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#69 Luke Mund Our professional learning experience demonstrates that artificial intelligence in education requires in-person dialogue, tough conversations, and exploration of safe, effective use in order to move beyond tools alone and start thinking strategically about transformation.  Denver Public Schools is in Year 3 of our AI strategy. We started in Year 1 with 225…

#70 Bill Runey Conversation #70 with Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District Superintendent Bill Runey was incredible and shows how a collaborative strategy and a vision for innovative technology can shift district performance! Thank you Leo Brehm for making the connection. “When I started in this role, I inherited professional learning satisfaction scores that were incredibly disappointing, but…

#74 Brandee Lapisky I have been following Brandee Lapisky’s work for years with admiration and appreciation. She is the Director of The Compass School in Rhode Island, a statewide charter built around a vision, “to teach environmental sustainability and social responsibility through a project-based curriculum.” In conversation #74 below, I am excited to amplify the…

#75 Christopher Harris Every rural superintendent in my #100DistrictConversations stresses the importance of engaging families in change. Conversation #75 with Christopher Harris, Superintendent of Warren County School District in Georgia, shows how thoughtful community engagement and a deep focus on social emotional learning practices can transform early reading outcomes. “Five years ago, our third grade…

#76 Nicole Toepfer It’s 2026 and we have 25 more conversations to go before we hit our goal of #100Districtconversations. Today, I’m excited to share conversation #76 with Nicole Toepfer, Administrator for Professional Learning for Sun Prairie Area School District, in Wisconsin. Nicole’s work is anchored on an impressive set of instructional frameworks that are…

#83 Neil Gupta One of the things I have enjoyed about #100DistrictConversations is seeing the different starting points from which district leaders begin their innovation and change efforts. Neil Gupta is the Superintendent of Oakwood City Schools, a small, high-performing district in Ohio. As a former curriculum director who does not need to focus on…

#85 Chuck Perry Conversation #85 was my first in-person #100DistrictConversations interview at the recent National Conference on Education from AASA hosted in Nashville. I loved getting to sit down for an extended chat with Superintendent Chuck Perry from Broken Arrow Public Schools in Oklahoma. Chuck is a hometown hero who grew up and spent his…

#86 Katya Denisova I first met Katya Denisova, PhD three years ago at a RPPL (Research Partnership for Professional Learning) convening in Washington, DC. When she mentioned she runs all professional learning (PL) internally across Baltimore City Public Schools, my jaw dropped. Just thinking about staff parking and seating for PL days makes me want…

#88 Dave Quinn We are nearing the culmination of #100DistrictConversations, and it has been fun reaching out to long-time friends in district positions for this final push. Conversation #88 with thought partner, Dave Quinn, Assistant Superintendent of the Sandwich Public School System in Massachusetts explores his thoughtful process for pacing educator professional learning so that…