Opening Community Gathering

Opening and closing community gatherings allow us to connect as an improvement community, to get inspiration and to see where we are headed in the field of improvement for education. At our opening community gathering, hear insights from improvers who are operating at different levels in the education system: Max Yurkofsky, Assistant Professor, Radford University Max currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Doctor of Education Program at Radford University. In this role, Max supports teachers, school leaders, and district leaders in carrying out an improvement science dissertation in practice (ISDiP), where they spend three years inquiring into the root causes of a problem in their organization, developing a theory to address the problem, and engaging in iterative tests of change at increasing levels of scale. His program won the "Program of the Year" Award from the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate in 2025. Max also published numerous articles on leading continuous improvement in school systems, and is a co-author of the book: A Chance to Solve Their Own Problems: Inside the New Methods Seeking to Remake Public Schools, which will be released in August 2026 with Harvard University Press.  Dr. Kimberly Carter, Superintendent, Battle Creek Public Schools Dr. Kimberly Carter serves as Superintendent of Battle Creek Public Schools in Michigan, where she leads districtwide efforts focused on equity, academic excellence, and whole child success. With more than two decades of experience in public education, Dr. Carter is recognized for her results driven leadership, commitment to community partnership, and unwavering belief in the potential of every student.Under her leadership, the district has launched transformative initiatives spanning early childhood education, literacy improvement, college access, and career pathways, while strengthening accountability systems and organizational coherence. Her work has earned state and national recognition, including being named 2026 Michigan Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Carter is known for building strong teams, aligning resources to student outcomes, and engaging families, staff, and community partners in shared responsibility for improvement. Rydell Harrison, Program Coordinator, Partners for Educational Leadership Dr. Rydell Harrison is a forward-thinking keynote speaker, performer, consultant, and executive coach who partners with school and district leaders to advance equity and improve outcomes for all students. A career educator, he is the founder of Harrison Solutions, LLC, where he designs human-centered professional learning experiences that inspire transformational, equitable, and sustainable change.Drawing on experience as an activist, music teacher, principal, and superintendent across CT, NC, NYC, and NJ, Rydell helps organizations translate equity commitments into practical action. He currently serves as a Program Coordinator with Partners for Educational Leadership, supporting leaders in high-quality instruction, equity, and continuous improvement.Rydell holds degrees from Rutgers, Duke, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is the co-author of Equitable School Improvement (Teachers College Press, 2024). Nidya Baez, Principal, Fremont High Nidya Baez is a proud product of Oakland Public Schools.  After attending UC Berkeley, she became a teacher and served as an Assistant Principal at her alma mater, Fremont High, from 2016-22 and has been the Principal since 2022. Under her leadership, graduation rates increased from 60.3% to 81%, enrollment rose from 765 to 1,200 students, and teacher retention exceeded 83%.  Her work with Community Schools and Linked Learning was recently featured in Susan Zeig’s film Rooted in Oakland: A Community School Takes Shape.Baez helped lead the $130 million school reconstruction and serves as Treasurer on the Neighborhood Council.  As Principal, she continues to teach the student council class and enjoys working with students to create joyful memories. Baez has served in her OUSD community for 18 years.