2026 ACSA Women in School Leadership Forum

Want to level the playing field and build a strong, internal leadership pipeline? This interactive workshop highlights the inspiration, planning, and implementation of Carlsbad USD’s "Partners in Practice," a multi-tiered mentoring program designed to build a robust, equity-centered leadership pipeline.

This session breaks down how we structured three distinct pathways to support leaders at every career stage: Aspiring Administrators, Assistant Principals, and New Principals. We will dive into the practical realities of our successfully launched Aspiring Administrator series and New Principal mentor program, and share how we are mapping out our Assistant Principal development. We will unpack our complete monthly curriculum, covering operational training, school culture and discipline, and sustainability habits, which align with CPSEL standards. Participants will engage with real-world case studies, practice applying coaching frameworks, and leave with plug-and-play resources to launch their own local mentoring program immediately.

3 Key Audience Takeaways:
1. A comprehensive framework to design and scale a multi-tiered internal leadership pipeline.
2. A complete, month-by-month curriculum blueprint covering school operations, instructional leadership, and wellness.
3. Practical protocols for matching mentors, gathering partner feedback, and establishing non-evaluative coaching structures.

Who This Is For
Women in school leadership at every level – from Executive Assistants to Superintendents. If you have a boss, a peer, or a team… this session is for you.

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The Problem
Most leaders are consulting, advising, and directing their way through conversations they think are coaching. The result: closed thinking, missed insight, and influence left on the table.
And here’s the part nobody talks about: the most important conversations you need to get right aren’t always with your direct reports. They’re with your peers. Your board. Your boss.

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The Approach
This is a practicum, not a lecture. We start with a reset – because most people in education have a very specific mental model of what coaching is. (Instructional coaching and executive coaching are almost opposites.) Once we clear that up, we get to work.
You’ll watch live demos. You’ll practice in pairs. You’ll leave having experienced coaching firsthand – not just heard about it.

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Key Takeaways

• Distinguish coaching from consulting, mentoring, and directing – and use each one intentionally
• Practice high-leverage questions that open thinking instead of closing it
• Apply coaching as a power skill laterally and upward – where much of your real influence lives

This hands‑on workshop teaches participants how to design, launch, and sustain a monthly Girl Boss Dinner—an inclusive, low‑cost peer networking dinner that cultivates mentorship, sponsorship, emotional support, leadership practice, and measurable career advancement for women in school leadership. Participants will leave with a ready-to-implement plan, tools, and practice in facilitation and outreach. By the end of this session participants will be able to:

1. Build a squad that turns casual conversations into supportive alliances
2. Decouple mentorship without bureaucracy
3. Momentum to advocate for each other out loud!

We’re excited to offer an incredible opportunity to participate in personalized, one-on-one mock interviews designed to strengthen your interview skills and boost your confidence. Each session will last approximately 30 minutes and will be led by one of our two experienced interviewers, who will provide constructive feedback tailored to you.

Keeping your interview skills sharp is key — you never know when your next career opportunity might come along!

Please bring 5 copies of your resume for feedback, if available.

Note: Interview slots are limited. If all one-on-one slots are filled, you’re still welcome to observe from the audience. We’ll do our best to accommodate your preferences.

Link to sign up for a time

Your resume is more than a list of experiences—it's your leadership story. Meet individually with an experienced Human Resources professional for a personalized 30-minute resume review designed to strengthen your resume and position you for future leadership opportunities.
Receive tailored feedback on how to effectively highlight your accomplishments, leadership potential, and transferable skills while gaining insight into what hiring professionals look for during the screening process. Whether you're preparing for your next promotion or exploring new opportunities, this session will help you present your experience with confidence and purpose.
Please bring five copies of your resume, if available.
Note: Resume review appointments are limited and will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. While we will do our best to accommodate preferred time slots, availability cannot be guaranteed.



Link to sign up for a time

Traditional education and leadership were designed for the "average," but the future of education and leadership belongs to those who design for the outliers. In this session, three female leaders in Alternative Education pull back the curtain on how they’ve traded accidental schooling for Unconventional Intentionality. Learn how to move beyond survival mode and build student-driven systems that treat compassion as a rigorous, scientific framework.

In today’s complex and demanding school environment, women leaders are navigating increasing expectations while working to build strong instructional systems and ensure equitable outcomes for all students. This session reframes “grit” as more than perseverance, it becomes a strategic leadership approach grounded in purpose, intentional action, and system-wide impact.

From Grit to Greatness challenges leaders to move beyond doing it all themselves and instead build the capacity of those around them. Grounded in real-world leadership experience and research on inclusive and transformational leadership, this session focuses on how leaders can expand their influence, strengthen systems, and create sustainable change.

Participants will engage in guided reflection, collaborative discussion, and practical planning aligned to real leadership challenges. Activities are designed to support immediate application at the site and system level.

Key Audience Takeaways:

1. Apply at least two strategies to build staff capacity through aligned systems and shared leadership
2. Implement practical approaches to strengthen teacher confidence and improve instructional outcomes
3. Develop a clear framework for designing inclusive systems that support every student through strong Tier 1 practices

Leadership is not about waiting to be invited—it is about recognizing your value, using your voice, and stepping confidently into spaces where your influence matters. In this engaging and interactive workshop, participants will identify their leadership strengths, practice articulating those strengths in interviews and professional conversations, and explore strategies for gaining access to decision-making spaces. Participants will also reflect on the importance of mentorship and identify the qualities they seek in a trusted female leader who can offer support, perspective, and advocacy. Whether you are aspiring to your next role or seeking to expand your impact in your current one, this session will equip you with practical tools to become unstoppable.