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Student Voice, Equity, and Free College with Dr. Wendy Birhanzel
In today’s episode, host Aidan McDowell sits down with Dr. Wendy Birhanzel, Superintendent of Harrison School District 2 in Colorado Springs. With more than 20 years in public education across California and Colorado, Wendy has led two elementary schools to National Blue Ribbon and National Title I Distinguished status and was recently honored with the 2025 AASA Women in School Leadership Award.
Wendy shares how her early teaching experience in South Central Los Angeles opened her eyes to deep inequities in education and set her on a mission to prove that a zip code should never define a student’s future. From transforming D2’s culture and retention to securing a $180 million bond and first-dollar free college, her leadership is rooted in a simple belief: potential is universal, opportunity is not.
Together, Aidan and Wendy dig into what it looks like to truly put kids first in a diverse, Title I community, co-author policy with students, embrace AI, and create real pathways to opportunity for all 13,000 “D2 kids”.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How Wendy’s path from a family of five generations of educators to South Central LA shaped her passion for equity and Title I schools.
- What it means to lead a “kids first” culture where the default question is, “What did students say about it?”
- How D2 moved from being seen as a “last choice” district to having some of the strongest staff retention and culture in the state.
- Why student voice is built into governance, including student board reps and students as co-authors of district policy.
- How D2 passed a $180 million bond and a mill levy override in a Title I community and used it to create pride, curb appeal, CTE spaces, and redesigned learning environments.
- What D2’s first-dollar free college model looks like and why it is a game changer for students who need to work while in school.
- How Wendy and her team are embracing AI, removing seat-time barriers, and expanding internships to make learning more relevant and future-ready.
- Leadership lessons on “owning your ugly,” building trust, and advocating at city, state, and national levels for more equitable systems.
Key Moments
07:27 Transforming D2’s Culture and Reputation
09:39 Building a Kids-First Culture
10:51 Student Voice at the Governance Table
11:44 Leading Through Presence and Connection
15:18 We Own Our Ugly
18:21 Passing a $180M Bond in a Title I Community
30:05 Embracing AI, Not Restricting It
31:40 Practical AI for Teaching and Learning
34:10 Rethinking Seat Time and Accountability
36:15 A Long-Term Vision Beyond Politics
40:39 Elevating Educators as Experts
Connect with Guest
Website: https://www.hsd2.org/
Connect with Us
Host’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidan-mcdowell
Website: https://uniqlearn.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uniqlearn
If this episode sparked new thinking, please follow, rate, and review Beyond the Syllabus on your favorite podcast platform. It helps us grow and bring more authentic conversations with education leaders your way.
View all episodes
By Aidan McDowell
In today’s episode, host Aidan McDowell sits down with Dr. Wendy Birhanzel, Superintendent of Harrison School District 2 in Colorado Springs. With more than 20 years in public education across California and Colorado, Wendy has led two elementary schools to National Blue Ribbon and National Title I Distinguished status and was recently honored with the 2025 AASA Women in School Leadership Award.
Wendy shares how her early teaching experience in South Central Los Angeles opened her eyes to deep inequities in education and set her on a mission to prove that a zip code should never define a student’s future. From transforming D2’s culture and retention to securing a $180 million bond and first-dollar free college, her leadership is rooted in a simple belief: potential is universal, opportunity is not.
Together, Aidan and Wendy dig into what it looks like to truly put kids first in a diverse, Title I community, co-author policy with students, embrace AI, and create real pathways to opportunity for all 13,000 “D2 kids”.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How Wendy’s path from a family of five generations of educators to South Central LA shaped her passion for equity and Title I schools.
- What it means to lead a “kids first” culture where the default question is, “What did students say about it?”
- How D2 moved from being seen as a “last choice” district to having some of the strongest staff retention and culture in the state.
- Why student voice is built into governance, including student board reps and students as co-authors of district policy.
- How D2 passed a $180 million bond and a mill levy override in a Title I community and used it to create pride, curb appeal, CTE spaces, and redesigned learning environments.
- What D2’s first-dollar free college model looks like and why it is a game changer for students who need to work while in school.
- How Wendy and her team are embracing AI, removing seat-time barriers, and expanding internships to make learning more relevant and future-ready.
- Leadership lessons on “owning your ugly,” building trust, and advocating at city, state, and national levels for more equitable systems.
Key Moments
07:27 Transforming D2’s Culture and Reputation
09:39 Building a Kids-First Culture
10:51 Student Voice at the Governance Table
11:44 Leading Through Presence and Connection
15:18 We Own Our Ugly
18:21 Passing a $180M Bond in a Title I Community
30:05 Embracing AI, Not Restricting It
31:40 Practical AI for Teaching and Learning
34:10 Rethinking Seat Time and Accountability
36:15 A Long-Term Vision Beyond Politics
40:39 Elevating Educators as Experts
Connect with Guest
Website: https://www.hsd2.org/
Connect with Us
Host’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidan-mcdowell
Website: https://uniqlearn.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uniqlearn
If this episode sparked new thinking, please follow, rate, and review Beyond the Syllabus on your favorite podcast platform. It helps us grow and bring more authentic conversations with education leaders your way.