
Pitt EdD Students Explore Big Ideas at Innovative Schools Summit
Ten students traveled to the Chicago conference for educators
Students in the Pitt School of Education Doctor of Education (EdD) and K-12 Principal Certification programs recently traveled to the windy city for a nationally acclaimed professional development experience for principals, superintendents, and other school leaders.
Held in November 2024, the Innovative Schools Summit conference addressed four hot-burning topics for today’s K-12 school leaders: innovative teaching strategies, at-risk students, innovative school leadership, and social-emotional learning.
Blair Robertson, one of 10 Pitt students who traveled to the conference through grant funding, said the experience was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
In her role as assistant principal with Propel Schools in Pittsburgh, she enjoyed the sessions on innovative school leadership, especially the lessons on connecting one’s core values and emotionally-inclusive practices to create a thriving school culture.
“Being able to collaborate with peers within educational leadership throughout the country was meaningful and valued,” she said. “Attending this conference was an opportunity I didn’t take for granted.”
Tom Ralston, visiting assistant professor of practice at Pitt Education, provided the students with scholarships to cover their conference registration fees, travel, and hotel costs.
Since many students enrolled in the EdD in educational leadership program will later earn their superintendent certification, they will have opportunities to apply lessons learned at the conference to their districts.
EdD student Jenna Mozzocio said the conference made her reflect on the challenges she faces in making weighty decisions as the director of special education at McKeesport Area School District.
“As a leader, you often make critical decisions in rapid succession—sometimes within the same hour—and it’s easy to feel siloed within your system,” she said
Mozzocio described the conference as a “transformative” experience in her education.
She appreciated collaborating with many peers in the field, including a school principal from Canada who expressed similar challenges and aspirations to her.
“The shared sentiment and camaraderie were deeply reassuring,” Mozzocio said.