Educators' In-Service 2026 Recap

The start of a new school year is always a busy time for educators, bidding the hot summer months farewell and getting back into the routine and rhythm as the semester kicks off. Amidst the excitement, nerves, and anticipation, educators prepare themselves to welcome students back into their classrooms. For the Central California Conference (CCC) educators, the 2026-27 school year began on Monday, August 3, 2026, giving them roughly 10 days to make final preparations for the first day of school. One of the ways in which the CCC Education Department helps support our educators is by hosting an annual Educators’ In-service to set the tone for the school year and give the teachers and principals a chance to engage professionally and spiritually with their peers from other schools.

This year’s Educators’ In-service took place on Thursday, August 6, 2026, on the campus of Fresno Adventist Academy. The in-service hosted a total of 128 educators from the 19 schools in the Central California Conference. The morning began with a devotional from CCC Treasurer Michael Wixwat, who stressed the importance of the spiritual influence educators have on their students. Following the inspiring devotional, keynote speaker ReHanna Mendoza, Board Certified Behavior Analyst and founder of Elenza Consulting, took center stage. Her presentation was centered around practical strategies for understanding and responding to challenging student behaviors, further equipping educators with tools for looking deeper into the behaviors themselves and considering what a student may be communicating through their actions. As classrooms become increasingly diverse in learning and behavioral needs, having practical methods through which students feel safe, supported, and heard is crucial to creating a positive, successful learning environment.

Another area of focus was Standards-Based Learning (SBL). Donna Baerg Entze, Associate Superintendent of Schools for the CCC Education Department, guided educators through training exercises that allowed educators to have a more hands-on experience with what SBL looks like in the classroom, rather than simply going over SBL concepts. The educators worked in breakout groups with their peers of similar subject areas and grade levels to discuss ideas and work through examples of how SBL principles can be implemented in their own classrooms.

A delicious spaghetti lunch was prepared by Darné King, Administrative Associate, and a number of other helping hands who assisted in serving the food.

Refueled and ready for the afternoon portion of the program, the educators listened to brief education updates presented by Donna Baerg Entze and Erik Borges, VP for Education before concluding the afternoon with Jon Daggett of Hiroshima Daggett, who serves as legal counsel for the CCC, sharing important legal guidance with them. Dagget specifically reiterated the importance of understanding and following conference policies and procedures and exercising appropriate professional practices and boundaries, especially in an environment working so closely with students and families.

Above all else, the annual Educators’ In-service aims to begin the school year together. Attendees expressed that they were grateful to be able to have dedicated time to work together with their fellow educators from across the conference before the students arrived for the new school year. Though the schools may be spread out geographically, each with its own unique opportunities and challenges, the mission is the same no matter where you go. We are here to guide students, helping them grow academically, socially, and spiritually.

The Education Department wants to send out a special “thank you” to our educators, administrators, and other school staff who have answered the call to Adventist education. As the 2026-27 school year begins, we look forward to seeing the ways God will make himself known on your campuses, and how He will work through the schools to serve students, their families, and the surrounding communities. May God bless our schools as we begin another great year together!

Written by Erik Borges, MBA, VP for Education in the Central California Conference

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