There's Power in Teaching

In this powerful episode, three voices from different stages of the educational journey come together to talk about mental health in our schools. Host Sophia James , a 2024 PDK Emerging Leader Fellow and Director of Education and Social Work Pathways for NYC Public Schools, is joined by Samantha Salnave , Senior Director of Tiered Interventions at the NYC Department of Education and a 2024 PDK Dis...

In this episode, we speak to three of the thirty music teachers of excellence recognized this year by the Country Music Association Foundation. PDK’s Director of Public Relations and our podcast producer, Dr. John Hendron, interviews Terri Iacarino (Maryland), Neshawn Calloway (Tennessee), and Haviland Gilbert (Washington). They share with us their journey into becoming not only teachers, but also...

Educators Rising—the national CTSO from PDK International—is looking forward to our upcoming national conference in Orlando, Florida. In this episode, we talk to one of our newly elected national officers, Allianna Walters. Allianna will join three other students at the national conference where their future roles for the upcoming year will be determined as part of their onboarding training experi...

In this episode we chat with Dr. Doug Fisher, who along with Dr. Nancy Frey, have an article in the Summer edition of Kappan magazine focused on the import of teaching all standards. Host Kathleen Vail also asks Dr. Fisher about his “EdRising moment,” about how he got into teaching, and the two also cover details about Fisher’s book on uncovering the concept of rigor with teaching and learning. Fi...

Kappan Editor-in-Chief Kathleen Vail chats in this podcast with Missy Testerman, the 2024 CCSSO National Teacher of the Year. In her rural Appalachian community, Testerman builds bridges between cultures – families who have been in the area for centuries and newer immigrants – through a curriculum focused on a study of Americans from diverse backgrounds, allowing students to better understand that...

In this special episode, Dr. John Hendron hosts and spotlights Patriots to Education, a mission-driven organization dedicated to helping military veterans, retirees, service members, and their spouses transition into impactful roles within public education. Host John engages with founders and leaders of the organization—retired military professionals and strategic education advocates—to explore ho...

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 19.1 million students were unenrolled in U.S. colleges this past fall. Of those, 16 million are enrolled in undergraduate programs, and among those, 8.8 million in bachelor degree programs. As many listeners know, teachers are required to have a bachelor’s degree and pass certifying exams to become licensed in the United States, alth...

Dr. John Hendron speaks with PDK International’s Foundation chairperson, Dr. Angela Walmsley and PDK International’s programs and outreach coordinator, Ms. Zoey Tweh, about the Phi Delta Kappa travel program and this summer’s trip to Brazil. Founded decades ago, the PDK Travel program allows PDK members, in addition to Educators Rising teacher leaders and Pi Lambda Theta members, to explore new pa...

Teachers: Are you familiar with NAEP? How is this assessment different from high stakes tests or assessments you use in the classroom? In this episode, we discuss the uniqueness of the NAEP and this year’s results. The National Assessment Governing Board is committed to maintaining the integrity and independence of The Nation’s Report Card as a trusted yardstick for U.S. student achievement. In th...

In this episode Dr. John Hendron chats with Owen Elsasser, a current high school senior from Nebraska, who serves as Nebraska’s vice president of public relations for Educators Rising. In our conversation, Owen shares his start with Educators Rising, about his advocacy for having access to Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) in high school, and how his Educators Rising teacher leader...

PDK Emerging Leader Fellow Vanessa Buttler hosts this episode of There’s Power in Teaching , where she talks with student leaders in Educators Rising. This week, February 3-7, marks “Educators Rising Week” where chapters engage in daily activities in tandem with other chapters across the nation. We thought hearing from students who have chosen to lead in their state would be a great way to help ce...

In this interview with PDK International CEO Dr. James Lane, we ask Secretary Cardona to reflect back upon his tenure at the Department of Education and what advice he has for the next Secretary of Education. An interview tied to this conversation will appear in the March edition of Kappan . Secretary Miguel Cardona was nominated by President Joe Biden and sworn into office as the 12th United Stat...

We continue our series of podcasts hosted by PDK Distinguished Educator and Emerging Leader Fellows. Michael Odell is a Professor of STEM at the University of Texas at Tyler. His innovative initiatives have doubled the number of STEM teachers produced by the university and significantly impacted the local community. Odell joins the cohort with achievements such as holding several administrative po...

PDK International this past summer recognized both emerging leaders and distinguished educators at its 2024 Educators Rising National Conference in Washington, DC. Each inductee was asked to produce a podcast episode to share student perspectives on their educational experience. In this episode, we hear from Angela, a high school student from New Mexico, about her experiences and her thoughts on b...

Speaker, author, and podcaster Dr. Sam Fecich is a former special education teacher who shares a passion for teaching and the profession. Today she balances her work as a college professor by spending time with family and friends, collecting pinball machines, baking chocolate truffles, and creating content that supports emerging teachers. In this episode, we talk about her experience at the 2024 E...

Dr. James Lane, PDK CEO, interviewed Dr. Shaun Nelms, Director of the William and Sheila Konar Center for Urban Education Success at the University of Rochester. Nelms, featured in Kappan magazine, focuses on university partnerships with school districts. He’s an expert at school reform models and has spoken on equitable school systems and administrative leadership. At Warner School, he teaches HR...

Dr. Lisa Rollins from PDK International is joined by a school administrator from Rapides Parish schools, Maegan Schopper, who has a decade of experience with Educators Rising. Maegan shares her journey from teacher to school administrator, and how her district grew their education pathway program from 19 students to over 500. Maegan was celebrated at the 2024 Educators Rising National Conference w...

PDK International CEO Dr. James Lane speaks with Kareem Farah, who was interviewed in the September 2023 edition of Kappan. Mr. Farah talks about why teachers leave the profession and reflects on his own journey toward more innovative approaches to pedagogy. Mr. Farah is working with teachers, schools, districts, and states throughout the nation to change the way that they teach to be more engagin...

PDK’s National Director of Outreach and Partnerships, Dr. Lisa Rollins, speaks with two teacher leaders who lead chapters and classes for PDK International’s Educators Rising Grow Your Own solution. In their conversation, Carla Smith and Amy Mitchell share their experiences of starting chapters with Educators Rising, using curriculum, and how they tailor their students’ clinical experiences around...