By Casey Blochowiak, Vice President of Coaching, Studer Education
In today’s K-12 landscape, the most significant opportunities for impact come not from a single initiative or program, or chasing initiatives, but from the courageous leadership decisions that sustain real improvement for students, staff, and communities.
Recent conversations with exemplary leaders from districts across the country at our Destination High Performance conference reinforced several essential lessons that every superintendent and district leader should consider on their improvement journey. Below are actionable leadership insights distilled from a candid discussion with leaders at the conference.
Feedback Isn’t Optional — It’s Your Engine for Change
It’s understandable to view feedback with a mix of skepticism and anxiety — something to “manage” rather than to embrace. But systems that thrive make feedback a core strategy for school district success, enabling everyone to be both honest contributors and active co-owners in the improvement process.
The key isn’t just to collect feedback, but to respond transparently, act on what’s learned, and model a culture where feedback is normalized and valued. Jan Draper, Director of Teaching & Learning at Casa Grande Elementary School District in Arizona, explained, “The more you respond to feedback, even critical feedback, the better people get at giving feedback and then the improvement cycles get tighter and faster, and the results of the improvement cycles get deeper.”
Leader Insight: Make feedback loops visible and actionable in your school district. When people see how their input leads to real change, trust, engagement, and momentum multiply.
Iterate — Don’t Wait for Perfect
Change in K-12 education rarely occurs in a straight line. As a K-12 leadership coach, I encourage superintendents and school administrators to stop focusing on launching “perfect initiatives” and start making visible progress.
As Draper put it, “We’ve built fences, and we’ve tried to align our arrows. And, then we have torn fences down and started over again because they weren’t the right fence.”
Leader Insight: Jump in, listen, learn, and adjust. By making the improvement process transparent — and celebrating learning even from missteps — you build an organization fueled by agility and purpose rather than fear of failure.
Collective Ownership Beats Individual Heroics
Sustainable results occur when leaders share responsibility widely, rather than shoulder it alone. District and school leaders who invite teams into both the “why” and “how” of improvement see stronger buy-in, more creativity, and — crucially — better outcomes. This is as true for teacher teams in classrooms as it is for human resources departments, transportation teams, or district offices.
For example, Amy Andersen, Associate Superintendent of Educational Services for El Dorado County Office of Education in California partnered with her human resources team to shift the collective responsibility for onboarding to the departments.
“We wanted every single department to create a first week, first month schedule that was intentional for training new employees,” she said.
Through partnership, they ensured every employee understood their organization, culture, and the way they work. In a later survey, employees shared that they had never been a part of an organization that placed so much attention and care into the first days and weeks of work.
Leader Insight: Shift from isolation to inclusion. Build structures, routines, and expectations so that improvement in districts and schools isn’t something “done to” staff, but “done with” staff, unleashing the expertise already in your organization.
Build Simple, Consistent Processes (and Make Them Stick)
Whether it’s running employee engagement surveys, onboarding new staff, using data in classrooms, or processing hiring paperwork, leaders must prioritize clarity and consistency.
High-performing systems are not built on sophisticated one-offs, but on simple, repeatable routines every team knows and trusts. When the process is straightforward, everyone can focus on continuous improvement instead of confusion or frustration.
Dedi Somavia, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources at Tulare County Office of Education in California, has gone beyond building processes to address burnout and hiring standards. From improving the screening process to standardizing the process for requesting new personnel, she has tracked closely how long these processes take. And then she works with staff to evaluate how she could help route requests faster.
She tells her staff, “You’re the most important part of this process and I’m here to just help facilitate.
Leader Insight: Audit your routines. Are they clear, accessible, and delivering results? If not, involve those closest to the work in redesigning them — and let data, not tradition, drive your decisions.
Appreciation is More Powerful than Recognition
People want to feel valued, not just noticed. Moving from occasional recognition to consistent, meaningful appreciation fosters relationships, lifts morale, and reminds staff they matter. When central office teams show up to serve those who serve students, the culture shifts from compliance to pride and commitment.
For Dr. Travis Bracht, Superintendent of Affton School District, it’s as simple as a “Snackle Box Day” where he and his central office staff take turns setting up and refilling a snack station for staff. “They get to curate just the right mix of sweet and salty,” he said. “That’s just one example of how we’ve tried to pivot from recognition to appreciation.
Leader Insight: Build appreciation into the fabric of your organization. Look for ways to celebrate, affirm, and invest in your people every single month in ways that are visible and personal.
Resilience is Built Through Structures, Not Hope
“We all know that hope is not a strategy,” Amy Andersen, Associate Superintendent of Educational Services at El Dorado County Office of Education in California, during her presentation at DHP.
Through an intentional approach to onboarding, her office decreased resignations by 32.6% and increased Net Promoter Score by 4%.
“This just demonstrates we have employees now who feel trained, they feel prepared, and they’re integrated into the culture and proud of what they do,” she said.
Successful organizations don’t survive because leaders “power through,” but because there are strong routines and feedback loops that anchor the work.
Leader Insight: Develop structures that keep improvement moving forward. Routines like regular rounding, onboarding schedules, and frequent check-ins are your safety net and launch pad.
Final Thoughts
The work of improvement in our school systems is unending. The most successful K-12 education leaders don’t wait for “permission,” the “right timing,” or external validation. Instead, they build cultures where learning, feedback, iteration, and appreciation are constants. They bring their teams with them from the start, are unafraid of hard questions, and keep a relentless focus on “better” for students and staff.
Leadership in K-12 education is about creating the conditions for others to thrive. Embrace the messy, human work of improvement — listen deeply, act boldly, and celebrate your team along the way. That’s where real, lasting impact begins.
Need support navigating change in your school district? Studer Education partners with superintendents to hardwire excellence throughout their entire organization. Learn more about leadership coaching.
