Episode 12: Building a Shared Vision for Student Learning and System Transformation with Dr. Michael Barnes (Part One)

Establishing a system-wide vision for your school district is a game-changer for communities and students.  

Dr. Michael Barnes, superintendent of Mayfield City Schools, knows this well. In this episode, he joins Dr. Karen Garza, president and CEO at Battelle for Kids, to discuss why having a vision for students is so important and how his community collectively worked together to form this vision. He also shares how the school district is putting this vision, their Portrait of a Mayfield Wildcat, into action with personalized learning experiences and opportunities for student agency.   

Dr. Michael Barnes has been the superintendent for Mayfield City Schools near Cleveland, Ohio, since 2021. He began his career in education as a social studies teacher and has served in other administrative roles, including athletic director, director of human resources, and assistant superintendent.    

Battelle for Kids (BFK) is a national, not-for-profit organization with the mission of realizing the power and promise of 21st century, deeper learning for every student. In addition, BFK helps education leaders engage their communities to re-envision and transform their school systems. One way BFK does this is the Portrait of a Graduate, a locally developed but globally positioned vision, which serves as a North Star for system transformation.   

• Learn more about Mayfield City Schools: mayfieldschools.org 
• Learn more about Battelle for Kids: bfk.org 
• Register for the Spring Superintendent Summit: bfk.org/summit 
• View more examples of system transformation on YouTube: youtube.com/@battelleforkids