Education Perspectives

PODCAST Season 5 EPISODE 3  Dr. Cassidy Sugimoto School Chair, Tom and Marie Patton Chair, Professor Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy Georgia Institute of Technology Quote of the Podcast:  Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Introduction of Guest BIO –  Dr. Cassidy R. Sugimoto holds multiple roles at Georgia Tech. She is S...

PODCAST Season 5 EPISODE 2 Will Richardson Founder Future Serious School  Quote of the Podcast:  "The end of the world as we know it is not the end of the world, full stop." ~Dougald Hine Introduction of Guest BIO –  Will is a lifelong educator who, after 22 years in the classroom, has worked with educators in over 25 countries to push their thinking about the purpose and practice of sch...

PODCAST Season 5 EPISODE 1 Dr. Demetrus Liggins Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Quote of the Podcast:  "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" -Aristotle Introduction of Guest BIO –  Today’s guest is Dr. Demetrus Liggins, superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools since 2021. A former English and ESL teacher, Dr. Liggins has served i...

Sen Reggie Thomas KY State Senator   Introduction of Guest BIO –  Reggie Thomas graduated from Bryan Station High School in 1971. He earned a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College in 1975 and a Juris Doctor from Harvard University in 1978. His career experience includes working as an assistant professor at Kentucky State University. Interview Agents of Change: Leaders/Innovators  30,000 Ft...

Ayo Jones Educator| Author |Creator Quote of the Podcast:  “Forward ever, backward never.” – Kwame Nkrumah Introduction of Guest BIO –   Ayo Jones is an educator, instructional designer, and the author of Teaching with AI: The PEACE Framework. She’s all about helping teachers integrate AI into their classrooms to build the critical skills students need for the future. With years of experience work...

Will Powers Adult Policy Partner Kentucky Student Voice Team Quote of the Podcast:  “I believe in angels, something good in everything I see” Introduction of Guest BIO –  Will Powers is a graduate of Occidental College, where he studied diplomacy and world affairs and graduated as an Obama Scholar. He has worked for the Brookings Institution, Blue Haven Initiative, and the House Foreign Affairs Co...

Kalimah Fergus Ayele Head of Campus The Winchendon School  Quote of the Podcast:  "Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it."  --- Marian Wright Edelman, Former president and the Children's Defense Fund Introduction of Guest BIO –  Kalimah Fergus Ayele is the Head of NYC Campus for The Winchendon School, an oasi...

Adam Smith Founder and Lead Education Consultant  Smith Education Consultants Quote of the Podcast:  We all do better, when we all do better - Senator Paul Wellstone Introduction of Guest BIO –  Adam A. Smith is a first-generation college graduate who has dedicated his almost three-decade career to ensuring college access and success for all Americans. He served as the founding Director of the TRI...

Mariam Lee  Interventionist Specialist/MTSS Lead Quote of the Podcast:   Education is a passport to freedom and the means to unlock the globe.- Oprah Winfrey Introduction of Guest BIO –   Mariam Lee has been making an impact in education for the past 15 years. She has taught K-5 for 10 years in a title 1 school and made the switch during the 2020 pandemic into intervention. The past 5 years, her f...

Barbara Smith Author, Consultant Quote of the Podcast:    "Show me your budget and I'll tell you what you value" Joe Biden, pre-VP  Introduction of Guest BIO –   Barbara Smith is a passionate educator who challenges the boundaries of "sameness" in schools. Smith's background includes over forty years in public, charter, independent and international schools. Barbara h...

PODCAST Season 4 EPISODE 1   Jose Moreno CEO Neulight   Quote of the Podcast: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” - Wayne Gretzky   Introduction of Guest BIO –   Jose Moreno graduated from Harvey Mudd College and began his tech career at Microsoft, working on services for over 500 million users. At Netflix, he contributed to features like "skip credits" and led the Account Sharin...

S3 Ep8 Leonard Cassuto,               Professor, Fordham University Intro Guest Bio Leonard Cassuto wears many hats.  He's a professor of American literature at Fordham University, a well-known voice of reform in the graduate school world, and--encompassing all of these--he's a writer.  He has written or edited ten books on subjects such as race and slavery, detective stories, and of cou...

PODCAST Season 3 EPISODE 7 Kristi Baird Executive Director Compass Community Schools  Quote of the Podcast:   "Each one of us can make a difference. Together we can make change." Barbara Mikulski Introduction of Guest BIO –  Kristi Baird has more than 25 years of experience molding young minds in Memphis. She has remained a pillar in the local education community, serving in various role...

PODCAST Season 3 EPISODE 3   Kevin Dahill-Fuchel Executive Director Counseling In Schools   Quote of the Podcast:    Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality. – Jonas Salk   Introduction of Guest BIO –   A leader in school-based social work programming, Kevin has more than 30 years of experience in working with children, families and sch...

PODCAST Season 3 EPISODE 5   Tom Haggard   VP  Educate NKY   Quote of the Podcast:   "Fill your mind with truth, your heart with love and your life with service."  Introduction of Guest BIO –   From working with youth in Covington as a teen to his new position as vice president of EducateNKY, Tom Haggard has assumed increasing responsibility in collective impact, advocacy and community e...

Cindy Lawrence   Executive Director  MoMath   Quote of the Podcast:   A lot things seem impossible…until you do them.  Introduction of Guest BIO –   Cindy Lawrence is the Executive Director and CEO of the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath). She began her career as a CPA before transitioning to education, where she developed curriculum and taught students globally. Lawrence has been instrument...

PODCAST Season 3 EPISODE 7  Pam McGorry C-SPAN's Education Program Senior Specialist Zach Lowe C-SPAN's Education Resource Specialist Quotes of the Podcast:  Pam : “The child's own instincts and powers furnish the material and give the starting point for all education.” John Dewey, philosopher and psychologist  Zach: “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. Tha...

PODCAST Season 3 EPISODE 2 Corey Mohn Quote of the Podcast:  "Be excellent, not perfect." Introduction of Guest BIO –  Corey is the President and Executive Director of CAPS Network, empowering high school students to fast-forward into their future through real-world business projects and the development of professional skills. Prior to CAPS, Corey served as Director of Statewide Programs...

PODCAST Season 3 EPISODE 1 Dr. Kapono Ciotti  Quote of the Podcast –   Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. -J. Dewey Introduction of Guest BIO –  Kapono Ciotti attributes his educational philosophy to his own schooling experience in a progressive, social-constructivist school during his early years in Honolulu, Hawaii. He taught in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Dakar, Senegal,...

PODCAST Season 2 EPISODE 16 Dr. Lyn Sharratt Quote of the Podcast –  Hope is NOT a strategy in Teaching Introduction of Guest BIO –  Lyn Sharratt is a highly sought-after expert in the field of education. A distinguished practitioner, researcher, author, and presenter, she has dedicated her career to turning cutting-edge research into practical guidance for system and school leaders. With her exte...

PODCAST Season 2 EPISODE 15 Tyler Murphy Chair of the Fayette County Board of Education Quote of the Podcast:  "Education is not preparation for life, but life itself." - John Dewey Introduction of Guest BIO –  Tyler Murphy serves as Chair of the Fayette County Board of Education. He is a National Board Certified Teacher at Boyle County High School, where he teaches AP U.S. Government, A...

PODCAST Season 2 EPISODE 14 Kiauna Browning Coleman Quote of the Podcast:  "Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed." Maria Montessori Introduction of Guest BIO –  Kiauna Browning Coleman is an educator, coach, and innovator who believes in creating spaces that are safe, comfortable, and conducive to learning and growth in all aspects of life for all people no mat...

PODCAST Season 2 EPISODE 13 Claudett Edie Library Media Specialist, Leestown Middle School Introduction of Guest BIO –  Claudett Edie, a former High School English and Science teacher, is not just an educator, but a passionate advocate for Project-Based Learning (PBL). With over a decade of experience in PBL, she brings a wealth of knowledge and dedication to her role as a Leestown Middle School L...

PODCAST Season 2 EPISODE 12  Alicia Sells CEO, We Lead CS, Inc Quote of the Podcast –  "Nothing is impossible. The word itself says I'm possible" - Audrey Hepburn Introduction of Guest BIO –  Alicia Sells is the CEO of We Lead CS, Inc. She worked with the Kentucky General Assembly to establish the We Lead CS Virtual Computer Science Career Academy to increase Kentucky’s competitiven...

PODCAST Season 2 EPISODE 11 Robert Earl Gunn Metro United Way   Quotes of the Podcast –  1. Until lions have historians, hunters will never cease to be heroes.  2. I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not. Introduction of Guest BIO –  Robert Earl Gunn Jr. was born in South Bend, Indiana and has served the community for the past two decades. He is married to Dr. Lacey Gunn...