Superintendents Unplugged

In this episode of Superintendent Unplugged , host and Strategos Partner Addison Davis sits down with Rachel Fortune, President of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF), to explore the power of community-driven education reform. With over 15 years of leadership experience, Fortune shares her passion for advancing educational equity and creating sustainable impact. She discusses JPEF’s role...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host Addison Davis sits down with Dr. Alesia Smith, Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Schools for Cincinnati Public Schools, to explore what it means to lead with both heart and strategy in today’s ever-evolving educational landscape. With over 30 years of transformative experience, Dr. Smith shares the wisdom she’s gained from turning around some of...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged, host Addison Davis, Strategos Partner, sits down with Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong, Superintendent of Portland Public Schools, for an insightful conversation on leadership, literacy, and the challenges of guiding Oregon’s largest school district. Dr. Armstrong, eight months into her tenure, shares her strategic approach to driving positive change in Portlan...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host Addison Davis sits down with Dr. Tonja M. Williams Knight, superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools and a hometown changemaker with more than three decades in education. Recorded live at the Council of the Great City Schools Conference in Dallas, this conversation captures the energy and urgency behind Dr. Williams Knight’s leadership. From schoo...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host Addison Davis sits down with Dr. Joe Gothard, 2024 AASA National Superintendent of the Year and proud Madison native, for an insightful and heartfelt conversation on leadership, resilience, and coming full circle. Dr. Gothard, who began his journey in education as a biology teacher at his alma mater, La Follette High School, shares the powerful s...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host Addison Davis sits down with Dr. Morris Leis, Superintendent of Coffee County Schools in Georgia. Recorded live at the AASA Conference, the conversation offers an in-depth look at Dr. Leis’ remarkable 16-year journey as a superintendent, including 14 years leading his hometown district. A native of Coffee County, Dr. Leis shares how returning hom...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host Addison Davis sits down with two of the nation’s most respected education leaders—Dr. Kristi Wilson and Dr. Susan Enfield—for an unfiltered conversation on leadership, resilience, and the realities of the superintendency. Together, they delve into their new book, On Fire, Under Fire, or Fired , a candid chronicle of 40 superintendents navigating...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host Addison Davis sits down with Dr. Devon Horton, superintendent of Georgia’s DeKalb County School District—home to over 92,000 students and the third-largest school system in the state. Broadcasting from AASA’s national conference, this candid conversation dives into Dr. Horton’s 25-year journey in public education and the bold transformation he’s...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged, host Addison Davis sits down with Dr. David K. Moore, Superintendent of the School District of Indian River County, for a masterclass in transformative educational leadership. As a former counselor turned nationally recognized superintendent, Dr. Moore brings a compelling blend of heart, strategy, and unrelenting drive to his work—qualities that have p...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host and former superintendent Addison Davis sits down with two powerhouse educational leaders—and cousins—Dr. Ariel Lajara and Dr. Renato Lajara, both Assistant Superintendents in the School District of Philadelphia. What unfolds is more than a professional conversation; it’s a moving, unfiltered exploration of family legacy, community resilience, an...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host Addison Davis sits down with Dr. John VanWagoner, Superintendent of Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS), for a candid conversation on leadership, innovation, and navigating the ever-evolving landscape of public education. With more than two decades of experience spanning the classroom, county, and state levels, Dr. VanWagoner offers listene...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host and Strategos Partner Addison Davis sits down with Dr. John B. Gordon III, Superintendent of Suffolk Public Schools, to explore what it truly means to lead with both innovation and impact. With over 27 years of experience in education, Dr. Gordon shares how his career—from substitute teacher and basketball coach to superintendent—has shaped his s...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged: In-Depth with Davis, host Addison Davis sits down with trailblazing educational leader Dr. Tiffany Anderson, a seasoned superintendent whose 20+ year career spans three states and a powerful legacy of breaking racial and gender barriers. As the first African American female superintendent in several school districts—including Topeka, Kansas, home of th...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged: In Depth with Davis , host Addison Davis sits down with Dr. Alena Zachery-Ross, Superintendent of Ypsilanti Community Schools and a nationally recognized leader in educational equity and innovation. With over 13 years in the superintendent seat and a remarkable turnaround legacy, Dr. Zachery-Ross brings insight, grace, and an unshakable commitment to p...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host and former superintendent Addison Davis sits down with Dr. Maria Vazquez, Superintendent of Orange County Public Schools (OCPS), to explore the heart of educational leadership at scale. As the first Latina superintendent of Florida’s eighth-largest district—with over 208,000 students and 213 schools—Dr. Vazquez shares a deeply personal and powerf...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host Addison Davis sits down with Dr. Tony B. Watlington, superintendent of The School District of Philadelphia, for a candid and energizing conversation about transforming one of the nation’s largest and most complex public school systems. Live from the Council of the Great City Schools Conference in Dallas, Dr. Watlington reflects on his first three...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host Addison Davis sits down with Tricia McManus, Superintendent of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, for a dynamic conversation about what it means to lead with vision, courage, and compassion. With more than 30 years in public education, most of it spent in Hillsborough County, Florida, McManus brings a deep well of experience and a crystal-clea...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host Addison Davis sits down with veteran superintendent Jerry Almendarez, a 15-year leader whose career has been defined by resilience, heart, and a deep-rooted commitment to community. Now leading Santa Ana Unified School District—after decades of service in Colton, the very district where he once walked the halls as a student—Jerry shares a full-ci...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host Addison Davis sits down with Dr. Warren Morgan, CEO of Cleveland Metropolitan School District, for a candid and insightful conversation on leading through challenge, driving innovation, and staying rooted in purpose. Recorded live at the Council of the Great City Schools’ 68th annual fall conference in Dallas, this episode explores Dr. Morgan’s f...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged, host and Strategos Partner Addison Davis sits down with Dr. Brent Jones, Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, for a candid and compelling conversation about leadership, equity, and transformative change in urban education. Recorded live at the 68th Annual Council of Great City Schools Conference in Dallas, Texas, the discussion offers an in-depth...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host and Strategos Partner Addison Davis sits down with Dr. Errick L. Greene, Superintendent of Jackson Public Schools, for an unflinching, inspiring, and deeply human conversation on transformational leadership in public education. Dr. Greene, appointed in 2018 at a time when Jackson Public Schools faced a looming state takeover and systemic underper...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host Addison Davis sits down with Issaquah School District Superintendent Heather Tow-Yick to explore how bold leadership, systems thinking, and a relentless commitment to student opportunity are redefining the traditional K-12 experience in Washington state. Now in her third year at the helm, Tow-Yick brings a dynamic and nontraditional background—fr...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host and Strategos Partner Addison Davis sits down with Dr. Howard Hepburn, newly appointed Superintendent of Broward County Public Schools—the sixth-largest school district in the nation. Recorded live at the Council of the Great City Schools annual conference, this candid conversation offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to lead a...

Welcome to the episode of “Superintendents Unplugged: In-Depth with Davis,” where we pull back the curtain on what it truly means to lead in education today. I’m your host, Addison Davis, and in each episode, we sit down with superintendents from across the country—both in urban and rural settings—to share their stories, successes, and the tough calls they make behind the scenes. Today, we’re reco...

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged, host Addison Davis sits down with Dr. Karen Barber, Superintendent of Santa Rosa County School District, to discuss leadership, strategic planning, and the power of hope in education. Dr. Barber shares how her district has prioritized financial stability, student engagement, and instructional leadership, leading to an A+ S&P rating, increased dual...