Veteran School System Leader Ann Levett Joins AASA

AASA, The School Superintendents Association, is pleased to announce that M. Ann Levett, whose professional career in public education spans more than four decades, has joined the organization as assistant executive director, Leadership Network.

Formerly the superintendent of Georgia’s Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS), a position she held since 2017, Levett will lead and manage several AASA Leadership Network programs and serve as a key resource for association education and leadership development. The professional learning arm of AASA and the largest assembly of superintendents in America, the Leadership Network drives superintendent success, innovation and growth while shaping the future of public education and preparing students for what lies ahead.

Other areas of focus Levett will oversee include all aspects of the AASA Learning 2025 initiative, the Leadership Academy for Black Educators, the AASA Mental Health Cohort and school and district safety initiatives.

“I am so excited that Ann Levett, an ambassador for teaching and learning excellence, and one of America’s foremost thought leaders in public education, is joining the AASA team,” said David R. Schuler, executive director, AASA. “What she has done for this organization, public education and, in particular, the students and staff of Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, is nothing short of immeasurable. Superintendent Levett will be a tremendous asset as she works to expand the learning and growing opportunities for district leaders across the country.”

I am so excited that Ann Levett, an ambassador for teaching and learning excellence, and one of America’s foremost thought leaders in public education, is joining the AASA team. David R. Schuler

Levett is a member of AASA’s Learning 2025 Commission, which is comprised of superintendents and business and non-profit leaders. Launched in January 2021, the commission’s chief objective is to safely prepare all students for a workplace and society of the future.

“This is groundbreaking work and an honor and privilege to be a part of it,” said Levett. “The commission is an illustration of strong, bold action that is research-based and future-driven. This work captures the expertise of our students and the fundamental knowledge they bring to the table that is often ignored in the traditional approach to educating learners.”

Last year, at the inaugural AASA Learning 2025 National Summit, where more than 900 superintendents and their teams convened in Washington, D.C, Levett held a session on the critical area of community partnerships and the vital roles they play in serving district staff, students and families.

“Public education is in a position to make dramatic changes in terms of how we do our work,” said Levett at the summit. “Learning 2025 invites us to look at specific core areas and make decisions about how we can gather enough support at every level to make the changes necessary for our students to be prepared for the next chapter in their lives.”

Click here to view the photo gallery from the 2022 AASA Learning 2025 National Summit.

In addition, Levett served on AASA’s executive committee in 2020-21. “I am so proud to join AASA, an organization that provides a national platform for superintendents, district leaders and other administrators to routinely come together to express concerns, find solutions and make connections, and share the good news about what is happening in their local communities,” she said. “When you are in this job, it is so easy to feel isolated. With AASA, the resources are plentiful. It has always been helpful for me to have that support.”

I am so proud to join AASA, an organization that provides a national platform for superintendents, district leaders and other administrators to routinely come together to express concerns, find solutions and make connections, and share the good news about what is happening in their local communities. Ann Levett

A native of Savannah and a proud product of the local school system, Levett served as chief academic officer for SCCPSS from 2013 to 2017 where she also worked as deputy superintendent of schools before being selected as superintendent.

Throughout her career, Levett served as principal investigator of grants/projects valued at more than $35 million, coordinated school university partnerships across the U.S. and its territories, and led school reform efforts in several European cities. She returned to the Savannah area in 2013 after serving as dean of teacher education at Middle Georgia State College. Levett has also consulted on significant community development projects in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands and several major U.S. cities.

Savannah-Chatham County Schools Hosts AASA Cohort Meetings

Under Levett’s leadership, SCCPSS hosted the 2023 AASA Social and Emotional Learning Cohort spring meeting, a gathering that brought superintendents and other administrators from across the country to Savannah to learn about the district’s comprehensive work on supporting its students and families with extensive wraparound services.

Participants engaged in meaningful dialogue with their peers about how to systemically integrate social, emotional and academic skills on behalf of the students they serve. Click to view the photo gallery and video from that meeting.

In January 2020, SCCPSS hosted the AASA Youth Apprenticeship Summit, where attendees shared best practices and key strategies about the critical role youth apprenticeships play in preparing students for success in career and life. Click here to view the photo gallery.

Learn more about M. Ann Levett here.