{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":300,"width":600,"title":"The Role of Community Engagement in School Redesign with Dr. Robert Hunt","description":"Matt Rogers sits down with Dr. Robert Hunt, Superintendent of Upper Arlington Schools, to explore his experience leading major school facility projects and the district\u2019s current $273 million bond initiative for two new middle schools and an early childhood building. Dr. Hunt shares lessons from 16 years as a superintendent, including renovating a 100-year-old historic building in Chagrin Falls, navigating a major facilities referendum in Illinois, and now leading Upper Arlington through a process built around extensive community engagement. The conversation dives into how the district assessed both the physical and educational adequacy of its existing buildings, evaluated 18 different options, and created more than 8,500 community touchpoints through building teams, task forces, town halls, surveys, and direct conversations. Dr. Hunt also discusses designing spaces that can adapt to the future, learning from districts that have already gone through the process, and one of his biggest lessons from an earlier project: even the best-designed space can fall short if staff aren\u2019t prepared to use it. Takeaways: Community engagement should shape the solution \u2014 Upper Arlington evaluated 18 different options and brought staff, students, and community members into the process rather than starting with a predetermined answer. Design for the future, not just today \u2014 School buildings can last 50\u201370 years, so flexibility needs to be built in to accommodate changes in teaching and learning. You can only move at the speed of trust \u2014 Lasting change requires time, support, and trust. People need to understand why a new approach matters before they can fully embrace it. Learn from those who have done it before \u2014 Visiting other districts and talking directly with teachers and students can reveal both the benefits and unintended consequences of design decisions. A new space only works if people are ready for it \u2014 Dr. Hunt reflects on a past project where he focused heavily on construction but not enough on preparing staff to use the new environment effectively.   About Dr. Robert Hunt: Ohio native Robert Hunt, Ph.D., is proud to serve this community as the superintendent of the Upper Arlington Schools. Dr. Hunt joined the district in July 2023 after spending much of his career in high-achieving school districts in Ohio and Illinois. Prior to Upper Arlington, he was the superintendent in Barrington 220 Community Unit School District, northwest of Chicago. Previously, he served as the superintendent of Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School District in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, for nine years. During that time, he was named Ohio Superintendent of the Year by the AASA (American Association of School Administrators) in October 2020. Prior to becoming a superintendent, Dr. Hunt served Chagrin Falls Schools in a variety of roles, including assistant superintendent, principal, and assistant principal at the high school. In 2007, he was named the Ohio Principal of the Year by NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Administrators). His career began as a middle school English teacher and athletic director, then eventually assistant principal, in Kenston Local School District in Ohio. He holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in elementary education from Kent State University, a master\u2019s degree in educational administration from Ursuline College, and a Ph.D. in educational administration from Kent State University. Dr. Hunt and his family are excited to be Golden Bears. He lives in Upper Arlington with his wife, Shannon, and their two school-age children, Emerson and Hawken. They also have two older children, Ashton and Braden. Dr. Hunt believes that a successful public school is a reflection of the expectations of the community. With that in mind, he believes he has a responsibility to take the time to listen and learn from all stakeholders of the Upper Arlington Schools and then focus on how to continuously improve.   Episode 355 of the Better Learning Podcast For more information on our partners: Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) - https:\/\/www.a4le.org\/ Education Leaders' Organization - https:\/\/www.ed-leaders.org\/ Second Class Foundation - https:\/\/secondclassfoundation.org\/ EDmarket - https:\/\/www.edmarket.org\/ Catapult @ Penn GSE - https:\/\/catapult.gse.upenn.edu\/ Want to be a Guest Speaker? Request on our website   ","author_name":"Better Learning Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/betterlearning.libsyn.com\/website","html":"