Alena Zachery-Ross, superintendent of Ypsilanti Community School District in Ypsilanti, Michigan, joined the League in the 2024-25 school year because, as an experienced superintendent for 13 years (including seven in her current district), she was eager to join a network at the forefront of innovative collaboration and practical change.
“I was really looking forward to the opportunities to visit [different] schools to see it, not just talk about it or read about it in articles, but to go to those gatherings, to be able to call other superintendents—people in my same role—and for people in my district to be able to have someone that they can call and be able to say, ‘Hey, I have this challenge. How did you handle this same kind of problem?’”
Ypsilanti Community School District has undergone significant change and growth over the last several years. In addition to welcoming an influx of newcomer students in their schools and grappling with the rise of AI and other rapidly-evolving technologies, they are also still feeling the effects of a district consolidation that began in 2013. Two communities had to come together to rebuild their voice as one, and the consolidation caused some attrition that they are still working to address.
The district also works with the largest population of unhoused and transient students in their county, which presents unique challenges and opportunities to serve. With resources through the McKinney-Vento Act and by working hand-in-hand with community partners, Zachery-Ross and her team collaborate throughout the year to make sure all students have what they need to access a good education—including regular meals, housing, transportation, summer programming, and other support.
“Our motto is ‘stronger together,’ and we know we can’t do it alone,” she said. That’s why for Zachery-Ross, joining the League was a no-brainer. She knew she would be joining a network of like-minded leaders actively working together to co-create and pilot research-backed solutions that tackle today’s most urgent challenges like the ones she faces in her district.
Upon joining the League, new members are presented with multiple touchpoints for involvement that they can customize and opt into based on their individual interests, needs, and capacity. Zachery-Ross and her team participated in multiple League learning opportunities during their first year of membership, including the Student Voice and Engagement League Learning Collaborative and the Future of Tech-Enabled Learning study tour in Montevideo, Uruguay. The most impactful Digital Promise engagement came through her involvement with the RAPID AI cohort. Ypsilanti Community High School was recognized as a HP AI Spotlight School for their educational leadership, commitment to innovation, and thoughtful approach to the adoption of safe and collaborative artificial intelligence to enhance student learning and career readiness.
“When we were named the HP AI Spotlight School, people from Digital Promise and the League literally came out and worked with my tech team to design the school with HP and Intel to give us the best processors and computers. They then worked with our team to get training before we went to a conference, and came in when we had the ribbon-cutting [for our state-of-the art AI Learning Studio] and helped plan it all out step-by-step as partners—our scholars literally helped unpack the boxes and were right there already using the materials,” she said.
Zachery-Ross was able to experience first-hand how powerful partnerships can directly support a district. In addition to the district-industry-Digital Promise partnership resulting in her district receiving the latest high-end technology and in-depth, hands-on support with logistics and delivery, Digital Promise ensured that educators, students, and families were also supported and brought in throughout the experience.
“They provide hands-on professional development for the teachers along the way, so scholars are growing side-by-side with the teachers. We had a family night and Digital Promise came [and showed] the parents how we use AI in the classroom so they’re not afraid and so that the parents can help their scholars learn how to use these tools [at home],” she said.
On top of that, Digital Promise is also writing a research-based white paper to show other schools how they can structure implementation and have a similar impact in their districts and communities.
Zachery-Ross was impressed with the depth and breath of this transformative experience for her team and entire school community. “It’s really helping us to reflect on our practice, to look for our gaps, and also to see where we have strengths. It’s supporting our scholars and our teachers to grow and build this knowledge in our community. This partnership has really been the most impactful for us,” she said.
In the coming school year, Zachery-Ross is continuing her work around AI by serving as a facilitator for the AI Literacy League Learning Collaborative and with the other cohorts she’s joined. She is also looking forward to opening a multilingual school in the fall to support newcomers—an idea she’s discussed and refined in detail with her League colleagues—and will be challenging herself to incorporate more opportunities for student voice across her district, as she has been inspired to do via her participation with the Student Voice and Engagement League Learning Collaborative this past school year.
“I love that [being in the League] is collaborative and not a one-time or one year thing. We are going to continue to grow together, and that’s how I see it helping me, my district, and the other League members. Even as a new member, they value my voice and what our small district can offer,” she reflected. “I just so appreciate Digital Promise for their willingness to truly be partners. The resources they offer are phenomenal.”
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