Organized around three role-specific pathways, the series makes it easier to find learning opportunities that reflect your responsibilities, challenges, and goals.
Whether you’re leading a magnet program, bringing learning to life in the classroom, or coordinating your school’s theme and programming, the Virtual Learning Series offers professional development connected to your role, responsibilities, and everyday challenges.
Each Virtual Learning Series session will offer:
Designed for principals, district leaders, and other decision-makers guiding magnet programs and supporting meaningful change.
Explore ideas, strategies and tools that can help you strengthen programs, lead teams and advance the goals of magnet education.
The following Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. ET:
Designed for educators looking for practical strategies, new ideas and meaningful connections with other magnet teachers.
Discover approaches you can apply in your classroom while learning from colleagues working across different themes, grade levels, and communities.
The following Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. ET:
Designed for the professionals who help bring magnet themes, programs, and school identities to life.
Connect with peers and strengthen your work in program implementation, theme integration, collaboration, community engagement, and magnet identity.
The following Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. ET:
OCTOBER
Pathway: Leadership
Date and Time: Tuesday, October 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET
Presenter: Dr. Ashlie Thompson, NIMSL consultant
How can magnet programs continue to thrive long after the initial grant expires? Designed for school and district leaders, this interactive session will examine the questions and challenges that must be addressed to cultivate strong, sustainable magnet programs.
Participants will explore strategies used by nationally recognized model schools, including approaches for building staff capacity and engaging community champions in the work. They will leave with actionable ideas to inform a sustainability roadmap, strengthen long-term support and help secure their program’s future. A strong magnet vision should do more than launch successfully—it should be built to last.
What You’ll Learn:
Live attendance is free. Participants must attend the entire live session to earn one contact hour.
NOVEMBER
Pathway: Teacher
Date and Time: Tuesday, November 10 at 6:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: Mandy Arentoft, Magnet Coordinator, John F. Kennedy High School (Granada Hills, CA)
Magnet educators balance rigorous, theme-aligned instruction with significant planning and coordination demands. This session will demonstrate how ChatGPT can serve as a strategic partner in developing differentiated instruction, formative assessments and theme-aligned materials—without replacing professional expertise or human judgment.
Participants will build guided AI prompting skills grounded in data privacy, ethics and instructional innovation. They will also explore applications for curriculum oversight, team facilitation and data-informed professional growth. Attendees will leave with practical, responsible strategies for saving planning time, strengthening collaboration and creating deeper, more student-centered learning experiences.
What You’ll Learn:
Live attendance is free. Participants must attend the entire live session to earn one contact hour.
DECEMBER
Pathway: Magnet/Theme Coordinator
Date and Time: Tuesday, December 1 at 4:00 p.m. ET
Facilitator: Dr. Mary Conage, NIMSL consultant
How can educators help diverse learners effectively gather, process and apply theme-based academic content? This interactive session will introduce the 6 Ms framework: Meaning, Models, Monitoring with Feedback, the Mouth, Movement and Music.
Participants will identify key characteristics of learner-responsive instruction and examine how each element of the framework can support relevant, theme-based learning. They will also explore tools and resources for incorporating the 6 Ms into planning, instruction and assessment. Attendees will leave with practical ideas designed to affirm, inform and inspire their work with magnet school students each day.
What You’ll Learn:
Live attendance is free. Participants must attend the entire live session to earn one contact hour.
New topics, presenters, and registration opportunities will be added throughout the year. Check back regularly and watch MSA communications for the latest Virtual Learning Series announcements.
4005 Wisconsin Avenue NW #5997
Washington, DC 20016
202.824.0672