Free, Live 60-Minute Webinar
Agents of Change: How Collective Educator Agency Accelerates Student Success
Are we providing all students with what they need to be successful?
Reignite your why and hone your power of influence by discovering how educators can band together to move college and career readiness forward for every student they serve.
For over 40 years, AVID has seen that student outcomes improve when school leaders focus on rigorous instruction, insist on access and equity for all students, align work to a common vision, and believe in student potential.
Join us to discover:
- The importance of collective educator agency and hear from AVID educators who chose to be the game-changers for student success.
- How closing the opportunity gaps begins with educators reframing how they see student potential.
- How collective educator agency brings about lasting educational improvement.
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Presented By:
Denise Wren spent 30 years with the Wichita Public Schools, Wichita Kansas. During her time with Wichita, Denise served in a variety of roles from Teacher, Assistant Principal both at Middle and High School, Principal at Pleasant Valley Middle School and Principal at Wichita North High School. While at North, she helped make dramatic changes in a high poverty, urban school which had an 11% drop-out rate and a graduation rate of 49%. During her tenure, the drop-out rate was cut in half and the graduation rate rose to 92%. North has been an AVID National Demonstration School since 2006.
In July of 2006, Denise accepted the responsibility of leading all of Wichita’s high schools as she was promoted to Assistant Superintendent of High Schools. In 2011, Denise was promoted to the position of Chief Operations Officer where she supervised all operations for the Wichita Public Schools. Denise accepted a position with AVID in August, 2012 to help expand leadership and professional learning opportunities for partner districts. Currently, Denise holds the position of Direction of Leadership, Regions Support.
Dr. Janice Warren Currently the Assistant Superintendent for Equity and Pupil Services and AVID District Director for the Pulaski County Special School District (PCSSD) in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dr. Janice Warren oversees 25 AVID sites in the district. Dr. Warren led the charge to be released from federal court supervision after a 39-year desegregation lawsuit in PCSSD. Dr. Warren is a former superintendent (10 years as a superintendent prior to moving to LR), who came out of retirement to assist students and staff in PCSSD. Dr. Warren has 42 years’ experience in public school education, including experience as a classroom teacher, principal, elementary supervisor, curriculum coordinator, equity coordinator, federal programs coordinator, assistant superintendent, and superintendent.
Drew Mundsinger is the AVID Secondary District Director for Community Unit School District 308. He oversees AVID at five junior highs and two high schools. Drew started as the AVD Coordinator at Oswego High School, implementing their first AVID program in 2014. He leads district training on AVID foundational skills to K-12 teachers and administrators, oversees the Tutorology training program, and manages AVID district initiatives for schoolwide implementation. His schools have participated in two Midwest AVID Showcases, demonstrating how AVID instructional supports can increase classroom rigor, develop greater student engagement, and close the opportunity gap.
A lifelong resident and graduate of District 308, Drew has a passion for making generational change in the underserved and underrepresented students of his community. He has worked as an AVID Staff Developer since 2018.
Allison Anderson is the AVID Elementary District Director for Community Unit School District 308. She works with students, teachers, site teams, and administrators across the 14 elementary buildings. Over the past 6 years Allison has collaborated with teachers as well as modeled and co-taught in elementary classes in order to promote the authentic use of AVID strategies in everyday lessons. She has led training for district elementary teachers and administration to ensure that AVID strategies are used with all Kindergarten-5th grade scholars. Her work has helped to lead the district in its goal of AVID implementation in all buildings.
Mrs. Anderson has worked with AVID in a variety of ways. She presented two sessions at the 2019 National Conference focused on elementary Collaborative Study Groups and a created elementary scope and sequence. Allison was an AVID staff developer for the 2021 Summer K-2 Elementary Community of Practice and co-authored an AVID District Director workshop
Tana Sukauskas is the AVID District Director in Bismarck Public Schools in Bismarck, ND. She is in her fourteenth year of Education, and the district is in its eighth year of AVID implementation. Tana began her AVID career as the district’s first AVID Elective teacher and Site Coordinator at Bismarck High School. Since their 2014 implementation, AVID has grown from two sections of the AVID Elective in one high school to 38 sections in 6 secondary schools and expansion into 7 elementary schools, totaling 13 AVID K-12 sites and growing.
Due to AVID’s rapid growth in Bismarck Public Schools, Tana transitioned out of the classroom and into a full-time District Director role beginning the fall of 2021. Tana’s intentional focus on building a system of AVID with quality site coordinators and teachers who also become family has paved the way for a united focus in AVID’s district alignment and work.