Conversation #14 was an awesome exploration of the intersection between district process and stakeholder voice. Too often, as leaders, we are left trading one for the other. When we worry about moving quickly, then less stakeholder voice seems prudent, and if we want to make sure everyone is heard, then we fear progress and process…

#100DistrictConversations rolls on! I’m closing out the week with conversation #13 featuring Jeffrey Kitching. Jeff is a former Superintendent in Connecticut and he recently retired as Executive Director of EdAdvance, a non-profit in western CT that helps schools and communities by providing educational and community services including professional development for teachers. During our conversation, Jeff…

Conversation #12 was with the retired Superintendent of Old Saybrook Schools in Connecticut, Jan Perruccio. Jan left her Superintendent position after winning Connecticut Superintendent of the year honors in 2023. I really enjoyed Jan’s perspective. The final paragraph of this post is one of my favorite insights thus far! “When I’m making a professional learning…

Today through Friday I’m posting individual reflections from a group call with three current and former Connecticut Superintendents. Grateful to Throughline Learning‘s newest board member Paula Talty for making these fantastic connections. Conversation #11 was with Maureen Brummett who is the proud Superintendent of Newington Public Schools. Not only is Maureen the current Superintendent, but…

I loved the opportunity to reconnect with Dr. Barbara Mullen. We’ve known each other since her time in Providence, and I have always respected the deep intentionality she has for the instructional core and her selection of professional learning partners. This was conversation #10 and it just so happened to coincide with the illegal announcement…

Excited to feature Andrea Castañeda, Superintendent of the Salem-Keizer School District, in today’s installment of #100DistrictConversations. Andrea is not only a valued member of my Kinfolk 39 cohort at the Pahara Institute, but also a dear friend who I’m hoping returns to Rhode Island some day soon! For those familiar with Andrea, her insights are…

Conversation #8 with RoseMary Clairmont contains powerful lessons in process around embedding identities, home culture, and local values into professional learning for educators. RoseMary has built a sticky and sustainable process for engaging diverse sets of schools and educators in professional learning experiences that build more culturally relevant and engaging learning experiences for students and…

Conversation #7 was in-person with my good friend, Edda Carmadello. I have known Edda for years as she’s worked across several Rhode Island districts. Edda works tirelessly to create a culture of continuous growth and improvement in her district. She’s deeply committed to her teachers feeling valued and excited about professional learning. It was awesome…

Posting conversation #6 today, which lasted more than an hour with my friend and former district leader, James Monti. Jim retired last spring after managing several curricular implementations over the past several years. “One of the biggest failures in education that we repeat again and again is trying to simplify extremely complex systems. Instead, we…

Conversation #5 took place last week with Julia Bamba, of the Issaquah School District. Thank you to Superintendent, Heather Tow-Yick for making this fantastic connection. Our conversation seems timely after reading the new report on state level research and development (R&D) from Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI), Education Reimagined, and Transcend. “Our district has embraced…

Conversation #4 could have gone on for hours. Dr. Keeanna Warren, is the Chief Executive Officer of Purdue Polytechnic High Schools. She works tirelessly to build the schools that students need, which she clarifies as “the schools I needed as a learner”. She is also deeply committed to “building the schools that teachers need because…

Closing out the week with conversation #3 featuring Ruth Corley, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction at Barrington Public Schools in Rhode Island. I’ve known Ruth for several years. She is a committed instructional leader who led PK-12 math instruction for Providence Public Schools along with several other coaching roles. Ruth understands both the complexities…

Conversation #2 with Dr. Hoa Tu was so powerful that our Chief Innovation Officer Malika Ali is planning to observe Dr. Tu as she runs her professional learning in Queens North High Schools next week. During the conversation, I was especially impressed with the ways in which Dr. Tu described braiding her own designs for…

I’m kicking off #100DistrictConversations today with some gems from Davion R. Lewis, PhD. Dr. Lewis is not only the talented Assistant Superintendent of Student Services at the South Bend Community School Corporation, but he is also a Throughline Learning board member! Thank you Davion for sharing these three important insights regarding professional learning: “Across the…

It’s a new year and my resolution is to better understand the challenges facing district leaders in providing effective professional learning for their educators. Over the next few months, I will be conducting #100DistrictConversations with district leaders across the United States. Through these conversations, I aim to gain deeper insights into their anxieties, hopes, and…