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.