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 feel a deep, personal connection and I have visceral reactions when I hear anyone talking negatively about our students. I was one of those students and I can remember teachers whose negative comments impacted how I saw myself as a learner. We have to ensure we are consistently holding high expectations and reflecting on biases that may put our children into boxes. This fuels my passion for ensuring high-quality instruction and a supportive learning environment for all.

When I interviewed for this Superintendent role, I emphasized one of my core beliefs: 'Too often, we launch initiatives without robust professional learning, then wonder why things fail.' This conviction will guide our work here, prioritizing research-based, substantive professional development for our educators. I believe if I'm attending conferences and learning, our teachers and principals should have those same opportunities.

Our curriculum may be online, but learning thrives through curiosity-driven conversations and hands-on tasks, not just web page navigation. Professional learning that supports teachers to use items such as the document camera as a true resource and engage directly with students is a key focus area. Next year, instructional walkthroughs will be vital. We will use them to identify what's working, what we aspire to, and what professional learning is needed to bridge the gap between our current state and our goals.

We are also honing in on teacher clarity – ensuring educators are crystal clear on what they are teaching and what success looks like for students. We are selecting a new ELA curriculum and will be diving into Acadience training to leverage data for instruction. How do we create small groups in tiers so we can stop our reliance on intervention and start to think holistically about differentiation?

However, scaling these best practices requires foundational infrastructure. Currently, we lack dedicated PLCs, common planning time, and coaches. My immediate work involves empowering our principals to become the instructional leaders their schools need. While PLCs exist, contractual limitations prevent me from dictating their focus.

I am a strong advocate for AI as a powerful accelerator in education. Having used it for years in previous roles, I've seen how tools like Gamma and MagicSchool AI can save immense time on tasks from creating presentations to translating materials. The key, however, is vigilance: always check AI work for accuracy. While some teachers are hesitant, fearing cheating, others are eager. We need to develop a much clearer policy outlining appropriate AI usage for both staff and students."