Current Professional Learning Opportunities
This page lists upcoming graduate courses and seminars that are open for registration or have wait list spaces available. Additional offerings will be posted as they become available. For information about the DEI Anti-Racism Certificate program, click here.
Download a flyer (PDF) with an overview of the current course offerings. Updated December 19, 2024.
Graduate Level Courses
(2) Credits, (30) Hour Courses
IDEAS 1: Anti-Racist School Practices to Support the Success of All Students
This course is designed to introduce educators to the complex issues raised by race and racism and their impact on student engagement and achievement. This course will provide educators with an understanding of racial identity and the importance of building authentic student teacher relationships. This course will also help educators increase their skills of cultural proficiency.
| Section E: | Section F: |
| Course Dates & Times: Saturdays, 8:30am – 2:45pm February 1st February 8th March 8th March 29th Location: Live Virtually via Zoom | Course Dates & Times: Wednesdays, 4:30pm – 7:45pm February 26th March 5th, March 12th, March 19th & March 26th April 2nd, April 9th & April 16th Location: Live Virtually via Zoom |
| Instructor(s): Jennifer Dirga & Kerryn Hinds | Instructor(s): Edward Byrne & Mark Liddell |
| Section I: | |
| Course Dates & Times: Saturday, 8:00am – 2:00pm March 1st Mondays, 4:00pm – 7:15pm March 3rd, March 10th, March 24th, March 31st; April 7th & 14th Location: In Person @ Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School, 390 Lincoln Road, Sudbury, MA | |
| Instructor(s): Seeta Durvasula & Chris Hinds |
Cost: $650 IDEAS members /$780 non-members
Graduate Credit: Participants may choose to apply for 2 graduate credits for an additional fee of $150, payable to Bridgewater State University.
Registration: To register, please complete and submit this IDEAS1 registration form. Please ensure that you have approval from your district before registering. Please email any questions to Dana Mullaley – dmullaley@massupt.org.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation notice must be received 2 weeks prior to the start of the course to be eligible for a refund.
(1) Credit, (15) Hour Courses
Co-Teaching with a Culturally Responsive Lens
This course explores co-teaching models to support diverse learners, including students in special education, those with trauma histories, English language learners, and students from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. Grounded in Zaretta Hammond’s neurological research and Anne M. Beninghof’s co-teaching strategies, the course emphasizes enhancing attention, retention, and assessment, while integrating humor, movement, and novelty to create inclusive environments. Participants will also examine the work of scholars such as Cornelius Minor, Patricia Devine, Joe Feldman, and Tara Yosso to address implicit bias, apply culturally relevant practices, and develop actionable plans for effective co-teaching. This course satisfies special education endorsement requirements.
Dates & Time: Tuesdays, February 4th, February 11th, February 25th & March 4th; 4:00pm – 7:15pm
Instructors: Dr. Claudia Fox Tree & JoAnne Kazis
Location: Live Virtually via Zoom
Cost: $325 IDEAS members /$390 non-members
Graduate Credit: Participants may choose to apply for 1 graduate credit for an additional fee of $75, payable to Bridgewater State University.
Registration: To register, please complete and submit this registration form . Please ensure that you have approval from your district before registering. Please email any questions to Dana Mullaley – dmullaley@massupt.org.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation notice must be received 2 weeks prior to the start of the course to be eligible for a refund.
Transforming Curriculum through a Social Justice Lens
This course is designed for educators to explore multicultural curriculum transformation. Participants will examine strategies for integrating multicultural perspectives, adapting culturally responsive pedagogy, and addressing systemic racism and bias. Drawing on the work of scholars such as James Banks (multicultural curriculum), Geneva Gay and Zaretta Hammond (culturally responsive pedagogy and neurological research), and Gloria Ladson-Billings (culturally relevant pedagogy), participants will learn to create inclusive curricula. The course also incorporates the work of Michael Eric Dyson and Paul Gorski (race, privilege, and equity literacy), Karen McLean Donaldson (cultural relevance), Peggy McIntosh (white privilege), and Dina Gilio-Whitaker (Indigenous knowledge), helping educators address bias and foster justice-oriented learning. By the end of the course, participants will adapt or develop lesson and unit plans that reflect these principles.
Dates & Time: Tuesdays, April 1st, April 8th, April 15th & Monday, April 28th; 4:00pm – 7:15pm
Instructors: Dr. Claudia Fox Tree & Rebecca Smoler
Location: Live Virtually via Zoom
Cost: $325 IDEAS members /$390 non-members
Graduate Credit: Participants may choose to apply for 1 graduate credit for an additional fee of $75, payable to Bridgewater State University.
Registration: To register, please complete and submit this registration form . Please ensure that you have approval from your district before registering. Please email any questions to Dana Mullaley – dmullaley@massupt.org.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation notice must be received 2 weeks prior to the start of the course to be eligible for a refund.
Understanding “Culture” in Culturally Responsive Teaching
This course encourages participants to examine and address cultural identity, relative privileges, and issues of diversity through experiential activities. Participants will explore the importance of affirming culture, appreciating history, and understanding the experiences of people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Drawing on the work of Gary Howard (cultural proficiency and inclusive schools), Zaretta Hammond and Geneva Gay (culturally responsive teaching), and Lindsay, Robins, and Terrell (Cultural Proficiency Continuum), participants will learn strategies to enhance their cultural awareness and teaching practices. Additionally, the work of Deral Wing Sue (microaggressions and cultural competence) will help participants reflect on how communication and learning styles impact brain development and social-emotional growth. By the end of the course, educators will develop culturally proficient strategies to meet the diverse needs of all students.
Dates & Time: Wednesdays, April 2nd, April 16th & April 30th; Monday, May 5th; 4:00pm – 7:15pm
Instructors: Dr. Claudia Fox Tree & Dr. Johnny Cole
Location: Lexington Public Schools, Central Office; Entrance through Harrington Elementary, 328 Lowell Street, Lexington
Cost: $325 IDEAS members /$390 non-members
Graduate Credit: Participants may choose to apply for 1 graduate credit for an additional fee of $75, payable to Bridgewater State University.
Registration: To register, please complete and submit this registration form. Please ensure that you have approval from your district before registering. Please email any questions to Dana Mullaley – dmullaley@massupt.org.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation notice must be received 2 weeks prior to the start of the course to be eligible for a refund.
When Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Politics Converge: How to Have Difficult Conversations When Our Identities are in Our Politics
Our students, as well as our colleagues, still have many questions and comments about what they saw and heard during the 2024 election in their schools and classrooms. Our collective politics has thrust race, ethnicity and gender into our collective awareness and conversations, because of both political rhetoric and policy proposals. How should educators handle comments or questions from students or from their colleagues about race, ethnicity, and/or gender when they’re in our political discourse? How can we respect differences in political perspectives while still naming and standing up against racism, xenophobia, sexism and other forms of oppression? Using Donna Hick’s work on Centering Dignity, this interactive workshop looks at some of the common questions and comments that come up about race, ethnicity, and gender, offers strategies on how to handle these comments/questions, provides individual and small group practice time so educators leave feeling more prepared to respond when these issues come up in their schools.
Dates & Time: Wednesday, February 5th; 3:30pm – 6:30pm
Instructors: Edward Byrne & Dr. Paula Martin
Location: Live Virtually via Zoom
Cost: $60 members / $75 non-members
Registration: To register, please complete and submit this registration form. Please ensure that you have approval from your district before registering. Please email any questions to Dana Mullaley – dmullaley@massupt.org.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation notice must be received 2 weeks prior to the start of the course to be eligible for a refund.
Back to IDEAS Home Page.