NYSTEACHS Hosts Annual Conference for McKinney-Vento Liaisons on Long Island

May 13, 2026, Melville, NY – The Measurement Inc. team, which operates the New York State Technical and Educational Assistance Center for Homeless Students (NYSTEACHS) on behalf of the State Education Department, welcomed McKinney-Vento Liaisons from across the state to Melville, Long Island, for a full-day conference titled Promoting Academic Success: Removing Barriers for Students in Temporary Housing. 

NYSTEACHS provides statewide technical assistance on the McKinney-Vento Act, which protects the educational rights of students experiencing homelessness.

The conference brought together district Liaisons, who serve as the local point of contact, ensuring that students in temporary housing can enroll, attend, and succeed in school. The day opened with an interactive session, Creating a Recipe for Promoting the Academic Success of McKinney-Vento Students, designed to engage attendees in collaborative problem-solving from the very start.

The conference brought together district Liaisons, who serve as the local point of contact, ensuring that students in temporary housing can enroll, attend, and succeed in school. The day opened with an interactive session, Creating a Recipe for Promoting the Academic Success of McKinney-Vento Students, designed to engage attendees in collaborative problem-solving from the very start.

The program drew on expertise from across the state's education and health systems. Lexie Presley, Supervisor in ESSA-Funded Programs at NYSED, opened the day by connecting her experience as an urban classroom teacher to the work of supporting districts and families statewide. 

Eva Batalla-Mann of the New York State Department of Health introduced the Social Care Network initiative, illustrating how cross-sector coordination can address the housing, nutrition, and transportation needs that affect student learning. 

Attendees then chose from breakout sessions on the Liaison's role in implementing the law, addressing chronic absenteeism, and strengthening social-emotional learning for students in transitional housing.

“This conference reflects the heart of the NYSTEACHS mission which equips educators on the front lines with the knowledge, tools, and connections they need to remove barriers for some of New York's most vulnerable students,” said Job Thomas, PhD and Vice President of Evaluation & School Improvement Services for ETIS, a division of Measurement Inc. “It was a very enriching experience for everyone involved and we look forward to doing it again soon.”

The NYSTEACHS team hosts two in-person conferences each year, one in Albany and one in another region of the state, to bring high-quality professional learning directly to Liaisons where they work.