Disruption isn’t the point—what we build after it is what matters. On this episode of Tomorrow’s Principal, we’re sharing a live recording from SXSW EDU 2026, where we take on the overloaded buzzword and reframe it: not as chaos, but as a chance to redesign the principalship.

Hosts Gene Pinkard and Dr. Nancy Gutiérrez are joined by special guests Erika Hurtado-Valentino, Principal of Northwell School of Health Sciences in New York City Public Schools, and Dr. Alex Marrero, Superintendent of Denver Public Schools, to discuss practical approaches to school leadership in times of transition, how to balance innovation and stability, and why clarity and coherence are essential to long-term change.

About the guests:

Erika Hurtado-Valentino is an educational leader with 20+ years of improving student achievement in New York City Public Schools. Now in her 12th year as a principal, she's led two high schools with CTE programs in Pre-Engineering and Culinary Arts, increasing graduation rates by 24%. She secured grants that expanded student access to college credits and internships. A doctoral candidate at St. John’s University, she holds degrees from Columbia University, Adelphi University, and Stony Brook University. She serves on CUNY City Tech’s Hospitality Management Advisory Board. As Founding Principal of the Northwell School of Health Sciences, she leads a Bloomberg-backed model preparing students for healthcare careers through early college, certification, and hands-on experience.

Dr. Alex Marrero is Superintendent of Denver Public Schools, leading Colorado’s largest district of 85,000 students. The son of a Cuban refugee and a Dominican immigrant, he is committed to expanding access, opportunity, and success for all learners. He previously served as Assistant Superintendent in New Rochelle and held leadership roles in East Ramapo and NYC Public Schools. In Denver, he's helped the district achieve its highest-ever graduation rates, increased wages for staff, opened six community hubs, and supported school improvement. A former ALAS National Administrator of the Year, 2024 Superintendent of the Year (DALI & CALAS), and a "Superintendent to Watch" (NSPRA 2022, K–12 Dive 2023) he serves as President of ALAS and advises national education and policy councils.

About the hosts:

Nancy B. Gutiérrez, Ed.L.D. is President & Lead Executive Officer of The Leadership Academy, a nonprofit that helps education leaders transform systems and unleash the power and potential of every child. The nationally recognized organization has strengthened more than 15,700 K–12 education leaders, transformed over 450 school systems, and accelerated learning for 11.9 million students and counting. Nancy holds a Doctor of Education Leadership from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and is also a graduate of San José State University, UC Davis, and the University of California, Santa Cruz. She’s a faculty member at Columbia University’s Teachers College Summer Principals Academy and a former NYU adjunct professor and Harvard Principals’ Center expert guest.

Gene Pinkard is President of Instruction Partners, a national K–12 education nonprofit that strengthens instructional leadership in schools. He manages the organization’s research and development, partnership programs, and staff support and professional growth. He was previously Director of K–12 Leadership at The Aspen Institute Education & Society Program, leading a team that supported superintendents, chief academic officers, and other leaders in deepening their learning and refining improvement strategies. Earlier, he was Chief of School Design & Continuous Improvement at DC Public Schools. He also previously served as a principal supervisor and principal. He started his career in education as a teacher in rural South Africa. He has degrees from Georgetown University & Trinity University.

To learn more about the Leadership Academy, head to https://www.leadershipacademy.org/. 

To learn more about Instruction Partners, check out https://instructionpartners.org/.

Are Principals Ready to Lead Through Challenging Times? Education leaders are facing unprecedented challenges in today's complex political and social landscape.  On this episode of Tomorrow’s Principal, we’re sharing a live recording from SXSW EDU, where we consider how to lead through political turmoil. 

In this episode of Tomorrow’s Principal, Gene Pinkard, Nancy Gutiérrez, Ed.L.D.,  Heather Harding, Ed.D., and Yetunde Reeves, Ed.D., explore how school principals can navigate difficult moments while maintaining their core mission of supporting students. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Principals must balance technical expertise with emotional intelligence
• Building strong community relationships is crucial for school leadership
• Empathy and understanding multiple perspectives are essential skills
• Supporting student and staff wellness goes beyond academic performance
• Principals need robust support systems to manage ongoing challenges

Reflect on your leadership approach. How can you create more supportive, empathetic spaces in your school that prioritize both academic and emotional learning? Seek out mentorship, join professional networks, and continue developing your skills as an adaptive, compassionate leader. 

ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Gene Pinkard recently transitioned from his role as Director at the Aspen Education & Society Program, and now serves as President of Instruction Partners, managing the internal operations and service delivery of a national nonprofit with a mission to strengthen instructional leadership in schools, school systems, and states to ensure teachers have the support they need to improve outcomes for students—with attention to students of color, students experiencing poverty, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities. Gene’s career has focused on creating better opportunities for students and educators to thrive.

Nancy B. Gutiérrez, Ed.L.D. is President & Lead Executive Officer of The Leadership Academy, a nonprofit that helps education leaders transform systems and unleash the power and potential of every child. The nationally recognized organization has supported educators across 41 states & more than 430 school districts, state education departments, and education organizations.

Heather Harding, Ed.D., is a servant leader who believes deeply in the power of public education, values developing people to their highest potential, and prioritizes telling a data-informed story to inform policy and practice. She is currently an Executive in Residence at Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC) where she works to change the national narrative to center the needs of children and collaborates with the organization’s leadership on special projects that ensure young people of color have access to high-quality education that enables them to become critical thinkers.

Yetunde Reeves, Ed.D., has served as a transformational school leader since 2005 and is currently the Principal of Paul Laurence Dunbar HS in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2024, she was named the National Association of Secondary School Principals' Maryland Principal of the Year. 

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

To learn more about Tomorrow’s Principal or the Aspen Insitute, head to aspeninstitute.org/education 

The role of the principal has consistently evolved to keep up with the outside world, and now is no different. With the rise in AI, educators are finding themselves in a unique position to take a deeper look at how this new technology impacts marginalized communities, the use of leaders’ time, and opens the door to creating space for innovation in schools. On this episode of Tomorrow’s Principal, we’re sharing a live recording from SXSW, where we consider the question, can AI be your principal?

In this episode of Tomorrow’s Principal, Gene Pinkard, Nancy Gutiérrez, Ed.L.D., Eva Mejia, Ed.L.D., and Kevin Polston discuss AI at the intersection of our school systems and our different perspectives on the opportunities and risks AI presents. Some of the talking points we go over in this conversation include:

• AI has potential to optimize logistics and free up the principal’s time, but the focus should still remain on unique human connection and relationship building.
• With any new technology, schools must consider diverse perspectives and communities’ needs to avoid exacerbating existing inequalities. 
• Time is the most previous commodity when it comes to innovation and if AI can free up time, we have more room to find areas for creativity and experimentation.
• Questions to ask yourself to further the thought process of how AI interacts in the school system. 

As our tools, resources, and role as a principal evolve, it remains at the highest importance to keep our focus on the core function of schools, ensuring we are always providing quality education and growth opportunities to our students. 

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

To learn more about Tomorrow’s Principal or the Aspen Insitute, head to aspeninstitute.org/education 

Sharing your own narrative can be a powerful and courageous tool you can use as a principal to encourage and discover cultural awareness in your own school. Marco Ibarra and David Baiz join us to discuss the power of self-identity as a tool for cultural awareness. That’s why this episode of Tomorrow’s Principal Podcast is about how a healthy sense of self can lead to a culturally responsive environment in your own school system! 

In this episode of Tomorrow’s Principal Podcast, Marco and David are sharing the importance of your personal narrative and actionable steps you can take right now to have a healthy sense of self. Some of the talking points Marco, David and I go over in this episode include:

• How Marco, who was brought to the United States illegally at the young age of 5 years old, has utilized his Dreamer story to help him both identify and come to clarity around issues of race and injustice, ultimately leading him to this point of leadership in his school system.
• How David, a son of two military parents, utilized his own narrative to dive deeper with both staff and students to better understand his school environments and staff, and what tools he utilizes to measure that success. 
• The key components of the Equity Leadership Dispositions, and what you can start implementing right after you listen to this podcast episode to create a better culturally responsive environment. 
• How the murder of George Floyd fueled Marco and his network to really define antiracism and what that should and should not look like in his own school. 

This episode will give you the courage to look deeper at your own narrative and discover what lies in your past that can help you become Tomorrow’s Principal.

Thank you for listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

To learn more about Tomorrow’s Principal or the Aspen Institute, head to aspeninstitute.org/education 

It’s one thing to have the credentials and go through the pipeline to become a principal but what does it really take to become one? Many of the traits we learn that make us great principals come from the experiences we gain during our leadership. This week on Tomorrow’s Principal we are sharing a live recording from SXSW that we affectionately called, “Is Anyone Ready for This?”

In this episode of Tomorrow’s Principal, we’re joined by Veronica Torres and Marco Ibarra at the SXSW Festival who get to the bottom of what it means to be ready to take on the role of principal and ultimately uncover what acting principals know to be true, you’re not ready until you actually become one. Veronica and Marco also share their insight on:

• The things Veronica and Marco learned about leadership through their experiences that they couldn't have been taught prior. 
• The importance of flexibility and adaptability in our ever-changing environment. 
• Stepping beyond your title and integrating yourself into the community you serve. 
• How our environmental landscape has shifted our leadership priorities. 
• Creating sustainable work even when you’re working against the grain.
• The importance of taking care of yourself and taking pride in yourself as a leader. 

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

To learn more about Tomorrow’s Principal or the Aspen Insitute, head to aspeninstitute.org/education 

LINKS MENTIONED:

Leading Within Systems of Inequity in Education by Mary Rice-Boothe

Maurice joins us as the interim Chief Educational Officer of Chicago Public Schools and is a national leader in how systems holistically support principals to make the role more sustainable. That’s why episode 02 of Tomorrow’s Principal Podcast is about being culturally responsive as a school leader! 

In this episode of Tomorrow’s Principal Podcast, Maurice Swinney is sharing the importance of culture responsibility and actionable steps you can take right now to self-reflect and make choices from a culturally responsive space. 

Some of the talking points Dr. Swinney and I go over in this episode include:

• How to show up as a culturally responsive school leader through vulnerability and empathy, as well as understanding towards others. 
• How to create the space for vulnerability in leadership through turning the mirror inward and switching up the conversations. 
• The CPS Equity Framework, what the four dimensions labeled the Equity Lens, and just how vital each of the four components are for solving the equity issue.
• Where leaders need license to lead from a culturally responsive place, and how districts can help the leaders achieve those movements needed. 
• Strategies other leaders in the school system can take on to both support and implement change for principals and school cultures.

It’s so important to look at the whole ecosystem when looking for change and reflecting on our own responsiveness to culture and difference. When you allow for vulnerability, it starts to change the entire culture and allows for others to be vulnerable and feel comfortable being vulnerable. Thank you for listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Dr. Meisha Ross Porter, chancellor of NYC public schools, and Nancy Gutierrez are doing profound work in how kids learn nationwide. Something we all resonate within this episode is the incredible teachers that placed both positive and negative expectations on us as children, walking into the classroom each year, and how that shaped each of our behaviors that year in that classroom. That’s why episode 01 of Tomorrow’s Principal Podcast is about understanding and reflecting on your own student story. 

In this episode of Tomorrow’s Principal Podcast, Nancy and Meisha are sharing the importance of your own past story and actionable steps you can take right now to unlearn through self-reflection to know where you are driving disruption to construction. 

Some of the talking points Nancy, Meisha, and I go over in this episode include:

• With about 53% of the student population in this country, and over 70% in NYC, being student’s of color, there is a beautifully growing diverse population. Nancy brings up the call to action as school leaders that this diversity calls for in culturally responsive leadership.
• The biggest piece missing from the big conversation in this country around curriculum; there’s no one that doesn’t want to be in, or have their child in a classroom, where they don’t see themselves. Children want to be seen and Meisha explains how to do that.
• Three lists every school leader should make to better understand what’s missing from their educational community.
• The difference between the leader you aspire to be, and the leader your community needs you to be, and how to tell the difference.

It is so important to understand where you’ve come from as a person, as a leader, and as a past student, so when you are a leader looking to implement systemic change and culture responsiveness, you can see what to break down and what to construct. So be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on culturally responsive leadership in the educational space and to hear even more about the points outlined above.

Thank you for listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Welcome to this episode of Tomorrow’s Principal. I'm your host, Gene Pinkard. And I’m the Director of Practice with the Aspen Education & Society Program. In this limited series, you’ll hear national education leaders discuss how to understand and redefine the role of the principal as one that’s both doable and durable, meaning we’re talking about creating the role such that it doesn’t always require superhuman stamina, and it’s a role built for the long journey to sustained achievement and racial equity. 

One of our partners throughout the series is the Leadership Academy--an organization that’s already building durability and doability into principal support and preparation. We’ll be drawing attention to barriers that keep principals from becoming leaders for achievement and equity. 

We will also dig into what systems are doing to eliminate those barriers, and put their energy into the aspirations of their communities, and build on the research foundations of excellent school leadership. Paying attention to what we expect of principals and normalizing speaking about racial equity within the school system is a big part of that. 

Thank you for listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

To learn more about Tomorrow’s Principal or the Aspen Insitute, head to aspeninstitute.org/education 

Tomorrow’s Principal is hosted by Gene Pinkard, the Director of Practice with Aspen Education. This podcast explores how our conception of the principal’s job is putting the brakes on student achievement, and how that role needs to change if schools are going to be places where all kids can thrive. It will also discuss what the new role of the principal looks like, what this means for school systems and training programs, as all of these leaders strive for racial equity in their communities. It will also introduce a new understanding of what it means to lead racial equity work in schools.