The “Whole BIG Idea” Symposium

March 2-3, 2023
Agua Fria High School
530 E. Riley Drive, Avondale, AZ

SUMMARY

The “Whole BIG Idea” – and the questions we should ask, with a Desert Flair!

A broad range of related ideas, qualities, and activities. In today’s world of change, it is not the data we gather, but rather the questions that are asked by our clients that shape outcomes that are as diverse as the colors in a rainbow. Join us as we discuss the “big ideas” that are shaping our world, including the whole child AND the whole teacher from the inside out to the outside in that affect district designs and educational facility plans.

Educational Facilities Planning is distinguished from design in that planning helps to identify the underlying ethos and culture of a community and gauge its readiness for change. From this place of real understanding, it becomes possible to propose conceptual solutions to problems with suitable pathways for transformation. In a data-drenched world, it is not just the information we collect as much as the questions that are asked by our clients that shape outcomes.

Join us and 13 districts engage in a dialogue with you for two exciting days of discovery. Together we will look at how different districts can be when they are creating aspirational educational facility plans. Small and large, urban and rural, school districts can pave the way for transformative policy, programming, and precedence. Together let’s act as catalysts for the plans and designs of tomorrow within the context of educational facilities planning priorities, visions and big ideas that can make these plans a reality and the processes and policy required to implement the plan.

A Two-Day Event with Options

We are pleased to offer a series of campuses that reflect the implementation of the “Whole BIG Idea”. The comparison of Canyon View High School and Agua Fria High School will be particularly appropriate in demonstrating two very different outcomes based on the same planning principles. One high school is new, the other is a recent transformation of a 50-year-old high school. Both have unique cultures and contexts.

EVENT AGENDA

Subject to change | *times shown in Mountain Time

DAY 1 – THURSDAY MORNING | MARCH 2 – OPTIONAL TOURS
8:30 – 11:00 AM	Canyon View High School + Lessons Learned in-depth (Option1) A Tale of Two Liberty’s: The Same Plan but Different Outcomes (Option 2)
DAY 1 – THURSDAY AFTERNOON | MARCH 2 – STARTS MIDDAY AT AGUA FRIA HIGH SCHOOL
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM	Tour of Agua Fria High School (AFHS) David Schmidt, DLR Group Autumn Daniels, Principal, AFHS
12:30 – 1:00 PM	Opening Remarks & Lunch Troy Glover, Chairman A4LE Philip Nowlin, Deputy Superintendent, Agua Fria High Union School District
OVERVIEW – WHY IT IS SO CRITICAL TO DO A MASTER PLAN
1:00 – 2:00 PM	Keynote Panel – An Overview Join our diverse panel made up from our session speakers that launched this conversation at LearningSCAPES and will set the stage for the symposium. Affirm how critical educational facilities master plans and planning is to education, equity, health, sustainability and affordability of a district’s public-school buildings and grounds. Become familiar with a tool for setting values and priorities for district educational facilities planning. 10 standards and criteria that can serve as “on ramps” to broad based master planning will be presented. A 30 minute presentation and a 30-minute interactive breakout will allow, you the audience, to set the framework for this interactive symposium. Phillip Nowlin, Agua Fria Union High School District Tom Huffman, Agua Fria Union High School District Sarah Grobbel, Cherry Creek School District, Denver, CO John Chadwick, DLR Group Coral Pais, DLR Group Scott Pashia, DLR Group Mary Filardo, 21st Century School Fund
INCLUDING BIG IDEAS IN AN EDUCATIONAL FACILITY PLAN VISION
2:00 – 3:00 PM	Session 1: A Summary of SW Master Plans (Importance of Planning) Celebrate master plans from the region and beyond. Look at the similarities and differences between the 10 criteria introduced in the opening keynote panel. Discuss if the definition of “on ramps” in the keynote and Session 1 start to serve a broader based educational facility planning approach that will serve local, state and federal conversations about policies and planning. These opening remarks will serve to set the agenda with deeper dives during the next two days. Moderators: Molly Smith, Chair, AICP, REFP, A4LE Board of Directors Ryan Parks, Deputy Director, New Mexico School Facilities Authority
3:00 – 4:00 PM	Session 2: Outdoor Learning (Visions and Big Ideas) Indoor-outdoor connections, outdoor play and outdoor learning are increasingly becoming a major component of master planning. Join this thoughtful discussion on the elements that should be recognized as integral to any conversation on that provides an appropriate framework for planning. Presenters: Todd Ferking, DLR Group Dr. Eric Dueppen, Chief Academic Officer, Creighton School District Jay Mann, Chief of Business Ops + Develop, Creighton School District Phillip Weddle, FAIA, Weddle Gilmore
4:00 – 5:00 PM	Session 3: DC: Energy Plans to Meet Legislative Challenges (Vision and Big Ideas) Federal, state, and local legislation is starting to mandate goals for renewables, decarbonization, electrification and more. Join a conversation that focuses on processes and protocols that allow districts to proactively plan for required compliances. Presenters: Coral Pais, DLR Group Steve Kitterman, Program + Construction Manager, DC Public Schools Tony Hans, CMTA
5:15 – 5:30 PM	Remarks by Phoenix A4LE: Learn how you can get involved!
5:30 PM	Dinner on your own
DAY 2 – FRIDAY | MARCH 3
8:00 – 9:00 AM	Breakfast with Friends
PROCESSES AND POLICIES THAT ENSURE EQUITY AND FEASIBILITY
9:00 – 10:00 AM	Session 4: School District Transformation through Policy and Practice (Processes) Join this panel discussion on how aspiration at the federal, state, and local levels can serve to promote an improved framework for decision making. Moderator: Mary Filardo, 21st Century School Fund Scott Thompson, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Support Services, Mesa Public Schools Brandon McLaughlin, AIA, Construction Management, Clark County School District Carmen Wyckoff, Chair AZ, School Facilities Oversight Board
10:00 – 11:00 AM	Session 5: Economic Development + Workforce Development (Visions and the Big Idea) The “push” and “pull” of high school students that want authentic, real world experiences complimented by diverse industries that want a talented workforce that can be innovative, effective and engaged is changing the face of education for all learners, be they looking to go directly into the military or workforce, or want to better leverage their opportunities for challenge and universities or are looking for exposure to pathways that will help them decide the direction of their lifelong journey. Join this panel conversation on career and technical education (CTE) in the SW. Panel Discussion: Sarah Grobbel, Cherry Creek School District, Denver, CO CJ Williams, West-MEC, AZ, Director of Business Development & Government Affairs Greg Wilson, Academic Dean, Pima Community College
11:00 – 12:00 PM	Session 6: The Whole Teacher through Learning Connections (Processes) As curriculum and pedagogy shifts to engaged teaching and learning that blurs the lines on traditional instruction in facilities that are adaptable and flexible, hear how one district continues to develop procedures and protocols for success that leverage success through combining organizational structures, professional development and more. Panel Discussion: Phillip Nowlin, Agua Fria Union High School District Marilyn Denison, Phd, DLR Group Amanda Ziaer, DLR Group
12:00 – 1:00 PM	Lunch
1:00 – 2:00 PM	Session 7: Context and Culture thru an Equity Lens (Importance of Planning) In 2023, the focus on equity has truly emerged as one of the major issues that has to be addressed through deep community engagement. This presentation will focus on the successful program of dialogue and meetings that allowed alignment to result in funding that will enable in Austin ISD. Lesson learned and next steps for the Rhode Island Department of Education will also be discussed. Presenters: John Chadwick, DLR Group Joseph DaSilva, Rhode Island Department of Education Charles Brant, DLR Group Beth Wilson, Executive Director of Planning + Asset Management, Austin ISD
2:00 – 3:00 PM	Session 8: Big Data (The Process) As education facilities planning becomes increasingly complex to equitably track, rank and provide prioritization on the “big ideas”, BIG DATA provides an answer to be both transparent and thorough in this dialogue. Join this session that will explore not only the how to, but also, the impact of the questioned asked. Moderator: Scott Pashia, DLR Group Rick Baldwin, Comprehensive Planning, Clark County School District Chatoris Jones, Detroit Public Schools Community District
3:00 – 4:30 PM	Session 9: The Whole Story on the Changing Face of Educational Facilities Planning The first draft of this “framework for decision making” will be distributed and reviewed for intent and content. Next steps will also be discussed on the potential impact of a prioritized focus on educational facilities planning nationally, regionally, and locally. Presenters: Pam Loeffelman, DLR Group Mary Filardo, 21st Century School Fund
4:30 – 5:00 PM	Closing Remarks: “THE BIG FINISH” Troy Glover, Chairman A4LE
5:30 – 7:30 PM	Reception Wigwam Resort