Perhaps the most notable hire occurred at North Carolina’s Durham Public Schools, which has hired Anthony S. Lewis as its next leader. Lewis has served as superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools in Kansas since 2018 and was appointed to the Kansas African American Affairs Commission in 2019.

He was previously an administrator in Missouri’s Kansas City Public Schools. “I’m in this work to improve outcomes for all students,” Lewis said on Durham Public Schools’ website.

DA’s Top 100 Education Influencers list is live!

Another superintendent on the move is Indiana’s Tara Paul, who will take the helm at the Indianola Community School District after serving as the Estherville Lincoln Central Community School District superintendent. Paul was formerly the curriculum director, ESL coordinator and equity coordinator for Columbus Community Schools.

Denton ISD in Texas has promoted Acting Superintendent Susannah Holbert O’Bara to the full-time position.  O’Bara, a district graduate, previously served as Denton ISD’s deputy superintendent and a principal. In New York, James Lupini, a longtime administrator in Depew Central Schools, has been named superintendent of the Newfane Central School District.

And in Connecticut, Suffield Public Schools has chosen as its next superintendent, Matthew H. Dunbar, who is currently an assistant superintendent in Glastonbury Public Schools.

More new superintendent hiring: 

• Brian Becher, Ayersville Local Schools (Ohio)
• Stephen Bournés, School City of East Chicago (Indiana)
• Frances Esparza, Coachella Valley Unified School District (California)
• David Foster, Cattaraugus-Little Valley Central School District (New York)
• Bill Long, Center Grove Community School Corporation (Indiana)

Superintendent turnover: Departures

• Brian Dunn has resigned from the Pine Bush Central School District (New York).
• David Foster has resigned from the Wellsville Central School District (New York).
• Charles Foust’s contract was terminated by the New Hanover County Schools Board of Education (North Carolina).
• Superintendent Silvia Ibarra will retire from Valley View ISD (Texas) later this summer.
• Monty Sabin has resigned from the Moses Lake School District (Washington).
• Susan Yom and the Nyack Public Schools (New York) have mutually agreed to separate.

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The turnaround began with Henson’s hiring in May 2020. “Let’s get rid of the jargon and the lingo, and let’s have a laser focus on children’s minds and the culture and most importantly, on the hearts of the educators who serve our children every single day,” Henson says in describing his leadership philosophy at the outset of his superintendence.

“If you have the will to win, if you are tenacious, my philosophy is we will change the trajectory of students’ lives,” Henson adds.

Henson has since helped lift Marlin ISD’s failing state accountability grade to a B-plus, recoding more academic growth than any other district in Texas, he says. Henson describes the key components of academic transformation:

1. Quality of instruction: “We had to make sure we were arming teachers with the academic and social tools to be successful.”

2. “Student achievement mindset”: “Children have to achieve in whatever they’re doing, whether it’s academically, athletically, fine arts—you all are winners. If you’re going to represent Marlin ISD, you have to achieve and compete at the highest level.”

3. Culture and pride: “It has to tug at your heart to say ‘I am from Marlin, Texas’—knowing that the media hadn’t been friendly to our district for decades, didn’t matter.”

4. Excellence is the only option. “It came down to realizing that we were going to be great in all that we do. And we committed … that we were going to provide academic and life skills to ensure every child’s potential turns into performance.”

‘School improvement is not rocket science’

Students are more likely to make progress when they can see they are making progress, Henson attests. That’s why Marlin ISD students regularly take short tests throughout the year to demonstrate their learning—to their teachers and to themselves.

“Sometimes in education, we wait too long to allow our children to know that they are getting and grasping the concepts,” says Henson, who has recently named Texas’ Region 12 Superintendent of the Year. “Hope is not a strategy. I believe that being consistent over time and being persistent in achieving will begin to build that level of confidence.”

“Our children have to need to know early on that they are brilliant, that they were smart.”

It also reflects a shift from focusing on letter grades to students’ mastery of concepts as administrators ensure teachers have the resources they need—and then the renewed energy—to serve students. “I believe school improvement is not rocket science,” he notes. “Our students, our teachers, our administrative team have the will to win—we’re going to win every single day.”

This winning culture has to be created deliberately by every adult in the district in the pursuit of what Henson calls “realistic perfection.”

“Random acts of improvement will get us nowhere,” Henson concludes. “If we can go higher, I want to go higher. I don’t want silver academically, I want gold academically.”

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Spotsylvania County Public Schools in Virginia announced longtime administrator Clint M. Mitchell as its new superintendent. Mitchell, who has been superintendent of Colonial Beach Public Schools since 2021, has nearly 20 years of leadership experience in Virginia school systems, including stints as a principal in Fairfax County Public Schools and Prince William County Public Schools.

Among the superintendents moving to new districts is Ohio’s Jack Fisher, who has been chosen to lead Northeastern Local Schools after serving in the same role at the Lynchburg-Clay Local School District. In California, Santa Rosa City School District has picked its next leader, Daisy Morales, who is currently the Live Oak Elementary School District’s superintendent.

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Former superintendents returning to the lead role include Christopher Irving, who is taking the helm at the East Orange School District in New Jersey after having previously led Teaneck Public Schools, according to NorthJersey.com. In the same state, former Hillsborough Township Public Schools superintendent Lisa Antunes is taking over at the Little Egg Harbor School District, TAPInto reports.

And in Texas, Grand Prairie ISD has named former Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD superintendent Jorge L. Arredondo its next leader.

This week’s first-time superintendents include Lisa Lawson, who was picked to lead Delaware’s Brandywine School District, where she has served as deputy and assistant superintendent. She was previously an administrator in the Christina School District, also in Delaware. In New York, Andrew P. Kufel was promoted to superintendent of the Lancaster Central School District, where he has worked since 2011.

One district that’s planning ahead is Ohio’s Hamilton City Schools. With Superintendent Mike Holbrook planning to retire at the end of 2024-2025, the district this week tapped Associate Superintendent Andrea Blevins to replace him.

More new hires

• Lizsette Jimenez, San Lucas Union School District (California)
• Jason Longbrake, Fostoria City Schools (Ohio)

Superintendent turnover: Departures

• Michael Bashaw Jr. is retiring from the Thousand Islands Central School District (New York)
• Jared Caylor has resigned from the Corning Union High School District (California)
• Reva Cosby has resigned from Trotwood-Madison City Schools (Ohio)
• Christopher Leone resigned from the Regional School District 20 (Connecticut)

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Thomas Taylor, currently the superintendent of Stafford County Public Schools in Virginia, was named the next superintendent of his alma mater, Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. Taylor, a district administrator for 12 years and an educator for 25, has served as superintendent in Middlesex County (Va.) and deputy superintendent in Chesterfield County (Va.).

Atlanta Public Schools also tapped a former superintendent, Bryan Johnson, as its next leader. Johnson, currently executive vice chancellor and chief strategy officer at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, was formerly the superintendent of Hamilton County Schools (Tenn.) from 2017 to 2021 and chief academic officer of the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System.

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Another superintendent on the move is Ryan S. Saxe, who is taking the helm of West Virginia’s Berkeley County Schools after leading Cabell County Schools since 2017. Cabell County Schools has already selected Saxe’s replacement: Tim Hardesty, superintendent of the Mason County School District (W.Va.).

First-timers stepping into the superintendency include Michelle Thomson at the Forest Park Schools in Michigan and Jesus “Jesse” Chavarria, who has been promoted from assistant superintendent for administrative services to superintendent at the Anaheim Elementary School District in California.

Kentucky’s Jackson County Public Schools has hired Renee Smith as its next superintendent. Smith has been an administrator at Clay County Public Schools for the past 12 years.

In Texas, Houston ISD administrator Joseph Villarreal has been named superintendent of Santa Maria ISD while in Ohio, Zachary Weagley has been picked to lead the Keystone Local School District. Weagley is currently assistant superintendent of teaching, learning and leadership for the Willoughby Eastlake City Schools.

More new hires

• Nick Angel, Grass Lake Community Schools (Michigan)
• Rex Booth, Trigg County Public Schools (Kentucky)
• Melissa Carruth, Clarenceville School District (Michigan)
• Natalie McCracken, Norwin School District (Pennsylvania)
• Jose Reyes, Alexander City Schools (Alabama)
• Denise Rugani, Liberty Union High School District (California)
• Jimmy Wright, Wells ISD (Texas)

Superintendent turnover: Departures

Among the most notable departures is Jamie Wilson, who is retiring after 12 years as superintendent of Denton ISD in Texas. In New York, Superintendent Daniel D. Bowles will retire in August after leading the North Syracuse Central School District since 2019. Elsewhere:

• Jaime Cole is resigning from Peru Community Schools (Indiana).
• Thurston Lamb resigned as superintendent of Henderson ISD (Texas).
• Superintendent Carol G. Perez has reached a separation agreement with the Mission Consolidated Independent School District (Texas).
• Superintendent Cosimo Tangorra will retire in March from the New Hartford Central School District (New York).

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Marion County Public Schools’ Artificial Intelligence Magnet Program will enroll its first students in the 2024-25 school year and “connect emerging and existing technology into core classes and electives” that lead to industry certifications, explains Gullett, who has led the North Florida district since 2020.

“Since a core component of our strategic plan also focuses on entrepreneurship, this could lead to additional ways students can launch into using artificial intelligence in the future as we increase efficiency and outcomes in the marketplace,” says Gullet of the program that is powered by a partnership with the University of Florida.

Superintendent turnover: 3 big districts make important changes

District Administration recently interviewed Gullett about the unique aspects of leading a district with a wide range of magnet programs that span all grade levels. Here’s what she had to say.

1. Let’s start with an overview of your district’s programs. Just how many magnet schools do you operate?

“Marion County Public Schools offers a variety of magnet programs that provide a broad range of choices for students who want to learn more about specific careers or specialized academic areas.

Since the 2020-2021 school year, we added eight new programs, including the first districtwide early learning academy focused on literacy and music to prepare our youngest learners for a strong academic future. Students at Fordham Early Learning Academy can engage as 3-year-old learners, and families are encouraged to attend a unique Stepping Stone collaborative experience that covers birth to 3–year–olds. The Fordham Early Learning Academy partners with the Marion County Hospital District to offer support in food and nutrition.

All high schools have at least one academic program, such as Cambridge or International Baccalaureate, and they also have at least one career magnet program, such as engineering or manufacturing. Additionally, five middle schools and seven elementary schools offer magnet programs. These magnet programs provide learning opportunities in STEAM, visual and performing arts, aviation, equine and artificial intelligence.

In the upcoming year, we are excited to offer our first dual language program in the district at Saddlewood Elementary. Three middle school programs offer academic magnet programs as well.”

2. What’s unique about leading a district that prioritizes magnet programs?

“Our vision in Marion County Public Schools is “Helping Every Student Succeed.” Providing choice and access to high-quality learning ensures that every student is afforded the pathway to a bright future.

Magnet programs play a vital role in offering unique experiences and options for students. Providing specialized, rigorous curriculum and high-interest topics helps students explore careers and academic pathways that students may not have realized without a specific magnet program. These options ensure that regardless of a student’s background, they can thrive in a challenging and innovative environment. Magnet programs truly elevate choice and access for every student.”

3. How does the district “market” its magnets – in other words, how do you and your team make families and students aware of the programs and get them excited to participate?

“Marion County Public Schools utilizes several different marketing strategies. However, the largest outreach occurs in the late fall and early winter. In late fall, we host a Magnet Program Expo for families and community members. This expo is an opportunity for all schools that offer magnet programs to gather in one location. The schools showcase their magnet programs and successes at this expo event with many hands-on activities.

Families and community members who attend the expo can visit all schools and hear about their magnet programs. Families can talk with school staff about the coursework and hear from students who attend the magnet programs. This is a great way for families to learn about magnet school options.

Shortly after this expo and through early winter, schools host Magnet School Showcases where families can visit the school, meet school staff, explore the magnet programs in more detail and hear about other opportunities each school offers.”

4. How do magnet programs promote student success and what outcomes are you measuring?

“Students in academic, high school magnet programs can earn college credit or special diplomas recognized by colleges and universities. The magnet programs also promote success for students who want to enter the workforce after high school. Many magnet programs offer industry certifications that help students land careers right out of high school.

We currently measure high school graduation rates, program completion and industry certifications; however, we are developing a system to identify students and track even more data such as attendance, proficiency and learning gains.

One specific way we have engaged deeply with the community for student success is by launching the first-of-its-kind, state-approved curriculum for our equine magnet at North Marion High School. As the “Horse Capital of the World,” this was an area I immediately recognized as a need coming to this community. We have a huge demand for the workforce and this program now provides a pathway to local and state collegiate programs. It has been well supported by the many generous equine partners who support the magnet program at the high school and engage with all of our schools, beginning in the elementary schools to provide hands-on learning on what this future can look like for our students.”

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Yvonne Stokes is taking the helm at the Gary Community School Corporation in Indiana after having previously served as superintendent of Hamilton Southeastern Schools and assistant superintendent of the School Town of Munster.

“The school board, district staff, families, community and state leaders are dedicated to eliminating the effects of structural and systemic inequities that negatively impact students,” Stokes said on the district’s Facebook page. “These efforts resonate with me because I am passionate about breaking down barriers and creating access and opportunity for all our students to be successful.”

Torie Gibson will lead the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District in California after serving as dual superintendent for the Amador County Office of Education and Amador County USD. Gibson has spent nine years as a superintendent. In New York, Superintendent Richard DeMallie is moving to the Fonda-Fultonville Central School District from the Fort Edward Union Free School District.

Randi Anderson, an educational consultant who has been superintendent in rural school districts in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, and Shawano, Wisconsin, was named the next superintendent of The School District of Sevastopol in Wisconsin.

First-time superintendents

Dorchester County Public Schools in Maryland promoted Interim Superintendent Jymil Thompson to the full-time position. Thompson was previously Dorchester’s assistant superintendent. In the same state, Mary Boswell-McComas, currently a principal in Baltimore County, was appointed the next superintendent of Kent County Public Schools.

Lawrence County Schools in Kentucky has promoted its chief academic officer and a member of its class of 1989, Katie Webb, to become its next superintendent. Webb also worked as an administrator in Paintsville Independent Schools. Ohio’s South-Western City School District has tapped Worthington City Schools Assistant Superintendent Randy Banks as its next leader. Banks spent 13 years as a Worthington administrator after serving as a middle school principal in the South-Western City School District.

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Two Michigan districts hired first-time leaders. East Jordan Public Schools has picked Enos M. Bacon III, a principal in a nearby district, and Onsted Community Schools has tapped Jonathan Royce, also a principal in another district.

Back east, Pennsylvania’s Millersburg Area Board of School District has picked its next superintendent, Lee Christine Bzdil, a former special education teacher and administrator. The Bolivar-Richburg Central School District in New York promoted the principal of its high school/middle school, Jeffrey Margeson, to superintendent.

More new hires

• Bryan Allen, Clyde CISD (Texas)
• Angelo “Frankie” Alvarado, Douglas County School District (Nevada)
• Kristine Martin, Washington Local Schools (Ohio)
• Kelly McClain, Litchfield CUSD #12 (Illinois)
• Vito J. Perrone, Hampshire Regional School District (Massachusetts)
• Patrick Sánchez, Live Oak School District (California)
• Julianna Stocking, Merced City School District (California)
• Anthony Stretar, Black River Local Schools (Ohio)
• Rick West, Bloomfield Hills Schools (Michigan)

Superintendent turnover: Departures

• Vilicia Cade has resigned as CEO and superintendent of the Capital School District (Delaware).
• April Childers will retire from Rabun County Schools (Georgia) on Sept. 30.
• Michael Daniels is retiring from the Canon-McMillan School District (Pennsylvania) after holding the position for 13 years.
• Kim Kellison has resigned as superintendent of the Winston-Dillard School District (Oregon) to become interim superintendent of the Silver Falls School District.
• Heather Luznak was fired as superintendent of New Lothrop Area Public Schools (Michigan), WJRT ABC 12 reported.

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Keith Posley resigned as superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools after having led the district since 2018. Posley stepped down just days after state and federal officials expressed concerns about delayed financial reporting, according to multiple news reports. A district regional superintendent, Eduardo Galvan, was immediately named interim leader.

On the hiring front, Kimberlee Armstrong was named superintendent of Portland Public Schools in Oregon. Armstrong is currently deputy superintendent of Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver, Washington. Armstrong previously served as chief academic officer in Portland and as an administrator in Santa Rosa City Schools and the Tamalpais Union High School District in California.

Springfield Public Schools in Massachusetts has picked former employee Sonia Dinnall as its first female superintendent. Dinnall—a lifelong resident of the city and graduate of the district—is now chief of family and community engagement for the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership and previously served as a principal in Springfield Public Schools and an administrator in Hartford Public Schools in Connecticut.

Also in Oregon, the Tigard-Tualatin School District chose its next superintendent, Iton-Etok O Udosenata, now a deputy superintendent with the Salem-Keizer School District. In Ohio, the Stow-Munroe Falls City School District appointed Felisha Gould as its next superintendent. Gould is currently an assistant superintendent at Cleveland Heights-University Heights City Schools.

The North Shore School District 112 in Illinois has picked its first Latina superintendent, Monica Schroeder, who has worked for the Chicago-area school system for nearly two decades. Ava Tasker-Mitchell, formerly an administrator in Prince George’s County Public Schools, has been chosen to lead Somerset County Public Schools in the same state.

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In New York’s Greece Central School District, no sooner did longtime Superintendent Kathleen Graupman announce she would resign on Jan. 1 than the district looked within to hire her replacement, Deputy Superintendent Jeremy Smalline, who has been with the district since 2005. And in Ohio’s Portsmouth City School District has hired its next leader, Matthew McCorkle, a longtime administrator and former superintendent of Washington Court House City Schools.

More new hires

• Jason Bing, South Orange & Maplewood School District (New Jersey)
• Tracy Curley, Fall River Public Schools (Massachusetts)
• William F. Dupere, Bedford County Schools (Virginia)
• Michelle Helie, Chattooga County School District (Georgia)
• Amy Irwin, Barren County Schools (Kentucky)
• Joseph Monastero, Cold Spring Harbor Central School District (New York)
• Timothy Mitzel, Littlestown Area School District (Pennsylvania)
• Michael Podraza, South Kingstown School District (Rhode Island)
• James Rook, East Palestine City Schools (Ohio)
• Scott Salow, Addison Community Schools (Michigan)
• Karri Schiavone, Holley Central School District (New York)
• Misty Slavic, Auburn Enlarged City School District (New York)
• Kim Spacek, West Bonner School District (Idaho)

Superintendent turnover: Departures

The following superintendents are leaving their districts:

• The East Stroudsburg Area School District (Pennsylvania) is parting ways with Superintendent William Riker, the Pocono Record reported.
• Superintendent Anna Shepherd has announced her retirement from Floyd County Schools (Kentucky)
• Superintendent Tom Wilson is retiring from the Watson Chapel School District (Arkansas)

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Home to more than 20,000 students, the Palm Springs Unified School District rests on the western side of the valley. More than 90% of its students come from underrepresented and socioeconomically disadvantaged families. However, it’s a district whose student body actively engages and collaborates with its leadership as they take advantage of the many leadership opportunities given to them, one of which is the ability to serve as a board member.

In April, the district announced it’d be paying its five student board members a stipend of nearly $300 a month for attending meetings. The idea was first brought up by board member Sergio Espericueta after the adoption of a new state law, Assembly Bill 275, which amended California’s education code.

“I was right there with him,” says Superintendent Tony Signoret. “This was a brilliant idea.”

The amendment allows school districts to award compensation and/or course credit to its student board members. Signoret says the students, who are selected through an election process by their peers, can comment on anything that’s on the board agenda, though they only have preferential voting rights.

“They can comment on any topic on the agenda other than anything that’s personnel, legal or confidential-related,” he explains. “That’s the only aspect where they don’t participate.”

Elevating voices

Each student board member is part of its Associated Student Body (ASB), a leadership group that represents and advocates for their peers. To ensure their decisions accurately reflect the needs of their student body, the board requires its student members to provide reports.

“Every session where there’s a student board member, they provide a report on what’s going on on their campus,” says Signoret. “They’ve also evolved into representing the feeder schools. The students have broadened their reports to include middle schools and elementaries that feed into their high schools.”

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Oftentimes, the student board members’ ASB teams will be present at the board meeting as well to listen to their reports.

“It helps enlighten them in the process, too,” says Signoret.

Bringing students to the table isn’t just important for impactful decision-making, but it teaches students civic engagement and leadership at an early age.

“Our goal is to not only educate those kids who are student board members, but the student body as a whole that their voices can be heard, they can make a difference,” he says. “We encourage them to continue to be active in their communities moving forward. I think that is so important for our society as a whole.”

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Plenty of sitting and former superintendents have landed new jobs in recent weeks. Danielle Cook, the former superintendent of Randolph Academy Union Free School District, was picked as the new leader of the Frewsburg Central School District in New York. “The rural community circles around its school to ensure every student has a sense of belonging,” Cook said of her new role.

Also in New York, Tammy Mangus has been chosen to lead the Cassadaga Valley Central School District after having previously been the superintendent of the Monticello Central School District. Kent DeKoninck, who served eight years as the superintendent of Greenwood Community Schools and was Indiana’s 2021 Superintendent of the Year, now leads Southwest Allen County Schools.

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Teri Staloch, who led Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools from 2015 to 2022 and is currently an educational consultant, has been named superintendent of Robbinsdale Area Schools in Minnesota. In Southern California, Superintendent Jason Johnson is moving from the Hermosa Beach City School District to lead the El Segundo Unified School District. Johnson also spent several years at Redondo Beach USD and taught middle school special education at Los Angeles USD.

Richard Lyons has come out of retirement to serve as superintendent of RSU #89 in Maine, the Bangor Daily News reported. He previously led districts in Fort Kent and Vinalhaven. Superintendent David Raleigh is leaving LaRue County Schools in Kentucky to take the helm at the Jamestown School Department in Rhode Island, The Independent reported. The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District in New Jersey has hired Superintendent Ronnie Tarchichi away from the  Pennsauken School District, according to NorthJersey.com.

A few districts also hired first-time superintendents. Walled Lake Consolidated Schools in Michigan has promoted Michael Lonze, its deputy superintendent, to the top spot. He was previously an administrator and teacher with Fraser Public Schools, Birmingham Public Schools and Oak Park Schools.

Haslett Public Schools in Michigan has selected its next superintendent, Patrick Malley, who is currently the chief academic officer for Bay City Public Schools. And in North Carolina, Bill Griffin, the assistant superintendent of human resources in Caldwell County Schools, has been hired as superintendent of Alexander County Schools.

More new hires

• David Banks, Morgan County Schools (West Virginia)
• Edd Bond, Templeton USD (California)
• Lindsey Brown, Delphi Community School Corporation (Indiana)
• Toron Wooldridge, Toppenish School District (Washington)

Superintendent turnover: Departures

The following superintendents recently announced plans to step down or have been terminated:

• Maria Chavez was terminated by Mercedes ISD (Texas).
• Sonny Cruse has resigned from Graham ISD (Texas), effective in December.
• Cambridge Public Schools (Massachusetts) has voted in favor of Superintendent Victoria Greer‘s resignation.
• Superintendent April Hershey will resign from the Warwick School District (Pennsylvania) after 15 years of leadership.
• Jeffrey Thake has resigned from the Aberdeen School District (Washington).
• Darrell Yater has left his post as superintendent of the Northwest Local School District (Ohio) to become executive director of human resources at Little Miami Local Schools, WLWT.com reported.

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You can also find the same video recorded in other languages including Spanish, a language he’s not fluent in.

Almendarez and his executive cabinet have been engaging in AI-centered conversations for about a year-and-a-half now, he says, with the goal of learning how the technology can be leveraged in various administrative areas. “The communications department looked into it and stumbled across this translation platform [HeyGen] and that’s when they started to experiment and explore,” he explains.

All it took was recording his message in English, uploading it into the platform and “voilà, the Spanish video was created,” he says.

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As traditional AI etiquette would require, the translated videos included a disclaimer crediting AI for production. Almendarez says they were very well-received by his community.

“We did get some comments in Spanish from our Spanish population,” he says citing engagement from his targeted audience.

Using AI beyond communications

Aside from targeted outreach, SAUSD has some exciting projects in the works, says Almendarez. The district is developing an AI virtual assistant to answer families’ questions about their child’s education.

Meet Sofia, a “learning, evolving gateway to vital information for parents, staff, and community members,” Almendarez wrote on social media showcasing the technology.

In this video, you can watch the district’s Chief Communications Officer Fermin Leal interacting with Sofia, giving folks an idea of its capabilities:

“As we develop and train the model, we’ll eventually put it public-facing on our web page for community members to access,” says Almendarez.

Advice for on-the-fence leaders

A recent EAB survey revealed that only 37% of superintendents say their district has a plan for incorporating AI instruction in their classrooms. The technology is still in its infancy, although its functionalities allow educators to leverage it for enhanced learning and leadership. Almendarez invites other leaders to experiment with AI and get a feel for its use in their roles.

“They should start by having a conversation about learning more about the platforms and how they can be used,” he says.

When ChatGPT was first released in November 2022, Almendarez brought the tool to his meetings with cabinet, classified directors and principals to share its value and potential. One of the most important stakeholders in this conversation, however, are parents. “We’ve done a few parent trainings,” he explains. “The reason is to give parents the resources to help their kids with homework.”

This month, the district also published its first draft of its AI guidelines, which serve as a roadmap for students and community members to thrive and feel supported in an “AI-augmented world,” the document reads. The guidelines include information on upholding academic integrity, transparency, AI in the curriculum and other key focus areas.

“As technology continues to advance, particularly with the increasing intelligence capabilities of machines, our guidance on AI integration is designed to be forward-thinking,” the guidance reads. “It is adaptable to future technological changes, ensuring that it remains relevant and effective in fostering a balanced and ethical learning environment.”

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