Leading Together to Advance 21st Century, Deeper Learning for Every Student
The EdLeader21 Network is the premier national network for education transformation.
Join the Network or Renew for 2023-2024!
Ready to join? Contact Jeff at jeff@bfk.org.
Focused learning experiences are offered throughout the year to support superintendents and their teams as they create and implement a vision of 21st century, deeper learning—a
Portrait of a Graduate—and inspire change across the entire system. The EdLeader21 Network is now accepting new members for the 2023-2024 school year and renewing current members.
Member Experience
Superintendent Roundtables
Connect and learn from fellow superintendents throughout the year to leverage the power of the network. Members share successes and challenges on the journey towards implementing a vision of
21st century, deeper learning.
Curriculum Leader Roundtables
Participate in sessions designed for members with similar responsibilities (e.g., chief academic officers, assistant superintendents, directors of curriculum/assessment) to collaborate with one another in
making sustainable transformation.
All-Access Events & Resources
All educators and staff in member districts are invited to participate in these member experiences offered throughout the year.
- Virtual Site Visits: Interactive site visits to member districts showcasing deeper learning practices coming to life.
- Speaker Series: Conversations with leading experts in the field of
21st century education.
- Deeper Learning Tools & Resources: Help your system advance the work by accessing leadership tools that enhance capacity at a local level to inspire and support system leaders to accelerate deeper learning for every student.
Collaboration Platform and the EdLeader21 Network App
Connect with others and access tools and resources developed and curated by network
members and Battelle for Kids to support the implementation of deeper learning
experiences systemwide.
Level Up Your Membership Experience
EdLeader21 Network membership includes add-on enrichment opportunities to enhance your experience in various areas of focus. Contact us to learn more about add-on experience pricing.
Leader Labs NEW!
New for the 2023-2024 school year, EdLeader21 Network members can choose to be a part of our new Leader Labs, an add-on experience that will allow participants to gather in these communities for the purpose of professional growth around a
focused area.
Member districts can select a team of up to five (5) to participate in as many of these communities as they want.
The communities will meet for four (4), half-day events, kicking off in-person at the Annual Event in St. Louis in September, and continuing virtually in the fall.
Participants will walk away from each lab experience with a systemwide action plan.
Communications Leader Lab
Those individuals charged with the communications work around your system’s vision and strategic plan are vital in building community awareness and support. This Leader Lab allows those leading this work to come together in a collaborative
experience to explore communication ideas and solutions. Areas of focus may include Portrait of a Graduate, strategic planning, community engagement, responsive communications, to name a few.
Public Information Officers
Chief Communication Officers
Community Relations Directors
Central Office Leaders
Human Capital Leader Lab
Reimagine your human capital system to support 21st century, deeper learning. The Human Capital Leader Lab will be focused on helping districts to reimagine and develop systems based on their local needs. Participants in this Leader Lab
will explore the four core areas of a comprehensive human capital management system: Keep, Align, Find, Grow.
Leader21•Principal Leader Lab
Leader21•Principal develops the transformative leadership skills necessary to actively promote and scale deeper learning in schools. Participants in this Lab will explore their leadership practices across these areas: leading yourself,
leading others, leading the organization, and leading the learning.
Principals/Assistant Principals
Aspiring Principals/Teacher Leaders
Supervisors/Coaches of School Principals
Student & Staff Well-Being Leader Lab
This Leader Lab will engage in a collaborative experience to explore the latest research and connections between the science of hope, belonging, emotional engagement. Participating school systems will develop a systemwide action plan and have
access to The Student Experience21 suite of tools, at no additional cost, to support implementation, identify and replicate impactful strategies, and measure progress around the key themes (hope, belonging, emotional engagement, and 21st
century learning) throughout the experience.
Urban District Cohort
The Urban District Cohort is an add-on experience that brings together future-thinking educators leading urban school systems to fuel the acceleration of equitable, deeper learning outcomes. Superintendents and their design teams will explore
deeper learning research and a systems approach to implement and scale deeper learning. Contact us to learn more about add-on experience pricing.
Cultivate a Shared Vision
EdLeader21 Network members are connected by a shared vision–where all students experience a 21st century education that purposefully integrates rigorous academic content with the skills and mindsets to prepare them for success now and into the future. This
transformation is anchored in cultivating a shared vision with community members, often referred to as a Portrait of a Graduate.
Superintendent Amy Cashwell shares how connecting with colleagues on the same journey has propelled her district's work in service of students:
AMY CASHWELL | Superintendent, Henrico County Public Schools, VA
"Many networks now talk about the value of a Portrait of a Graduate. Battelle for Kids understands the DNA of a Portrait of a Graduate and has the capacity to ensure organizations successfully move from Portrait to Practice."
MICHAEL R. MCCORMICK | Superintendent, Val Verde Unified School District, CA
Advance Deeper Learning Outcomes for Every Student
Now, more than ever, students deserve an education that prepares them for this rapidly changing world. The connections and the learning among future-thinking educators fuel the acceleration of equitable, deeper learning outcomes for every student.
"We leave EdLeader21 Network events not thinking about yesterday, but thinking about how we can make deeper learning experiences for our students and our teachers better for tomorrow."
TALISA DIXON | Superintendent, Columbus City Schools, OH
Superintendent Michael McCormick discusses the impact of Portrait of a Graduate on graduation rates and other performance indicators:
MICHAEL R. MCCORMICK | Superintendent, Val Verde Unified School District, CA
"Teachers are designing more robust deeper learning experiences. Students can speak to the Portrait of a Graduate competencies and tie it back to their learning goals."
MICHAEL DUNCAN | Superintendent, Pike County Schools, GA
Connect with Like-minded, Future-focused Educators
Join innovative education leaders who are driven to collectively change education to meet the needs of today's 21st century learners.
Superintendents share why being in this network is valuable to them.
TALISA DIXON | Retired Superintendent
KADEE ANSTADT | Superintendent, Washington Local Schools, OH
"The opportunity to collaborate and innovate with other district leaders from across the nation and to form new partnerships centered on school improvement and student advocacy has been invaluable."
MELVIN BROWN | Superintendent, Reynoldsburg City Schools, OH
"For superintendents, there are networks that are superintendent-driven, and there are regional networks. This is a national learning network."
AARON SPENCE | Superintendent, Virginia Beach City Public Schools, VA
Build Systemwide Capacity
The EdLeader21 Network's professional learning experiences are designed to help create and implement a vision of 21st century, deeper learning—a Portrait of a Graduate—and inspire change across the entire system. Network members learn from and engage with other thought leaders, experts, and other innovative educators. Educators throughout the system benefit from these learning opportunities—delivered both virtually and in person.
Learn more about these opportunities—including Superintendent Roundtables, Virtual Site Visits, and an extensive resource library—in the 2022-23 Member Experience Overview.
"I always walk away with new ideas and inspiration - and the learning sticks. It is meaningful, relevant, and powerful."
LORI WILCOX | Superintendent, Aptakisic-Tripp School District 102, IL
ANNUAL EVENT & PORTRAIT TO PRACTICE EXPO
Each fall, district teams convene to learn from
one another, hear from national thought leaders, plan for the future, and collectively advance deeper learning. The energizing event includes a Portrait to Practice Expo where educators share artifacts, lessons learned, and insights that illustrate
how 21st century learning becomes a reality for students.
learn more about the Annual Event
"The EdLeader21 Network Annual Event is energizing. I look forward to it. I hone my leaderships skills, and I connect with my own team. We've brought teachers, district administrators, and building leaders. To get into a space with colleagues from all over the country who have a similar desire to create world-class experiences for students is really powerful."
AMY CASHWELL | Superintendent, Henrico County Public Schools, VA