Category: Event Type

Date:     February 11, 2026
Time:     9:00am - 3:00pm

LOCATION: WRESA   
          200 Ridgefield Ct, Suite 206
          Asheville, NC 28806

FEE:      $45 WRESA Members
          $70 Non-members 

LIMIT:    40 Participants

Description:

This one-day session focuses on teachers/administrators who have taught 0 – 30 years and want assistance with critical retirement information and decision making before they retire.  This session will review the implications and repercussions of early-mid career decisions, laws, policies and processes, benefit options and investment plans.  Whether you are just starting your career or close to the end- you will learn how to maximize your benefits and be ready to make better decisions for the future. The workshop will be conducted by Mr. Ayers, April Spencer and Deborah Rapetski.  You will leave the day tired, but much better informed.

If you have questions, contact April at aspencer@wresa.org

If you are unsure whether your school system is a WRESA member, click  WRESA MEMBER List.

REGISTER

Date:     February 10, 2026       
Time:     9:00am – 3:00pm 
Type:     In-Person

Location: WRESA   
          200 Ridgefield Ct, Suite 206
          Asheville, NC 28806

Fee:      $75   WRESA Members  
          $115  Non-members

**NOTE: We have a No Refund policy for our WRESA courses. However, you
are welcome to send a colleague in your place. Contact LaDonna Sluder
at lsluder@wresa.org or 828-774-5681 (ext 102) if you need to change
the name of the person attending.

CEUs:     5 Contact Hours 
Limit:    50 Participants
Audience: K-5 Teachers and Curriculum Coaches
What to Bring: Your own device

Description:   Grades K–5 Workshop
Give your students a daily boost in mathematical thinking with number sense routines—engaging,
5–20 minute activities that fit seamlessly into your schedule. In this interactive workshop, Meredith will
share practical strategies to:
● Help students make sense of mathematics and communicate their ideas.
● Develop efficiency and flexibility in computation.
● Foster reasoning, justification, and connections across mathematical concepts.

These quick routines are among the most effective tools for building procedural fluency from
conceptual understanding—and students love them! Come discover how to incorporate number
sense routines into your daily practice and watch your class grow in accuracy, flexibility, and
confidence.

Presenter:
Meredith Stanley is a K–8 math specialist who partners with schools and districts
across North Carolina to provide student-centered professional learning. A former
elementary classroom teacher and instructional coach in Buncombe County, Meredith is
a two-time finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and
Science Teaching, a Buncombe County Teacher of the Year, a Buncombe County
Math Teacher of the Year, and a National Board–certified educator. She earned her
Master of Mathematics Teaching from Mount Holyoke College, where she also serves
as an instructor.
Meredith’s passion is helping students and teachers see themselves as confident,
capable mathematicians—a mission that drives all of her professional work. Learn more
and explore her recommended instructional resources at meredith4math.com.

Contact Candie Sellers csellers@wresa.org if you have questions.

If you are unsure whether your school system is a WRESA member, click  WRESA MEMBER List. 

REGISTER

Date:     November 18, 2025  
Time:     9:00am – 3:00pm 
 
Type:     In-Person

Location: Western Carolina University
          Blue Ridge Hall (Conference Room on the First Floor)
          515 Centennial Dr
          Cullowhee, NC 28723

***Note that parking directions will be provided in an 
email closer to the time of the event.

Fee:      $25
          NCNTSP Participants: FREE-Contact your BT Coordinator for code

**NOTE: We have a No Refund policy for our WRESA courses. However, you
are welcome to send a colleague in your place. Contact LaDonna Sluder at
lsluder@wresa.org or 828-774-5681 (ext 102) if you need to change the 
name of the person attending.

CEUs:     5 Contact Hours 
Limit:    200 Participants
Audience: K-12 Educators
What to Bring: A charged device           

Description:

Through teaching and coaching in classrooms with many behavioral challenges for almost 30 years, Amie knows what works to help students succeed. Her goals have always included helping students build confidence, promoting social emotional literacy, and teaching positive habits that will help them be successful adults. The strategies shared in this course are practical, simple, and proven. Behavior Interventions that Work is Amie’s most requested course.

Topics covered in this course:

• Setting up a classroom system
• Setting up a positive classroom community
• Purpose of behavior
• Building motivation in your students
• Dealing with defiance and maintaining self-control
• Consistency – Setting up a Classroom Discipline Cycle
• Minimizing noise with group contingencies

Presenter: Amie Dean

Amie is also the author of four books, including her workbook, Your Roadmap for Creating a Positive Classroom Community, which includes over 200 pages of strategies and ideas for building a positive classroom community and responding to behavior. She has worked with thousands of teachers across the U. S. and is thrilled to work with Western Carolina University and WRESA!

If you have additional questions, contact Jill Chambers at jchambers@wresa.org 

If you are unsure whether your school system is a WRESA member, click  WRESA MEMBER List.

REGISTER

Date:     November 18, 2025
Time:     9:00am – 3:00pm 
Type:     In-Person

Location: Holiday Inn Asheville Biltmore West (Forest Ballroom) 
          435 Smokey Park Highway
          Asheville, NC 28806

Fee:      $100 WRESA Members

**NOTE: We have a No Refund policy for our WRESA courses. However, you
are welcome to send a colleague in your place. Contact LaDonna Sluder
at lsluder@wresa.org or 828-774-5681 (ext 102) if you need to change
the name of the person attending.  

CEUs:     5 Contact Hours
Limit:    90 Participants
Audience: K-5 teachers, EC teachers, interventionists, coaches, SLPs, and psychologists
What to Bring: Your own device 

Description:

MTSS is the framework for implementing the science of reading. Without
teams using data in a structured process for making decisions, MTSS may
become random acts of improvement that aren’t integrated with local
needs and resources.

Participants will learn:
• the definition and components of MTSS for reading improvement
• the characteristics of and processes used by effective teams
• the characteristics of tiered supports and how to evaluate their
effectiveness
• the common MTSS misconceptions and missteps and how to avoid
or correct them

This workshop supports implementation of the concepts, actions and tools
contained in the book, MTSS For Reading Improvement by Sarah Brown
and Stephanie Stollar. Reading the book ahead of time is not required but
will enhance the learning experience. Participants are encouraged to
attend as a Building Leadership Teams including representation from
building leadership, classroom teachers (general education and special
education, and support staff (interventionists, SLPs, school psychologists,
coaches, etc.)

Presenter: Stephanie Stollar

Stephanie Stollar is passionate about using MTSS as the framework for helping all students
become skilled readers. Her books include MTSS for Reading Improvement, Promoting Effective
MTSS Implementation, and Reading Assessment Done Right. She’s the founder of the Reading
Science Academy, an online community where over a thousand educators support each other to
improve results in their schools. She supports effective educator preparation through her
work with the National Council on Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) network,
STARS in Higher Education.
Dr. Stollar serves on the boards of the Evidence Advocacy Center and the Innovations in
Education Consortium. Her past roles include Assistant Professor, Vice President at Acadience
Learning, Inc., consultant to hundreds of schools, and School Psychologist.
Dr. Stollar believes that by supporting all educators, high achievement is possible for every
student.

If you have additional questions, contact Candie Sellers at csellers@wresa.org55

If you are unsure whether your school system is a WRESA member, click  WRESA MEMBER List.    

REGISTRATION TEMPORARILY CLOSED

Date:     October 22, 2025
Time:     9:00am – 3:00pm 
Type:     In-Person

Location: WRESA   
          200 Ridgefield Ct, Suite 206
          Asheville, NC 28806

Fee:      $45  WRESA Members  
          $70  Non-members

**NOTE: We have a No Refund policy for our WRESA courses. However, you
are welcome to send a colleague in your place. Contact LaDonna Sluder
at lsluder@wresa.org or 828-774-5681 (ext 102) if you need to change
the name of the person attending.

CEUs:     5 Contact Hours 
Limit:    45 Participants
Audience: Secondary Educators - Teachers, Coaches 
What to Bring: Your own device

Description: 

This full-day interactive workshop is designed to deepen secondary educators’ understanding of multilingual learners (MLs) and equip them with effective strategies to support English language development and academic success across content areas. Through a combination of research-based theory, hands-on activities, collaboration, and reflection, participants will explore the stages of language acquisition, discover practical approaches to differentiation, and learn quick, high-impact ways to modify instruction for MLs without compromising rigor.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Understand the stages of second language acquisition and how they impact learning.
• Identify common challenges faced by multilingual learners in secondary classrooms.
• Apply instructional strategies that support both content mastery and language development.
• Differentiate instruction using accessible tools and scaffolds.
• Make quick, purposeful modifications to classroom materials and activities.
• Build a more inclusive and responsive classroom environment for MLs.

Presenter:  

Angie Eudy Ledford is an experienced educator with a deep commitment to supporting teachers and students across North Carolina. She currently serves as the NCDPI Regional Education Facilitator for the Western Region where she provides training and support for Beginning Teacher Programs. She has a background in instructional coaching, having served as an ESL and High School Instructional Coach for Henderson County Public Schools. As a School Improvement Specialist, she led collaborative planning sessions and data-driven strategies to enhance instructional outcomes. Her teaching career spans multiple subjects, including French, ESL, Language Arts, and Social Studies. 

Angie’s expertise extends to professional development, having worked with districts across the Western Region to deliver culturally sensitive and effective instructional training for Multilingual Learners. She holds National Board Certification in English as a New Language and has served as a scorer and trainer for Pearson’s National Board Certification program.

If you have additional questions, contact Jill Chambers at jchambers@wresa.org

If you are unsure whether your school system is a WRESA member, click  WRESA MEMBER List. 

REGISTER

Date:     October  9, 2025    Day #1  (MUST ATTEND BOTH SESSIONS)
          January 14, 2026    Day #2  (MUST ATTEND BOTH SESSIONS)
 
Time:     9:00am – 3:00pm 
Type:     In-Person

Location: WRESA   
          200 Ridgefield Ct, Suite 206
          Asheville, NC 28806

Fee:      $100 for both sessions -  WRESA Members  
          $150 for both sessions -  Non-members

**NOTE: We have a No Refund policy for our WRESA courses. However, you
are welcome to send a colleague in your place. Contact LaDonna Sluder
at lsluder@wresa.org or 828-774-5681 (ext 102) if you need to change
the name of the person attending.

CEUs:     10 Contact Hours 
Limit:    45 Participants
Audience: 5th Grade Teachers and Coaches
What to Bring: Your own device

Description:

Digging into the New 5th Grade Science Standards is a dynamic two-day experience designed to move beyond surface-level understanding and immerse teachers in the core ideas and practices of the new science standards. Participants will learn how Science and Engineering Practices can be lifted in their classrooms using phenomenon-based learning, student discourse, and the Ambitious Science Teaching Framework. This will be a two-day workshop with time between sessions.

Presenter:

Carla Billups has worked for over 34 years in elementary science education as a
teacher in Haywood County Schools and the Elementary STEM Coach for Buncombe
County Schools where she worked to implement and design curriculum for 24
elementary STEM labs. Prior to this work, she was an elementary Math and Science
teacher for 6 years of her 26 years as an elementary school teacher. Carla has also
been an adjunct instructor for Western Carolina University where she taught Elementary
Science Methods. She was an instructor for the ExxonMobil Teachers Academy for 14
years and for AIMS Education Foundation for 23 years. She served as the president of
the North Carolina Science Leadership Association and co-authored, the Fungus
Among Us, the Good, the Bad, and the Downright Scary made NSTA’s Outstanding
Science Trade book list in 2017. She has received the North Carolina SMT’s
Outstanding Instructional Leader Award, NCSLA’s Michael C. Jackson Distinguished
Service Award, and NCSTA’s Jo Duckett Wallace Elementary Distinguished Service
Award.

Jennifer Redfearn, Ed.D. joined the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of
Teaching in August of 2023 in the capacity of Senior STEM Specialist. In this role, she
supports teachers across the state of North Carolina with professional development and
curriculum development regarding the New North Carolina Science Standards. Before
joining NCCAT, Dr. Redfearn served with Guilford County Schools as a high school
science teacher and central office administrator. She was recently honored with the
Distinguished Service in Science Education in North Carolina Award from the North
Carolina Science Teachers Association, and the Education Award from the National
Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Inc., Greater
Greensboro Chapter. Redfearn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a
Master of Arts in Teaching degree in Biology Education, both from North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University. She also holds a Doctorate in Curriculum
and Instruction, Secondary Education from Liberty University.

If you have additional questions, contact Candie Sellers at csellers@wresa.org

If you are unsure whether your school system is a WRESA member, click  WRESA MEMBER List.    

REGISTER