On this episode of the School Leaders Project, host Cindy Blackburn sits down with Dr. Danielle Mirliss, Director of Research and Academic Innovation at Pingry School, to explore how schools can build AI literacy with purpose, ethics, and trust.

Danielle shares how Pingry has shifted from creating rigid AI policies to grounding its approach in clear values, keeping relationships, critical thinking, and student agency at the center of teaching and learning. Together, they unpack what families are most concerned about when it comes to artificial intelligence in schools, from academic integrity and misinformation to the future of education and work.

The conversation dives into practical strategies for supporting teachers, engaging parents, and developing an AI literacy curriculum that helps students understand how AI works, how to use it responsibly, and how to think critically about its ethical impact.

If you’re a school leader, educator, or parent looking for a thoughtful, real-world approach to teaching AI in K–12 schools, this episode offers clarity, reassurance, and actionable ideas.

On this episode of the School Leaders Project, host Cindy Blackburn sits down with Antonio Vigil, Director of Innovative Classroom Technology at Aurora Public Schools, to explore what it really takes to transform public education in a moment of rapid change.

Together, they unpack how Aurora Public Schools is rethinking equity, AI, and instruction through its districtwide strategy, Destination APS. Antonio shares powerful stories of using AI to support multilingual learners, build belonging through real-time translation, and strengthen relationships between schools and families.

The conversation dives into the “both and” philosophy of education: creating rigorous, engaging learning experiences while also centering relationships, empathy, and student voice. You’ll hear practical insights on data literacy, dashboards for educators, street data for equity, liberatory design, and why adaptive leadership matters when schools are moving beyond improving the status quo.

If you’re a school leader, educator, or anyone interested in the future of teaching and learning, this episode offers a hopeful, grounded look at how systems can change in meaningful ways.

In this episode, host Cindy Blackburn sits down with Eric Heilman from CIRIS to unpack a question many independent school leaders are quietly asking: What is institutional research, and how is it actually used to make better decisions in schools?

Together, they explore how institutional research can move beyond dashboards and compliance to support clearer questions, healthier data culture, and more human decision-making. Eric shares how schools can democratize access to data, distinguish between operational and strategic data, and build governance practices that make data trustworthy and usable rather than overwhelming.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• what institutional research looks like in independent schools
  
  
  
• how school leaders can use data without drowning in it
  
  
  
• the difference between having data and having clarity
  
  
  
• why better questions matter more than more metrics
  
  
  
• how AI is beginning to intersect with institutional research and data governance
  
  
  

This episode is especially relevant for heads of school, academic leaders, and anyone responsible for stewarding data in K–12 independent schools who wants to use information thoughtfully, ethically, and in service of their mission.

In this episode of The School Leaders Project, host Cindy Blackburn sits down with Jamie Sullivan, Director of Academic Technology at Castilleja School. Jamie shares how her team moved from scattered tools and grading confusion to a unified platform that actually worked for teachers and students.

From curriculum design to AI integration, this conversation reveals how Toddle became more than just a vendor, it became a partner in the learning journey.

Whether you’re a school leader, tech director, or just exploring what’s next in education, you’ll leave with fresh ideas and real-world insights.

Topics covered:
• Curriculum mapping and coherence
• Standards-based grading
• AI in education
• Implementing edtech in independent schools
• Building trust with tech partners

On this episode of The School Leaders Project, host Cindy Blackburn sits down with Vinnie Vrotny, Director of Innovation and Technology at The Kinkaid School, to unpack one of the most pressing questions facing schools today:

How should schools actually use AI?

Rather than treating AI as just another tool, Vinnie reframes it as a major change-management challenge. He shares how Kinkaid moved from uncertainty to clarity by starting with guiding principles, then building AI policies and acceptable-use frameworks aligned to mission, culture, and human development.

In this conversation, you’ll hear:

• Why AI is a change-management problem, not a tech problem
• How Kinkaid designed human-centered AI guiding principles
• What schools should do before writing AI policies
• How to move beyond stoplight models to clearer expectations
• Why access, equity, and guardrails matter for students and faculty
• How schools can communicate AI decisions to parents and boards
  
  
  

This episode is especially relevant for school leaders, tech directors, academic leaders, and boards navigating AI governance, acceptable use, and long-term strategy in K–12 schools.

On this episode of The School Leaders Project, host Cindy Blackburn sits down with legendary educator, author, and speaker Principal Baruti Kafele to unpack one of the most important and uncomfortable questions in school leadership:

What is my value instructionally to the teachers I supervise?

In this conversation, Principal Kafele challenges school leaders to move beyond management and discipline and step fully into their role as instructional leaders. Drawing on decades of experience as a teacher, principal, and coach, he shares practical insights on supporting teacher growth, building strong school culture, and rethinking the role of assistant principals as instructional partners rather than disciplinarians.

You’ll hear:

• What instructional leadership actually looks like in practice
• Why school culture matters more than discipline systems
• How principals and assistant principals can truly support teachers
• The difference between leadership and management in schools
• Why vulnerability, visibility, and conversation are core leadership skills
  
  
  

Whether you are a principal, assistant principal, instructional coach, or aspiring school leader, this episode offers a powerful reframe for how leadership can directly improve teaching and learning.

Description: On this episode of The School Leaders Project, host Cindy Blackburn sits down with author and education thought leader Tony Frontier to explore what it really means to use AI with intention in schools.

Together, they dig into some of the most urgent questions facing educators today:
What happens when AI tools become embedded in every part of the teaching and learning cycle? Are we empowering learners, or just automating the system? And how can school leaders ensure AI supports deeper learning rather than undermining it?

Tony shares powerful insights from his book AI with Intention, including:

• Why AI is a mirror, not a problem
  
  
  
• How shallow grading practices can lead to an “AI vicious cycle”
  
  
  
• What effective prompting reveals about student agency
  
  
  
• How to use AI as an empathy coach and planning partner
  
  
  
• Why transformational change starts with clarity of purpose
  
  
  

If you're a teacher, curriculum leader, or school administrator wrestling with AI adoption, this conversation offers a timely, practical, and deeply human take on how to move forward with confidence and conscience.

In this episode of The School Leaders Project, host Cindy Blackburn talks with Rachel Skiffer, Head of School at Head Royce in California, about what it means to balance tradition and innovation in education.

Rachel shares how her team approaches AI in education , not as a threat, but as a tool for deepening curiosity, creativity, and human connection. From rethinking classroom technology and cell phone policies to preserving what’s timeless about great teaching, she explores how schools can stay rooted in their values while preparing students for the future.

You’ll hear insights on:

• Leading an independent school in the age of AI
  
  
  
• Building a culture of thoughtful innovation
  
  
  
• Designing learning spaces that nurture agency and creativity
  
  
  
• Balancing old-school values with new technology
  
  
  
• Supporting teachers through rapid change
  
  
  

If you’ve ever wondered how to innovate without losing what matters most, this episode is for you.