Better Learning Podcast

Jeff Kubiak sits down with Mark Odsather, Superintendent of Pleasant View Elementary School District in California's Central Valley, to explore what happens when schools move beyond compliance and give students and educators greater agency. Drawing on more than 25 years in education, Mark shares how his experience in a community with vastly different opportunities shaped his commitment to creating...

Katie Jubenville sits down with Dr. Gabrielle Rodriguez, Superintendent of Central School District 104 in O'Fallon, Illinois, to discuss what it means to put students first in every decision. Drawing on more than 25 years in education, Dr. Rodriguez shares how her experiences as a teacher, school improvement director, and superintendent have shaped her approach to leadership. The conversation expl...

Jeff Kubiak sits down with Jeremy Calle, Superintendent of Tolleson Union High School District in Arizona's West Valley, to discuss student-centered leadership, district growth, and helping every student find a path beyond high school. Drawing on six years as the district's Chief Financial Officer before becoming superintendent, Jeremy shares how his background in finance and operations shapes his...

Jeff Kubiak sits down with Dr. Sara Stone, Superintendent of Albany Unified School District in California's East Bay, to discuss what it takes to lead meaningful change while building trust with a school community. With 32 years in education, Sara reflects on her journey from classroom teacher to superintendent and the lessons she has learned about leadership, collaboration, and putting students f...

Matt Rogers sits down with Dr. Robert Hunt, Superintendent of Upper Arlington Schools, to explore his experience leading major school facility projects and the district's current $273 million bond initiative for two new middle schools and an early childhood building. Dr. Hunt shares lessons from 16 years as a superintendent, including renovating a 100-year-old historic building in Chagrin Falls, n...

Kevin Stoller sits down with Dr. George Hummer, Superintendent of Frederick County Public Schools, to explore his journey from special education aide to school district leader, and the district's ongoing effort to build its fourth high school. Dr. Hummer shares how his mother's career as a special education teacher and his own experience working with students with disabilities shaped his empathy-d...

Dr. Adam Swinyard, Superintendent of Spokane Public Schools and 2023 Washington Superintendent of the Year, joins the Jeff Kubiak to discuss leading one of Washington's largest districts through a rapidly shifting information and mental health landscape. Adam shares how Spokane centers everything on relationships, why transparency and "doors and windows" communication have replaced the old top-dow...

Dr. Sharon Bradley, founder of Bradley Site Design and a landscape architect with four decades of experience, joins Matt Rogers to explore how school campuses can become powerful teaching tools rather than just backdrops. Sharon shares how her childhood in the English countryside shaped her belief in "environment as teacher," and explains her curriculum integration model — mapping specific lesson...

Mark Shepard, K-12 Advisor at BVH Architecture, joins Carla Cummins to share his unusual path from industrial tech teacher to school superintendent to architectural firm advisor. Drawing on his experience leading a transformative CTE center project in Fremont, Nebraska, Mark discusses how listening to local industry and students — not just assumptions from educators — reshaped a district's approac...

Matt Wark, Chief Facilities Officer for Forsyth County Schools, joins Katie Jubenville to share his unconventional path from a struggling student written off by his own guidance counselor to leading facilities for one of Georgia's fastest-growing, top-performing school districts. Matt discusses how his personal journey through teaching, administration, and district leadership shapes his "houses, n...

In this episode, Jeff Kubiak talks with Jennifer Gibb, Vice President of Business Development at Van Pelt Construction Services, about turning school bond measures into real buildings. With 20+ years spanning district facilities leadership, bond program management, and consulting, Jen shares how districts navigate tight budgets, layered funding sources, and community skepticism to deliver modern l...

Jeff Kubiak sits down with Orin Williams, Assistant Superintendent of Facilities, Planning, and Development at Riverside Unified School District, to unpack a 33-year career in school facilities planning. Orin traces his path from architecture school at Cal Poly Pomona through private practice into public education facilities, sharing how his design background shapes his advocacy for thoughtful, hu...

In this episode, Matt Rogers sits down with Andrew Jones, Executive Director for Safety and Emergency Management at Rock Hill School District (South Carolina), to explore how safety and design intersect in modern school construction. Andrew shares his winding path from youth ministry to law enforcement, teaching, and school administration before landing in his current role. The conversation dives...

In this episode, Jeff Kubiak talks with Dr. Amy Alzina, superintendent of Cold Spring School District, about running a high-performing small school district in Santa Barbara County. They cover the mission of the Small School Districts Association, building genuine student connection beyond the classroom, designing flexible and indoor/outdoor learning spaces, funding strategies and community trust,...

In this episode, host Matt Rogers and co-host Dr. Brian McCraw talk with Shara Bumgarner, cofounder of Houston's Joy School, and architect Janann Pittman of Jackson & Ryan Architects about creating a K-8 school built for kids with learning differences. From the school's humble start with four students in 1997 to its thoughtfully designed campus today, Shara and Janann unpack how intentional design...

In this episode, host Katie Jubenville brings listeners conversations from the A4LE Georgia Chapter Conference on Jekyll Island. Guests explore what "Radically Student Centered™" design truly means, the everyday details students notice that adults overlook, partnerships between design firms and educators, and creative problem-solving during construction — plus some fun local picks for how they'd s...

This episode comes from the A4LE Northeast Regional Conference in Rochester, New York, hosted by Jessica Westerduin. Guests discuss indicators of a successful school building, what it would mean to walk into their designs 20 years from now, the value of stakeholder collaboration, the role of flexible furniture and adaptability, and the challenges school leaders face guiding their communities throu...

This episode, hosted by Matt Rogers and Katie Jubenville, features conversations from the A4LE Midwest Great Lakes Regional Conference in St. Louis. Guests compare favorite landmarks to the Gateway Arch, then dig into what "radically student-centered" design means, sharing stories about maximizing impact beyond simple building replacement, engaging students and communities in the design process, a...

This episode features conversations recorded at the A4LE Southern Regional Conference in Austin, Texas, hosted by Dr. Brian McCraw and Nick Marmolejo. Guests dig into themes like community-driven design processes, trauma-informed design, furniture and flexible learning spaces, the overuse of "learning stairs," strong architect-educator partnerships, and what truly makes a school thrive versus mere...

This episode, hosted by Katie Jubenville, takes listeners on the road to the A4LE Southeast Regional Conference, featuring conversations with architects, educators, and facility planners about creating better learning environments. Guests discuss what it means to be "radically student-centered," the messages school buildings send to students and teachers, exciting trends in school design, and how...

In this episode, Dr. Sabba Quidwai, CEO of Designing Schools, joins the Better Learning Podcast to explore how educators, students, and communities can navigate AI with hope instead of fear. Drawing on her own path from history teacher to Apple to education consultant, she shares how districts like Roseville Joint Union High School District are bringing students, staff, and community members toget...

In this episode of the Better Learning Podcast, host Jessica Westerduin talks with Amanda Vottis, an architectural designer at Mosaic Architects with over 12 years of experience in K-12 educational design. Amanda shares her winding path into school architecture, her philosophy of "radically student-centered" design, and a deep dive into the multi-year Saratoga Springs School District project — a "...

In this episode, Jeff Kubiak sits down with Dr. Heather Sánchez, Deputy Superintendent of the Bellevue School District in Washington, to explore what it looks like to lead a large public school district from both the instructional and operational sides of the house. Drawing on 26 years in education — from a border-town middle school teacher in New Mexico to overseeing HR, finance, facilities, tran...

Mark Barga talks with Larry Levato, veteran educational architect at Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, about what it really takes to design schools that serve students, teachers, and communities alike — and why the process matters as much as the product. Takeaways: Design for teachers too. Educators spend more time in school buildings than students. Great design treats teaching as a craft that des...

In this episode of the Better Learning Podcast, host Jessica Westerduin sits down with James Liebman, senior associate at HMFH Architects, to explore how thoughtful school design can elevate student wellbeing, foster belonging, and support great teaching. Drawing on 30 years in architecture — from higher education to K–12 — James shares how the physical environment either supports or hinders learn...