Building Systems for Results: Leadership Stories from Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Lockhart ISD

This edWeb podcast is presented by ERDI.

The edLeader Panel recording can be accessed here.

Across the country, leaders are searching for practical ways to move beyond isolated initiatives and build systems that actually change teaching and learning. In the third edWeb podcast of Trailblazing Leadership Week, Nancy Brightwell (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) and Mark Estrada (Lockhart Independent School District) share how they rethought leadership, professional learning, and support structures to drive real gains for students.

Nancy unpacks how Charlotte-Mecklenburg aligned high-quality teachers, high-quality curricula, and accountable practice through a clear theory of change. Listeners see how Charlotte-Mecklenburg defined roles for specialists and master teachers, created Crown Academy to better prepare new teachers, and built monitoring systems that connect central office, principals, and classrooms in a continuous learning cycle.

Mark shares how Lockhart ISD’s “A Way, Not The Way” approach and 4Bs/6 Levers framework led to a districtwide shared leadership model. He highlights the Lever Leader role, talent identification and development systems, and the 70–20–10 approach to coaching and on-the-job learning that is building a sustainable leadership bench.

You leave with concrete ideas for redefining leadership roles, designing job-embedded support, and building people-centered systems that improve outcomes for students without burning out your best educators. This edWeb podcast is of interest to PreK-12 school leaders, district leaders, and education technology leaders.

This edWeb podcast is part of Trailblazing Leadership Week.

ERDI
Bringing together education leaders and solution providers committed to improving education for all.

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