​School Social Workers Leading the Transformation of Systems for Equity, Access and Innovation

As the role of School Social Worker continues to expand in Washington, what is the learning that needs to happen to transform our systems? How do we collectively harness the momentum of the School Social Work profession to continue to grow and expand our roles? How can we strengthen our partnerships to best serve students and families in the most equitable ways?

WASSW is very excited to welcome our keynote speaker
​Dr. Kurt Hatch


​​​A former teacher, instructional coach, award-winning principal, and Associate Director of the Association of Washington School Principals, Dr. Kurt Hatch is the Faculty Director and Professor of the Educational Administration program at the University of Washington (UW).
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Dr. Hatch also serves as an affiliate and subject matter expert with the UW School Mental Health Research Assessment and Training (SMART) center focused on the nationwide implementation of the Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF). Dr. Hatch provides training and coaching on implementation science and is a principal investigator of the Helping Educational Leaders Mobilize evidence (HELM) research project.
 
Based in Olympia, WA with his wife and two daughters, Dr. Hatch has taught and led in local, state-wide, and international settings. His work includes policy analysis, advocacy and facilitating professional learning on:
  • Systems Leadership
  • Equity, Bias and Race
  • Multi-Tiered System of Supports
 
As the founder and CEO of Leadership Solutions, Dr. Hatch also provides executive coaching and training on a school-wide support system that recaptures hundreds of hours of instructional time, increases teacher efficacy and eliminates the use of suspensions.


​​Keynote Title and Description (Dr. Kurt Hatch)
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Education Must be Centered on a Love Ethic: Aligning Values and Action to Create Community
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What if we gifted ourselves the time, space and grace needed to critically examine the systems, leadership strategies and classroom practices currently being used to promote behavioral and mental health?  Would we find them to be racially literate, evidence-based, interconnected and rooted in compassion? What about the predominant system for providing differentiated support for student learning?  Is it inclusive and centered on a love ethic?
 
Dr. Kurt Hatch will use story as data and invite conferees to collectively and courageously shift systems and practices so all students experience a better love.