USHCA

We know many school districts are navigating enormous workforce challenges right now and looking for space to think more strategically about what comes next.

That is exactly why the USHCA Academy exists.

If your district is looking for:

1. Strategy
Actionable workforce insights built for today’s K-12 realities.

2. Connection
A national network of Human Capital leaders navigating similar challenges.

3. Innovation
New ideas around recruitment, retention, leadership, and AI in education.

4. Problem-Solving
Real conversations and solutions for the workforce pressures districts are facing now.

5. Action
Practical strategies your team can implement immediately.

Then we would love to have your team join us this year.

Be sure to submit your interest and learn more by clicking below.
https://forms.gle/4ntB8vMK2vtQB5w89

AI is already changing how organizations hire, communicate, analyze data, and operate. The question for K-12 HR leaders is not whether AI is coming. It’s where it actually fits and where it doesn’t.

Join USHCA CEO Danielle Pickens for an upcoming AI Roundtable designed specifically for K-12 HR and Talent leaders.

Register Here: https://luma.com/g9z06fxy

It’s a space for honest discussion around:
• Real use cases for HR and talent teams
• Operational efficiency vs. human-centered leadership
• Early experiments districts are testing
• Questions, skepticism, and practical concerns
• What leaders should actually be paying attention to right now

Whether you are AI-curious, cautiously exploring, or already experimenting, this conversation is for you.

📅 Tuesday, June 9
⏰ 12:00 PM–1:00 PM CDT
📍 Zoom

Register Here: https://luma.com/g9z06fxy

What does “teacher diversity” actually mean and how should districts approach it thoughtfully?

In this recent article from AEI, Michael Petrilli argues that schools should focus less on diversity as a political debate and more on ensuring students have access to educators whose lived experiences help them connect, relate, and succeed.

A few key takeaways:
• Teacher diversity extends beyond race alone and can include life experience, geography, gender, disability, and socioeconomic background
• Structural barriers like unpaid student teaching, rigid certification pathways, and late hiring timelines limit who can realistically enter the profession
• Recruiting through the same networks often reproduces the same workforce demographics
• Retention matters just as much as recruitment, especially in high-need schools experiencing constant turnover
• Strong workforce systems and better teaching conditions are essential if districts want long-term stability

Whether you agree with every point or not, it raises important questions for HR and district leaders navigating recruitment, retention, and workforce strategy in today’s K-12 landscape.

Read the full article here: https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/the-right-way-to-boost-teacher-diversity/?

School districts do not have a staffing problem alone. They have a workforce systems problem.

In the NASDTEC podcast, What is Going On? Our CEO Danielle Pickens, shared an important conversation on how district leaders can identify where workforce systems are breaking down and what can actually be done to fix them.

Here are 5 takeaways HR and Human Capital leaders can start implementing now across their schools and districts:

• Hiring alone will not solve retention
• Workforce data should drive decisions, not assumptions
• HR must operate as a strategic leadership function
• Organizational stability matters more than constant new initiatives
• Principal leadership is one of the strongest retention levers districts have

The districts making the most progress are not simply filling vacancies. They are building systems that help educators stay, grow, and succeed long term.

Check out the full podcast episode here:https://nasdtec.podbean.com/e/wgo-with-danielle-pickens-and-the-urban-schools-human-capital-academy/

Teacher diversity has always been a bigger conversation than race alone.

In the latest blog from our CEO Danielle Pickens, challenges the oversimplified way we often talk about educator diversity and workforce strategy in K-12.

Because students are not one-dimensional, the adults serving them should not be viewed that way either.

Diversity can include:
• Race and ethnicity
• Gender representation
• Disability and lived experience
• Socioeconomic background
• Language and geography
• Different pathways into the profession

The blog also digs into the real structural barriers districts still need to address:

- Late hiring timelines.
- Unpaid student teaching.
- Narrow recruiting networks.
- Weak retention systems.

This is not about politics. It is about building stronger workforce systems that help every student access great teaching.

Read the full blog here: https://www.ushcacademy.org/of-course-teacher-diversity-is-bigger-than-race/

The FY2026 Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive Fund is now open—with $60M in funding available and awards ranging from $500K to $8.5M. This is a major federal investment in building stronger, more sustainable human capital systems.

This grant is designed to support real system-building work:
→ Strengthening human capital management systems
→ Advancing performance-based compensation
→ Prioritizing high-need schools and closing achievement gaps

State-led applications and proposals with clear student impact will be prioritized.

📅 Deadline: June 9, 2026

USHCA is actively partnering with states and districts on TSL applications. This is the core of our work—helping systems design and implement strategies that last well beyond the grant.

If you’re exploring this opportunity or thinking through how it fits into your broader talent strategy, we’d love to connect.

Check out all grant details "link in comments*

If you’re leading HR or Human Capital work in a school system right now, this is the room you want to be in.

The USHCA Academy Convening isn’t another conference. It’s where district teams come to do the real work behind hiring, retention, and talent strategy.

Here’s why people keep coming back:

1. Get ahead of the talent shifts shaping K-12
From staffing shortages to changing workforce expectations, this is your space to make sense of what’s coming and what to do about it

2. Learn with people doing the same work as you
District HR and talent leaders from across the country, sharing what’s actually working and pushing each other’s thinking

3. Turn strategy into action
Dedicated time to focus, align with your team, and leave with clear next steps you can implement right away

And beyond that, it’s the conversations, the connections, and the shared commitment to doing this work better for our schools and students. It's not just a one-time event. It's a community you can access the entire year!

📍 San Diego, CA
📅 October 26–28, 2026

If you’ve been looking for space to think, build, and connect with others in this work—this is it.

👉 Interested? DM us “Academy” and we’ll add you to the interest list!

Some districts try something new… and six months later, nothing has changed.

Sound familiar?

The issue usually isn’t the idea. It’s the system around it.

This is what we will unpack in our upcoming webinar:

Why Nothing Sticks: How Organizational Instability Stops Your District from Learning

We’re getting into what actually gets in the way of progress—from constant shifts in priorities to systems that don’t hold long enough to learn, improve, and scale.

If your team has ever launched an initiative that didn’t stick, or felt like you’re starting over every year, this conversation is for you.

📅 May 12, 2026
🕛 12:00 PM CT

You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of what’s happening beneath the surface—and what it takes to build stability that leads to real progress.

👉 Register using the link in the comments

Candidates are forming an opinion of your school at every step. The schools seeing stronger results are paying attention to the entire funnel, not just the interview.

Here’s how candidate experience shows up across each stage and why it matters:

Source
This is your first impression
Your job postings, outreach, and visibility shape who enters your pipeline

Screen
Speed and clarity set the tone
Strong candidates expect timely communication and a process they can follow

Cultivate
Interest needs to be maintained
Consistent communication keeps top candidates engaged and moving forward

Interview
This is where candidates experience your culture
They are evaluating leadership, support, and fit just as much as you are

Offer & Accept
Ex*****on matters
Clear communication and timely offers directly impact whether candidates say yes

New Hires
The experience continues after acceptance
Strong onboarding sets the foundation for retention and long-term success

When one stage breaks down, it affects everything that follows

Candidate experience is a core part of how districts attract, hire, and retain strong educators

👇 Where is your funnel strongest right now and where does it need attention?