Connected School Leader Conference

Description

A one-day summit of learning from your colleagues!

Join us as we collaborate and learn at the Meeting House in Columbia, MD.

Limited to the first 125 people who register

April 17, 2026

 Schedule

All sessions will be held in room 100

8:00 - 8:30 a.m. Registration, Breakfast & Welcome

8:30 - 9:15 a.m. Keynote Speaker 

9:30 - 10:15 a.m. Session 1- Supporting Multilingual Families

10:30 - 11:15 a.m. Session 2- Tabletop Session, Hot Topics in Leadership

11:30 - 12:30 p.m. Session 3- Preparing for Implementation: Revised Pre-K-8 Math Standards (MSDE)

12:30 p.m. Door Prizes, Closing

Keynote Speaker

Ms. Marcy Leonard

Marcy Leonard has been a resident of Howard County for over 40 years. She currently serves on Maryland's State Board of Education and is a member of the Strategy & Operations Committee. She served HCPSS for 30 years as a social studies teacher, school principal, and Community Superintendent. As principal of three high-needs schools, Marcy closed opportunity and achievement gaps in graduation rate, dropout rate, Advanced Placement participation, and Dual Enrollment participation for students from historically underrepresented groups. As Community Superintendent, Marcy was responsible for the leadership of a diverse group of early childhood programs, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, the Applied Research Laboratory, and the Homewood Center for Alternative Education. Marcy earned a B.A. in history from Haverford College and an M.A. in social studies education from Wake Forest University. Marcy is a graduate of the Leadership Howard County Premier program and has served as a leadership coach to students and educational leaders. She was recognized as Howard Magazine’s Principal of the Year 12 times and was also honored with The Washington Post’s Distinguished Educational Leadership Award, Maryland Parent Teacher Association Educator of the Year, Baltimore Touchdown Club Principal of the Year, Arts Education in Maryland Schools Principal of the Year, Bright Minds Educational Foundation Outstanding HCPSS Alumni Award, and City Gives Woman of Impact Leadership Award.

Session 1

9:30 - 10:15am

Erin Pierce-Inouye is the Manager of Multilingual Learners for Baltimore City Public Schools, bringing nearly two decades of experience in urban education across Baltimore and Houston, Texas. She joined City Schools in 2008 through the Baltimore City Teaching Residency (BCTR) and has taught Grades 2–12 in general education, special education, and English Language Development.  Erin holds a B.A. in Government and International Politics from George Mason University, an M.A. in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University, and a Master’s in Legal Studies from the University of Arizona College of Law. In 2018, she led the establishment and opening of the Multilingual Enrollment and Support Center (MESC), creating a centralized office that provides enrollment, transfer, and school choice assistance to families while delivering wraparound services and case management support. She also serves as a member of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA) Community Advisory Board.

Session 2

10:30 - 11:15am

This session will be led by our awesome MAESP professional development team.  Dr. Sedrick Smith, Justin Holbrook, Dr. Dana McCauley, Dr. Debra O'Byrne, and Dr. Christopher Wooleyhand will foster table talk discussions around: community engagement; teacher morale/retention; increasing engagement in professional learning; establishing trust and communication; and growing positive relationships between teacher and parents. This is a collective intelligence focused session. Participants should come prepared to share their expertise on these topics.  We are better (and smarter) together!

11:30 - 12:30pm

Lyndsey Brightful is an educator and leader with a wealth of experience in mathematics education. In February 2023, she joined the Maryland State Department of Education's (MSDE) Office of Teaching and Learning as Director of Mathematics, where she provides leadership and content expertise through facilitation of all statewide math programs from Prekindergarten through grade 12 in Maryland schools. Prior to joining MSDE, Lyndsey worked as a math teacher, coach, department chair, and school administrator in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Lyndsey earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Hampton University, and a Master of Science degree in Secondary Educational Studies from Johns Hopkins University. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Instructional Leadership for Changing Populations at Notre Dame of Maryland University. Lyndsey’s commitment to excellence and equity in math education is an inspiration to all who work alongside her. She grounds this commitment in her dedication to facilitating a joyful, relevant, and empowering math learning experience for all Maryland students, including her own 2 young children.

Jen Meehan is the Mathematics Coordinator at the Maryland State Department of Education, where she leads statewide efforts to strengthen mathematics teaching and learning. She partners with local education agencies to ensure equitable access to high-quality instruction, enhance students’ math experiences, and close achievement gaps. With more than 15 years of experience in teaching, instructional coaching, professional learning, curriculum development, and assessment design, Jen is dedicated to promoting rigorous and equitable mathematics instruction. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Delaware and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership in Mathematics from Notre Dame of Maryland University.

Dr. Robert Richardson has over 25 years of experience in mathematics education as a high school math and computer science teacher, department chair, 6-12 instructional coach, undergraduate math faculty, and graduate mathematics education faculty. He currently serves as Coordinator of Mathematics for the Maryland State Department of Education, where he leads much of the state’s work to reimagine 6-12 mathematics education. Dr. Richardson has been recognized for his efforts to expand access to high-quality advanced mathematics for historically underrepresented student groups and continues to collaborate across K-12 and higher education to create more equitable math opportunities. He earned a B.S. in Computer Science from Towson University, an M.Ed. in Secondary Mathematics from UMBC, and an Ed.D. from Johns Hopkins University, where his research focused on access and opportunity in advanced mathematics.

Venue Information

The Meeting House

5885 Robert Oliver Place

Columbia, Maryland 21045