Special Mesa Community College Screening: Multiple Choice

Innovative schools are redefining high school—blending academics, careers, and community to create more meaningful paths for students.

Mesa Community College invites educators, students, and community partners to a communitywide screening of MULTIPLE CHOICE, a documentary by Ted Dintersmith (Most Likely to Succeed), followed by an afternoon of conversation, collaboration, and educator-led learning.

The event will feature a structured panel discussion, lunch, and two rounds of 60-minute breakout sessions hosted across MCC classrooms. Programming will center on educator storytelling, innovation in teaching, and future pathways into the profession, with voices from MCC students, ASU Teacher Pipeline partners, district principals, and the Arizona Educational Foundation (AEF) Teacher of the Year and Ambassadors of Excellence.

Multiple Choice offers a powerful look at how schools can rethink learning, purpose, and opportunity—serving as a springboard for dialogue about what’s possible when educators and communities work together.

Whether you are an aspiring educator, practicing teacher, or community partner, join us for an afternoon of learning, connection, and possibility.

Info: Check-in opens Educators Rising Ambassadors greet attendees Light refreshments.

Info: Doors close at 9:00 a.m. Film begins promptly.

Info: Immediately following the film screening, this panel brings the themes of Multiple Choice into a grounded conversation about access, inclusion, and educational opportunity.

Featuring Jazmin Romero, an education major navigating the teacher pipeline while living with spinal muscular atrophy, the panel highlights how physical access, institutional design, and educator mindset shape belonging in schools and in the profession.

Joining her is Tiffani Jaseph, Arizona Teacher of the Year, who will share how strengths-based, inclusive instruction and attention to social-emotional needs are essential to effective teaching.

Together, the panel invites participants to reflect on how instructional choices and educational systems can either expand or limit access, belonging, and student success.

Info: A limited number of sandwich wraps, chips, and drinks will be available for the first 150 registrants who register by February 15th.

Please indicate your wrap preference at registration. Available options include:

--Garlic Chicken Caesar Wrap
--Mediterranean Chicken Wrap
--Hummus, Avocado & Roasted Veggie Wrap

Selections are first-come, first-served while supplies last. There are also a number of restaurants close by. See the frequently asked questions for dining options.

Info: SEL is critical in special education today because many students can’t fully access
learning until they’re emotionally regulated, and SEL strengthens self-awareness, self-
management, and relationships. It also improves academics and behavior by reducing
barriers that show up as anxiety, aggression, aggression, and suspensions. In this
breakout, I’ll clarify what SEL is and what its core goals are for students with disabilities.
I’ll share key research findings, including a few clear data points/percentages, and
connect them to what teachers see in real classrooms. I’ll model practical, classroom-
ready SEL strategies and routines designed specifically for students with support needs.
I’ll also connect SEL to preparing students for adulthood and real-world skills, not just
test performance. Participants will leave with a simple implementation plan they can use
immediately. They’ll also receive optional handouts or slides to support classroom
rollout.

Info: In this breakout session, participants will explore what it means to enter the teaching
profession at a time when classrooms and student needs are rapidly evolving.
Grounded in Arizona's State 48 Graduate Profile, this session examines how the 8
Essential Skills and 4 Future Pathways shape what effective teaching looks like today
and in the years ahead.

Info: The typical school system communicates values, belonging and success through ways
institutions are structured. Although many of these things are out of our control as
educators, everyday instructional choices have impacts. Participants will explore how
student identity, equity, and multiple pathways show up in classroom language,
expectations, and routines. Narrow definitions of success can marginalize students and
disconnect teachers from the values that brought them to the profession. By connecting
these ideas to concrete classroom practices, the session supports educators in building
inclusive learning environments that affirm students’ identities while sustaining purpose
and humanity in their teaching.

Info: Asking for feedback can make a teacher feel awkward and vulnerable, but it’s an
incredible opportunity to strengthen your practice while cultivating trust and respect with
your students and colleagues. This session will explore how to maximize your
professional growth by combining observations, direct feedback, and self-reflection to
enhance your instruction. We’ll learn how to engage students as partners in a mutually
beneficial reflective process, use peer observation as a targeted tool, and highlight
questioning strategies to arrive at the answers we need to implement authentic change.
Participants will leave the session with practical frameworks for developing reflective
habits to support career-long continuous learning and improvement.

Info: This panel centers on how strong K–12, higher education, and workforce partnerships create meaningful, career-connected pathways for students. Featuring Marlo Loria, Director of Career and Technical Education and Innovative Partnerships for Mesa Public Schools, and Dawn Giles, who connects Mesa high school students with local businesses and organizations, the discussion will highlight CTE-driven strategies that support workforce readiness and strengthen the educator pipeline.

Panelists will share how internships, job shadows, industry partnerships, and early exposure to education careers are designed and scaled across a P–20 ecosystem. The session will emphasize alignment between schools, colleges, and employers to address workforce needs, inspire future educators, and ensure students graduate with clear, supported pathways into college, careers, and teaching.

Info: SEL is critical in special education today because many students can’t fully access
learning until they’re emotionally regulated, and SEL strengthens self-awareness, self-
management, and relationships. It also improves academics and behavior by reducing
barriers that show up as anxiety, aggression, aggression, and suspensions. In this
breakout, I’ll clarify what SEL is and what its core goals are for students with disabilities.
I’ll share key research findings, including a few clear data points/percentages, and
connect them to what teachers see in real classrooms. I’ll model practical, classroom-
ready SEL strategies and routines designed specifically for students with support needs.
I’ll also connect SEL to preparing students for adulthood and real-world skills, not just
test performance. Participants will leave with a simple implementation plan they can use
immediately. They’ll also receive optional handouts or slides to support classroom
rollout.

Info: In this breakout session, participants will explore what it means to enter the teaching
profession at a time when classrooms and student needs are rapidly evolving.
Grounded in Arizona's State 48 Graduate Profile, this session examines how the 8
Essential Skills and 4 Future Pathways shape what effective teaching looks like today
and in the years ahead.

Info: Asking for feedback can make a teacher feel awkward and vulnerable, but it’s an
incredible opportunity to strengthen your practice while cultivating trust and respect with
your students and colleagues. This session will explore how to maximize your
professional growth by combining observations, direct feedback, and self-reflection to
enhance your instruction. We’ll learn how to engage students as partners in a mutually
beneficial reflective process, use peer observation as a targeted tool, and highlight
questioning strategies to arrive at the answers we need to implement authentic change.
Participants will leave the session with practical frameworks for developing reflective
habits to support career-long continuous learning and improvement.

Info: The typical school system communicates values, belonging and success through ways
institutions are structured. Although many of these things are out of our control as
educators, everyday instructional choices have impacts. Participants will explore how
student identity, equity, and multiple pathways show up in classroom language,
expectations, and routines. Narrow definitions of success can marginalize students and
disconnect teachers from the values that brought them to the profession. By connecting
these ideas to concrete classroom practices, the session supports educators in building
inclusive learning environments that affirm students’ identities while sustaining purpose
and humanity in their teaching.

Info: This panel explores how state and federal education policies shape equity in ways that are often unseen by the public but deeply experienced in K–12 classrooms. Grounded in themes from Multiple Choice, panelists will examine the gap between legislative intent and classroom reality, particularly for historically marginalized students. The discussion will address the impact of DEI-related legislation on equity-focused practices and accountability, as well as policies affecting English Language Learners, including the ban on bilingual education. Using a policy-to-practice lens, the session raises critical questions about power, access, and how “choice” is defined and constrained by law.

Info: Join us for a final Closing Circle & Networking Session focused on connection and action. Participants will self-select into one of three facilitated groups:

Future Educators – Students and aspiring teachers

Current Educators – Teachers, leaders, and education professionals

Community Members – Families, partners, advocates, and stakeholders

Each group will reflect on key themes from the day, share perspectives, build connections, and identify practical next steps to support and advocate for public education. This session is designed to turn conversation into action and leave participants with new relationships and clear ideas for moving the work forward.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Dr. Tawn Hauptli, MCC Educators Rising