Tap Faith-Based Leaders as Community Voices in Support of Strong Public Education Systems, Two Panelists Suggest

With political leaders aiming negativity at the nation’s public schools recently, community-level faith leaders can play an important role in undoing the harm by delivering strong supportive messages, according to panelists at an AASA conference session on Saturday morning. Kent P. Scribner, superintendent of Fort Worth Independent School District in Texas, and Charles Foster Johnson, […]
Early Learning Gains Late Focus as Subject on Final Day of AASA Conference

The future of education can be so much more than just K-12 but further expanded to P-20, meaning the teaching and nurturing of children from birth to adulthood. A two-person panel spoke about the importance of starting children in an early education setting at their session “Learn What the Future of Education Can Become with Early […]
Five Learning 2025 School Districts Share Their Distinctive Beacons of Light with Conference Attendees

Students should be well trained to go out into the world when they graduate from high school, whether that’s for college or work, said Doug Wheeler, superintendent of College Community School District in Iowa. Wheeler presented at the “Beacons of Light” session at the AASA National Conference on Education on Saturday in San Antonio, Texas, […]
Still Time to Turn Around Teacher Shortage While Conditions Are ‘Bending But Not Yet Broken,’ Conference Panel Reports

Strategies for teacher recruitment and retention, a growing concern among school leaders across the nation, were discussed in a Saturday session at the National Conference on Education in San Antonio. Sy Doan, associate policy researcher at RAND Corp. in Santa Monica, Calif., was accompanied by Alena Zachery-Ross, superintendent of Ypsilanti Community Schools in Michigan. The […]
DC School Leader on Advancing Education Equity through Anti-Racist Roadmap

Brenda (Bren) Elliott, chief of school improvement and support with the District of Columbia Public Schools, said she comes from a lineage of African American, European and Indigenous people. She admits her diversity is her strength. She told her story in a Saturday conference session, “Getting to Educational Equity.” Born incredibly poor, Elliott said she […]
With Pandemic Forcing ‘Massive, Messy Change’ into K-12 Education, Conference Panel Advises School Leaders About Mobilizing Quickly to Keep Pace

From the abrupt shift to online instruction in 2020 to ChatGPT, the “Leading and Learning in a Digital Age for All Students” panel at the AASA national conference gave school leaders advice on how to grow with the times. The Friday morning panel was facilitated by Richard Culatta, CEO of ASCD/ISTE, who provided insight into […]
After Shooting Near Superintendent’s District, Lubelfeld Shares Experience Implementing School Safety Measures

Given the nation’s current climate, demand for safety in public schools is very high. Now, more than ever, schools must be aware of the protocols to ensure the safety of students and staff Navigate360 CEO Jean-Paul “JP” Guilbault, and Michael Lubelfeld, superintendent of North Shore School District in Illinois, addressed a large audience Friday morning […]
Illinois District Shares Its Cost-Efficient Moves to Electric School Buses in Rural Region

Working with utility companies could minimize the cost of purchasing and maintaining electric school buses, panelists said Friday during a session at the National Conference on Education in San Antonio. Andreas Edmondson, superintendent of Hardin County Schools in Illinois, and Duncan McIntyre of Highland Fleets, a maker of electric school buses based in Beverly, Mass., […]
Systemwide Agency Can Be Used to Amplify Student Agency
How does student agency relate to college and career readiness? Michelle Whitney, superintendent of Pasco School District 1 in Washington, and Robi Cole, AVID associate area director for the Pacific Northwest, engaged participants at an AASA conference roundtable Friday morning with examples of the impact of their student agency work. They repeatedly noted their work […]
[Video] Building an Employee-Centered District (2:20)

This session with Georgette Warnock explored how superintendents can re-engage teachers and make their districts a top destination for those with the capacity and desire to help students grow. This story was produced by Silas Bryant at the 2023 AASA Conference in San Antonio, Texas.