WAKEFIELD — Executive Director Margie Daniels of the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) announces the details of an upcoming conference, Discipline and Boundary Primer, on April 15.
This conference will feature two speakers, attorneys Donnalyn Khan and Angela Smagula, who will explore effective and healthy forms of school-setting discipline, positive communication habits, and boundaries.
WHEN:
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Registration: 8:15-8:45 a.m.
Conference: 8:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
WHERE:
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School, 758 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA, 02421, or via Zoom
WHAT:
A hybrid conference — Discipline and Boundary Primer — will be held on Tuesday, April 15, at Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School and via Zoom for those who wish to participate remotely. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Attorneys Donnalyn Kahn and Angela Smagula will explain how to implement discipline in school settings in compliance with the law. The presenters will emphasize the importance of positive alternatives to suspension or expulsion, such as restorative justice practices that keep students in school. Attendees will learn strategies to communicate clearly and appropriately with families. Finally, presenters will discuss the importance of maintaining appropriate professional boundaries with students, families, and colleagues.
Donnalyn Kahn (she/her) and Angela Buchanan Smagula (she/her) are two seasoned attorneys from top law schools (Boston University and Georgetown University) with large law firm training and prior judicial clerkships who previously provided day-to-day legal representation in-house to the City of Newton for the past 20 years as City Solicitor and Deputy City Solicitor. They combined expertise and established Kahn & Smagula LLP, representing public, charter, and independent schools in all aspects of school and education law, including contract drafting and review, policy and protocol training, discipline, risk management, and all general employment matters faced in school settings. They regularly provide advice and counsel to school committee members, superintendents, and school principals.
Virtual registration remains open on MPY’s website, mpyinc.org, until 11:59 p.m. on April 14. To register for a webinar or conference, use the “Webinars & Conferences” tab at the top of the website or click here to register for the April 15 conference.
Every MPY conference is recorded and available to registered participants through a link that remains live for 10 days.
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education-approved Professional Development Points (PDPs) and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are offered at no additional cost to participants who attend this conference and who attend the April 29 conference, Collaboration is Key to Effectively Supporting Students.
About the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides training, fosters collaboration and develops programming to increase the health and safety of students. MPY is committed to bringing cutting-edge information and high-quality trainings to constituents and endeavors to provide solution-oriented, community-based, multi-disciplinary approaches to reducing and ideally eliminating risky behaviors for youth. MPY programming reaches nearly 6,000 educators per year in Massachusetts, spread across approximately 300 districts, with more than 150 webinars and over a dozen conferences.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth is governed by a Board of Directors made up of school superintendents, police and fire chiefs, and other community leaders who work closely with MPY staff to deliver this mission. To learn more, visit: massachusettspartnershipsforyouth.com.
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