Nivens鈥� commitment to leadership, communication, professionalism and community involvement helped him achieve the on Thursday at The School Superintendent Association鈥檚 national conference in Nashville.

The organization selected Nivens from three other finalists in Maine, Kentucky and Maryland. He鈥檚 led a district of nearly 50,000 students west of Houston since 2021, part of his 30 years of education experience that began with teacher and principal roles in Dallas.

鈥淚f you’re smart, you realize you don’t get here by yourself,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of people 鈥� 49,000 kids back home, 6,500 staff are working right now doing a phenomenal job. But it’s a tremendous honor.鈥�

Nivens spoke with 麻豆精品鈥檚 Lauren Wagner on Friday at the conference. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

What initiatives and developments are you most proud of during your tenure at Lamar Consolidated?

We are opening an in-district charter school for kids with autism spectrum disorder. The traditional setting works for some, but not for all. So what can we do to support a group of students who want that support? I sat with a parent back in November, and they were paying $40,000 a year to get their child support outside of school. So we want to try to support kids and families. That’s our purpose. It鈥檚 opening in August, but we’ve been planning this for two years.

I would also say we’ve increased the number of students who are thinking about post-secondary [plans]. I secured private funding for a college superintendent trip. So I take two juniors from every high school 鈥� 14 kids who are first-time college goers 鈥� and I take them out of state. It’s fully funded by private donors. Those kids haven鈥檛 even been out of the county. We’ve done it three years in a row now. The first year was Louisiana, last year was Arizona and then North Carolina.

We鈥檙e opening a brand new career technical education center in August. Lamar didn鈥檛 have a CTE center when I got there 鈥� we were partnering with different colleges. I don’t believe kids should have to decide what they’re going to do so early. The system is built where you have to say, 鈥極kay, child, you have to choose advanced academics or advanced band or athletics. Pick and choose.鈥� Give them options. You know, they鈥檙e 14 years old. We wanted to make sure everybody had options on what they wanted to do. 

Your district has rapidly grown since you started your role in 2021. What challenges have you dealt with to keep up?

We’ve added about 14,000 kids. There are 49,000 now and when I got there, there were around 36,000. I’ve opened 15 schools in five years, and that takes planning. My chief operations officer and his team do a great job helping me and bringing me data, and we think about where schools would go and when they need to go. 

Another challenge is that since we’re growing so fast, we have to rezone schools. We’ve had a lot of resistance from parents. Finally, I publicly intervened, because we may take students out of one historic school and put them in a brand new campus, and parents are like, 鈥楴o, I went to that school.鈥� But that’s not fair. I was like, 鈥楯ust because you went there 50 years ago doesn鈥檛 mean these kids should still be in that school.鈥� Our first bond issue in 2022 was $1.5 billion, and the one in 2025 was $1.9 billion. And the community supported it. 

What鈥檚 your favorite part about your job?

Definitely campus visits. I love listening to our babies. I taught elementary school and didn鈥檛 like it because they were too small 鈥� I was a high school guy. But now when I have a tough day, I go to a campus and go see some pre-K babies, some kindergarten babies. They’re the sweetest. And they don’t judge anything. One kid was like, 鈥榊ou’re as big as a truck!鈥� And I said, 鈥楾hat’s the laugh I needed today, man.鈥� By far, that’s my best part of my job.

Did you want to become a superintendent when you first began teaching?

No. I didn鈥檛 want to. I wanted to be a head football coach. That was it. I worked with a lot of great people, but I worked with a few who were not good with kids. I would have my [students] call me and say, 鈥楥oach, I don’t have a ride.鈥� Or, you know, 鈥楳y mama’s high.鈥� All kinds of stuff. And I would go pick them up or whatever I needed to do. After school, I would take them home, and I would buy them food. And I didn’t see [some teachers] doing that. And I was like, 鈥榃hy are you in this job if you’re not doing that?鈥� They always would talk bad about the job and I was like, 鈥楧o you hate kids?鈥� So I would go home and talk to my wife about it, and she would say, 鈥榃hat are you going to do about it?鈥� And I said, 鈥榃ell, I’m their peer. I can’t do anything about it.鈥� She said, 鈥榊eah, you can. Become a principal.鈥�

So as a principal, I did all the hiring, and if you didn’t know how to teach math, that was fine. If you’re a good person and you love kids, we could teach you how to teach math, right? Then I started working with other principals who I thought weren’t doing as much as they could for their campuses. So it was kind of the same mindset 鈥� you know what, I’ll become a superintendent.

What keeps you up at night right now as a superintendent?

In general it鈥檚 the contrast between COVID and now. When COVID hit, all the parents had to teach their own kids and their teachers were heroes, right? Now it’s like the world has forgotten that, and the reverence for the job and for the profession is gone. You know, give teachers an opportunity. It’s an automatic, 鈥楳y son said this.鈥� And, 鈥榃hy did you do that? I’m going to get you fired.鈥� It’s a cancel culture. So I talk a lot in my community about grace. We’re all human. The teacher might have done something wrong, and I’m not saying we’re always right, but let’s have a conversation about it. I don’t think anybody has bad intentions, right? But let’s have some grace with each other. Let’s be more kind to each other.

The finalists were asked about top education issues and trends in a Jan. 8 online discussion. Here’s some of what they had to say.

Roosevelt Nivens

Nivens has led Lamar Consolidated Independent School District in south Texas since 2021. The district, which has roughly 49,000 students, has been fast-growing, with 15 schools opening during Nivens鈥� tenure. 

As an educator with 30 years of experience, Nivens serves on the Texas Association of School Administrators. He has received top superintendent awards in recent years from the National Association of State Boards of Education and the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents. Before his current role, Nivens was a teacher and assistant principal in Dallas. He holds degrees from Liberty University and Texas A&M-Commerce.

When asked about artificial intelligence use in schools, Nivens said AI helps teachers 鈥済et back to the human side of teaching.鈥� His district is creating policies so educators can utilize AI tools for administrative tasks like lesson planning. 

鈥淲e want to help students use it responsibly,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our job, so they will know exactly what it is and what they should and should not use it for.鈥�

Family engagement is also a popular topic in Nivens鈥� district. He said Lamar Consolidated not only hosts parent workshops, but the district organizes events at places like apartment complexes to cater to families at their homes

Heather Perry

It鈥檚 been a decade since Perry became superintendent of Gorham School District, which serves 2,800 students in southern Maine. Over the past 30 years, she has worked her way up from educational technician, middle school social studies teacher and building principal.

Perry serves on the executive board of the Maine School Superintendents Association. She鈥檚 the first district leader in her state to be named a national finalist for Superintendent of the Year. She received degrees from the University of Southern Maine and the University of Maine.

Perry said her district began highlighting post-graduate options besides college roughly eight years ago. She helped create , a K-12 program that exposes students to career pathways. Kindergartners learn about future career goals, while middle schoolers get hands-on experiences in fields like health care, business and technology through community partnerships. High schoolers venture outside the school building to get a head start on their careers with local businesses.

Perry said she would rather see  juniors and seniors traveling to early college classes, internships, apprenticeships and 鈥渄oing real-life career experiences鈥� than sitting in school.

The program began with 35 students and now is at capacity, with 140. It has grown from five business partners to 90.

鈥淭here used to be a stigma attached to students who attended (career technical education) schools,鈥� Perry said. 鈥淭hat stigma is gone now. Students who want to go to MIT or engineering schools see the value of going into a (career technical education) program. We鈥檝e done a nice job in Gorham.鈥�

Demetrus Liggins

Liggins is superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools in Lexington, Kentucky, the state鈥檚 second-largest district with more than 42,000 students. He鈥檚 been in the education field for 25 years, serving in roles from a dual-language teacher to building principal. He was previously a superintendent of two Texas school districts.

In 2020, Liggins was recognized as a superintendent to watch by the National School Public Relations Association. He holds degrees from the University of Texas, Stephen F. Austin University and California State University.

Liggin鈥檚 tenure at Fayette County Public Schools has also been the focus of scrutiny over finances. In September, two Kentucky lawmakers over what they described as budget inconsistencies and . He was also by his budget director, prompting an by the school board. 

While Liggins hasn鈥檛 publicly responded to the investigation, he in November that budget inconsistencies were the result of miscommunication.

When it comes to funding, Liggins said, cuts made by the Trump administration have cost the district at least one federal grant, and extra money for Title I, II and III grants is at risk. He鈥檚 turning to state legislators to help fill future funding gaps.

With budget shortfalls a top concern, Liggins said he鈥檚 increasing his involvement in his own district鈥檚 finances. Administrators used to report on the district budget to his deputy superintendent but now come to him directly. He said he鈥檚 also attending conferences with his business office to learn more.

鈥淭hat understanding is very helpful when you go to speak to legislators about the (funding) formula,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ackground knowledge has been very helpful.鈥�

Sonja Santelises

This is Santelises鈥� 10th year as chief executive officer of Baltimore City Schools, which serves 77,000 students. She was previously the district鈥檚 chief academic officer and has held leadership positions in Boston Public Schools, was a lecturer at Harvard University and served as a vice president at The Education Trust.

Santelises is a Carnegie Foundation board member and chair of the Council of the Great City Schools and has been recognized for her leadership at the and levels. Santelises earned degrees from Harvard University and Columbia University.

Baltimore City Schools has been accused of and during Santelises’ tenure. 

The key to attracting talent and preventing teacher burnout is to have high-quality principals, she said. Teachers in Baltimore City tend to stay if they鈥檙e placed in schools where their principal understands how to support them. 

鈥淢aking sure we鈥檙e keeping salaries and benefits competitive (is important) because teaching is hard work,鈥� she said. 鈥淓verybody wants to know they are being recognized.鈥�

Santelises said her district also prevents turnover by allowing teachers to use a career ladder to change their roles so they spend less time in the classroom and more time coaching other staff.

Meanwhile, officials in New York City, home to America’s largest school district, are getting acclimated to their fifth leader in 10 years after the most recent superintendent abruptly resigned amid multiple investigations. In Atlanta, where I live, we鈥檙e on our fifth superintendent in the last decade as well.

Cincinnati; San Diego; Yonkers, New York, and other urban districts have also experienced turnover this year. According to , roughly 20% of the superintendents in the largest 500 school districts change each year, an increase from the 14% to 16% range by the School Superintendents Association.

Amid all these changes in leadership, the education nonprofit I lead has learned to partner with superintendents while they are in place, as well as make sure that when turnover does happen, the churn doesn鈥檛 become a distraction and impede student progress. The key to success is making sure leadership is not held by a single person within a single organization 鈥� especially since most superintendents end up being short-term presences 鈥� but by many people who are stalwarts and have deep roots in the community. 

Here are three primary lessons we’ve learned: 

First, invest in community members. If the superintendent is the be-all and end-all for education leadership, a community will be decimated whenever a transition occurs. But if there is a deep bench of leaders, a change becomes more of a ripple and less of a tsunami. That鈥檚 one reason we prioritize creating and maintaining relationships with board of education members and school leaders, who are often at their posts long before and after any particular superintendent. They can stay focused on students’ day-to-day concerns and successes while leadership is being sorted out.

To understand the issues within neighborhood schools, we hold regular community dialogues and invest in a to help parents and guardians get involved. Over the course of nine months, participants learn about the history of Atlanta Public Schools, explore student achievement trends and identify opportunities to partner with communities to award grant funds. This year, for example, to community-driven aimed at improving college and career readiness for marginalized youth. Over time, participants in the fellowship realize their power and use it to take on parent leadership roles at their children鈥檚 school and when meeting with officials to explore the levers that drive systemic change for all of Atlanta鈥檚 children.

These grassroots supporters helped our advocacy efforts during a superintendent search by building awareness about how critical it is for the Atlanta Board of Education to hire the right candidate. The fellows attended board meetings and other sessions to inform the community about why the district needs a superintendent with an appetite for change. 

This distributed model of leadership creates a broad base and reduces the chance that any single disruption will cause undue volatility for students, families and educators.

Second, engage families by decentralizing decision-making authority beyond the traditional school district. In Atlanta, public charter schools enable thousands of families to choose the school that is best for their children and insulate them from any tumult at the district level. Most of these schools are part of 鈥� yet have some distance from 鈥� the school district; charter schools can be authorized locally and approved by the school board.

Yet charters are not a panacea. Launching a new one takes years, and getting in can involve lotteries and waitlists. That鈥檚 why we developed a resource, the , to give Metro Atlanta parents a user-friendly way to access publicly available data about student progress and relevant priorities at their children鈥檚 schools. Parents can use this data to advocate for improvements at the school and district levels, or to find an alternative, such as through an intra-district transfer.This democratizes data in a way that helps parents understand whether and which public school is the best fit for their child, regardless of fit. 

By having more options and more information, families take back power. 

Third, establish goals and guardrails. New superintendents tend to conduct listening tours before unveiling their own strategic plan; months and sometimes years pass between the announcement of one superintendent’s departure and clarity about what the next one will prioritize. When this process goes quickly, it can lead to whiplash for a school district鈥檚 stakeholders; when it lags, it can lead to paralysis in schools and among community partners whose work with students or teachers relies on its alignment with district priorities.

In Atlanta and in cities such as , Ohio, and , school boards have voted to establish accountability policies 鈥� 鈥� that focus on student outcomes.  In Atlanta, this policy grew out of a series of community conversations about transparency and a focus on students, not adults. Board members devote significant time each month to monitoring progress, and schools that do not meet academic growth goals are required to take significant action to drive improvement. As these parameters are data-driven, they are more objective than decisions that are influenced by the personal opinions or whims of a single leader.

Leaders come and go, and there is only so much that can be done to mitigate the resulting transitions. Taking these three steps can help minimize the impact a superintendent transition has on a community.

In a signed letter attached to today鈥檚 鈥淥urs to Solve, Once 鈥� and For All鈥� report, the six-member council (Jean-Claude Brizard, Mitch Daniels, Chris Howard, Andrew Luck, Frances Messano and Condoleezza Rice) writes that it identified 鈥渇undamental barriers鈥� to student equity and success within the current school system. 鈥淒espite our national commitment to the issue, steep increases in funding, and decades of reform efforts, our current system has been unable to offset poor student outcomes 鈥� particularly for minority and low-income students,鈥� the introduction to the report says. 鈥淭his failure goes against who we profess to be as a nation.鈥�

Hoover Institution Director and Council Co-Chair Condoleezza Rice went a step further in a Tuesday statement, framing the issue through the lens of national stability: 鈥淓ducation excellence is critical to the societal contract supporting our democracy and is inextricably tied to the success 鈥� or failure 鈥� of our nation.鈥�

Today鈥檚 report is unique in its focus on broader, system-level reforms. The council criticizes the existing structure of the nation’s education landscape, noting that the local school boards and state and federal agencies that run today’s schools 鈥渁re not the product of coherent and thoughtful design. Rather, they evolved over decades to a point where they hinder more than help the cause of improved outcomes for all students.鈥�

The group also highlights the 鈥減erplexing contradiction鈥� of today鈥檚 public schools, where the current system boasts strong community support, superior research and dedicated teachers and staff, but students鈥� academic outcomes vary widely 鈥� and many of these results are underwhelming. 

鈥淎ccording to virtually every available metric, the overall quality of American schools has either declined or remained stagnant since the 1970s,鈥� the council writes.

On a per-student basis, the U.S. spends 40% more than the average spent by member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the council notes. At the same time, the U.S ranks 34th in math globally on the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) evaluations.

鈥淐hanging the way these institutions are organized and function 鈥� what we call the 鈥榦perating system鈥� of public education 鈥� will raise trust, respect, agency, and empowerment for teachers and principals and will provide essential support from other education leaders,鈥� the group says in the report.

The council recommends four core commitments that they believe will help improve the educational 鈥渙perating system鈥�: Re-organizing the current system toward a new 鈥渢rue north鈥�  that focuses on student outcomes; minimizing regulations and mandates in favor of embracing incentives; cultivating and rewarding professional mastery in the education workforce; and flipping the system 鈥渇rom top-down to bottom-up.鈥�  

鈥淚n the flipped system hierarchy, schools are the apex organization,鈥� writes the council. 鈥淭hey need sufficient discretion to make decisions in situ to manage their own operations and to adapt their efforts to address the needs of their students.鈥�

A Hoover Institution spokesperson said that a dedicated website will accompany the report. Set to launch next month, the hub will offer readers and policymakers additional resources and details. 

A summit is also being scheduled for January at Stanford University, which will aim to bring experts together from across the country to discuss  and debate the findings of the report. 

鈥淲e hope this report builds motivation and commitment for change,鈥� the council members write in their introduction. 鈥淭ogether, we can launch a new approach to address the current state of public education in America, and provide every child the foundational opportunities they deserve.鈥� 

Disclosure: The Hoover Institution provides financial support to 麻豆精品.

of 1 out of every 5 superintendents in the United States, according to new analyses drawing on the first-ever . 

In fact, the number of male superintendents with just 15 first names is equivalent to the total number of women in that role in the entire nation. 

Nearly 10 years ago, The New York Times reported among large companies: More S&P 1500 firms were run by men named John than by women in total. As the founder of The Superintendents Lab and an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy, I am alarmed by this in K-12 education, a field in which 77% of teachers and 56% of principals, but just 29% of superintendents, are women. 

Developing and implementing policies, practices and programs to address such gender inequities can be challenging without sufficient data to understand trends, patterns and root causes. Yet, no organization or entity has consistently collected data on superintendents in every school district in the nation over time.

AASA, the School Superintendents Association, tracks annual data via its , but its anonymous nature does not allow individuals to be followed over time. tracks superintendents, but only in the 500 largest districts.

While some state departments of education gather longitudinal data on superintendents, many charge exorbitant fees for access. Where the information is free, it is often out of date.

Though there is a fee for outside researchers, one state that has excelled in collecting and analyzing this data is Texas. The University of Texas at Austin鈥檚 houses one of the largest and most complete state longitudinal data systems, which includes information about superintendents. A from the university’s recently published a on the state’s superintendent workforce from 2010 to 2021, offering powerful insights into racial and gender disparities and suggesting ways to change policy and practice to advance diversity. 

Even so, the information is limited to the confines of the state; superintendents who move across borders cannot be tracked.

In the absence of national data, I launched in 2022 to serve as a central hub for research and the home of the National Longitudinal Superintendent Database. This is updated annually, which contributes to a key goal of the lab: to serve as a training ground for undergraduate and graduate students interested in large-database collection, cleaning and analysis. The lab’s research assistants spend more than 400 hours a year identifying superintendents in every K-12 public school district in the United States. With its most recent update for 2023-24, the database currently houses more than 65,000 data points 鈥� allowing for . 

For example, using the database released last month revealed that superintendent attrition rates were over 20% in 14 states this past year. showed that, over the last five years, male superintendents were replaced by men 50% of the time, while women replaced female superintendents 10% of the time. A man replaced a woman 18% of the time, and a woman replaced a man 22% of the time.

That women are taking over superintendent positions held by men at a slightly higher rate than men are replacing women is a promising sign for narrowing the gender gap. Yet, the pace feels glacial: Nationwide, the average gender gap closure rate is 1.4 percentage points per year. At this rate, equality might be attained sometime around 2039.

The database can help policymakers and stakeholders identify trends and patterns in superintendent attrition and gender gap closure in specific states or regions, or with particular demographics. But, more importantly, it can target areas for further exploration: What is happening in places where attrition has stabilized? Which states and districts are excelling at hiring and retaining women, and why? What are the root causes of superintendent attrition? 

Still, there are limitations. For example, given findings from the Texas Education Leadership Lab鈥檚 report, there is a strong need to more broadly understand inequities at the intersection of race and gender. Currently, the database does not have the capability to examine these at a national level, due to a lack of publicly available information on superintendents’ racial identification.

Moreover, attention should be given to representation among superintendents who have disabilities, are linguistically diverse and identify with the LGBTQIA+ community. While acknowledging the importance of minimizing mandatory reporting requirements, policymakers and practitioners should prioritize thoughtfully crafted efforts to collect superintendent demographics.

Public schools are often touted as laboratories of democracy, places where young people learn leadership skills to participate in a democratic society. Yet, what students currently see is that leadership positions in K-12 school districts are reserved primarily for people named John, Michael and David. With comprehensive national data, policymakers, superintendent support organizations, school boards and search firms can work alongside researchers to target support toward places where the gender gap is widening, and learn from those that are making strides toward equality and equity in superintendent hiring and retention. Without this collaborative commitment, efforts to envision data-driven efforts to improve superintendent diversity will remain limited.

On this point, we are failing as a nation. Though , only 1 in 5 and share the same racial or ethnic background. At the district level, .

Much has been written about the need to diversify the pipeline of future educators. Less discussed 鈥� and arguably even more important 鈥� is the reality that educators of color are thinking about leaving their jobs, or education altogether. They desperately need help, right here, right now.

Run-of-the-mill support won鈥檛 cut it. Faced with , leaders of color need guidance and tools specific to their experiences navigating the schools as people of color. When leaders of color thrive, so do and .

We are fortunate to have access to this type of support, regularly meeting with more than a dozen other men of color who work as school and district leaders through .

For us, coming together in community with a group of guys who get what we鈥檙e going through has been life-changing. We love our jobs, but sometimes they don鈥檛 love us back. This can be exhausting and demoralizing. Dedicated space just for us affords us the chance to reflect on our experiences and to exhale, regroup and re-energize our leadership. This experience is not the norm. 

These discussions are anchored in the , a flexible roadmap to help educators of color navigate leadership journeys. The research-backed tool articulates 10 essential competencies 鈥� knowledge, skills, mindsets, dispositions and behaviors 鈥� that interviews with more than 300 education leaders of color across the country revealed are most critical to their success. This resource is focused specifically on fostering resilience among educators of color and reinforcing steady, confident leadership in the face of many distinct challenges.

How can districts tailor similar development and support for educators of color?

In Atlanta, I (Dr. Hunter) lead many courses. For each essential competency, I鈥檝e identified and created aligned professional development opportunities that enable our guys to unpack key concepts, pause and reflect on their responses to various scenarios, and get real practice being both proactive and reactive to a range of leadership dilemmas. Eighteen aspiring leaders come together once or twice a month for these sessions, which take place at the district office during the week and at the Georgia State University Principals Center on weekends. Leadership coaches also provide 1:1 virtual support.

As one example, take the Executive Stance competency. Mastering that just-right balance between confidence and humility is crucial when helping families feel secure in the face of a crisis or when asking staff to lean into new ways of working together. Being assertive without coming across as 鈥渁ggressive鈥� looks different for a man of color than it does for, say, a white woman. The goal is to empower team members to lead in ways that are true to their identities and will be received well by their communities. All leaders 鈥� especially those of color 鈥� need opportunities to practice to get their unique Executive Stance just right. The Atlanta Public Schools leadership team wants principals across the district hitting home runs when they鈥檙e on the job, and the best way to make that happen is by giving leaders as many at-bats as possible with all the curveballs we know are coming their way.

In Los Angeles, I (Dr. Nava) offer professional development to educators of color in alignment with the district 鈥檚 focus on cultivating a diverse, well-supported workforce. The district is unusual in that it runs a two-year principal induction program in house 鈥� the Los Angeles Administrative Services Credential program, which is approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Participants serve in administrative roles, complete assignments at their schools and receive 40 hours of leadership coaching each year .Since 2016, 600 educators have participated in the program.

Men of color make up about 20% of the program’s participants, and many are responsible for managing athletics or school discipline. These are important functions for a school, but an educator who doesn鈥檛 have instructional leadership experience will not be prepared for the principalship. Through the program, I help aspiring leaders of color share their professional goals with their principals and advocate for opportunities to observe and practice instructional leadership. For example, a participant might request to assist the principal in executing a data review session with the math department and to shadow the principal before, during and after a subsequent classroom observation to more deeply understand the planning protocols and the coaching and feedback process.

If a principal is unable to provide on-site learning, I ensure that aspiring leaders gain meaningful experience elsewhere, such as by mentoring novice teachers or leading district-run training sessions. I pair this real-world practice with coaching, where I teach, model and dig into the essential competencies in ways that reflect each leader鈥檚 personal and professional goals. 

Overall, we both prioritize pushing leaders of color to engage in purposeful self-reflection around the essential leadership competencies. Having a conversation with oneself 鈥� by writing in a journal or reflecting aloud 鈥� can be really hard, especially when thinking about a mistake or misstep. But doing it surrounded by others who鈥檝e been there and can help illuminate often-overlooked strengths feels safer. 

Most importantly, this work has reaffirmed for each of us a deep commitment to cultivating the next generation of leaders for American schools and society by promoting a more diverse and inclusive vision of extraordinary leadership. Our students deserve nothing less.

As superintendent of Ypsilanti Community Schools in Michigan, I manage a $110 million budget and make decisions that determine the district’s success or failure. Superintendents serve a pivotal role in the success of any district. While teachers are the closest to students on a day-to-day basis, it鈥檚 the superintendents who set the tone of leadership and act as a conduit between the district and the community. But while many states require teachers to have mentors in their first five years, they have no such mandate for superintendents. It鈥檚 sink or swim.

As superintendents, we can take the initiative to seek out resources and even pass along guidance and expertise. Recently, I helped another superintendent who was dealing with a weapons-related incident in one of her schools. After the emergency was over and the school board was notified, there was immense pressure from both the community and local media for answers. As a member of a superintendent leadership group, I had done run-throughs for similar scenarios, so I was able to assure her that despite the pressure, she didn鈥檛 have to answer right away. 

Leadership support is about much more than navigating emergencies. It鈥檚 about providing district administrators with a sounding board for ideas, helping them develop needed skills and giving them a nudge when it鈥檚 time for them to move to the next level. Working with a coach, mentor other expert in leadership can be incredibly beneficial for helping superintendents reach their full potential. Over the years, my district has adopted multiple strategies to help leaders at every level reach their full potential.

Take advantage of state training programs

Superintendents and central office leadership often can access state-specific resources. For example, I serve as a mentor in the coaching program provided by the . During one-on-one sessions, I use , a strategy that helps mentees explore the thinking behind whatever they鈥檙e doing. I used it to help a fellow superintendent decide whether he wanted to renew his contract or take the risk of trying for a bigger district out of state. (Spoiler: He successfully made the leap.)听

In addition, the association has been working with the state school board association to encourage district boards to fund the hiring of mentors or executive coaches for superintendents. There鈥檚 some resistance; many new district leaders feel that they need to be perfect coming in and that using a coach would reflect negatively on them. However, the association’s position is that coaches will help them be better and smarter. 

Engage in a learning-focus partner program for building principals

Unless they鈥檙e in a high school, principals are often the only administrators in their building. In Ypsilanti, central office staff (including me) serve as partners for principals, with a special focus on student learning. Known as learning-focus partners, we listen to their ideas, help them conduct classroom observations and assist in arranging Individualized Education Plan and staff meetings. Additionally, learning focus partners serve as principals鈥� advocates at the central office. 

Create a rising leaders program for all educators

I鈥檝e used a $5.1 million grant to create a leadership development program called Rising Leaders. It serves educators at all levels within my district, including social workers and instructional coaches. Rising Leaders provides three types of support: 

• For educators who don鈥檛 want to become principals, we help them to become effective leaders in their current positions. 

• For educators who aspire to become principals, we let them shadow experienced principals to see what knowledge and experience are required. 

• For principals or district directors who want a central office role, we let them shadow me, the assistant superintendent or our finance person, so they can learn what skills are needed. 

Recognize 鈥渁typical鈥� potential leaders

I鈥檝e seen many female teachers take on informal leadership roles but refrain from applying for principal positions. In addition, introverts often aren鈥檛 seen as leaders, even when they鈥檝e led meetings. Further complicating the situation is that people most easily see the potential in individuals who are like them. That can result in women and minorities often being overlooked. That鈥檚 why I look for the skill sets that demonstrate a person鈥檚 current success and future possibilities.听

The more districts can identify, develop and support leaders, the better it is for everyone those districts serve. The resulting pool of strengths and positive outcomes trickles down to every single person in every single school.

At a small gathering in December of educators and leaders of businesses and nonprofits in the field, hosted by the , we brainstormed new ways to address the urgent superintendent retention crisis, how to cultivate future superintendents and how to attract more leaders to the profession.

But along the way, an important truth emerged: Every superintendent in the group loved the job.

Though we are superintendents of very different districts 鈥� Gina a small district in New Jersey and Rick a mid-sized district in Oklahoma 鈥� we feel the same way. Yes, being a superintendent is challenging. Creating a pipeline for new school and district leaders will require innovative ideas. But it also will require those of us who have a passion for the job to share that side of the story, too. So, that鈥檚 where we鈥檒l start.

The rewards extend far beyond a single classroom. Running a school district is the best way to effect change. Both of us had found tremendous rewards as classroom teachers. But the superintendency reaches well beyond a single classroom and even beyond the traditional school community of students, teachers, staff and parents. We get to build relationships with the larger community, too, including local social organizations and businesses, or the military base where many students and families live. Year over year, we can see the benefits of our schools鈥� work all around us. That larger community is counting on us to maintain high standards.

The superintendent鈥檚 voice really does matter. Families, teachers, community leaders 鈥� they all want to hear from us and know where the superintendent stands. We get to use the power of our voice when a teacher comes looking for support. We use it when the community comes to us concerned about curriculum changes. Or when the national political debate barrels into the school hallways. The superintendent can create a climate where the priority is doing the right thing by kids. That鈥檚 significant.

Superintendents know where the problems are. According to the most recent “, the School Superintendents Association, more than three-quarters of superintendents are men. Only 8% identify as people of color. Those serious imbalances need to change. As superintendents, we know just how important it is to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.

Superintendents have opportunities to identify future leaders. Each of us found our leadership positions thanks to the encouragement of mentors, who illuminated a path forward. Today, we鈥檙e in a great position to similarly recognize leadership potential in teachers and principals, and we can help fuel that flame through consistent encouragement and strategic leadership pipeline programs. By encouraging individuals, particularly those who are traditionally underrepresented in leadership positions, superintendents have the power to transform how schools and districts look, now and into the future.

Superintendents understand the need for eliminating artificial barriers. In many states, aspiring superintendents must first obtain a certificate in school administration, a process that can take a year or more. They are expected to get this certificate on their own time, which means studying nights and weekends, in addition to holding down a regular teaching job and participating in family and community activities. There are excellent superintendent candidates out there who see the certificate process as a barrier. And frankly, we鈥檙e not certain it provides significant value in the first place. After all, you don鈥檛 need a special administrative certificate to run a successful company or a busy city agency. We鈥檇 like to see these types of requirements removed for superintendents, opening the door to more candidates from diverse backgrounds, regions or states. It could even make these important jobs viable for folks with valuable administrative experience gained outside the traditional K-12 path.

As school superintendents, we have the privilege of leading organizations that not only educate students, but also provide opportunities to cultivate new and diverse leaders. We鈥檙e using our voices to do just that.

The funding will cultivate career pathways for teachers and district leaders of color.

CZI co-founder and co-CEO Priscilla Chan announced the grants for racial diversity in education during the 49th annual National Alliance of Black School Educators conference late last week. 

鈥淣ot only do you help your students learn, but you also help them feel a deep sense of belonging in helping them become the young people who are curious, confident, and caring members of their own communities,鈥� Chan said on Nov. 11.

From pre-service teacher education to professional , grants ranging $175,000 to $2 million will support organizations in preparing and supporting historically excluded populations in K-12 leadership.

Though , nearly half of schools are operating without any teachers of color.

CZI鈥檚 funding will also support The Hunt Institute in its policy advocacy to add 1 million teachers of color to schools by 2030 鈥� the Institute will work with gubernatorial candidates on their education platforms and offer its in more regions. The campaign, which launched during the social justice movements of summer 2020, . 

A more diverse teacher workforce could result in for an . Having had a Black teacher, from higher expectations, experience fewer suspensions and graduate high school at higher rates. 

Some grantees will also focus initiatives on helping teachers move into district, board and state leadership, and in turn, be able to support teachers of color implementing change. 

鈥淢y experience has been you get a phenomenal principal, or you get a handful of really great teachers or you have an out-of-this-world superintendent, and then when they retire or they move on or for whatever number reason, sometimes those great initiatives fall by the wayside. This is really about creating leader-full communities where, even as people move on 鈥� the work continues because the whole community is invested,鈥� said Jonathan Santos Silva, executive director of The Liber Institute, which works with rural communities. 

The Institute is receiving $800,000 to train Indigenous students, families and leaders to competitively run for school board and district leadership. Their new programming has encouraged thought partnerships with , the and, soon, tribal colleges and universities.

And for the Equity Institute, a Rhode Island-based nonprofit working with teachers to sustain antiracist learning and teaching environments, their $800,000 CZI grant means long-term growth. They鈥檒l be able to hire more staff, enhance technology, evaluate and spread their work at a time it鈥檚 needed most. 

鈥淲e’re in a space and time where 鈥� because of COVID, because of the high profile incidents of police brutality and deaths at the hands of officers 鈥� that we have to be very, very intentional about how we share leadership and invite people to the table, into spaces where they have historically been neglected, isolated, disenfranchised,鈥� Chief Impact Officer and Co-Founder Carlon Howard told 麻豆精品.

Disclosure: The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative provides financial support to 麻豆精品.