Angela Airall, PMD MBA MS

𝐖𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦. 𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬. That was the core of my message at this year’s Council of Chief State School Officers NCSA plenary—and I was glad to see how it resonated with the audience of state and district assessment leaders. For years, we’ve added new tools, new tests, new reports — hoping they’d fix what feels off in our schools. But you can’t fix a broken system with a fancier scoreboard. The real issue? What we teach, what we test, and what we train teachers on don't line up. Some of the reflections I shared—and heard back loud and clear: 1. If your assessment system isn’t aligned to the high-quality instructional materials teachers are using, it’s not rigorous—it’s irrelevant. When assessments ignore the content students are engaging with, they become noise, not guidance. 2. We spent years trying to stop teachers from teaching to the test, but never asked: are we testing what they actually taught? 3. In the obsession to predict student end-of-year performance, we have products marketed as assessment 𝘧𝘰𝘳 learning that have become assessments, for labeling, sorting, and gatekeeping. What teachers need isn’t more data. It’s more actionable insights. Data that helps change a student’s story — not just predict it. When assessments move from surveillance on teachers to supporting them, they stop telling you what went wrong — and start showing you how to make it right. That's why, I'm excited about the assessment innovations we are working on at Achievement Network (ANet), because they are anchored in a deep belief in the power and potential of not only young people but the teachers who dedicate their lives to them. #education #assessment #teaching #leadership #NCSA2025

123

10 Comments

I had the pleasure of speaking with Lucy Buchholz from UNLEASH while at the 2025 Workhuman Forum about the importance of high-quality conversations...and why #PsychologicalSafety is a necessary pre-requisite. We discussed my tips for encouraging employees to speak up (stage setting, proactive inviting, and productive responding) and how to navigate the uncertainty that many teams feel right now. Our high-quality conversation turned into quite the high-quality article! Read here: https://lnkd.in/eAz93E_Y

313

21 Comments

🚨 FALL 2025 WAKE-UP CALL FOR HBCUs 🚨 As the academic year kicks off, I’m urging fellow HBCU leaders: We must future-proof business education—or risk falling behind. In this new press release, I outline the urgent need for strategic foresight to help HBCUs navigate: ⚠️ AI disruption ⚠️ Declining enrollment ⚠️ Shifting cultural values At Langston University, we’re already putting vision into action—integrating AI, launching micro-credentials, and building culturally responsive entrepreneurship programs that speak to the next generation. 🧭 We can't just react. We must anticipate, design, and lead. Let’s stop tweaking the past—and start shaping the future. 📰 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gVYVyZgd

16

2 Comments

I just facilitated a learning exchange session on leadership development and succession planning at the National Center for Community Based Child Welfare w/Wipfli. Key takeaway 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇: Don’t microwave leaders — slow cook them. Leadership can’t be rushed. It’s not learned in a workshop — it’s built through stretch, feedback, and time. 70% of leadership growth happens on the job. That’s why we’re intentional about creating environments where people can learn, fail, and grow. When leaders get better, everything gets better. #LeadershipDevelopment #CultureOfGrowth #Leadership Tony Smith THOMPSON Child & Family Focus

26

2 Comments

Terrific opening session: SHRM President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. addresses the shifts transforming the world of work: AI-driven job displacement, urgent reskilling demands, changing workforce demographics, and growing incivility in professional spaces. Taylor calls for a bold shift in mindset: to move beyond reactive approaches and embrace their role as architects of a more inclusive, resilient, and future-ready workforce. He challenges educators to harness the full potential of both human and technological intelligence, empower talent across generations, and foster cultures grounded in empathy, adaptability, and mutual respect.

23

Why do I believe in curriculum-based #LeadershipCoaching? Because structure is important to ensure leaders cover the most important aspects of highly conscious leadership, like dynamic communication. The Florida Justice Association's Leadership Academy met this month to explore various communication styles and strategize how to strengthen their own communication skills to further their career and leadership goals. For this session, participants explored: ✨ Seven communication styles ✨ Three levels of listening ✨ A coach approach to communication ✨ Their ideal communicator If you also believe in innovative leadership development for the members of your org and are curious how curriculum-based programming could benefit them, let's connect.

7

Leadership development shapes the future. It goes beyond guiding people toward a goal—it’s rooted in trust, adaptability, and inclusion. As I shared in this article, inclusive leadership is a competitive advantage in today’s market—especially when considering how we approach development programs in a rapidly changing world. It should also be a shared organizational practice, woven into daily operations, decision-making, and team dynamics at every level. A human-centered approach means applying these practices to see employees not just as contributors, but as people—each with unique experiences, needs, and perspectives. In an environment shaped by constant change and external pressures, equipping individuals with the tools to adopt an inclusive leadership style is essential for organizations navigating today’s complexity. It’s how we future-proof our organizations. #inclusiveleadership #futureofwork #peoplefirst https://lnkd.in/eMCZjK6Y

10