From Research to Action: Strengthening School Leadership for a Future-Ready Workforce

School leadership makes or breaks the educator pipeline — but are we doing enough to prepare and support our leaders for the realities of today’s schools? This forward-focused webinar dives into the 2024 evaluation study conducted by AACTE, with support from the Wallace Foundation, revealing persistent challenges in principal preparation, uneven program quality, and low awareness of critical resources.

Attendees will explore findings that call for more consistent equity-focused training, structured mentorship, and practical tools to support school leaders through real-world challenges — from administrative burdens to integrating AI and navigating policy. Gain insight into how stronger school leadership preparation impacts teacher recruitment and retention, and how these findings can fuel a smarter, more strategic policy agenda. With Washington Week just around the corner, this is your opportunity to connect research with advocacy and help build a more sustainable educator workforce from the top down.

Moderator:
Sharon Newman
Principal Licensure Candidat
Colorado State University

As a leadership and instructional coach, Sharon Newman helps principals and teachers attune to their values, fostering a passion for teaching, a commitment to creativity, and an unwavering belief in the capabilities of all children. She is currently a principal licensure candidate at Colorado State University.

Speakers:
Emily Asqueri, Ph.D.
Strategic Marketing and Communications  

Emily Asqueri, Ph.D., is a strategic marketing and communications leader with a passion for translating complex ideas into accessible, engaging content. With doctoral and master’s degrees in education & human resource studies from Colorado State University and a bachelor’s degree in advertising from Florida State University, she brings a unique blend of research, storytelling, and data-driven strategy to her work. Asqueri specializes in content marketing, brand development, and cross-functional collaboration and is passionate about creating meaningful connections that drive impact. 

Wendy Barnes (Fothergill), Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Colorado State University

Wendy Barnes (Fothergill) is an associate professor in the School of Education’s Center for Educator Preparation at Colorado State University. Prior to her position at CSU, Fothergill served for 16 years as a teacher and educational leader in Fort Collins, Greeley, and Loveland PK-12 schools. Her scholarly interests focus on building communities of practice in PK-12 schools. She is currently engaged in research on structures of practice to support school leaders. Fothergill coordinates, instructs, and advises in the Principal Licensure and Master’s Plus Teaching Secondary Programs.

Barnes received a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Colorado State University, a master’s degree in educational media from University of Northern Colorado, and a doctoral degree in education and human resource studies from Colorado State University. She received the CSU Online Innovative Educator Award for her instructional practices in the spring of 2017. She was also designated as a Fellow in the 2016 class of the CSU Faculty Institute for Inclusive Excellence.

Donna Cooner Gines, Ph.D.
Professor
Colorado State University

A former teacher and school administrator, Donna Cooner Gines currently serves as a professor of education at Colorado State University. She teaches and advises in the principal preparation Master of Education program and supervises doctoral students in educational leadership. Prior to her full time return to the School of Education faculty in 2015, Cooner was the director of the teacher preparation program at Colorado State University for nine years.  During her administrative career in educator preparation, Cooner served as a national commissioner for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and as an invited panelist for the National Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). Her research agenda is focused on teacher and principal preparation for PK-12 schools.