New Era Superintendents, founded by edtech entrepreneur Matt Kinnaman, is a new Park City-based initiative dedicated to improving math and reading achievement throughout the nation.
Park City, Utah, September 17, 2024
New Era Superintendents, founded by Park City, Utah-based edtech entrepreneur Matt Kinnaman, is dedicated to increasing academic proficiency in math and reading. By connecting school leaders, and in particular, superintendents, with innovative strategies and resources from the companies and organizations within the edtech industry, New Era Superintendents is striving to boost academic success for students nationwide.
The idea for the new startup emerged as a result of Kinnaman's experience with District Administration Magazine, a leading K-12 edtech publication, and his role in the District Administration Leadership Institute, where he developed sponsorships and partnerships with numerous educational technology companies, inviting them to participate in the program. In 2010, the District Administration Leadership Institute hosted its first flagship event: The Superintendents Summit.
Over the years, District Administration's events proliferated, with seven Summit events held each year, supported by ten Ed Tech partners. Up to 600 superintendents across the US would typically attend these conferences annually. “During those ten years with DA, I became fluent in the world of education leadership, edtech brokering, and creating platforms for those conversations,” recounted Kinnaman.
In May 2018, the assets of Professional Media Group, District Administration's parent company, were acquired by LRP Publications. At the time Kinnaman was approached by a sponsor to organize a similar event initiative, but the idea was later abandoned due to the COVID pandemic.
After the pandemic, Kinnaman picked up the idea again as he witnessed the precipitous drop in academic progress and rigor exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic.
“During Covid we had a big problem with American education, but we’ve been having it for over 40 years or more; too many kids come out of school not really knowing how to read or do math. Our performance in those subject areas as a nation is beyond poor. It's legitimately a crisis.”
Kinnaman then posed a question to his friend, Dr. Quintin Shepard, Superintendent of Pflugerville ISD, just north of Austin Texas, with a student population of 25,000. “What if one superintendent said, 'Every leadership decision I make is going to keep in view making sure every student has the best shot at proficiency in math and reading?'” Dr. Shepherd responded positively, and New Era Superintendents was born.
Based on the premise of a focus on reading and math achievement, Kinnaman founded New Era Superintendents in late 2021. In April 2022, he launched the company’s first event at ASU+GSV, one of the leading conferences in K-12 edtech, with four packed sessions filled with superintendents from across the country.
Currently, New Era Superintendents more than 300 members, with Kinnaman expecting to add more in the coming months. “We have a lot of opportunity for growth, for generating revenue, and, most importantly, to make a difference by helping superintendents focus their leadership on reading and math achievement. We’re the only ones out here with this singular mission,” said Kinnaman who serves as President and Founder of the company.
New Era Superintendents offers edtech companies opportunities to collaborate with superintendents and join New Era’s mission of boosting math and reading achievement. “Superintendents need to know not only what edtech resources are available but also each solution's costs, deployment and implementation details, training opportunities, and ultimately how to best to integrate the best solutions into the district.”
New Era Superintendents has gathered a team of proven advisors and seasoned edtech pros that collectively bring substantial experience in insights to the initiative. The company welcomes new partners that can collaborate with superintendents, and especially those who “have the boldness to take leadership risks and implement innovative strategies,” said Kinnaman.
New Era Superintendents will hold its next in-person event on September 18-20 and is planning an AI & Achievement Summit for late 2024 or early 2025, with additional events to follow.
For more information visit New Era Superintendents' website.
