Thought Leadership
Meet Our Thought Leaders
Decades of experience. A shared commitment to helping education leaders turn data into clarity, strategy, and measurable action.
John Gatta, Ph.D.
President/CEO
John Gatta, Ph.D., is President/CEO of ECRA and an Associate Professor at Northwestern University specializing in statistics, predictive analytics, and machine learning. An award-winning educator and statistician, he brings a unique combination of academic, technical, management, and leadership experience to helping school systems use research and analytics for continuous improvement. Dr. Gatta serves as chief architect of ECRA’s analytic infrastructure, including its data structures, prediction algorithms, and reporting systems.
Mike Lubelfeld, Ed.D.
Vice President
Michael Lubelfeld, Ed.D., is a Vice President at ECRA and a nationally recognized educational leader, author, speaker, and former public school superintendent with more than 25 years of leadership experience. He served as an Illinois superintendent from 2010 to 2026, most recently leading North Shore School District 112, and his areas of expertise include leadership development, generative AI in education, student voice, change leadership, and future-ready school systems.
Upcoming Webinars
Join John Gatta and Mike Lubelfeld for a four-part webinar series designed for education leaders who want to focus on what matters, act earlier, communicate impact, and make stronger strategic decisions.
Wednesday
Sept. 23, 2026
1:00 PM CT
Great Leaders Focus on What Matters
Learn how to separate the urgent from the important, and how to tell in advance which of today’s decisions will still matter in twenty years. Dr. Michael Lubelfeld and Dr. John Gatta open the four-part Leadership Series by offering a leadership challenge to articulate and quantify the outcomes that matter most. Lessons learned will be shared about how to keep the few things that matter in public view. As the adage goes, the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. Participants will leave with an understanding of how to stay focused on what matters to improve their school.
Wednesday
Oct. 28, 2026
11:00 AM CT
What Is a Future-Focused Leader?
Looking ahead does not require a crystal ball; it requires seeing the signals already in front of you. Learn how future-focused leaders use prediction models to look around corners by using the information their district already has to see which students may need support before those students appear on anyone’s list. Dr. Michael Lubelfeld and Dr. John Gatta examine the profile of students that leaders are not worried about, and demonstrate how school Improvement (mission, vision, values, goals & goal setting) processes that include early warning systems can identify hidden needs, focus attention earlier, and create the conditions every student needs to succeed.
Wednesday
Nov. 18, 2026
11:00 AM CT
Just Say No
Saying no is not retreat; it is how leaders protect the few priorities that can move the needle. Learn how courageous leaders decide what to stop, not from instinct alone, but from evidence about whether a program produced enough impact to earn another year of attention and funding. Dr. Michael Lubelfeld and Dr. John Gatta discuss the construct of Academic Return on Investment (ROI) as a leadership approach to drive student outcomes. Participants will leave with an understanding of how to use prediction models to set evidence-based thresholds for program impact, promoting clearer decisions about which programs to keep and which to cut.
All ECRA Webinars and Events
Explore all upcoming ECRA webinars and events for more opportunities to connect, learn, and discover new ways to put data and predictive analytics into action.