Professional Development Opportunities
The CNY Education Conference: Standing Tall
July 21-22, 2026 – 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Vernon Downs, Vernon, NY
Get ready to Stand Tall this July!
Nationally acclaimed educator, author, and school culture expert "Stand Tall" Steven Bollar is coming to our region for a two-day professional learning experience you won't want to miss. Known for his high-energy keynotes, quick wit, and immediately actionable strategies, Steve has inspired educators across the country to transform their school climate, strengthen their leadership, and rediscover their passion for the work. Day 1 will feature Steve as both keynote speaker and primary presenter, with additional speakers and sessions to be announced soon. Save the date — more details are on the way, and trust us, you'll want to be in the room!
April Workshops
NYSED’s Next Generation ELA Standards: ELA Regents 2026 Changes & Updates
Change doesn’t have to be scary! The updated NYS Next Generation ELA Regents includes limited, student- and teacher-friendly changes that bring more clarity, equity, and better use of time. Join us to explore what’s new and talk through what it means for instruction.
April 1, 2026 – 12:00 – 3:00pm
Costello Conference Room
Simon Sez: Short Videos, shared wisdom
Sometimes we get lost in the weeds. Our day to day work often does not allow us time to step back and reflect on our professional practice. We might not take the time to consider and plan shifts that will re-energize our teaching. We may not give ourselves permission to innovate where it counts and simplify where it doesn't. The purpose of this workshop is to help you step back and reflect on some useful ideas and structures that can improve your professional life.
Thursdays April 16 through May 21 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Virtual Synchronous
Join Algebra teachers from around the region for our Algebra PLG. The goal of the Algebra PLG is to improve the skills and knowledge of educators through collaborative study, best-practice exchange, and professional dialogue. This group will meet three times this year to share expertise and work collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students through the Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards.
April 17, 2026 – 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Costello Conference Room
Join special education teachers, paraprofessionals, psychologists, counselors and administrators who work in special education from around the Central New York Region to engage in meaningful professional development, collaborate with colleagues from different districts and share best practices. - Welcoming Inclusion Activities, Team Building & Mindset
April 23, 2026 – 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Large Seneca Room at OCM BOCES
Getting Your Sundays Back: An A.I. Work Session
Do you miss your Sundays? Would you like to recapture some of your “free” time?
The session will be free-flowing and hands-on, with plenty of time to try tools, ask questions, and test ideas.
April 27, 2026 – 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Costello Conference Room
Non-Component Registration Link
Family and Consumer Science PLG
What even is Fen shiu???
April 28, 2026 – 3:45 – 5:15 pm
Virtual
Connecting School Social Workers throughout the region to:
*Promote professional exploration and growth
*Share expertise and insights
*Collaborate on topics of concern
*Explore and further define the School Social Worker role
April 29, 2026 8:00 am – 10:00 am
Virtual Synchronous
Science K-12 PLG
Join a collaborative community of science educators as we dive into the adventure, challenge, and creativity of teaching with three-dimensional science learning! Together, teachers will design, share, and refine engaging resources that support students in exploring science concepts as they think and work like scientists! The group is a space to exchange fresh ideas, experiment with strategies, and build a supportive community dedicated to keeping science learning exciting and accessible. Whether you're new to 3 dimensional teaching or looking to refine your practice, this group is a space to experiment, reflect, and grow!
April 29, 2026 – 4:00 – 5:30 pm
TriPlexus Seminar Room 105
Performance-Based Learning and Assessment in Middle & High School
This event, which will be a hybrid webinar with in-person discussions and presentations, will provide New York State administrators and school leaders with an opportunity to engage in regional discussions about approaches to performances-based learning and assessment (PBLA) that support local implementation of NY Inspires and NY’s Educational Assessment Strategy in middle and high school. Please note that to attend this event, you must attend in person at a BOCES or Big 5 designated site.
Lunch will be provided.
April 30, 2026 – 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Triplexus Seminar Room 105
Registration Cost – $20
May Workshops
Talk to Me: Teaching and Incorporating Civil Discourse
Students are swimming in a world of soundbites, echo chambers, and performative outrage-and they're learning discourse habits from adults who've forgotten how to disagree productively. Talk to Me equips you with ready-to-use protocols for teaching civil discourse: structured conversations that build critical thinking, evidence-based reasoning, and the courage to change one's mind. You'll walk away with spring-semester strategies you can implement immediately AND a September culture-building plan that makes respectful disagreement the norm in your classroom. We'll tackle the hard questions: How do I stay neutral without abandoning truth? What do I do when students face backlash at home for thinking critically? This isn't about being nice-it's about preparing students to be the adults we wish we had more of.
May 8, 2026 – 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Oneida Public Library
Join us to chat, collaborate, and get inspired for your next choir class.
May 8, 2026 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Costello Conference Room
Let Them Talk: The Art of the Socratic Seminar
You'll participate in a full Socratic Seminar, then deconstruct what made it work so you can design your own tomorrow-ready assessment. Walk away with protocols, rubrics, sentence stems, and strategies for managing the fears that keep teachers from trying seminars: "What if no one talks?" "What if three students dominate?" "How do I grade a conversation fairly?" This isn't about forcing awkward class discussions-it's about creating the conditions where students want to think out loud, challenge ideas respectfully, and build understanding together. If NY Inspires demands performance-based assessment, let's give students something worth performing.
A part of the Performance-Based Assessment Design Series
May 12, 2026 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Costello Conference Room
Component District Registration Link
Non-Component District Registration Link
Vocabulary: Word Power! (Attestation Series)
Empowering educators with evidence-based practices to accelerate literacy growth focusing on instructional practices listed in NYS's Literacy Attestation.
May 14, 2026 – 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Costello Conference Room
Non Component Registration Link
Family and Consumer Science PLG
Cookie Decorating Class – Limited Registration to 10.
May 19, 2026 – 5:30 – 7:30 pm
VVS High School
Math Manipulatives Series – Grade 7-12 Mathematics
Math manipulatives can make learning so much more accessible for many of our students, from kindergarten through high school! Come to this training to get experience with a variety of manipulatives and how they can be used to support classroom instruction. Attention will also be given to how these tools can be referenced on Individualized Education Programs (IEP) for students who are identified through special education.
May 27, 2026 – 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Costello Conference Room
Non Component Registration Link
Science K-12 PLG
Join a collaborative community of science educators as we dive into the adventure, challenge, and creativity of teaching with three-dimensional science learning! Together, teachers will design, share, and refine engaging resources that support students in exploring science concepts as they think and work like scientists! The group is a space to exchange fresh ideas, experiment with strategies, and build a supportive community dedicated to keeping science learning exciting and accessible. Whether you're new to 3 dimensional teaching or looking to refine your practice, this group is a space to experiment, reflect, and grow!
May 27, 2026 – 4:00 – 5:30 pm
TriPlexus Seminar Room
Phonemic Awareness & Phonics (Attestation Series)
Empowering educators with evidence-based practices to accelerate literacy growth focusing on instructional practices listed in NYS's Literacy Attestation.
May 14, 2026 – 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Costello Conference Room
Non Component Registration Link
June
Numeracy Unboxed: Making Sense of the NYS Briefs
Join us for a dynamic full-day professional development experience designed to deepen understanding and spark collaboration around the New York State Numeracy Briefs. These sessions will bring together administrators, teachers, and support staff to explore how these timely and research-backed briefs can inform and elevate math instruction across all grade levels.
Brief 3: High Leverage Mathematical Content
Brief 4: High-Leverage Instructional Practices
June 2, 2026 – 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Costello Center
Come to Instructional Coaching Professional Learning Group to connect with others in the region, learn, and share best practices around instructional coaching of teachers.
June 5, 2026 – 9:00 am – 2:30 pm
Costello Conference Room