Wisconsin Charter School Summit 2026: Full Schedule

11:00am CDT

Monday June 15, 2026 11:00am - 11:30am CDT

** SLIDES **

Monday June 15, 2026 11:00am - 11:30am CDT

All

11:30am CDT

Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools - Welcome and Keynote from Jim Goenner, President & CEO of the National Charter Schools Institute (Room - Paul L.)

Monday June 15, 2026 11:30am - 12:15pm CDT

** SLIDES **

Monday June 15, 2026 11:30am - 12:15pm CDT

All

12:15pm CDT

Lunch w/ WRCCS Network - Authorizer

Monday June 15, 2026 12:15pm - 1:00pm CDT

If you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know as soon as possible and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Lunch Menu:
Char grilled hamburgers
Barbecue grilled chicken
Assorted cheeses, lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard, and cole slaw
Bakery fresh hamburger buns
Kettle chips
Assorted cookies

Monday June 15, 2026 12:15pm - 1:00pm CDT

Authorizer

12:15pm CDT

Lunch w/ WRCCS Network - Design Team

Monday June 15, 2026 12:15pm - 1:00pm CDT

Design Team

12:15pm CDT

Lunch w/ WRCCS Network - Governance Board

Monday June 15, 2026 12:15pm - 1:00pm CDT

Governance Board

12:15pm CDT

Lunch w/ WRCCS Network - Leadership

Monday June 15, 2026 12:15pm - 1:00pm CDT

Leadership

12:15pm CDT

Lunch w/ WRCCS Network - Teacher

Monday June 15, 2026 12:15pm - 1:00pm CDT

Teacher

1:15pm CDT

Governance Boards 101 - From Starting a Board to Running a Strong Meeting (Room - Thistle)

Monday June 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT

Strong governance boards are the cornerstone of every thriving charter school. Whether you're a new or aspiring charter school board member, stepping into a founding role, or looking to strengthen your existing governance practices, this breakout session is designed to equip you with the essential knowledge and tools for effective charter school board leadership. Join WRCCS Associate Director Dan...
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Speakers

Dan Lathrop

Associate Director, WRCCS

Monday June 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT

Governance Board

1:15pm CDT

Innovative Assessment for the Whole Child: How we Measure the Impact of Forest Schooling (Room - Henrietta)

Monday June 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT

Innovative Assessment for the Whole Child: How we measure the impact of forest schoolingJoin Kickapoo Valley Forest School (KVFS) founders and educators for an inspiring workshop on whole child assessment. At KVFS, we have intentionally created a matrix to record and communicate the real and important learning occurring through our model of forest schooling. We measure student growth...
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Speakers

Kickapoo Valley Forest School

Kickapoo Valley Forest School - La Farge School District

Monday June 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT

Governance Board

1:15pm CDT

Crafting Your Narrative By Telling Your School Story (Room - B.F. Carter)

Monday June 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT

Crafting Your Narrative By Telling Your School Story Have you ever been asked about your school and struggled to find a clear, concise way to tell your story? Every school has a mission statement; however, many report they are challenged to find a succinct and coherent way to tell their story. This workshop guides leaders, board members, and/or teachers through a structured...
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Speakers

Nick Pretasky

Founder, Listener, and Coach, Humanistic Leadership

Nick's life work is to ensure every person has the opportunity to reach his/her full potential. Nick is the founder and lead listener at Humanistic Leadership LLC where he supports leaders, teachers, and learners in all facets of education. He brings experience working in traditional... Read More →

HL POMS School Storytelling Tool Final pdf

POMS Story Telling WRCCS Summit (1) pdf

Monday June 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT

Leadership

1:15pm CDT

Accessibility Compliance for Virtual Charter Schools (Room - Evelyn)

Monday June 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT

Accessibility Compliance for Virtual Charter SchoolsIn virtual and other charter schools, ensuring equitable access to education for all students is not only a legal obligation, but also a moral imperative. Compliance with federal and state laws is essential to provide students with access to online learning platforms, digital curricula, and virtual classrooms. There are benefits for ALL students...
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Speakers

Steven Duffrin

Associate Director of Wisconsin Virtual School, CESA 9 - Wisconsin Virtual School

Steve Duffrin is Associate Director: Curriculum at Wisconsin Virtual School. He is committed to advancing high-quality and engaging virtual learning experiences for students statewide.

Steve is enthusiastic about the power of technology to personalize education, close opportunity... Read More →

Low Effort, High Impact Accessible Content Tips for All Learners WRCSS 2026 pdf

Monday June 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT

Teacher

1:15pm CDT

Change the Toolkit: Finding the One Tool That Will Redesign Your Entire Approach to Leadership and Teaching (Double Session) (Room - KM Hutchinson)

Monday June 15, 2026 1:15pm - 4:00pm CDT

NOTE: This is a double session and spans two presentation time slots. If you sign up for this session, you will be unable to attend a different presentation at the 2:45 time slot. Part 1In Part I of this session, participants will break down what they actually believe (and don’t believe) to be true about teaching and learning. We’ll work together and give ourselves permission to disagree...
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Speakers

Tim Scottberg

Associate Director, WRCCS

Tim Scottberg is the Associate Director for the Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools (WRCCS), a statewide program housed at CESA 9. He is dedicated to fostering high quality teaching practices, leadership, administration, and authorizing. Tim also leads the Center for High... Read More →

Monday June 15, 2026 1:15pm - 4:00pm CDT

All

2:45pm CDT

Framework for Charter Contract Renewal Process and Decision-making (Room - B.F. Carter)

Monday June 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT

The charter renewal process is the primary method to ensure that schools are meeting performance expectations. As an authorizer, developing and implementing a clearly defined, rigorous, and transparent renewal process is essential for maintaining high quality charter schools.In this session, experienced authorizer representatives will share best practices for designing and implementing charter...
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Speakers

Bridget Schock

Director, Contracted School Services, Milwaukee Public Schools

Framework for Charter Contract Renewal Process and Decision Making pptx

MPS Charter School Performance Framework 26 27 DRAFT docx

MPS CHARTER SCHOOL RENEWAL PROCESS 26 27 docx

Monday June 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT

Authorizer

2:45pm CDT

Navigating Charter Contract Renewals (Room - Thistle)

Monday June 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT

** SLIDES **The charter contracting process is one of the most critical responsibilities of a governance board. Effective board leadership during contracting and renewal directly impacts the school's future, student outcomes, and community trust. In this session, WRCCS Director Sarah Hackett and contracted partner, Chamomile Nusz, will help governance board members navigate the...
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Speakers

Chamomile Nusz

Charter School Consultant, Circle Education

Chamomile Nusz is the owner of Circle Education LLC, a consulting service working to support innovative education. She works with the Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools (WRCCS), supporting the development of high-performing charter schools throughout the state of Wisconsin... Read More →

Sarah Hackett

Director, WRCCS

Sarah Hackett is the Director of the Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools at CESA 9. She earned a PhD from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in Curriculum and Instruction. She is a graduate of the rural public school system in Wautoma, Wisconsin, and the small but mighty... Read More →

Monday June 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT

Governance Board

2:45pm CDT

Expanding the Definition of Student Achievement (Room - Evelyn)

Monday June 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT

Expanding the Definition of Student AchievementAll educators know student achievement involves more than standardized test results, yet we struggle to articulate and implement an expanded definition. Join WRCCS Associate Director Dan Lathrop for this session designed specifically for charter school leaders and teachers. We'll focus on:Incorporating character, high quality work, and...
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Speakers

Dan Lathrop

Associate Director, WRCCS

Monday June 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT

Teacher

2:45pm CDT

Promising Practices in Project-Based Learning (Room - Henrietta)

Monday June 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT

Promising Practices in Project-Based LearningInnovation and student-centered approaches are at the heart of the missions of charter schools across the state, and project-based learning is a commonly used instructional model. This session is designed specifically for teachers in project-based classrooms and will focus on promising strategies and classroom practices to maximize student outcomes. Key...
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Speakers

Zaynab Baalbaki

Charter School Consultant, ZB Consulting/WRCCS/TPS

Zaynab Baalbaki is extremely passionate about social justice, especially in education. She was teacher-advisor at Escuela Verde in Milwaukee, a teacher-powered school that focuses on social justice, sustainability, and peace. She is the founder of ZB Consulting as the lead justice... Read More →

WRCCS Summit 2026 pptx

Management Platform Services and Vendors docx

Monday June 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT

Teacher

4:00pm CDT

Wrap-Up & Closing Session W/ WRCCS Team

Monday June 15, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm CDT

** SLIDES **

Monday June 15, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm CDT

All

8:00am CDT

Arrival / Check-In

Tuesday June 16, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am CDT

** SLIDES **

Tuesday June 16, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am CDT

All

8:30am CDT

Welcome and Goal-Setting

Tuesday June 16, 2026 8:30am - 9:00am CDT

** SLIDES **

Tuesday June 16, 2026 8:30am - 9:00am CDT

All

9:15am CDT

Strategic Planning as an Authorizer (Room - Anna)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am CDT

The partnership between Authorizer and Charter School hinges on clear communication and shared goals. One way to capture this is through an effective strategic plan. Attend this session to learn about how one district authorizer partnered with WRCCS and the charter school Governance Council to develop a continuous improvement plan that is a beacon for charter school growth. We will explain our...
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Speakers

Tera Rogers

Director of Business Services, Cedar Grove-Belgium School District

David Friend

Director of Rocket Academy Charter School, Rocket Academy

Liz Freeman

Superintendent, Cedar Grove-Belgium School District

WRCCS 2026 Strategic Planning pdf

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am CDT

Authorizer

9:15am CDT

Taking on the Year of Design (Room - Henrietta)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am CDT

Taking on the Year of DesignThe design year is one of the most exciting, and demanding, phases in launching a successful charter school. This critical time before the doors open is when your founding team turns vision into reality: defining mission-aligned academic models, building systems for culture and operations, designing rigorous curriculum, establishing governance structures, recruiting...
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Speakers

Zaynab Baalbaki

Charter School Consultant, ZB Consulting/WRCCS/TPS

12 Month Charter School Planning Year Timeline pdf

WRCCS Summit 2026 Taking on the Year of Design pdf

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am CDT

Design Team

9:15am CDT

Celebrating Impact Through Annual Local Reports (Room - Thistle)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am CDT

** SLIDES ** How do you know whether your school is doing well? How do you explain what makes your school unique? Are you serving your community the way you intended? Creating a local report card, or annual report, allows students, families, staff, board, authorizer, and community a chance to better understand the celebrations of impact and success of your school. In this session we will talk...
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Speakers

Sarah Hackett

Director, WRCCS

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am CDT

Governance Board

9:15am CDT

Creating Connected, High-Quality Virtual Classrooms (Room - Evelyn)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am CDT

Creating Connected, High-Quality Virtual ClassroomsJoin Melissa Schiek and Linda Schuerman from the Wisconsin Digital Learning Collaborative (WDLC) as they unpack what high-quality online learning looks like in 2026 and explore what it takes to manage a virtual classroom that supports both learning and belonging. They will share best practices for setting clear expectations, encouraging respectful...
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Speakers

Linda Schuerman

Associate Director, CESA 9 - Wisconsin Virtual School

Linda Schuerman has over three decades of experience in education, first as a high school social studies teacher and then as an instructional leader in Wisconsin. Her teaching career included brick and mortar instruction at Middleton High School as well as online instruction with... Read More →

Melissa Schiek

Partner Success Coordinator, Wisconsin eSchool Network

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am CDT

Teacher

9:15am CDT

Redesigning PBL - An Immersive Project Design Experience (Room - KM Hutchinson)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am CDT

What does authentic student voice really look like in Project-Based Learning? If you’ve worked in a PBL environment, you’ve likely experienced both ends of the spectrum: highly teacher-directed projects and completely student-led experiences. While each approach offers benefits, both can also create challenges. So how do we strike the right balance between student ownership and purposeful...
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Speakers

Tim Scottberg

Associate Director, WRCCS

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am CDT

Teacher, Design

9:15am CDT

School Playbook - Implementing Your Innovation and Ensuring Sustainability (Double Session) (Room - Paul L.))

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:15am - 12:00pm CDT

NOTE: This is a double session and spans two presentation time slots. If you sign up for this session, you will be unable to attend a different presentation at the 10:45 time slot. Move from your school’s purpose and mission to execution by transforming your school’s innovation into a clear, actionable playbook. In this practice, hands-on workshop, your team will build a shared...
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Speakers

Nick Pretasky

Founder, Listener, and Coach, Humanistic Leadership

School Playbook WRCCS Summit 2026 pdf

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:15am - 12:00pm CDT

Leadership

10:45am CDT

High-Quality Authorizing in Action: How Epicenter Helps You Turn Best Practices into Daily Practice (Room - KM Hutchinson)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

Great authorizing is about far more than collecting documents and checking compliance boxes. The strongest authorizers build systems that help schools thrive, support smarter oversight, create transparency, and make day-to-day work more manageable for both authorizers and schools. But in reality, many offices are juggling scattered spreadsheets, overflowing inboxes, inconsistent processes, and...
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Speakers

Heather Wendling

Vice President of Professional Services, National Charter Schools Institute (NCSI)

Hi! I’m Heather. I work with charter school boards, authorizers, and school leaders across the country on governance, accountability, strategic planning, school quality reviews, and authorizing practices. Before joining the Institute, I worked at NACSA, WestEd, and the SUNY Charter... Read More →

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

Authorizer

10:45am CDT

Early Years of Running a Charter School (Room - Henrietta)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

WRCCS is partnering with Teacher Powered Schools, a branch of Education Evolving, to support charter school leaders in their first few years of being a charter leader and/or being a charter leader at their current schools. The Fellowship Purpose: By identifying promising new charter schools for strategic support, WRCCS aims to ensure these teams successfully navigate their first five years...
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Speakers

Amy Junge

Director of Teacher-Powered Schools, Education Evolving

Amy is a former California public elementary and middle school teacher and assistant principal. She started working with teacher-powered schools in 2009 and was a contributing author for Trusting Teachers with School Success: What Happens When Teachers Call the Shots. Today, Amy supports... Read More →

Zaynab Baalbaki

Charter School Consultant, ZB Consulting/WRCCS/TPS

Skylar Primm

Teacher-Powered Coach, Teacher-Powered Schools

Skylar L. Primm (he/him) is a coach for Teacher-Powered Schools and the lead teacher at Koshkonong Trails School in Cambridge, Wisconsin, a public charter school focused on environmental and agricultural learning. He has taught in place- and project-based schools since 2009, an... Read More →

Slides for New Charter Schools – WRCCS 2026 pdf

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

Design Team

10:45am CDT

Discovering Continuous Improvement for Advanced Boards (Room - Thistle)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

** SLIDES **Discovering Continuous Improvement for Advanced Boards explores how experienced charter school governance boards can move beyond compliance and into a culture of reflective leadership, strategic growth, and long-term sustainability. Designed for seasoned board members and school leaders, this session will examine how high-functioning boards use continuous improvement practices to...
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Speakers

Sarah Hackett

Director, WRCCS

Chamomile Nusz

Charter School Consultant, Circle Education

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

Governance Board

10:45am CDT

We Are All In This Together: How to Build a Talent Pipeline from Kindergarten to Career (Room - Anna)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

In this presentation, Dr. Angie Andersson, from KTEC Schools of Innovation, will challenge the traditional viewpoint that career-connected technical education starts in high school or later. Through audience participation, she'll explore the importance of building an intentional system of technical education that begins in early childhood education. Dr. Andersson will address the need to change...
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Speakers

Angela Andersson

CEO / Executive Director, KTEC Schools of Innovation

Dr. Angela Andersson graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts and a Ph.D both in political science. She taught at Loyola University Chicago before starting to teach in Kenosha Unified School District in 2000; Angela made this switch to teach at a level where she... Read More →

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

Teacher

10:45am CDT

You're a Charter School, but You Still Have To... (Room - Evelyn)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

Charter schools offer the opportunity for flexibility and innovation, but are still public schools that are accountable to the same laws, regulations, and professional standards as other schools. Understanding these expectations helps teachers deliver excellent instruction and leaders to fulfill the school’s mission, all while maintaining compliance and avoiding unintended pitfalls. This session...
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Speakers

Liz Sanger-Kukkan

Associate Director of Continuous School Improvement, CESA 9

You're a Charter School But You Still Have To... pdf

Special Education in WI Charter Schools Google Docs (1) pdf

Curriculum and Assessments in WI Charter Schools Google Docs (1) pdf

ACT 20 in WI Charter Schools Google Docs (1) pdf

ACT 20 & Students with IEPs in WI Charter Schools pdf

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

Teacher

12:00pm CDT

Lunch

Tuesday June 16, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT

Lunch with colleagues and new friends at the Summit - one of the best parts of coming together to learn, connect, and share ideas. Grateful for the conversations, laughter, and inspiration happening around every table! If you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know as soon as possible and we will do our best to accommodate you. Lunch Menu:Fire roasted tortilla soupSpanish rice &...
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Tuesday June 16, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT

All

1:00pm CDT

WICSA Legislative Updates (Room - Thistle)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT

In this session, Jim Bender, the Executive Director for Wisconsin Independent Charter School Advocates (WICSA) will provide timely and in-depth updates on legislative developments, policy priorities, and advocacy efforts impacting independent charter schools across the state. This session will include:Insights into the current budget cycleRecent and upcoming legislative action affecting...
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Speakers

Jim Bender

WICSA

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT

All

1:00pm CDT

Authorizing as a Solution for Your Community Needs (Room - KM Hutchinson)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT

Charter school authorizing is a powerful tool for responding to local educational gaps and delivering innovative, high-quality public school options tailored to the unique needs of students and families in your community. In this session, Associate Director Tim Scottberg will explore how authorizers can position themselves as proactive problem solvers of issues facing the community. Topics will...
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Speakers

Tim Scottberg

Associate Director, WRCCS

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT

Authorizer

1:00pm CDT

How to Navigate Corrective Actions with Your Schools (Room - Henrietta)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT

Key responsibilities of charter school authorizers include upholding high standards of academic performance, legal compliance, and fiscal responsibility. When charter schools do not meet standards in any of these areas, implementing corrective actions is essential to promote student achievement, maintain the trust of families and the community, and foster school improvement without immediately...
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Speakers

Adrienne Woods

Director, UW-Milwaukee

I've been an educator for 32 years working as a high school English teacher, school counselor and district-level administrator. I worked closely with charter schools for about 17 years and led charter offices for the last 13 years. I have knowledge and experience with instrumentality... Read More →

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT

Authorizer

1:00pm CDT

Actions of Productive Governance Boards (Rooms - Evelyn/Anna)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT

Effective charter school governance is the foundation of strong schools and sustainable success. This session will focus on concrete actions that high-performing governing boards take to lead strategically, ensure accountability, and drive mission-aligned results. Join WRCCS Associate Director Dan Lathrop to examine key practices of productive boards, including:Building a strong partnership with...
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Speakers

Dan Lathrop

Associate Director, WRCCS

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT

Governance Board

1:00pm CDT

Northeast Wisconsin School of Innovation Presentation (Room - B.F. Carter)

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT

To cultivate a truly innovative school environment, five key structures must be intentionally developed and sustained. Proficiency ensures that learning is focused on mastery rather than time, allowing students to progress based on demonstrated understanding. GLEAM supports Grade Level, Engaging, Affirming, and Meaningful interdisciplinary, real-world learning experiences that engage students in...
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Speakers

Jason Johnson

Administrator of Northeast Wisconsin School of Innovation, Northeast Wisconsin School of Innovation

In 2019 we started a Proficiency-Based Education School in Green Bay, Wisconsin for students in grades 7-10 &12. Over the next two years our school expanded to 7-12. . Over the last 9 years we have helped more than 1000 students earn their diploma. Beginning with the 25/26 school... Read More →

2026 N.E.W. Charter School Presentation pptx

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT

Leadership

2:15pm CDT

Team Time and Wrap-up

Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm CDT

** SLIDES **

Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm CDT

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