Dr. Joseph Sirven was only 11 years old when he helped his first patient. When his grandmother, a Cuban immigrant who spoke mainly Spanish, got sick and had to be admitted to the hospital, a young Dr. Sirven became her translator. Being with her and helping her navigate the healthcare system was what set him on a journey to become the Mayo Clinic’s Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Neurology, a professor of practice at Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions and host of the weekly NPR healthcare share, “What’s Health Got to Do With It?” But for someone who most people — patients, healthcare professionals and even other doctors — look to for answers, he’s the first to admit that he doesn’t have all of them.
In his keynote address at the Strategic School Staffing Summit 2025, Dr. Sirven shared how his 25 years at the Mayo Clinic, a world-renowned hospital known for its innovative, team-based patient-centered practices, has shaped his belief in the power of teams.
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Next year’s Strategic School Staffing Summit 2026 will take place Feb. 4–5, 2026 — we hope to see you there!!
“In order to be in a patient-centric environment, who you bring in is huge that they’re buying into that approach — not ‘I am king and what I say goes,’ but more about … ‘I don’t know everything but I’m going to do my best to work with this wonderful group and learn together,” Dr. Sirven shared. “That’s why I’ve always believed that the secret sauce to Mayo hasn’t always been the physicians, because I can find a bunch of wonderful other physicians that aren’t in the Mayo system as well, but it’s … the team that surrounds that doctor or that nurse.”
The two-day virtual Summit, hosted by ASU’s Next Education Workforce™ and now in its sixth year, had nearly 500 registrants and featured more than 100 presenters. On the first day, attendees watched the keynote address, tuned in for a live panel discussion featuring Dr. Sirven, Richard Ingersoll and Tami Hill-Washington and heard from Micahel Sheehy, a senior policy analyst for the National Council on Teacher Quality, on the roles state, district and education preparation leaders and advocates can play in expanding access to innovative staffing models. The second day brought a closing session panel with Angelique Nedved, President and CEO of SchoolSmartKC, and Kira Orange Jones, CEO of Teach Plus, that highlighted the emerging trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the future of teaching and learning.
Attendees were also able to choose from over 40 sessions, which focused on four different content strands — entry, preparation and advancement; team-based models and instruction; research and policy; and technology and AI’s impact on the educator role — and featured representatives from organizations including: Public Impact, American Institutes for Research, National Council on Teacher Quality, Arizona State University, Thrive, Bellwether, SchoolSmartKC, NewSchools Venture Fund, Teach Plus, Educators for Excellence and more.
“This event was inspirational. I’m ready to go back to convince my district to do something different,” shared an attendee who works as a human resources director for a school district.
At the end of the keynote, Dr. Sirven shared his advice for education leaders looking to create successful and effective systems that support strategic school staffing models.
“My best advice is to make sure that everyone understands what that shared mission is. I know by heart, ‘The needs of the patient come first,’” Dr. Sirven said, referring to the Mayo Clinic’s primary value. “[This value] is told to me every day, from the moment I log onto my computer to when I exit, but I also know that everyone I work with is in that shared world.”
Dr. Sirven also underscored the importance of remaining flexible and being willing to learn and adapt to new situations — whether it’s a group of medical professionals working to provide top-level care for a patient or a school system working to improve the experiences of its educators and outcomes of its students.
“This is an endless cycle of lifelong learning, it’s continuous improvement. … If you have that culture, that shared mission, that team, that humility and everyone understands their roles, you’d be surprised with what you can accomplish.”
Summit highlights: Four sessions on demand
For those unable to attend this year’s Strategic School Staffing Summit, one session from each content strand is now available to watch for free online.
Entry, Prep and Advancement
Session title: Prognosticating the future of teacher preparation with strategic school staffing models in mind
Featuring:
- Hannah Reeder: Assistant Dean for Partnerships and Innovation at Appalachian State University
- Nicole Thompson: Professor and vice dean of the division of teacher preparation in Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation
- Yojanna Cuenca-Carlino: Chairperson of the Department of Special Education at Illinois State University
- Carlyn Ludlow: Clinical Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Associate Director at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation
- Lennon Audrain: Research assistant professor at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation
Bringing together a panel of five leaders of teacher preparation programs from across the country, this session offers reflections on what teachers in strategic school staffing need to know and what current barriers exist in implementing teacher preparation that will need to be removed.
Research/Policy
Session title: Reimagining the Teacher Role: How Strategic School Staffing Can Attract and Retain Effective Teachers
Featuring:
- Shannon Holston: Chief of Policy and Programs at the National Council on Teacher Quality
- Michael Sheehy: Senior Policy Analyst at the National Council on Teacher Quality
Shannon Holston and Michael Sheehy from the National Council on Teacher Quality lead a discussion exploring how state policy can help or hinder a district’s ability to implement strategic school staffing models and dive into NCTQ’s findings from the organization’s 50-state scan on strategic staffing policies.
Team-based Models and Instruction
Session title: Empowering Educators: Rethinking Teacher Leadership Through Team-Based Models
Featuring:
- Courtney Ochi: Partner in School Design at Thrive
- Marie Sampson: Assistant Superintendent at Kernville Union School District
- Steve Martinez: Superintendent at Kernville Union School District
- Lisa Burgess: Principal at Kernville Union School District
Learn more about Kernville Union School District’s Achievement Leader role, an innovative role designed to re-energize veteran teachers, provide support for new and non-credentialed educators and drive district-wide alignment; and leave with actionable insights on developing teacher leadership pathways to build collaboration, elevate instructional practices and advance equitable outcomes for every student.
AI/Technology
Session title: AI Won’t Replace Teachers — But Can it Supercharge Their Impact?
Featuring:
- Pete Fishman: Senior Partner at NewSchools Venture Fund
- David Adams: Chief Executive Officer at Urban Assembly
- Mayme Hostetter: President at Relay Graduate School of Education
Hear from leaders at NewSchools Venture Fund, Urban Assembly and the Relay Graduate School of Education on how they’re developing AI to deliver personalized feedback, improve professional learning and make coaching more accessible to teachers, as well as the ethical and logistical challenges of integrating AI in schools.
