Ken Facin didn’t plan on returning to the frontlines of education. After a fulfilling career as a teacher, principal, and superintendent, he had stepped into retirement. But when his alma mater—Cambridge Central Schools in Cambridge, New York—needed leadership, he returned, this time as interim superintendent. It wasn’t just about filling a role; it was about giving back to the community that had shaped him and nurturing the next generation of learners and leaders.
“I think it’s one of those things where student voice is sometimes neglected by adults,” Facin said on a recent episode of the Education Leadership Edge podcast. “And I think when you empower students through their voice and you develop their agency where they can advocate for self and others, you’ll find that students are very observant and offer some wonderful insights that I think sometimes the adults don’t see.”
Facin’s philosophy is simple but profound: education is about building people, not just test scores. Throughout his career, he has been a champion of student agency, social-emotional learning, and public education. His leadership has consistently emphasized listening to students and honoring their perspectives—not just as a matter of policy, but as a foundational principle of education.
Nowhere was this more evident than during his time as superintendent in a different district, when a community water crisis tested the resolve of everyone involved. Rather than sheltering students from the controversy, Facin put the microphone in their hands.
“We held a student press conference,” he recalled, “and the students demanded a new water source for their community and funds for that. And the governor, Governor Cuomo at the time, responded.”
That student-led initiative eventually led to a new water source being connected—an achievement still remembered years later. As Facin noted, “It’s not always the adults that can move things forward… when we listen to younger people, we really get keen insights as adults.”
At the heart of his leadership is a belief in the transformative power of student voice—not only as an educational strategy but as a force for civic engagement and personal development. This belief aligns closely with broader efforts to integrate social-emotional learning into school culture.
“You know, the whole purpose of giving students voice is about giving them value,” Facin explained. “And that value translates into, well, what kind of people do we want to develop as school leaders and teachers? We want students that have great social-emotional skill sets, just like we want in our own relationships.”
Facin’s approach challenges the long-standing hierarchy of education, where students are often passive recipients rather than active participants. Instead, he advocates for learning environments where children are encouraged to speak, reflect, and lead. This includes focusing on communication, empathy, emotional regulation, and critical thinking—skills he argues are often more valuable in life and work than academic prowess alone.
“You can have a 130 IQ and not have the communicative skills and the social skill set and you’re a non-participant,” he said. “But you could have an amazing amount of value, but you can’t get it out. And I think that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Under his interim leadership in Cambridge, that vision is taking shape in tangible ways. For example, the district recently implemented a strict no-phone policy during school hours using Yondr pouches—a controversial decision that Facin says has paid off.
“In the first 10 weeks of the school year, [students were] much more socially engaged with each other, much more communicative,” he shared. “We actually found handwritten notes—like a relic from the 70s and 80s. It was exciting.”
Facin is equally outspoken about the threats he sees from social media and algorithm-driven screen time. He draws a direct comparison to the tobacco industry’s denial of the addictive nature of cigarettes, calling tech executives’ assurances that their platforms aren’t harmful “absolutely false testimony.”
Beyond the classroom, Facin is a staunch defender of public education itself—its value, its history, and its role in shaping society. His personal story, rising from the son of an eighth-grade-educated immigrant to a district superintendent, is a testament to its power.
“My father had an eighth grade education… Here I am sitting as a school superintendent, being an educational leader because of public schools, public colleges, and the access of that,” he said.
Yet, he’s also unafraid to acknowledge the challenges. Facin sees room for public schools and charter schools to work together, but he’s wary of inequity and believes the system often fails to market its own successes. He’s especially passionate about diversifying post-secondary pathways, advocating for increased investment in career and technical education (CTE) as a route to success for many students.
“We tried to make everybody college ready and career ready at the same time. Well, guess what? They’re two different things,” he said. “Everybody has a place… and everybody doesn’t have to be a post-high school reader to be successful.”
As Facin continues his second act in education, his voice is both practical and visionary—a rare blend of humility, experience, and hope. For him, education isn’t just about delivering content—it’s about building character, creating opportunity, and nurturing a sense of belonging in every student.
“If you go back and you think of the most influential person outside of your family in your life,” he said, “it was a public school teacher. And it had nothing to do with the test scores.”
Listen to our conversation with Ken on the latest episode of the Educaiton Leadership Edge podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.