Posts by Nate McClennen

Leadership

Coalition Before Consensus: How Trust and Shared Ownership Sustain Transformation

Jun 29, 2026

System transformation rarely fails because of a bad strategy. It fails because the relationships needed to sustain it were never built. In this piece, Rebecca Midles and Nate McClennen draw on real district leaders to show what coalition-building actually looks like when the messy middle arrives. From a rural Michigan superintendent who started with the willing to a Kansas City microschool that put students in the design seat, this is a practical and deeply human look at what makes change last.

Ed Policy

What Should Leadership Look Like in the Age of Generation Alpha? Why Leadership Competencies Are More Important Than Ever

Nate McClennen

Jun 23, 2026

Education leaders must respond to six system shifts with clear vision, adaptive leadership, and future-ready competencies.

Flower diagram showing "The CHOICE: Critically Human Skills" with Integrity, Compassion, and Agency at center, surrounded by six overlapping circles.

Learning Design

The CHOICE We Make: The Critically Human Skills That Define Our Future

Nate McClennen, Guest Author

Feb 5, 2026

Explore the CHOICE framework for critically human skills and redefine education to foster agency, compassion, and integrity in an AI-driven world.

Competency-Based Education

What if Proficiency is not Proficient? The Case for Calibration

Rebecca Midles, Nate McClennen

Jan 20, 2026

Calibration ensures consistent, equitable assessments in CBE. Learn why shared judgment is essential for personalized, competency-based systems.

SAMR Model diagram by Dr. Ruben Puentedura showing four technology integration levels: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition

The Future of Tech and Work

Rethinking SAMR in the Age of AI: Why the Model Needs a Second Axis

Vriti Saraf, Nate McClennen, Katie Martin

Jan 15, 2026

The SAMR model needs a second axis to account for AI’s diverse impacts on learning, emphasizing both positive and negative outcomes.

Middle school boy in camo hoodie presents hand-drawn hurricane tracking poster to classmates in science classroom

Difference Making

The Power of Participation: Why Public Leadership and Civic Readiness is a Solution to our Schools’ Engagement Problem

Tom Vander Ark, Nate McClennen, Fernande Raine

Dec 4, 2025

Discover how the power of participation reshapes education, turning students into active co-creators of their learning experiences.

Diverse group of smiling teenagers with backpacks walking out of a brick school building together

EdTech

So you can “Finish School” in 2 Hours a Day, Then What?

Mason Pashia, Nate McClennen

Nov 20, 2025

"AI in education: Alpha School’s 2-hour mastery-based model and experiential learning redefine student outcomes and the future of learning."

Strategic Direction workshop at Michigan ISD-Saginaw summit.

Leadership

How Can We Build Strategic Learning Organizations? The Power of ‘When’

Nate McClennen, Rebecca Midles

Nov 6, 2025

Learn how to become a strategic learning organization and align your educational initiatives for better outcomes.

District leaders and educators engaged in collaborative discussion around a table in a school library setting.

Ed Policy

Leading With Learning: A Webinar Series Full of Guidance for District Leaders

Nate McClennen

May 23, 2025

A webinar series by C!E and Getting Smart equips district leaders with strategies to navigate political challenges and foster inclusive community visioning.

Illustrated educator and student connected by a digital network linking online learning, global internet, and a school building

Leadership

What is the Evolving Role of Future Educators?

Rebecca Midles, Nate McClennen

May 5, 2025

Explore the new educator responsibilities in classrooms that enhance learning through technology and personalized experiences.

	Beginning	Piloting	Implementing
From Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery	BeginningFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Beginning	PilotingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Piloting	ImplementingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Implementing
From One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning	BeginningFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Implementing
From Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry	BeginningFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Beginning	PilotingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Piloting	ImplementingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Implementing
From Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning	BeginningFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Implementing
From Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities	BeginningFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Beginning	PilotingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Piloting	ImplementingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Implementing
From Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment	BeginningFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Beginning	PilotingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Piloting	ImplementingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Implementing
From Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets	BeginningFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Beginning	PilotingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Piloting	ImplementingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Implementing

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Posts by Nate McClennen