Description:

During this work session, we will analyze instructional videos using edTPA
rubrics, select and clip videos, and learn more about expectations for the Task 2
commentary.
We will also begin working on the Task 3 commentary, including identifying and
organizing assessment artifacts.

Presenter: Dr. Myra Watson is an educator whose work focuses on teacher preparation,
early childhood education, and induction support for early-career teachers in North
Carolina. Dr. Watson currently serves as Director of Teacher and Professional
Education at Western Carolina University.

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

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

REGISTER

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Description: 

Leap into the upper strands of the Reading Rope in this engaging session focused on language comprehension. Participants will explore the essential components of morphology, language comprehension, and fluency instruction. Gain practical insights through concrete classroom examples and evidence-aligned instructional routines designed to impact DIBELS outcomes while supporting the current ELA core curriculum. The session will also highlight data collected from a pilot study conducted in Buncombe County Schools during the previous school year.  

Presenters:  

Cynthia Hutchins is a District Title I Literacy Coach with over 15 years of experience in education, specializing in structured literacy and the science of reading. She has served as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and reading specialist in Buncombe County Schools, where she now leads district wide literacy initiatives across 27 Title I schools. Cynthia is passionate about ensuring all students have access to effective, evidence-based reading instruction and works closely with educators to implement high-impact practices, analyze data, and improve student outcomes. She also designs and facilitates professional development, including Fundations and LETRS-aligned training, and has partnered with nationally recognized literacy experts to support teacher growth and student achievement.  

Lisa Lemus is a dedicated educator with over three decades of experience in education. After 32 years in the classroom and five years as an instructional coach, she now serves as a Title I literacy coach, where she is passionate about supporting both students and teachers in developing strong literacy skills. When she’s not working, Lisa enjoys being outdoors and making memories with her family.

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

The post Unlocking Language Comprehension: Navigating the Upper Realms of The Reading Rope (Grades 2-5) * appeared first on WRESA.

Host:     NC Retirement System
Content:  TSERS presentations along with the NC 401K and NC 457 Plans

   Location #1:  

When:     Tuesday, November 17, 2026
Time:     4:00pm - 5:30pm 

Where:    Southwestern Community College
          Myers Auditorium in the Balsam Center
          447 College Drive
          Sylva, NC 28779
 
  Location #2:  

When:     Wednesday, November 18, 2026
Time:     4:00pm - 5:30pm 

Where:    A-B Tech Community College
          Ferguson Auditorium
          17 Tech Drive
          Asheville, NC 28801

The post NC Retirement System Coming to Western NC appeared first on WRESA.

Description: 

This session transforms EVAAS data from numbers on a screen
into a powerful story about student growth and instructional impact.
Participants will gain a clear understanding of how the EVAAS value-added
system works and learn how to interpret and apply its insights to improve
teaching and learning. Through a hands-on exploration of real data, you’ll
leave equipped to turn your school’s data into actionable strategies for student
success.

Presenter: Scott Rhodes

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
Henderson County Public Schools

Mr. Rhodes is in his 34th year in public education. He has served in
Henderson County in various capacities, including teacher, coach, assistant
principal, middle and high school principal, and currently serves as assistant
superintendent for Human Resources.

Mr. Rhodes received his undergraduate degree in Health and Physical
Education from Western Carolina University and his master’s degree in
School Administration from Gardner-Webb University.
Mr. Rhodes was named the 2015 NASSP North Carolina Secondary Principal
of the Year.

Presenter: Kimberly Henderson

Director of Accountability 
Henderson County Public Schools

Mrs. Henderson is in his 29th year in public education. She has served in
Henderson County in various capacities, including math and science teacher,
coach, assistant principal, elementary principal, and currently serves as
director of accountability.

Mrs. Henderson received his undergraduate degree in Math from Gardner
Webb College and his master’s degree in Leadership from Gardner Webb
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

The post Turning Numbers into Narratives: Making EVAAS Work for you appeared first on WRESA.

Description:

During this work session, we will analyze instructional videos using edTPA
rubrics, select and clip videos, and learn more about expectations for the Task 2
commentary.
We will also begin working on the Task 3 commentary, including identifying and
organizing assessment artifacts.

Presenter: Dr. Myra Watson is an educator whose work focuses on teacher preparation,
early childhood education, and induction support for early-career teachers in North
Carolina. Dr. Watson currently serves as Director of Teacher and Professional
Education at Western Carolina University.

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

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

REGISTER

The post edTPA Tasks 2 and 3 appeared first on WRESA.

Description:

Implementation Training: 
The University of Florida Literacy Institute Implementation training will provide
participants with an in-depth overview of the UFLI Foundations program.
The training session will cover essential background knowledge components, the 8
steps of the program, and progress monitoring and differentiation. Participants will have
an opportunity to see lesson steps modeled and engage in hands-on practice with
support.

Presenters: UFLI Staff

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

REGISTER

The post UFLI Implementation appeared first on WRESA.

Description:

Join us on November 20, 2026, at Haywood Community College for PEAK: Purposeful, Ethical
AI for K–12 Learning—a hands-on conference designed to help educators move beyond AI hype and
use emerging tools with intention.
Explore how AI can strengthen human agency, standards-aligned instruction, assessment, accessibility,
and authentic learning. Sessions will help educators build practical skills, create useful teaching tools, and
redesign learning experiences while keeping human judgment at the center. Breakout sessions for
elementary and secondary educators, as well as beginners to experienced AI users. Not more screen time.
More purposeful learning time.

Presenters:

Vera Cubero 
Vera recently retired after 30 years in public education in NC, from the classroom to the state level.  Most
recently, she served as the Emerging Technologies Consultant, where she led the NC AI implementation
and the NC AI Guidelines.  After retiring, she started Cubero Consulting, where she supports districts and
businesses in implementing responsible AI and serves as Strategic K12 Advisor to MagicSchool AI.

Stacy Lovdahl
Stacy Lovdahl is the Western Digital Learning Consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction (NCDPI) and an AI literacy trainer with more than 24 years of experience in educational
technology. A former middle school science teacher and instructional technology facilitator, she helps
educators thoughtfully integrate AI, digital tools, and high-impact instructional practices to strengthen teaching
and learning. Stacy has led professional learning across North Carolina and nationally, empowering educators
to use generative AI in purposeful, ethical and standards-aligned ways.

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

REGISTER

The post PEAK: Purposeful, Ethical AI for K-12 – AI Conference * appeared first on WRESA.

Description:
In this interactive one-day learning experience, educators will explore how to use student
thinking to identify instructional priorities, make key mathematical ideas explicit through
purposeful representations and mathematical language, and design intervention experiences
that include routines, contextual problems, and meaningful practice or games.
Together, we will consider how intervention can go beyond “more practice” to offer students
intentional access to important mathematical ideas. Participants will engage in examples and
plan instructional experiences that connect conceptual understanding, problem solving, fluency,
and communication.

Presenter: 
Meredith Stanley is an independent math coach and specialist for K-8. A former
elementary classroom teacher and instructional coach for Buncombe County, she is a
two-time finalist for the Presidential Award for Math and Science, a Buncombe County
Teacher of the Year, a Buncombe County Math Teacher of the Year, and a National
Board certified teacher. She received her Master’s in Mathematics Teaching from Mount
Holyoke College and currently lives in Asheville with her husband and two children. She
loves to run, hike, and gather random assortments of objects for counting collections.
You can find her (and a bank of her recommended instructional resources) at
www.meredith4math.com and @meredith4math.

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.

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The post Productive Math Interventions appeared first on WRESA.

Description:

Discover how to use student voice and choice to strengthen learning and extend a lesson’s impact beyond the classroom. Whether you teach art, science, ELA, history, or any other subject, students must communicate information. Students also must interpret a variety of data and information that is communicated in visual formats. This session will use a variety of resources (digital to analog) to highlight this skill. Join us to incorporate some amazing tools into your lessons and explore more ways for you and your students to express yourself. (This session highlights the SEP: Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information and the Communication Skill in NC Portrait of a Graduate.- best suited for teachers of grades 3-12, any subject).

For more information about the class, contact Michelle Taylor at michelle@openwaylearning.org and/or 828-206-3014

For questions/issues about registering for the course, send an email to registrations@wresa.org or call WRESA at 828-774-5681

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

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The post From Open Way Learning: Using Storytelling in Your Classroom appeared first on WRESA.

Description:

Early in the school year is the right time to establish strong co- teaching behaviors. Provide your co-teaching staff with a live, team-by-team, professional development, designed to help them reflect, recalibrate, and strengthen their collaborative practice.

Teams Receive:

• A Window into Co-Teaching- An introduction to 20 behaviors that contribute to successful co- teaching.
• A detailed analysis of their co-teaching relationship (based on a brief, confidential, 5 – 10 – minute survey).
• Your PlayBook for Co-Teaching- a digital resource with over 100 field-tested coteaching strategies.
• A 35–45-minute private consultation, via Zoom, with Rick Welsh, Director of CoTeach America, to discuss their data and to learn how to use Your PlayBook for Co-Teaching to enhance their co-teaching practices throughout the year.

Presenter: Rick Welsh has over 40 years of experience working with teachers and students. He is currently the Director of Co-Teach America. Following Graduate School at UNC in 1980 he served as a Public School Speech/Language Pathologist. Since 1994 he has worked in the field, consulting with teachers to support their co-teaching efforts.

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

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

REGISTER

The post Get Your Co-Teaching Year Off on the Right Foot! appeared first on WRESA.