Leadership Summit 2026: A Day to Connect and Look Ahead
On October 2, charter school leaders, board members, authorizers and partners from across Colorado gathered at the Westin Denver Downtown for the League’s 2026 Leadership Summit. This year’s theme, Nexus: Connections & Crossroads, reflected both the relationships that strengthen our schools and the decisions leaders face every day.
For those who couldn’t join us, the day offered time to step away from the usual pace of school leadership, learn from peers and consider what comes next for Colorado’s charter community.
We began with performance psychologist Dr. Rick Perea’s keynote, “The Science of Leadership: How to Shape Your Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviors to Become a More Authentic Leader.” Drawing on his experience working with executives, athletes and high-performing teams, Dr. Perea explored how leaders’ thoughts influence their emotions and actions. His session gave attendees practical ways to navigate pressure, pay attention to their own mindset and lead with greater intention (session recording available).
From there, attendees chose from eight workshops across two sessions. The morning conversations covered both the day-to-day work of leading a school and larger opportunities for the sector. “Rise Together: From Reactive Leadership to Instructional Consistency” (session recording available) focused on building a more consistent approach to instruction. “What Strong Authorizing Looks Like: Promising Practices from Colorado Districts” brought attention to the relationship between schools and authorizers. Attendees also explored the potential of scholarship granting organizations in “SGOs – The Next Big Opportunity Coming to Public Education” and examined how teams can respond to challenges in “From Warning Signs to Wise Decisions: How Collaborative Leadership Can Change a School’s Trajectory.”
The afternoon workshops continued with lessons in leadership, governance and accountability. “Honoring the Past, Leading the Next Chapter: Lessons from Highline Academy” (session recording available) looked at how a school can build on its history while planning for the future. “Strong District Boards, Strong Authorizing: CACSA’s Board Training Initiative” focused on the role district boards play in charter oversight. “Financial Governance That Works: School Leader + Finance Committee + Board” examined how those three groups can work together, while “Charter School Accountability: What Every Board Needs to Know” addressed a core responsibility of charter governing boards.
The Summit closed with “More than a Tour: Making Legislative School Visits Matter,” a panel moderated by League President Dan Schaller. Four charter leaders shared how they make advocacy part of their work and why a school visit can be the start of a lasting relationship. Inviting a policymaker into a building gives them a chance to meet students and educators, hear from families and understand a school beyond what they read in a briefing or hear at the Capitol. The panel was a reminder that those relationships take time to build—and that school leaders do not have to tell their schools’ stories alone.
Advocacy is relationship-building.
Learning happened between sessions, too. Breakfast, networking breaks and the closing happy hour gave attendees room to reconnect with colleagues, meet leaders from other schools and continue conversations that had begun in the workshops.
If you missed the Summit, or want another look at the day, visit the Leadership Summit page for session recordings and the full photo gallery, which captures the people and conversations that made this year’s gathering memorable.
Thank you to our speakers and panelists for sharing their experience, to everyone who joined us, and to our sponsors for supporting the Summit. We’re grateful for the chance to bring Colorado’s charter community together and look forward to carrying these conversations into the work ahead.
