Beyond the Title: 12 Questions with Dr. Michael Morgan

Dr. Michael Morgan

Director of Systemic Equity and Inclusion, Sun Prairie Area School District

Dr. Michael Morgan is the Director of Systemic Equity and Inclusion for the Sun Prairie Area School District, where he leads districtwide efforts to create equitable systems of academic and social success for all students. With over two decades in education, he has served as a principal, charter school director, and adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Dr. Morgan earned his Ed.D. from Edgewood College, M.A. from National Louis University, and B.A. from UW-Milwaukee. A visionary educator and equity advocate, he is deeply committed to empowering communities through education, leadership, and inclusion.

01Built to Last starts with a strong foundation. What is the foundation your leadership is built on, and how do you return to it when things get shaky?

For me, it starts with Christ. That's my foundation. My faith shapes how I see the world, how I treat people, and how I try to lead. Then comes my family, and then the work, and I'm intentional about keeping it in that order.

When things get shaky, I go back to what I know. I pray. I lean on my family. I remind myself why I'm doing the work in the first place. Leadership will test you. Titles will change. Seasons will change. But if the foundation is solid, you don't have to lose yourself when everything around you starts moving.

02Where do you come from, and how do your roots keep you steady when leadership gets hard?

I was born in Chicago and raised in Milwaukee. I spent most of my childhood in foster care, and I affectionately self-proclaim that I am a graduate of the foster care system.

I learned early that where you start does not have to determine where you finish. I also learned the power of a village: what happens when people show up, believe in you, and refuse to give up on you.

When leadership gets hard, I go back to my why. There is a kid who needs an advocate. There is a family who needs an advocate. And I remind myself that part of my calling is to stand in the gap, especially when it's uncomfortable, when the criticism is loud, and when there is no applause waiting on the other side. That's when the work matters most.

03What's a piece of advice that has stood the test of time for you, the kind you still come back to years later?

Never forget where you came from, and always remember that wherever you are, you didn't get there by yourself. For me, I know it is only by God's grace and favor, and that keeps me humble.

I've also always believed in leading by example. I won't ask someone to do something I'm not willing to do myself, or haven't done. Titles don't excuse you from the work. Sometimes leadership means setting the vision, and sometimes it means rolling up your sleeves and getting in there with everybody else.

Stay humble, stay grateful, and never get too important to do the work.

04What's a book, quote, lyric, or scripture that has stayed with you and shaped how you lead or live?

I have three. First, “To whom much is given, much is required,” Luke 12:48. Second, “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble,” from John Lewis. And third, a Tupac Shakur line about the rose that grew from concrete, and how you wouldn't ask why it has damaged petals.

05What's something you've had to rebuild after it broke or fell apart, and what did that teach you about building things that last?

I had to rebuild my understanding of family. I lost my father at a young age, lost my mother to incarceration, and spent most of my childhood in foster care. Years later, I found myself with the responsibility of being a father and building for my children the kind of stability I didn't always have growing up.

I had to learn that you don't have to inherit everything you want to pass down. Some things you build intentionally. For me, that has meant being present, being consistent, showing love, setting high expectations, giving grace, and making sure my children never experience what I did as a child.

That taught me something about building things that last: you may not get to choose the cards you were dealt, but you do get a say in how to play them.

06What's one question every leader should ask if they want to build something that outlasts them, and why?

#WWJD: What Would Jesus Do?

Jesus was the only perfect person. If I keep asking myself that question when I'm trying to build something that will outlast me, then what I build shouldn't be about me. It should be about serving others, supporting others, and leaving something behind that makes life better for somebody else.

07Who are you actively preparing to carry this work forward, and what are you doing to set them up to succeed without you?

Am I building a culture where people are willing to consider perspectives beyond their own, interrogate what they believe, lean into discomfort, and create systems that provide equitable access and opportunity for all? And have I built it deeply enough that it will continue long after I'm no longer of service?

08When leadership feels heavy, what do you turn to (music, travel, culture, faith) that restores you and keeps you feeling like yourself?

In real time, I turn to the people I trust. In a time of reflection, I lean on my faith and family first. I pray. Sometimes I need to get quiet enough to hear God and remind myself that I don't have to have every answer.

Then I need the people in my personal circle, the people who couldn't care less what my title is. I need to decompress: laugh, listen to music, travel when I can, and just unplug for a moment.

09When you think about the legacy you want to leave, what do you hope still stands long after you've moved on?

I hope people are still standing.

I hope there are young people who walked through doors they didn't always believe were open to them. Families who felt seen and heard. Leaders who became a little more courageous and willing to think differently. And hopefully people I've poured into who turn around and pour into somebody else.

I don't need my name on it. If people are better because I was there and the work keeps moving long after I've moved on, I'm good with that being my legacy.

10What's a small daily habit or discipline that has compounded into something meaningful over time?

I've developed a habit of interrogating myself before I interrogate others: my own thinking, my assumptions, my perspective, and even the things I've come to believe as true.

That kind of reflection keeps me curious. It reminds me that my perspective is just that, my perspective, and there is always something I can learn from how somebody else sees the world.

11What's a tradition in your life or family that you hope lasts for generations?

Thanksgiving. It was a tradition I came to appreciate while in foster care and one I've carried into my own family. Just coming together, eating, laughing, and enjoying each other. I hope my children carry that tradition forward for generations.