Designing a Diploma with a Purpose: Redefining Student Success
“Our workforce needs are changing so rapidly that we have to think differently about how we prepare our students.” That is the key takeaway from Dan Bridges, superintendent of Naperville Community School District 203 in Illinois, as he and his team described their journey of rethinking college and career readiness. Their district wants schools to […]
Superintendents Jointly Advance Work of Diversity, Inclusion in Schools
The AASA conference session “BIPOC and White District Leaders Work on Race and Equity Together” addressed diversity, belonging, inclusion and equity as steps to creating an equitable culture in the workplace and schools. The Thursday morning panel was facilitated by Lee Teitel, founding director at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Darnisa Amante-Jackson, founder/president […]
Investing in the Culture of Showing Up: Addressing Attendance Habits in a Post-Pandemic World
Chronic absenteeism is a major problem for many schools and remains an issue in the post-pandemic period, according to two experts from the School Innovations and Achievement organization who presented on Thursday at an AASA conference roundtable titled “Investing in a Culture of Showing Up.” After more than two years of remote learning, graduation rates […]
Post-Pandemic Health and Wellness Initiatives Become Priority for Superintendents and School Systems
The COVID-19 pandemic was a unique and all-consuming challenge for school districts across the nation. That much we know. However, the change inspired by the pandemic is now being embraced by superintendents and school districts from coast to coast. Strategies are emerging to address employee, student, and community health and wellness in a way that […]
Superintendent Panel Joins Daggett in Describing Whole-Learner Approaches in Their School Districts
Panelists at the National Conference on Education in San Antonio said instructional strategies need to look “entirely different” during a Thursday session on school improvement. Bill Daggett, founder of both the Successful Practices Network and the International Center for Leadership in Education, presented superintendents from three school districts in different stages of creative reform. According […]
Bedell Details His Deft Approach to Transitioning as Superintendent During Politically Divisive Times
Mark Bedell, superintendent of Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Annapolis, Md., delivered advice for superintendents transferring into highly politically charged school districts by sharing his journey and recent transition from Kansas City. During Thursday’s conference session, Bedell laid out his plan for navigating the tense political climate in Anne Arundel County. He began his […]
College Board Clarifies for AASA Attendees Its Content of New AP African American Studies Course
The College Board is preparing to launch its first AP African American Studies course and wants to ensure superintendents have a true picture of what the course entails. Two representatives of the College Board addressed an AASA national conference audience on Thursday afternoon in the first of three sessions to set the record straight about […]
[Video] Jill Gildea on Some Tools for Schools in the Quest for Better Mental Health, Suicide Prevention Among Students (3:59)
Park City, Utah’s superintendent, Jill Gildea, discusses the importance of mental health and what parents can do if they suspect their child is struggling with mental health issues. She addressed the topic at AASA’s 2022 National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn. (Video produced by Logan Reid)
[Video] Paul Freeman on the Challenges of White Superintendents Confronting Racism in School Communities (3:40)
Paul Freeman, superintendent of Connecticut’s Guilford Public Schools, shares best practices on how white superintendents can learn together about the critical issues of race, racism and equity. Freeman led the session “Personal, Professional and Practical Challenges for White Superintendents Confronting Racism” at AASA’s National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn. (Video produced by Selah Oden)
[Video] Ray McNulty on the Long-Term Value of the AASA Learning 2025 Network (3:39)
Ray McNulty, president of the Successful Practices Network, discusses one of the key components of AASA’s Learning 2025 Network – the importance of education leaders being future-focused and future driven. He addressed the topic at AASA’s 2022 National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn. (Video filmed by Lifetouch and produced by Michael Ellson)