Join us for a special session featuring Michael Nelson, a longtime public school educator and leadership coach, as he reads aloud from his recent writings. With over 40 years of experience—as a teacher, principal, district leader, and Washington State Superintendent of the Year—Michael brings a powerful, grounded perspective on school leadership. He currently co-authors Finding Common Ground, the Education Week opinion blog launched by Peter DeWitt.

This is a unique chance to hear Michael’s reflections in his own voice, followed by space for thoughtful discussion and connection.

The 2025/2026 Elevating Teacher Voice discussion series is hosted by longtime educator Jan Iwase. Each session follows a simple and meaningful format: a guest educator (or educators) reads aloud their own writing, then opens the floor for reflection and conversation. No pre-work. No homework. Just deep listening, dialogue, and connection. Now in its third year, Elevating Teacher Voice has inspired hundreds of educators to reimagine teaching and learning, explore answers to the question What could school be?, and build authentic relationships with fellow educators and education leaders who write.