Beyond The Syllabus

In this episode of Beyond the Syllabus, host Aidan McDowell talks with Dr. Gordon Amerson, Superintendent of Valverde Unified School District (CA). A former minor-league baseball prospect turned lifelong educator, Dr. Amerson shares how his 25-year journey—from classroom teacher to superintendent, Gallup CliftonStrengths coach, and founder of Principal Ed & Office Hours that shapes a leadershi...

In this episode of Beyond the Syllabus , we talk with Dr. John Mulford , Superintendent of Fayetteville Public Schools in Arkansas. With decades of leadership experience and a deep personal commitment to relational trust, Dr. Mulford opens up about what it takes to create a school system that works for everyone — not just the high achievers. He walks us through his district’s “Belonging Through a...

In this episode of Beyond the Syllabus , we head to rural Florida to hear from Dr. Richard Surrency , Superintendent of Putnam County School District. With decades of experience as a teacher, principal, and now district leader, Dr. Surrency brings a boots-on-the-ground perspective to one of the biggest questions in education today: How do we prepare students for a future that’s already changing? W...

In this episode of Beyond the Syllabus , we sit down with Dr. Greggory R. Slate , Superintendent of Davidson County Schools in North Carolina, who brings both vision and lived leadership experience to this essential transformation. With a background in school improvement, trauma-informed practice, and a personal journey shaped by loss, Dr. Slate shares why the heart of education must shift from te...

In the debut episode of Beyond the Syllabus , we sit down with Rick Cohen, Chief Academic Officer of Edison Township Public Schools and a leading voice in translating the science of learning into real-world classroom practice. From his beginnings in juvenile detention centers to becoming a published expert on metacognition, Rick shares how understanding our own thinking can transform not only stud...