Leading with Vision and Purpose

EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE

Your job as educators and district leaders never has been more important or more critical for the future of our democracy. Superintendents need to transcend the day-to-day work and lead their districts and communities forward to the future.

The current challenges of chronic absenteeism, uncertainties of funding with the fiscal cliff causing districts to cut back, and the polarization and politics driving many educational policy decisions call for us to rise above the noise. Focus on the educational practices that will have the biggest impact on our students and staff. And knowing our incredible colleagues across the country, we will do just that.

The increasing interconnectedness of our global society offers a remarkable opportunity for educators and school system leaders nationwide. We must prepare our students to thrive in a world where they can innovate and collaborate across borders.

Students will leverage technology, such as the rapid advances in artificial intelligence, to prepare for futures we can’t yet imagine. However, this requires more than just access to technology. It demands a clear vision of what learning can and should be for the upcoming year and the decades ahead.

Pushing Boundaries

Imagine classrooms where the curriculum is not confined to textbooks but is enriched by real-world challenges and opportunities for students to engage in career-connected learning. Or picture schools where students are not passive recipients of information but active participants in their learning journey, co-creating with their peers and teachers.

Here’s the great news: We don’t have to rely on our imagination. We only have to look as far as Ephrata Area School District in Pennsylvania, an AASA Learning 2025 Lighthouse System under the future-driven leadership of Brian Troop. There, students are the co-pilots of their learning journey, and at every grade level they engage in yearlong Cornerstone Projects that prioritize life and career-ready skills through problem solving on real-world tasks with relevant community partners.

Or you can consider the more than 200 education, business and philanthropy leaders from across the nation and the globe who I, along with 75 other AASA Learning 2025 members, had the privilege of joining earlier this spring in Pittsburgh at Remake Learning and the Grable Foundation’s “Forge Futures: A National Summit on Community-Wide Learning.”

Over the course of three days, visionary leaders from three sectors capable of transforming community and education landscapes put our heads together to begin envisioning what public education could look like in the context of our communities.

I can’t help but feel amazingly optimistic about the future of public education — and public education leadership — when I see so much evidence of our peers stepping up to push the boundaries of traditional education and create spaces where curiosity, innovation and creativity flourish.

This commitment to transformation is underpinned by a strong sense of purpose. Purpose in leadership means understanding that our ultimate goal is not just academic excellence but also the cultivation of responsible, empathetic citizens who can change not only their own lives, but the world, for the better. This purpose-driven approach requires us to ask fundamental questions: What kind of world do we want our students to inherit? How can we equip them with the skills, mindsets and values to contribute meaningfully to society?

To ensure our work is relevant and impactful, we must align our educational practices with these larger goals. It won’t — and shouldn’t — be easy, but innovation is the driver of progress, and failure is a step toward mastery. I encourage students, staff and leaders to fail forward, push the envelope and always adjust if things do not go as planned.

The state of the superintendency has never been more challenging. It means wearing many hats, including chief cheerleader of public education, chief economic officer, chief communications officer, chief education officer and chief community officer. If we are to lead on all these fronts with vision and purpose, there’s no finish line and that’s a good thing.

Robust Resources

We must all commit to being lifelong learners. This involves staying current with the latest research in teaching and learning, actively seeking professional development opportunities and reflecting on our own practices.

AASA is the premier organization for superintendent professional development with many resources, programs and events offered at no charge or discounted rates. I encourage you to take advantage of our support as you strive to pursue future-driven goals. My entire team and I are here to help you stay informed, inspired and well-equipped to lead your schools and districts toward a brighter future.

As we begin this new school year, let’s embrace this responsibility with creativity, insight and an unwavering commitment to our goals. Our students — and our world — deserve nothing less. Be well, my colleagues and friends!

David Schuler is AASA executive director. Twitter: @AASA_ED