From Substitute to Superintendent: Dr. Simone Griffin on Leading with Courage and Care
About this episode
Dr. Simone Griffin discusses her journey from substitute teacher to superintendent and the importance of empathetic leadership in education.
What does it take to lead a district through transformation while honoring the lived realities of students, educators, and community members? In this powerful episode of Voices for Excellence — part of our fourth annual Black Excellence series — Dr. Michael Conner sits down with Dr. Simone Griffin, Superintendent of Benton Harbor Area Schools in Michigan. Together, they explore the deep work of instructional leadership, community-centered change, and building the future of education in real time. Dr. Griffin brings a grounded, empathetic, and courageous approach to leadership informed by her journey from day-to-day substitute teacher to superintendent. She shares the bold ways she’s centering student voice, operationalizing equity through co-created curriculum committees, and addressing teacher burnout with wellness frameworks that treat educators as the human capital driving system-wide excellence. With characteristic vision and vulnerability, Dr. Conner and Dr. Griffin dive into what it means to prepare learners — and leaders — for a 22nd-century economy marked by volatility, complexity, and exponential change. From cultivating collective efficacy to embracing AI as a tool for…
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