Conversation #28 explores a district strategy for leveraging foundation relationships to fund partnerships with innovative professional learning organizations. Julie Moore is an energized and thoughtful district leader who has launched incredible programming with funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and others. As Assistant Superintendent of Innovation & Learning at Liberty Public Schools, outside of…

Conversation #27 is great example of a district leader building trust with partners and committing to a long term professional learning strategy that is both complex and paced for scale. Angela Holt, is the incredible Director of Curriculum & Development in Woonsocket, RI. “What does student-centered learning actually look like? It’s not just about putting…

Conversation #26 with Sean McKenna, Superintendent of Griswold Public Schools was fast paced and highly energetic. I love when leaders get so excited by the work that my typing fingers can’t keep up. Sean believes in the power of leaders at the district and building levels co-designing professional learning in teams to build buy-in and…

Today’s conversation marks 1/4 of the way to our goal of #100DistrictConversations! I had so much fun talking with and learning from Baninder Goomer, Chief Academic Officer of Elementary Education at Edison Township Public Schools in New Jersey. Conversation #25 centered on the power of stability and collaboration. When district leaders stick around, trust in…

Conversation #24 allowed me to catch up with Mario Andrade, Superintendent of Schools for Nashua School District in New Hampshire. I’ve known Mario since he was a Superintendent in Rhode Island during our Fuse RI Fellowship days. I’ve always appreciated his emphasis on adult mindsets and beliefs as critical drivers of school and district improvement. …

Conversation #23 shows the power of professional learning frameworks and strategic partnerships when supporting teachers to scale deeper learning practices and AI innovation. I really appreciated hearing about the great work happening in Roanoke County Schools in Virginia from Michael Riley, Executive Director of Secondary Instruction. “Our Professional Learning Community (PLC) model, established in 2013,…

The role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a critical district position when it comes to professional learning procurement through contracts and partnerships. Conversation #22 with Caitlin Richard, CFO for Hartford Public Schools in Connecticut explores some complex challenges that district finance leaders face as they plan for scalable and sustainable professional learning in 2025….

We stayed local to Rhode Island for conversation #21 with two talented Warwick Public Schools leaders, Lisa Schultz and Patti Cousineau. We covered a lot of ground, digging into their multiple partnerships and challenges with freeing up teachers for professional learning time. “We’re seeing positive results from our focus on student discourse, data-driven instruction, and…

We are celebrating a key  milestone as we hit conversation #20 today! There has been so much learning in these #100DistrictConversations. For example, in today’s conversation with Myriam Ortiz, Chief of Community Engagement for Boston Public Schools, we learn the power of aligning organization expertise to school need. Myriam and her team have worked tirelessly…

I’m excited to post conversation #19 with Michael Nagler from the AASA, The School Superintendents Association conference in New Orleans this morning. Superintendent Nagler has an incredible vision for relevant, competency based learning and the professional learning structures and routines to support his educators, students, and families. “We’ve embraced a philosophy we call ‘The Mineola…