EmpowerEd's Educator Wellness Symposium "Lets Talk SPED: Uplifting Special Educator Teachers Through Teaming & Communication"

About this event

What does a general education classroom look like in 2026? Have our teaching and teaming structures adapted to changing student needs? And why is the burnout rate for SPED teachers higher than for other roles?

If you're ready to dive into these important yet often overlooked school wellness questions, join us for our 2026 Educator Wellness Symposium on Friday, November 13th from 10 AM to 12 PM at the EmpowerEd offices. During this highly interactive session, we'll share targeted frameworks, real-life experiences from educators, and the solutions gaining traction in improving SPED outcomes for all.

This year, our Symposium will be co-presented with Emily Griswold, a longtime DCPS SPED educator and founder of 11:11 Wellness , a DC educator wellness support organization committed to restoring emotional safety and relational trust in schools.

Together, we'll honor the complexity and importance of the role that Special Education programs and SPED educators play in whole-school wellness, including:

• The interplay between mental wellness and special education programmatic success

• What truly powerful co-teaching can look like with enough systemic support

• How to find the balance between legal mandates and human necessities

• And more!

Schedule:

9:30am - Meet n' Greet 10:00am - Opening Presentation 10:45am - "Mapping the SPED Ecosystem" Gallery Walk 11:30am - Takeaways & Next Steps

This event is open to DC educators, leaders, partner support organizations, policymakers, and anyone invested in seeing better outcomes in our schools. Please RSVP and share with your networks. We look forward to sharing this important conversation with you!