Reactive to Reflective: Building Trust in Leadership and Governance W08
Every leader has been there – a tense boardroom, an angry parent, a staff drama swirl. In school governance, even the best leaders can find themselves caught in patterns of emotional reactivity, misalignment, and eroding trust. Designed for board members, administrators, and governance teams, this session moves beyond theory to provide actionable approaches for navigating conflict, reducing reactivity, and building trust that lasts. Participants will begin looking inwards to examine how reactivity shows up in their own patterns and judgements of others and will learn how the brain gets triggered and how mirror neurons and emotional contagion influence social dynamics. The presenters will use guided reflection and cognitive reframing to defuse the stories that underlie participants' own reactivity. From that foundation, the session participants will learn and practice actionable communication skills and strategies that are known to reduce reactivity and build trust within groups. Participants are encouraged to bring a topic that’s reactive and challenging at their school to workshop or use one of the case studies provided. Participants will walk out the door with an action plan for their current issue as well as practical tools they can use in board meetings, staff interactions, community engagement, and their own daily life. For a limited time, early access to this workshop is exclusively available to registrants who have opted into the Board Member Registration Package. This workshop will open to all conference registrants on September 14, 2026.
Presented by
Caitlin O'Halloran Hellar Governance and Policy Specialist Charter Schools Development Center
Caitlin O’Halloran Hellar is the Governance and Policy Specialist at CSDC. Caitlin leads CSDC's development and delivery of matters relating to governance, policy, and other charter school leadership topics. In 2004, Caitlin co-founded the Dixon Montessori Charter School (DMCS). From 2013-2022 she served on the Dixon Unified School District Governing Board which authorizes DMCS. She served one term on the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools and has been a workshop presenter at statewide educational conferences, a commentator on public radio, and the Woman of the Year for Senate District 03 in 2016.
Dr. Irene Salter Leadership Coach | Writer | Trainer Inquiring Minds
Irene Salter's mind is formidable with a PhD in neuroscience, Master's in psychology, and over two decades of leadership experience, but it's her genuine passion and heartfelt approach that sets her apart. She specializes in curating training and coaching spaces for leaders driven by passion, purpose, and people. Her clients include visionaries from numerous charter and traditional schools across the country, Disney, Google, Facebook, Verizon, government agencies, and nonprofits. She draws from neuroscience, positive psychology, and mind-body medicine to help her clients thrive, not just survive. Learn more at irenesalter.com
