Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity

What qualities do successful school systems share. Education journalist Beth Hawkins gives her perspective from what she has seen in her extensive reporting.

Education transformation evangelist, Jaime Casap , asks – and begins to answer – "What's holding us back as a nation from truly reforming our education system?"

In this episode, "human-focused" thought leader, Mark LeBusque – educator, trainer, speaker, podcaster, author, coach – asks and answers a provocative question: "What would happen if I treated my colleagues like human beings?"

Sometimes circumstances are the catalyst for driving a change that you never anticipated. Assistant Principal, Jamahl Hines relates his experience in this story of transformation.

If you could ensure that students develop one skill in school, what would it be? Educator and attorney, Colin Seale , argues for thinking critically.

The world is rapidly changing. So, too, are the needs of tomorrow's workforce. How do we change education accordingly? Education reformer Grant Lichtman explains.

How do you lead people effectively when nothing is as it used to be? Principal JoAnne Duncan explains that connecting with people begins with listening.

Innovation is often described in terms of its process – the mechanics of harnessing ingenuity. David Price (OBE) points the spotlight on the people powering the process.

What distinguishes good teachers from "the best" teachers? (It's not content knowledge.) Thought-leader of change in education, Dr. Robert Quinn provides an absorbing answer.

How might we figuratively break down the walls of the classroom and share ideas in an effort to improve teaching and learning? Ben Owens , CEO of Open Way Learning explains why and how we need to do just that.

How do we best prepare kids to succeed in today's fast-evolving world? STEAM coordinator Andrew Sachs explains how part of the answers comes down to one word: teamwork.

A lot of times when we ask why we are doing something in education a certain way, we get the answer "Because we've always done it that way." One educator who challenges that assumption is Melissa Romano , candidate for Montana State Superintendent of Instruction. And she challenges that assumption with a question that asks us to stop and think, "Are we doing what's best for kids now?"

The educational research is pretty clear: two critical factors move the student success dial the most (1) understanding how teachers think about their instruction and student learning, (2) how students learn, and the intersection of the two. Educational researcher Professor John Hattie explains.

Innovating in today's schools is tough for a number of reasons. There are historic barriers and sometimes frankly, there's the inertia of leadership. One easy way to innovate and bring some pretty interesting results for kids, however, is to literally step outside the walls of the classroom and school. Long-time educational observer and reformer, Tom Vander Ark explains "The Power of Place."

We all like to think we're working hard, right? The sad fact, though, is that most of us spend a lot of time doing "fake work," which is emotionally draining and non-productive. And someone who has researched the concept of fake work and seen a lot of it first hand – and sometimes engaged in it – is Gaylan Nielson , author of Stop Fake Work in Education . Listen in as Gaylan defines "fake work" an...

How do you teach during these challenging times? Experiment. Try something. Try something else. And above all, nurture student relationships. Teacher and education technology master Chris Nesi explains.

How do we move forward as a national around the discussion of race? We start, says principal Anthony McWright , by acknowledging our biases.

Why won't a cooker-cutter approach to transforming schools work? Principal of the innovative Science Leadership Academy, Chris Lehmann explains.

Today we welcome Dimitry Anselme , the Executive Program Director for Professional Learning and Support at "Facing History and Ourselves." The mission of this nonprofit organization is to use lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. In this episode, we'll learn about Dimitri's and Facing History's vision for how schools can create educational exp...

"The best thing we can ever do for kids is help them find their 'why' in life." Dr. Ken Wallace , Superintendent of District 207 in Park Ridge, Illinois explains why and what happens when schools don't.

Fundamental to changing schools so that they're more beneficial to a student's future is understanding how students learn. Neuroscience researcher Melissa Hughes Ph. D . explains.

Innovating in education just to innovate is pointless. Ideas on how to change education abound. The key, according to veteran principal Evan Robb is to align everyone around a vision of student success.

Whether you're a parent, an educator, or just a concerned citizen, you have a big stake in what happens in our classrooms – the incubators of our future. If you listen to education transformation advocates, we need to change those incubators by recognizing that we're in a post-industrial society and build an educational system that better prepares children for it.  To support that discussion, we w...

Today we welcome Mike Oliver , Principal of Zaharis Elementary School in Mesa Arizona. Mike and his team have shaped this extraordinary school over the past 18 years. It brings to life many of the principles of change called for by the transformation advocates: agency for students and teachers; real-world problem solving; opportunities for collaboration and innovation; social and emotional develop...

Whether you're a parent, an educator, or a concerned citizen, you have a big stake in what happens in our classrooms – the incubators of our future. If you listen to education transformation advocates, we need to build an educational system that better prepares children for our post-industrial age. The problem is most school systems are still rooted in competition, the status quo, and trying to ma...