Leading a Liberated District for Transformative Change

Leading a Liberated District for Transformative Change creates a superintendent community of practice centered around research-based approaches that support school district leaders and schools to embrace and implement equity-centered leadership.

The two-and-a-half-day experience invites superintendents to explore common challenges and design solutions for their districts. The institute starts with an informal gathering to meet and greet fellow superintendents from across the state. Then, a panel of diverse superintendents from across the state will share reflections on the journey they have taken to create and sustain impactful, equity-centered practices across their district.

In the following two days, superintendents attend practice-based workshops with opportunities to reflect on practice, share and develop solutions, and apply learning to their context. The workshops focus on:

  • Liberatory Systemic Leadership: Build a clear vision to publicly lead and communicate for systemic equity by liberating schools to support deeper learning and culturally sustaining instructional practices
  • Liberatory Inclusive Practices: Implement and evaluate safe, healthy, and empowering school environments
  • Liberatory Learning Practices: Draw on family and community assets to support student-centered learning
  • Liberatory Data Systems: Develop and use tools to measure progress toward more equitable schools

This innovative institute is led by UW–Madison Educational Leadership Policy Analysis (ELPA) faculty, with workshops facilitated by Superintendent Carlton Jenkins (MMSD), Rich Halverson, Barbara Sramek, Madeline Hafner, and Ashley White.

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The workshops will be grounded in five mindsets from the National Equity Project’s Liberatory Design Framework:

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Our goal is to create a state-wide network of district-level leaders to share experiences and design innovations. Join Superintendent colleagues and UW–Madison Education faculty to focus on leading for a transformational change!

Faculty Planning Committee

Madeline Hafner

Position title: Executive Director, MSAN Consortium

Richard Halverson

Position title: Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis

Carlton Jenkins

Position title: Superintendent of Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD)

Yorel Lashley

Position title: Director of Programs

Richard McGregory

Position title: Chief of Staff at Madison Metropolitan School District

Tina Salzman

Position title: Clinical Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, UW–Madison

Barbara Sramek

Position title: Clinical Professor, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis