December 4, 2026 | 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
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.
Click the sponsor logo to learn more about that sponsor.
We’re finalizing an exciting lineup of educators and thought leaders to create a meaningful conference experience. Check back soon for speak annoucements.
Please join us as we hear from Franciene Sabens. Read more about her and the sessions she will be presenting below.
Franciene Sabens, M.S. Ed., LPC, NCC, is a litigation paralegal turned school counselor with nearly two decades of experience. She 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). A two-time Illinois High School Counselor of the Year (2014, 2025), Franciene was recognized by the American School Counselor Association at the White House in 2016 as Illinois’ representative for the School Counselor of the Year program and received an Illinois School Counselor Association IMPACT Award in 2025 for Key Contributor in recognition of her contributions at the state and national levels.
She is co-author of A Survival Guide for Rural School Counselors and Solo Practitioners, 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.
Student services professionals have a unique and ethically obligated role in facilitating collaborative relationships with parents/guardians. This session will focus on the student services professionals’ ethical responsibility to parents/guardians, as outlined by relevant ethical standards. Specific examples and best practices to help student services professionals navigate the legal and inherent rights of parents/guardians to be the guiding voice in their children’s lives, and creative ways to foster collaborative relationships with parents/guardians, will be discussed.
Research suggests that student services professionals do not consistently use a formal ethical decision-making model when navigating ethical dilemmas, even though professional ethical codes, standards, and principles emphasize ethical decision-making as a deliberate process, and using a formal decision-making process to identify the best course of action is identified as best practice. When confronted with an ethical dilemma, using an ethical decision-making model can guide student services professionals through a systematic, carefully considered process while also helping demonstrate due diligence in their decision-making. Today, student services professionals are encountering increasingly complex ethical dilemmas, making practical strategies for navigating these situations ethically and effectively essential. This session will equip attendees with the knowledge and skills to apply an ethical decision-making framework through the practical analysis and resolution of a specific scenario.
Additional speakers will be announced soon.
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.
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.
Tentative
7:30 am – 8:00 am
Welcome & Mingle
Welcome & Opening Session
SESSION ONE (All Staff)
Franciene Sabens
Legal & Ethical Considerations: Partnering with Parents & Guardians
9:45 am – 10:15 am
Sponsor Break
10:15 am – 11:30 am
SESSION TWO (All Staff)
Franciene Sabens
Ethical Decision-Making Model
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Name
Title
(555) 555-5555
email@email.com
RethinkEd helps districts turn whole child and whole educator frameworks into everyday practice. Through one connected platform, essential supports come together with actionable insights – reducing reliance on siloed, fragmented solutions. Rather than treating academics, behavior, mental health, and educator support as separate efforts, we bring these areas into a unified system designed for consistent use across schools. Curriculum, interventions, professional learning, and data work together to support students’ academic, behavioral, and emotional growth while strengthening educator capacity and confidence. Built by educators and grounded in evidence, our platform aligns with trusted standards and research-based best practices used across K–12 education. Districts partner with RethinkEd to extend the strong work already happening in their schools and build sustainable systems where students thrive and educators feel supported.
Corinne Bishop
Director of Sales
(347) 797-4756
corinne.bishop@rethinked.com
