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 April 30, 2026.
Graduate Level Courses
(2) Credits, (30) Hour Courses
IDEAS 1: Anti-Racist School Practices to Support the Success of All Students
This 25-hour foundational course invites educators to critically examine how identities and lived experiences shape our understanding of privilege and systemic injustice, across racism and other forms of identity-based oppression, and our role in challenging them. Participants will explore what it means to develop a conscious racial identity while working toward equity and justice, and how this process strengthens our capacity to build inclusive, equity-driven learning environments.
Through reflection, dialogue, and applied practice, participants will:
- Investigate racial identity development frameworks and their relevance to fostering belonging.
- Examine the ways privilege and power operate within classrooms, schools, and communities.
- Build skills to recognize, interrupt, and transform systems of oppression at personal, interpersonal, and institutional levels.
- Strengthen the knowledge, awareness, and strategies needed to move from intention to meaningful impact in anti-racist practice.
By the end of the course, participants will be equipped with practical tools and deeper self-awareness to advance equity and justice in their teaching and leadership. Successful completion earns 25 professional development hours, 2 graduate credits through Bridgewater State University (optional), and PDPs for hours attended (Certificates of Completion).
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Course Dates & Times: July 6th, July 8th, July 13th and July 15th, 2026 Instructors: Johnny Cole & Rebecca Smoler Location: Diamond Middle School, Lexington
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Course Dates & Times: Zoom Sessions, July 23rd, July 24th, August 5th & August 7th, 8:30am – 11:30am Instructors: Claudia Fox Tree & Patrick Larkin Location: In Person at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional HS and Online via Zoom |
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Course Dates & Times: In Person, Tuesday, July 28th & Thursdays, August 13th , 8:30am – 3:00pm Zoom Sessions, Tuesdays & Thursdays, July 30th, August 4th, August 6th & August 11th, 4:00pm – 7:30pm Instructors: Ed Byrne & Seeta Durvasula Location: In Person at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional HS and Online via Zoom 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 IDEAS Course 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. IDEAS reserves the right to cancel courses with insufficient enrollment.
(1) Credit, (15) Hour Courses
Strategies for Examining and Addressing the Academic Achievement Gap
This course provides participants with an opportunity to explore concepts of racial identity development, micro-aggressions, and colorblindness. Research by Derald W. Sue, Ron Ferguson, and others is highlighted. Participants will examine how race, ethnicity, and racism influence academic achievement. Participants will develop culturally proficient skills and identify successful strategies that promote excellence and equity in the educational environment.
Dates & Time: Monday & Wednesday, July 20th & July 22nd; 8:30am – 3:15pm
Instructors: Dr. Claudia Fox Tree & Katie O’Hare Gibson
Location: Central Administration Building, Lexington, MA
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. IDEAS reserves the right to cancel courses with insufficient enrollment.
Difficult Conversations: Talking about Race & Racism with Students, Colleagues & Parents/Guardians
This course is designed to help educators develop a better understanding of ways to address and respond to issues of race and racism on a personal and professional level. Participants will consider the experiences of students and families from ethnically or racially diverse backgrounds in predominantly white schools, and will examine both the barriers to/challenges of talking about race/racism/ethnicity and strategies for engaging in productive discussions.
Dates & Time: Wednesdays, July 22nd, July 29th, August 5th & August 12th; 9:00am – 12:15pm
Instructors: Seeta Durvasula & Edward Byrne
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. IDEAS reserves the right to cancel courses with insufficient enrollment.
Seminars
Seminars are available on the dates listed below as well as by request for in-district training.
The N-Word
We find that more and more in our school communities, we are having to talk about and grapple with the use of this word and how to handle it when we hear it being used in our schools. This seminar will seek to open the conversation for educators and frame it as an open dialogue to address the issue that if heard or said in our schools, all educators should be able to address it. The seminar will include the history of the word in our society and look at several generations and how some have tried to “reclaim” it. We will also read some articles and view some videos by respected academic scholars who have written and spoken about this dilemma. It is our hope that educators who attend will have a clearer understanding of why they do not want this word used in their school communities by anyone and some strategies on how to address it.
Dates & Time: July 21st, July 22nd & July 23rd; 9:00am – 12:00pm
Instructors: Mark Liddell & Karen Thomsen
Location: Live Virtually via Zoom
No Humans Involved: From the Doctrine of Discovery to ICE
Take a trip through World History tracing acts of inhumanity from the 15th century’s “Doctrine of Discovery” to modern notions of who is worthy of being treated with human dignity. Participants will be able to understand the themes that foster climates of intolerance and propagate the “othering” of those on the margins, leading to dire consequences.
Dates & Time: Tuesday, July 28th; 9:00am – 12:00pm
Instructors: Mark Liddell
Location: Live Virtually via Zoom
Understanding the METCO Program
This 6-hour professional development seminar offers educators an in-depth understanding of the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) program’s origins, historical significance, and contemporary impact on students, families, and suburban school communities. Designed for teachers in METCO-participating districts, the course explores the experiences of Boston students in suburban schools, the role of educators in fostering inclusive environments, and the broader implications of voluntary school desegregation. Through historical context, student and family perspectives, and practical strategies, participants will leave better equipped to support METCO students and contribute meaningfully to diverse school communities.
Dates & Time: Tuesday, July 21st; 9:00am – 3:00pm
Instructors: Lateefah Franck
Location: Westwood Public Schools, 200 Nahatan Street, Westwood – Professional Development Room
Recognizing and Addressing Antisemitism
Antisemitism often goes unrecognized as it doesn’t always mirror other forms of systemic oppression. This intensive, interactive 6 hour workshop is designed to equip educators with the historical literacy and practical tools necessary to recognize, confront, and dismantle antisemitism within the educational environment.
By the end of the class, educators will be able to:
- Articulate the diversity of Jewish identity beyond religious practice.
- Distinguish between various definitions of antisemitism and apply them to real-world scenarios.
- Identify historical antisemitic tropesand understand their modern manifestations.
- Differentiate between legitimate political critique and antisemitic rhetoric.
- Apply concrete intervention strategies when encountering antisemitism in the classroom or hallway
Dates & Times: Available upon request to schedule within your district.
Seminar Costs:
(3) hour Seminar – $100 members/$120 non-members
(6) hour Seminar – $175 members/ $210 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.
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