Program date: Oct. 31, 2025
Air date: Nov. 3, 2025
From the City Club of Eugene:
In the three metro area school districts, programs in career and technical education are flourishing, test scores are trending upwards but still disappointing, and public funding continues to be unpredictable. How do the leaders of local school districts manage the mixed bag of variables that impact student and staff productivity? What new and traditional resources are they using to meet community expectations for our children’s success? What accomplishments are they especially proud of? How do they work together to overcome obstacles?
Now that the heavy lifting of school opening in September is behind them, the superintendents of the three Eugene-Springfield school districts are making time on this Halloween day to report to the community about projects and programs for this school year. They share the good news “treats” and describe some of the professional “tricks” they are using to boost district achievement for all students.
Speakers:
Todd Hamilton has been the superintendent of Springfield Public Schools since July 2019. His career in education began in 1995 as an elementary teacher in Hermiston, and his broad experience includes classroom teaching, instructional technology, student services, curriculum, and staff development. Prior to Springfield, he served as superintendent in Creswell. Todd has championed expanding opportunities across the K–12 continuum, including early learning, college-level courses, and CTE programs. He values strong community partnerships that support the academic, social, and emotional needs of students. Todd is active in several boards and advisory groups, including the Springfield Education Foundation, Connected Lane County, and the Early Childhood Hub of Lane County. His guiding mission is to ensure that schools are welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environments where every student can thrive. He earned a BS in psychology at University of Oregon and a masters in teaching from Pacific University.
Miriam Mickelson has more than 20 years of experience across multiple levels of public education, including as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach, a high school principal, an executive director of teaching and learning, and a superintendent in Washington state. Her leadership has been marked by a strong focus on instructional quality, operational excellence, and community partnership. She has led districtwide efforts to improve early learning outcomes, increase graduation and dual credit access for historically underserved students, and strengthen inclusive practices in special education. She is also known for building trusted partnerships with multilingual families, Tribal leaders, LGBTQ2SIA+ advocates, and local organizations—reflecting her commitment to values-driven leadership and student-centered decision-making. She earned a PhD in Educational Leadership and an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from Seattle Pacific University, and a BS in Mass Communication from the University of San Jose-Recoletos, in the Philippines.
Kraig Sproles has served as the Bethel superintendent since Fall 2021. Prior to joining the Bethel community, he worked as an administrator and teacher in several Oregon school districts. He began his teaching career in Oregon as a middle school science/math teacher and later served as a principal at three elementary schools and then as the assistant superintendent in Salem-Keizer Public Schools. His career includes serving as a combat engineer in the military and working at a community college primarily enrolling indigenous students. Kraig earned a BA at the University of Sioux Falls and PhD in education at the University of Oregon, where he studied school conditions that encourage teachers and students to flourish by establishing strong relationships, finding their learning meaningful, and experiencing joy.
About the City Club of Eugene:
The mission of the City Club of Eugene is to build community vision through open inquiry. The Club explores a wide range of significant local, state, and national issues and helps to formulate new approaches and solutions to problems. Membership is open to all, and Club members have a direct influence on public policy by discussing issues of concern with elected officials and other policy makers. The City Club’s mailing address is PO Box 12084, Eugene, OR 97440, and its website is cityclubofeugene.org.
Video and Broadcast
This program will be live streamed, and the videotape will be made available on the City Club of Eugene’s Facebook page and You Tube Channel, in addition to our website. It will be broadcast on Monday, Nov. 3 at 7:00 p.m., on KLCC 89.7 FM.
Contact: For more information, visit CityClubOfEugene.org.