If you’re interested in how schools are redesigning teaching through team-based models, the Strategic School Staffing Summit is the easiest way to see what’s happening across the country without leaving your desk.
Hosted by the Next Education Workforce™ team at Arizona State University, this all-virtual, national gathering brings together educators, system leaders, policymakers and researchers who are rethinking how schools organize people, time and expertise to improve teaching and learning.
Now in its seventh year, the 2026 Summit is dedicated entirely to how schools, systems and states are building and sustaining team-based staffing models that strengthen instruction, expand career pathways and make teaching more collaborative and sustainable.
Over two days this February, participants will hear directly from schools and systems that are implementing these models, and from the organizations, advocates and policymakers creating the conditions for them to succeed.
What you’ll learn
This year’s program features four content tracks that highlight the breadth of innovation across the field:
Teams of Educators with Distributed Expertise: Discover how schools are designing and supporting educator teams that draw on every adult’s strengths. One featured session highlights a Bay Area coalition — including Thrive and Teach For America Bay Area — that’s building a regional movement for team-based teaching through shared vision, cross-organization learning and school-based pilots.
Team-Enabled High-Quality Instruction: See how educator teams are unlocking new possibilities for teaching and learning. In one session, Jackson Public Schools in Mississippi shares how its K–2 literacy pilot pairs high-quality instructional materials with small, teacher-led teams, supported by Leading Educators and the Opportunity Culture® initiative.
Entry, Preparation and Advancement Pathways in Team-based Models: Learn how systems are building sustainable educator pipelines and clear career routes onto and through teams. Sessions feature the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction’s Lead Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program, developed with the National Center for Grow Your Own and the Next Education Workforce initiative, which helps teachers advance without leaving the classroom.
Technology and AI in Team-Based Models: Explore how schools are using technology to make collaboration more effective. From a look at the research with the Center for Reinventing Public Education to AI-supported planning tools with PlaylabAI, this track shows how technology and teamwork can strengthen instruction together.
Why attend
The Strategic School Staffing Summit offers a national snapshot of how the field is evolving, what’s working, what’s challenging and what’s next. It’s a focused, easy way to connect with others learning how to make teaching more collaborative, effective and sustainable.
Early-bird registration closes December 19.
Register today to join educators, leaders and policymakers who are working to improve schools for both students and teachers.
