Dr. Andraé Townsel

Written By Tim Terrentine

Unstuck 011: From Detroit to the Doctorate — Leading Schools That Change Lives

What does it look like when the person who almost missed their moment dedicates their life to making sure nobody else misses theirs?

In this episode of UNSTUCK, Tim Terrentine sits down with Dr. Andraé Townsel, Superintendent of HPS, one of the oldest public school districts in the United States, for a conversation about education, leadership, dignity, and what it takes to build schools — and people — that don't just survive but rise.

Townsel grew up in Detroit, Michigan, steps from both greatness and its alternatives. A coach saw something in him that he wasn't yet seeing in himself, got him into Cass Technical High School, and told him something that cracked his world open: your potential has an expiration date. That warning, delivered at exactly the right moment, launched a journey that took him from the sidelines of a Detroit high school to the superintendent's office of one of the oldest school districts in the country — with a bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree from Howard University along the way.

This conversation is for educators, leaders, coaches, and anyone who works with people who are still figuring out what they're capable of.

This episode moves — from personal story to systems leadership to the future of public education.

You’ll hear:

  • Why your potential has an expiration date — and what to do about it

  • How a football scholarship from Howard turned into a doctoral degree and a life's mission

  • Why ignorance isn't bliss — it's tragedy

  • How to lead through loneliness and let your tribe find you

  • Why you have to work harder on yourself than on the job

  • What belonging really looks like at the system level

  • Why your foundation determines everything you build on top of it

  • What The Four Agreements has to do with running a school district

  • Why education at its best evolves — and at its worst stays closed

A Key Insight:

"Most people die at 25 and aren't buried until 75. You've got to go out there and get it. Keep living."

And before he signs off, Dr. Townsel leaves every leader with four short phrases worth printing and putting on the wall: Set the Bar. Meet the Bar. Exceed the Bar. Raise the Bar.

About the Guest:

Dr. Andraé Townsel is the Superintendent of Hartford Public Schools in Hartford, Connecticut — one of the oldest and most storied school districts in the United States. A Detroit native and proud Howard University alumnus, he holds a bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree from Howard and earned an Urban Superintendent Certification along the way.

Before leading Hartford Public Schools, Dr. Townsel served in virtually every level of the educational system: student teacher, teacher, coach, assistant dean, dean of students, central office specialist, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. He has been recognized as a highly effective leader at every stop.

Connect With Dr. Andraé Townsel:

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