DA Podcasts

"If you want to make things better for kids in an environment where people do not agree, you need to hone your political chops," says one former superintendent.

Leaders in Washington's Peninsula School District realized that AI can dramatically enhance teacher efficiency. So they built educators a personal AI assistant.

"I always come back to the instructional framework," says Superintendent Krish Mohip of Proviso Township High Schools District 209 near Chicago. 

Superintendents must demand proof that tech tools—including AI—enhance learning, not just speed, says Ayisha Irfan, founder and CEO of Augmented Intelligence Advisory.

When you're staff-centered, teachers love coming to school, kids stay engaged, parents are happy and you can remain a top district, Superintendent Jeanne Siegenthaler says 

E-rate, a key to classroom internet connectivity and one of the biggest K-12 funding streams, could soon shrink or disappear, warns Keith Krueger, CEO of the Consortium for School Networking.

This former superintendent is calling for a shift in how school districts approach technology, arguing that blanket screen bans are an "overly simplistic" response to a complex issue.

When Superintendent Aaron Fleming arrived at the growing Alamance-Burlington School System, he faced $3 million in debt, "dismal" test scores, leaky roofs and a district out of sync with the local economy.

"It's never crowded when you go the extra mile," Superintendent Zandra Jo Galván tells host Amy Dujon on the latest episode of DA's "A Good Lesson" podcast. 

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 safety strategies from the “5 P’s” methodology (Planning, Process, Protocol, Prac...

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 learning environments and the spaces that support them, and the need for more stakehol...

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 resilience in students. Educators who understand their brain state - or how the brain func...