Shared Learning Days bring together members of the MCIC (Montgomery County Instructional Council), MCLAC (Montgomery County Language Arts Council), and STEM Council for collaborative, in-person professional learning. These events are designed to foster cross-council dialogue, share innovative practices, and deepen understanding around key instructional topics.

Each Shared Learning Day offers a unified experience for all three councils, with opportunities for targeted breakout sessions in the afternoon. Members are encouraged to invite colleagues and team members who have a vested interest in the day’s focus areas. Registration is required for all attendees to ensure accurate planning and logistics.

Note: Registration is only for council members and principals. 

March

Our March meeting will be a full day of shared learning. MCLAC, STEM Council and MCIC are invited to continue their learning with Angela Stockman for the afternoon. There will not be separate council meetings in the afternoon.

Artificial Intelligence to Improve Literacy Outcomes: From Policy to Planning and Practice

March 9, 2026 8:30-3:30.

Join esteemed teacher, author, and professional learning facilitator Angela Stockman for an immersive, full-day professional learning experience designed specifically for K–12 educational leaders. This inspiring, highly practical session will help school teams move beyond AI curiosity and into confident, ethical, and purposeful implementation that strengthens teaching and learning.

In this dynamic session, explore how AI can support high-quality instruction, balanced assessment systems, and the writing process, while staying grounded in shared values, responsible use, and local context. Angela will guide educators through hands-on experiences, collaborative problem-solving, and structured planning time so school teams leave with a personalized AI implementation plan.

Register and share with others so your district can unite around a plan for sustainable implementation and a deeper understanding of how AI can authentically enhance teaching and learning across your system.

Note: To access these resources, you must be a registered participant.

I became a teacher because I had good teachers, and children are some of the best.

I began my career in the classroom and spent some time as a regional literacy specialist before becoming an independent professional learning facilitator in 2008. Over the last two decades, I’ve lead complex system-wide curriculum and assessment design initiatives, the shift to standards based grading and reporting, sustained lesson studies, and the practice of pedagogical documentation in schools and universities within and beyond the United States. As a dedicated action researcher whose interests lie at the intersection of purposeful play, collaborative inquiry, multimodal expression, and culturally sustaining practices, each of my books is a chapter in a great learning story that continues to compel me.

April and May: Literacy for Leaders and STEELS for Leaders.

This Shared Learning Day will include sessions focused on visioning Literacy and STEELS instruction for K-12 educational leaders. See details for each session below to plan your day. Lunch will be provided from 11:15-12:15.

Visioning Literacy for Leaders

• • Literacy Elementary Session: 8:30 AM – 11:15 AM
  • Literacy Secondary Session: 12:15 PM – 3:00 PM

This professional learning session equips K-12 educational leaders with the foundational knowledge needed to lead evidence-based literacy instruction across their systems. Participants will explore the science of reading and structured literacy principles that inform critical decisions about curriculum, resource allocation, professional development, and instructional support. Leaders will learn to articulate the “why” behind necessary instructional shifts, analyze their current systems to identify gaps in teacher knowledge and practice, and ensure that universal screening, progress monitoring, and tiered interventions work cohesively to support every student’s literacy development.

Who Should Attend: MCLAC members, literacy decision makers, literacy specialists, literacy coaches, principals, and special education administrators

*Note: Pick one Visioning Literacy session, and plan to attend the STEELS session in your alternative time slot. 

STEELS Visioning for Leaders

• • STEELS Secondary Session: 8:30 AM – 11:15 AM
  • STEELS Elementary Session: 12:15 PM – 3:00PM

This professional learning session equips K-12 educational leaders with knowledge and skills needed to support the implementation of the new STEELS standards. Participants will engage in a science learning experience to become familiar with the instructional shifts necessitated by the standards, will analyze lessons from a STEELS lens and the Danielson Framework to gain an understanding of the instructional practices to look for when performing classroom observations and walk-throughs, and will review various tools to aid them in providing support and guidance to teachers as they implement the STEELS standards. 

Who Should Attend: STEM Council members, STEELS decision makers, STEELS specialists, instructional coaches, principals, and special education administrators

Note: To access these resources, you must be a registered participant.

November: MTSS Systems Check

Join us November 18, 2025 for our shared learning session all about i-MTSS. 

Note: To access these resources, you must be a registered participant.

Keynote: Promoting Student Achievement through Common Instructional Knowledge, Language, and Tools

Join us October 1, 2025 8:30-3:00.

Facilitated by Dr. Donyall D. Dickey, a nationally recognized authority on instructional leadership and district effectiveness, this session will introduce participants to a focused and practical set of actionable, measurable, and replicable practices that have resulted in unparalleled gains in urban, suburban, and rural schools and districts across the nation.

Grounded in both theory and practical application, Dr. Dickey will outline processes for aligning daily instruction with the nuanced demands of academic standards and high-stakes summative assessments—an essential foundation for accelerating and sustaining student achievement in the core content areas. This diagnostic and prescriptive approach to instructional improvement emphasizes the strategic alignment of knowledge, language, and tools across each tier of the instructional ecosystem, including classroom teachers, teacher leaders, school-based administrators, and central office personnel. Participants will leave the session informed, inspired, and equipped with a comprehensive roadmap and action plan for embedding literacy-rich practices into instruction across all grades and disciplines—supported by a framework of accountability and instructional coherence.

For more information about Educational Epiphany, visit the Educational Epiphany website.

Dr. Dickey has led at just about every level in public education. After a decade of successful site-based leadership, Dr. Dickey served as Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer of the School District of Philadelphia and later as Chief Schools Officer and Chief Academic Officer of Atlanta Public Schools. In each case, his leadership resulted in record gains in student outcomes and state assessment scores, as well as significant improvements in organizational effectiveness.

Currently, as the Chief Executive Officer and Lead Consultant for Educational Epiphany, Dr. Dickey and his national consulting team is partnering with urban, suburban, and rural school districts in over 40+ states across the nation. They serve as a leading provider of standards-informed instructional materials for the core content areas and professional development for teachers, school leaders, central office personnel, state departments of education, and professional associations.

We recently had Dr. Dickey on our Podcast. Listen below to our conversation where Dr. Dickey breaks down four high-impact practices that every educator can implement, no matter your role or grade level. With urgency and clarity, Dr. Dickey challenges us to rethink how we support students and offers practical steps that lead to real, lasting change.

Note: To access these resources, you must be a registered participant.

Meet the Team 

Reach out to any of the team members for more information.