NEW YORK, NY — November 3, 2026 — Branching Minds, a leading K-12 education technology company, has announced Dr. James F. Lane, former Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction, as the opening keynote speaker for the 2026 MTSS Summit. The free virtual conference for K-12 district and school leaders takes place Dec. 3, 2026. Now in its sixth year and free for the first time, the Summit focuses on strengthening Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) under the theme Connected Systems. Confident Practice. Registration is open through Nov. 30 at branchingminds.com/mtss-summit-2026.
Dr. James Lane is a former Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction and CEO of Unlimited Instruction LLC, an organization focused on expanding access to high-quality instruction and strengthening educator pipelines for K-12 systems. A nationally recognized education leader, he is known for his impact on schools and his commitment to developing the next generation of leaders. As Virginia’s 25th Superintendent of Public Instruction, he led the state’s pandemic response and championed its Virginia is for Learners initiative. He also served as superintendent of Chesterfield, Goochland and Middlesex County Public Schools and was named Virginia Superintendent of the Year in 2017.
In his keynote, “Leading with Laser Focus,” Lane will share a playbook for district leaders responsible for school improvement, including practical strategies and resources drawn from his career.
“I’m honored to be keynoting and can’t wait to share the journey I’ve been on throughout my career to improve our systems and schools so that all of our kids have highly effective MTSS and intervention systems. Let’s do it together,” said Dr. James F. Lane, CEO of Unlimited Instruction and former Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The Summit runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. It includes two blocks of breakout sessions on systems-level implementation and change management, reading and math outcomes, multilingual learners, and student safety and wellness. Featured sessions include "District Leadership that Supports Confident School-Level Practice: A Case Study with Cumberland County, NC" and "When Growth Isn't Enough: Understanding the Gap Between Progress and Proficiency."
Additional featured presenters include Dr. Dia Bryant, Deputy Mayor for Education, Jersey City, NJ; Hillary Rinaldi, Vice President of K-12 Strategy & Research at Whiteboard Advisors and Director of the National Math Improvement Project; Jemn Hershberger, Coordinator of Strategic Initiatives for Instructional Programs at Cumberland County Schools, NC; Dr. Marianne Simon, Assistant Superintendent of Accountability and Assessment at Duval County Public Schools, FL. Sessions are designed for superintendents, chief academic officers, curriculum and student services directors, MTSS/RTI coordinators, school psychologists, counselors, principals and interventionists.
“District leaders are under pressure to show that every initiative leads to real outcomes, and outcomes improve when systems are aligned. This Summit gives leaders concrete examples of connected systems in practice from districts that have already done the work. I’m excited to hear what leaders take back to their schools,” said Maya Gat, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Branching Minds.
Branching Minds customers can also attend an exclusive Customer Pre-Conference Day on Dec. 2, with sessions focused on using the Branching Minds platform to gain visibility and consistency in student support.
How to Register
Branching Minds partners with K–12 schools and districts to help educators streamline differentiated instruction and personalize learning through a comprehensive MTSS solution. By bringing academics, behavior, attendance, social-emotional learning, and safety into one unified system, Branching Minds helps teams act earlier, collaborate more effectively, and drive measurable academic and behavioral outcomes for every student. Since 2013, the company has collaborated with nearly 300,000 educators in more than 500 districts across 38 states, improving outcomes for over 2 million students. Learn more at www.branchingminds.com.