Rethink Possible

Transitioning from Building to District Leadership

In this podcast, Dr. Chris Belmont, the assistant superintendent for Burnsville, Eagan, Savage Schools, discusses his transition from being a building leader to a district leader. He talks about the importance of building trust, being open to new ideas, and communicating effectively as cornerstones of successful leadership. Dr. Belmont also shares the challenges he faced in this transition, such as the shift in decision-making, responsibility, and time demands. He also discusses how to stay centered on the various aspects of district leadership and the importance of building up future leaders.

Episode 31: Operationalizing Elementary Principal Leadership

In this episode, Bob talks with Dr. Tyrone Brookins, the assistant superintendent of South Washington County Schools. They discuss how the creation of a TOSA Dean position at the elementary level is way to attempt better support and create an administrative pipeline. Dr. Brookins shares how this role was created through repurposing 11 positions and creates the opportunity for principals to better focus on new math and social studies standards, manage changing demographics in schools, and improve student proficiency on state tests. The goal is for all principals to have a clear framework for instructional leadership and for the district to see increased student learning.

Supporting Principals as Instructional Leaders

In this episode, Bob has a conversation with Dr. Alison Gillespie, assistant superintendent in White Bear Lake Area Schools about principals’ need for instructional leadership and how she led the development of White Bear Lake Schools plan to support them. She discusses the importance of creating a collaborative space for principals to learn from each other and using a new evaluation tool to provide a common language for instructional leadership. She also mentions the role of a principal coach in facilitating the process and how they track progress through individual check-ins for principal evaluation and development. Finally, she discusses the challenges and goals of driving professional development leadership capacity for principals.

AI in K-12 Schools

Bob sits down with Assistant Superintendent Nate Swenson of Edina Public Schools for a conversation around the implementation of AI from an inquiry-based approach in schools. Nate discusses the implementation team starting from the position of declaring that AI is a powerful tool and put together a one page for staff to discuss roles, responsibilities, and ethical use of AI. As the main driver for the work, the team is representative of the district and includes people who are skeptical about AI. They conducted empathy interviews and surveys to better understand how people were feeling. For training, they are focusing on integrating AI in the classroom and making work more efficient. They have a communications plan in place to keep the community informed. The key to success is having the right people at the table, including representatives from all stakeholder groups, bringing leadership along, and keeping the school board informed and supportive. The district plans to create an AI implementation team and develop an AI use plan.

Policy Development and Implementation in School Districts

In this episode, Bob connects with Dr. Nick Lightfoot, assistant superintendent at Hopkins School District, who discusses his experience with policy development and monitoring for school districts. He shares examples of how policies are created and communicated with the community, and discusses the role of state statute, collective bargaining agreements, and school board governance in shaping policies. He also shares examples of internal and external challenges with policies as well as where to begin, resources to use, and mechanisms for tracking, monitoring, and updating policies and procedures.