Valley Stream 24 School District Joins Digital Promise’s New League Learning Collaborative

Last fall, Valley Stream 24 joined the League of Innovative Schools (The League), a national network of school districts that connects and supports the nation’s most forward-thinking leaders in education. The League is dedicated to innovative learning and leadership practices to achieve equitable outcomes for every student. This includes inviting superintendents and district leaders to implement innovation and change through League Learning Collaboratives (LLCs).

Valley Stream 24 is specifically participating in the AI Literacy LLC to support young people’s understanding of generative artificial intelligence and its impact. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Unal Karakas and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Christopher Keogh, will meet regularly to engage in peer-to-peer learning, co-create solutions, and share best practices.

“At Valley Stream 24, we are committed to preparing our students for the world they are entering,” said Dr. Karakas. “By participating in the AI Literacy Learning Collaborative, we are ensuring our students develop the critical thinking and digital fluency skills they need to thrive in a future shaped by artificial intelligence. Just as important, we are focused on using AI in meaningful ways that enhance, rather than replace, student thinking and learning. This work directly aligns with our Vision 2030 goals of innovation, equity, and authentic learning opportunities for every child.”

The AI Literacy Learning Collaborative is designed to help K-12 district leaders navigate the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence in education. This collaborative will empower districts to understand, evaluate, and ethically apply AI tools to enhance teaching, learning, leading, and district operations while developing a tangible resource to implement in your district.

Led by Ypsilanti Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Alena Zachery-Ross and Santa Ana School District Retired Superintendent Jerry Almendarez, the collaborative is grounded in the Digital Promise AI Framework and seeks to provide peer-driven learning, practical use cases, and strategic discussions to help participants develop strategies to lead AI initiatives and foster a future-ready learning environment.

“Education leaders regularly face new evolving challenges that directly impact teaching and learning,” said Tasia King, network learning experience designer at Digital Promise. “Continuous learning opportunities that directly address those big issues, like the learning opportunities offered through the LLCs, give district leaders the insights and tools to tackle those challenges and foster innovation throughout their districts.”

Over the next six months, Valley Stream 24 will join other leading districts across the nation to explore challenges, share promising practices, and collaborate toward meaningful, common goals. These professional learning communities provide a supportive space to gain new ideas, receive accountability for implementation, and strengthen the impact of the network by fostering innovation and accelerating growth.

Through the LLCs, Valley Stream 24 can contribute to a national community of practice while bringing back tested strategies, leadership insights, and tangible outputs that can be applied to strengthen our schools and directly benefit our students and educators.

In all, school and district leaders from 61 school districts across 19 states will participate in one or more learning collaboratives for the 2025-26 school year.

For more information on the League of Innovative School’s League Learning Collaboratives and a full list of district participants, visit: digitalpromise.org/initiative/league-of-innovative-schools/league-learning-collaboratives/.

For more information about Valley Stream 24, please visit the District’s website at https://valleystreamschooldist... and ‘like’ our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VS24S... #MakeTheConnection #VS24 #InnovatingOurFuture