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Mindsets Leadership Series: Upskilling Teachers for Today and Tomorrow

Wednesday, March 15, 2023 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT

Presented by Ana Arce-Gonzalez, Ph.D., Principal, South Grade Elementary School (FL); Ben Lusk, Gifted and Talented Coordinator, Beechwood Independent Schools (KY); Amanda Rather, Assistant Director of Special Education, Bryant School District (AR); and David Samore, Ed.D., CEO, David Samore & Associates, LLC

Sponsored by Mindsets Learning

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The professional educator of today faces both opportunities and crises on a daily basis. Many teachers who find their career paths in the K-12 classroom in U.S. schools are often those who set out to make a living in a different field than that of the educator: their advanced degree is in something other than education. In a real way, schools have been forced to become “colleges of education” where teachers must learn the basic skills of teaching children along with the nuanced skills of increasing the performance of those students—on the job.

What are the current strategies to address the professional development of teachers so they are fully prepared for success? How are schools and school systems adapting to today’s realities to address upskilling teachers? What approaches are working now to provide teachers with the skills for an unknown future? In what concrete ways is school leadership preparing teachers for 2024 to ensure their retention? This session delivers a lively and provocative conversation about “flying a plane while you train the crew.”

This recorded edWebinar is of interest to K-12 school and district leaders as well as teachers.

This edWebinar is part two in a three-part series on leadership. View part one, Mindsets Leadership Series: The Hard Truth About Thought Leadership in Action. Stay tuned for details on part three (March 29th). If you register for part one or two, we’ll be sure you get invited to the series.

Ana Arce-Gonzalez

About the Presenters

Ana Arce-Gonzalez, Ph.D. is the proud Principal of South Grade Elementary in Lake Worth Beach, Florida. Lake Worth Beach is a small, coastal city adjacent to the southern border of West Palm Beach, Florida. The families are diverse, coming from countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Haiti. Dr. Arce-Gonzalez has 23 years of experience as a school administrator. She graduated with two bachelor’s degrees from Florida International University in music performance and education. She has always had a special interest in the field of counseling. She graduated from Nova Southeastern University with a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy with a specialist degree in medical therapy. She continued her graduate work-studies and earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership with a specialist degree in counseling. As a school principal, she builds relationships, oversees school staff and teachers, and provides students with a safe and productive environment.

Ben LuskBen Lusk is the Gifted and Talented Coordinator at Beechwood Independent Schools. He has been in education for 27 years teaching in Ohio and Kentucky as a teacher, District Assessment Director, and Curriculum Director. During his time as a Curriculum Director, Ben has championed experiential learning at all grade levels to foster student agency and promote community-based learning through shared problem-solving. In addition, Ben has developed a system for upskilling teachers to the demands of teaching through questioning and problem-solving. Ben understands that working with teachers to understand the needs of students in a constantly changing environment is challenging and empowering teachers with the skills to meet those demands is paramount to student success in the future.

Amanda RatherAmanda Rather is the Assistant Director of Special Education in the tenth-largest district in Arkansas. She holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Harding University and a master’s degree in special education from the University of Central Arkansas. She is currently obtaining her doctorate degree from Southern Arkansas University. Amanda has been a middle school special educator and later a sixth-grade literacy teacher, where she enjoyed co-teaching. There, she gained an understanding of the expectations of general educators and the support needed to make the instructional model successful for students and teachers alike. She achieved her national board certification in early adolescence English/language arts. She later worked as a district coordinator, principal, and assistant superintendent of a smaller rural district in central Arkansas. Currently, Amanda finds passion in solving ways to increase inclusive practices, all while securing appropriate support for teachers to promote success for all.

Dr. David SamoreDr. David Samore has been a teacher and administrator of K-12 schools for 35 years in Iowa, Florida, South Carolina, Spain, and Colombia. Dr. Samore served as the Director of Global Leadership and Innovation in Palm Beach County, Florida, and in 2015, was named the Florida Principal of the Year by the NASSP, which highlighted his growth mindset for all students. As Principal, Dr. Samore’s dual language immersion school was recognized twice as the School of the Year​ for North America by the Embassy of Spain. He was recently honored by King Felipe VI of Spain and conferred the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Isabel la Católica.

Dr. Samore is currently a guest lecturer at Universidad Cardenal Cisneros in Madrid, Spain, and is CEO of David Samore & Associates, LLC, a private consulting practice that helps organizations fulfill their highest potential through common sense leadership and purposeful talent discovery. Dr. Samore also serves as an advisor to Mindsets Learning and contributes to Supervisión 21, Spain’s leading educational leadership magazine.

Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.

Join the Leadership and Innovation community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.


Mindsets LearningMindsets Learning re-engages students in math through inquiry-based, real-world challenges. Themes include sports, art, data science, entrepreneurship, environment, and many more for grades 4-8. www.mindsets.com


Mindsets Learning

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