{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The So What Podcast","title":"Building Belonging at Scale: Leading Diverse Communities with Michael Giles","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2228,"description":"In this episode of The So What Podcast, host Shweta Gandhi, CEO and Founder of Strived, sits down with Michael Giles, Superintendent of Aurora Public Schools, to explore what it takes to lead one of the most diverse school districts in the country.\nServing over 38,000 students across more than 160 languages, Michael shares his unconventional journey into education, beginning with his work in juvenile justice. That early experience shaped his belief that schools must be proactive systems of support, not reactive ones, and continues to influence how he leads today.\nMichael walks through how Aurora Public Schools built its strategic plan by deeply engaging the community, combining qualitative insights with quantitative data, and aligning everything to clear goals around student outcomes. He explains how creating a sense of belonging at scale requires intentional hiring, ongoing professional development, and reimagining schools as community hubs that support the whole child and family.\nThe conversation also dives into the realities of leading in today's environment, including navigating politics, funding challenges, and the complexities of school choice. Michael shares how his district is embracing AI thoughtfully, building governance structures, and preparing educators and communities for its impact.\nThroughout the episode, Michael emphasizes the importance of transparency, culture, and authenticity in leadership, and why creating the right conditions for students and educators is the foundation for long-term success.\nKey Moments\n01:26 Transition from juvenile justice to education\n03:41 The importance of connection and belonging in learning\n05:21 Building inclusive systems in a highly diverse district\n07:36 Creating schools as community hubs for families\n10:24 Using qualitative and quantitative data to shape strategy\n12:50 Aligning strategic plans with measurable outcomes\n13:10 The challenge of fragmented data systems\n14:32 Building centralized dashboards for...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/8_IWhcz1UYVz_u51Qd70LxMgREGfVeVtbh_cyiQHgMk/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8yMzcw/ZDBhNTFkMjFhY2Rh/MTI1MTQyMTQzN2I0/ZDBiZC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}