Dr. Dan Domenech - Becoming A Champion for Children

Dr. Domenech is the Executive Director of AASA(The Superintendent’s Association). He also spent 27 years as a superintendent. “We were founded in 1865 after the end of the Civil War by seven superintendents concerned about how to integrate black students into the public school system. Equity was the foundation and is still our mission,” Dr. Domenech said.

Dr. Domenech described the current landscape for superintendents as difficult. “The pandemic, civil unrest, and high turnover are all at the center.”While some issues that superintendents must address aren’t new—the pandemic certainly changed their role. “We have training and leadership programs with over 2200 participants to help them navigate this. On the pandemic, our position has been to follow the CDC guidelines,” Dr. Domenech shared.

However, those recommendations come with consequences of protesting and rebuking. Dr. Domenech also noted that many expected this school year to return to some level of normalcy. However, one-third of all districts have either had to close again or quarantine a significant number of students. Dr. Domenech also shared information about the 2025 Learning Initiative. The plan prioritizes a student-centered, equity-focused, and future-driven educational framework. “Academic was the top priority. Now, social-emotional well-being is at the top. Those with these issues don’t perform well in school. They aren’t going to learn because these emotional barriers block their ability to do so.”