Episode
A Conversation with Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, Superintendent of Reading School District & former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education
- Published
- Dec 11, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 1961
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/leaders-learning-from-leaders-6521294/episodes/a-conversation-with-dr-khalid-n-mumin-superintendent-of-reading-school-district-former-pennsylvania-secretary-of-education/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/leaders-learning-from-leaders-6521294/a-conversation-with-dr-khalid-n-mumin-superintendent-of-reading-school-district-former-pennsylvania-secretary-of-education.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
Podcast Summary In this episode of Leaders Learning from Leaders, host Steve Barkley speaks with Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, superintendent of the Reading School District and former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education. Dr. Mumin reflects on his leadership journey, the challenges of leading an urban district, and his philosophy of empowering educators to believe in their influence on student success. Dr. Mumin begins by describing the Reading School District, the fourth largest in Pennsylvania, serving nearly 18,000 students, with 88 percent Latino enrollment and 100 percent of students qualifying for free or reduced meals. Despite limited resources, the district demonstrates strong community pride and a deep commitment to providing opportunity and equity. He recalls his first tenure as superintendent from 2014 to 2021, when he focused on understanding changing demographics, shifting from test-driven instruction to more authentic learning, improving communication and engagement, ensuring financial effectiveness, and strengthening partnerships. He stresses that meaningful community visibility and accessibility were essential to rebuilding trust and advancing the system. Drawing on his experience as the Secretary of Education, Dr. Mumin highlights the importance of advocacy for fair funding, equitable resources, and efficient leadership. Using the metaphor of “stop pump faking and shoot the ball,” he encourages leaders to act decisively when initiatives benefit students and communities, rather than hesitating amid bureaucratic delays. He describes his leadership style as highly collaborative. He believes successful leadership requires hiring capable, diverse thinkers, empowering them to lead, and maintaining a clear, visionary focus. He also explores the idea that leadership and…