February 11, 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
Blue Hills Regional Technical School
800 Randolph St.
Canton, MA 02021
To receive PDPs, participants must attend this conference and the conference, Creating Safe and Supportive Environments for LGBTQ Students, on February 25, 2025. Members can participate in-person, virtually or by viewing the recording.
Registration for Creating Safe and Supportive Environments for LGBTQ Students will be opening soon,.
Speakers
Description
Microaggressions refer to derogatory comments and statements that are hostile and offensive, often rooted in an individual’s identity. When such microaggressions become ingrained in a school community, they can adversely affect the recruitment, retention, and advancement of traditionally marginalized and overlooked groups of students and staff. Research indicates that 70% of employees report feeling upset by microaggressions, with half considering leaving their workplace as a result. Participants will gain strategies to recognize, discuss, and disrupt the harmful language and behaviors associated with a culture of microaggressions in the school environment, utilizing a structured framework.
About the Speakers
Jessica Pepple, Ph.D. Few people possess the combination of data analysis skills, experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion, and an engaging presence that Jessica (she/her) brings to her role as the inaugural Chief Diversity and Culture Officer at RFK Community Alliance. She holds a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Boston University. Before joining RFK Community Alliance in 2022, Jessica served as the Regional Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the King Philip School District. Prior to that, she held various administrative and instructional coaching roles at Chelsea and Cambridge Public Schools, as well as in Orange County Public Schools in Florida.
- Dr. Pepple received the 2023 Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Award from the Massachusetts Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers.
- Dr. Pepple was recognized by the Worcester Business Journal as one of the Power 100 Most Influential Professionals in Central Massachusetts for her modeling of how to infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into organizational culture.
Jessica is a strategic thinker and a thoughtful contributor who is both intuitive and gregarious. Her passion for equity is evident; she believes that equity work requires a balance of patience and passion. Dr. Maya Angelou famously stated that patience alone will not build the temple, and passion alone will destroy its walls. Therefore, Dr. Pepple emphasizes the importance of educating everyone about diversity, belonging, inclusion, and equity to help people understand their purpose and commitment to the work that makes us unique in a gentle but firm way.
Outside of work, Jessica works with law enforcement agencies on building a culture of belonging, creating spaces for learning about various cultures, and most recently partnering with the WooSox baseball team on boosting inclusion and belonging within their respective spaces.
Alberto Carrero, Ed.D., (he/him) is a multilingual and multicultural educational leader with over twenty years of experience in public education. He began his career in education with the Dallas Independent School District in Texas, where he spent 9 years as a teacher in both elementary and high schools. In 2012, he joined Boston Public Schools where he has worked as an ESL, SEI, and Special Education classroom teacher, Assistant Principal and served in the district office as an Instructional Specialist for the Office of Multilingual Learners. Dr. Carrero has led presentations on racism, welcoming learning environments for culturally and linguistically diverse students, and creating culturally and linguistically sustaining practices. He has extensive experience with coaching teachers and leaders on implementing strategies to maximize multilingual learners’ education, curriculum development, assessment practices, building strong teacher teams, and strengthening student culture through agency and empowerment. Dr. Carrero holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership, and a certificate in bilingual education from Southern Methodist University. He is a graduate of the Boston University Wheelock School of Education with a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Dr. Carrero’s research with BU centered on educating Spanish-speaking immigrant children and led to industry leaders seeking guidance on understanding and supporting the experience of Spanish multilingual students enrolled in Boston.
Renée Heywood, Ph.D., (she/her) began her career in education over 25 years ago as a Spanish-language teacher in public, private, and graduate school settings. She served 11 years as an educational leader in juvenile justice education for the Department of Youth Services. In 2018, she was appointed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as the Director of Educational Services, directing educational programming for all incarcerated youth for the state. As an internationally published writer, recording artist and speaker, Dr. Heywood has traveled the world to support education and music in places like Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Australia and has presented her work on racism in education at multiple venues, including the Social Justice Conference in Finland.
Dr. Heywood has a B.A. in Spanish Language & Literature from Brandeis University, a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Bridgewater State University, and a Ph.D. from UMass Amherst where she served as the School of Education Fellow. Her doctoral work included Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies with a concentration in Language, Literacy and Culture focusing on racial and equity issues in education. She served as the founding Assistant Superintendent of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion for Brockton Public Schools, has been an advisor to the PLEDJJ (Preparing Leaders in Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice) Consortium, was the Professional Development Chair of AMSEL, and is an appointed member of the MA DESE Racial Imbalance Advisory Council. She now consults full-time as the CEO of Real Talk Leadership working with public and private schools as well as higher ed institutions around racial culture and climate issues. She is also an adjunct at William James College for the Graduate Certificate in Leading Transformative Health in Schools program.
Her most recent book is entitled, Finding Me Finding Us for Educators: A Reflective Journal for Racial Reconciliation, available on Amazon and through her website RealTalkLeadership.com. She has been married for 33 years, has three children and two grandchildren.
Pierre Jean, M.Ed. Before becoming an Assistant Principal in Needham, Pierre Jean (he/him) taught High school mathematics in Boston, where he also served as the chair of the mathematics department and a member of the Instructional Leadership. Pierre promotes a culturally responsive, inclusive, and interdisciplinary curriculum. He collaborates with the High School Leadership Team and high school teaching staff to promote access to a diverse and equitable curriculum for all students at Needham High School. He is also focused on improving the school culture and increasing the sense of belonging for all students. Pierre earned a B.S. in Mathematics at Worcester State University and an M.Ed. in education from the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Vonetta Lightfoot, B.A., (she/her) is a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professional who specializes in developing content, curating culturally specific initiatives, and event planning with the goal of creating inclusive spaces in schools and on college campuses through diverse cultural programming. She currently serves as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) Coordinator for the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative (LPVEC). Her role is to work closely with superintendents, administrators, teachers, staff and students from the Collaborative’s seven member districts (East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Hampden/Wilbraham, Southwick/Tolland-Granville, Ludlow, Agawam and West Springfield). She is responsible for developing new programs and practices that effectively increase diversity and provide support to various groups within the organization. As the DEIB Coordinator, she provides strategic support for DEI specific initiatives and programs, particularly those that support inclusion and equitable access for BIPOC, LGBTQ individuals and others from historically excluded communities.
In 2020, she was named one of the “100 Women of Color ” by June Archer & Eleven28 Entertainment. This award recognizes the contributions of women of color in business, education, entrepreneurship, entertainment, government, service, and the impact they have made on the lives of people throughout the State of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts communities. In 2021, Business Week named her one of Business West 40 Under Forty, an award of honoring young professionals in Western Mass. — not only for their career achievements, but for their service to the community. Outside of LPVEC, Vonetta is a certified racial equity and DEI trainer.
André Morgan, Ph.D., Ed.L.D., (he/him) leads Opportunity, Access and Equity for Beverly (MA) Public Schools. Dr. Morgan brings more than 17 years of 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.
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