What Matters Most in School Leadership with Dr. Todd Cutler - CASBO 2026

In this episode, Dr. Todd Cutler, Superintendent of Lake Tahoe Unified School District, discusses what it truly means to build schools that transform communities. He shares his belief that education shapes the future of entire communities, not just individual students, and reflects on his journey through three superintendencies to find what matters most in school leadership. Dr. Cutler highlights the district's innovative career tech education programs, dual enrollment partnerships with Lake Tahoe Community College, and a recently passed bond focused on creating flexible, engaging learning environments. He also opens up about the importance of high expectations paired with genuine care, the power of student voice in shaping classroom design, and why celebrating wins is something education doesn't do nearly enough.

About Dr. Todd Cutler:

Dr. Todd Cutler became the Superintendent of Lake Tahoe Unified School District on July 1, 2020. He came to South Lake Tahoe from Winters Joint Unified School District where he served for five years as the Superintendent.

Dr. Cutler grew up on the southeast shore of Lake Tahoe and attended Zephyr Cove Elementary School, Kingsbury Middle School and is a graduate of George Whittell High School. After high school graduation he attended New Mexico State University where he was an Academic All-American Football player. He received his B.S. degree in Secondary Education from NMSU. Todd went on to earn his Masters in Education Administration from the University of Phoenix, and lastly earned his Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Dr. Cutler began his career in education teaching and coaching at both the middle school and high school levels in Gardnerville, Nevada. He began his school administration career in 1998 and has served in an array of positions. He has been a Dean of Students, Assistant Principal, Principal, School Improvement Analyst, Administrative Coach, Deputy Superintendent, and Superintendent. Along with Winters, Dr. Cutler has served as Superintendent of the Lassen Union High School District and Johnstonville Elementary School District in Susanville, CA.

Along with Dr. Cutler's educational and professional experience, he has demonstrated a commitment to be involved with the communities he has lived and worked. Examples include serving as the Mayor of Fernley, Nevada and volunteering as a site director for Inner City Games in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was a member of Rotary and a member of the Rocklin Education Excellence Foundation.

Todd has a philosophy of collaborative leadership. He understands the importance of engaging all stakeholders in the education process. He is committed to doing what is best for students and has a proven track record of improved student achievement under his service.

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Episode 329 of the Better Learning Podcast

Kevin Stoller is the host of the Better Learning Podcast and Co-Founder of Kay-Twelve, a national leader for educational furniture. Learn more about creating better learning environments at www.Kay-Twelve.com.

For more information on our partners:

Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) - https://www.a4le.org/

Education Leaders' Organization - https://www.ed-leaders.org/

Second Class Foundation - https://secondclassfoundation.org/

EDmarket - https://www.edmarket.org/

Catapult @ Penn GSE - https://catapult.gse.upenn.edu/

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