DA Changemakers

"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.

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.