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.

"100% of our professional learning focuses on enhancing instruction, data analysis, and assessment building. We aim to realize a deeper learning experience for every student that develops student agency, voice, and choice. This work is primarily conducted within Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) with four guiding questions:

1. What do we want students to know, be able to do, and deeply understand?
2. How do we know if they're learning?
3. If not, what interventions can we provide?
4. And if they are learning, how can we enhance and extend that learning?

At the elementary level, we dedicate a full day every five days to PLC work. These PLC days are like football teams huddling up in between plays. Teachers are making decisions constantly in pursuit of student success. When a teacher begins tries a new strategy, they need the opportunity to debrief how it went, with enough time for every teacher in that huddle to understand and internalize the next 'play' to run in their classroom.

Parents appreciate our personalized approach, where we understand each student's strengths, needs, and learning profile. Our high school works to empower students with such a clear understanding of themselves as learners that they can actively decide on their preferred learning modality. We've created four distinct learning modalities, driven by student voice:

• Traditional
• Cross-curricular
• Self-paced (with flexible attendance and targeted support)
• Fully Customized (student-designed daily schedules)

This has presented scheduling complexities, but by identifying and leveraging internal expertise, we have successfully navigated this, yielding significant gains in student achievement across our high school measures.

Our collaboration with EdLeader21 from Battelle for Kids was instrumental in developing a shared vision, emphasizing that a strong compass is the greatest gift a superintendent can offer. Attending the National Security Seminar at the War College further shaped my perspective when I encountered the acronym VUCA – Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous. I questioned whether our education system adequately prepares students for VUCA in the real world. Initially, the answer felt like no, but EdLeader21’s framework helped us collaboratively define the skills, abilities, and habits of mind students need to thrive. This process culminated in our Portrait of a Graduate.

Our approach to AI is one of exploration and action research. We cannot afford to be afraid; instead, we must embrace its potential. AI is expediting things like synthesizing feedback in our strategic planning & sharpening students' ability to ask insightful questions, fostering deeper curiosity."