Madison Learning Series for Caregivers, Parents, and Educators

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Gifted Parent/Teacher Academy Presentation Slides

Session 1 - Is Co-Teaching Only Beneficial for Students with IEPS?

Presented by Edie Dolan, Madison's Director of Student Services and Dr. Shelley Moore

Is co-teaching really just a special education strategy? In this session, we’ll challenge the myth that co-teaching exists primarily to support students with IEPs and explore how it can strengthen learning for every student in the classroom. Families will learn how co-teaching creates greater flexibility for educators to respond to the natural variability of learners—including students who need additional support, students who are ready for greater challenge, and everyone in between. Through research and practical examples, we’ll explore how co-teaching can increase opportunities for small-group instruction, enrichment, feedback, collaboration and responsive teaching—making support something available to everyone, rather than something reserved for a few.

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Parents and teachers, do you ever feel like you're constantly trying to keep up with your gifted child or student? We often focus on what we need to teach them—from complex subjects to social skills—but what if the most valuable lessons are the ones they teach us?

Join us for an eye-opening session that explores how the unique traits of gifted children are not just things to manage, but powerful lessons for living a more authentic and joyful life. We’ll delve into how their intense curiosity, deep passions, and powerful emotions can serve as a guide for us all.

In this presentation, we'll uncover core lessons we can learn from our gifted children.

This session will challenge you to see your role in a new light. It’s not just about preparing your child for the world; it’s about letting them prepare you for a more present, curious, and authentic life.

Karen Brown is a highly experienced and accomplished leader in gifted   education. As the co-owner of GiftED Consultants Group, she provides training   and support to educators and school districts nationwide. Prior to her current   role, Karen was the Director of Gifted Education for Paradise Valley Unified   Schools and the Director of Gifted and Accelerated Learning for Scottsdale   Unified School District. In these positions, she collaborated with K-12   administrators, teachers, parents, and students to ensure that instructional   practices and materials provided appropriate challenges for all learners.

 As a National Board Certified Educator, her teaching experience includes roles   as  a gifted cluster teacher, gifted specialist, twice-exceptional teacher, and   Gifted Program Mentor in PVSchools.

Karen also teaches in the Gifted Education Master's Program at Arizona State University and consults nationally. She is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards, including the 2018 NAGC Specialist's and Master's Award, co-recipient of the 2013 NAGC Professional Network Award, and the 2013 AAGT Gifted Teacher of the Year. She has served as the NAGC Professional Learning Network Chair. A published author, she has co-authored two books:

• Differentiated Lessons for Every Learner

A Teacher's Guide to Flexible Grouping and Collaborative Learning, which won the 2019 NAGC Book of the Year Award.

Elizabeth Warner, M.Ed, NBCT, is proud to serve as the Gifted Coordinator for   the Madison School District in Phoenix, Arizona. With extensive experience in  designing curricula, differentiating instruction, and mentoring teachers, she   is dedicated to developing professional learning for educators and parents   that meets the needs of diverse learners. Over the past 20 years, she has   presented at local and national conferences and consulted on Gifted   education practices across the country. Warner also teaches for Arizona State   University supporting the Gifted Education Master's Program. She is the   current Professional Learning Committee Chair for the National Association   of Gifted Children. 

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Perfectionism is a challenge that the National Association for Gifted Children estimates impacts 20 percent of the gifted population. 

Through perfectionism, students set unattainable standards that simply cannot be met. In an attempt to be perfect, students might avoid taking risks, spend a great deal of time on tasks, or even not turn in completed work to avoid being told their work is not perfect.

In this presentation, you will hear from a former perfectionist with over a decade of experience working with gifted students. Learn about the general characteristics of gifted learners that contribute to perfectionism, the role identity and asynchronous development play in this experience, and strategies for supporting students to understand mistakes are not just part of life, but how we grow. 

DJ Graham is the principal of the Gary K. Herberger Young Scholars Academy,  a middle and high school for highly and profoundly gifted learners. He has more than a decade of experience in the field of gifted education teaching and developing curriculum, DJ provides insights, experiences and guidance as a speaker and state and national education conferences, focussing on the social-emotional and academic needs of gifted adolescents and integrating pop culture into the curriculum/.

He obtained a Master’s degree in Gifted Education, Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Administration from Arizona State University and Grand Canyon University, respectively. DJ also earned his doctorate from Northern Arizona University in Educational Leadership.

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Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | 6:00 - 7:15 p.m. 

Location: Madison School District Office Governing Board Room (5601 N. 16th St. Phoenix, AZ 85016)

Raising a neurodivergent child often feels like coaching a team without a playbook: Every day brings new challenges, unexpected wins, and moments that test your patience and your heart. In this encouraging and practical keynote, Emily shares a framework to help caregivers support the development of five essential skills that neurodivergent kids need to navigate both school and life: self-advocacy, emotional regulation, executive functioning, communication, and motivation. With insights drawn from neuroscience, real-life stories, and her work with gifted and twice-exceptional learners, Emily helps families shift from crisis mode to connection, offering tools that grow confidence, not just in kids, but in the adults who support them.

• Objective 1: Understand the role parent-child relationships play in transforming potential into productivity.
• Objective 2: Have a framework for goal setting to help children and teens develop skills necessary for academic and social success.
• Objective 3: Gain awareness of factors influencing student success (such as executive functioning and emotional regulation skills) and strategies to help support their children develop these skills. 

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