Creative, Practical, and Powerful Ways School Leaders Are Amplifying Family and Student Voices

This conversation focuses on the various initiatives and strategies that school leaders can implement to foster engagement and collaboration. The speakers share their experiences and insights on creating platforms for feedback, building trust, and empowering parents and students to take an active role in shaping their educational environments. Follow on X: @denisecubana | @ederkjoseph | @DrSylviaLeads | @Jonharper70bd | @BAMRadioNetwork | Denise Diaz is the Executive Director at the Clark County School District. Her leadership is grounded in the belief that strong family and community partnerships are essential to student achievement. Diaz has led the development of sustainable, districtwide systems of support that center families as co-creators in education. Through intentional programming and capacity building, she helped shift mindsets and elevate the role of families as key stakeholders in the learning process. Eder Joseph, is Assistant Superintendent Burlington County Institute of Technology. Joseph is an enthusiastic school leader with over 20 years of experience. He has a history of providing leadership in the area of organizational leadership, curriculum development, professional development, career and technical education programs, and student engagement. Sylvia Mitchell, Ph.D., is the Superintendent of Legacy Traditional Schools—Texas. Dr. Mitchell brings 24 years of invaluable experience as an educational leader to her new role. Her extensive background includes serving as a principal, superintendent, and vice president of schools, where she has consistently supported educators in achieving positive outcomes for students, particularly in underserved communities. David Law is the superintendent of Minnetonka Public Schools, one of the top school districts in Minnesota. Law earned a BA from Hamline University with a major in mathematics and a minor in education. His teaching career includes experiences in California and Minnesota at the middle school and high school level. In 1998, he began his administrative career. Law completed his k-12 principal and superintendent license at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and earned his Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 2010, he was named assistant superintendent for White Bear Lake Area Schools.