Registration is closed for this event
The mission of the York County Truancy Prevention Initiative is to reduce the truant population in York County by establishing a protocol for improved communication, instituting a consistent response to the issues and initiating interventions. The 2015 Truancy Summit will address these issues, as well as community collaborations and identifying appropriate resources. Both a continental breakfast and lunch will be provided to all attendees.

May 21, 2015

8:00am - 4:00pm

$25.00 per person

Keynote speaker, Ron Fairchild, will kick off the Summit with a presentation which will then be followed by three breakout sessions.  When registering, please choose ONE session per breakout.  This event is being held at York College of Pennsylvania.  Specific session locations are noted below:

Keynote Speaker- Ron Fairchild

  • Room- Wolf Hall Auditorium 

Ron Fairchild is Director of the Network Communities Support Center for the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.  He fulfills this role while serving as President and CEO of the Smarter Learning Group, a national consulting firm focused on helping nonprofit organizations and foundations improve learning opportunities for low-income children in the United States. Prior to launching the firm in 2011, Ron served as the founding CEO of the National Summer Learning Association and the executive director of its predecessor organization, the Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University from 2002 to 2010. He has extensive experience in building and growing organizations and networks that are designed to strengthen communities and improve outcomes for disadvantaged children. His earlier positions include serving as the director of education programs for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and as an education associate with the Public Education Network. He is also a former public school teacher who holds a B.A. and master’s degree from Vanderbilt University.

Breakout Session 1  (9:30am to 10:45am)

Partnering with the Medical Community

  • Room- Wolf Hall Auditorium

A panel of medical professionals will address the issue of truancy from the eyes of the medical professional.

Panel Members: Dr. Bruce Bushwick, Dr. Robert Fawcett, Dr. Mark Goedecker

Homelessness and Resources

  • Room-Wolf Hall 317

Speaker: Sheldon Winnick and Sonia Pitzi

The main purpose of Pennsylvania's Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program is to make sure children and youth experiencing homelessness have access to a free and appropriate public education while removing barriers that children experiencing homelessness face. Its goal is to have the educational process continue as uninterrupted as possible while the children are in homeless situations. Some of the other main objectives of Pennsylvania’s Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program are to inform local school districts of their responsibilities to children experiencing homelessness, to increase awareness about the needs of children experiencing homelessness, explain current legislation and policies, and provide practical tips for working with children experiencing homelessness.

Sheldon Winnick has been the State Coordinator for Pennsylvania’s Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program for the last sixteen years. He has the responsibility for statewide implementation of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and works closely with schools, parents, and community organizations.  He also served as a Regional Coordinator for the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program and the Student Assistance Program.   He was previously a teacher at the Houtzdale and Camp Hill State Correctional Institutions teaching business education subjects. He holds a B.S. in Business Education and a M.S. in Instructional Technology from Bloomsburg University. 

Successful Community Collaborations

  • Room- Wolf Hall 412

​Speaker: Ryan Riley 

Communities In Schools’ mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. One of the key ways to ensure that students stay in school and graduate from high school is to ensure that students are consistently in the classroom. Although the concept of consistent school attendance seems like a simple and obvious solution to school success and graduation, its importance is often questioned by parents and students and misinterpreted by schools. Research shows that an alarmingly high number of students, approximately 5 to 7.5 million, are missing nearly a month of school every year (Baltimore Education Research Consortium, 2011). This presentation will provide an overview of chronic absenteeism, identifying partners to reduce truancy and promising new interventions. 

 

In 2014 Ryan Riley became the fourth President of Communities In Schools Pennsylvania, Inc. (CISPA), part of the nation’s largest dropout prevention organization, with operations in 26 states and the District of Columbia.  Established in 1977, Communities In Schools serves more than 1.5 million of America’s most disenfranchised students each year.  Under Ryan’s leadership, CISPA has increased it’s evidence-based model of integrated student service in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and York reaching an additional 15,000 students and families in Pennsylvania.

 

Shortly after arriving to CISPA, Ryan launched a  strategic growth campaign which has secured more than $2.5 million in investment to reach more students in Pennsylvania. Ryan has held senior level positions at Easter Seals, Inc and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. He is a graduate of Widener University and resides in Central PA with his wife and son. 

Breakout Session 2 (1:15pm to 2:30pm)

Successful Children, Youth, and Families Partnerships

  • Room- Wolf Hall Auditorium

Panel Members: Beverly Mackereth, Matthew Salvatori, Cynthia Sindlinger, Leah Hannah

A panel forum will provide insight on how communities are positively impacted by Children, Youth, and Families. An overview of the new system, stories of interventions success and how the stakeholders can systematically partner will be the forefront of conversation.

Bev Mackereth is currently working as a Senior Government Relations Specialist for the Ridge Policy Group.  Her prior experience in the field of Child Welfare began as a children and youth caseworker, then moved to becoming a supervisor, and an acting executive director. Bev also served as the Director of Human Services overseeing York County’s Children and Youth Agency before becoming the Deputy Secretary for the Office of Children, Youth and Families and then serving as the Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services. 

Bev worked as an elected official for many years serving on Borough Council, Mayor and State Representative.  

Preventing Truancy and Creating A Climate of Attachment For Students

  • Room-Wolf Hall 4317

Speaker: Maura McInerney, Esquire

This presentation will provide an overview of Pennsylvania’s truancy laws, including recent and proposed changes to state laws and will highlight recommendations from the Statewide Roundtable on Educational Success Truancy Prevention.  The presentation will also feature best practices and innovative models from other counties and across the nation to prevent truancy through proactive interventions that engage students such as creating a positive school climate and school discipline process, addressing bullying and disability issues and increasing student attachment and accountability. 

Ms. McInerney is a Senior Staff Attorney at the Education Law Center, a state-wide non-profit law firm that advocates on behalf of educationally at-risk children to ensure access to quality public schools.   Her education law practice focuses on the legal rights of at-risk children – including those in foster care, those experiencing homelessness, children with disabilities and English Language Learners.  She is also the lead litigator at ELC on a school funding issues, special education matters and ensuring equal access to educational opportunities.  She engages in policy work at both the national and state level.  Ms. McInerney has been a litigator in the private and public sectors for over twenty-five years and has conducted numerous trials and appeals at the federal and state level.  She has also worked with school districts to prevent and reduce truancy and improve educational outcomes for children in foster care.  In 2012, Ms. McInerney was named Child Advocate of the Year by the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Children’s Rights Committee and received an Unsung Hero Award from the Legal Intelligencer.  She previously clerked for U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Maryland.  In 1990, Ms. McInerney co-founded a transitional housing program in Columbia, M.D. which continues to provide housing, legal support and social services for families.

High School Reengagement

  • Room- Wolf Hall 412

Speaker: Jonathon Queen

Based on Jonathan Queen's award winning book 'Are You SANE (Setting A New Example) this program emphasizes the importance of education and is extremely effective for dropout prevention, intervention, and redemption.  Jonathan candidly shares his experiences as a high school dropout, GED graduate, career criminal and prison GED teacher to expose the relationship between illiteracy and criminality. This work shop is designed to not only rescue at risk students and drop outs from the prison pipeline, but to encourage, inspire, and train educators to use evidence based and experienced based methods to reengage and restore at-risk students and drop-outs. All in attendance will walk out with a renewed hope and innovative strategies for getting students back in their classrooms. 

Jonathan Z Queen is an award winning author, minister, mentor and motivational speaker. He is the President and co-founder of New Mindz LLC and creator of the ‘Start a Change Reaction’ school assembly. He works as an assistant counselor for delinquent kids, Parenting Specialist for a county jail, and is the director of the Shiloh Baptist Boyz to Men Transitional Training program. 

Jonathan is also a member of The National Exhoodus Council (NEC); a nationwide campaign comprised of formerly incarcerated professionals; all are former members of the criminal, drug and gang culture who now serve as ‘beacons of hope’ for those who desire to make a positive change as well. Their motto is: Serving Our Country, After Serving Our Time.

Breakout Session 3 (2:30pm – 3:45pm)

Successful Transitions in the Early Elementary Years

  • Room- Wolf Hall Auditorium

Speaker: Barbara Minzenburg, Ph.D

Research shows that children who have quality early education are less likely to be retained a grade or experience juvenile delinquency. Investing in quality early education gives children a strong start to reading proficiently by third grade and succeeding in school, but the real returns occur when families, schools and communities implement a pre-k to third grade framework for supporting young children. This session will explore the importance of an educational continuum that connects a child's early learning to successful transition to school and highlight best practices from across the commonwealth.

Dr. Barbara Minzenberg is the Deputy Secretary of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, a dual deputate of both the Departments of Education and Public Welfare.  Dr. Minzenberg is a lifelong resident of southwestern Pennsylvania and most recently served as the Assistant Executive Director of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, Division of Early Childhood, Family and Community Education.  She has also served as a teacher and administrator of Pittsburgh Public Schools, and an adjunct faculty member of the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Minzenberg earned her Ph. D., Masters’ Degree, and Superintendents’ Letter of Eligibility at the University of Pittsburgh; her Supervision Certificate at Slippery Rock University; and her undergraduate degree at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  Dr. Minzenberg has authored and received multiple federal, corporate, and foundation grant awards focusing upon areas such as use of technology in early childhood special education; inclusive education for children with significant disabilities; and serving children with medical fragility in least restrictive early education settings.

Dr. Minzenberg has published her work in juried professional journals and presented her research at local, state, and national venues.  She has served on numerous Boards and Advisory Groups to support children both in Allegheny County, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  She is very honored to work to benefit young children and their families at the state level in Pennsylvania.

Third Grade Reading Emphasis

  • Room- Wolf Hall 412

​Speaker:  Ron Fairchild

Join Ron Fairchild, Director of the Network Communities Support Center for the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, for a conversation about how communities are using the Campaign to align and integrate a continuum of investments in the early years and the early grades.  Find out what communities across the country are doing to mobilize a wide array of stakeholders and take significant action in support of more low-income children reaching this critical milestone.

Ron Fairchild is Director of the Network Communities Support Center for the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.  He fulfills this role while serving as President and CEO of the Smarter Learning Group, a national consulting firm focused on helping nonprofit organizations and foundations improve learning opportunities for low-income children in the United States. Prior to launching the firm in 2011, Ron served as the founding CEO of the National Summer Learning Association and the executive director of its predecessor organization, the Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University from 2002 to 2010. He has extensive experience in building and growing organizations and networks that are designed to strengthen communities and improve outcomes for disadvantaged children. His earlier positions include serving as the director of education programs for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and as an education associate with the Public Education Network. He is also a former public school teacher who holds a B.A. and master’s degree from Vanderbilt University.

 

Middle School Re-engagement

  • Room-Wolf Hall 317

Speaker: Thomas Acampora 

 

Questions?  Contact Sara Gray-Bradley, M.Ed. at 717.771.3808 or bradleys@unitedway-york.org

When
May 21st, 2015 from  8:00 AM to  4:00 PM
Location
441 Country Club Rd
York, PA 17403
United States
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Event Fee(s)
Truancy Summit Registration $0.00
Individual Registration $25.00
Session 1 (choose one)
Partnering with the Medical Community $0.00
Homelessness and Resources $0.00
Session 2 (choose one)
Successful Children, Youth, and Family Partnerships $0.00
High School Re-engagement $0.00
Session 3 (choose one)
Third Grade Reading Emphasis $0.00
Middle School Re-engagement $0.00