“The 2026 NAPSA conference delivered high-quality, relevant sessions that left me with practical ideas and practices I plan to bring back to my district.” – Christopher Keeler, Director of Pupil Services, The Solanco School District
As has been our tradition when in Maryland, NAPSA partnered with Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to put together a slate of presentations that provided attendees with an eclectic collection of timely topics that addressed salient needs of educators in our field. The conference opened with a welcome by Walter Sallee, MSDE’s Director of Student Services Branch Office. In addition to his involvement in planning the program, Walter also teamed up with Lauren Holmes, MSDE Executive Director for the Division of Student Support and Federal Programs, to present a superb session on Chronic Absenteeism.
Monday’s presentations opened with Maryland’s Approach to Mandated MTSS by Tara Downes, MSDE Director of MTSS and Strategic Initiatives, NAPSA Trustee J. Kirk Howie. What a wonderful way to start! Later, Brad Engel, MSDE Specialist on School Climate Initiatives, and Lauren Holmes then presented Bullying: What Schools Can Do. That session proved to a be a homerun when it comes to examining such a pressing issue.
Monday’s sessions ended with Gabrielle Sereni, Esq. from the Sereni Law Group, who as always provided a highly informative Legal Update on Issues Affecting Pupil Services: What You Need to Know.
The day the concluded with our annual President’s Reception, sponsored by Chancelight, which allowed a great opportunity for networking and collegiality while enjoying outstanding hors d’oeuvres.
On Tuesday, keynote speaker Dr. Richard Warren, an Award Winning Educator, Presenter & Professor from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, delivered a riveting presentation on The Effect of Underrepresentation on Staffing, Learning, and School Culture. He was followed by Understanding the Needs of Unique Learners by Dr. Rob Hair, CEO & Superintendent of Students for the Maryland School for the Blind, who provided terrific insight on an often overlooked topic.
After the lunch break, Jillian Haring, SME Behavioral Threat Assessment, presented How to Identify Threat Level and Determine an Appropriate Response, furnishing excellent insight regarding an area of growing concern. The day then ended with NAPSA Trustee Terri Bracken providing invaluable information on Responsible Use of AI: Policy Provisions and Concerns. Terri continues to be a great resource when it comes to a practical look at issues we are currently facing.
Attendees then spent the evening enjoying Annapolis.
The conference concluded on Wednesday with a presentation from one of our finest resources, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Center for School Safety Dr. Kim Buckheit whose session, A Layered Approach to School Safety – Practices Using Wraparound Interventions, was filled with outstanding info. NAPSA President Dr. Sophia Allmond wrapped up the conference with an informal networking opportunity and heartfelt thanks to attendees for their participation and their dedicated service in our field.
All attendees will receive links to conference recordings.
NAPSA expresses its most sincere “Thank You” to the Maryland State Department of Education for its invaluable support for this year’s conference. Our special appreciation to MSDE’s Walter Sallee for his collaborative efforts in helping to develop our 2026 conference program!
SAVE THE DATE!
We look forward to seeing you on October 18-20, 2027 for our 61st Annual NAPSA Conference at the Drury Inn & Suites near Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida!