October 21, 2025 @ 8:15 am – 2:30 pm
Registration: 8:15 – 8:45 am
Conference: 8:45 am – 2:30 pm
Attend In Person or Via Zoom
Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School
565 Maple St.
Danvers, MA 01923
To receive PDPs, participants must attend this conference and the conference, Annual Attendance Summit: All Present and Ready to Learn, on September 30, 2025. Members can participate in-person, virtually or by viewing the recording. Within 24 hours of the live conference, registrants will be emailed a link to view the recorded conference. The recording will be made available for 10 days after the conference.
Speakers
Description
Coming soon.
About the Speakers
Patrick Tutwiler, Ph.D., (he/him) is the Secretary of the Executive Office of Education, and the first Black person to ever hold that role in Massachusetts’ history. As Massachusetts Secretary of Education, Tutwiler directs the Executive Office of Education, which oversees early education, K-12, and higher education. Secretary Tutwiler sits on each of the boards governing the Commonwealth’s education agencies, as well as the University of Massachusetts system. He is Governor Maura Healey’s top advisor on education and helps shape the Commonwealth’s education agenda.
Before being sworn in as Secretary, Dr. Tutwiler served as the senior program officer at the Boston-based Barr Foundation, a grantmaking organization focused on arts, climate and education, where he specialized in developing new high school models that will have a positive impact across the entire school system. He has more than twenty years’ experience in public education as a high school history teacher, as a high school principal and as the superintendent of the Lynn Public Schools. As Lynn Superintendent, Secretary Tutwiler led a collaborative, equity-centered effort that resulted in increased graduation rates, decreased push out rates, a more racially diverse faculty and staff, and the establishment of Massachusetts’ second largest early college program. He earned a B.A. in history from The College of the Holy Cross, a master’s in education from Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. He lives in Andover with his family.
Alex Hirshberg, Psy.D., (he/him) is the founder and executive director of Hirshberg Behavioral Health Services, LLC in Hadley, Massachusetts. Dr. Hirshberg is a clinical psychologist who provides behavioral consultation, professional development, and psychological assessment services to schools across Massachusetts. He also has a small outpatient therapy practice focused on using Cognitive Behavior Therapy for individuals with anxiety and mood disorders. His interest areas include Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) in schools, trauma informed practices, and developing in-district social-emotional programs.
Armand Pires, Ph.D., (he/him) has served as a superintendent of schools in Medway, Massachusetts since 2015. He formerly served as President of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and supports principals in training as an associate lecturer at Curry College. Armand has written articles and presented at conferences on student mental health, supporting assistant principals, and superintendent/school committee relationships. He also co-authored a recently published book, From Surviving to Thriving: Resources and Practical Strategies for New, Aspiring, and Veteran Superintendents.
Ryan Sherman, Ph.D., (he/him) has been Medway School’s Director of Wellness for the last nine years. Ryan is the author of several peer-reviewed behavioral health research studies and a senior professor of social and emotional learning at Bay Path University. Dr. Sherman was the recipient of the MIAA Wellness Coordinator of the Year Award and the Massachusetts General Hospital Innovation Award. Ryan resides in Massachusetts with his wife, two children, and boxer.
Ivy Watts, MPH, (she/her) a former All-American student-athlete, initially seemed to have it all together, graduating Summa Cum Laude and securing a spot as a top 30 finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. However, behind this façade of success, she grappled daily with anxiety, self-worth issues, and depression. After finally seeking help, Ivy, now Mental Health First Aid Certified, has dedicated herself to promoting mental wellness and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health. As a captivating public speaker, author, and the founder of the blog, Beautifully Simply You, Ivy shares her personal journey, serving as an inspiration for others to confront their mental health challenges. She is also the author of You Are Worth Fighting For, a transformative book providing valuable tools for introspection, fostering mental wellness, and cultivating self-love. Ivy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of New Haven and a Masters in Public Health from Boston University. Through her impactful work, Ivy has empowered over 200,000 students, administrators, coaches, parents, and employees, instilling in them the profound importance of self-love and self-care, both for personal well-being and as a means of supporting others.
Elise Wulff, M.Ed., (she/her) has more than 20 years’ experience working with the neurodiverse population in both public and private sectors. With Aspire since 2007, Elise currently manages consultation and professional development services. As a neurodivergent individual herself, Elise applies her extensive experience and unique perspective in collaboration with neurodiverse individuals, caregivers, and providers to customize tools and strategies that enhance success across various life domains including home, school, and work. Elise has written curriculum to promote healthy self-awareness, disclosure, transition planning, and executive functioning. As an international speaker, Elise supports organizations and corporations to implement practical and sustainable inclusion. She has specific expertise in the neurodiversity framework, special education, universal design, social-emotional learning, tools to build independence, and strategies for executive functioning.
Elise received her undergraduate degree in psychology and theater arts from Emory University and her master’s degree in special education from Lesley University. Her clinical interests are in the areas of neurodiversity, executive functioning, parent/caregiver support, and effective and sustainable inclusion practices for individuals, educators, parents/caregivers, and providers.
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.
Registration: 8:15 – 8:45 am
Conference: 8:45 am – 2:30 pm