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MiCSS26 Speakers & Sessions — Michigan Charter School Symposium
The Keynotes
Wednesday, December 9 · General Session Keynote
Dr. Simone Ahuja — How Resourceful Leaders Create Growth Through Constraints
Do you feel like you're always being asked to do more with less?
Charter school leaders face no shortage of big challenges — often with limited time, resources, and capacity. How do you keep dreaming big while turning those ideas into meaningful action? In this practical and energizing session, Dr. Simone Ahuja introduces Jugaad Innovation, a resourceful approach to problem solving that helps leaders turn constraints into an advantage. Learn how to make big problems smaller, experiment through small bets, and empower your teams to act more like entrepreneurs — creating meaningful results without adding unnecessary complexity.
Dr. Simone Ahuja is a bestselling author, innovation strategist, and leading authority on resourceful problem solving. She is co-author of Jugaad Innovation and author of Disrupt-It-Yourself. Through her firm, Blood Orange, Simone helps leaders and teams turn constraints into opportunities and ideas into action. Deeply committed to education, she has served in advisory roles with the University of Cambridge and MIT's D-Lab. An improvisational comedian and parent, she brings humor, energy, and practicality to every session.
Thursday, December 10 · Keynote Workshop
FutureSense: Designing Tomorrow's Schools Today
Deborah Parizek and Theodore Kozerski of the Henry Ford Learning Institute lead a hands-on futures-thinking workshop: explore emerging trends, imagine your school's preferred future, and map the first moves to get there.
Breakout Sessions by Theme
MiCSS26 programming is built around six themes shaping the future of charter schools. Click a theme to see its sessions — listed alphabetically by presenter, with new sessions added as they're confirmed.
Call for Proposals
We are currently seeking proposals for breakout sessions that will motivate, inspire, and empower public charter school leadership from all over Michigan. Breakout sessions are 75 minutes in length, including an introduction and a Q&A period at the end of the presentation. We're looking for thoughtful, engaging proposals on the topics most critical to charter schools — sessions with clear learning outcomes that present advanced-level content (most attendees are veterans), engage the expertise in the audience, and address a significant topic within one of the six themes above.
Venue & Parking
MiCSS26 takes place at the Detroit Marriott Troy — easy to reach, easy to park, and home to the food and hospitality our attendees rave about every year.
Parking
Parking is free on site at the Detroit Marriott Troy — pull in, park, and walk right into the symposium.
Food & Hospitality
The hospitality experience at Detroit Troy Mariott is one of the most talked-about aspects of Symposium. Staying on location is the easiest way to attend.
MiCSS26 Schedule
Two days, two keynotes, and three blocks of breakout sessions across all six themes on Wednesday.
Wednesday, December 9
7:30–8:30 AM Registration & Breakfast
8:30–10:00 AM General Session & Opening Keynote — Dr. Simone Ahuja
10:10–11:40 AM Breakout Sessions — Block 1
11:40 AM–1:00 PM Lunch, Exhibitors & Networking Trivia
1:00–2:30 PM Breakout Sessions — Block 2
3:00–4:30 PM Breakout Sessions — Block 3
4:30–6:30 PM MAPSA Social
Thursday, December 10
8:00–9:00 AM Registration & Breakfast
9:00 AM–12:00 PM FutureSense Keynote Workshop — a hands-on morning with the Henry Ford Learning Institute
Registration Is Now Open
MiCSS26 is December 9–10, 2026 at the Detroit Marriott Troy. Join hundreds of Michigan charter school leaders — Think Bigger. Lead Boldly.
*MAPSA Social is included with ticket price.
Presented by MAPSA — Michigan's charter school association