2026 ACSA Personnel Institute: Full Schedule

8:30am PDT

Supporting non-citizen workers with vulnerable immigration status

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

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

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

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

11:00am PDT

"He put the desk where!?

Thursday September 17, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT

Saddleback

Join retired Superintendent/Chief of Human Resources, Dr. Rob Martinez, and Carrie Wells, Assistant Superintendent HR of Brentwood USD, as they shares some strategies and processes to prepare yourself for the times when employee misbehavior will occur. We will discuss ways to support your Administrators and Supervisors with evidence collection, capturing witness statements, and preparing for the potential long and involved process of employee dismissal.

Speakers

Dr. Rob Martinez

Retired Superintendent/Chief Human Resources Officer, Retired / Antioch Unified School District

Dr. Robert A. Martinez retired as the Superintendent and Chief of Human Resources for the Antioch Unified School District. He previously served as Superintendent/CEO of Griffin Technology Academies, and the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. He was the Assistant Superintendent of... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
Saddleback

Concurrent Session

Company Egregious misconduct
Audience Intermediate

11:00am PDT

AALRR - Trifecta: Negotiations, Layoffs, and Strike Preparation

Thursday September 17, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT

Saddleback

Being a SMART communicator pays huge dividends as districts navigate negotiations, prepare for certificated and classified layoffs, and face the possibility of a strike. Participants will learn how these three integral processes require a SMART communication framework; clarity regarding who is on the communication team and what the key issues are, preparing key messaging points in advance, anticipating misinformation and escalation of issues, all while remaining clear, objective and empathetic to all audiences. Participants will not only leave with a solid communication framework, but will have time to interact with the principles preparing them to immediately be a SMART communicator in any and all situations.

Speakers

Jodee Brentlinger

ESS Consultant

With over 35 years in public education, Jodee Brentlinger has held positions ranging from classroom teacher; elementary principal; Director, Teacher Development; Executive Director, Personnel Services; Assistant Superintendent, Personnel Services; Assistant Superintendent, Education... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
Saddleback

Concurrent Session

2:00pm PDT

Hire Fast, Keep Longer: 4 High-Impact HR Focus Areas

Thursday September 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT

Saddleback

Is your HR team spending too much time on paperwork and not enough on people? It’s time to refocus. This high-energy session identifies the four levers HR leaders must pull to drastically improve recruitment and retention outcomes. We’ll dive deep into Systems, Recruitment, Branding, and Retention, providing you with actionable frameworks to streamline your operations and amplify your culture. Whether you are a team of one or lead a large department, you’ll walk away with a practical roadmap to modernize your practices and prove HR’s value to the bottom line.

Speakers

David Robertson

Retired: Assistant Superintendent of HR, 2025 Ray Curry Award from ACSA, Retired

David Robertson a recently retired Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources. He has been a long standing member with ACSA and was the most recent Ray Curry Award winner from ACSA He has presented at ACSA and nationally at AASPA numerous times, where he contributed significantly... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT
Saddleback

Concurrent Session

Company Onboarding & Orientation
Audience Intermediate

3:45pm PDT

Organizing the HR Office for Success with Leaves, Hiring, Association Partners and Compliance

Thursday September 17, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT

Saddleback

Speakers

Jorge Ronquillo

Assistant Superintendent, HR, Azusa USD

Jorge A. Ronquillo is the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources at Azusa Unified School District, where he leads the district's human capital strategy, including labor relations, employee services, and personnel management. Mr. Ronquillo plays a key role in collective bargaining... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT
Saddleback

Concurrent Session

9:30am PDT

BWS - Conducting Workplace Investigations: A Practical Guide To Obtaining Defensible And Impartial Findings

Friday September 18, 2026 9:30am - 11:00am PDT

Saddleback

This workshop will provide participants with the tools, strategies, and approaches to conducting a workplace investigation. We will discuss how to formulate an investigation plan, use applicable law as a framework, select witnesses, conduct interviews, assess witness truthfulness and credibility, and document your findings. We will also cover tips for conducting investigations of commonly made claims, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and bullying.

Speakers

Gabriela M. Rodriguez

Associate, Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP

Gabriela represents educational agencies in all employment matters, including employee evaluations, discipline, reasonable accommodations, interactive process meetings, restraining orders, and other areas of general education law. Gabriela also conducts investigations for school districts... Read More →

Daphne Anneet

Friday September 18, 2026 9:30am - 11:00am PDT
Saddleback

Concurrent Session

8:30am PDT

10:15am PDT

2:00pm PDT

3:45pm PDT

11:00am PDT

11:00am PDT

2:00pm PDT

3:45pm PDT

9:30am PDT

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