Superintendents' Collaborative

Now in its second year, SAI evolved its Executive Leaders model into the Superintendents' Collaborative — a refreshed networking and learning opportunity designed specifically for Iowa school superintendents. Unlike the previous format, which primarily focused on advocacy, the Superintendent Collaborative offers a more intentional and structured professional learning experience.

Program Format & Theme

From Promise to Practice: Building Coherent, Future-Ready School Systems (a five-part series)

District leaders today face no shortage of initiatives, expectations, and competing priorities. The challenge is not finding more work to do. It is creating coherence around what matters most for students.

This highly interactive leadership experience introduces the Public Education Promise, AASA's framework designed to help school systems align vision, strategy, and implementation around five essential priorities: student-centered learning, real-world skills, talent development, community partnerships, and meaningful measures of success.

Through hands-on protocols, case studies, collaborative design experiences, and practical reflection tools, participants will explore how these principles work together to create more coherent, future-ready systems. Leaders will leave with actionable strategies, adaptable tools, and a clearer pathway for moving from aspiration to implementation in their own districts.

Kick-Off Event Oct. 28

Wednesday, Oct. 28
5-6:30 p.m.
Sponsored evening reception and networking at the Hilton Garden Inn. See Google map.
SAI group rates at the Hilton are available. Learn more on the registration page. 

Thursday, Oct. 29
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
In-person learning facilitated by Dr. Shannon King.
Hilton Garden Inn

About Dr. King

Dr. Shannon King serves as Vice President, Center for Leadership and Learning at AASA and has served as the lead facilitator for North Carolina's current CGSA-funded Skills for the Future initiative, through which she guided the collaborative development of the project's durable skills rubrics, reflection tools, and performance tasks with educators across the state. She leads national initiatives focused on competency-based learning, durable skill development, future-ready instructional design, and educator capacity-building, including SOAR Ohio, a statewide networked improvement community advancing Portrait of a Graduate implementation and the Public Education Promise across Ohio's school systems.

Prior to joining AASA, Dr. King served as Chief Learning Officer at Battelle for Kids, where she led the national EdLeader21 network and directed improvement science research in partnership with the Hewlett Foundation, supporting networked improvement communities across Virginia and beyond. Her leadership helped school systems align vision, instruction, assessment, and professional learning to scale meaningful, competency-based learning experiences for all students.

Her professional experience spans roles as a building leader, classroom teacher, gifted education specialist, instructional coach, professional development leader, central office administrator, and adjunct professor at George Mason University and the University of Virginia. Dr. King holds a doctorate in Educational Psychology and Multicultural/Multilingual Education from George Mason University and is widely recognized for designing student-centered learning experiences and supporting educators in implementing authentic, competency-based teaching and assessment practices.

Stay Connected Throughout the Year with Four Virtual Dates (9-10:45 a.m.)

These virtual meetings will include a check-in, discussion of strategies that work, navigating scenarios, and processing challenges. All sessions will be facilitated by Dr. King.

• Nov. 24, 2026
• Jan. 14, 2027
• Feb. 11, 2027
• March 23, 2027

How to Enroll

This program is only for Iowa superintendents who are SAI members.

Cost: $300 for the year

Register Now