AASA honored 167 education leaders as newly minted graduates of the association’s cornerstone superintendent certification and aspiring superintendent programs on Wednesday evening, a day before the official start of the 2026 National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn.
AASA President David Law, superintendent of Minnetonka Public Schools in Minnesota, addressed the group, setting the tone for an evening that celebrated both individual achievement and collective commitment to educational leadership.
“Committing to getting better at your skills is a statement of hope,” Law said. “Hope is the belief that the actions you’re taking today will create a better future. Hope isn’t simply wishing. It’s an investment.”
The graduating classes represent six distinct leadership development pathways, each designed to meet leaders where they are and prepare them for the opportunities ahead. They are as follows:
- Aspiring Superintendents Academy® graduated 17 leaders from the cohort led by Mark Hansen and 43 leaders from the cohort led by Gustavo Balderas, Gladys Cruz, Nick Polyak and Gyimah Whitaker.
- Aspiring Superintendents Academy® for Women Leaders celebrated 30 graduates from the cohort led by Kamala Patton and AASA President-Elect LaTonya Goffney.
- Aspiring Superintendents Academy® for Latino & Latina Leaders recognized its sixth cohort with eight graduates led by Gladys Cruz.
- Urban Superintendents Academy honored two partnership cohorts: 19 graduates from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education and 29 graduates from the Howard University partnership, both now in their 12th year.
- AASA National Superintendent Certification Program® East graduated 21 experienced superintendents led by Brian Troop.
Prior to the graduation, Cyndy Mika, superintendent of the Kodiak Island Borough School District in Alaska and a graduate of the AASA National Superintendent Certification Program® East, said in an interview: “As you can imagine, in remote rural Alaska, you don’t have a lot of opportunities to get out and be face to face with other superintendents — especially those in different parts of the country. Learning with them side by side has been truly an amazing experience.”
AASA Executive Director David Schuler honored the lead teachers guiding AASA’s training and certification programs, calling them the “finest educational leaders that we have in this country.” He also recognized his own mentor, Darline Robles, former superintendent of Los Angeles County Office of Education and now professor of clinical education at USC Rossier School of Education.
Each academy brings aspiring and practicing superintendents together through highly interactive programs that combine face-to-face and virtual learning. Whether preparing future leaders through the aspiring academies or sharpening the skills of current superintendents through the certification program, these experiences are built by superintendents for superintendents.
All AASA training and certification programs are now recruiting for the 2026-27 academic year. Those interested in learning more can visit the AASA website, visit the new Professional Learning Knowledge Center in the convention center near the registration booths or submit questions via this interest form.
(Elly Serrano is a reporter for Conference Daily Online and manager of marketing for AASA.)