In this episode of AASA Radio, educational leaders discuss the lessons they learned from the pandemic and how the experience changed the way they lead their districts. The panel explores the transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public schools and shares the successful strategies they’ve embraced for fostering resilience, innovation, and well-being. The group emphasized the importance of building the right infrastructure and capacity for both students and staff to thrive in an AI-driven world, as well as the role of strategic planning in preparing students for future challenges. The episode concludes with advice for education leaders on integrating technology into their practices effectively.

Dr. Gustavo Balderas is President of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents and President of AASA. Balderas has been and is involved in numerous state, regional, and national organizations and committees, including having served on the Oregon State Board of Education as a superintendent liaison, the AASA Executive Committee, the Chiefs for Change Board, and is a co-founder and inaugural president of the Oregon Association of Latino Administrators.

Dr. Brandi Kelly is a superintendent, author, speaker, and consultant. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Kelly is dedicated to empowering leaders to inspire growth, create positive change, and cultivate environments where success thrives. Dr. Kelly has received numerous accolades for her leadership, including the NAESP Distinguished Elementary School Principal Award and the Middle School Principal of the Year Award.

Dr. Jeremy S. Owoh is Superintendent of Schools at Jacksonville North Pulaski School District. Owoh’s mission is to bridge educational disparities through cutting-edge instructional practices. Owoh serves as President of the ISTE+ASCD Board of Directors.

Dr. Barbara Sargent is the superintendent of the Hermon School Department in Hermon, Maine. She served as Principal of Village School and Orchard Hills School in Montgomery Township, NJ for six years, earning a NJ Principal of the Year recognition in 2003. As Assistant Superintendent for the Madison School District, Barbara partnered with amazing educators to enrich the district curricula and lead academic initiatives that elevated Madison High School in state rankings.

In the first episode of AASA Radio for 2025, school leaders from across the United States discuss the challenge of leading school districts during divisive times. Hosted by the President of the American Association of School Administrators, the panel shares insights, staying focused on student outcomes, leveraging technology like AI in education, and navigating the current political and social challenges of the moment. They also discuss strategies for balancing competing perspectives and staying resilient in the face of uncertainty.

Twitter: @Supt_Balderas | @m_salazarzamora | @DrAlexMarrero | @larawadem | @Jonharper70bd | @BAMRadioNetwork

Dr. Gustavo Balderas is President of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents and President of AASA.Balderas has been and is involved in numerous state, regional, and national organizations and committees, including having served on the Oregon State Board of Education as a superintendent liaison, the AASA Executive Committee, Chiefs for Change Board, is a co-founder and inaugural president of the Oregon Association of Latino Administrators. Dr. Balderas is also a volunteer consulting superintendent for the Educational Research and Development Institute, Suburban School Superintendents, and the Institute for Educational Innovation national organizations.

Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora has served as an educator in Texas for over 37 years and as the Superintendent of Schools in Tomball ISD since 2017. She is a trailblazer and is the first female Superintendent of TISD and the first Hispanic Superintendent of Tomball ISD. Zamora was recognized as the 2023 Texas Superintendent of the Year, representing Region 4, as well as a 2024 AASA National Superintendent of the Year Finalist. Dr. Salazar-Zamora not only leads a fast-growth district but one of the highest academic achieving districts in the State of Texas, all while maintaining strong financial management practices.

Dr. Alex Marrero has served as the Superintendent of Denver Public Schools since Spring 2021. He oversees Colorado’s largest school district, which includes nearly 85,000 students and 14,000 staff across over 200 schools, and has a budget of $1.45 billion. As the son of a Cuban refugee and a Dominican immigrant, Dr. Marrero understands firsthand and advocates for the diverse needs of his students. Under his leadership, the district has achieved its highest-ever graduation rates and seen the implementation of its first-ever equity-based strategic plan.
David Law is the superintendent of Minnetonka Public Schools, one of the top school districts in Minnesota. Law earned a BA from Hamline University with a major in mathematics and a minor in education. His teaching career includes experiences in California and Minnesota at the middle school and high school levels. In 1998, he began his administrative career. Over the following 12 years, he worked in Mounds View, Anoka-Hennepin, and White Bear Lake school districts as a middle school administrator. Law completed his k-12 principal and superintendent license at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and earned his Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 2010, he was named assistant superintendent for White Bear Lake Area Schools. He spent eight years as superintendent for the Anoka-Hennepin School District, the largest school district in Minnesota.

In this AASA Radio episode, Dave Schuler, the executive director of AASA, focuses on mental health awareness in educational settings. Our distinguished guests include Superintendents Shari Camhi (Baldwin, N.Y.), Tobin Novasio (Hardin, Mont.) as well as Paul Imhoff and Ann Levett discussing initiatives in their respective districts aimed at improving student and staff mental health. Programs range from school mindfulness and wellness centers to parent engagement initiatives and partnerships with mental health organizations. The episode highlights the importance of developing relationships, creating supportive ecosystems, and integrating mental health awareness into the educational framework.
Follow on Twitter: @AnnLPGA @tsnovasio@AASAHQ @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd@tsnovasio

Dr. Paul Imhoff has been a public educator for over 30 years, earning his Bachelor’s and Doctor of Education Degrees from Miami University and his Master’s Degree from the University of Dayton. Imhoff was an Ohio superintendent for 16 years, serving the Mariemont Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Upper Arlington Schools in Columbus, Ohio. He was selected as the Ohio Superintendent of the Year in 2018 and was the President of AASA in 2021/2022. Currently, Imhoff serves as the Director of Government Relations for the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, Ohio’s Superintendent Association. In addition, Imhoff is active in the AASA Leadership Network, leading the Mental Health Cohort and the Eastern States Consortium, and is a veteran of the Ohio Army National Guard.

Dr. M. Ann Levett of AASA is a career educator who has served at every level in education, from teacher to Superintendent to School Board member in K-12 education, and in faculty and administrative positions in higher education.
Tobin Novasio is in their first year as superintendent at Hardin Public Schools in south central Montana and 18 years as a superintendent in Montana. President of Montana Rural Education Association, AASA Mental Health Cohort Steering Committee member, Hope Squad National Advisory Board member, Cook Center for Human Connections Advisory Council and participant in inaugural AASA/JED Foundation District Comprehensive Approach cohort.

Dr. Shari L. Camhi is the superintendent of Baldwin School District and past president of the National School Superintendent’s Association (AASA). She also serves on the National Assessment Governing Board. With more than 30 years’ experience in both education and business, Dr. Camhi has received numerous accolades and recognition for her innovative contributions to K-12 instruction, including Education Week’s “Leaders to Learn From,” NSPRA’s “New Superintendent to Watch,” Education Dive’s “Administrators to Watch.”

David Schuler is a highly experienced, successful and well-regarded educational leader. He was a superintendent for 22 years prior to taking on the Executive Director role at AASA. He has served in rural, urban and suburban settings, including 17 years as superintendent of High School District 214, Illinois’ largest high school system.

It's dawning on the education community that general artificial intelligence will have a major impact on education and the world at large. What are the big questions school leaders will need to ask and answer to ensure their schools and students are ready to thrive in the age of GAI?

Follow on Twitter: @cosn @keithkrueger @JimmyMinichello @AASAHQ @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd

Keith R. Krueger is CEO of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), nonprofit professional association organization that serves as the voice of K-12 EdTech leaders in North America. CoSN’s mission is empowering educational leaders to leverage technology to realize engaging learning environments.

He was selected by Ed Tech magazine for it’s 2021 K-12 IT influencers. In 2016 Technology & Learning selected him as one of the “big 10” most influential people in ed tech, and the Center for Digital Education identified him as a Top 30 Technologist/Transformer/Trailblazer. In 2008 he was selected by eSchool News as one of ten people who have had a profound impact on educational technology over the last decade. In 2016 he received a Special Recognition award from the Council of Great City Schools.

Uncertain times require school leaders to cultivate a set of essential qualities and skills, among them, adaptability and flexibility. Our guest shares the mindset and behaviors that enable administrators to strengthen these skills in themselves and their staff.

Follow our PLN on Twitter: @AnnLPGA @SCCPSS @AASAHQ @JimmyMinichello @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork.

Dr. M. Ann Levett has served as Superintendent of Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools since June 2017. She has enjoyed serving as an educator at all levels, K-12, beginning as a speech and language pathologist through the role of Superintendent. Dr. Levett has also served at the higher education level, including positions as faculty and administrator. She is an avid advocate for children and equity.

Many students and teachers are close enough to see the end of the current school year, but school leaders are already thinking about how to graduate more students next year. This discussion takes a practical and research-based look at expanding pathways to graduation for all students.

Follow on Twitter: @bobbalfanz @AASAHQ @AASADan @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd @JimmyMinichello

Robert Balfanz is a research professor at the Center for Social Organization of Schools, Johns Hopkins University School of Education, and director of the Everyone Graduates Center. His work focuses on translating research findings into effective school improvement strategies and educational reforms. He publishes, conducts research, and organizes technical assistance efforts on secondary school reform, improving high school graduation and college readiness rates, early warning systems, chronic absenteeism, social-emotional learning, and instructional improvements in high-poverty schools. Currently he is leading a Cross-State High School Redesign Network with five states and 70 high schools, the GRAD Partnership a collaborative effort of non-profits and school districts to scale the use of high quality student success (on-track) systems and the National Partnership for Student Success Support Hub, part of a public-private partnership with the US Department of Education and AmeriCorps to bring additional evidence based student supports (mentors, tutors, success coaches, post-secondary advisors and wrap around supports) into the schools and communities most impacted by the Pandemic. His work was featured in PBS Frontline’s The Education of Omarina and been awarded the Alliance For Excellent Education’s Everyone a Graduate Award and the National Forum’s to Accelerate Middle Grade Reform Joan Lipsitzs Lifetime Achievement award. In 2013 the Obama White House recognized him as a Champion for Change for African American education and he has served as an Education Fellow for the G.W. Bush Institute.

Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger is the President and CEO of the Data Quality Campaign, a nonprofit policy and advocacy organization leading the effort to change the role of data to ensure that data works for everyone navigating their education and workforce journeys. Prior to DQC, Jenn worked at every level of education—from the kindergarten classroom to district leadership in New York and Baltimore, and most recently, at the US Department of Education, first as director of the Policy and Program Studies Services and later as Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy.

Resource:

Polling resource cobranded with AASA: https://dataqualitycampaign.org/resource/data-helps-superintendents-make-decisions/
Recent op-ed by Jenn in The 74, that mentions the poll results: https://www.the74million.org/article/poll-hs-students-need-good-data-to-plan-their-futures-heres-how-to-help/

Today’s kids are fundamentally different on many levels. Their self-concept is different, their view of the future is different and what is required to reach and teach them is different. Join us as we explore how some school leaders are adapting to the changing needs of today’s students.

Follow on Twitter: @greggbehr@AASAHQ @AASADan @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd @JimmyMinichello

Gregg Behr, executive director of The Grable Foundation, is a father and children’s advocate. For nearly 15 years, he has helped lead Remake Learning—a network of educators, scientists, artists, and makers he founded in Pittsburgh (USA)—to international renown. Remake Learning has turned heads everywhere from Forbes to the World Economic Forum for its efforts to ignite children’s curiosity, encourage creativity, and foster justice and belonging in schools, libraries, museums, and more. He is the co-author of When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids.