Category: Uncategorized

Responsibility-Centered Discipline: 2025

Posted on by Richard Gabriel 
Date:     September 23, 2025
Time:     8:30am-3:30pm

Location: The North Carolina Arboretum
          100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way
          Asheville, NC 28806

Fee:      $ 50 WRESA Members
          $100 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:     6 Contact Hours
Limit:    65 Participants
Audience: Teachers, Principals, Assistant Principals, and other Educational Leaders
What to Bring? Your own device

Description:

Back for a third time due to its popularity, this session delves into the challenges of working with difficult students.  Working with demanding and disruptive students is not a new challenge for educators. However, there are current concerns being voiced regarding the changing nature and intensity of behaviors of these students. Some educators are reporting increases in selfish, manipulative, and hostile behaviors while others are noticing more students who are overly anxious and/or difficult to engage. Even well-season educators can sometimes have their “feathers ruffled” by certain students in certain situations. This seminar is designed to assist all educators with identifying and addressing these and other issues that affect the academic and behavioral progress of the students with whom they work. This power-packed seminar will provide you with up-to-date insights and strategies for reaching and helping those young people who seem to evoke the strongest feeling of frustration, hurt, and sometimes discouragement in professional educators. 

Presenter: Larry Thompson, M.ED

Our presenter for the day is Larry Thompson. He is often called upon to deliver keynote presentations for state and national education conferences because of his knowledge, humor and passion for assisting today’s students. He has helped thousands of educators and schools break away from their traditional discipline models to a model that creates a responsible climate and responsible students. Larry has served in a wide variety of roles in education – from special education teacher to alternative and traditional high school principal. Larry understands that systems must be created that can be realistically implemented and sustained. 

For additional information/ questions contact Jill Chambers jchambers@wresa.org

REGISTER

 

WRESA Regional AIG Credentials Course – 2025

Posted on by Richard Gabriel 
Date:     July 23 & 24, 2025
Time:     9:00am-3:00pm 
Type:     In-person  

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

Fee:      $85 WRESA Members Only

**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.

Audience: K-12 Classroom Teachers, (Licensed AIG Specialists are welcome) 
CEUs: 10 Contact hours
What to Bring: Charged device

Description:

AIG Coordinators across the NC Western Region have recognized the need for classroom teachers to understand the unique characteristics and needs of gifted learners. In this 2-day course, teachers will review and understand their own district-specific Academically/Intellectually Gifted Services Plans. They will learn how to recognize the characteristics of gifted learners and understand their unique learning needs. Differentiation strategies for the regular classroom will be a focus and teachers will leave with tools for planning, working in PLCs, and using differentiation strategies in their classrooms.

Participants will receive a WRESA Regional AIG Credentials certificate. While it is important to note that this is not NC AIG Licensure, it will provide a practical level of knowledge and skill that will benefit gifted and advanced learners in classrooms across the region. These credentials will be recognized and accepted by the WRESA member school systems. Stephanie Knox, the AIG/Advanced Learning Lead Specialist for Buncombe County schools will be leading this workshop.

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

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

REGISTER

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt – Online Book Study

Posted on by Richard Gabriel 
Type:  Online and Self-Paced

Cost:  $45 - WRESA Members
       $70 - Non-members 

CEUs:  20 Contact Hours

This course examines the influence of  smartphone usage on young people growing up in a society that is dependent on digital devices. After each section, which will consist of reading 1-2 chapters in the book, you will write a summary about specific topics in that section. This is a self-paced course. You will be responsible for purchasing the book.

For more information, please contact Jan Webster at jwebster@wresa.org

***IMPORTANT NOTE:  Prior to registering, we encourage you to watch one of the registration help videos if you haven’t taken an Online Course with WRESA or if you need a refresher on the process.  Follow the directions below to view one of the videos:

1)  If you DO NOT have a WRESA account (which means you have not taken an online course with us), click on the following help video for how to register and enroll as a New User: Help Video for a New User.

2)  If you have taken an online course with us previously and already have a WRESA account, click on the following help video for how to add a course to your account as a Returning User: Help Video for a Returning User.

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

 

REGISTER

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt – Online Book Study

Posted on by Richard Gabriel

Register below. If you are a New User (which means that this is the first WRESA Online course you have taken),  enter an email and password in the form below and click “Submit”. Please record your email and password for future reference.

If you are a Returning User (which means you have already taken one of our online courses and thus, have a WRESA login with an email and password ),  scroll down to the Returning User registration for instructions.

If you have questions, please contact lsluder@wresa.org or 828-774-5681 ext. 102.

New User:

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt: Online Book Study - New User

Name
Email
Password

Returning User:

If you have previously registered for a WRESA Online Learning Course and have a username and password, login with your username and password in the top left corner. After logging in, fill out the information under Returning User, and click “Submit”.

Oops! You need to be logged in to use this form.

WRESA Summer Leadership Conference June 25-26, 2025

Posted on by Richard Gabriel

🌟 Join Us for the 2025 WRESA Summer Conference! 🌟
June 25-27, 2025 | Embassy Suites, Downtown Asheville, NC

Education leaders from across North Carolina, it’s time to rise to the challenge! The 2025 WRESA Summer Conference promises an inspiring and transformative experience for educators, administrators, and leaders committed to shaping the future of education. With the theme “Rising to the Challenge”, we’ll explore innovative strategies, tackle pressing issues, and cultivate leadership skills that drive meaningful change in our schools and communities.

Nestled in the vibrant heart of Asheville, this conference offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect, collaborate, and recharge in a stunning setting. Whether you’re looking for fresh ideas, hands-on workshops, or meaningful networking opportunities, the 2025 WRESA Summer Conference will equip you with the tools to meet today’s educational challenges head-on.

Don’t miss out on this essential event to elevate your impact and lead with purpose.

Embassy Suites and DoubleTree Hotel Room Reservation Information: The group rate for blocked rooms is $174. The codes will be in your registration confirmation email. Choose your dates and then click update for the conference rate.

Early Bird PriceAfter May 1, 2025
$275$325

Participant Registration Full

Superintendent Registration

Sponsorships FULL

AGENDA

 

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Leading the Way: School Administrators and the IDEA

Posted on by Richard Gabriel 
Date:     September 9, 2025 (Rescheduled from the Original December 10, 2024 date)
Time:     9:00am – 3:00pm 
Type:     In-Person

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

Fee:      No Fee
Audience: K-12 School Administrators
CEUS:     5 Contact Hours

Description:

This full-day professional development seeks to challenge aspiring administrators and school
administrators to examine the impact of their leadership on the educational and functional
outcomes of students with disabilities within their schools. The session will address the many
facets that face school administrators as they lead schools that support the education of
students with disabilities, such as the impact of their leadership on the instruction, curriculum
and environment for students with disabilities within their schools.
During the session we will examine implementation of IDEA and NC Policies through a
leadership style and school culture lens. We will provide support for administrators in
deepening their understanding of state and federal IDEA regulations as well as implementation
of specially designed instruction, services and programs for students with disabilities.

Presenters:
Teri Queen currently serves as the Northwest and Western Region Literacy Consultant for the
North Carolina Public Schools Office of Exceptional Children for the Program Improvement and
Professional Development section. In this role, she facilitates building capacity and
sustainability of the NC State Improvement Project grant through systems level coaching. In
addition to providing guidance in the data driven continuous improvement needs, she works
with professional, parent, and service organizations and Institutions of Higher Education to
promote appropriate public education and improved services for students with disabilities for
North Carolina Public Schools and private Universities. Teri has previously served as an
Exceptional Children Director, EC Program Specialist, EC Instructional Facilitator, Federal
Programs Coordinator, Exceptional Children Transition Specialist, Accountability Coordinator
and an Exceptional Children Teacher in North Carolina and Virginia over the course of 26 years.

Kelly Doppke is an IDEA Consultant for the Western Region with the Office of Exceptional
Children, where she provides regional support to EC leadership and school teams in LEAs and
Charters across the area. Originally from South Carolina, Kelly moved to Western North Carolina
with her family in 2007. She holds an undergraduate degree in Elementary, Early Childhood,
and Special Education from Lander University, a Master of Education from Southern Wesleyan
University, and a Post-Master’s Certificate in School Administration from Western Carolina
University.
Kelly’s favorite job, aside from her current role, was serving as a camp counselor at Camp
Spearhead, a camp for children and adults with special needs in upstate South Carolina.
Throughout her career as a teacher, program specialist, and EC director, Kelly developed a deep
passion for creating inclusive systems for students with disabilities. Her leadership focus is on
reducing exclusionary practices for students with challenging behaviors and finding ways to
ensure equitable opportunities for all students.

Traci Royal currently serves as the IDEA Consultant for the Northwest region with the Office of
Exceptional Children. In this role, she directly supports EC Directors and Charter Coordinators
and their staff through professional development, coaching, and technical assistance in all areas
related to the provision of special education services as well as overall program evaluation and
improvement. Traci serves on the NW Regional Support Team as well. Prior to transitioning to
NCDPI in this role in 2020, Traci served in both small and large school districts as an elementary
and high school EC teacher across multiple educational settings, assistant EC Director, EC
Director, and Executive EC Director.

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

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

REGISTER

Responsibility-Centered Discipline (Slider)

Posted on by Webster 
Date: September 19, 2024
Time: 8:30am-3:30pm

Location: WCU at Biltmore Park - Room #346
          28 Schenck Parkway
          Asheville, NC 28803

Fee: $ 50 WRESA Members
     $100 Non-member

**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

Sponsored  BY:  WRESA and Dogwood Health Grant
200 Ridgefield Court, Suite 206,  Asheville, NC 28806
Phone: 828-774-5681 

Audience: Teachers, Principals, Assistant Principals, and other Educational Leaders
Limit:    65 Participants
CEUs:      6 Contact hours
What to Bring: A charged device

Back for a second time due to its popularity, this session delves into the challenges of working with difficult students.  Working with demanding, and disruptive students is not a new challenge for educators.  However, there are current concerns being voiced regarding the changing nature and intensity of behaviors of these students.  Some educators are reporting increases in selfish, manipulative, and hostile behaviors while others are noticing more students who are overly anxious and/or difficult to engage.  Even well-season educators can sometimes have their “feathers ruffled” by certain students in certain situations. This seminar is designed to assist all educators with identifying and addressing these and other issues that affect the academic and behavioral progress of the students with whom they work.  This power-packed seminar will provide you with up-to-date insights and strategies for reaching and helping those young people who seem to evoke the strongest feeling of frustration, hurt, and sometimes discouragement in professional educators.  

Presenter: Larry Thompson, M.ED

Our presenter for the day is Larry Thompson. He is often called upon to deliver keynote presentations for state and national education conferences because of his knowledge, humor and passion for assisting today’s students.  He has helped thousands of educators and schools break away from their traditional discipline models to a model that creates a responsible climate and responsible students.  Larry has served in a wide variety of roles in education – from special education teacher to alternative and traditional high school principal.  Larry understands that systems must be created that can be realistically implemented and sustained. 

For additional information/ questions contact April Spencer aspencer@wresa.org

REGISTER

Substitute 101 – Online User Registration

Posted on by Richard Gabriel

Register below. If you are a New User (which means that this is the first WRESA Online course you have taken),  enter an email and password in the form below and click “Submit”. Please record your email and password for future reference.

If you are a Returning User (which means you have already taken one of our online courses and thus, have a WRESA login with an email and password ),  scroll down to the Returning User registration for instructions.

If you have questions, please contact lsluder@wresa.org or 828-774-5681 ext. 102.

New User:

Substitute 101: Online - New User

Substitute 101 Online Course for registrants who need to create a New User account on our WRESA online course platform so they can gain access to work on their course.

Name
Password

Returning User:

If you have previously registered for a WRESA Online Learning Course and have a username and password, login with your username and password in the top left corner. After logging in, fill out the information under Returning User, and click “Submit”.

Oops! You need to be logged in to use this form.

AI: Artificial Intelligence Questions Examined Through “Klara and the Sun” Book Study Registration

Posted on by Richard Gabriel

Register below. If you are a New User (which means that this is the first WRESA Online course you have taken),  enter an email and password in the form below and click “Submit”. Please record your email and password for future reference.

If you are a Returning User (which means you have already taken one of our online courses and thus, have a WRESA login with an email and password ),  scroll down to the Returning User registration for instructions.

If you have questions, please contact lsluder@wresa.org or 828-774-5681 ext. 102.

New User:

AI: Artificial Intelligence Book Study New User

AI: Artificial Intelligence Questions Examined Through "Klara and the Sun" Book Study for registrants to create an account to gain access to the course.

Name
Password

Returning User:

If you have previously registered for a WRESA Online Learning Course and have a username and password, login with your username and password in the top left corner. After logging in, fill out the information under Returning User, and click “Submit”.

Oops! You need to be logged in to use this form.