To succeed in an AI-driven economy, students need agency, engagement, and the ability to think critically, and schools can no longer treat those skills as optional. But for many middle schools, equipping students with them feels out of reach when the daily reality is:
- Teacher burnout and survival mode.
- Student disengagement and quiet quitting.
- Herculean leadership efforts that barely move the needle.
Districts often respond with siloed solutions, such as a new curriculum, tutoring, or an SEL program. These miss the underlying problem: a school culture that lacks high expectations, student agency, and a shared belief in what’s possible.
A Framework for Transforming Middle Schools
Join Dr. Michael Hinojosa (Retired Superintendent, Dallas ISD) and Shannon Buerk (Founder & CEO, engage2learn) to learn the 5 Levers for Transforming Middle Schools, a proven framework for building a culture of excellence from the inside out.
In this session, you will learn how to:
- Create a culture of high expectations that reignites belief in both students and teachers.
- Build student agency and engagement that prepare students for a complex future.
- Use the 5 strategic levers that turned schools on the brink of closure into A and B-rated schools.
- Achieve results like the +10-15 point gains in achievement and -15 point drops in chronic absenteeism seen by our partners.
Presenters:
Dr. Michael Hinojosa
Retired Superintendent, Dallas ISD
Dr. Michael Hinojosa is a transformational leader whose career in public education spans more than four decades. As the former superintendent of Dallas ISD, one of the nation’s largest urban districts, he championed groundbreaking initiatives that directly reshaped the middle school experience. He was the chief architect behind the expansion of dual-language programs, the successful implementation of the Teacher Excellence Initiative (TEI), and the creation of numerous programs that provide clear pathways from middle school to college and careers. Today, Dr. Hinojosa continues to influence public education as a consultant and a Superintendent-in-Residence for the Council of the Great City Schools.
Shannon K. Buerk
Founder & CEO
engage2learn
Shannon K. Buerk is a nationally recognized thought leader in organizational culture and performance-based coaching for public schools. With 28 years of experience in K–12 education, she has led transformation work in over 300 districts. As the founder and CEO of engage2learn, Shannon is passionate about building educator capacity, shifting school culture, and driving measurable gains in student achievement and engagement. Her work has helped public school districts implement sustainable systems of support that lead to real results.
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First published October 1, 2025.