VSBA/VSA Annual Conference
Doubletree by Hilton | Burlington, VT
Pre-Conference Workshop & Banquet
October 29
October 30
Annual Conference
Join us in Burlington for the Annual VSBA/VSA Conference where the theme will be Leading Through Change: Clarity, Courage, and Community.
Vermont's school boards and superintendents are leading through one of the most significant periods of change in public education. As districts navigate evolving policies, financial realities, and community expectations, effective leadership requires clarity, collaboration, and a steadfast focus on students.
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Join colleagues from across Vermont for learning, practical strategies, and meaningful conversation designed to strengthen governance and leadership.
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Conference highlights include:
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Keynote: Matt Lehrman – From Conflict to Conversation
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Practical workshops on governance, school finance, and community engagement
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Leadership sessions on data-informed decision-making and long-range facilities planning
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Networking with school board members, superintendents, and education leaders from across Vermont
Whether you're making decisions today or planning for tomorrow, you'll leave with new ideas, practical tools, and stronger connections to help lead your district with confidence.
Thursday, October 29​
2:30 - 8:00 pm
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Pre-conference Workshop:
Leading Through Change:
Governance Leadership in a Time of Transformation
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This session will help board-superintendent teams assess and strengthen their working relationship — especially the communication norms, role clarity, and trust-building practices that become critical under stress. Practical and reflective; could include a short team self-assessment tool.
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Banquet Dinner
President's Welcome and Remarks
Student Presentations​​​​​
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Evening Trivia Social
Friday, October 30
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
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Keynote
From Conflict to Conversation
Presenter: Matt Lehrman
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​​​ Leadership Learning Sessions On: ​​
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Better Board Communication
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Budget And Finance
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Facilities Planning
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Data-Informed Decision Making
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Community Engagement
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Sponsor Workshops
Conference registration is intended for individuals participating in the event for professional learning, networking, and collaboration. By registering for the conference, you agree to the following terms and conditions.
AGENDA
Thursday, October 29, 2026
2:30 - 5:30
Pre-Conference Workshop: Leading Through Change: Governance Leadership in a Time of Transformation
5:30 - 6:00
Networking Reception
6:00 - 7:30
Banquet Dinner and Student Performances
8:00 - 9:00
Evening Trivia Social
Friday, October 30, 2026
7:30 - 8:45
Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:00 - 8:15
VSBIT Annual Meeting
8:15 - 8:30
VEHI Annual Meeting
8:45 - 9:30
Welcome
9:30 - 11:00
Keynote: Matt Lehrman – From Conflict to Conversation
11:00 - 11:15
Networking Break/Visit Sponsors
11:20 - 12:35
Leadership Learning Sessions (workshops) Round 1
12:40 - 1:30
Regional Lunch and Award Presentations
1:40 - 2:10
Sponsor Learning Sessions
2:15 - 3:30
Leadership Learning Sessions (workshops) Round 2
3:40 - 4:00
Closing Reflections and Sponsor Raffle
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP
Strong Foundations for a Changing Education Landscape
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Vermont’s changing education landscape requires school boards and superintendents to navigate consequential decisions while maintaining strong, effective governance. This interactive pre-conference workshop will help leadership teams strengthen the foundations needed to lead through the changes ahead.
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Participants will review key responsibilities under Vermont’s Open Meeting Law and Public Records Act, examine board and superintendent roles and responsibilities, and use a team self-assessment to reflect on practices that support effective governance.
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The workshop will also feature Michael Berardino of the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), who will share new research examining why school system change so often remains incremental even when leaders are motivated to pursue transformation. Drawing on research with New England superintendents, Michael will explore the gap between leaders’ ambitions for change and what they ultimately pursue—including how differing definitions of transformation, local priorities, stakeholder expectations, and perceptions of what is feasible shape the work. Participants will consider these findings in Vermont’s context and discuss what meaningful systems change could look like in their own communities.
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The afternoon will conclude with a discussion of regional and statewide collective bargaining trends and how they can inform effective planning and practices within Vermont’s evolving education landscape.
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Training Requirement: Joint attendance at the VSBA/VSA Annual Conference and Pre-Conference Workshop satisfies the eight-hour annual training requirement for board chairs, supervisory union board chairs, and superintendents under 16 V.S.A. § 561(b).
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This pre-conference workshop is for superintendents, board officers and aspiring board officers.
KEYNOTE
From Conflict to Conversation
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What do you do when emotions are running high, opinions are deeply divided, and every option seems certain to disappoint someone? The answer is not to eliminate disagreement. The answer is to lead through it.
In this engaging and practical keynote, civic facilitator Matt Lehrman shares strategies for helping people feel heard, engaging competing perspectives, and creating productive dialogue around complex and contentious issues. You'll gain practical tools to strengthen trust, improve decision-making, and help your community move forward together.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Matt Lehrman
Matt Lehrman is a civic facilitator and Managing Director of Social Prosperity Partners. He helps public leaders and governing bodies navigate complexity, engage competing perspectives, and make difficult decisions in ways that strengthen trust and community. Drawing on years of experience in facilitation, public engagement, and leadership development, he works with communities across the country to turn disagreement into dialogue and shared challenges into opportunities for progress.
LEADERSHIP LEARNING SESSIONS
All workshops will be held at 11:20 am and repeated at 2:15 pm
Let's Talk: From Conflict to Conversation
Every community faces difficult conversations. Following his keynote, Matt Lehrman will facilitate a practical discussion among attendees about the challenges they face in their own communities. Together, participants will explore strategies for engaging competing perspectives, addressing contentious issues, and creating the conditions for productive dialogue. Bring a challenge you're facing, an idea you're wrestling with, or a conversation that isn't going the way you'd hoped. Chances are someone else in the room has been there too.
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Presenter: Matt Lehrman, Civic Facilitator
Budget Hold ‘Em:
Learning to Communicate Difficult Budgeting Decisions
More information coming soon.
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Presenter: ER Strategies
Better Board Decisions Start with Better Data
School boards are increasingly asked to make decisions about budgets, facilities, staffing, enrollment, and educational programming in a rapidly changing environment. But effective governance requires more than information—it requires the right information. This session will introduce participants to valuable demographic, economic, and population data resources available through the U.S. Census Bureau and Vermont State Data Center. Learn how to access and interpret data on population trends, housing, workforce demographics, enrollment pressures, and community characteristics to better understand the communities your schools serve. Participants will explore practical ways to use data to inform planning, strengthen communication with stakeholders, and support evidence-based decision-making.
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Presenter: Michael Mose, Research Operations Director,
The Center for Rural Studies at UVM
Designing Tomorrow’s Schools: Aligning School Facilities, District/School Mergers, and Student Learning
School facilities are more than physical structures—they are the foundation for student opportunity, community identity, financial sustainability, and regional and statewide equity. Vermont districts are currently navigating new legislation, declining student enrollment, evolving governance structures, and rising costs. Based on current conditions and recent legislation, school districts must evaluate building conditions not just for maintenance, but as catalyst points for voluntary mergers and impacts on student learning.
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This session will explore how boards can integrate comprehensive facility assessments with merger feasibility studies in service of student learning by examining enrollment trends, demographic data, and long-range capital planning. The workshop will also provide an overview of Vermont's relevant Act 170 points including district size, merger studies, school construction aid, statewide facilities planning guidelines.
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Presenters: John Alberghini and Sean McMannon,
Former Vermont Superintendents
From Data to Decisions:
Using Evidence to Improve Student Outcomes
School boards and district leaders are increasingly asked to make difficult decisions about programs, staffing, and budgets in a rapidly changing environment. Using real examples from Maple Run School District, this session explores how districts can use data, community input, and continuous improvement to identify priorities, make strategic resource decisions, and evaluate whether investments are producing meaningful results for students. Participants will leave with practical strategies for aligning budgets with district goals and using evidence to strengthen both decision-making and community trust.
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Presenter: Bill Kimball, Superintendent, Maple Run Unified School District
SPONSORS
SPONSOR WORKSHOPS