Program

Tipping the Scales April 7-10, 2025
Tipping the Scales: Creating Favorable Outcomes in Education
Renaissance Dallas Richardson Hotel
Richardson, TX
2025 AIA/CES Conference Session Participation Form »

Subject to change

MONDAY | APRIL 7, 2025
8:00 AM Golf Woodbridge
5:00 – 6:00 PM Registration Open  
6:00 – 7:30 PM Opening Cocktail Party
TUESDAY | APRIL 8, 2025
7:00 AM Registration
7:00 AM Breakfast
7:45 AM Facility Tours
Buses leave promptly at 7:45 AM
8:00 – 11:00 AM Trade Show Setup Texas 6/Foyer
12:15 PM Keynote: Stacey Bess / Lunch / Global Update / SchoolsNEXT Team Texas 1-5
1:30 – 2:30 PM Session: Pivotal Balance for Innovation: Barton Elementary Reimagining the Smart School Cottonwood Ballroom
1:30 – 2:30 PM Session: Building Future Builders in Our Construction Programs: Tipping the Scales for CTE Texas 7-8
1:30 – 2:30 PM Session: An Architect, An Educator, and A Student Walk into a BBQ Joint... Wildflower 1-2
2:30 PM Refreshment Break – Trade Show
3:00 – 4:00 PM Session: Learning Community Design, The Why, What and How Supported by Research Cottonwood Ballroom
3:00 – 4:00 PM Session: Weighing the Options: Navigating What’s Next for Ageing Campuses Texas 7-8
3:00 – 4:00 PM Session: Solving the Insolvable: Collaborative Strategies for Complex Challenges in School Projects Wildflower 1-2
3:00 – 4:00 PM Session: Cleaning up the Mess: Addressing a Lack of Master Planning Wildflower 3
6:00 PM Planner of the Year Reception Texas Ballroom Foyer
6:30 – 11:00 PM Gala Party Dinner and Casino
Southern Region Foundation Live Auction
Fundraiser auction for student scholarships and TASA donation. 100% of money raised will be used for Foundation scholarships.
Texas Ballroom
WEDNESDAY | APRIL 9, 2025
9:00 AM Registration
9:00 AM Brunch in Trade Show Texas 6/Foyer
9:30 – 10:30 AM Session: A Principal’s Guide to Your New Middle School Cottonwood Ballroom
9:30 – 10:30 AM Session: Revitalization in Education; Replacing San Jacinto Elementary and Restoring the Community it Serves Texas 7-8
9:30 – 10:30 AM Session: Growing Up Together: The Evolution of Collaborative Learning Wildflower 1-2
9:30 – 10:30 AM Session: Designing for Change: The Impact of Community-Centered Spaces Wildflower 3
10:45 – 11:45 AM Session: Big Screen Dreams: CTE and Athletics Creating Better Outcomes for Students Cottonwood Ballroom
10:45 – 11:45 AM Session: Betty the Builder Builds a Better Building Texas 7-8
10:45 – 11:45 AM Session: Jumpstart to Success: Alternative Pathways in Education Through a PK-16 Approach Wildflower 1-2
10:45 – 11:45 AM Session: I Want to Be a Chocolate Chip Cookie When I Grow Up: How youthful creativity informs critical thinking in the world of K12 Construction Wildflower 3
11:45 AM Light Lunch – Southern Awards

Panel Discussion Topic: Navigating Campus Consolidation in an Unbalanced Environment
Join representatives from Fort Worth ISD, Richardson ISD, and Carrolton-Farmers Branch ISD as they share their insights and experiences in managing campus consolidations. With shifting demographics, aging infrastructure, and evolving budget constraints, district leaders are increasingly faced with difficult decisions about how to best allocate resources while ensuring quality education for all students. This conversation will highlight not only the practical and logistical aspects of consolidation but also the broader goal — creating a more sustainable, equitable, and effective educational environment for students. Though having to make tough decisions, districts can turn these challenges into opportunities, ultimately tipping the scales toward student success and long-term educational excellence.
  • Kellie Spencer, Deputy Superintendent of Operations, Fort Worth ISD
  • Sandra Hayes, Assistant Superintendent of District Operations, Richardson ISD
  • Corey Blackburn, Executive Construction Officer, Carrolton-Farmers Branch ISD
Texas Ballroom
1:15 – 2:15 PM Session: Equitable Access to the Performing/Visual Arts and JROTC Cottonwood Ballroom
1:15 – 2:15 PM Session: From Community Vision to Reality: Reimagining Irving ISD Campus Experience Texas 7-8
1:15 – 2:15 PM Session: Aligning Learning and Leadership through Administrative Space Wildflower 1-2
1:15 – 2:15 PM Session: ADAPTING TO CHANGE: How Consolidation in an Established District Prepares for the Future Wildflower 3
2:30 – 3:30 PM Session: Educational Wellness: Human Centered Design in the Post-Pandemic Era Cottonwood Ballroom
2:30 – 3:30 PM Session: You Bought WHAT? Evaluating a Potential Property for Potential Hazards Texas 7-8
2:30 – 3:30 PM Session: The Sound of Learning – How Audio Can Enhance the Learning Environment Wildflower 1-2
2:30 – 3:30 PM Session: You Need What?! Improving Communication to Improve Outcomes in Performing Arts Design Wildflower 3
3:45 – 4:45 PM Session: Returning the Focus, Connecting the Future to the Past, One Community United Cottonwood Ballroom
3:45 – 4:45 PM Session: Planning a Comprehensive High School with a Focus on Health Sciences CTE Texas 7-8
3:45 – 4:45 PM Session: Women Who Lead: Transforming K-12 Educational Design and Construction Wildflower 1-2
3:45 – 4:45 PM Session: Balancing Safety and Education: Best Practices for Creating Secure Learning Environments Wildflower 3
4:00 – 6:00 PM Trade Show Reception / Cocktails and Game (prizes) Texas 6/Foyer
6:00 PM Dinner on your own / Trade Show Breakdown
THURSDAY | APRIL 10, 2025
8:00 AM Breakfast Texas Ballroom Foyer
8:30 – 9:30 AM Session: Balancing Access to Student Outcomes through the Fine Arts Cottonwood Ballroom
8:30 – 9:30 AM Session: Creating Equitable Outcomes: A Holistic Approach to Long-range Planning Texas 7-8
8:30 – 9:30 AM Session: A.I.4LE: AI for Learning Environment Wildflower 1-2
8:30 – 9:30 AM Session: Meeting the Challenge: Crafting District-Specific Safety Solutions Wildflower 3
9:45 – 10:45 AM Session: Engaging Brains, Hearts and Bodies through Learning Spaces Cottonwood Ballroom
9:45 – 10:45 AM Session: Designing Schools for All Learners: Embracing Neurodiversity and CTE in Middle School Environments Texas 7-8
9:45 – 10:45 AM Session: Creating Design Strategies Offering the Best of Educational Outcomes for Students with Disabilities Wildflower 1-2
9:45 – 10:45 AM Session: Owner’s Perspective on Team Collaboration to Create Favorable Outcomes in Education Wildflower 3
12:00 PM Sporting Clay Tournament Dallas Gun Glub
Conference Closes
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