November 2026: Region 6 News

In addition to the regional sessions available to all educators, the JSU Regional Inservice Center continues to offer customized professional learning and support tailored to the unique needs of individual schools and districts. Administrators interested in targeted support are encouraged to contact the center directly at vcurtis@jsu.edu.

For easier navigation, check out the Table of Contents to the left of this newsletter.

-Valerie Curtis, Region 6 Inservice Center Director, Jacksonville State University

vcurtis@jsu.edu

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — Jacksonville State University will bring educators, students and industry leaders together to explore the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence during AI Forward: From Classroom to Career, a two-day summit set for Feb. 11–12, 2027, at Merrill Hall.

The summit will focus on how artificial intelligence is changing the way people teach, learn and work while creating opportunities for collaboration among K–12 education, higher education, and business and industry.

“AI is already reshaping our classrooms and workplaces, and higher education has an important role in helping students understand not only how to use these tools, but how to use them thoughtfully and responsibly,” said Jax State President Dr. Don C. Killingsworth, Jr. “AI Forward gives us an opportunity to bring educators and industry leaders together to learn from one another and have meaningful conversations about how we prepare students for what comes next.”

Anthony Robbins, a former NVIDIA vice president and Jax State alumnus, will serve as the summit’s featured keynote speaker. Robbins brings decades of experience at the intersection of artificial intelligence, innovation and technology and will offer his perspective on how AI is transforming education, industry and the future workforce.

AI Forward will center around three perspectives: K–12 education, higher education and student success, and business and industry. Programming will include keynote and plenary sessions, concurrent breakout sessions, a cross-sector leadership panel, an AI Exhibitor Expo, an AI Showcase poster session and networking opportunities. Featured and curated sessions will also include representatives from Coca-Cola UNITED, Honda, AmFirst Credit Union and other industry leaders.

Call for Proposals Open Through Nov. 9

As part of the summit, Jax State is inviting educators, higher education professionals and industry partners to help shape the conversation by submitting proposals highlighting their ideas, research and experiences with AI.

Proposals are being accepted in two primary content areas: K–12 Education and Higher Education & Student Success. Topics may address teaching and learning with AI, student AI literacy and readiness, academic integrity and responsible AI use, accessibility and student support, faculty and staff productivity, institutional practices and preparing students for an AI-driven workforce. Industry professionals whose work has a clear connection to K–12 or higher education are also encouraged to submit proposals in partnership with an educational institution or school.

Presenters may propose a 30-minute long presentation, 10-minute short presentation or participation in the AI Showcase poster session. The showcase will provide an informal setting for faculty and students to share AI-related projects, research, classroom applications, creative work, prototypes and other projects with attendees.

Proposals must be submitted by Nov. 9, 2026. Submissions will be reviewed for relevance, clarity, audience value, practical application and alignment with the goals of AI Forward. Selected presenters will be notified in early December, and registration for accepted presenters is complimentary.

AI Forward begins Thursday, Feb. 11, with the AI Exhibitor Expo, opening keynote, breakout sessions, cross-sector conversation and AI Showcase. Programming continues Friday, Feb. 12, with additional breakout and plenary sessions focused on connecting conversations to action. Optional post-conference workshops will also be offered Friday afternoon.

The summit is designed for K–12 educators and administrators, higher education faculty and staff, students, business and industry professionals, and workforce and community partners.

Registration for AI Forward is complimentary, but advance registration is required. Early registration continues through Jan. 9, with final registration closing Jan. 27.

For more information about AI Forward: From Classroom to Career, including registration, the full schedule and the call for proposals, visit the AI Forward website.

• Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2027
• Time: 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (7 hours)
• Location: JSU Regional Inservice Center, Room 1230, 100 Gamecock Drive, Anniston, AL 36205 (no parking pass required)
• Target Audience: Building and district administrators, leaders, and lead teachers
• Presenters: Tony Willis, Summer Davis, and Dr. Tony Dowdy
• APLDS Section: 585471
• Clock Hours Section: 585472

Jax State Region 6 Dates

September 22, 2026 567113

November 3, 2026 567484

February 2, 2027 567489

Join us for the following FREE APLDS Clock Hour-Approved Sessions! Register soon to secure your spot!

Customize Your Learning with Virtual Skill Sessions!

Title: 2026-27 APLDS Aligned Impact Series: Self to System Skills Sessions

PowerSchool Course Number:

Connect, Collaborate, and Grow with Regional Network Sessions!

Invest in your leadership through a new professional learning opportunity designed specifically for Alabama principals and assistant principals. These FREE, APLDS Clock Hour-Approved Network Sessions bring together regional school leaders to learn alongside researchers and national experts.

The series includes three 6-hour, in-person sessions offered in September, November, and February at locations across Alabama. For greater flexibility, each session is also available virtually and delivered as three 2-hour online sessions.

Strengthen your leadership, build meaningful professional connections, and collaborate with regional colleagues to create lasting impact in your schools and districts.

Ready to register for the virtual options? Click here to explore session details and use the direct PowerSchool Professional Learning links to secure your spot!

If you have any questions, please contact Sonya Scott, sonya.scott@alsde.edu.

Become a Google Certified Educator
Unlocking Potential: Empower Your Teaching with Google Level 1 or Level 2 Certification

• PLU Approval: APLDS Approved – 15 Hours

Description: A PLU session for educators who want to enhance their teaching skills through technology. Focuses on becoming a Google Level 1 or Level 2 Certified Educator. Participants will dive into core features of Google Workspace for Education — Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Classroom, Gemini, and GEMs — to organize lessons, collaborate with peers, and engage students. Includes hands-on practice to prepare for the Level 1 or Level 2 certification exam, with Day 4 ending in the exam itself.

Dates/Time:

• Thursday, January 14, 2027 – 4:30 PM at JSU RIC- updated
• Thursday, February 18, 2027 – 4:30 PM at JSU RIC
• Thursday, March 18, 2027 – 4:30 PM (Virtual)
• Thursday, April 15, 2027 – 4:30 PM (Location TBD)

Presented by: Jacksonville State University, Alabama Technology in Motion

Contact ataylor@atim.us

APLDS High Quality Professional Learning 2026-27 Program Requirements & Guidelines

More State Approved APLDS Offerings

Updated renewal requirements from Educator Certification are now posted on the Certificate Renewal page of the Alabama Achieves website. Please contact edcert@alsde.edu or 334-694-4777 with any questions regarding these updates.

PowerSchool registration has been updated to reflect changes to credit types. When you register for courses, you will now see an option to select a credit type. If there is only one credit type available, simply choose the available option and then click "register." If there is more than one credit type available, choose the credit type that corresponds to your teaching certificate.

Curriculum Directors, please mark your calendars and join us!

September 22, 2026, 9:00-3:00, Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama, Rainbow City

January 19, 2027, 9:00-3:00, Location TBA

April 6, 2027, 9:00-3:00, Location TBA

RSVP for 2026-27 C&I Meetings

Look for registration info soon. The goal is to have this session on January 4, 2027. As soon as we are confirmed, I will release registration info!

Call for Proposals: IDEA (Innovating Dual Enrollment in AL) Conference on Dual Enrollment in Alabama

Jacksonville State University and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) are hosting the Alabama Statewide Dual Enrollment Conference (IDEA: Innovating Dual Enrollment in Alabama) on February 25, 2027, at the Merrill Building on the JSU campus.

The conference is looking for presenters. Dual enrollment faculty, administrators, guidance counselors, workforce and career advisors, and students are invited to share ideas “big and small,” from innovative classroom lessons and creative partnership ideas to counselor tips and career connections. It will bring together representatives from Alabama’s high schools, community colleges, colleges and universities, and workforce development programs.

Ways to present

• IDEA Exchange (panel sessions): a short presentation (10 to 12 minutes) as part of a 30-minute panel organized by the planners, a long presentation (30 minutes), or a full panel (2 to 4 presenters, 30 minutes total).
• IDEA Cafe (poster session): one or two presenters share a tabletop poster during an attendee browse session.

Suggested topics: student success practices, partnerships and collaborations, career and workforce pathways, college readiness initiatives, dual enrollment innovations for high schools, colleges and universities, data-informed best practices, innovative classroom lessons, and guidance counselor and career perspectives.

[Registration and more info]

Key dates

• December 11: proposals due
• January 29: registration closes

Questions? Contact Dr. Jennie Vaughn at 256-782-5142 or jlvaughn@jsu.edu.

Please read each session description carefully before registering. Some sessions carry a registration fee, and details such as dates, location, format, and eligibility vary by session.

Course Title: ALSDE_ATIM09_Digital Ethics for K-12 Educators

Course #: 583973

January 5, 2027

Powerschool Registration

The Reading League Alabama invites Alabama educators to join us for a special virtual event designed with you in mind. Kari Kurto, National Director of Policy and Partnerships for The Reading League, will guide participants through practical tools and resources available in The Reading League’s Compass. Together, we’ll explore how the Compass resources help us continue our Science of Reading journey, connecting evidence to classroom practice and, ultimately, to greater impact for Alabama students.

Are you an NBCT ready to lead and facilitate professional learning? Join the

eLearning Course TODAY!

PowerSchool Section Number: 584517

Alabama History in Action

and

Exploring Civic Themes in Ancient, Medieval, and Early Modern History

https://alsde.truenorthlogic.com/ia/empari/learning2/registration/presentSectionRegistrationDetails?id=v2%3ABxdlCj9DhVYN%2BBd8CGlFllwHIA5PSkonTytV03Quv30%3D

https://www.amsti.org/teams

We’re excited to share an opportunity to present at our ALNBCT Network 2027 Conference. Teachers who are making an impact through innovative and engaging classroom practices are encouraged to apply. Click the link below to apply !

https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSeuvvSJFHR.../viewform...

You do not have to be an NBCT to present!

Central High School | Tuscaloosa, AL� Saturday, January 30, 2027

Deadline to apply : October 30, 2026

We’d love to see you share your great work and inspire other educators!

JSU's College of Education & Professional Studies is offering a 20% tuition scholarship for eligible partnership educators for 2026–2027. Online and in-state undergraduate tuition drops from $353 to $283 per credit hour (a $70 savings), and standard graduate tuition drops from $434 to $348 per credit hour (an $86 savings). The scholarship applies across a wide range of programs — Career Technical Education, Professional Counseling and Leadership, and Teacher Education (including Special Ed, Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary Ed in ELA/Math/Social Studies, Music Ed, and more). Educators can scan a QR code to estimate their cost of attendance, or visit jsu.edu/partnerships/educators for details.

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email: vcurtis@jsu.edu

Full Professional Learning Catalog

Region 6 Inservice Center: 100 Gamecock Drive Anniston, AL 36205

Phone: (256) 782-5987

Would you like to request to use a room at the RIC?

Please fill out this Room Request Form.