As League members, district leaders will come together each year for unique and innovative professional learning opportunities and resources that they will bring back to their districts to advance teaching and learning.
Please join us in welcoming the new 2025-26 cohort of the League of Innovative Schools!
The League selected this year’s new members based on their educational leadership, demonstrated commitment to excellence, innovative vision for learning, key achievements, and collaborative spirit. Members of this new cohort are engaging communities and families around strategic planning, taking a holistic approach to student mental health and well-being, preparing high school students for a changing workforce, and more.
Through their membership in the League, superintendents and leaders from these new districts will help shape the future of teaching and learning through hands-on opportunities to collaborate, connect, and learn. Alongside fellow League members, these leaders will access unique opportunities to co-create, pilot, and scale innovative practices, apply learnings to their own districts, and identify and promote promising practices to other districts across the country.
Hear from the superintendents of this year’s district cohort as they share how their districts are prioritizing innovation:
“Boone county School District recognizes that all children can learn and we dedicate our district to providing a challenging educational environment that allows each student to achieve his or her highest potential as a learner and a citizen. We believe it is our foundational commitment to encourage and inspire our students through education to become contributing citizens to the world. ”
Dr. Jeff Hauswald – Superintendent, Boone County School District (KY)
“Distinctive Schools is positioning itself not to just respond to change, but lead it. We are intentional about innovation focused on the needs of our students and create learning environment where every student thrives and where equity and innovation are inextricable.”
Mary Beck – President, Distinctive Schools (IL)
“Our innovation vision revolves around three pillars: personalized learning pathways, community-embedded education, and student engagement in instructional design. These pillars collectively drive our commitment to equitable outcomes for each student.”
Joseph DiLucente – Superintendent, East Allegheny School District (PA)
“In Franklin Northeast, our innovative approach eliminates traditional seat-time graduation requirements, replacing them with a student-designed PK-12 Portrait of a Learner. This competency-based system addresses the rapidly evolving workforce demands in our AI-driven world. Students demonstrate mastery of future-focused skills by building personalized bodies of evidence, using academic content as their learning vehicle. This educational innovation ensures meaningful, relevant experiences that prepare our students to thrive in tomorrow’s workplace.”
Lynn Cota – Superintendent, Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union (VT)
“At Mayfield High School, we have brought personalization to life through four distinct learning modalities designed to meet the diverse needs, interests, and learning preferences of our students…We want to ensure that all students–regardless of background, ZIP code, or learning profile–have equitable access to rigorous learning experiences, high-quality instruction, and future-ready opportunities. We hope to learn how other districts are closing opportunity gaps through innovative practices, policy shifts, and community partnerships.”
Dr. Michael J. Barnes – Superintendent, Mayfield City School District (OH)
“At Peninsula School District, our school board, in collaboration with executive leaders, have established innovation as one of our strategic goals: ‘We will develop and adopt practices and programs that encourage children to remain curious, take chances, and learn from failure.’ This commitment to reaching all students drives our approach to innovation, which recognizes that equity requires personalized, adaptive learning experiences that meet diverse needs.”
Krestin Bahr – Superintendent, Peninsula School District (WA)
“The Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD) is committed to being future-focused, innovative, and deeply relevant. Our vision for innovation is rooted in engagement: engaging the mind, curiosity, interest, memories, the intrinsic desire to know and learn more, with a lot of laughter and joy, both in and out of the classroom.”
Dr. Nicole Wesley – Superintendent, Redondo Beach Unified School District (CA)
“At Pendergast, we are deeply committed to building inclusive programs that open doors of opportunity for every student, no matter their background or abilities. Our VEX Robotics teams are a powerful example, bringing together students of all abilities, including those with disabilities, to collaborate, innovate, and thrive. Through these experiences, our students not only engage in STEM, but also strengthen problem-solving skills, build lasting confidence, and discover the power of working together.”
Dr. Jennifer Cruz – Superintendent, Pendergast Elementary School District (AZ)
“Innovation means that students are building and developing a shared critical consciousness around what it means to be a digital disrupter and leverage innovation to change the world around them. Our system seeks to anchor our students in core values of tenacity, integrity, leadership, and continuous improvement, but also equip them with the skills necessary to design the future they want to see.”
Dr. Barbara Mullen – Superintendent, Rush Henrietta Central School District (NY)
Learn more about The League of Innovative Schools and our work: https:/digitalpromise.org/our-work
