DA Podcasts

Superintendent Wayne Vickers says great leaders don't wait for the perfect situation, but do great things wherever they serve.

Principals Tom Hakim and Derek Cantrell are ditching traditional workshops for "job-embedded" professional learning that prioritizes teacher collaboration and immediate classroom impact.

Superintendent Keri Johnson says female leaders are wired differently, so they shouldn’t try to ‘be something that they’re not’ to fit into a male world.

Superintendent Atiya Perkins ensures students, staff and families have multiple ways to reach her amid the fast-paced environment of K12 leadership.

Tuscaloosa City Schools Superintendent Mike Daria shares how his district became one of only 108 nationwide recognized for significant math growth. His secret for success: invest in people.

"A vision without alignment lacks coherence," Superintendent Carmen Balgobin says on the latest episode. "It's important to have strong intentionality with your priorities."

Students who participate in robotics programs often excel in STEM engagement, problem-solving abilities, computational thinking, and—in rare cases—team-building on the "Survivor" reality series.

Neil Gupta's mentor scuttled his plans to hold a town hall meeting with teachers when he was a newly hired director in a previous district.

When Dr. Christopher Meyrick stepped into his first superintendency in 2019, he did not realize he was about to receive a masterclass in crisis management that would define his approach to the next great educational frontier: artificial intelligence.

Superintendent Kelly May-Vollmar details how she reaches everyone in Desert Sands USD with the help of board members, educators, parents and students.

"People support what they help create," is one of Superintendent Alena Zachery-Ross's favorite leadership phrases. It's how she describes Ypsilanti Community Schools' efforts to elevate student voice and engage learners across grade levels in AI adoption and other new initiatives.

Superintendent Bill Runey shares how he reshaped leadership at the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District—and how the relationships you invest in carry you through your hardest moments.

Edward Aldarelli said the biggest transition he made when he moved up from principal to take the helm of Edison Township Public Schools was becoming the New Jersey's district "head visionary."

In the wake of recent tragic school violence incidents in Colorado and Minnesota, K-12 administrators and district leaders face an urgent imperative: ensuring their emergency response plans and protocols are up to the task of protecting students and staff. This timely podcast revisits and expands upon critical school… Read more

When it comes to creating safe, sustainable, and student-ready schools, capital planning is more than a financial task—it's a leadership priority. In this podcast, experts in the field will explore why capital planning is foundational for K–12 success, especially as districts face aging infrastructure, evolving… Read more

The Brain State: 10 Essential Tier 1 Supports for Educators and Students District leaders who promote brain state model-based approaches, like Conscious Discipline and Applied Educational Neuroscience (AEN), in their schools equip educators with the knowledge to properly instill self-regulation and emotional… Read more

District leaders are under increasing pressure to support the individual needs of students with disabilities, who comprise approximately 15% of national public school enrollment. One way to help students with special needs is by providing a digital learning environment. One study* revealed that online learning has… Read more

Arming students with the skills to traverse the internet responsibly is education's latest challenge, says these two leaders live from the Future of Education Technology Conference.

"We oftentimes don't think much about training with adults on social-emotional development, but we're not done growing," says Karen G. Foley, president and CEO of JPA Chicago.

Johnston County Public Schools Superintendent Eric Bracy used ESSER dollars to pay for a high-quality, research-based curriculum. Now, the move is paying off.

Cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and diversity are three of the top issues in K12 IT departments. They are also the big themes at next month's FETC 2025.

Over the years, Director of Purchasing Gary Kerbow has been tasked with daunting construction projects when helping Hurst Euless Bedford ISD expand. Once, the board of trustees needed a recently acquired building up and running as quickly as possible, but copper thieves had looted the entire infrastructure, requiring… Read more

On the latest episode of District Administration's Talking Out of School podcastI, FETC featured speaker Kimberly Zajac share ideas for using the efficiencies of artificial intelligence to make instruction ever more inclusive.

Today, we're joined by Francie Alexander, senior vice president of efficacy and consulting research at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), to discuss the pressures placed on edtech companies to produce results in school districts around the country. She also shares her advice for those in charge of selecting edtech tools… Read more

You’ve probably heard about AI's large language models. But what is a "small language model" and why might this fine-tuned version of artificial intelligence work better in K12?

An incendiary presidential election, compounded by social media and cable news, is pushing us further away. But as superintendents and community leaders, we can bridge the gap, Katy Anthes says.

In this episode, we're by Sasha Rabkin, the chief of program strategy and innovation for the Advanced Education Research and Development Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing research and development in K12 education. Today’s discussion is on philanthropy and its role in K12 education initiatives and… Read more

Can school district leaders afford not to make media literacy a pillar of their instructional programs? Teaching the subject effectively is key to graduating students who are productive citizens, Superintendent Shari Camhi, says.

Jeremy Anderson walks us through how the National Math and Science Initiative is connecting districts with state and federal programs to close opportunity gaps and increase college access through advanced STEM education.

Many districts are challenged by outdated, costly and inefficient processes when it comes to the purchasing and procurement of instructional resources, which can frustrate teachers and staff and create significant waste. In this podcast, the recently retired superintendent of the Spring Grove Area School District… Read more

Lauren Morando Rhim, executive director of the Center for Learner Equity, details her organization’s pivotal two-year study of how charter schools support students with disabilities.

In this episode, we sit down with Bill Salak, the CTO/COO of Brainly, who explains why we might be "under-informing" our students by prohibiting smartphone use in schools.

Mike Duncan, CEO of Battelle for Kids, guides district leaders in developing a portrait of a graduate that offers students more more meaningful learning and durable skills.

In this episode, you'll hear from three leaders from the State College Area High School in Pennsylvania who take us behind the scenes of their award-winning PBIS program, which has successfully reduced suspension days and improved the overall school climate.

We’re talking music and other topics with Craig Witherspoon, a former band teacher who is now superintendent of Richland County School District One in South Carolina. He was just namwed ssuperintendent of the year by the South Carolina Alliance of Black School Educators

"Emotional intelligence" is not only a vital part of Superintendent Atiya Perkins' leadership philosophy, it's how she stays in touch with her own humanity.

CAST's Lindsay E. Jones shares how the Universal Design for Learning is helping educators personalize rigorous instruction for an ever more diverse population of students.

What do you learn when you sit down to chat with 15 superintendents at all stages of their careers and from districts of all shapes and sizes?

In the District Administration podcast, literacy experts Dr. Lynn Kulich and Dr. Robert Zewiecki from Renaissance Learning stress fluency's importance for reading comprehension and proficiency. Despite frequent assessments, fluency is rarely taught explicitly. The podcast covers evidence-based fluency practices, its… Read more

If you’re a superintendent or administrator trying to tackle public relations, this week's guests on District Administration's "Talking Out of School" podcast are here to help. Lynette White is the district and community relations coordinator at the Banning Unified School District and Renae Bryant is the director of… Read more

In this episode, we have a chat with InnovateEDU's founder and CEO Erin Mote, who shares some exciting news in the edtech space and advice for leaders on closing the digital access divide for students.

In this episode, we sit down with the NASSP's 2024 National Principal of the Year Andy Farley to learn more about his leadership philosophy and his advice for current and aspiring principals in this age of the principalship.

Tiffany Shlain's new documentary, "The Teen Brain," looks through the lens of neuroscience to help teens—and their parents and teachers—better understand the upsides of an intense period of growth and development.

Preventing violence in public schools has been Sandy Hook Promise co-founder and CEO Nicole Hockley’s mission since 2012, when her son Dylan was among the 20 children murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. She and the team at Sandy Hook Promise are now a leading voice on making schools safer places… Read more

Pamela Shetley and Doug Anthony head the University of Maryland's Education in School System Leadership Ed.D. program, which challenges aspiring superintendents to take on a district’s real-time wicked problem, diagnose its root causes and find the solution.

Recruiting more aspiring educators of color will not only fill teacher vacancies but also propel student achievement and improve school climate, says this week's podcast guest, Javaid Siddiqi, the president and CEO of The Hunt Institute .

Teachers quit the classroom when they lack control, choice and collaboration, says Becky Pringle, president of the NEA teachers union.

In this episode, Dr. Ken Trump, president of the National School Safety and Security Services, describes the current school safety climate and what leaders can do now to ensure a safer 2024-25 school year.

Gordian recently commissioned a double-blind study, conducted by Forrester Consulting, shedding light on the pressing challenges confronting K-12 facilities nationwide. Shockingly, nearly half of K-12 school facilities leaders admit to falling short of achieving their primary objectives, jeopardizing student safety,… Read more

At the risk of telling you something you already know, chronic absenteeism is one of the most serious challenges to superintendents' efforts to get all students back on track. "The churn that's happening in classrooms is now affecting everyone, it's affecting the ability of teachers to teach, teachers to set classroom… Read more

The Los Angeles Unified School District is taking AI where few other districts have gone before. So how does "Ed, "LAUSD's personalized AI student assistant work?

In this episode, experts discuss the effectiveness of Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) in schools, covering equity promotion, learning gaps, and the importance of various instructional strategies. Dr. Robert Arzawicki of Renaissance Learning highlights the role of foundational literacy in educational success,… Read more

Leadership and equity expert Baruti Kafele, better known as Principal Kafele, is a powerful speaker with an inspirational approach to PD that drives educators toward their full potential.

Transforming K12 into a more fully student-centered system is the wicked problem facing public schools, says Robin Lake, director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education.

The superintendency is more complex than ever, and turnover rates reflect that. In this episode, we're joined by Harford County Public Schools Superintendent Sean Bulson, an 11-year superintendent who speaks about the importance of resiliency and how he's managed to stay true to the spark that made him fall in love… Read more

A group of superintendents makes their voices heard at the White House and in Congress during the “100 Superintendents March on the Hill.”

Marguerite Roza, a professor and director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, aims to help district leaders make smart decisions about the best way to use financial resources on behalf of students.

In this impactful episode of the District Administration Podcast, Jill Moley, Director of Development for Conscious Discipline, and Jessica Meisenheimer, Director of Special Programs at Liberty Public Schools in Missouri, explore the transformative power of prioritizing adult wellness and mental health in schools.… Read more

District Administration's Micah Ward and Matt Zalaznick sit down with Denise Watts, superintendent at Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, to discuss what it's like being a new superintendent in 2024. At a time when superintendent turnover is at an all-time high, she describes why it's an exciting time for new… Read more

Dr. Joe Gothard is the superintendent of Saint Paul Public Schools in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is the recipient of the 2024 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year and is among three finalists nominated for AASA 2024 National Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Gothard joins staff writers Alcino Donadel and Micah Ward on… Read more

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten talks to K12 administrators about how they can support teachers and unify their communities around public education.

In this episode, host Gabrielle engages with Paul Tim, Director of Education Safety at Allegiant. Drawing from his extensive experience, Paul discusses the dynamic world of school security. He highlights the pivotal role of industry associations like PASS and NASRO in establishing guidelines and best practices for… Read more

Explore compelling instances of educational leadership that focus on creating a sense of belonging and facilitating growth, nurturing a positive school culture, and effectively integrating technology while maintaining a human touch. Dr. Tim Hudson, an experienced educator and Chief Learning Officer at Discovery… Read more