The Initiative on Superintendent as Civic Leader Launches at HGSE

The Harvard Graduate School of Education has announced the Initiative on Superintendent as Civic Leader (ISCL). The Initiative aims to build the capacity of superintendents to steward the future of public education with civic imagination, democratic purpose, and political skill at a time where their roles are increasingly challenging and politically complex.

The Initiative was founded by Senior Lecturer Jennifer Perry Cheatham, HGSE’s faculty chair of field engagement, whose work dedicated to leading for equity and transformational change in school districts serves as the foundation for ISCL.

“HGSE is stepping up as a powerful partner to every organization that works with superintendents nationwide,” says Cheatham, who will serve as the Initiative on Superintendent as Civic Leader’s faculty chair. “The future of public education in our country is crucial for the future of our democracy. After all, our schools provide the fabric that binds many of our communities together. The people who lead these institutions need our support.”

ISCL’s goal is to help position superintendents as civic leaders responsible for the future of public education in America. Integrating research, practice, and public voice, ISCL aims to better equip district leaders by serving as a hub for field-building and partnership to strengthen the leadership pipeline and support stable, values-aligned leadership in communities.

“The superintendent’s role has changed, and support for the superintendency must change as well,” says Cheatham.

Development, Tools, and Field Building 

ISCL’s focus is a three-pronged approach to supporting superintendents in their roles, starting with the development of a high-quality professional development suite for executive learning. Cheatham and ISCL will lead a three-day professional development course, Superintendent as Civic Leader, from November 12–14, designed to help sitting superintendents navigate their roles amid intense change.

ISCL has also published a series of research-based tools and resources developed and tested with national partners to support superintendents and organizations who serve them. The free-to-download case studies and simulations are featured on their website, along with guides to help build foundational civic leadership skills through frameworks and field books. ISCL will also publish a biennial Report on the Superintendency to highlight promising practices, emerging insights, and trends that can guide the field.

Upcoming Events

The Initiative on Superintendent as Civic Leader has also formed a robust field-building strategy to further its work and build leadership networks around the country, starting with two events that will celebrate the formal launch of the Initiative on October 6. An Askwith Education Forum highlighting ISCL’s first three senior fellows will use HGSE’s signature events series to inspire a growing community of practice to advance the field. The cohort of senior fellows — distinguished former superintendents with diverse backgrounds and track records of civic leadership — will work with ISCL for a two-year tenure where they select an aspect of the superintendency for further study.

Cheatham will also take part in a Gutman Library Book Talk and workshop for her recent book, Superintendent as Civic Leader: Stewarding the Future of Public Education, before the Askwith Education Forum. The panel discussion will feature Cheatham along with her coeditors, Christina Grant, executive director of the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) and Ross Weiner, the former executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Education and Society Program who now serves as senior advisor for ISCL.

Cheatham noted ISCL also plans to hold a symposium in the spring semester and stressed that the goal of these field-building events is to continue the work of bringing people together in the service of educating with relationship building and community engagement. By mobilizing educators across the field, ISCL serves as a catalyst for a more coherent and connected field of civic leadership in public education.

Transforming the Field Together

The ISCL leadership group includes a steering committee to help ISCL assess strategy and sequencing, partnerships and field positioning, and funding and operating approaches. Composed of operating partners whose work is aligned with ISCL’s efforts, the committee ensures that the work is responsive to real needs in the field, connected to complementary efforts, and positioned for practical impact.

A number of affiliated HGSE faculty members bring expertise to ISCL as well, ensuring the work of teaching, research, and field-building are anchored by field leaders with deep experience in strategy development, organizational change, and movement building. ISCL has secured funding from the Spencer, Barr, and Hewlett foundations, generous gifts which will support the Initiative’s foundational work over the next two years as it focuses on its three pillars of professional development, research-based tools for superintendent support, and field building.

“Superintendents who function as civic leaders can help create the coalitions necessary to move our school systems forward,” says Cheatham. “They know that they don’t work alone. By working in collaboration with their communities, they can meet the challenges, seize the opportunities, and chart a path to a better future for our nation’s schoolchildren.”