Leadership Laps
Podcast Description
Leadership Laps explores the journeys and stories of educational leaders within Aurora Public Schools, Colorado's most diverse school district. Like a marathon, leadership requires training, perseverance, and a long-term vision. In each episode, we'll hear from those who are helping guide our district toward #DestinationAPS, sharing their personal stories, challenges overcome, leadership lessons learned, and what keeps them motivated along the way. From superintendents to principals, district leaders to classroom innovators, these conversations reveal the passion, purpose, and people behind APS's commitment to excellence. Join us as we discover how these educational leaders pace themselves through the leadership marathon while creating positive change for our 40,000 students from 130 countries of origin.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on themes such as leadership journeys, community impact, and educational innovation, with episodes covering topics like the unique challenges faced by school leaders, the implementation of project-based learning, and strategies for building strong school communities, exemplified by episodes featuring diverse leaders discussing their roots, successes, and philosophies.

Leadership Laps explores the journeys and stories of educational leaders within Aurora Public Schools, Colorado’s most diverse school district. Like a marathon, leadership requires training, perseverance, and a long-term vision. In each episode, we’ll hear from those who are helping guide our district toward #DestinationAPS, sharing their personal stories, challenges overcome, leadership lessons learned, and what keeps them motivated along the way. From superintendents to principals, district leaders to classroom innovators, these conversations reveal the passion, purpose, and people behind APS’s commitment to excellence. Join us as we discover how these educational leaders pace themselves through the leadership marathon while creating positive change for our 40,000 students from 130 countries of origin.
In this special Season 3 finale of Leadership Laps, Superintendent Michael Giles, Jr. returns to close out where he began – as our very first guest in Episode 1 and now our 30th guest. When we last spoke a year and a half ago in 'The Starting Line,' Mr. Giles was 18 months into the superintendency. Now, wrapping up year three and having just received a five-year contract extension from the Board of Education, he reflects on the journey so far and the road ahead. From launching Destination APS as our strategic plan to celebrating schools achieving Performance rating for the first time in over a decade, from opening new schools to passing a historic bond, Mr. Giles discusses what leadership lessons have emerged, how his approach has evolved, and where he sees APS in five years. As we complete year one of our five-year strategic plan and board goals, this conversation looks back at progress made and forward to the long run still ahead.

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