Chris Chism

About

Chris Chism

Superintendent of Pearl Public School District, co-founder of AscendEd Intelligence, and a national speaker on leadership, systems, and responsible AI implementation across education, business, and industry.

Chris Chism presenting on Practical Uses of AI at the Mississippi Business Alliance Manufacturers Council Summit, Grand Hotel podium

Bio

Superintendent, co-founder, and speaker.

Chris Chism is superintendent of Pearl Public School District and co-founder of AscendEd Intelligence. He has dedicated more than 30 years to public education and has delivered 290 presentations across 19 states — to K-12 leaders, IT professionals, judges, CPAs, engineers, architects, and business executives. He testified before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce on April 1, 2025 and received the 2026 Hugh I. Peck Research Award from William Carey University. He is the 2025-2026 Mississippi Superintendent of the Year.

The district role is the anchor. Chris’s AI work, speaking, and advisory work all come from a superintendent responsible for instruction, operations, staffing, and public trust.

Approach

How Chris approaches AI in schools.

  1. 01

    Start with real district problems, not abstract technology enthusiasm.

  2. 02

    Keep AI tied to educator judgment, student learning, and operational usefulness.

  3. 03

    Preserve timelines, guardrails, and source context whenever public proof is used.

  4. 04

    Treat change as a governance task as much as a technical one.

The witness panel at the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing on AI in K-12 education, April 2025. Chris Chism is seated at the far right.
Witness panelU.S. House Committee on Education & the Workforce, April 2025. Chris Chism (far right) joined fellow experts to address AI in K-12 schools.
Chris Chism receiving the 2026 Hugh I. Peck Research Award at the PREPS Conference, congratulated by PREPS board members
Recognized2026 Hugh I. Peck Research Award, PREPS Conference, William Carey University. Presented by PREPS board members for research contributions to Mississippi education.
Chris Chism on the Dell Technologies World live broadcast, lower-third identifying him as Superintendent of Pearl Public School District
On airDell Technologies World 2026, Las Vegas: live broadcast segment on AI implementation in K-12 education.

More about Chris

On the record

Public sources back the work.

Full public record & press →

Get in touch

For speaking, media, or collaboration inquiries.

Reach out directly by email or phone. For speaking and media requests, include the event, audience, format, and date so the inquiry can be routed quickly.

A short note about topic, format, timing, and audience is usually enough.

LinkedIn [email protected] 662-549-0257