Chattanooga Summit
Hamilton County Schools

December 4, 2026 | 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

You Are Invited to Attend

School Counselors, Social Workers, and School Psychologists from Hamilton County public and private schools are invited to attend a day of learning and inspiration from Franciene Sabens. You can also visit with Chattanooga-area youth service agencies and sponsors, who will display information on their available services. Come be refreshed and invigorated to continue the work you are doing. For the full schedule see below.

Also, all School Counselors, Social Workers, and School Psychologists who register by November 24th will receive a COMPLIMENTARY BOOKSTORE VOUCHER to be used to shop at the on-site NCYI Resource Fair – compliments of community donors.

With grateful appreciation to The BX at Brainerd Baptist Church for hosting the Summit!

4011 Austin Street
Chattanooga, TN 37411

Speaker

Speakers coming soon!

We’re finalizing an exciting lineup of educators and thought leaders to create a meaningful conference experience. Check back soon for speak annoucements.

Franciene Sabens

Session TBD

Please join us as we hear from Francine Sabens. Session information to come.

About the Speaker

Franciene Sabens, M.S. Ed., LPC, NCC, is a litigation paralegal turned school counselor with nearly two decades of experience. Franciene serves as a board member for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and is a member of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Ethics Committee, and the National Council for the Advancement of Educator Ethics (a special NASDTEC Committee). In 2014 Franciene was named Illinois high school counselor of the year and honored by ASCA in 2016 at the White House as the Illinois state representative for the School Counselor of the Year ceremony. She contributed to the current Developmental Counseling Model for Illinois Schools, co-edited the second edition of the School Career Development Advisor Curriculum for the National Career Development Association, and is a frequent ASCA presenter and publication contributor. Franciene is passionate about enhancing the counseling profession by helping school counselors implement ethically aligned comprehensive programs that maintain the highest standards of integrity, leadership and professionalism while supporting students as they strive to reach their greatest potential.

Additional speakers will be announced soon.

Amie Dean

Behavior Interventions That Work

Do you have a plan for what you will do when a student doesn’t comply with your request the first time? Second time? How about the third time? Do you go home tired and exhausted from frustration? This presentation will guide you in developing a thorough, preventative plan for handling issues from low level distractions to serious/chronic behaviors. This is a practical, hands-on presentation filled with concrete steps you can use the next day to help students and yourself.

About the Speaker

Amie Dean, M.ED., B.A. has worked in education since 1993. She has experience teaching at all levels, and has taught both special and general education. She was with Fulton County Schools (GA) for ten years, where she provided support to teachers and students as the Student Support/RTI Coordinator for her middle school for four of those years. Amie holds a Master’s degree in Education, is Nationally Board Certified as an Exceptional Needs Specialist, and has trained with Dr. Rick DuFour, Dr. Kay Burke, Dr. Spencer Kagan, Dr. Ruby Payne, and many others.

Amie Dean was also certified as a trainer for The World of Difference Institute with the ADL and studied Restorative Circles which helped hone her practice in coaching students and educators with problem solving, communication, and peacekeeping skills. With decades of experience as an educator and a professional consultant, she now provides support to others through training, speaking, and writing. Amie is also the author of many books, including Because You Believe in Me, Your Happy Heart, There’s No Dream Too Tall, 30-Minute Groups: Peaceful Conflict Resolution , 30-Minute Groups: Social Drama and Friendship Skills, and15-Minute Focus: Behavior Interventions: Strategies for Educators, Counselors, and Parents and accompanying Workbook.

Additional speakers will be announced soon.

Schedule

Tentative

7:30 am – 8:00 am

Welcome & Mingle

8:00 am – 8:30 am

Welcome & Opening Session

8:30 am – 9:45 am

SESSION ONE (All Staff)
Francine Sabens
Session TBD

9:45 am – 10:15 am

Sponsor Break

10:15 am – 11:30 am

SESSION TWO (All Staff)
Francine Sabens
Session TBD

11:30 am – 12:00 pm

SESSION THREE (All Staff)
Local Mental Health Agency Updates

12:00 pm – 12:15 pm

Door Prizes

12:15 pm -1:15 pm

LUNCH, Shop at the NCYI Resource Fair & Visit Sponsors

1:15 pm – 3:00 pm

SESSION FOUR (HCDE Staff)
HCDE Staff Meetings by Grade Level

See the Full Schedule for more details, including available breakout sessions and speakers.

Registration

All Summit activities, including lunch, the training sessions, Resource Fair voucher, and parking are FREE OF CHARGE, compliments of community donors. Please register below to attend and to receive a Resource Fair voucher (please note deadlines below).

Registration Deadline: November 24, 2026

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Please Note: If we are forced to cancel the Summit because of a “force majeure” event, such as a government restriction on large gatherings that cover the intended size of the conference, then we will issue full refunds of the registrations. On social distancing and other health and safety measures, the regulations/guidelines that apply to large gathering centers may change. We will conform to all necessary regulations/guidelines that are in place as of the date of the Summit.

NCYI Resource Fair

All School Counselors, Social Workers, and School Psychologists who register by November 24th receive a COMPLIMENTARY BOOKSTORE VOUCHER to shop the NCYI Resource Fair at the Summit!

This is an opportunity for you to personally review and choose curriculum, activity and small group manuals, books, videos, DVDs and CDs. NCYI has the newest and best counseling resource materials available from America’s foremost publishers in Classroom Guidance, Character Education, Bullying Prevention / Intervention, Anger Management, Conflict Resolution, Separation Issues, Grief Recovery, Learning Disabilities and Social Skills Training.

Practical Counseling Resources Educators Can Trust

National Center for Youth Issues, or NCYI, is a national non-profit organization that publishes and distributes counseling resource materials for schools. In addition to publishing its own publications, NCYI represents over 40 different publishers of educational resources. They also provide training opportunities for educators through on-site training services, as well as regional and state-wide conferences.