THE CTTL PRESENTS

Science of Teaching and School Leadership Pre-Academy Workshop

SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, July 12, 2026

Join us for another transformative session at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, designed for current and aspiring school leaders who want to leverage educational research to enhance teaching, learning, and student well-being.

Registration will open in spring 2026. Mark your calendars now for this exclusive opportunity! Space will be limited to ensure an interactive and personalized experience.

About the Science of Teaching and School Leadership Pre-Academy Workshop

Becoming a Research-Informed School or District

Building on the success of our previous workshop, the 2026 Pre-Academy Workshop will once again focus on helping schools and districts become research-informed learning environments. This interactive session is designed specifically for education leaders who want to transform their schools through evidence-informed practices.

Participants will explore how to select, apply, and integrate the most promising research into their specific school context. Through expert facilitation, collaborative activities, and strategic planning sessions, you’ll leave with a clear pathway for implementing research-informed approaches that benefit student achievement, development, and well-being.

This workshop serves as an excellent foundation for deeper engagement at the Science of Teaching and School Leadership Academy, ensuring that your learning journey translates into meaningful, lasting change in your school or district.

A Look Back at the 2025 Pre-Academy

The 2025 Pre-Academy Workshop was a tremendous success! School leaders and educators from diverse backgrounds came together for an interactive session focused on becoming research-informed schools and districts. Led by Glenn Whitman, Meg Lee, Andrew Watson, and Chuck James, participants engaged in hands-on activities, expert-led knowledge sharing, and cross-educator sector discussions that provided practical strategies for implementing evidence-informed teaching practices.

Highlights included collaborative discussions on bridging the gap between research and practice, human-centered design approaches to implementing the Science of Learning, and actionable pathways for integrating research into classroom instruction at scale. Participants left equipped with practical tools to build a culture of evidence-informed teaching and learning in their schools and districts.

2025 Speakers

Margaret Lee

Margaret (Meg) Lee is a forerunner in implementing evidence-informed practice in schools and districts. A public school educator in a variety of roles from teacher to professional learning specialist to school-based administrator to central executive leader for over 25 years, Meg directed induction and professional learning for a large, innovative public district that implemented evidence-informed practice and worked to ensure every educator understands how learning happens. She serves as a core teacher for learning science and advisor for professional learning at Academica University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam, is the author of Mindsets for Parents: Strategies to Encourage Growth Mindsets in Kids (2nd ed.), and has taught education and psychology courses at the graduate level. Her work in the science of learning has led her to collaborative projects with the Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning, ASCD, ISTE, and Education Writers Association. Meg is the United States ambassador for researchED.

Andrew Watson

Having taught high-school English for 20 years, Andrew Watson now translates cognitive science for teachers, students, administrators, and parents. He has partnered with schools and presented at conferences – both nationally and internationally – focusing on memory, attention, and motivation. Andrew’s three books and weekly blog explore the uses and limitations of cognitive science research in the classroom. His goal: use research to make learning easier and teaching more effective.

Glenn Whitman

Glenn is a History teacher at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School (MD) where he is also the Dreyfuss Family Director for the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL). Glenn is the co-author of Neuroteach: Brain Science and the Future of Education and co-designer of Neuroteach Global®. Glenn is a former Martin Institute for Teaching Excellence Fellow and author of Dialogue with the Past: Engaging Students and Meeting Standards through Oral History as well as co-editor of Think Differently and Deeply, the international publication of the CTTL. Glenn earned his MALS from Dartmouth College and a BA from Dickinson College.

Chuck James

Charles (Chuck) James is D!Lab Director and Science Teacher at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and an Omidyar Fellow with the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning. Chuck’s experience in education and instruction spans three decades and includes work as Director of Education and Public Outreach for the Carnegie Institution’s NASA’s Astrobiology Division, adjunct professor of science education at George Mason University, and Director of Education and Public Outreach at the Carnegie Institution of Science. He was twice awarded the state-level Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics. In 2018, he published The D!Lab Guide to Design Thinking and Imagination.

Reading To Prime Your Brain

“Getting on the MBE Pathway” in Volume 5 of Think Differently and Deeply

“Bringing the Science of Teaching and Learning to a Public School District’s Teachers and Administrators” (Case Study)

BECOME A PARTNER SCHOOL

When you commit to sending more than two classroom teachers and one school leader to three consecutive years of the Academy, your school is eligible to become an Academy Partner School and receive several benefits, including:

+ 60-minute MBE integration and translation consulting during each Academy Partner School year
+ Recognition on CTTL website
+ Academy Partner registration rate during a three-year commitment
+ Support in identifying and training MBE guides/leaders/campus champions
+ Discount on Neuroteach Global micro-courses
+ CTTL product advisory group membership
+ CTTL marketing of partner school accomplishments
+ One-week early notification of early registration for CTTL events
+ Two complimentary copies of the most recent volume of Think Differently & Deeply

TESTIMONIALS

Please send a huge thanks to the entire team for an amazing academy experience. It truly was one of those PD's where I felt invigorated and ready for a new school year to start! So much to think about and so many ways to lean in and have rich discussions about MBE in our school and classrooms this upcoming year. Thank you!

As part of the Academy experience since its inception, Frederick County Public Schools is pleased to serve as a pioneer satellite site! Nearly 300 FCPS teachers and leaders have learned more about their roles as brain changers as a result of their participation in the Academy experience. We’re excited to share our enthusiasm for the science of teaching and learning and host others who are ready to be on the journey to becoming evidence-informed educators with us!

“My experience this summer at the CTTL was transformative for me. Even though I had a solid working knowledge of MBE I came away with so much more than I anticipated. I was able to take what I learned and immediately apply it to PD I am developing for my school system as well as use the knowledge I gained and connections I made to further my own deeper dive into MBE research based strategies. This was by far the most rewarding professional development I have received as an educator.”

“I enjoyed hearing from a variety of speakers on a range of topics as well as being a part of hands-on activities. I have never in my career had the opportunity to literally look at a brain in my hands so I can understand more about teaching, an experience they were excited to facilitate for us. “

“There are no words to truly verbalize the profound impact the training had on me and my future career. I am looking forward to ongoing mentoring provided through communication with the CTTL and multiple planned virtual meetings throughout the year clearly demonstrating the positive impact of interlacing information as an effective MBE strategy.”

Mount Vernon is so fortunate to have been a pioneering partner school with the CTTL's Science of Teaching and School Leadership Academy. Our three cohorts of faculty and admin who attended the summer experiences came back full of excitement and knowledge, and they continue to share their work with others. The CTTL has made a significant contribution to the inclusion of MBE Science at our school. Also, I have benefited personally from the Neuroteach Global online lessons, and I commend you for creating such a fun and compelling learning experience.