Stronger Together: NEWESD 101's CONNECT Training Empowers Local Educators
Posted on 09/28/2025
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Earlier this month, Creating Opportunities for Nurturing, Navigating and Empowering Collaborative Teams (CONNECT) brought together nearly 180 participants from seven districts—Davenport, Reardan, Cheney (Sunset Elementary), West Valley, Garfield/Palouse, Tekoa, and Valley—at the Talbott Event Center for three days of professional learning focused on the foundations of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for Social, Emotional, and Behavioral (MTSS–SEB).
The event was facilitated by a team of experienced CONNECT leaders, including NEWESD 101 Special Education staff Lindsay Hicks-Frazer, Jaime Taylor, and Niki Topie, in partnership with educational consultants Drs. Lisa Hoyt and Maggie Schulze. Together, they guided participants through hands-on learning, reflective discussion, and district-specific planning.
Day 1 focused on designing Tier I supports such as behavior matrices, defining expectations, and teaching routines to build positive school climates.
Day 2 helped district leaders develop implementation plans, review policies, align resources, and establish sustainable leadership teams.
Day 3 centered on special education, equipping educators with strategies for writing IEPs that address social, emotional, and behavioral needs within a common EBD framework, laying the foundation for future work on FBAs, BIPs, and data-informed supports.
By the end of the training, educators left with practical tools, shared language, and collaborative strategies to strengthen systems that benefit students across northeast Washington.
Interested in bringing CONNECT to your district? Contact Center for Special Education Services Coordinator Jaime Taylor at [email protected]
to learn more.