Deeper Learning 2026

What if schools moved beyond protection toward innovation to truly accompany immigrant and multilingual students on their educational journeys? In this Den conversation, Lara Evangelista, Executive Director of the Internationals Network for Public Schools, and Chandler Patton Miranda, author of Sanctuary School, explore how schools serving newly arrived students have reimagined deeper learning as a culturally sustaining and empowering practice for some of the country’s most marginalized youth. Drawing on decades of research and practice, they discuss how the Internationals approach to school design, project-based learning, and portfolio assessment fosters collaboration, critical thinking, and deeper learning. Together, they illuminate what it takes to resist unjust policies and hostile social contexts, ensuring that newcomers and multilingual learners can thrive in school and beyond.

About the Den Speakers:

Chandler Patton Miranda, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Education at Molloy University and an anthropologist of education whose work examines how schools serve recently arrived immigrant youth in an ever-changing political climate. A former high school teacher, her research explores how educators move beyond protection to create inclusive, empowering schools that reflect the principles of deeper learning. Her book, Sanctuary School (Harvard Education Press, 2025), about one Internationals Network high school, draws on ethnographic research to illustrate how educators resist exclusionary policies through care, creativity, and collective leadership. Chandler’s scholarship has been published in journals such as Harvard Educational Review, Anthropology & Education Quarterly, and Equity & Excellence in Education. Her work invites educators to reimagine schools as places of belonging, innovation, and renewal for immigrant youth.

Lara Evangelista is the Executive Director of Internationals Network, a national nonprofit that partners with public school systems to design and sustain multilingual learning environments for newcomer immigrant students that are grounded in deeper learning, whole-child practices. During her 28 years in New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), Lara led transformative work to improve outcomes for Multilingual Learners (MLLs) as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and district leader. She served as a founding team member and then principal of The Flushing International High School and later as Deputy Superintendent for the Consortium, Internationals, and NYC Outward Bound Schools (CIOB) District in NYC. Lara holds degrees in languages and education from Georgetown University, New School University, Hunter College, and Teachers College, Columbia University, where she is a doctoral candidate in the Urban Educational Leadership program.

Every leader wants deeper learning for students—but turning that vision into reality takes more than inspiration. It takes culture, structure, and courage. In this informal Den Talk, Lisa Mireles—author of Project Based Learning for All: A Leader’s Guide—invites you to dig into what it really looks like to lead school and system-wide change. Hear stories of schools that are doing it, reflect on your own leadership journey, and join a candid discussion about what’s hard, what’s hopeful, and what’s next for making PBL accessible to every student.

About the Den Speakers:

Dr. Lisa Mireles is the Managing Director of Digital Curriculum and Special Advisor to the CEO at PBLWorks and the co-author of Project Based Learning for All: A Leader's Guide, published in December 2025 by ASCD/ISTE.
A seasoned teacher, school principal, and district leader, she has a special interest in creating learner-centered ecosystems that amplify the powerful intersection of leadership, project based learning, and technology. She has taught and led in schools in California, Indonesia, India, and Hawai`i. Lisa was a founding Board Member for the Hawai`i Society of Technology in Education (HSTE) and co-founded the Kaua`i Educational Leadership Alliance (KELA).
Lisa holds both a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles. She earned her doctorate in Learning Technologies from Pepperdine University.

Bob Lenz became CEO of PBLWorks in 2015, leading the organization’s mission to ensure high-quality Project Based Learning reaches all students. Before joining PBLWorks, he co-founded Envision Education and served as its CEO and Chief of Innovation, pioneering a successful school redesign model that expanded college access for underserved students. He also launched Envision Learning Partners, which supports schools and districts nationwide in building college and career readiness through performance assessment. A nationally recognized leader in deeper learning and high school redesign, Bob was a Senior Deeper Learning Fellow with the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and author of Transforming Schools: Using Project-Based Learning, Performance Assessment, and Common Core Standards. Earlier in his career, he founded Academy X, an award-winning humanities and leadership program. Bob lives and works in San Rafael, California.

Note: This is a Crossover Session that is featured at the National Summit on Improvement in Education. Attendees from both conferences can attend this session, so there will be a mix of participants from Deeper Learning and from Summit.

Deeper Learning is a set of powerful outcomes for students. Continuous Improvement is a set of powerful methods to achieve better outcomes. Deeper Learning needs continuous improvement and continuous improvement needs deeper learning. Join a discussion with three leaders who have been working to support schools to both achieve deeper learning outcomes and to enact the principles and methods of continuous improvement. Where are these efforts in tension? Where do they support one another?

About the Speakers
Ben Daley joined High Tech High to teach physics as a founding faculty member in fall 2000. He has been a school director, chief operating officer, and chief academic officer for High Tech High and is now the president of the Graduate School of Education. As a student at Haverford College, Ben majored in physics and was credentialed in secondary physics and math, student teaching at Lower Merion High School outside Philadelphia. After graduation, he traveled to the Philippines and taught science and math at an international school in Manila. Upon his return to the U.S., he taught physics and AP physics at the Madeira School, a girls’ boarding school in suburban Washington, D.C. He then moved to California to coach basketball and to teach physics at Pomona and Pitzer Colleges. He earned an M.A. in Science Education at the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at UC San Diego.

Jim May is the president & CEO of New Tech Network (NTN), a national education nonprofit transforming K-12 public education. Since joining NTN in 2011 as a School Development Coach, he has held multiple leadership roles, returning in 2022 after a brief hiatus to co-lead the organization before assuming his current position.
Previously, Jim was a founding staff member and principal at Two Rivers Public Charter School in Washington, DC. He began his career as a high school social studies teacher and soccer coach in South Carolina. A committed education leader, he has been a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar, an education policy fellow at the Institute for Educational Leadership, a fellow at the National Center for Leadership, and, most recently a Pahara Fellow. He holds degrees from Presbyterian College and The George Washington University and is an alumnus of the Stanford EdLeaders program.
Outside of work, Jim serves on multiple nonprofit boards and is deeply involved in coaching youth soccer. Jim lives in El Paso, TX  with his wife, Evan, and their three children.

Ash Vasudeva is the Education Program Director at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Previously, Vasudeva served as President and CEO of ConnectED: The National Center for College and Career, where he championed the organization’s efforts to improve students’ social and economic mobility through high-quality college and career pathways. Prior to ConnectED, Vasudeva was senior VP at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. He was also a senior program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, served as co-executive director of Stanford University’s School Redesign Network, was a senior research associate at WestED, and taught science at Pasadena High School. Ash received a B.S. in History from Carnegie Mellon University and a Ph.D. in Urban Schooling from UCLA.

About the National Summit on Improvement in Education:
The National Summit on Improvement in Education is a gathering and rallying point for a vibrant and diverse community of improvers who are working to create educational systems where all young people learn and thrive. In 2026, we're bringing together the powerful Deeper Learning and Improvement communities through select crossover sessions, culminating in a joint closing keynote. You are invited to dive deeper and make new connections at DL26. Check out our Summit and DL26 comparison to learn more.

Join Dr. Mendoza and Dr. Goodman as they share how educators can move beyond compliance, embrace the Center for Love & Justice's equity stances, and truly center youth voice in daily practice. In this session, they will have honest dialogue around strategies for fostering student agency, pushing past the barriers, and doing the work that innovation demands for our young people, without taking “no” for an answer. Participants will walk away with methods, mindsets, and moves that help young people lead their learning.

About the Den Speakers:

Dr. Jesse Mendoza is a dedicated educator, community advocate, and public servant from Bell Gardens, California. He graduated from Bell Gardens High School before earning a B.A. in Liberal Studies from California State University, Long Beach, and an M.A. in UOP. In May 2025, he completed his Doctorate in Education, strengthening his commitment to academic excellence and community leadership.
At Bell Gardens Intermediate School, Dr. Mendoza has developed impactful dance and performing arts programs that promote self-esteem, creative expression, wellness, and strong ethical values among students. His work has elevated the arts and expanded performance opportunities across the district. In addition to his contributions in education, Dr. Mendoza has served as Mayor of Bell Gardens, focusing on youth empowerment, public service, and community engagement.

Dr. Eric Goodman is an innovative educational leader and Site Director of YELLOWHAB, a 5th-9th grade microschool at Norfolk State University, launching its high school model with Advisory and Internship programs connecting learning to real life. YELLOWHAB's curriculum utilizes the UN Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing PBL, equity, and belonging through the Center for Love and Justice. With 21 years experience, Dr. Goodman opened the newly built Richard Bowling Elementary in his childhood neighborhood, prioritizing wraparound services and community partnerships. He is a decorated U.S. Marine Corps veteran and is the current President of the Virginia Elementary Principals Association, which serves 1000+ leaders. Inspired by Shirley Chisholm’s words: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair,” he ensures life-changing education for every scholar under his leadership happens.

In recent years, many schools and districts have selected instructional materials that meet external and internal designations of “high-quality” (HQIM). How does the learning from the field of Deeper Learning figure into those HQIM selection processes? And what might the Deeper Learning community learn from the momentum in the HQIM world? Join Kiran Purohit, VP of Curriculum & Instruction at New Visions for Public Schools, and Elizabeth Chu of Columbia Center for Public Research and Leadership, as they reflect on their experiences at the intersection of Deeper Learning and High-Quality Instructional Materials in NYC and across the country. Attendees will walk away with a deeper understanding of the ways these bodies of work speak to each other, inspired to ensure that all young people experience intellectually demanding, well-designed instruction.

About the Den Speakers:

Kiran joined New Visions for Public Schools in 2012 and currently leads the curriculum and instruction team. Prior to working at New Visions, she collaborated with schools to develop coherent secondary science and math curricula and taught science and math in middle schools in New York City. She holds Master’s degrees from Teachers College and New York University, and an Ed.D in curriculum studies from Columbia University, Teachers College.

Liz is the Executive Director of CPRL and a lecturer of law at Columbia Law School. Before joining CPRL, Elizabeth was an Assistant Professor of Practice at Relay Graduate School of Education, began her work in education as a middle and high school English teacher in the South Bronx.

Note: This DL session also invites attendees from the National Summit on Improvement in Education to participate. Summit is a gathering and rallying point for a vibrant and diverse community of improvers who are working to create educational systems where all young people learn and thrive. In 2026, we're bringing together the powerful Deeper Learning and Improvement communities through select crossover sessions, culminating in a joint closing keynote. You are invited to dive deeper and make new connections at DL26. Check out our Summit and DL26 comparison to learn more.