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Join us on Tuesday, March 17th at 12:00 PM (CDT) for a presentation about the Phoenix Declaration.

Read more: https://www.heritage.org/phoenix-declaration

Jason Bedrick, a Research Fellow in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation will explain and discuss the Phoenix Declaration. The Declaration outlines a set of principles to help school leaders build an education system that cultivates a strong character in every student, strives for genuine academic excellence through a rigorous, content-rich curriculum, cultivates a deep understanding of history and the richness of our cultural heritage, fosters a love of country and respect for one’s fellow citizens. It is a coalition document with the endorsement of a dozen leading educational organizations and more than 50 policymakers, scholars, policy experts, and activists. grounded in the conviction that parents are the primary educators of their children.

Panelist:

Jason Bedrick a Research Fellow in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation. Bedrick is the co-editor and co-author of Educational Freedom: Remembering Andrew Coulson, Debating His Ideas and Religious Liberty and Education: A Case Study of Yeshivas vs. New York. He has also authored chapters in three books, including The Not-So-Great Society.

His research on education policy has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Fox News, Politico, the New York Post, National Review, National Affairs, the Washington Examiner, the Journal of School Choice, the Library of Law and Liberty, and Education Next among many other publications.

Bedrick is an adjunct scholar with the Cato Institute, where he once served as a policy analyst with the Center for Educational Freedom. He also previously served as the Director of Policy at EdChoice, as a legislator in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and was an Education Policy Research Fellow at the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy in New Hampshire.

Bedrick holds a master’s degree in public policy, with a focus on education policy, from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

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Why Freedom?

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Join us on Tuesday, March 24^th at 12pm for a presentation and discussion led by Dr. William Hughes on how a strong board – Superintendent relationship can build a common purpose on academic achievement and fiscal responsibility. School board members and superintendents will learn how to develop potential outcomes, strategies, and tactics to establish and/or rebuild the board superintendent relationship to focus the work on better student achievement with fiscal responsibility. Practical tools will be discussed that will develop and support board members’ ability to govern in partnership with the Superintendent for strong educational outcomes aligned to community and parent’s aspirations for their students.

Panelist:

William H. Hughes, Ph.D. 

Bill Hughes is the founder of Hughes Strategic. Since 2018, Hughes Strategic has supported leaders and organizations, especially schools, districts and networks to accelerate student achievement, fiscal responsibility, engagement, strategy, and targeted philanthropy.  Dr. Hughes serves as a member of the board of School Boards for Academic Excellence and works with schools and think tanks across the nation on a range of topics including educator pipeline, Capacity Road Map planning with a focus on student achievement and successful schools, leadership development and serves as a board advisor. Formerly Superintendent of the Greendale Schools for sixteen years, Hughes also served as the program director with the Kern Family Foundation focused on k-12 and higher education leadership development, Co founder/CAO of Seton Catholic Schools; and the Managing Director of Leadership with Schools That Can Milwaukee that included the redesign of a principal Master’s degree in Educational Leadership with an MBA. Dr. Hughes has been active in education policy since 2005 working with Governor Doyle and Walker and he is a member of governing or advisory boards with government, non-profits, and foundations.

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Join us for a one-hour webinar on April 8 at 12pm CDT, introducing Values-Based Governance (VBG) — a practical framework developed by Aaron Salt after over a decade of public education board service. Mr. Salt’s new book, Govern Differently: An Academics-Focused Governance Model and How to Use It for Good, outlines a non-partisan governance model emphasizing student outcomes over political positioning.

In this webinar board members will explore a systematic approach to common challenges school boards face: Strategic Alignment (maintaining focus on mission and vision), Policy Development (embedding values into organizational operations), and Cultural Adaptation (sustaining meaningful change over time).

Mr. Salt will also highlight practical tools designed to strengthen governance effectiveness: the Decision Lens framework for decentralized decision-making, the 4As superintendent evaluation model, and the ABCD board self-assessment tool.

Panelist:

Aaron Salt, author of Govern Differently, currently serves as the Executive Vice President for School Boards for Academic Excellence. His decade of educational leadership spans the rare trifecta of founding and chairing a charter school, serving as elected school board president, and leading district operations as COO and Interim Superintendent. Salt has driven measurable results including increased student achievement, expanded CTE certifications, and strategic budget management during fiscal crises. He holds degrees from Auburn University and Florida State University. Salt lives in Colorado with his wife of 15 years and their four children.

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We invite you to join us for a one-hour webinar on May 27 at 12 pm CDT with Aaron Salt. This webinar is designed to provide a practical, high-level overview for school board members and superintendents who are interested in creating a superintendent evaluation that is student-focused and promotes a culture of accountability, trust, and shared vision for student academic achievement.

School board members hold a critical responsibility in setting the mission, vision, strategic priorities, and goals that shape a culture of excellence grounded in accountability and trust. Ensuring the district is led by a superintendent who shares the board’s vision and is committed to advancing academic achievement and preparing students for college and careers is essential to long-term success and a strong board-superintendent partnership.

Panelist:

Aaron Salt, author of Govern Differently, currently serves as the Executive Vice President for School Boards for Academic Excellence. His decade of educational leadership spans the rare trifecta of founding and chairing a charter school, serving as elected school board president, and leading district operations as COO and Interim Superintendent. Salt has driven measurable results including increased student achievement, expanded CTE certifications, and strategic budget management during fiscal crises. He holds degrees from Auburn University and Florida State University. Salt lives in Colorado with his wife of 15 years and their four children.

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