultivate resilience, wellness, and inclusive leadership environments