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Where Strategy, Innovation, and Equity Meet— Explore the Ideas Shaping Tomorrow’s School Leaders.

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The “Both / And” of AI in Education
The “Both / And” of AI in Education

Dan Meyer, who is something of an AI Cassandra, has consistently said that students want to learn with and from people who show those students that their thinking matters. AI cannot show a student that their thinking matters. AI can only simulate that kind of feedback.

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The EU AI Act Is Here: What Schools Must Do Now
The EU AI Act Is Here: What Schools Must Do Now

While the White House's new AI Executive Order is making headlines, school leaders in the EU need to pay close attention to what's already in motion: the EU AI Act. Adopted in June 2024 and now entering into force, this landmark legislation formally recognizes schools as deployers of AI systems under Article 29—and that comes with real responsibility. 

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The Coming AI Tsunami
The Coming AI Tsunami

Have you been struggling to keep up with the constant updates, upgrades, and announcements about AI? Had you sort of checked out, because it had all become too much? There is a tsunami coming. Last week, the White House issued an Executive Order which articulates a significant federal commitment to AI literacy and education in the American K12 system.

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Empowering Educators: 5 Must-Have AI Tools for Teachers in 2025
Empowering Educators: 5 Must-Have AI Tools for Teachers in 2025

For teachers, gen AI presents a unique opportunity to personalize learning, get efficient and automate tasks, and enhance student thinking and engagement.  Over the past year and a half, MSA has fervently championed the power of AI in education.

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On DeepSeek and an Educational Red Flag
On DeepSeek and an Educational Red Flag

Whether it is DeepSeek “extinguishing” facts or ChatGPT providing sycophantic replies or any LLM providing the most likely (ie, “average”) response to a query, educators must develop strong AI literacy.

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What’s More Addictive Than Tik Tok?
What’s More Addictive Than Tik Tok?

“Some frequent users of AI companion apps say safety concerns are overblown. They argue the apps are an immersive upgrade to the online experimentation young people have done for decades — from fan fiction on Tumblr to anonymous encounters in AOL chatrooms.”

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AI Advice for The 84%
AI Advice for The 84%

According to innovation diffusion theory, 16% of any population will consist of “innovators” and “early adopters,” two psychographics that leap in feet first when they have access to an innovation.

But what about resources for the other 84%? …

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Summer reading: ai in education
Summer reading: ai in education

Given how quickly the AI landscape changes, it might seem counterintuitive to invest time in reading books on the subject. Yet a handful of books will reward your attention.

And at least one book on AI in education is not worth bothering with.

As you head into the summer with more time to read, I hope you’ll find these recommendations useful…

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LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

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Lessons in Change Leadership from Ren Parikh
Lessons in Change Leadership from Ren Parikh

Some leaders impress you with their intelligence. They seem to have mastered every angle of their work.

Other leaders impress you with their emotional intelligence. They make sure people feel seen and known and cared for.

And then there is a leader like Ren Parikh, the founder of Ideal Institute of Technology (“Ideal”). He’s more like a force of nature…

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The Three Currencies of Leadership
The Three Currencies of Leadership

My recent conversation with Adam Bryant has me thinking about leading change in schools. Three particular things stand out from that chat:

Focus on “impact” rather than “intent.” Adam pointed out that if we over-index on purpose and mission (“intent”), we may lose sight of the reason to lead: to create positive impact.

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From Principals to Principles
From Principals to Principles

We know that teachers can expect feedback on their craft substantially less than 1% of the time. Yet to foster genuine growth and development, merely increasing touch points is necessary, but insufficient.

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From Uneven Levels of Agreement to Tools of Cooperation
From Uneven Levels of Agreement to Tools of Cooperation

This is precisely the moment that school leaders need to lean on what Michael Horn calls “tools of cooperation” in From Reopen to Reinvent. It’s not enough to have a powerful vision. It’s not enough even to know how you can get to that vision. As Horn says—and as I can confirm from experience earned the hard way—“Once a school leader has clarity around what they want to change, they still need to convince other individuals who will play a role in the change.”

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SCHOOL CHANGE + TRANSFORMATION

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What Can Schools Learn From a Fashion Show?
What Can Schools Learn From a Fashion Show?

Whatever this blog post’s title summons to mind for you, it is probably not the fashion show that I recently experienced at Pillar High School (NJ), a Middle States accredited school. But this fashion show reminded me of what the best schools do.

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Notes From The Field
Notes From The Field

As a professional peer reviewer, you will see the entire system of a school in just three days. That is because Middle States standards and indicators map to every aspect of school operations—from daily classroom practices to long-term planning to foundational documents.

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How, When and Where Does Change Happen In Schools?
How, When and Where Does Change Happen In Schools?

At Middle States, we worried that attitudes of compliance or credentialism would result in schools “integrating” AI into what they are already doing.

That’s why RAIL is not just an accreditation-style endorsement, but also an implementation framework. It relies on the wisdom of Stewart Brand’s “pace layering” model, which reflects how complex, adaptive systems change (or resist change) over time…

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Seton Hall Prep Helps Students Cope with Anxiety
Seton Hall Prep Helps Students Cope with Anxiety

At Seton Hall Preparatory School in West Orange, N.J., school leaders are working to address student mental health and using data to measure the impact of their programs.

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ACCREDITATION STORIES

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Notes From The Field
Notes From The Field

As a professional peer reviewer, you will see the entire system of a school in just three days. That is because Middle States standards and indicators map to every aspect of school operations—from daily classroom practices to long-term planning to foundational documents.

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Notes From The Field
Notes From The Field

No other form of professional learning can enable you—in 3 short days!—to “see the system” of a school, and certainly not while embedding you in real time. It’s like high intensity cross-training. You may come to the team with experience in teaching and learning, but you’ll also learn about governance, finance, facilities, and other foundational elements of running a school. I wish I had participated on more visiting teams before I had become a Head of School the first time—nothing would have been better preparation.

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TEACHER GROWTH + DEVELOPMENT

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How To: Professional Development for Skeptics
How To: Professional Development for Skeptics

If you’re a classroom teacher, you might not look forward to professional development days– and I can’t blame you. But I can try to convince you that PD can be more than just a necessary fact of life—it can be powerful, effective, and good for you and your students.

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It’s Time for a Professional Development Evolution
It’s Time for a Professional Development Evolution

What makes for a great learning experience? It’s actually simple: When learners apply the knowledge they’ve gained to real-world situations that genuinely matter to them.

That is why teachers should have the opportunity to participate in project-based professional development.

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Strengthening Teacher Growth and Development Programs at Fordham Preparatory School
Strengthening Teacher Growth and Development Programs at Fordham Preparatory School

Reading detailed feedback is rewarding, but things get more interesting when we debrief peer visits. Having read all 24 pieces of feedback, the visited teacher leads the debrief, rather than being put under the microscope by their visitors. This allows them to ask clarifying and probing questions aligned with their growth priorities. We visitors act as teammates, helping the visited teacher to level up.

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From Zero Sum to Positive Sum
From Zero Sum to Positive Sum

To be clear, shifting from a zero-sum to a positive-sum model of school won’t be easy. As one of my former colleagues likes to say, “Teachers cannot create an experience for students that those teachers themselves have not had.” So if we want to initiate a shift in our schools from a zero-sum to a positive-sum worldview, we should begin by inviting teachers into new professional learning and growth experiences.

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