About the Innovative Districts Empowering All Learners (IDEAL) Cohort

AASA’s
Innovative Districts Empowering All Learners (IDEAL) Cohort works
collaboratively to research, inspire, empower, and amplify educators’ work to
create student-centered, future leaning, equity focused education.
The
IDEAL Cohort seeks to provide a deeper understanding of what learners need to
create the most dynamic learning environment possible. Members of the IDEAL
Cohort work to realize a new vision for empowering all learners and share
examples of the most outstanding practices for personalizing and
individualizing learning.
The
Cohort will work to overcome organizational barriers and to create a
sustainable network supporting ownership of learning for all members of the
learning community.
Objectives
- Cohort members will
identify how equity is being addressed as the foundation for all components of
student-centered learning.
- Cohort members will work to identify what learners need to create
the most dynamic learning environment possible with a focus on personalizing
learning.
- Cohort members will
work collaboratively on innovations that help transform systems to ensure
future focused learning environments in our districts.
Essential Questions
- What examples of
outstanding practices have we identified in the work to transform learning to ensure a student-centered, future focused
education for ALL learners?
- What learnings can we
share about creating a dynamic learning environment in our districts where
students become co-authors of their learning?
- How is equity being
addressed as the foundation for all components of student- centered learning?
- How are we building a
culture and systems that remove barriers so all learners can thrive?
- How are we transforming
the educational system to support student learning for the new century?
- How can we support each
other as we move forward?
As learning has taken a turn to a more personalized,
individualized nature, we must make the necessary adjustments to continue to
provide the most dynamic, learning environments for the whole learner. AASA’s
Learning 2025: Student-Centered, Equity-Focused Education is an
initiative that calls us to redesign our public schools. It calls for a holistic
design with schools meeting the needs of the whole learner.
AASA’s IDEAL Cohort, focuses on the principles behind
Innovative Districts Empowering All Learners. The IDEAL Cohort seeks to provide
a deeper understanding of what learners need to create the most dynamic
learning environment possible.
Who Should Participate?
Any
district leader who is interested in furthering the work to create
future-focused, student-centered education, particularly superintendents,
assistant superintendents, directors of curriculum and program/building
leaders.

What are the benefits
of joining the Cohort?
By joining AASA's IDEAL Cohort, you
will:
- Discover the power of
equity- focused, student-centered education
- Explore best practices
in personalization and engage in research to determine what will transform the
learning environment in our nation’s public districts
- Work to overcome
organizational barriers and to create a sustainable network supporting
ownership of learning for all members of the learning community
- Work collaboratively
with innovative educators from across the nation – including
superintendents, district administrators and topic experts – to
research, inspire, empower and amplify the work to transform education
- Gain a network of
colleagues who are embracing building student-centered environments utilizing a
personalized approach to learning in their district
Programs Dates &
Details
Cohort meetings will be held as follows:
In-Person
September 26-28, 2022 (Maine Township District #207,
Chicago, IL)
February 16, 2023 (During the National Conference on
Education in San Antonio, TX)
April 2-4, 2023 (Location TBD based on cohort input)
Virtual
August 10, 2022
November 30, 2022
May 31, 2023
Virtual meetings are held via Zoom from 2:00 - 3:15 PM ET
2022 IDEAL Summit
The IDEAL cohort also hosts a one-day Summit for
participants, guests and those interested in the work we are doing.
The Summit is September 26, 2022, from 8am – 3:30pm CT
immediately preceding our first Cohort meeting in Maine Township District #307
in Chicago, IL.
The Summit is free to cohort members and $500 for AASA
members or $600 for non-members. We will
provide cohort participants with a link for complimentary registration.
For all else they may register for the Summit HERE.
Co-Leads
Gail Pletnick, AASA Past President

Ken Wallace, Superintendent, Maine Township High School District 207

Program Fees
Nonmember Price: $2,500
AASA Member
Discounted Price: $2,000
Not a member? Join
now to save $500!
If you would like to bring team members or guests to our In-Person session,
the cost will be $200. You are welcome to bring your teams to our Virtual
sessions.
The program fee includes access to all cohort meetings, materials,
discussions and more.

Questions?
Contact AASA program coordinator, Stephanie St. John at sstjohn@aasa.org.
AASA would like to thank SchoolLinks for providing support to help make this program possible.
