On April 5, we were lucky enough to be joined by Dr. Nikole Hollins-Sims, an award-winning education expert with a broad set of experience in behavior support, equity, student mental health, and education consulting. 

Dr. Hollins-Sims is currently a technical assistance coordinator for the Midwest PBIS Network, having previously served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education. During the webinar, she went into detail about important data practices, the nature of bias in school discipline, common mistakes in schoolwide behavior support, and more. Let’s explore three key takeaways from the conversation.

Dr. Nikole Hollins-Sims is the lead author of the recently-released book Creating Equitable Practices in PBIS: Growing a Positive School Climate for Sustainable Outcomes. You can follow her on social media at  @DrNikoleHSims and @H_SConsult on Twitter, Dr. Nikole Hollins-Sims on LinkedIn, and @dr_nikole on Instagram. To learn more about her consulting work, you can visit her website at www.hollinssimsconsult.com.  

On November 10, we were lucky enough to be joined by Dr. Maurice Elias, who is currently a Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University and the Director of the Rutgers Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab. He is a highly accomplished researcher in SEL and character education who has made influential contributions to his field, both in the academic community and as a writer for the general public.

As someone who has a deep and nuanced understanding of SEL and what it’s capable of accomplishing, Dr. Elias had a lot to share about how educators can use it not just for teaching long-lasting and rewarding competencies, but also for improving behavior in the moment and enhancing the learning process altogether.

As a Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University and Director of the Rutgers Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab, Dr. Maurice Elias is a leading figure in the research and implementation of SEL. His work is centered around developing and advocating for effective and equitable systems that help kids lead positive, productive lives. You can follow the SECD on Twitter or read his writings at Edutopia.

On October 18th, we were very fortunate to have a live webinar discussion with Dr. Lindsa McIntyre, who is currently the Superintendent of High Schools for Boston Public Schools. She is renowned as an influential advocate of DEIB in education (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging), and during her tenure as headmaster of Jeremiah E. Burke High School, she helped it become the first high school in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to exit Turnaround status.

From her personal journey as a young Black student growing up during desegregation to her professional track record as a school administrator, Dr. McIntyre has spent her life both directly experiencing and fighting inequity in education. This has helped her develop an extensive and profound set of educational philosophies that have served her communities in lasting ways. They’ve proven useful not only for supporting DEIB, but also for enacting positive change in the educational environment in general.

An influential educator with extensive personal and professional experience in fighting for equity,  Dr. Lindsa McIntyre is currently the Superintendent of High Schools for Boston Public Schools. She is also a member of the Classcraft Equity Board. You can follow her work via LinkedIn.