Can AI and Fearless Leadership Save Our Schools? | Dr. Lisa Herring (New Leaders) | Trending in Ed

Описание: K-12 education is facing a "perma-crisis". Between massive teacher shortages, the sudden explosion of generative AI, and the lingering effects of a global pandemic, school leadership has never been more difficult—or more essential.
In this episode of Trending in Education, Mike Palmer sits down with Dr. Lisa Herring, CEO of New Leaders and former Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, to discuss how we must reimagine the role of the principal for the year 2026 and beyond. Dr. Herring draws on her experience leading through the "invisible culture" of 2020 to explain why the old-school model of "books, butts, and buses" is dead.

We dive deep into:
The Leadership Pipeline: Why hiring and training strong principals is the most important job of a superintendent.
AI & Upskilling: How AI is already writing IEPs and why every leader needs a "technology upskill" to stay relevant.
FIRE (Fearless Innovation Reimagined Education): A roadmap for moving past the fear of change and focusing on student wellness and global competitiveness.
The Future of Schooling: Is it time to ditch standardized testing and the traditional report card in favor of mastery-based learning?.
Dr. Herring also shares her "hot takes" on the four-day school week and the evolving voice of parents in the K-12 ecosystem. If you are an educator, administrator, or parent interested in the future of learning, this conversation is a must-watch.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction to K-12 Leadership Transformation 01:03 - Dr. Lisa Herring’s Journey: From Teacher to CEO 03:52 - What is New Leaders? Mission & Impact 06:17 - Solving the Teacher and Leadership Shortage 08:50 - Moving Beyond "Books, Butts, and Buses" 10:48 - Leading Atlanta Public Schools through the Pandemic 17:11 - Education as Workforce Development 22:24 - AI’s Impact on Literacy, Numeracy, and Admin Tasks 26:47 - Flipping the Classroom and Mastery-Based Learning 28:38 - Hot Takes: Standardized Testing & 4-Day School Weeks 30:37 - Embracing FIRE: Fearless Innovation

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