AASA Names School Districts to Help Transform America’s Education System

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
James Minichello
703-774-6953 (cell)
jminichello@aasa.org

Participating School Districts are Committed to AASA’s Learning 2025 Initiative

Alexandria, Va. – August 24, 2021 – In a bold effort toward a holistic redesign of our nation’s schools, more than 60 school systems across the country have joined AASA’s Learning 2025 Network of Demonstration Systems, which is a collaborative network of districts to help advance student-centered, equity-focused, future-driven education, AASA, The School Superintendents Association, announced today.

The “demonstration systems” represent a collection of forward-leaning urban, suburban and rural districts serving as national models to help guide and reposition partner districts efficiently by sharing successful practices and successes, as well as challenges.

“Our goal is to galvanize and synergize thought leaders from all sectors to emerge from the pandemic in better shape than they were before,” said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA. “This initiative will ensure that educators are empowered and equipped to meet whole learners’ needs by personalizing and customizing instruction involving students in designing their own learning and coordinating resources to support ALL children’s overall growth and well-being.”

The AASA Learning 2025: National Commission on Student-Centered, Equity-Focused, Future-Driven Education recommended essential principles for school system redesign. The recommendations, which include the creation of demonstration districts, are found in the commission’s report, An American Imperative: A New Vision of Public Schools.

“This report contains a blueprint to empower school districts to design their plans and meet the specific needs of their learners, educators and communities,” said Kristi Wilson, 2020-21 president of AASA; superintendent, Buckeye Elementary School District, Buckeye, Ariz.; and one of the 27 Learning 2025 Commissioners. “Every district that commits to becoming a demonstration system will receive a personalized consultation and become part of a community of learners who help each other as ‘critical friends’ focused on student learning.”

• Receive senior consulting services, personalized engagement and strategic planning support for their district.
• Create a customized action plan tailored to meet the needs of their district.
• Gain a customized dashboard to track their district's progress and provide real data to community stakeholders.
• Take part in professional learning opportunities, including a complimentary registration to one of AASA's Leadership Network cohorts.
• Contribute to national research, practice and policy.
• Network, collaborate and learn with school systems that are committed to supporting the whole learner, ensuring anti-marginalization and adopting future-driven practices.
• Move their district forward with research-based recommendations to provide all learners with a bright future.

“This work will be guided by thought leaders from business and industry who are ahead of the curve in terms of implementing innovative strategies and solutions that align to key components of Learning 2025 recommendations,” said Malbert Smith III, CEO, president and co-founder, MetaMetrics; creator of the Lexile and Quantile Frameworks; and Learning 2025 Commissioner. “The team will assist in identifying assessments that could be used to inform and bolster the district’s ability to achieve its priorities and goals for maximizing student achievement.”

Learning 2025 participating districts include:

Buckeye Elementary School District #33
Buckeye, Ariz.
Superintendent: Kristi Wilson

San Ramon Valley Unified School District
Danville, Calif.
Superintendent: John Malloy

Val Verde Unified School District
Perris, Calif.
Superintendent: Michael McCormick

Griswold Public Schools
Griswold, Conn.
Superintendent: Sean McKenna

Clayton County Public Schools
Jonesboro, Ga. 
Superintendent: Morcease Beasley

Douglas County School System
Douglasville, Ga.
Superintendent: Trent North

Muscogee County School District
Columbus, Ga.
Superintendent: David Lewis

Newton County Schools
Covington, Ga.
Superintendent: Samantha Fuhrey

Wilder School District 133
Wilder, Idaho
Superintendent: Jeff Dillon

Bannockburn School District 106
Bannockburn, Ill.
Superintendent: Scott Herrmann

Glen Ellyn School District 41
Glen Ellyn, Ill.
Superintendent: Melissa Kaczkowski

Harvard Community Unit School District 50
Harvard, Ill.
Superintendent: Corey Tafoya

High School District 214
Arlington Heights, Ill.
Superintendent: David Schuler

Lake Bluff Elementary School District 65
Lake Bluff, Ill.
Superintendent: Lisa Leali

Maine Township High School District 207
Park Ridge, Ill.
Superintendent: Ken Wallace

Naperville Community Unit School District 203
Naperville, Ill.
Superintendent: Daniel Bridges

North Shore School District 112
Highland Park, Ill.
Superintendent: Michael Lubelfeld

Prairie-Hills Elementary School District 144
Markham, Ill.
Superintendent: Kimako Patterson

Crown Point Community School Corporation
Crown Point, Ind.
Superintendent: Todd Terrill

East Washington School Corporation
Pekin, Ind.
Superintendent: Dennis Stockdale

Linton-Stockton School Corporation
Linton, Ind.
Superintendent: Kathy Goad

Washington Township Schools
Indianapolis, Ind.
Superintendent: Nikki Woodson

College Community School District
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Superintendent: Douglas Wheeler

Little Falls Township Public Schools
Little Falls, N.J.
Superintendent: Tracey Marinelli

Ocean City School District
Ocean City, N.J.
Superintendent: Kathleen Taylor

Surry County Schools
Dobson, N.C.
Superintendent: Travis Reeves

Union County Public Schools
Monroe, N.C.
Chief Academic Officer: Brad Breedlove

Arlington Central School District
LaGrangeville, N.Y.
Superintendent: David Moyer

Colton-Pierrepont Central School
Colton, N.Y.
Superintendent: Jim Nee

Coxsackie-Athens Central School District
Coxsackie, N.Y.
Superintendent: Randall Squier

Heuvelton Central School District
Heuvelton, N.Y.
Superintendent: Jesse Coburn

Questar III BOCES
Castleton, N.Y.
Superintendent: Gladys Cruz

Bensalem Township School District
Bensalem, Pa.
Superintendent: Samuel Lee

Big Beaver Falls Area School District
Beaver Falls, Pa.
Superintendent: Donna Nugent

Brownsville Area School District
Brownsville, Pa.
Superintendent: Keith Hartbauer

California Area School District
Coal Center, Pa.
Superintendent: Laura Jacob

Chartiers Valley School District
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Superintendent: Johannah Vanatta

Cornell School District
Coraopolis, Pa.
Superintendent: Aaron Thomas

Duquesne City School District
Duquesne, Pa.
Superintendent: Sue Mariani

Ephrata Area School District
Ephrata, Pa.
Superintendent: Brian Troop

Franklin Regional School District
Murrysville, Pa.
Superintendent: Gennaro Piraino

Greater Latrobe School District
Latrobe, Pa.
Superintendent: Georgia Teppert

Hampton Township School District
Allison Park, Pa.
Superintendent: Michael Loughead

Keystone Central School District
Mill Hall, Pa.
Superintendent: Jacquelyn Martin

Keystone Oaks School District
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Superintendent: William Stropkaj

Seneca Valley School District
Harmony, Pa.
Superintendent: Tracy Vitale

New Brighton Area School District
New Brighton, Pa.
Superintendent: Joseph Guarino

New Hope-Solebury School District
New Hope, Pa.
Superintendent: Charles Lentz

Northgate School District
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Superintendent: Caroline Johns

Purchase Line School District
Commodore, Pa.
Superintendent: Shawn Ford

Shaler Area School District
Glenshaw, Pa.
Superintendent: Sean Aiken

South Allegheny School District
McKeesport, Pa.
Superintendent: Lisa Duval

West Allegheny School District
Imperial, Pa.
Superintendent: Jerri Lynn Lippert

Karnes City Independent School District
Karnes City, Texas
Superintendent: Hector Madrigal

Richardson Independent School District
Richardson, Texas
Superintendent: Jeannie Stone

Chesterfield County Public Schools
Chesterfield, Va.
Superintendent: Mervin Daugherty

Rockingham County Public School District
Harrisonburg, Va.
Superintendent: Oskar Scheikl

Elma School District 68
Elma, Wash.
Superintendent: Christopher Nesmith

Washougal School District 112-6
Washougal, Wash.
Superintendent: Mary Templeton

West Valley School District #208
Yakima, Wash.
Acting Superintendent: Peter Finch

Braxton County School District
Sutton, W.Va.
Superintendent: Kathy Hypes

Taylor County Schools
Grafton, W.Va.
Superintendent: Christine Miller

To access An American Imperative: A New Vision of Public Schools, visit the AASA website. For additional information about the report or the Learning 2025: A National Commission on Student-Centered, Equity-Focused, Future-Driven Education, contact Mort Sherman, AASA associate executive director, Leadership Network, at msherman@aasa.org, or Valerie Truesdale, AASA assistant executive director, at vtruesdale@aasa.org.

To join the conversation via Twitter, please access #Learning2025.  

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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.