The Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP) is proud to launch the second cohort of the Innovative Leaders Network (ILN) for the 2025–26 school year. This redesigned, two-tiered program offers scaffolded, hands-on learning designed to equip forward-thinking leaders with the tools, strategies, and mindsets required to lead schools in an AI-integrated, student-centered, and future-ready landscape.
Year 1: Discover & Learn
Participants in Year 1 will engage in a foundational journey built around the “why” and “what’s possible” of educational innovation—through a progression of webinars, site visits, and intersession reflections aligned to three key innovation domains.
- The year begins with From ReOpen to ReInvent by Michael Horn, which grounds participants in a compelling rationale for transformative change. Each chapter is paired with reflection prompts, collaborative discussion, and leadership application.
- Explore & Discover: Through school visits and guided discussions, participants will observe, unpack, and reflect on:
- Innovative Structures and Approaches for Personalizing Learning (e.g., School-Within-a-School, academies, microschools)
- Instructional Models and Supports for Student Success (e.g., Modern Classrooms, mastery-based models, interdisciplinary design)
- Tools and Technologies to Improve Outcomes (e.g., AI, adaptive platforms, flexible learning systems)
Tools like SchoolAI will be embedded throughout to demonstrate best practices in AI integration, allowing participants to see leading-edge applications firsthand.
Year 2: Lead & Transform
Year 2 offers returning members the opportunity to deepen their learning through direct application. Participants will:
- Conduct action research within their schools focused on one of the three innovation domains.
- Receive dedicated coaching to refine their leadership and guide implementation.
- Collaborate in a statewide learning network to share progress, reflect on challenges, and celebrate wins.
- Participants will synthesize insights from Year 1, test innovative strategies in their context, and document lessons learned to share across the ILN network.
This experience empowers leaders to take thoughtful risks, build change momentum, and model future-ready practices within their own systems.
Innovation Domains
Each domain provides a lens for inquiry, planning, and implementation. Participants will select a domain focus for reflection (Year 1) or implementation (Year 2). Each session throughout the year will align to one of three critical innovation domains:
1. Innovative Structures and Approaches for Personalizing Learning
Redesign systems and structures to promote inclusive, community-rooted learning. Strategies may include:
- Flexible Scheduling
- School-Within-a-School
- Academy-Based Pathways
- Microschools and Learning Pods
- Community Schools
2. Innovative Instructional Models and Supports for Student Success
Reimagine curriculum and student supports to increase engagement, agency, and success. Focus areas include:
- Mastery- and Competency-Based Learning
- Portrait of a Graduate
- Blended Credit and Dual Enrollment Opportunities
- Student Wellness, SEL, and Re-engagement Strategies
- Project-Based and Interdisciplinary Learning
- Disciplinary Literacy Models
3. Innovative Tools and Technologies to Improve Outcomes
Deploy emerging technologies to enhance instruction, leadership, and student outcomes:
- AI Tools: SchoolAI, Brisk Teaching, Fyxer
- Adaptive Platforms: Khan Academy, DreamBox, MyPath
- VR/AR & Gamification Tools
- Advanced LMS and Content Creation Platforms
- Data Analytics: Munetrix, Tableau, HeroK12
- Personal Productivity and Automation Tools
Investment
$350/person for the entirety of the school year
ILN is more than a professional learning series—it is a strategic investment in the future of Michigan’s school leadership. By developing leaders who can design, test, and scale innovative models aligned to student needs and system challenges, MASSP is advancing its broader mission. ILN directly supports MASSP’s Strategic Plan by building connected leaders (Pillar 1), overcoming systemic barriers (Pillar 2), and initiating educational change through innovation (Pillar 3). Each element of the program—from its collaborative book study and virtual design sessions to school visits and embedded AI modeling—intentionally supports leaders in designing future-ready systems that meet the evolving needs of their schools and communities.
Together, ILN leaders are not just waiting for the future of education—they are actively shaping it.
Questions? Please contact Ryan Cayce, Associate Director of Digital Learning & Innovation, via ryan@massp.com