Education Excellence

In this episode, Michael chats with Chelsea Lopez, Director of Education Advancement at The Social Institute. Together, they discuss common misconceptions about AI in education; how administrator and educator perceptions about AI have evolved over the past few years; how The Social Institute is empowering school communities with AI literacy through engaging lessons for students, PD courses for educators, and resources for families.

Music by Ruwin from Pixabay.

In the fourth and final installment of our series with PowerSchool, Michael chats with Jesse Roy, Director of Education Strategy at PowerSchool, and Steven Anderson, Director of Solutions Engineering at PowerSchool. Together, they discuss PowerSchool's 2024 Education Focus Report, focusing on the report's findings related to the connection between school and home. From there, they talk about solving issues with communication and engagement; overcoming real barriers to chronic absenteeism; the intersection of social media and education; PowerSchool's all-in-one MyPowerHub solution, which is helping to close myriad gaps in the school-home connection; and much more.

To download PowerSchool's 2024 Education Focus Report, visit www.powerschool.com/edtech-focus-report-2024.

This episode and the entire series are sponsored by PowerSchool. For more information, visit PowerSchool.com.

Music by Ruwin from Pixabay.

In this episode, Michael chats with Richard Fernandez, Director of Executive Engagement at PowerSchool, supporting the company's solutions in Texas, and Jeff Pelzel, Director of Education Engagement at PowerSchool, supporting the company's solutions in California and other West Coast states. Together, they discuss PowerSchool's 2024 Education Focus Report, focusing on the report's modern education workforce component. From there, they talk about key aspects of classroom instructional models, advocating change through engagement with administrators, overcoming challenges in attracting the next generation of educators, success stories about driving positive change in education, and much more.

To download PowerSchool's 2024 Education Focus Report, visit www.powerschool.com/edtech-focus-report-2024.

This episode and the entire series are sponsored by PowerSchool. For more information, visit PowerSchool.com.

Music by Ruwin from Pixabay.

In this episode, Michael chats with Dr. Richard Hughes, Education Innovation Advisor at PowerSchool, and Tracy McCown, Director of Solution Engineering, Data, Analytics, and AI at PowerSchool. Together, they discuss PowerSchool's 2024 Education Focus Report, focusing on the report's leadership and data component. From there, they talk about the need for bold leadership in education, how data-driven insights and decision-making lead to successful solutions, tips for K–12 leaders on demonstrating strong leadership in their school communities, and much more.

To download PowerSchool's 2024 Education Focus Report, visit www.powerschool.com/edtech-focus-report-2024.

This episode and the entire series are sponsored by PowerSchool. For more information, visit PowerSchool.com.

Music by Ruwin from Pixabay.

In this episode, Michael chats with Ryan Imbriale, Vice President and Head of Worldwide Education at PowerSchool, and Chris Cirillo, Group Vice President of Product Management at PowerSchool. Together, they discuss PowerSchool's 2024 Education Focus Report, focusing on the report's student-driven personalized learning pillar. From there, they talk about how newer technologies can support personalized learning efforts, why schools should be embracing new technologies such as generative AI, how schools can forge an attainable and successful path forward with personalized learning, and much more.

To download PowerSchool's 2024 Education Focus Report, visit www.powerschool.com/edtech-focus-report-2024.

This episode and the entire series are sponsored by PowerSchool. For more information, visit PowerSchool.com.

Music by Ruwin from Pixabay.

In this episode, Michael chats with Mark Hedstrom, Co-Executive Director of the Skilled Careers Coalition. Together, they discuss the inspiration behind the Skilled Careers Coalition's goals and mission, how Mark is fostering meaningful partnerships in the education space, a social media campaign aimed at helping to connect students with trade careers, how students are becoming directly involved with the organization's initiatives, and much more. This episode is sponsored by the Skilled Careers Coalition, skilledcareers.org.

Music by Ruwin from Pixabay

In this episode, Michael chats with Laura Tierney, Founder and CEO of The Social Institute. Together, they discuss what led Laura to create The Social Institute, how the organization bridges the gap between students and educators and parents, the company's gamified peer-to-peer #WinAtSocial learning platform, how the platform is helping schools improve school culture and the student experience, and much more.

Music by Ruwin from Pixabay

In this episode, Michael chats with Hal Speed, Head of North America for Robotical. Together, they discuss Hal's background and what brought him to Robotical; advancements with the company's flagship product, Marty the Robot; the evolution of AI and machine learning in education; getting out ahead of challenges with employability in an increasingly digital world; the future of robotics in education; and much more.

Learn more at robotical.io.

Music by Ruwin from Pixabay

In this episode, Michael chats with Lisa Flint, Director of Sales at OtterBusiness. Together, they discuss Otter's Achiever and Defender series, how the company is evolving to serve the edtech space and beyond, an innovative new Otter product, and much more.

Music by Ruwin from Pixabay

In this episode, Michael chats with Glenn Collins, Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Umety. Together, they discuss Umety's history and background, the value of virtual and augmented reality in education, the company's innovations for K–12 education, how schools are utilizing technology in the classroom today, and much more.

Catch Glenn and Umety at ISTE Live in Denver, June 23–26.

Music by Ruwin from Pixabay

In this episode, Michael chats with Emily Cook, Vice President of Educational Services at Bluum. Together, they discuss Bluum's mission and how that drives impact in education, the company's strategic approach to education technology, edtech trends—including funding, AI, and esports—and much more.

Catch Emily and Bluum at ISTE Live in Denver, June 23–26.

Music by Ruwin from Pixabay

New Education Excellence host Michael Levin-Epstein chats with LeeAnn Kittle, Executive Director of Sustainability for Denver Public Schools. Together, they discuss LeeAnn's path to her current role, how she is driving innovation in sustainability at DPS, contributors—and barriers—to success in climate action in the district, how other districts can go about forging their own paths toward sustainability success, and much more.

Music by Ruwin from Pixabay

Kris chats with Justin Reilly, CEO of Impero Software, a company that that integrates data about what students are doing on various devices from a several perspectives: what students are actually learning; tools for teachers to monitor that learning; and tools to ensure device safety. The software enables teachers to capture exactly what students are learning in real time as well as how much time students are taking on certain tasks and whether they are making expected progress or need additional help. The bottom line in the classroom is the creation of a powerful tool for teachers as well as student empowerment. Reilly discuss one of Impero's products that is just being launched, free of charge, in the United States, called Impero back:drop. This tool is a cloud-based solution for schools to manage and record student health information, such as mental health, behavioral, and medical issues, including COVID-19 symptoms. According to Reilly, Impero back:drop eliminates the need for paper-based reporting, providing a safe and secure place to record and store student safety concerns anywhere, and any time. For more information or to schedule a demo, visit www.imperosoftware.com.

Kris chats with James Palcik, Director of Education, Safety, and Compliance at Flinn Scientific, about the challenges facing science educators during this pandemic. Palcik discusses the development of Flinn's new Professional Learning Series, which include webinars offering guidance on the safe reopening of brick-and-mortar school facilities; OSHA guidance courses; and its Lab Safety 101 and 102 sessions, which have been previously deployed to assist thousands of science teachers. Palcik also discusses the recent launch of its Elementary and Science Stem Education Program, which is designed to increase safety awareness across North America — an initiative that has proven to be exceptionally popular. Not every product is made equally, he notes, explaining that items needed during this pandemic, such as facemasks, gloves, and hand sanitizers, differ in quality, and that you should never discount safety. Flinn is committed to providing educators with only the highest quality products in this space, he notes. This episode is sponsored by Flinn Scientific, www.flinnsci.com.

The CEO of Reach Out and Read, Brian Gallagher, discusses their innovative program which provides books to children by partnering with pediatricians—giving children a new book at each well-child checkup from birth to age five. Reach Out and Read provides life-long benefits: engaging families, supporting parent-child bonding, brain development, and literacy skills. They often focus on low-income communities—leveling the playing field by preparing all children for formal education. Pediatricians who take part in the program have embraced it as an essential component of a child's healthcare. This episode is sponsored by Vernier, https://www.vernier.com/training; Open Up Resources, https://www.openupresources.org, Flinn Scientific, https://www.flinnsci.com and https://www.reachoutandread.org

You're definitely going to want to listen to this episode with Mike Lavelle, CEO of Flinn Scientific, clearly a change agent in the education space. "We absolutely believe fully in the role that hands-on learning plays in the educational process," says Lavelle. Flinn Scientific listens to and solicits continuous feedback from educators to better understand their daily challenges and to create world-class lessons and products that are exciting, engaging, and reinforcing, he explains. Technology, he adds, has always been Flinn Scientifics' centerpiece and the company uses technology in a variety of ways to more fully engage students. This episode is sponsored by Vernier, vernier.com/training; Open Up Resources, openupresources.org; and Flinn Scientific, https://www.flinnsci.com.

Kristina talks with Jessica Siiwerski, CEO of Open Up Resource (OUR) about the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL); how SEL can be improved and how it affect the curriculum; and the tools and resources that OUR provides administrators and educators to deal with SEL issues.

Jessica's work in K–12 education was profiled in The Wall Street Journal and Steven Brill's book, Class Warfare: Inside the Fight to Fix America's Schools. She also participated in the documentary film, The Lottery.

The episode was sponsored by InnovateK12, innovatek12.org/services; Vernier, vernier.com/training; and Open Up Resources,openupresources.org

Heather Sherwood from the Educational Development Center, talks about her important work on Building CT Readiness: A Framework for Integrating Computational Thinking Across Subjects in High-Poverty Elementary Schools, an NSF-funded project investigating and refining a set of resources designed to help elementary schools clarify their definitions of CT and CT integration, to articulate their vision and plans for CT implementation, and to monitor the effectiveness of teacher professional development in CT instruction. Kristina and Heather translate and talk to this technical language which, in the end, boils down to the fact that students now must learn how to succeed in a device-driven world, and there are some real and effective solutions to do that well.

This episode also features a special guest, David Carter from Vernier Software & Technology, who shares some new news about the exciting new schedule of Spring 2020 Professional Development Workshops. Vernier is also a sponsor, and can more information on the workshops can be found at vernier.com/training.

The episode is also sponsored by InnovateK12. Contact President and co-founder Eric Schneider today at eric@innovatek12.org or log into the website at www.innovatek12.org/services to learn more.

Kristina talks with Eric Schnieder, President and Co-Founder of InnovateK12, a platform built to include teacher and school staff involvement in identifying solutions and cultivating ideas for school improvement. Joining the conversation is Robb Virgin, a principal at Eden Prairie High School who uses InnovateK12 in his school. Listen to how he applies InnovateK12 to increase collaboration among students and staff as he strives to bring 21st leadership in everyday education. This episode is sponsored by InnovateK12. Learn more at InnovateK12.org.

Kris chats with Staci Smith, co-founder of FightSong?, a social emotional reporting app designed to prevent school violence by connecting students with their school counselors. Smith and her father James, a programmer who founded EdTech company Twotrees both experienced severe bullying in school and received inadequate support from school staff. They developed the FightSong! app to make sure other students don't fall through the cracks without support. FightSong! is currently active in 15 schools across the country, mostly at charter and private schools. Through checks and balances within the app, administrators can review the status of conversations and interactions taking place between students and counselors. The social-emotional reporting app, allowing students to push the FightSong! button on their school- issued devices when they're first experiencing issues, with the intention of prevents incidents from spiraling out of control. The app starts at $280/year for an entire school. If they can save just one student from committing suicide, says Smith, it's completely worth their effort. This episode was sponsored by FightSong!, www.fighstong.com and TESOL, which is offering a special discount for Education Excellence listeners who want to attend their 2020 convention. Use promo code TESOL10 to get 10% off a full registration. Learn more and register at www.tesolconvention.org.

Kris chats with Justin Reilly, the new CEO of Impero Software, who was hired to lead the company in its next phase of growth, and Dennis Gonzales, technology director for the Ulysses Unified School District 214 in Kansas, who has 18 years of experience in the classroom teaching business apps/communications technology. Impero is dedicated to student well-being and has established monitoring devices that capture valuable safety information for educators, such as to support bullying prevention and to help determine whether a student is at risk. Impero's software also has the capability of keeping track of student academic success, notes Reilly. Gonzales says that it's important for educators, especially teachers, to embrace new technology or else "it can pass them by." The Ulysses school district launched a one-to-one initiative for its high school students a couple of years ago, but needed a classroom management tool to help teachers. Impero provided the solution, according to Gonzales. This episode was sponsored by Impero. www.imperosoftware.com; Character Strong — Use code EDUCATIONEXCELLENCE and get $200 off the CharacterStrong Advisory Curriculum today at characterstrong.com; and FightSong!, fightsong.com.

Kristina chats with Erin Cawley, program manager at Carnegie Mellon's CS Academy, which has developed a novel, world-class, online, interactive high school computer science curriculum free for all to use. The program is designed to provide the resources necessary to empower teachers in instruction on computer sciences. CS Academy wants to instill a passion in students for computer science, rather than simply consuming new technology, Cawley says. Students are programming in Python and instruction is targeted toward ninth grades who have already taken Algebra 1, but the CS Academy is building out additional courses as well. There are several levels of instruction available from CS Academy that educators and students can take advantage by simply signing up for an account, with no other strings attached (it's free). There also is professional development training and a support tab on the website available for teachers to get quick answers to their questions, she adds. This episode was sponsored by TESOL, www.tesolconvention.org and Character Strong, characterstrong.com.

Kristina chats with Susan Liebesman, owner of Barbizon Chique. Barbizon specializes in developing life skills in children, teenagers and adults and provides development advice in the fields of modeling, acting, and singing. Susan also owns B2B Management, a boutique management company that manages corporate clients as well as top models, actors and artists, including Cover Girl Christina and movie star Regine Nehy. Liebesman discusses the importance of self-confidence and how Barbizon helps foster this extremely important characteristic in students. It's also very important, she notes, for students to have a positive, balanced life to achieve their personal happiness. Barbizon's curriculum includes looking at the whole person and honestly discussing body issues. Liebesman also notes that the entertainment industry can be dicey for parents and young kids unless parents do their due diligence to check out the bona fides of those offering opportunities for their children. This episode was sponsored by TESOL, www.tesol.org; Character Strong, www.characterstrong.com and NWEA, www.nwea.org.

Kristina chats with John Melville, director of biology at Vernier Software & Technology, which develops creative ways to teach and learn STEM using hands-on science, about data collection technology. Melville notes that data collection keeps students' attention, (there's more reality to it than writing on a chalkboard). In addition, he says, students, particularly biology students, perform much better on tests with hands-on lab experiments and reports, instead of with simulations. Also, using tools like adaptation goggles is an excellent way of learning about the neurological system, according to Melville. Finally, hands-on physiology experiments and analysis can intrigue non-science oriented students. This episode was sponsored by Vernier Software & Technology, http://www.vernier.com.

Kristina chats with eight members of the NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals) Digital Principals of the Year Advisory Board about digital technology and innovation at their schools. The principals cite a variety of apps, programs, and tech tools, including Headspace; Instagram; Mood Meter; Flipgrid; Leaving Anchors of Appreciation; CANVAS; Twitter; and Google Suites. This is a quick but extremely informative episode. Give it a listen.

Kristina chats with Houston Kraft, co-founder of Character Strong, an organization that provides curriculum and trainings that transform the way schools teach the Whole Child. That approach, Kraft explains, includes social-emotional learning, character education, and equipping educators with practical tools to create a compassionate culture. Character Strong has worked with more than 1000 schools globally, he notes. The average family spends about 30 minutes a day connecting with their children, he adds, while school personnel are interacting with those children six hours a day, Kraft points out. Empathy has dropped 40 percent among college students, which should be a wake-up call for educators, he adds. That character trait, he says, as well as that of perseverance, are among the foundational pieces that students should possess, which are just as important as academic knowledge. "We're in an epidemic of anxiety and loneliness," Kraft asserts, and depression is on the rise as well. The function of education is more than just academic achievement, he explains, and education excellence today should also be about "navigating behavior" to achieve personal success. This episode was sponsored by TESOL, www.tesol.org; Character Strong, characterstrong.com; and NWEA, www.nwea.org.

Kristina chats with Helene Becker, director of English Learner Education in the Norwalk, CN, Public Schools, who has taught ESL to all ages in Connecticut, New York, and Hawaii. When students come from a different country or culture or speak another language at home, it's always a challenge to learn English, Becker notes. However, many K-12 students come from countries in Central America and have faced trauma and violence in their home countries and have enormous additional challenges. Other challenges: many of the students are over age and behind grade level; have to work; and are undocumented. Overlaying these challenges is the current national debate about immigrants in general. Many of the teachers involved in English language learning need additional training, according to Becker. Becker was part of the TESOL International Association writing team that wrote the TESOL Press best-seller The 6 Principles for Exemplary Teaching of English Learners. Among the principles: Know Your Learners, Create Conditions for Language Learning; Design High Quality Lessons; Adapt Lesson Delivery as Needed; Monitor and Assess Student Development; and Engage and Collaborate within a Community of Practice. This episode was sponsored by CHADD, www.chadd.org; TESOL, www.tesol.org; and NWEA, www.nwea.org.

Kristina chats with Jessica Baghian, Assistant Superintendent with the Louisiana Department of Education (LADOE) and Mike Nesterak, Vice President of Research and Development at NWEA and Senior Director of NWEA's Product Innovation Center about Louisiana's assessment pilot. Baghian leads assessment, accountability, and improvement for the LADOE and oversees improvement efforts of early childhood networks, local enrollment systems, and the CLASS quality rating system. Nesterak's areas of expertise are reporting of data, early childhood assessments, and the use of technology in assessment. NWEA has been awarded a $1 million, two-year grant from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to support NWEA's work with the Louisiana Department of Education on the state's innovative assessment pilot. The funding will be used to conceptualize, develop, and evaluate a pilot that utilizes curriculum content so that, regardless of their socioeconomic background, students have common background knowledge ensuring a more equitable assessment for all students. During the pilot, the department will be explicitly assessing students' reading comprehension, not through "cold reads" but rather through "books and texts worth studying,"explains Baghian. Tests will be given three or four times a year on the curriculum developed by teachers, who are provided with several points of reference for student assessment, explains Nesterak. Teachers are front and center in curricula building in Louisiana, explains Baghian. The goal of the pilot project is to have classrooms be more "knowledge-rich," says Baghian. In addition, the pilot project is designed to establish innovative test designs to promote equity in assessment, adds Nesterak. This episode was sponsored by CHADD, www.chadd.org, and NWEA, www.nwea.org.

Kristina chats with Annie Slease, Director of Advocacy and Education at National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Delaware, where she is responsible for programming, outreach, and advocacy for the statewide agency. Slease notes that the stigma of mental illness is the result of the lack of pertinent information. Early intervention is critical to dealing with mental illness in students and young adults, she explains. What percentage of people who develop mental illness do so by age 24? 75 percent. Social and emotional learning is extremely important in this area, she notes. Slease says that there's nothing wrong with directly asking a person whether they are thinking of suicide. In fact, she explains, you may be saving a young person's life. NAMI Delaware, the podcast's newest marketing partner, offers education programs, support groups, and awareness events at no cost and provides advocacy on behalf of individuals and their families as well as helps shape legislative policies to support those affected by mental illness in Delaware. This episode is sponsored by CHADD, www.chadd.org

Kristina chats with Michael McLaughlin, superintendent of the San Leandro Unified School District in California since 2013 and Mike Teng, CEO and co-founder of Swing Education, a tech-enabled marketplace that connects substitute teachers with schools in need. McLaughlin talks about rebuilding the infrastructure of the school district, including the introduction of new technology and the concept of aggressively competing against other schools, including charter schools. McLaughlin discusses the implementation and benchmarking of three-year strategic plans, and the importance of celebrating successes, including those involving student achievement, school safety, and re-branding of the district. The teacher shortage is definitely real in California, says McLaughlin and is magnified in the East Bay, where his district is located. It's difficult financially for both permanent and substitute teachers to live there, so the district invited substitute teachers to attend its professional development meetings and also turned to Swing Education for their innovative approach toward finding substitute teachers. Swing helps schools find and schedule substitute teachers, notes Teng, by trying to provide the best experience for both school districts and teachers, through new technology and software. Substitute teachers should not feel burdened by having to apply to a multitude of school districts but should instead have an easier pathway to the classroom, through temporary permits, for example, according to Teng. This episode is sponsored by Bright Light Volunteers, brightlightvolunteers.org; Swing Education, https://swingeducation.com; and NorvaNivel, norvanivel.com.

Kristina chats with April Gower, Chief Operating Officer for CHADD, Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Gower has worked in the ADHD area for the past five years focusing not only on supporting parents with children with ADHD, but educators as well. CHADD has a variety of valuable resources to support educators, parents, and students who are dealing with ADHD, including a Teacher-to-Teacher program, tip sheets, video clips, and a helpline. Gower notes that not everyone has access to evidence-based strategies that work in this area, and that's where CHADD comes in. ADHD is serious business, both Kristina and April note, which is made more difficult by the stigma that unfortunately is still attached to the disorder. It is important when dealing with the disorder, which manifests itself in a variety of ways, including impulsivity, forgetfulness, restlessness, and disorganization and not being able to do class and homework assignments as quickly as others, that we emphasize the strengths that these individuals have, including high intelligence.A This episode is sponsored by Bright Light Volunteers International, brightlightvolunteers.org; NorvaNivel, www.norvanivel.com; and CHADD, www.chadd.org

Kristina chats with Rhonda Lauer, president and CEO of Foundations, Inc., about the importance of "heart" and passion in educational leadership. (Before Kristina came along, Rhonda was the youngest school principal ever in Philadelphia.) When you take care of the hearts and happiness of your school leaders, it translates into improved student achievement, Lauer says. Everyone collects data, Lauer notes, but the key question is what leaders do with that data. It's also critical to model and customize your coaching of school leaders, she points out. Another important concept: After-School Programs, which reinforce what students need, such as literacy and grade-level reading. Leaders learn how to align their after-school programs to what their students are learning in the regular school day. Running a "learning" organization, Lauer learns from a multitude of sources, including her parents, children, and grandchildren; the people she works with; other educators; and by observing what's happening at schools in the area. This episode was sponsored by Bright Light Volunteers, www.brightlightvolunteers.org.

Kristina chats with Jolene Levin, a director at NorvaNivel, an education company founded in Australia in 2010, and Troy Moore, head of Mariners Christian School in Orange County, CA, about the importance of matching classroom design to today's and tomorrow's pedagogy, especially in these times of increasing inclusion and meeting the needs of the "whole" student. Levin explains that "form follows function" when it comes to classroom design. Moore notes that NorvaNivel's furniture, which might be viewed as a bit radical, matched the needs of his teachers to be ready for the next generation of students. Levin notes that the color schemes chosen by the schools should be specific to the vision of the school. For that reason, she says, NorvaNivel customizes, rather than deploying a cookie-cutter approach. In addition, Moore says, students and teachers are ready today to move away from the standard rows of chairs into a more decentralized approach toward classroom design. The bottom line, according to Levin, is that classroom design and space should be regarded as an integral part of the curriculum. For Moore, classroom design must involve input from teachers (and students and parents), and there's no better time to assert that than today, literally, when it's Teacher Appreciation Week. This episode was sponsored by Bright Light Volunteers, www.brightlightvolunteers.org; Routledge, www.routledge.com; and Norva Nivel, www.norvanivel.com

Kristina chats with Stacie Freeman, co-executive director at Bright Light Volunteers and associate professor of sociology at Bethel University in Tennessee about global citizenship. Bright Light Volunteers is dedicated to fostering the common humanity in the global setting and how individual students and others truly can make a difference in the world. When Freeman began offering global learning to first-generation college students almost a decade ago through the global studies department, the goal was to enable these students to take responsibility for what is happening in the world, in part, by offering volunteer opportunities through Bright Light Volunteers, which partners with nonprofit institutions far and wide, including in Costa Rico, Thailand, and Cuba. Recently, Freeman notes, Bright Light Volunteers is beginning to measure the achievement of high school participants and found that 100 percent have graduated from high school and 100 percent have attended college. The college retention rate for global studies/Bright Light Volunteers is an amazing 97 percent. This episode was sponsored by Bright Light Volunteers, www.brightlightvolunteers.org; Routledge, www.routledge.com; and PeerForward, www.peerforward.org.

Kristina chats with Joseph Jones, director of assessment and accountability in the New Castle (DE) County Vocational and Technical District, and T.J. Vari, assistant superintendent of secondary schools and district operations Appoquinimink School District, the fastest growing school district in Delaware. Jones and Vari are authors of the new book, Candid and Compassion Feedback, published by Routledge. Many educators are trapped in a "circle of nice," Jones says, by not being direct enough, which applies to both teachers and administrators. Candor is being direct, he explains but does mean educators should ever be disrespectful or rude. Districts, administrators, and teachers are often isolated, Vari notes, making it even more important to be transparent and to actively address problems by taking action. Education is not a zero sum game, says Vari. The bottom line: For educators to be truly compassionate, they need to be act with quality candor, according to Jones and Vari. This episode was sponsored by Routledge, www.routledge.com; Peer Forward, www.peerforward.org; and Curriculum Associates, www.curriculumassociates.com.

Kristina chats with Luvelle Brown, superintendent of the Ithaca (NY) Independent School District and author of Culture of Love. Love is more than an emotion, Brown says, but rather is embedded in action that administrators and teachers can take to better educate their students. It's important to have structured, intentional education with students, he says. Reflection informs that structured education, and therefore, must be intentional as well. Conflict is always present in education but the choice of whether we attempt to combat it — and how we deal with it — is up to us. Brown is involved in multiple projects in the community and teaches at a local college, so he gave up trying to achieve an abstract notion of work-family balance, but he chooses priorities of the moment, whether it's spending time with his kids or dealing with work issues. This episode was sponsored by Peer Forward, www.peerforward.com, and Curriculum Associates, curriculumassociates.com.

At the AASA meeting in Los Angeles, in the midst of Valentine's Day, Kristina interviews school superintendents and other educational leaders asking one transcendent question: What's love got do with education? In this brief special episode, find out what these leaders have to say about why love and happiness are vitally important as a practical concept in education today.

Kristina talks with Keith Frome, the co-founder and CEO of PeerForward and Gary Linnen, Managing Director for Program Innovation and Operations, about the history and mission of PeerForward, which in its original incarnation (College Summit) was founded on the principle that the most influential person to a 17-year-old was another 17-year-old. The guests discussed the Youth Activation Summit, which PeerForward produced last summer along with Facebook. The summit, in which school districts from all across the country participated, was designed to help schools solve a wide assortment of issues, including grading policies and bullying, which could be solved through the power of positive peer influence, support, and guidance. In one case, it resulted in a lively discussion of possible solutions to a high school bullying problem, which ultimately resulted in a mayor implementing a "kindness" day around what happened at the summit. PeerForward also is now involved in the peer influence for vulnerable college students. The bottom line of PeerForward training is that instead of seeing students as problems to be solved, students should be viewed as problem solvers. This episode was sponsored by PeerForward, www.peerforward.com, Curriculum Associates, www.curriculumassociates.com; NWEA, www.nwea.org, and Better Lesson, https://betterlesson.com.

Kristina chats with Michelle Fleming, principal at Lake Park Elementary School in the Palm Beach School District in Florida, the 10th largest school district in the country, although the Lake Park Elementary School (which Burt Reynolds attended) is relatively small. The school is 98 percent minority, including with 33 percent of the student body being Haitian Creole, she notes. The school has implemented iReady to overcome its literacy proficiency of only 25 percent. Now, the school is off of the state's list of low-performing schools. According to Fleming, the iReady books and the data produced by iReady, a product of Curriculum Associates, have been a game-changer for the school. In need of funds to purchase iReady, Fleming engaged in a GoFundMe campaign — very successfully. In a Title I school, "you're your own marketing agent," Fleming notes. iReady really pushes students and has a wide range of offerings, she adds. This episode was sponsored by NWEA, www.nwea.org, Better Lesson, https://betterlesson.com, and Curriculum Associates, Curriculumassociates.com

In Special Episode #1, Kristina chats with Sen. Tom Carper from Delaware about repurposing the GM plant in Delaware for STEM education, the importance of happiness, and why emphasizing potential in education is paramount. Sen. Carper also describes why charter schools and public school choice are important concepts. He explains why putting together a consortium of science companies, including DuPont, to develop a STEM high school called the Charter School of Delaware, which is now one of the top 10 public schools in the country, is one of the proudest moments of his career. Carper also talks about how being a Principal for a Day is a very rewarding experience for him. And you definitely want to hear Sen. Carper's story about the rewards of mentoring.

Kristina chats with Rick Jetter, co-author of the book, Let Them Speak!, and co-founder of Pushing Boundaries about student voice, one of the "new," "cool" terms in education. Student voice isn't really "new," and shouldn't be viewed as just a "cool" buzzword, he notes. Really, Jetter says, student voice is about partnerships with students and asking them what they think about lessons, programs, or initiatives. Jetter has been collecting student narratives for years, and these narratives have become a pathway for really hearing student voices. When shared with boards of education, for example, it can lead to real-world changes in education policy, such as with anti-bullying programs. Pendergast in Arizona had created a true student discourse, and it's making a real difference, he says. Educators work with staff all the time, so why don't we also bring in students when making decisions, he asks, adding that such inclusion "is not treason." The bottom line, he says, is that student voice activates happiness, which, in turn, can result in education excellence. Jetter's final piece of advice: Activate student voice by doing one thing tomorrow to create a better partnership with kids, and don't postpone because the calendar says "wait." This episode was sponsored by NWEA, www.nwea.org and Better Lesson, https://betterlesson.com.

In this inaugural episode, host Kristina MacBury chats with Dwight Carter, a former high school principal in Central Ohio and NASSP Digital Principal of the Year. Carter, a co-author of several books on education, is currently an Effectiveness Coach for Dynamix. Carter describes his education excellence mission as doing something every day to positively impact students. In his book, Leading Schools in Disruptive Times, he explains the positivity comes from CAT (Cope, Adjust, and Transform). Carter discusses how he reacted to racist graffiti at his school—being visible and providing reassurance to his staff and students. Carter talks about Dynanix's launch of Be GREAT Huddle, as a means to implement positivity, and which will include a private Facebook group, which you might want to consider joining. External recognition and intrinsic motivation—two extremely important concepts in education—need to be balanced, Carter notes. Other significant education excellence aphorisms: Good grades don't always translate into happiness. It's important to create boundaries for electronic devices, which students really are looking for. This episode was sponsored by NWEA, www.nwea.org and Better Lesson, https://betterlesson.com.