EDUcation Unscripted & Xplored

What if educator wellness wasn't a side initiative, but the design principle at the center of every school policy, schedule, and leadership decision? In this episode, Kari and Mark sit down with Courtney Cook, PK-12 principal at Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School to explore what it really looks like to build systems that support the humans doing the hardest work in education. From rethinking d...

This episode spotlights the unique strengths and struggles of rural schools, from limited resources and geographic isolation to the shifting landscape of state-level influence on local decision-making. West Burlington Independent School District superintendent Jason Wester joins Kari and Mark to unpack the realities of shrinking candidate pools, innovative strategies districts are using to attract...

Chronic absenteeism has surged since the pandemic, and the numbers tell only part of the story. In this episode of EDUcation Unscripted & Xplored, Kari and Mark dig into what's really driving students away from school and what it takes to bring them back.  From transportation barriers and mental health challenges to school climates where students don't feel safe or seen, the root cau...

One bee. Thirty kids. One very real math standards test. Mark's unforgettable first-grade classroom story opens a window into what teachers actually navigate every day and why preparing the next generation of educators for that reality is so critically important. Kari and Mark sit down with Elliott Johnson , Associate Professor of Education at Luther College, to unpack the state of teacher pr...

What if literacy isn’t just an academic benchmark — but a powerful predictor of student wellbeing, identity, and opportunity? In this episode of Education Unscripted & Xplored , co-hosts Dr. Kari Vogelgesang and Dr. Mark McDermott are joined by Dr. Leah Zimmermann from the Iowa Reading Research Center to explore how reading proficiency shapes far more than classroom performance. Together, they...

In the very first episode of EDUcation Unscripted & Xplored , co-hosts Dr. Kari Vogelgesang and Dr. Mark McDermott invite you into an honest, unfiltered dialogue about the complex and ever-changing world of PK–12 education.  Kari and Mark share their journeys from growing up in education-focused families, to teaching in PK–12 classrooms, to shaping teacher preparation today. Along the way, the...