Lane Whitaker, vice president of professional learning at Effective School Solutions, delivered the convocation keynote urging educators to use a four-part "attunement" approach—curiosity, care, connection and collaboration—to support students with mental-health, emotional and behavioral needs.

"You are an amazing educator. You are changing and affecting lives in a powerful way, and you are appreciated," Whitaker told the audience. Whitaker described the four "core" elements as a cyclical tool teachers can apply when students struggle: begin with curiosity rather than assumption; practice self-care and regulation so adults can coregulate students; build connection and use play to foster engagement; and collaborate on solutions rather than default to punishment.

Duncan Young, chief executive officer of Effective School Solutions, introduced Whitaker and said the organization has partnered with Bridgeport Public Schools to expand "high-acuity mental and behavioral health support" and district coaching. Whitaker described practical classroom applications: pause to notice physiological signs of dysregulation, take self-regulation breaths, prefer cooperation over compliance, and teach missing skills rather than punish students for skill deficits.

She quoted Glinda from The Wizard of Oz—"You always had the power, my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself"—to emphasize educators' agency and closed by invoking the late educator Rita Pierson's standard for adults who "never give up" on students. Whitaker also named specific training approaches and credentials: she said her work includes mental-health-first-aid instruction, the Nurtured Heart Approach and professional learning and coaching with schools; Duncan Young noted the district partnership will drive additional school-based training.

What was said vs. what was decided

The keynote and introductions were presentations of professional-learning strategy and partnership plans. Whitaker and ESS described coaching and training available to schools; no formal contracts or policies were announced or approved during the convocation.

Context and implications

The keynote framed mental-health practice as a classroom skill set rather than a strictly clinical intervention. Whitaker emphasized adult regulation, play and relationship-building as tools to improve attendance, engagement and behavior. The district has an ongoing ESS partnership to provide coaching and supports; district leaders referenced those programs when discussing training for special-education and general-education staff.

For educators, Whitaker recommended self-reflection prompts such as "Am I approaching this with curiosity or assumption?" and "Am I approaching this with connection or compliance?" The presentation positioned coaching and district professional development as the mechanisms for translating those techniques into daily classroom practice.