MIDDLE LEVEL SYMPOSIUM
MARCH 1-3, 2026 (Sun-Tue) | HILTON AUSTIN AIRPORT

Early Bird Registration: $315 through February 15th
Regular Registration: $365 After February 15th

Dr. Frederick Buskey | Charle Peck 
Darlene Hernandez & Elizabeth Minto-Bauer | Andrew Marotta

 The 10th Annual Making Middle School Matter Symposium is open to all middle school administrators and educators and will focus on research-proven practices that can be implemented school-wide. The symposium will feature a range of keynotes and breakout sessions. Unlike other professional development events or conferences, this program will draw content solely from high-quality research and translate that research into practical knowledge bites so that practices and strategies can be replicated in schools and classrooms. 

Hilton Austin Airport Hotel Link

Conference Registration

This Middle Level Symposium offers targeted, evidence-based development specifically for middle-level leaders:

• Evidence-Based Implementation: Research-proven, school-wide practices translated into practical “knowledge bites” for immediate campus use.
• Specialized Middle-Level Focus: Keynotes and breakout sessions led by elite practitioners and experts dedicated exclusively to middle-level education.
• Model Campus Insights: Live demonstrations and proven strategies from designated “Texas Schools to Watch” campuses.
• Cutting-Edge Strategy: Instructional support and administrative tools designed to address the specific challenges faced by 2026 educators.
• Strategic Solutions: An Exhibit Showcase featuring curated products and services engineered to improve student achievement and learning outcomes.

This will be three days of dynamic and practical learning that you can implement at your campus immediately. Register today and bring your school team to this excellent training FOCUSED ON THE MIDDLE!

Tentative Schedule:

Sunday, March 1, 2026
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM | REGISTRATION
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM | OPENING GENERAL SESSION - Dr. Frederick Buskey: The Motivation Equation Resistance – it is the bane of leadership. Resistance to change, to trying, to coaching, to growth. In this keynote, Dr. Buskey helps leaders understand the truth about resistance – it is simply feedback. It tells us people do not perceive the value of what we are asking them to do as being worth the effort it will take to achieve it. Through captivating stories and simple strategies, this speech will empower teachers and school leaders to meet resistance with curiosity, move from conflict to collaboration, and reconnect with what matters most – people!
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM | FOCUS SESSION - Dr. Frederick Buskey
3:15 PM - 3:30 PM | SNACK BREAK
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM | FOCUS SESSION - Dr. Frederick Buskey

Monday, March 2, 2026
7:00 AM - 4:30 PM | REGISTRATION AND EXHIBITS OPEN
7:15 AM - 8:00 AM | COFFEE & TEA
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | MORNING GENERAL SESSION - Charle Peck: Thriving Under Pressure: Transform Stress Into Stability We are under relentless pressure to do more and be more, and we’re feeling overloaded. This keynote leaves educators with a powerful message of hope for their future! They will feel energized and confident in their ability to manage their own wellness while effectively responding to student needs. Attendees will have a few practical tools to immediately use that will provide relief to their whole school mental health system upon their return, and because they will learn about the uniquely developing brain and the human stress response system, they’ll adjust their lens and adapt their approach to help kids thrive.
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM | BREAK / VISIT EXHIBITS
9:15 AM - 10:05 AM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SET 3
10:15 - 11:05 AM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SET 4
11:05 AM - 12:30 PM | LUNCH BUFFET PROVIDED / VISIT EXHIBITORS
12:30 PM - 1:20 PM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SET 5
1:20 PM - 1:30 PM | SNACK BREAK AND VISIT EXHIBITS
1:30 PM - 2:20 PM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SET 6
2:20 PM - 2:45 PM | SNACK BREAK AND VISIT EXHIBITS
2:45 PM - 3:15 PM | SCHOOLS TO WATCH AWARDS CEREMONY
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM | AFTERNOON GENERAL SESSION - Darlene Hernandez & Elizabeth Minto-Bauer: Supporting New Teachers Where It Matters Most: The Lever Leader Model This session highlights how a Texas middle school in the lower Rio Grande Valley developed and implemented a Lever Leader program designed to support novice teachers (0–3 years of experience) through targeted instructional coaching and intentional leadership structures. Participants will explore how the program accelerates instructional growth, strengthens teacher confidence, and supports long-term retention while positively impacting student achievement. The presentation will unpack the systems that made the work possible, including purposeful scheduling, mindset shifts around coaching and feedback, and the establishment of sustainable coaching practices. Attendees will leave with practical insights into building coherent systems that develop teachers efficiently and create lasting instructional impact.

Tuesday, March 3, 2026
7:15 AM - 8:00 AM | BREAKFAST
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SET 7
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS - SET 8
10:15 AM - 10:30 AM | BREAK
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM | CLOSING GENERAL SESSION - Andrew Marotta: Be the One: Surviving & Thriving | Why do some people just stand out? Some just have that glow? Oh, they’re just born with that magnetic personality or that special talent. They’re so lucky they can just _____ (fill in the blank). NO – they work at it! They practice their skills. They learn from others. They work at bringing value and positive impact to others. Join Andrew on this fun journey of exploring, dissecting, and diving deep into the strategies and intentional actions of being THAT one that people want to work with & be around.

11:45 AM - 1:30 PM | SCHOOLS TO WATCH TRAINING / LUNCH (For Newly Designated Campus Staff Only)

Need to request a cancellation/refund? By email only. Cancellation requests must be emailed to [email protected] by the early registration deadline.

ABOUT OUR KEYNOTES:

Dr. Frederick Buskey has been a teacher, leader, and change agent for over 30 years. He began his career as a physical education teacher at Robert College in Istanbul Turkey. From there Frederick worked for 15 years in Northwest Ohio teaching special education and history, and serving as a county-level special education coordinator. He earned National Board Certification in early adolescent social studies in 1999. He earned multiple teaching awards and was a finalist for the UD Department of Education’s Teacher in Residence in 2000. 
Frederick’s super power is collecting the best practices he’s seen in others and building them into simple actionable frameworks that help leaders become more effective each day. In 2024, Frederick wrote A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose – a manual for helping busy leaders to focus on what matters most. Frederick works with leaders from many backgrounds, including non-profit, governmental, commercial, and education sectors. Frederick hosts The Assistant Principal Podcast, writes a daily leadership email, and speaks and trains at schools and conferences. He resides in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Cullowhee, North Carolina with his wife and lifelong partner Dr. Pam Buskey. When he’s not speaking and writing, he can be found on hiking trails in his beloved Western North Carolina and anywhere adventure calls him. 

Charle Peck, LCSW, M.Ed., is an international keynote speaker, author, and former educator turned clinical therapist who transforms chaotic systems from the inside out. Specializing in stress tolerance, she delivers a powerful message of hope to individuals in high-pressure roles and equips them with simple, practical strategies to maintain stability and elevate performance. For sustainable impact, Charle designed a toolkit that helps leaders build capacity within their own teams using the same framework.
With extensive work in trauma and crisis, her examples and stories are relevant and compelling to those navigating today’s most demanding systems. For more intensive learning beyond the keynote, Charle leads engaging workshops that translate insight into long-term change.
Charle’s signature keynote, Thriving Under Pressure, captivates professionals across education, mental health, and corporate wellness sectors worldwide. With extensive experience in trauma and crisis, her stories connect powerfully with those navigating today’s most demanding systems. For more intensive learning and application, Charle also leads engaging workshops that translate insight into lasting change.

Andrew Marotta is the Director of Communications & Academic Services for Port Jervis Schools, NY. After serving 20 years as a Principal and Assistant Principal in the great small city of Port Jervis, he embraced a new challenge in the 2023–24 school year by moving into this director role. This position allows him to promote and champion Port Schools in new and creative ways while giving him greater flexibility to travel and present nationally as an inspirational speaker. Andrew is a husband, father, adjunct professor of school leadership, former Division I men’s college basketball official, speaker, and author. 
Andrew is also the leader of the Surviving & Thriving movement. He is an energizing and impactful speaker who lives the words on his logo and strives to positively #IMPACT everyone he meets. A master storyteller, Andrew engages audiences and fellow leaders through authentic, heartfelt stories, memorable props, and collaborative, fun, and thought-provoking activities.