2026 ACSA Personnel Institute: Full Schedule

It takes more than being an expert on Ed. Code to reduce the potential for negative impact on an organization during a layoff. Soft skills, emotional intelligence, and empathy will assist in weathering the storm successfully.

Speakers

Corey James

ESS Advisor, AALRR

Corey James has more than 37 years of experience in K-12 education, including 12 years as assistant superintendent for human resources. In addition to his assistant superintendent experience, Corey has been a director for Educational Services, elementary and middle school principal... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am PDT
Regency A

Concurrent Session

8:30am PDT

BWS - Teaching Controversial Issues: Laws and Best Practices on Classroom Instruction

Wednesday September 16, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am PDT

Theater

The content and delivery of classroom instruction is not outside the jurisdiction of human resources. Statutes and LEA policies in some instances extend to the content of instruction, and teaching controversial issues. In this politically volatile age, more school districts are taking measures to monitor and enforce rules and regulations on the actual content of instruction. This session will cover Education Code sections and policies governing the teaching of controversial issues, including restrictions on political expression and advocacy in the course of delivering instruction.

Speakers

John Yeh

Partner, Burke, Williams & Sorensen

John Yeh has been practicing law in California since 1991. A California public school product and parent, and UC/CSU parent, he specializes in representing and advising school districts in charter school oversight, labor and employment, and litigation. He also has experience in... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am PDT
Theater

Concurrent Session

8:30am PDT

HR Essentials: Know This Before You Need it

Wednesday September 16, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am PDT

Regency B

Your first year in HR leadership comes with a steep learning curve, and plenty of situations where no handbook, workshop, or preparation program quite prepares you for. This fast-paced session brings together the essential things every HR leader needs to know, from the mechanics of bargaining, employee classification, to navigating important legal processes and understanding where to turn when you need answers. Whether you’re new to the role or simply want to strengthen your foundation, you’ll leave with practical knowledge, useful resources, and greater confidence navigating the HR landscape.

Speakers

Danyel Conolley

Associate Vice President, School Services of California

Sarah Nieman

Director, Management Consulting Services, School Services of California

Wednesday September 16, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am PDT
Regency B

Concurrent Session

8:30am PDT

Supporting non-citizen workers with vulnerable immigration status

Wednesday September 16, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am PDT

Saddleback

Many K-12 educators and staff in California are authorized to work through a temporary immigration status that can be easily disrupted. During the current administration, we have seen interruptions in work authorization for Parolees, TPS and DACA recipients, and individuals with pending long-term applications. This panel of immigration lawyers will provide updates on the future of these statuses and discuss how to support employees whose work authorization is at risk, how to prepare for status disruptions, and how to think about long-term alternate immigration strategies.

Speakers

Megan Kludt

Senior Attorney, Cornell Law School, Path2Papers Project

Megan is a founding member and senior attorney at the Path2Papers project at Cornell Law School. She has practiced immigration law since 2006. In 2024-2025 she served as an appellate immigration judge at the Board of Immigration Appeals. Prior to her appointment, she was a private... Read More →

Raju Patel

Staff Attorney, Path2Papers

Raju is based out of Atlanta and has been practicing immigration law since 2004. For 20 years, she worked for a boutique law firm representing individuals and companies in all aspects of immigration law. She has expertise in family-based and employment-based non-immigrant visas, immigrant... Read More →

Tess Feldman

Wednesday September 16, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am PDT
Saddleback

Concurrent Session

Company Preparing for immigration policy changes affecting employees
Audience Beginner

10:15am PDT

AALRR - Egregious Misconduct (AB 2534 and SB 848): What California Public Schools Must Know

Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am PDT

Saddleback

Assembly Bill 2534 (2024) and Senate Bill 848 (2025) significantly expanded hiring and reporting requirements regarding “egregious misconduct” for California public schools. Join us for a focused discussed designed specifically for California public schools. We will break down the definition of “egregious misconduct,” discuss the egregious misconduct disclosure and employment verification requirements, and provide practical steps to updating hiring and compliance procedures.

Speakers

Todd Robbins

Partner, AALRR

Emaleigh Valdez

Senior Associate, AALRR

Emaleigh Valdez represents California school districts and county offices of education in a variety of labor and employment and general education matters. Her areas of expertise include leaves of absence, reasonable accommodation of employee disabilities, investigations, employee... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am PDT
Saddleback

Concurrent Session

10:15am PDT

DWK - Staying Legal

Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am PDT

Theater

Staying Legal is fast-paced DWK-attorney led professional development focused on human resources and labor relations legal issues. Dannis, Pearl and Nakamura are 100% focused on practical lessons about education, labor and employment law to help you manage and maintain high-functioning human resources (HR) and labor relations departments for your district or county office. We don’t lecture or bore you with slides about legal esoterica. Together we learn, strategize, problem solve, laugh, and interact. We use curated HR and labor relations materials (summarizing court decisions, PERB decisions, laws, regulations, policies, and recent developments) to impart real-world lessons and pertinent knowledge about legal requirements and best practices for HR and labor relations professionals. Who knew the law could be so much fun?

Key Takeaways:
• Receive practical lessons, strategies and insights on often-complex legal issues to make your HR/labor relations department function at a higher level
• Learn, strategize, problem solve and interact with fellow human resources practitioners and leading attorneys
• Get up to date on the latest and greatest labor and employment court decisions, PERB decisions, laws and best practices

Speakers

Jon Pearl

Attorney at Law, Dannis Woliver Kelley

Jonathan A. Pearl is the Managing Shareholder of DWK’s San Diego office and a member of the Labor, Employment and Personnel (LEAP), Board Ethics, Transparency and Accountability, and Students and Special Education Practice Groups.

Marie A. Nakamura

Attorney at Law, Dannis Woliver Kelley

Marie A. Nakamura is the Managing Shareholder of the Sacramento Office. She represents school districts and county offices of education in employment and labor law, school board governance, as well as general education law. Marie has represented districts in multiple unfair labor... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am PDT
Theater

Concurrent Session

Company Staying Legal
Audience Intermediate

10:15am PDT

F3 - Rising Complaints, Real Solutions: Navigating Employee Misconduct and Workplace Concerns

Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am PDT

Regency B

As complaints about employees continue to rise in schools and workplaces, district leaders face increasing pressure to respond promptly, fairly, and consistently while minimizing legal and operational risk. This session will explore practical strategies for managing complaints involving employee misconduct, workplace conflict, professionalism, harassment, discrimination, and performance concerns. Attendees will learn how to establish effective intake and documentation practices, conduct appropriate preliminary assessments, determine when investigations are necessary, and communicate throughout the process. The presentation will also address common pitfalls that can escalate complaints and provide proactive approaches to improving workplace culture, accountability, and employee relations. Participants will leave with actionable tools to help their districts respond to complaints confidently, consistently, and lawfully.

Speakers

L. Carlos Villegas

Partner, F3 Law

Carlos Villegas advises school districts across Southern California on labor and employment issues, including collective bargaining, employee discipline, investigations, and board governance. He represents districts before PERB, state and federal agencies, and in Superior Court. Carlos... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am PDT
Regency B

Concurrent Session

Company Complaints and Investigations
Audience Intermediate

10:15am PDT

Latest from Sacramento – Government Relations Update

Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am PDT

Regency A

Learn about the latest from the State Capitol as the Governor wraps his final year in office with action on hundreds of bills while voters consider statewide ballot measures with impacts to school communities. Advocates will share their insights and take your questions on statutory and regulatory updates impacting the bargaining table.

Speakers

Caitlin Jung

Legislative Counsel, Capitol Advisors Group

Dorothy Johnson

ACSA Legislative Advocate / ACSA Council of Human Resources Leaders and Retired Leaders Council, ACSA

Dorothy Johnson serves as Legislative Advocate on the State ACSA Governmental Relations team and is lead on a policy portfolio that includes labor relations, governance, state pension systems, facilities, and technology. She also serves as subject matter expert to the ACSA Council... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am PDT
Regency A

Concurrent Session

12:00pm PDT

Ray Currey Awards Luncheon with Keynote Danyel Conolley

Wednesday September 16, 2026 12:00pm - 1:45pm PDT

Regency CDE

Speakers

Danyel Conolley

Associate Vice President, School Services of California

Wednesday September 16, 2026 12:00pm - 1:45pm PDT
Regency CDE

Meal Function

2:00pm PDT

Building and Maintaining a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Workforce

Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT

Saddleback

This workshop helps participants develop practical activities and strategies to build and sustain a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. It emphasizes creating an environment grounded in trust, open communication, and positive cross-departmental relationships; recognizing and respecting each team member’s contributions; and reliably following through on commitments. The workshop also encourages regular self-examination of implicit biases and establishes agreed-upon procedures for addressing microaggressive behaviors, with a goal of establishing and maintaining organizational belonging. These goals are integral to ongoing district workforce support and will be practiced through interactive exercises and guided discussions.

Speakers

Sheri Loewenstein

SEAC Consultant/Retired Superintendent/HR Administrator

Sheri Loewenstein has been involved in public education for 50 years. She has served as a teacher, elementary, middle, high school and special education administrator, assistant superintendent, Human Resources and a superintendent in Westminster and Cypress school districts.

Ms. Loewenstein currently works as a consultant with School Employers Association of California, (SEAC), providing coaching for administrators at all levels, training in Interest Based Bargaining, mediation, facilitating communication meetings with union and district leadership, and... Read More →

Debby Collins

Consultant

Dr. Debby Collins has been involved in public education since 1977 when she started her teaching career in Irvine Unified School District as a kindergarten teacher. From 1977 to 1986, she taught all grade levels, from K to 6 th. During those years, she served her fellow teachers as... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT
Saddleback

Concurrent Session

Company Workforce - DEI
Audience Beginner

2:00pm PDT

Cultivating a Culture of Service

Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT

Regency A

This session equips HR leaders with practical tools and strategies they can bring back to their teams to strengthen communication, navigate challenging interactions, and create more positive, solution-focused experiences for employees. Presenters will explore ways to model service-minded leadership, coach their teams, and build shared expectations around what exceptional HR service looks and feels like. Leave with actionable ideas to help inspire a culture where service isn’t just something HR provides, it’s part of how the department works every day.

Speakers

Danyel Conolley

Associate Vice President, School Services of California

Sarah Nieman

Director, Management Consulting Services, School Services of California

Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT
Regency A

Concurrent Session

2:00pm PDT

F3 -The Great Absence: Managing Employee Leaves

Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT

Regency B

Between chronic absenteeism, expanding leave laws, staffing shortages, substitute vacancies, and evolving employee expectations, Human Resources professionals are asking themselves a very real question: does anyone actually come to work anymore? This engaging and relatable session takes a practical—and honest—look at the growing complexities of employee leave administration in public education. Participants will explore the ever-changing maze of FMLA, CFRA, pregnancy disability and parental leave, workers’ compensation, paid sick leave, catastrophic leave, and negotiated leave provisions, as well as the increasingly blurred lines between contractual rights, legal obligations, and operational realities. Through real-world scenarios, interactive discussion, and shared “you can’t make this up” moments, attendees will unpack common leave challenges and staffing impacts facing districts today.

Speakers

Lisa Mori

Partner, F3 Law

Elizabeth “Lisa” Mori is a veteran labor attorney with over 30 years of experience advising school districts on bargaining, discipline, evaluations, layoffs, and employee matters. As a chief negotiator, she excels in both traditional and interest-based bargaining. Co-chair of... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT
Regency B

Concurrent Session

Company LEAVES and Attendance
Audience Intermediate

2:00pm PDT

LS - Leaves 101: An Introductory Roadmap for HR Administrators

Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT

Theater

Navigating employee leaves can be complex—especially in the education sector, where multiple leave entitlements intersect. This session will provide HR professionals with a clear overview of the most commonly used types of leave—sick, industrial accident, differential or extended, bereavement, association business-- and recent changes in the law related to these leaves. Participants will gain practical strategies for documenting leave accurately and ensuring compliance with federal and state laws. Attendees will leave with actionable tips and tools to support effective leave administration and sound decision-making in their districts.

Speakers

Chelsea Olson Murphy

Attorney, Partner, Lozano Smith

Overview
Chelsea Olson Murphy is a Partner at Lozano Smith. Her practice focuses on providing counsel to school districts and county offices of education in the areas of governance and labor and employment.

Experience
Specifically, Ms. Olson Murphy advises school districts and county offices of education on a variety of legal matters including employee discipline and dismissal, benefits, leaves of absence and the interactive process, contract administration, conflicts of interest, the Brown Act... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT
Theater

Concurrent Session

Company LEAVES and Attendance
Audience Intermediate

3:45pm PDT

AALRR - Employee Absenteeism: Managing Attendance Issues for Supervisors and Managers

Wednesday September 16, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT

Regency B

Employee absenteeism presents ongoing challenges for supervisors and managers, impacting operations, morale, and service delivery. This session provides practical guidance on managing attendance issues within the legal and contractual framework applicable to employees. Participants will learn strategies for identifying problematic attendance patterns, conducting effective and compliant conversations, navigating leaves and accommodations, and applying progressive discipline when appropriate. Designed for supervisors on the front lines, this session equips attendees with tools to address absenteeism consistently, fairly, and confidently while minimizing risk to the organization.

Speakers

Jacquelyn Takeda Morenz

Associate, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo

Jacquelyn Morenz represents California school districts and county offices of education in a variety of labor and employment and general education matters, including employee disciplinary actions, leaves of absence, reasonable accommodation of employee disabilities, employment discrimination... Read More →

Marci Williams

Senior Associate, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo

Marci Williams represents public school districts, community college districts, and county offices of education in all areas of employment law with expertise in compliance with issues impacting the Human Resources Office, including leave requirements, disability, accommodations, investigations... Read More →

Sarah Daniels

Associate | Pasadena, AALRR

Sarah Daniels represents Southern California school districts and educational institutions in a variety of general education and labor and employment matters. Her areas of expertise include leaves of absence, reasonable accommodation of employee disabilities, employee discipline... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT
Regency B

Concurrent Session

3:45pm PDT

F3 - Behind the Bargain: What the SFUSD Strike Reveals About Negotiation Culture

Wednesday September 16, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT

Saddleback

Negotiations are about more than proposals and counterproposals, they are deeply shaped by relationships, communication, and organizational culture. In this engaging session, legal and district leadership perspectives come together to explore how culture and climate influence the negotiation process. Using the recent San Francisco Unified School District strike as a real-world case study, presenters will discuss lessons learned, strategies for sustaining productive dialogue during challenging negotiations, and approaches to building trust with labor partners while still advancing district priorities. Attendees will gain practical insights into navigating complex negotiations while preserving relationships and maintaining organizational stability.

Speakers

Namita Brown

Partner, F3 Law

Namita Brown negotiates collective bargaining agreements for school districts using both traditional and interest-based approaches to deliver durable, effective outcomes. She advises boards on legal, policy, and public-facing challenges, aligning governance with strategic goals. As... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT
Saddleback

Concurrent Session

Level Advanced

3:45pm PDT

Fostering Culture and Growth: A Personnel Blueprint for New Administrators

Wednesday September 16, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT

Regency A

This presentation will provide information on how to develop and plan a year long professional development opportunity for all new administrators. It will provide ideas and suggestions for how to actively engage and involve new administrators in learning the "basics" of Personnel, diving into the bargaining contract and learning the important parts of the contract, share conflict management skills and strategies for effective leadership, review real life disciplinary scenarios and how to go through the entire FRISK and progressive discipline process. The workshop will be interactive and engaging and provide specific example and tools that have proven to be very useful and resourceful to support our new administrators in being successful and grow their leadership skills.

Speakers

Kyley Ybarra

Asst Superintendent Personnel, Riverside USD

With 32 years of experience in public education, Kyley Ybarra is in her 11th year as Assistant Superintendent of Personnel, Leadership, and Development at Riverside Unified School District. A long-time leader within RUSD, her background spans roles as Director of Certificated Personnel... Read More →

Michelle Cortes

Director V Certificated Personnel, Riverside USD

I have been in education for 33 years. I was an elementary administrator and have been in Personnel for the past 12 years.

Wednesday September 16, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT
Regency A

Concurrent Session

Company Onboarding & Orientation
Audience Beginner

3:45pm PDT

LS - Leaves 202: Beyond the Basics

Wednesday September 16, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT

Theater

Building on foundational knowledge of employee leaves, this advanced session explores the nuanced and often challenging aspects of leave administration in the education setting. Designed for experienced HR professionals, this workshop will examine key laws related to pregnancy, parental/bonding leave, family care leave, and re-employment rights and how these leaves interact. Attendees will utilize real world examples to gain a deeper understanding of how to navigate these complex situations while ensuring compliance and employee support through the process.

Speakers

Chelsea Olson Murphy

Attorney, Partner, Lozano Smith

Wednesday September 16, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT
Theater

Concurrent Session

Company LEAVES and Attendance
Audience Advanced

5:30pm PDT

Networking Reception with School Services of California

Wednesday September 16, 2026 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT

The Lawn

Wednesday September 16, 2026 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
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