Reconnect and Lead With Us

Dear NNSTOY Family,

More than 180 educators joined us last night for the first session in our four-part professional learning series with the NEA! Tracey Nance encouraged participants to reset their back-to-school planning and classroom design using Responsive Classroom frameworks. She reminded us that our relationships, classroom spaces, routines, and structures should meet the unique needs of each new group of students, meeting them exactly where they are. Thank you to Monica Washington for helping make this teaching and learning partnership with NEA possible!

We hope you’ll join us on September 1 for the second session, Reconnect. NNSTOY members Jonathan Juravich and Brianna Ross will guide us in utilizing social-emotional learning to reconnect with students, colleagues, and our personal missions.

Please also join us Wednesday, August 26, for a brief All-Member Meeting. We’ll vote on the new slate of board members and share results from the All-Member Survey. After the meeting, Tracey will host this month's Webinar Wednesday, a personal conversation about teacher advocacy and what your own path might look like. There’s no pressure to stay for the webinar, but we’d love to have you join us!

In Service,

LouAnn, Tracey, & the NNSTOY Board of Directors

Policy Corner: What Teacher Leaders Are Watching

A Federal Shift in School Discipline

On August 18, the U.S. Department of Education directed schools not to consider race when making disciplinary decisions. The guidance follows the federal government’s elimination of “disparate impact” provisions under Title VI. Under this new approach, racial disparities in discipline data will not, by themselves, be treated as evidence of a civil-rights violation. Federal enforcement will focus instead on intentional discrimination. The Department has already opened investigations into districts in Arkansas and Wisconsin over allegations that their discipline practices considered students’ race. Read the Department’s announcement.

Schools should still pay close attention to discipline disparities. Who is being referred, removed from class, suspended, or denied instructional time? Are students receiving different consequences for similar behavior? Those questions remain important, regardless of whether the federal government requires districts to ask them.

What Teacher Leaders Can Do

Ask district leaders whether the new guidance will change local discipline policies or staff training. Keep pushing for public discipline data, consistent consequences, and approaches that address behavior without unnecessarily removing students from instruction.

Also Worth Reading: The Trump administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of Head Start’s federal standards. Public comments are due October 6, 2026.

UPCOMING NNSTOY OPPORTUNITIES



One of the best parts of being an NNSTOY member is learning alongside teacher leaders from across the country. Mark your calendar for these upcoming opportunities to connect, collaborate, and continue growing together. If applicable, registration links are in blue!

• Wednesday, August 26 | All-Member Meeting followed by Webinar Wednesday with Tracey Nance

Tune in at 7:30pm ET to vote on our slate of new Board members, view the All-Member Survey results, and if you'd like, hang around for Webinar Wednesday with Tracey!

Tracey will lead a personal and practical conversation about finding your way into education advocacy. She'll share how her own journey led her from the classroom into the world of advocacy, why finding coalition and community is essential, and what she learned along the way.

Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of the three major advocacy buckets: policy advocacy, communications and media, and community outreach, along with ideas for identifying where their own experiences, interests, and strengths can make the greatest impact.

• Tuesday, September 1 | NEA–NNSTOY Professional Learning Series: Reconnect—SEL as Your First Strategy: Addressing Challenging Behaviors Through Connection

Learn how social-emotional learning can strengthen classroom management and build meaningful connections with students.

• Thursday, September 10 | Grown-Up Show & Tell

Take a break from the day-to-day and spend an hour with your fellow NNSTOY members. Bring something meaningful, interesting, or just plain fun to share during this informal virtual gathering designed for laughing, cheering, and community building. It can be a personal item or a classroom/professional idea you'd like to share! Grab your favorite beverage for this session and be sure to tell your NNSTOY friends you're attending!

• Tuesday, September 15 | NEA–NNSTOY Professional Learning Series: Reignite—Back to School, Back to Purpose: Reclaiming the Joy of Teaching

Reconnect with the purpose that brought you into education and leave with practical tools to begin the school year with renewed energy.

• Tuesday, September 29 | NEA–NNSTOY Professional Learning Series: Thrive—Sustaining It: Habits, Boundaries, and Community for the Long Haul

Discover habits and strategies that support educator well-being and help sustain your work throughout the school year.

• Sunday–Wednesday, July 11–14, 2027 | National Teacher Leadership Conference 2027 | Las Vegas, Nevada

Save the date! We're looking forward to gathering in person for four days of learning, collaboration, and connection with teacher leaders from across the country. We can't wait to welcome the NNSTOY family to Las Vegas next summer.

Not a member yet?



If you're a Top 10 Awardee for State Teacher of the Year from any U.S. state or territory, you're eligible to join NNSTOY as a member. Educators, community partners, and supporters who believe in teacher leadership can join us as a Friend of NNSTOY. We'd love to have you as part of our community. Be sure to share this newsletter & link with your state chapters and new awardees!

NNSTOY thrives because of the support of donors like you! Please consider donating to NNSTOY to ensure that great programs and opportunities keep coming your way!

Thank You, NNSTOY Sponsors ❤️❤️❤️

We could not have a successful orgnaization without the continued support of our sponsors. Many thanks to Voya, Equitable, the Association of American Educators, NEA, the NEA Foundation, AFT, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, iTeach, the Parent Institute for Quality Education, the College Foodball Playoff Foundation, and New Politics Academy.