District leadership
Chris works inside a live public-school system. Budget, operations, staffing, and community trust are part of the context behind everything else on the site.
Superintendent · Speaker · AI Implementation Leader
Chris
Chism
Superintendent of Pearl Public School District, co-founder of Ascended Intel, and a national speaker on leadership, systems, and responsible AI use in K-12 settings.
Chris is most useful when the conversation needs to move past hype and into decisions, guardrails, workflows, and change that can work in actual school systems.
At a glance
Superintendent of Pearl Public School District.
Pearl Public School District profile, verified June 13, 2026More than 30 years in public education.
Pearl Public School District profile228 presentations across 11 states over the prior two years.
Pearl Public School District profileWitness for a U.S. House hearing on AI in K-12 education.
House Education and Workforce Committee, April 1, 2025What Chris works on
Three operating lanes shape the public work.
Practical AI implementation
His AI work is grounded in workflows, literacy, and district usefulness rather than abstract futurism. The emphasis is what schools can actually adopt and govern.
Co-founder, Ascended Intel
Chris also helped found Ascended Intel, a company focused on helping education leaders make better use of data, systems, and practical AI in real operating environments.
Selected public record
Public sources do the credibility work here.
The clearest proof on this site is dated public record: district, government, and university sources that show where Chris has worked and where he has been invited to contribute.
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Witness on AI in K-12 education
Chris Chism was listed as a witness for the April 1, 2025 House hearing on artificial intelligence in K-12 education.
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Congressional Record corroboration
The hearing appearance is also reflected in the official Congressional Record, giving the testimony a durable federal archive source.
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Current district role and long-tenure profile
Pearl Public School District identifies Chris as superintendent and says he has dedicated more than 30 years to public education.
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2025-2026 Mississippi Superintendent of the Year
Selected as the 2025-2026 Mississippi Superintendent of the Year, recognized for district leadership and public work in education.
Speaking snapshot
Useful for rooms that want practical clarity.
Organizers usually invite Chris when they need a practitioner’s view of AI, school-system leadership, or responsible implementation. The best fit is a room that wants operating clarity more than keynote theater.
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From Chalkboards to Chatbots: The Impact of AI on K-12 Education
Official witness appearance for the April 1, 2025 House hearing on AI in K-12 education.
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2026 PREPS Conference keynote
Keynote role paired with the Hugh I. Peck Research Award from William Carey University.
Short factual bio
A brief record, kept close to the source trail.
Chris Chism is superintendent of Pearl Public School District and co-founder of Ascended Intel. He has dedicated more than 30 years to public education and has delivered 228 presentations across 11 states on practical, ethical, and effective uses of AI in schools. 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.
Contact handoff
Speaking, media, and 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.