Leading Educators

What do we know about what works for students—and what do we still need to learn?

That question has grounded the trajectory of our newest leader, Bailey Cato Czupryk, who joins Leading Educators as Chief Research and Design Officer.

Bailey will lead an ambitious learning and design strategy focused on what students need to thrive now and beyond 2030. She’ll work across portfolios to connect what we’re learning from evidence and alongside school systems to what we build next—testing promising ideas, strengthening our literacy and mathematics work, and helping determine which emerging services are ready to scale.

Bailey brings deep experience to the work from the classroom and across the landscape. She most recently served as Chief Program Officer at Gradient Learning and previously held leadership roles for nearly 15 years at TNTP, where she was the lead author of The Opportunity Myth.

As the conditions surrounding teaching and learning change, we believe we have a responsibility to build from what the field knows while learning, with equal discipline, what students and educators will need next. We’re thrilled to have Bailey leading that work.

🔗 Meet Bailey and learn more: https://hubs.la/Q04sJWcw0

“Curriculum changes aren’t going to revolutionize learning on their own,” says Dr. Shelbi Cole. “The real leverage is in helping teachers implement great materials well—creating systems that make that possible.”

Read more about what modernizing math requires:

Take 5: Modernizing Math Instruction for A Changing World Dr. Shelbi Cole reflects on opportunities to modernize math so students are prepared to thrive in a changing world.

When a leader constructing a system-wide AI policy and a teacher experimenting with a new classroom tool work from the same framework, something shifts.

They're no longer operating on separate tracks. They are asking the same core questions about what matters, what students deserve, and where they are headed next.

The Value Add of Technology frameworks were built to establish that connective tissue. Classrooms stay grounded in strong instruction. Leadership decisions reinforce—not contradict—what happens in classrooms. Systems build the capacity to adopt, adapt, or abandon technology with clarity, rooted in what is most important for learning.

Explore the tools today: https://hubs.la/Q04pRLbP0

Much recent conversation about technology in education has centered on how artificial intelligence is influencing the classroom.

But there's another vital layer that also demands attention: how districts and school networks consider new technology across governance, operations, talent, and infrastructure.

That’s why we are excited to share the Value-Add of Technology for Leadership (VATL) framework, designed to help leaders protect and progress learning, amplify human work, and strengthen future readiness in an era of rapid change.

🔗 Get your free copy today: https://hubs.la/Q04pB_tg0

Are you an elementary rural principal looking for support, fresh ideas, and a community of leaders who understand the unique realities of improving literacy in rural schools?

Applications for Leading Educators’ fully-funded Rural Literacy Leaders Fellowship have been extended until July 10!

Participants receive:
✔️ Individualized coaching
✔️ Practical implementation support
✔️ Collaboration with other rural leaders
✔️ Dedicated time to tackle real instructional challenges

Know a rural principal who would be a great fit? Tag them below or share our post. Learn more, and apply today: https://hubs.la/Q04l5TPr0

As school systems navigate a time of rapid change, how we support future-ready improvement in teaching and learning must evolve, too.

We’re excited to share that Karolyn Belcher has been named President of Leading Educators.

This new role reflects an important step forward for our organization. As our work grows in scale and complexity, we’re strengthening how we deliver—so we can support school systems to continuously improve while building for what comes next.

Karolyn will lead ex*****on across our programs, growth strategy, and operations, helping ensure our partnerships are coherent, aligned, and built for lasting impact. She shared this perspective on stepping into the role:

“What inspires me most about this role is the opportunity to deepen our partnerships with school systems at a time when the work feels both more complex and more important than ever. I believe deeply in the power of educators—and in the importance of building systems that support them consistently and coherently. I’m excited to continue working alongside our partners to strengthen teaching, support leaders, and expand what is possible for every student.”

Read more: https://hubs.la/Q04bC_tm0

We’re grateful for Karolyn’s leadership and excited about what this next chapter makes possible—for our partners, educators, and students.

Today, we’re excited to share the second edition of the Value Add of Technology on Teaching framework, updated and upgraded for the age of AI.

Educators and leaders face new questions as artificial intelligence influences classrooms:

⚡How might technology add real value to teaching and learning?
⚡When might it unintentionally disrupt deep thinking or quietly introduce new risks?

The new Value Add of Technology on Teaching is designed to help teams find clarity and focus, centering what has always mattered about excellent instruction: human work and collaborative learning.

It offers a practical lens for understanding how technology can deepen thinking, strengthen instructional quality, and preserve professional judgment.

Don’t wait to get your copy! →
https://hubs.la/Q045_wFJ0

Science is where math and literacy come to life—and where students learn how to shape the world ahead.

When students investigate real-world phenomena, read complex texts, analyze data, test ideas, and communicate evidence, they are not just learning science content. They are practicing how to reason, question, and solve problems in unfamiliar situations.

⚡ Solona Hollis reflects on what must be true of science education to make this vision possible everywhere:

What Do Students Need from Science Instruction? - Leading Educators Science instruction is in need of a real-world makeover. Learn how phenomena-based lessons can support every scientific thinking.