“It doesn’t matter if you have the best teacher in the classroom and high-quality materials… if our students’ well-being is not taken care of, they’re not going to be able to receive all of that great instruction,” says Candice Castillo, executive officer of student support services at Houston ISD.
Carvalho, who will be giving a keynote speech at the District Administration Leadership Institute Executive Cabinet Retreat next week, says there’s one leadership trait that simply can’t be taught: “a huge personal chip on your shoulder.”
“Be so bold in your approach to work that you actually invite termination for being so passionate,” says Carvalho, superintendent at the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest in the country.
When Superintendent Jonathan Prince took the helm at St. Lucie Public Schools in 2022, he described it as being passed the torch by Bear Bryant. Fortunately, he had the experience from District Administration’s Superintendent’s Academy to rely on.
Guilford County Schools Superintendents has helped the district set its sights on three areas crucial for the success of her students post-pandemic: expanding learning, high-intensity tutoring and acceleration—not remediation—by teaching kids grade-level content.