Catalyst for Educational Change

School improvement starts with leadership.

From superintendents to teacher leaders, meaningful change happens when people create the conditions for collaboration, trust, and shared ownership—all with students at the center.

Read more at CEC's Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/cecweb/p/recognizing-the-leadership-behind?r=6b170v&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

This time of year gives us a chance to pause and recognize the schools and districts we have worked alongside.

We are grateful for the educators and leaders who welcomed collaboration, asked thoughtful questions, and stayed focused on students throughout the year. Partnership is at the center of our work, and we continue to learn from the teams we support.

As another school year comes to a close, educators often find themselves riding a rollercoaster of exhaustion, pride, relief, and reflection.

In this insightful piece, Dr. Margo Sickele shares practical strategies for honoring successes, learning from challenges, and using intentional reflection to fuel future growth.

If you're wrapping up the year and looking for a meaningful way to celebrate progress while preparing for what's next, read the full blog here: https://www.cecweb.org/navigating-the-end-of-the-year-rollercoaster/

What an incredible day at our Second Annual MTSS Conference: Leading with Relationships!

This year's theme, "MTSS Through Relationships: From Systems to Students," challenged us to think beyond structures and frameworks and focus on the relationships that truly make Multi-Tiered Systems of Support sustainable, meaningful, and impactful.

We were honored to welcome educators, administrators, and support staff from multiple states representing public schools, private schools, charter schools, and parochial schools, spanning the full K–12 continuum. The energy, engagement, and commitment to students throughout the day were inspiring.

One message echoed across every session and conversation:
Strong systems matter, but systems only work when relationships lead.

Participant reflections captured the power of the day:
💬 Before we strengthen the system, we have to strengthen the relationships within it.
💬We have to stop seeing students as solely responsible for their outcomes and start examining the adult practices, relationships, and systems around them.
💬 Data is most powerful when we use it with people, not on people.
💬 Psychological safety, shared ownership, and trust are not extras. They are the conditions that make MTSS work.
💬 Clear is kind. When expectations are clear, teams can move together with confidence.

A heartfelt thank you to our outstanding partners FranklinCovey, Partnership for Resilience, and Loyola Press for helping make this event such a meaningful learning experience.

Most importantly, thank you to every attendee who showed up ready to learn, reflect, collaborate, and lead differently. Your commitment to building schools where every student feels known, supported, and successful is what this work is all about.

The conversations were rich. The learning was practical. The connections were authentic. And the momentum coming out of the day was undeniable.
We're already excited for our Third Annual MTSS Conference next year. We can't wait to continue this journey together because when relationships lead, MTSS works.

Please join us in welcoming Christopher Collins to the Catalyst for Educational Change team!

Chris joins CEC today as a Strategic Advisor, bringing more than 33 years of K–12 education experience as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, regional education director, and educational leader across northern Illinois.

Throughout his career, Chris has led school improvement efforts, developed leadership teams, strengthened PLC and MTSS systems, coached administrators, and redesigned alternative education programs. He also brings the valuable perspective of being a former CEC client, which gives him a deep understanding of our work and the impact it can have.

Known as a trusted advisor and skilled facilitator, Chris helps educators build the clarity, capacity, and systems needed to improve student outcomes. His experience supporting teachers, school leaders, and district teams will be a tremendous asset to CEC and to the schools and districts we serve.

We’re excited to learn from Chris’s expertise and grateful to have him as part of the team.

Welcome to CEC, Chris!

We’re thrilled to welcome Elise Zhao to the CEC Board.

Elise serves as an Impact Investing Officer at Lumina Foundation, where she supports mission-related and program-related investment portfolios focused on expanding opportunities for learning beyond high school. Her work reflects a deep commitment to advancing equity, education, and workforce development.

Since 2018, Elise has been actively engaged in Chicago’s education and workforce ecosystems, contributing to organizations including the To&Through Project and Cara Collective, where she currently serves as an Associate Board Member.

Elise brings a thoughtful, strategic perspective shaped by her experience across education and impact investing. Her passion for creating pathways to opportunity and lasting systems change will be an incredible asset to CEC and the communities we serve.

We are excited to have her leadership and insight helping shape the future of CEC!

Read more about Elise here: https://www.cecweb.org/about-cec/cec-board-of-directors/elise-zhao/

CEC is excited to introduce Catalyst SparkSheets!

Professional learning is most powerful when it connects directly to the everyday work of educators. SparkSheets are simple, visual tools designed to help teams organize ideas, clarify practices, and turn important conversations into practical next steps.

Whether teams are planning for summer, preparing for the year ahead, or reflecting on current priorities, SparkSheets help create shared language and keep the work moving.

Real school improvement is not built on theory alone. It takes aligned leadership, focused systems, and adults working together with clarity and purpose.

In this final article of the series, we highlight stories from districts and schools where meaningful change moved from planning into practice and where stronger outcomes followed.

Read more on CEC's Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/cecweb/p/stories-from-the-field?r=6b170v&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

School improvement is hard to judge while you are still in the middle of it. This article looks at a few signs that the work is starting to take hold, even before the long-term results are clear.

Read more on CEC's Substack: https://cecweb.substack.com/

What really helps schools make a lasting difference for students?

In CEC’s latest Impact in Action blog post, Dr. Tiffany Layton, PCC takes a closer look at how strong leadership, meaningful coaching, and aligned systems work together to support educators and strengthen instruction.

It’s a thoughtful read on what helps schools move from scattered efforts to real, sustainable impact.

Read more on CEC's SubStack: https://open.substack.com/pub/cecweb/p/impact-in-action-what-really-moves?r=6b170v&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true