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#89 Stephanie Downey Toledo There are very few district leaders who feel as comfortable pioneering a new and compelling idea or co-designing with partners through messy, nascent work – all while holding the highest bar possible for her staff, students and families. Stephanie Downey Toledo is that Superintendent. I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with…

#84 Heath Rocha Conversation #84 with Superintendent Heath Rocha of Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District in California surfaced something I keep coming back to. Research-driven practices only reach their potential when supported by strong cycles of continuous improvement. As Heath scales this work across all departments, implementation gaps are the real obstacle, not vision…

#81 Chris Timmis Conversation #81 takes us to Michigan for a lesson in innovation iteration. When the resource carpet is pulled out from under you, how do you stay focused and passionate about the work? Chris Timmis is the current Superintendent of Dexter Community School District. “After 8+ years with Summit Learning, we are now…

#80 Clayton Holland I’m still trying to wrap my head around the context and constraints elevated during conversation #80 with Clayton Holland, Superintendent of Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) in Southcentral Alaska. Imagine 42 schools spread across 17 communities in a geographic area the size of West Virginia. Several schools are only accessible by…

#79 Tiffany Rehbein I love connecting with rural Superintendents through #100DistrictConversations. Their innovations often emphasize community and culture-building over scale. Check out conversation #79 with Dr. Tiffany Rehbein, Superintendent of Anaconda Public Schools in Montana. “I’m energized by the opportunity to reimagine professional learning in our district. Coming from a principal background, I have seen…

#78 Lorraine Perez Each of my #100DistrictConversations has been inspiring and informative, but conversation #78 with Dr. Lorraine Mora Perez, Superintendent of Santa Ana Unified School District in California changed my thinking about capacity-building and the future. “Coming out of COVID 3 years ago, we knew we needed to fundamentally rethink our approach to professional…

#77 Gary Storts Thank you Virgel Hammonds for introducing me to Gary Storts, Superintendent of Eureka City Schools. During conversation #77, Gary shares how powerful it has been to return home to the district where he grew up in rural CA. “I’ve been blessed to spend my entire career serving the area that helped raise…

#73 Marcus Ware Being a new Superintendent is never easy, but conversation #73 with Marcus Ware, of Chicopee Public Schools shows how a vision and plan can set the bar for quality implementation. “When I became Superintendent, one question became my driving focus: How do we create truly safe, supportive environments where every student and…

#72 Kadion Phillips As we roll into the Thanksgiving holiday, I have such deep gratitude for the busy district and charter leaders working tirelessly during challenging times to keep students in school, learning and growing. I hope you get some good rest and rejuvenation this week! Thank you Kadion Phillips, Director of Informational Technology at…