Building Stronger Schools Through Purposeful Innovation with Jean-Claude Brizard

In the first episode of Stronger School, host Jesse Roy welcomes Jean-Claude Brizard, President and CEO of Digital Promise, for a thought-provoking conversation about what it truly takes to build stronger schools in today's rapidly evolving education landscape. Drawing on his experience as a former superintendent and leader of one of the nation's foremost education innovation organizations, Jean-Claude shares why meaningful transformation is about much more than adopting new technology.Throughout the conversation, Jean-Claude explains how Digital Promise works at the intersection of research, innovation, and implementation to help school systems solve complex challenges. He discusses why education technology companies must move beyond being vendors and become true partners, collaborating with districts to design solutions that fit the realities of classrooms, educators, and students. The discussion also explores how connected data systems can help leaders address persistent challenges like chronic absenteeism, improve decision-making, and create more equitable outcomes for students.Jean-Claude also highlights inspiring examples from Digital Promise's League of Innovative Schools, where districts across the country are reimagining teaching, learning, and community engagement. From student-led demonstrations of Portrait of a Graduate initiatives to districtwide approaches for developing computational thinking, he illustrates how sustainable innovation happens when educators, students, and communities share ownership of change.Key Moments01:39 How Digital Promise drives education innovation03:14 Why vendors must become true district partners05:09 Using connected data to solve chronic absenteeism07:03 Moving beyond procedural learning with AI08:06 Inside the League of Innovative Schools11:00 District examples of successful change management12:41 Building community ownership through Portrait of a Graduate14:03 Why school leaders must become community organizers16:06 Separating meaningful learning technology from screen time16:53 Keeping humans at the center of AI18:40 How curriculum and pedagogy must evolve alongside AI19:21 The leadership mindset behind stronger schoolsConnect with Jean-Claude Brizard | President & CEO, Digital PromiseLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-claude-brizard-0080a810 Website: https://digitalpromise.org/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/powerschool-group-llc/ If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Stronger School for more conversations on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.