Hybrid Conference – Attendance Today for Success Tomorrow: Combating Bullying and Harassment – Oct. 1, 2024

October 1, 2024 @ 8:45 am – 2:30 pm

Registration: 8:15 – 8:45 am
Conference: 8:45 am – 2:30 pm

Attend In Person or Via Zoom

Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School
758 Marrett Rd.
Lexington, MA 02421

To receive PDPs, participants must attend this conference and the conference, Attendance Today for Success Tomorrow: Addressing School Avoidance, on October 8, 2024. Members can participate in-person, virtually or by viewing the recording.

SpeakerS

Description

Students who are targets of bullying face a hostile school environment that can cause physical or emotional harm often leading to school avoidance. Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth’s hybrid conference addresses bullying and harassment’s impact on students’ learning and mental health. Participants will learn strategies to make their schools safe and inclusive environments.

This conference will address how schools can combat bullying and harassment from multiple perspectives. State leaders Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and Massachusetts Acting Commissioner of Education Russell Johnston will discuss the state’s initiatives to provide safe and supportive schools where all children can learn. Participants will learn Massachusetts laws about bullying and the legal impact for school districts. Presenters will share the latest research around bullying prevention and community approaches to address bullying. School staff will discuss how they have implemented school policies and strategies to make their schools safe and inclusive environments for their students.

About the Speakers

On January 18, 2023, Andrea Joy Campbell (she/her) was sworn in to be the 45th Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, pledging to build economic prosperity and stability for all residents, prioritize the mental health and well-being of children, stop cycles of incarceration and violence and ensure the people across the state have access to the AG’s Office regardless of their zip code, language or ability. Andrea graduated from Boston Latin School and then worked her way through college with the help of grants and student loans, graduating from Princeton University and UCLA Law School.

After earning her law degree, she worked as a legal services attorney for the EdLaw project, defending the rights of children and their families — particularly those with disabilities. Andrea also practiced law at Proskauer LLP as an employment attorney, and ultimately left to serve the public as General Counsel at the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, working across 101 cities and towns to address regional challenges like health care access, transportation, affordable housing, and climate change. Andrea served as legal counsel to Governor Deval Patrick, working to improve our education and transportation systems and move forward an agenda of equity across the state.

In 2015, Andrea successfully ran for the Boston City Council becoming the first woman to represent District 4 on the Council. Her first piece of legislation was the Community Preservation Act, which still generates over $20 million annually for new affordable housing, historical preservation, and parks and open space. In 2018, she was unanimously elected City Council President – the first Black woman to hold the title.

Russell Johnston, Ph.D., (he/him) is the Acting Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, where he oversees special education, instructional support, and a variety of initiatives to identify interventions and monitor improvement. During his time at DESE, Russell has led the team that provides direct support to the Lawrence, Holyoke and Southbridge schools; worked closely with school districts on a variety of COVID-19 mitigation measures that helped keep students in school; met regularly with special education stakeholders to improve services to students with disabilities before, during, and after the pandemic; helped pass policies that led to a reduction in the use of restraints and increased public reporting of their use; collaborated on improvements to the Individualized Education Program process for students with disabilities; and provided leadership to the instructional support staff who work to strengthen teaching and learning for all students.

Before coming to DESE, Russell was superintendent of the West Springfield Public Schools from 2010 to 2014. Under his leadership, the district saw a 10 percentage-point increase in the graduation rate, a decrease in the annual dropout rate, and gains in student performance. He worked to increase the depth and rigor of the district’s curriculum; create a collaborative process between school committee members, administrators, and the local teacher’s union; and engage families to address barriers to learning. He also launched a Pathways to Prosperity program in which students received coursework and training at both the high school and through Springfield Technical Community College.

Alyndra (Lynn) Canty, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Coordinator, SPARK Kindness, Co-Leader, MetroWest Anti-Bullying Coalition. Alyndra (she/her) is a mother of 3, wife, advocate, and lifelong educator. She has over 15 years experience in the field of education ranging from teacher to Behavior Analyst and more. Alyndra is passionate about all things relating to social justice, self care, and travel. A southern girl by birth, Alyndra has lived in 5 states in America (primarily along the east coast) as well as the United Kingdom for a brief time. Alyndra has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Special Education and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

Paul Casey, M.Ed., (he/him) has dedicated the past 15 years to education at Beverly High School in Beverly, Massachusetts. A graduate of Bridgewater State University with a degree in History and holding a Master’s in Education from Salem State University, Paul has a rich background that spans various roles, including paraprofessional, coach, middle school history teacher, and high school history teacher. In his current role as Humanities Curriculum Director, he focuses on enhancing academic opportunities for all students. Paul is committed to addressing and dismantling barriers to equity through thoughtful data analysis and strategic action. Recent highlights of his work include leading efforts to create a more inclusive and diverse curriculum within English classes and developing a new required senior course, “Preserving Democracy.” This course aims to deepen students’ understanding of their civic duties and to foster more inclusive and equitable communities.

Suzanne Charochak, Ed.D., (she/her) a highly accomplished educational leader with over 30 years of experience, is a champion of innovative practices and equity-focused initiatives. Her leadership journey began as a special education teacher, followed by roles as a team chairperson and an elementary principal for 10 years. She later served as an assistant superintendent before assuming her current role as superintendent, where she has served for the past six years. Dr. Charochak holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Boston College, along with Master’s degrees in both Special Education and Educational Leadership from Salem State University. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communications from Regis College. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, as Vice President of the North Shore Superintendents RoundTable, and is an active board member for various non-profit organizations.

Dorothy Flaherty, Ed.D., (she/her) holds a BSW degree in Social Work from Salem State College, a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Boston University, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Dorothy is about to enter her sixth year as Beverly’s Assistant Superintendent of Schools. It is her 25th year as an educator, starting her career as a middle school health teacher at Masconomet Middle School. She left to return to her childhood middle school in Haverhill as the assistant principal and then principal of Hunking Middle School. In 2011, she returned to Masconomet as the middle school principal, remaining until leaving to come to Beverly.

Christine Fortune Guthery, Founder and Executive Director, SPARK Kindness, Inc., Co-Leader, MetroWest Anti-Bullying Coalition. After earning her law degree, Christine Guthery (she/her) worked briefly as a civil litigator and then for the Circuit Executive’s Office of the United States Courts for the First Circuit on a study of Gender and Racial Bias in the courts. In 2010, though none of her three children had been bullied, Christine saw a need for parents and schools to work together to support a positive school culture. By 2011, this movement had expanded beyond parents and schools to the whole community, and became known as SPARK Kindness. At that time, Christine and SPARK convened the first Natick Anti-Bullying Coalition to address bullying on a community wide scale. Christine has served as Executive Director of SPARK since the organization became a nonprofit in 2014. During that time, SPARK Kindness has grown to over 9,000 members, with partnerships in communities throughout MetroWest, Boston, and beyond. Recently, Christine also served as the first Director of Workplace Relations for the United States Courts for the First Circuit. Christine’s passion remains in empowering people at the grassroots level to connect over core values to create more kindness, inclusion, respect, and justice for all.

Michael J. Joyce, J.D., (he/him) is a former public school teacher and currently an attorney with Nuttall, MacAvoy & Joyce, P.C. specializing in general education and special education law in public schools. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Joyce served as a Civil Rights Attorney for the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), conducting investigations and trainings throughout New England concerning a wide range of civil rights concerns arising in public schools, including the enforcement of Section 504 and the federal statutes pertaining to harassment and discrimination based on race, color, national origin, gender and age. Before working for OCR, Mr. Joyce served as prosecuting attorney in the Gang Unit of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, conducting dozens of trials and evidentiary hearings with a specialized focus on gun violence and firearms prosecution. Mr. Joyce also served as a law clerk to the Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court. Prior to pursuing a legal career, Mr. Joyce taught for three years in public elementary schools as a member of Teach for America during which time he was nominated for Teacher of the Year. Mr. Joyce graduated from Boston College Law School and holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. From 2008-2011, Mr. Joyce taught legal research and writing at Northeastern School of Law, and, since 2011, he has served as an Adjunct Professor at the Lynch School of Education and Boston College Law School where he teaches a graduate level course on education law and policy. Mr. Joyce has conducted dozens of presentations on educational law, including presentations to local, regional and national audiences.

Kenann McKenzie-DeFranza, Ph.D., (she/her) is a native of Georgetown, Guyana, having immigrated to the United States at the age of 7. She has been in the field of education for over 20 years, most of her professional life, and has also served the nonprofit sector. She has recently joined Gordon College’s Herschend School of Education as the Director of Academic Innovation and Strategic Partnerships and Associate Professor of Practice. She is a member of the school committee for Beverly, Massachusetts.

Gabrielle Montevecchi, M.Ed., CAGS, (she/hers/they/them) is a Beverly native, career educator and trans youth advocate. As the principal of the Hannah Elementary School in Beverly, Gabrielle is living her dream and making a positive impact on the students and families she serves. She is a member of the Beverly Human Rights Committee. Gabrielle was awarded the 2021 Salem State Alumni Award for her consistent and demonstrated best practices to the field of education. Gabrielle lives in Danvers with her husband and two children, one of whom is transgender. 

André Morgan, Ph.D., (he/him) leads Opportunity, Access and Equity for Beverly (MA) Public Schools. Dr. Morgan brings more than 17 years’ experience in education, including roles as: teacher, principal, chief equity officer, chief academic officer, and collegiate professor and dean. In these experiences, he has worked with administrators, practitioners and students in culturally, racially and economically diverse contexts. He has also directed key reform initiatives and areas in the education sector, including: Service Learning Communities, School Culture, Turnaround Partnerships, Career and Technical Education, and Online Education.

Dr. Morgan holds a Doctor of Education Leadership degree from Harvard University, a Doctor of Philosophy degree from American University, a Master of Teaching degree from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree, also from the University of Virginia. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Morgan appreciates and engages in adventure sports. He has jumped out of airplanes, swam with sharks, hiked trails during torrential downpours, and has climbed a couple of mountains. 

Maggi Price, Ph.D., (she/her) is an Assistant Professor at Boston College, where she directs the Affirm Lab. Her research focuses on promoting mental health equity for stigmatized youth, with a focus on transgender youth, youth of Color, and girls. Learn more at www.affirmlab.org.

Membership Information

Most MPY webinars are available ONLY to current staff from member districts and organizations. Public school memberships include police and fire personnel. Former and retired employees and members of committees, including but not limited to, PTO/PTA, PAC, School Improvement Councils, Health Councils, Drug/Alcohol Councils, and school volunteers, are not considered MPY members.

PDPs and CEUs

MPY is an approved Professional Development Provider through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (Provider No. F20180079). Professional Development Points (PDPs) are offered for most MPY professional development webinars. PDPs are issued in 10 hour increments, per DESE requirements.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for clinical staff through the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association, Inc. (MaMHCA). The NASW and the MaMHCA approve each event individually. CEUs may be given in hourly increments.

To receive PDPs and CEUs, participants must pass the quiz. The PDP quiz will be made available only to participants who have registered for and attended both conferences.

Event Cancellation Policy

If you are unable to attend a MPY webinar you must cancel, through Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org, one business day before the webinar.

For MPY hybrid conferences, the date in-person registration closes will be posted on MPY’s website. Virtual conference registration will close one business day before the hybrid conference. You cannot cancel or switch your registration from in-person to virtual after in-person registration closes. Please email Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org with any questions regarding registration.