AASA and AVID Partner to Launch National Instructional Leader Academy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Initiative to bolster school district leadership skills through the lens of
instruction, culture and systems.

Alexandria, Va. and San Diego, Calif. – Aug. 5, 2021 –AASA, The School Superintendents Association, and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) have partnered to launch the National Instructional Leader Academy, a timely opportunity for district instructional leaders to refresh and challenge their skills and capabilities, while building successful communities of practice to grow as impactful educators.
 
The academy offers educational system leaders who lead instruction, assessment and/or technology a community of thought leader practitioners with whom to learn and grow, enhance professional learning and build collective impact.

“Innovative and forward-thinking education leaders are acutely aware that returning to the past is not an option for our schools in a post-pandemic world, which is why am I excited to work with Dr. Sandy Husk and her outstanding team,” said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA. “For years, AVID has put together bold initiatives that have benefitted 7,500 schools, 85,000 educators and more than 2 million students on an annual basis. They provide the passion and the fuel to help close the opportunity gap, which is an essential component of this new program. Together with AVID, AASA looks forward to building a powerful network of instructional leaders.”

“As school districts are working to meet the ever-changing needs of students in a digital age, partnering with AASA is a natural fit with our mission to bring the unique opportunity of balancing new learning from leading during COVID-19 with proven practices and strategies,” said Sandy Husk, chief executive officer, AVID. “As we strengthen quality and equity in our current programs, we are certain this new initiative will provide pathways for district leaders to collaborate collegially and allow innovation to thrive.”

Objectives of the program include:

• Develop and engage in professional learning communities focused on the essential role of district instructional leadership in supporting equitable opportunities for all students.
• Examine each leader’s current district goals, practices and instructional systems through the lens of Leadership, Culture, Instruction and Systems in a consultancy protocol.
• Implement processes to support district-level culture, provide leadership, guide instruction, and align and integrate systems which will ensure student outcomes of college and career readiness for all students.
• Leaders will be empowered to address change, troubleshoot challenges and barriers, and identify the drivers they need to explicitly plan and lay a foundation for the conditions that will support equitable opportunities for all students.

The Academy will meet both face-to-face and virtually. The first institute—Leading Student-Centered, Equity-Focused Culture—takes place January 27-29, 2022, in San Diego, Calif. The application deadline is December 15, 2021. Successful completion of the program will provide leaders with valuable, targeted professional learning to turn possibilities into probabilities for all students.

For more information, visit the AASA website. Please contact Valerie Truesdale at vtruesdale@aasa.org or Denise Wren at dwren@avid.org with any questions regarding the National Instructional Leader Academy.
 
About AASA
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.

About AVID
AVID is a nonprofit organization that changes lives by helping schools shift to a more equitable, student-centered approach. To close the opportunity gap, AVID trains 85,000 educators annually so they can prepare all students for college, career, and life. More than 7,500 schools rely on AVID to transform the lives of more than 2 million students each year. To learn more, visit www.AVID.org.

Media Contacts: 
James Minichello 
AASA
703-774-6953 (cell) 
jminichello@aasa.org

Lynn Kepp
AVID
408-781-0909 (cell)
lkepp@avid.org