ERS Events, Webinars, and Workshops
Bringing Leaders Together
We’ve seen firsthand how important it is to create spaces for likeminded education leaders to share their challenges openly, identify common ground, and come away with actionable insights and solutions. These spaces allow leaders in the field to pull up from their day-to-day responsibilities, to reflect and strategize, and to develop meaningful and long-lasting connections.
That’s why ERS hosts frequent professional development, networking, and field-building events throughout the year. See the types of events ERS hosts by clicking through the tabs below.
Types of ERS Events
Network members participate in ongoing convenings and strategy retreats to tackle current and emerging trends and issues in the field and rethink their resources, structures, and practices.
Networks are frequently sponsored through state education agencies or philanthropic giving. Current networks include our CFO Strategy Network, our Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education High School Redesign Cohort, and our Texas Strategic Resource Use Network.
“ERS has supported our Tennessee Rural Principals Network for two years now, bringing engaging and actionable professional learning to 120 rural school leaders on topics including how to make strategic budget trade-offs and innovative ways to organize the school day for more instruction and teacher planning time. An impressive 96% of participants said the sessions improved their ability to strategically utilize their resources. Especially in today’s financial climate, that’s a critical skill for any school leader.”
—Dominique Davis, Director, District Support Centers of Regional Excellence (CORE), Tennessee Department of Education
Leaders looking to have thought-provoking and dynamic conversations about resource tradeoffs—but in a low-stakes, collaborative environment—can participate in an ERS Budget Hold’em Workshop.
During these workshops, teams play investment and savings cards to help them think through budget tradeoffs in relation to their priorities and better understand the impact of these decisions on teacher and student experiences.
“[Budget Hold’em] was awesome! Every school leader who is responsible for budgets should do this. It was great to connect with colleagues and see how our values emerged in the decisions.” – High School Principal, New York City Public Schools
ERS leaders frequently host and participate in webinars to discuss K-12 trends and to provide insights from our on-the-ground partnerships with districts across the country.
We also participate in or run sessions at national conferences like SXSW EDU, the Policy Innovators in Education Conference, and more.
Upcoming Events
Tune Up Your District’s Budget Process
Wednesdays, Aug. 5-Sept. 2
Over the course of five virtual, interactive workshops, ERS budgeting experts will guide you in fine-tuning your formulas and practices to strengthen your budget process for the upcoming season and beyond. Participants will learn tactical ways to evolve their budget planning, best practices and insights from other districts, and new tools to use immediately. Learn more.
Approaches to Implementing the Federal Tax Credit — Deciding What Would Work for You
Wednesday, Sept. 2 | Online
This is the third webinar in our series, presented in partnership with AASA, on the new federal scholarship tax credit. Compare the implementation models available to districts—from partnering with an existing SGO to establishing and operating a district-supported scholarship strategy—and identify which approach best fits your community, capacity, and goals. Register here.
Putting It All Together: Strategic Roadmapping and Next Steps
Tuesday, Sept. 22 | Online
This is the fourth webinar in our series, presented in partnership with AASA, on the new federal scholarship tax credit. Prepare to develop your own board-ready recommendation outlining whether to move forward, the implementation approach to pursue, and the priorities for your first 90 days. Register here.
Strategic Resource Management for District Leaders
Sept. 29, 2026 | Online
ERS is collaborating with the Harvard Graduate School of Education to offer a pilot session for district leaders on strategic resource management. Attendees will reframe resource use as a strategy, see across silos, engage with a real district case, and apply tools to their own context. Participants will receive early access and a discount if the session becomes a full certificate program. Register by Sept. 11 here.
ASBO Annual Conference & Expo 2026
Oct. 14-16, 2026
ERS Partner Emily Parfit and Director Sharla Horton will attend the ASBO Annual Conference & Expo this year in Pittsburgh, PA! This year’s theme is “Ignite: Powering Innovation, Shaping Tomorrow,” which focuses on how bold ideas become real solutions for schools and students. Please reach out if you’d like to connect. Learn more here.
Council of Great City Schools 70th Annual Fall Conference
Oct. 21-25, 2026
ERS will be attending the Council of Great City Schools’ 70th Annual Fall Conference this year in Boston, MA! This conference brings together big-city school educators to share and exchange ideas and strategies for shaping the future of K-12 education. Please reach out if you’d like to meet up. Learn more here.
Past Events
Building Your Donor Strategy — Assessing Community Capacity and Quantifying Your Opportunity
Monday, Aug. 17 | Online
This is the second webinar in our series, presented in partnership with AASA, on the new federal scholarship tax credit. Learn how to assess your community’s donor potential, develop a model revenue projection and donor relationship strategy that grounds expectations and turns “Should we?” into “Here’s what’s possible.” Register here.
ERS Secondary Scheduling Institute
July 22-23, 2026 | Boston, MA
ERS hosted a hands-on crash course in designing secondary schedules and organizing resources to improve student outcomes. Designed for joint district leader & secondary school leader teams.
NSPRA National Seminar 2026
July 17-19, 2026
Members of the ERS Communications team attended the National School Public Relations Association 2026 National Seminar in New Orleans, LA. The seminar brings together school communication professionals, superintendents and education leaders for a communications-focused professional development event in the field. Learn more here.
ERS Budget Partner Retreat
July 16-17, 2026 | Nashville, TN
ERS hosted a two-day, in-person retreat designed for CFOs and their finance teams to jumpstart their FY28 budget process. Participants will build a shared understanding of what strategic budgeting is and how to do it well, get a head start on real work, and gain insights and best practices from finance leaders facing similar challenges. For more information, contact ERS Partner Emily Parfit.
EWA National Seminar
June 2-5, 2026
Members of the ERS Communications team attended the Educator Writers’ Association 2026 National Seminar in Baltimore, MD. This year’s seminar followed changes to education at the federal level, including staffing cuts in the U.S. Department of Education, the loss of federal funding for research at universities, and an overhaul of the student loan system. Learn more here.
CFO Strategy Network Spring Convening
April 29-30, 2026 (Invite only)
ERS hosted a convening for CFOs from districts across the country for cross-district reflection and community-building with like-minded colleagues. Learn more here.
ASU + GSV Summit 2026
April 12-15, 2026
ERS team members attended this year’s ASU + GSV Summit in San Diego, CA. “This year’s theme is Power of Fusion—how technology, human ingenuity, and global collaboration are converging to accelerate how people learn, earn, and thrive to unlock opportunity at scale so that ALL people have equal access to the future.” Learn more here.
SXSW EDU 2026
March 9-12, 2026
ERS team members attended SXSW EDU in Austin, TX this year! We’ve found that the conference is a great opportunity to learn about bold ideas and bright spots in K-12 education, as well as connect with district and school leaders, thought leaders, and advocates across the country. Learn more here.
Using Benchmarking Data to “Right-Size” Central Office
February 13, 2026
ERS Partner Emily Parfit presented a session titled “Using Benchmarking Data to ‘Right-Size’ Central Office” at the AASA National Conference on Education. The conference provides the latest insights, strategies, and best practices to help school district leaders succeed using all the modern tools available. Learn more here.
From Numbers to Action: Using Data to Improve Teacher Teaming Models
February 4, 2026
ERS Partner Tara Anderson and Director of Texas Strategic School System Support Sharla Horton presented at the ASU Strategic School Staffing Summit 2026. The session offered practical strategies to apply continuous improvement cycles to improve teaching models—ensuring data informs action from the start. Learn more here.
Breaking the Mold: Reimagining Roles to Attract and Retain Effective Educators
December 17, 2025
In this webinar co-hosted with Digital Promise, attendees explored models for reimagining teacher roles built around expert-led teams, strengthened career pathways, and compensation structures aligned to the responsibilities educators carry today.
Meeting This Moment in K-12 Education: Navigating Financial Uncertainty & Sustainability
December 10, 2025
In this webinar co-hosted with Digital Promise, we discussed practical strategies and solutions for district leaders navigating the difficult road ahead, including how to reduce budgets strategically and responsibly, strengthen foundations, budgeting processes, and ROI assessment; and tackle legacy cost structures. Learn more here.
Let’s Play Teaching Job Hold’em!
December 9, 2025
ERS Partner Tara Anderson led a session focused on a sustainable new vision for the education workforce at Learning Forward’s 2025 Annual Conference. Attendees played “Teaching Job Hold’em”—an interactive simulation designed to help participants explore how to implement high-retention strategies using existing resources. Learn more here.
A System Strategy Approach to ROI in Education
December 5, 2025
ERS Director of Texas Strategic School System Support Sharla Horton presented a session on a system strategy approach to ROI at the New Mexico School Board Association’s 2025 Annual Conference. The session focused on the need for increased stewardship of fiscal resources and learning a new evaluation approach to ROI. Learn more here.
Turning Around Schools with High-Impact Tutoring
November 13, 2025
ERS Partner Jess O’Connor served on the panel of this webinar co-hosted by edWeb.net and Saga Education. Attendees learned how to integrate tutoring into improvement plans, secure support from stakeholders, and avoid common pitfalls. This session was designed for leaders managing turnaround efforts. Learn more here.
Beyond the Cliff: Budget 2026-2027 School Year Scenario Planning
October 21, 2025
ERS President & Managing Partner of Consulting Jonathan Travers presented alongside Arthur Mills IV at this webinar hosted by Education Leaders of Color. This webinar focused on how district leaders can be proactive in the face of financial challenges and uncertainty. Learn more here.
The Trump Administration’s Latest K-12 Moves and Your District: How Do You Plan?
August 20, 2025
This webinar reviewed major K-12 policy changes since the beginning of the second Trump administration, shared highlights from the Trump administration’s fiscal 2026 budget proposal and its status, discussed on-the-ground effects of administration K-12 policy changes, and shared insights on planning in an environment dominated by uncertainty. Check out the recording here!
Future-Ready Budgeting: Navigating Financial Uncertainty with Strategic Vision & Agility
July 23, 2025
This webinar, co-hosted with ASBO International, showed participants how to assess financial uncertainty and risk in their districts, drawing on lessons from the Great Recession, use scenario-based planning to prepare for a range of financial outlooks in SY26–27, and adapt decision-making processes to act decisively as unknowns become clearer.
ERS Future Ready Budgeting Retreat 2025
July 16-18
ERS convened 21 finance leaders from six school districts nationally to explore the evolving landscape of school finance, clarify strategic budget priorities, assess investment impact, and develop scenario planning approaches to navigate financial uncertainty in this moment.
MEGA 2025 Conference Budget Hold’em for Districts Session
July 14-18, 2025
ERS Partner Ventura Rodriguez led a Budget Hold’em at the Alabama State Department of Education’s MEGA Conference 2025. The conference is a week-long, in-person event that provides attendees with opportunities to engage in meaningful discussions, participate in in-depth training sessions, and learn from leading experts across the education spectrum. Learn more here.
MASBO 59th Annual Institute Budget Hold’em for Districts Session
May 16, 2025
ERS Partner Ventura Rodriguez led attendees of the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials’ 59th Annual Institute through an interactive and engaging Budget Hold’em professional learning experience. Learn more here.
NASBE High School Transformation State Network Convening
April 28-30, 2025
ERS Partner Kristen Ferris presented at NASBE’s High School Transformation State Network Convening. “If we want flexible schedules and personalized learning, we must rethink how the school day is structured,” said Ferris. Learn more here.
Budget Hold’em for Districts
April 28-30, 2025
ERS Partner Ventura Rodriguez led a Budget Hold’em for Districts session at the Michigan Continuous Improvement Facilitators Network, hosted by the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators. The MCIFN provides a venue for continuous improvement facilitators to engage in professional learning and networking to improve the quality of services provided to local districts. Learn more here.