This was our first interview with a Kentucky leader for the #100DistrictConversations project, and it was fantastic! Buddy Berry, Superintendent of Eminence Independent Schools is an innovative education leader with a strong north star for personalized learning. His investment in early adopters feels incredibly relevant for today’s AI implementation conversations. Thank you George Philhower for…

There are super tangible processes and takeaways driven by financial necessity featured in conversation #55 with Assistant Superintendent Lori Lofton of New Albany Plain Local Schools. I am loving the idea of “Bite-sized PD” based on teacher interest. “After navigating a significant fiscal cliff between 2014-2016, a core principle emerged to guide our district’s decision-making:…

We’re back with conversation #54, which was an incredible opportunity to get to know a leader who believes deeply that all students are capable of incredible things when adults believe in their potential, Superintendent Ana Aleman-Putman, of South Haven Public Schools in Michigan. “I grew up here and went to school in this town. I…

What a pleasure it was to catch up with Ana Riley, Superintendent of Bristol Warren Regional School District. Ana lights up when she talks about her district’s vision and action steps toward “learning environments where students are actively involved in the teaching and learning process.” “A key focus over the past three and a half…

My favorite part of #100DistrictConversations is when systems leaders catch me completely off-guard, sharing things I’d never expect to hear. When convo #52 with Bill Kimball, Superintendent of Maple Run Unified School District in Vermont, went deep on therapy dogs I was not prepared, yet delighted! 😁 “My approach is always to connect with parents…

Next 50 conversations here we come! First up at #51 is Kyleen Carpenter, Head of School at Blackstone Academy Charter School. If you are leading competency education or project-based learning efforts, then this post will be particularly valuable. This was a seven year process that persevered through COVID and is now bearing incredible fruit for…

I’m so pleased that my good friend and longtime collaborator, Grace Magley, outgoing Director of Digital & Personalized Learning in Natick Public Schools, is conversation #50! Grace has incredible vision for what technology should do to support good pedagogy and she builds partnerships as well as anyone in the space. “For much of my career,…

In the winter of 2018, Brian Greenberg gave me a tour of sites that Silicon Schools Fund was supporting. We visited Navigator Schools, and I can remember their nascent middle school model sparking big ideas. Conversation #49 gave me a chance to check in seven years later with now CEO & Superintendent Caprice Young. It’s…

When Jonathan Vander Els connects you with someone you just know it’s going to be an incredible conversation. I really enjoyed hearing George Philhower, Superintendent of Eastern Hancock Schools speak about the ways his district is “re-professionalizing teaching”. This is conversation number #48 of our #100DistrictConversations initiative – we are almost halfway there! “Our district…

Incredibly excited that conversation #47 highlights a truly inspirational Executive Director who is absolutely beloved by her students, families, and school community. Watching Jessica Waters move through the hallways of Nowell Academy is powerful – seeing student faces light up as she greets each by name. “Nowell was founded in 2013 to provide pregnant and…

My conversation with Laurie Regan, Assistant Superintendent of the Attleboro School District in Massachusetts was wide-ranging. The district is making a lot of exciting moves collectively by empowering leaders and educators to leverage their expertise and share in the decision-making process. “Our current professional learning focus is on ensuring students actively hold the cognitive load…

In conversation #45, Dr. Erick Pruitt, Superintendent of Ankeny Community School District in Iowa shares how principal empowerment and accountability drives all professional learning decisions in his district. When superintendents hold a clear vision, commitment to operationalizing that vision, and a track record of implementation experience, great things can happen! “I believe every school needs…

Conversation #44 with Steven Morrone, Assistant Superintendent of Westerly Public Schools has some great examples of a district braiding its professional learning funding to increase coaching capacity. It was also a chance to reminisce and remember legendary Rhode Island Superintendent, Barry Ricci, who passed way too early, but whose sage advice still lives on. “I…

Wow! You know how some conversations tend to stick with you for days? Well, conversation #43 with Michael Barnes, Superintendent of Mayfield City School District was just that. If you’re curious to hear more from Michael he has several published books. His new book, Winning: Lessons on Life, Learning, and Leadership will be out soon….

It’s incredibly fitting that conversation #42 with Dr. Dr. Tom Kenworthy and Dr. Dr. Liz Viveiros is going live the day after the announcement of our Fuse AI network and offerings. They lead the Portsmouth School Department in Rhode Island and you’ll see how our original Fuse RI Fellowship led them to design an incredible…

I am late to the game, but clearly there’s a ton happening in North Dakota with personalized and competency-based learning! Thank you Cory Steiner for the connection to Anna Sell, Superintendent of Oakes School District 41 for conversation #41. I was particularly impressed by Anna’s faith in teacher expertise and agency when adopting high-quality instructional…

Conversation #40 with Donna Lucy-Lender, Chief of Secondary Schools in Rochester City School District in New York really drove home the power of consistent messaging from leadership regarding professional learning objectives as a key driver of school improvement. When that alignment is not there from district to classroom, or when leadership transitions cause delays in…

I’ve known Yanaiza Gallant to be an incredibly thoughtful, innovative, and transparent leader. I got to work closely with her when she was a principal, and we even profiled her work in the introduction to our Pathways to Personalization book because her work at Orlo Avenue Elementary School was so transformative. Yanaiza is currently the…

Conversation #38 digs into the power of teacher leaders as a scaling mechanism for strong professional learning. I really enjoyed hearing Candace Morell, Director of Teaching and Learning for Mansfield Public Schools in Connecticut talk about the nuance of marrying high-quality instructional materials with student-centered learning opportunities. She believes that students must have an active…