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We talked with the Deputy Secretary of Education, who oversees pre-k – 12 policy and programs, about the best ways to engage students in the wake of the pandemic. 'We have the funding; we have the need; we know what works.' Follow on Twitter: @usedgov @AASAHQ @AASADan @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd @JimmyMinichello Cindy Marten is the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. Ann educator for over thirty years, she has extensive experience across the education ecosystem including as a teacher, principal, and as superintendent of San Diego Unified School District. In her role as Deputy Secretary, she oversees pre-k – 12 policy and programs and serves as the Department’s Chief Operating Officer.

As school leaders, we’ve all heard and talked a lot about self-care and ways to approach it in the wake of the pandemic. In this discussion, we explore a few overlooked practices, including the need to disconnect to reconnect. Follow our PLN on Twitter: @FCSSuper @AASAHQ @AASADan @JimmyMinichello @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Brian Creasman, Ed.D. is currently superintendent of Fleming County Schools in Kentucky and is the 2020 Kentucky Superintendent of the Year. He is a published book author including his recent book, Prioritizing Health and Wellbeing, and he has served as an assistant superintendent, a high school and middle school principal and assistant principal, and an instructional technologist and classroom teacher. He is also a graduate of the AASA national superintendent certification program.

School districts in all 50 states and 36 countries have adopted a new concept — a community-created Portrait of a Graduate. Listen in to learn why school leaders embrace this powerful model and how it unifies educators, teachers, and parents behind a workable plan for educating all students. Follow on Twitter: @AASAHQ @AASADan @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd @BattelleforKids@JimmyMinichello Dr. Karen Garza has led the recent transformation of Battelle for Kids, including the emphasis on realizing the power and promise of 21st-century learning for every student, the increasing adoption of Portraits of a Graduate by school systems across the country, and the additions of EdLeader21 and the Partnership for 21 st Century Learning (P21) into the Battelle for Kids family. Karen has dedicated her life to bettering educational opportunities for all students. She began her career as a kindergarten teacher before embarking on an administrative and advocacy path that included positions as government relations director, curriculum director, deputy superintendent, chief academic officer, and eventually becoming the first female superintendent at both Lubbock Independent School District (30,000+ students) and Fairfax County Public Schools (188,000 students).

The world outside of our school districts is changing more rapidly than the thinking, practices, and culture inside of our classrooms. In this episode, we spotlight a few trends that impact what school leaders will need to successfully navigate tomorrow. Follow on Twitter: @SPNconnet @aesanetwork @AASAHQ @AASADan @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd Bill Daggett is the founder of both the Successful Practices Network and the International Center for Leadership in Education. He recently co-chaired the AASA LEARNING 2025: National Commission for Student-Centered, Equity-Focused, Future-Driven Education and is now leading the National Demonstration Network for AASA. Dr. Daggett, who is the author of 26 books, is recognized worldwide for his proven ability to move preK-12 education systems towards more rigorous and relevant skills and knowledge for all students. For 30 years, he has crisscrossed our nation, as well as the industrialized world, to lead school reform efforts to effectively prepare students for their future. While an avid supporter of public education, he also challenges all of us to be more focused on our children’s future than on maintaining the schools of our youth. His insights and leadership have caused nearly every major education association in the country, hundreds of school districts, numerous political and business leaders, publishers, and others to seek out his advice and guidance. Dr. Daggett began his career as a teacher, local administrator, and then director with the New York State Education Department. He spends much of his time providing leadership and guidance to the National Dropout Prevention Center and the Career and Technical Education Technical Assistance Center, which are part of the Successful Practices Network.

In this episode, the U.S. Secretary of Education offers an empathetic, specific, and inspiring vision for school leaders and teachers at every level of large school systems and very small ones. Follow our PLN on Twitter: @SecCardona @usedgov @AASAHQ @AASADan @JimmyMinichello @jonHarper70bd@tomwhitby @a_rebora @ascd @larryferlazzo @sparvell @cmurcray@ISTE Dr. Miguel A. Cardona was sworn in as the 12th Secretary of Education on March 2nd, 2021. Secretary Cardona previously served as the Commissioner of Education in Connecticut, a position he held after being appointed by Governor Ned Lamont in August 2019. In this position, he faced the unprecedented challenge of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and led the safe school reopening efforts in Connecticut. To do so, Secretary Cardona and his Department provided school districts with the balance of guidance, local autonomy, and oversight needed to ensure equitable and meaningful educational opportunities for students while also prioritizing public health mitigation measures. Secretary Cardona and the State of Connecticut focused on equity by arranging for student access to technology to support remote learning, helping the state become the first in the nation to provide learning devices to fulfill the identified need for all students. Recognizing the increased importance of providing resources for the social-emotional health of students and staff, Secretary Cardona and his team collaborated with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and other stakeholders to provide free social and emotional learning courses.

We begin the new year with a segment on women in leadership and the challenges they still face getting a seat at the table with C-level executives. Our guest has climbed the organizational ladder and offers a glimpse of the personal and professional challenges many women must navigate to stay at the table once they secure a seat. Follow on Twitter: (AASA?) @LaurenLLawson @JimmyMinichello @AASAHQ @AASADan @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd Lauren Lawson-Zilai is an external communications executive for Goodwill Industries International, North America’s leader in workforce training and development, job placement, and other support services for people looking for employment or career advancement. As spokesperson for Goodwill®, she has been quoted frequently in the media including, the Associated Press, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Forbes, MarketWatch Radio, The New York Times, The NonProfit Times, PEOPLE, PR News and USA TODAY. Lawson-Zilai has spent the majority of her career using marketing and communications to drive social change and impact and elevate the brand awareness of mission-driven nonprofit organizations in both a for-profit and pro bono capacity. Lawson-Zilai invests time to share best practices and lessons learned as a speaker, moderator or panelist at various venues from corporations, professional associations, nonprofit organizations and universities including, Capitol Communicator, IABC, Microsoft, the National Digital Roundtable, PR Summit, PR News, PRSA, Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR), University of Maryland, George Mason University and George Washington University, to name a few.

Join us for a discussion with the new executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals about a model for reflecting, learning, and preparing for the challenges school leaders see ahead. Follow on Twitter: @NASSP, @RonnNozoe @aesanetwork @AASAHQ @AASADan @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd Ronn Nozoe is a lifelong educator and the CEO of NASSP, an organization dedicated to transforming education through school leadership. He has significant experience in policy development at state and federal levels. In his home state of Hawaii, he has served as deputy state superintendent, district superintendent, principal, vice principal and teacher.

Join us for an insightful discussion on the state of the Hispanic school administrator pipeline and what sort of supports, are needed to expand and accelerate the numbers. Follow on Twitter:  @SuptDuran @aesanetwork @AASAHQ @AASADan @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd Dr. Francisco Durán is the Superintendent of the Arlington public schools in Arlington, Virginia, and the president of the association of Latino administrators and superintendents (ALAS). He served as the Chief Equity Officer for Fairfax County Public Schools. In Fairfax, Dr. Durán’s work as an equity leader was driven by his background and commitment to support all students. He helped develop, initiate and implement the “One Fairfax” policy to close opportunity, access and achievement gaps, a joint social and racial equity policy with Fairfax County. In 2018, Dr. Durán was appointed to the Virginia State Board of Education where he played a key role in the adoption of the new Standards of quality for Virginia. As an educational leader, Dr.Durán has worked passionately to ensure that all students receive a quality education that will equip them with the skills needed for post-secondary education and employment in today’s ever-changing world.

These are challenging times for school administrators as we deal with the uncertain road ahead.  In this episode, we talk with an education industry attorney about emerging legal issues that school superintendents will need to understand and navigate effectively to succeed in the new normal. Follow on Twitter:  @HoganLovells @AASAHQ @AASADan @bamradionetwork  Maree Sneed is recognized in the education industry as a lawyer who helps school districts, independent schools, educational institutions, and educational companies solve their most complex problems. For three decades, clients have sought Maree's advice as a result of her experience working in the education system, her legal acumen, her public policy work, and her ability to make connections between the education and legal arenas.

Join us as we discuss managing the complex issues school leaders are facing across the nation. Our guest shares general insights on managing stakeholders with disparate agendas and practical steps taken on issues involving Internet access, social injustice, school nutrition, learning loss, COVID-19, and the reality of budgets. Follow on Twitter: @AASAHQ @bamradionetwork @AASADan@jonHarper70bd Dr. Carissa Moffat Miller is the Executive Director of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), where she works with state education chiefs to ensure all students have the opportunity to graduate from high school prepared for college, careers and life. With a deep understanding of education policy at the state and national levels, Carissa leads CCSSO’s efforts to help states deliver equitable education opportunities to every student. A first-generation college graduate, Carissa was named executive director of CCSSO in 2018.

Join us for a candid and insightful discussion with a co-chair and lead superintendent of AASA’s new cohort of superintendents committed to addressing educational inequity. Our guest believes that the pandemic crisis provides an opportunity we must seize to address the inequities that have plagued our schools for generations. Follow on Twitter: @LuvelleB @AASAHQ @bamradionetwork @AASADan Luvelle Brown has served as Superintendent of the Ithaca City School District since January 2011. Dr. Brown was recognized as the New York State Superintendent of the Year in 2017.

The pandemic is forcing school leaders to reexamine and rethink virtually every aspect of their school systems. Joining us is one of the superintendents on the AASA COVID Recovery Task Force. He shares what issues are surfacing, what surprises he’s encountered and how his schools are adapting. Follow on Twitter: @AASAHQ @bamradionetwork @AASADan A dedicated lifelong educator, Dr. Jack R. Smith has been a classroom teacher, principal, curriculum director, and a local superintendent of schools. He was appointed interim state superintendent of schools and treasurer of the Maryland State Board of Education on September 14, 2015. Dr. Smith joined the Maryland State Department of Education as the chief academic officer for the Office of Teaching and Learning in August 2013. As the chief academic officer, he worked closely with local school systems, parents, businesses, teacher associations, institutes of higher education, and government agencies at the state and national level to ensure high-quality teaching and learning took place in Maryland public schools. Dr. Smith's steadfast goal has always been to provide all students, regardless of their learning needs, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, with options and choices upon graduation.

Join us for a timely discussion on setting new expectations for principals regarding supervising teaching and learning in a COVID-19 world. What is required in the “new normal” as schools reopen in a completely different environment? Follow on Twitter: @AASAHQ @bamradionetwork @AASADan Nicholas Pelzer is the Senior Program Officer and joined The Wallace Foundation in 2014. As a senior program officer in the Education Leadership unit, Pelzer works with school districts, technical assistance providers and stakeholders across the country to strengthen their efforts to attract, train, evaluate and support school leaders in urban areas. Before joining Wallace, he served as director of public service leadership and strategic initiatives at National Urban Fellows, where he worked to support long-term strategies and innovative approaches to ensuring diverse leadership in the public sector.

Join us as we talk about a new program to fill the school administrator pipeline with exceptional and well-trained candidates to step into the role of the principalship. The program is jointly hosted by the AASA and the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Follow on Twitter: AASAHQ @AASADan @JimmyMinichello @efranksnaesp @NAESP @bamradionetwork Dr. L. Earl Franks, CAE is the Executive Director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) in Alexandria, Virginia, serving 28,000 K-8 principals and 35 million students in the United States of America and other affiliates worldwide., a veteran association executive with more than three decades of K-12 education experience, serves as the seventh executive director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Prior to serving as executive director for the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS), he served as a leader on the CLAS Board of Directors. Franks served as a principal from 1999-2008 at a pre-K-12 school serving 1,000+ students. He is the host of NAESP Radio.

Rural school districts face unique challenges based on various economic and demographic changes that continue to squeeze school budgets.  In this episode, we look at how one rural school system is using creative strategies to support and expand high-quality education in rural public schools. Follow us on Twitter: @suptDgibson David W. Gibson is a 22-year educator. 14 years in administration 5 as superintendent.  3rd year as superintendent of Paintsville Independent schools, which is a distinguished school system in Kentucky.  Chair of Kentucky Valley Education Cooperative. Dr. Jeff Hawkins is the Executive Director at the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative serving twenty-three school districts in eastern Kentucky. Through his leadership, KVEC has been recognized as one of the highest performing educational service agencies in the country and has been awarded three significant USDE awards within the last five years: an Investing in Innovation Award, a Project Prevent Award and a coveted Race to the Top – District Award that led to the development of the Appalachian Renaissance Initiative.

I this episode we talk about an enlightening new study on the importance and impact of creating a principal pipeline. Follow: @AASAHQ @AASADan @wallacefdn Jody Spiro, Wallace's director of education leadership, began working at the foundation as a senior program officer in 2002. Her career as a senior educator and manager of education programs has spanned the private, public, nonprofit and international sectors. Her areas of specialization include leadership, facilitating active learning and systemic change processes. She is the author of Leading Change Step-by-Step: Tactics, Tools, and Tales and High-Payoff Strategies: How Education Leaders Get Results.

Join us as we talk with AASA Superintendent of the year as we reexamine and rethink what it means to help students become ready for college, career, and life. Follow: @AASAHQ @AASADan @Dschuler1970 @bamradionetwork #suptchat #satchat #edchat #LeadExcellence #edleaders Dr. David R. Schuler is the superintendent of High School District 214 in northwest suburban Chicago and the 2018 National Superintendent of the Year. During his time as AASA president, he helped introduce Redefining Ready!, a multimetric approach to measuring students' postsecondary potential.

Gun violence, intolerance and hate are on the rise in schools around the country. Our guest leads a program to tackles these issues with aim of creating a healthier climate in schools. Follow: @AASAHQ @AASADan @JonahEdelman @bamradionetwork #suptchat #satchat #edchat #LeadExcellence #edleaders

More than nine million students attend rural schools. Rural students, parents, communities, and superintendents have unique needs. Join us for a critical discussion on why rural education demands our attention. Follow: @AASAHQ @AASADan @bamradionetwork #suptchat #satchat #edchat #LeadExcellence #edleaders Robert Mahaffey Director, Rural Programs, AASA—The School Superintendents Association and Executive Director Rural School and Community Trust, a national nonprofit organization addressing the crucial relationship between good schools and thriving communities.

It's generally agreed that the system of teacher evaluation is broken. The question is how do we develop a new system which provides a valid means for evaluating teachers, allows for and supports improvement and includes a quick, but fair mechanism for removing teachers who don't perform. In this segment we discuss an AASA./AFT joint initiative to design a framework for creating an effective system.