About this episode
In this episode, Jeff engages in a dynamic conversation with Hanseul Kang, the Executive Director of the Broad Center at the Yale School of Management. Hanseul shares her journey from being an undocumented immigrant to becoming a prominent educational leader. She discusses her impactful tenure as the District of Columbia State Superintendent of Education and her current role in supporting and developing leaders through the Broad Center’s programs.
Jeff and Hanseul explore the importance of continuous learning for leaders, the value of gaining perspectives from outside the educational realm, and how systemic strategies can elevate educational outcomes. Hanseul offers insights on managing complexity, building trust, and making impactful decisions. This episode highlights the power of leadership, the importance of community, and the endless possibilities of learning from one another.
Hanseul Kang is assistant dean and the inaugural Anita and Joshua Bekenstein ’80 B.A. Executive Director of The Broad Center at the Yale School of Management. The Broad Center at Yale SOM fosters the ideas, policies, and leadership to help all K-12 students—particularly those from historically underserved communities—to learn and thrive.
Most recently, Hanseul served as the District of Columbia State Superintendent of Education from 2015 to 2020. She provided strategic vision, clear direction, and steady leadership to D.C.’s state education agency, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), which serves over 90,000 students in public schools across more than 60 local education agencies. Under Hanseul’s leadership, the District of Columbia continued to make major strides in student achievement outcomes as OSSE took important steps to sustain, accelerate, and deepen progress for all students.
Hanseul previously served as chief of staff for the Tennessee Department of Education from 2011 to 2015, and started her career as a high school social studies teacher in rural New Mexico.
About Leader Chat
Cognia Leader Chat connects education experts and leaders nationwide to tackle real-world leadership challenges and share practical solutions, helping break the isolation of school leadership and address today’s most pressing issues.