Nate McClennan | Getting Smart x LCW Crossover Episode
In the newsletter today: Getting Smart, Data Science, & Superintendnet Turnover
🎙️ Tuesday’s Learning Can’t Wait Episode
Long time listener, first time caller.
That’s how I wanted to kick off this special crossover episode between Getting Smart and Learning Can’t Wait with Nate McClennen. Truly a pinch-me moment. Nate and I dove into how AI could reshape schools — not by replacing teachers, but by giving them back time to do what matters most: connect with kids.
We explored everything from reducing teacher workload, to rethinking the school day around relationships, to making media literacy as essential as reading and math. Nate brought in his perspective from visiting schools across the country, where he’s seeing innovation in action. Together, we imagined what becomes possible if we reconfigure school time to prioritize connection and engagement — and how technology can make that vision real.
Of course, we also dug into media literacy: how to help students navigate misinformation and AI-generated content, and why that work needs to start early.
This is one of those conversations that leaves you both inspired and grounded in what’s possible. Give it a listen — and let us know what sparks for you.
🛠️ What I’m Playing With
Data science often feels like a magic trick — the way patterns suddenly appear out of messy information. But at its core, it’s really a blend of math and art, where logic meets creativity.
That’s why I’m so impressed by the shared framework Zarek Drozda and his collaborators launched last week: the first-ever K–12 Data Literacy and Data Science Learning Progressions.
This new set of resources helps schools and educators bring data literacy and data science into classrooms, ensuring students are prepared to:
Interpret information
Reason with evidence
Thrive in a digital future
What excites me most about this project is how it frames data literacy. It’s not just about preparing students for careers in STEM (though that’s important). It’s about giving them a durable toolkit for critical thinking and civic life — skills that will help them make sense of the world, no matter what comes next.
One of my favorite parts of the website is the “I’m new to data science” section. It helps teachers understand where they’re already doing data science in their classrooms — and how to take simple next steps.
For example, it describes how organizing messy, real-world examples into patterns is an entry point into data science. Chances are, you’ve already done this if you’ve ever:
Created a class graph of favorite pizza toppings or eye colors
Helped students sort objects by attributes in math or science
Used tally marks to count classroom data
The framework then suggests a natural next step: ask students, “What do you notice? What surprises you?” And just like that, you’re facilitating data analysis.
Small, actionable steps like these make data science approachable — for teachers, for parents, for anyone who doesn’t know where to start. And when you dive deeper into the learning progressions, you see a clear roadmap for building students’ skills over time.
This new resource is a gift: a practical, inspiring tool for teachers, leaders, and families who want to help students not only understand data but also use it to think critically, solve problems, and engage meaningfully with the world around them.
If you’re curious, dig in here.
📚 What I’m Reading
There’s been a lot of discussion lately about teacher turnover and how unsustainable the profession feels. But on Learning Can’t Wait, I often hear superintendents raise a different, equally urgent concern: superintendent turnover.
This morning, I was struck by an article in The 74 Million: 114 of the top 500 districts in the country replaced their superintendent this year. That’s 23% turnover, up three points from last year—true tumult at the top that threatens stability within communities.
There is one bright spot—women now make up 33% of superintendents nationwide, a step forward but still far from parity, especially in pay.
But the role itself has never been harder. Superintendents sit at the center of competing pressures:
Boards, parents, and policymakers are demanding different—and sometimes contradictory—priorities.
Urgent academic recovery in the wake of NAEP scores that show deep student struggles.
Federal and local interests conflict with top-down restrictions impacting the day-to-day activities in district.
The day-to-day realities of staffing, safety, budgets, and community expectations.
It’s a job that requires navigating politics, policy, and people simultaneously, often under a public microscope. Unsurprisingly, turnover is rising—and with each leadership change, districts risk losing momentum on long-term goals.
The piece closes with a line from Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis that captures the paradox of the role:
“I’ve never seen harmony as a requirement for effectiveness.”
Leadership in education is rarely harmonious—but even in the face of conflict and competing interests, effective superintendents can still drive meaningful progress.
If you’re curious, read it here.