The Superintendent Effect

Dr. Daniel Bittman, Superintendent of Edina Public Schools in Minnesota, joins Anne Brown for a great conversation about leadership, community partnerships, student opportunities, and the lasting impact of a superintendent. With 17 years of experience as a superintendent and a career that has taken him from Minnesota to the Clark County School District in Las Vegas and the Minnesota Department of...

Aaron Bayer, Superintendent of the Oregon Trail School District in Oregon, joins The Superintendent Effect to share his remarkable journey into education leadership and his vision for preparing students for the future. Located east of Portland and at the base of Mount Hood, Oregon Trail serves nearly 4,000 students across a unique community that includes Sandy, Boring, Welches, Government Camp, an...

Dr. Dallas LeDuff , Superintendent of the Barrow County School System in Georgia , joins The Superintendent Effect to share his journey from special education teacher to district leader and superintendent. With a commitment to students, educators, and the community he serves, Dr. LeDuff discusses what it takes to build a school system that supports every learner and prepares students for a success...

In this episode of The Superintendent Effect , Ben Gilpin , Superintendent of Newaygo Public Schools in Michigan, shares his journey from classroom teacher to principal to superintendent and the lessons he’s learned along the way about leadership, culture, community, and supporting every student. Ben discusses his first three years leading Newaygo Public Schools , including the work of bringing th...

Dr. Terry Brenner — Grand Forks, North Dakota | Grand Forks Public Schools In this episode of The Superintendent Effect , Dr. Terry Brenner shares how Grand Forks Public Schools is creating new pathways for students through STEM, drone and aeronautics programs, career education, mental health supports, and innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Dr. Brenner discusses the district’s new Car...

Dr. Robert Mungo, Superintendent of Mount Holly Township School District in Mount Holly Township, New Jersey, joins The Superintendent Effect for a conversation about family engagement, leadership, resilience, and building stronger communities. Dr. Mungo discusses the difference between family involvement and true engagement, his own journey to the superintendency, breaking generational cycles, an...

Erin Kane, Superintendent of Douglas County School District in Colorado, joins Anne Brown on The Superintendent Effect to discuss leading one of Colorado's largest school districts through a rapidly changing educational landscape. Superintendent Kane shares her unconventional journey from engineering and the high-tech industry to education leadership, as well as how Douglas County is embracing...

Ben Kirby , Superintendent of Forest Hills Public Schools in Kent County, Michigan , joins host Anne Brown to discuss how strong relationships create stronger schools and powerful communities. In this episode, Ben shares his leadership journey from classroom teacher to superintendent, explains how Forest Hills is uniting three unique attendance areas into one collaborative district, and discusses...

Dr. Karen Cheser, Superintendent of Durango School District 9-R in Durango, Colorado , joins host Anne Brown, President and CEO of the Cook Center for Human Connection, to discuss how visionary leadership is transforming education for students, families, and the entire community. From innovative career pathways and maker-spaces to workforce housing for educators, mental health initiatives, and cre...

Katy Xenakis-Makowski, Superintendent of Johannesburg-Lewiston Area Schools in northeast Michigan, joins host Anne Brown to discuss how strong relationships, community partnerships, and steady leadership have transformed opportunities for students in a rural district. From creating an on-campus health clinic and expanding Career & Technical Education programs to building a community field-hous...

Dr. Tom McKee , Superintendent of Rudyard Area Schools in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, joins Anne Brown to discuss the unique opportunities and challenges of leading a rural school district serving nearly 700 students across 400 square miles. In this episode, Dr. McKee shares his journey from preschool teacher to superintendent at age 28, how Rudyard students are earning college credits and car...

Dr. Randy Russell, Superintendent of Freeman School District in Washington State, joins Anne Brown to reflect on his 38-year career in education and his final year leading the Freeman community after 15 years as superintendent. Serving a close-knit rural district just south of Spokane, Dr. Russell shares how strong relationships, leadership stability, and community trust have helped Freeman achiev...

Mr. David Law, Superintendent of Minnetonka Public Schools in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and recent President of AASA (the national association representing more than 13,000 superintendents) joins CEO Anne Brown from Cook Center for a conversation on the future of education. Mr. Law shares his unique journey through math education, law school, and school leadership, and discusses what sets Minnetonka...

Dr. Meredith Nadeau, Superintendent of School Administrative Unit #21 (SAU #21) in Hampton, New Hampshire, joins us for an inspiring conversation about what it truly means to lead with purpose on the seacoast. Overseeing five small districts and nearly 2,000 students — with six school boards and 23 school board members, Dr. Nadeau brings a remarkable depth of experience to the role. In this episod...

Dr. Melissa Stager, Superintendent of Clinton Township School District and former educator at the New Jersey Department of Education, joins Chief Strategy Officer Mark Welling on The Superintendent Effect to discuss her lifelong commitment to strengthening public education and expanding opportunity for every student. In this special episode, Dr. Stager shares the story behind her district's am...

Dr. Cory Steiner, Superintendent of Fargo Public Schools, joins Anne Brown to reflect on his leadership journey, from rural Northern Cass to one of North Dakota's largest urban districts. He shares the philosophy driving his work: removing barriers for families, pioneering mental health services in schools, and championing the idea that every adult in a building is an educator. Dr. Steiner als...

In this episode of The Superintendent Effect , host and Anne Brown sits down with Dr. Nick Migliorino from Norman Public Schools in Oklahoma for a powerful conversation about visionary leadership, community partnership, and what it truly means to serve students and families. Dr. Migliorino shares his unconventional journey to the superintendency from aspiring nurse to teacher, technology innovator...

In this episode of The Superintendent Effect, Anne Brown meets with Dr. Ellen Perconti, Superintendent of Goldendale School District 404 in rural Washington state. Dr. Perconti discusses her 7 year journey leading with a focus on well-being for both staff and students, honoring community traditions while preparing kids for the future, and redefining success through the whole child approach. She sh...

Dr. Brad Keating, Associate Superintendent for Community Partnerships and Government Relations at Clark County School District (nearly 300,000 students), joins Anne Brown on The Superintendent Effect. From Capitol Hill to the classroom and now district leadership, Dr. Keating shares how CCSD creates a “small-town feel” in a massive district through innovative parent engagement, staff wellness init...

In this episode of the  The S uperintendent Effect , Anne sits down with  Glenn Robbins , Superintendent of Brigantine Public Schools in New Jersey, live from the AASA National Conference on Education in Nashville.  Glenn shares his unique journey from being a fourth-generation water well driller to becoming a leading voice in educational leadership. We dive into his "culture-first" phil...

Terry Thoren spent decades producing legendary content like The Rugrats , The Simpsons , and The Wild Thornberrys . Now, as CEO of Wonder Media, he is using his expertise to tackle the youth mental health crisis. In this episode, Anne Brown (Cook Center for Human Connection) and Terry discuss the creation of My Life is Worth Living , the first animated series designed specifically to support teen...

"If you help a family when that first child is struggling, you might be helping the second, third, and fourth child as well." Hardin Schools Superintendent Tobin Novasio joins us to break down the "waterfall effect" of school mental health. In this episode, we explore how Montana’s first Hope Squad adopter is integrating AI-powered student support and parent coaching to create...

Blake Vargas, Superintendent of Caney Valley School District, joined The Superintendent Effect at the AASA National Conference on Education to explain how he has bucked the national trend with an 11-year tenure. In this episode, Blake shares his "Pace of Grace" approach to educator mental health, a strategy designed to attract and retain professionals in a challenging landscape. We also...

Summary: Can a "phone-free" school culture save a generation? Dr. Joel Bailey, Superintendent of Platte County School District in South Dakota, joins Anne Brown to discuss the future of rural education. From managing unique Hutterite colony schools to implementing a district-wide "parent coaching" model, Dr. Bailey shares how he is tackling the mental health crisis head-on. Key...

What does it take to support an entire state’s worth of educational leaders? Host Anne Brown welcomes Dr. Quincy Moore, Executive Director of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA), to discuss the unique "umbrella" support system in South Carolina. From high school math teacher to state-level advocate, Dr. Moore shares her career trajectory and explains why &quot...