Summer Leadership Summit Open for Registration
Join Us for the TALAS & Central TALAS Summer Leadership Summit
TALAS and Central TALAS invite you to the annual Summer Leadership Summit, a powerful two-day gathering of superintendents, senior district leaders, and educational partners dedicated to advancing Latino leadership across Texas.
“Fuerza in Our Roots, Poder in Our People” celebrates the cultural heritage, collective strength, and shared commitment that unite Latino educational leaders. This summit honors the power of our history, values, and purpose in driving student success and shaping the future of education.
June 22–23, 2026 | Concordia University
June 22, 2026
Lunch and two breakout sessions
Evening Inaugural President’s Dinner (additional cost) recognizing outstanding chapter leadership and L3 Cohort 12 participants
June 23, 2026
Breakfast and lunch
Three breakout sessions
Featured breakout with Miguel Cardona, former U.S. Secretary of Education
Closing keynote and book signing with author Robert Alfaro, Baloney, Baloney, Baloney!
Together, we will explore how our roots ground us, our people uplift us, and our unity empowers the future of education.
Early Bird registration is available through March 30, 2026.Don’t miss this inspiring and impactful leadership experience!
Cancellation & Refund Policy
All registration and sponsorship fees are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, your registration or sponsorship fee will be considered a donation to TALAS. Upon request, a donation acknowledgment letter will be provided for your records.
3-2-1: On acting like a winner, thinking for yourself, and how to stop chasing what isn’t working
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“Big outcome: Do the right thing well.
Big lesson: Do the right thing poorly.
Big risk: Do the wrong thing well.”
II.
“So much of what we believe is the residue of someone else’s thinking.
Pause and question things for a moment. Is this really how it has to be? Is this really what you want?”
How to Build Systems That Sustain Student Achievement
The first time I walked into that fourth-grade classroom as an administrator, the walls were covered in anchor charts. The objective was posted. The teacher was working hard. This was traditionally considered ideal teaching. Yet, when I asked students what they were learning and why it mattered, some guessed, while others remained silent. One student looked at the board, then back at me, and said, “I don’t know… we’re just doing this.” I knew this wasn’t the fault of a single teacher. It was a systems problem. You’re probably thinking of the irony in that statement, but let me explain.
How Federal Changes Affect English Learners, Immigrant Students
Most recently, the U.S. Department of Education notified key members of Congress about its plans to move all federal English-learner programs and duties to other agencies, thereby dissolving a stand-alone office of English language acquisition, or OELA.
While English-learner programs—such as the Title III funding program providing states and districts with supplemental dollars—will continue, advocates worry the transition could weaken oversight and expertise. The new agencies expected to take on these duties may be understaffed and lack the years of expertise of former OELA staffers, said Montserrat Garibay, the former OELA director under President Joe Biden.
Here are 5 pillars that power one superintendent’s leadership
Five guiding principles anchor the leadership of Superintendent David Clendening, who has led Franklin Community Schools near Indianapolis for 17 years. Individual student growth is No. 1.
“Everybody in every school could say that, but we really focus on trying to make the experience and learning unique to the kid,” says Clendening, a former Indiana Superintendent of the Year. “We don’t look at everybody as cookie-cutter. We want them to reach their full potential.”
Achieving the first principle requires hiring great teachers. Clendening and his team raised starting teacher salaries substantially with funds from a 2019 referendum.
How superintendents are building a new student-first playbook
Many observers use the terms “superintendent” and “administrator” interchangeably, but today’s K12 leaders aren’t driven to manage buildings. They set out to build student-first cultures rooted in innovation, strategy and community connection.
In recent interviews with District Administration, several superintendents described how they and their teams work to orchestrate ecosystems of learning, trust and opportunity. Superintendent Pamela Nathan rallies everyone in the Edgewater Park Township School District to see themselves as educators who build environments where young minds thrive.