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Profile: Joshua L. Swanson

Josh Swanson鈥檚 path to educational leadership began with an unexpected discovery while he was coaching Alpine skiing at his high school. 鈥淚 loved working with kids, but I also found I loved working with coaches, parents and program development to create experiences for students.鈥�

Today, as superintendent of Eden Prairie Schools in Minnesota, Swanson channels that passion into groundbreaking developments that place him at the forefront of student-centered learning.

When ChatGPT burst onto the public scene, most educators were caught off guard. Swanson wasn鈥檛. Thanks to a team member鈥檚 early access to OpenAI technology, he had already seen the possibilities. 鈥淚 brought it to the cabinet team, and they said, 鈥榃ow. This could change a lot of things,鈥欌�� he recalls.

Within months, Swanson launched an AI task force including students and educators to proactively address the emerging technology. The initiative led to a capstone high school course where students worked with artificial intelligence to explore its educational impact, making them co-designers of their school鈥檚 AI strategy.

This forward-thinking approach caught national attention. Swanson chaired the EdLeader21 Network AI Innovation Group, developing an AI Strategy Toolkit to help school leaders responsibly implement AI.

But for Swanson, technology is not the end goal, it鈥檚 the means to something bigger. His 8,900-student district operates under a mission to 鈥渋nspire each student every day,鈥� he says.

鈥淲e all have a lot of people who have taught us things,鈥� Swanson explains. 鈥淏ut the list of people who have truly inspired us gets way shorter.鈥�

His mission is reshaping the student experience at every level. Elementary school students participate in discovery groups where they guide their own learning. Middle schoolers design business plans in entrepreneurship classes and work on engineering projects. At the high school level, the capstone program pushes students to tackle real-world problems by partnering with local businesses.

Ron Case, mayor of Eden Prairie, describes Swanson鈥檚 leadership as relational and forward-moving. 鈥淗e鈥檚 uplifting and he empowers others,鈥� Case says. 鈥淭his all translates into positive outcomes for the school district.鈥�

Despite his inclination toward applying technology, Swanson maintains a balanced perspective. 鈥淚鈥檝e never believed in tech for tech鈥檚 sake. 鈥� Education is a human endeavor,鈥� the superintendent says, suggesting technology be treated as a tool to amplify human potential, not to replace it.

This human-centered approach proved valuable during the district鈥檚 Flight Plan 2035 community visioning process. Swanson guided his team in experimenting with AI tools for data analysis, helping them process 2,000 survey responses in under two hours, a task previously requiring days to complete. The result was unprecedented community buy-in, with approximately 95 percent support for the district鈥檚 strategic direction over the next 10 years.

In Swanson鈥檚 ninth year as superintendent and 13th year in Eden Prairie, his impact extends beyond his district. From pioneering bring-your-own-device policies to implementing universal K-12 one-to-one technology initiatives across Minnesota, he鈥檚 consistently been an early adopter who helps others navigate change.

鈥淭he light comes on when Josh walks into a room,鈥� says Case. 鈥淭o have a superintendent who asks, 鈥楬ow else can we get our students educated and prepared for whatever this new world is going to look like?鈥� It鈥檚 really exciting.鈥�

Swanson鈥檚 leadership shows that transformation requires fresh thinking about how new tools elevate the human art of inspiring students and educators. He says, 鈥淚 hope 30 years from now, people look back and see there was great care and intentionality for students, their learning and the whole student experience.鈥�

Elizabeth Serrano is AASA鈥檚 senior marketing manager.