CheckBox Pro Series

In this episode, Missy Couch shares her personal reflections on the things that are saving her life, a concept inspired by Emily P. Freeman of The Next Right Thing and Kendra Adachi from The Lazy Genius. She discusses ten key elements that bring joy and connection to her life, including coffee, book clubs, Audible, soccer, and family traditions. Each topic highlights the importance of self-care, r...

In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Casselli, President of BuyQ, to discuss how group purchasing can help schools—especially smaller charter and private schools—stretch their dollars, streamline operations, and build stronger procurement systems. Drawing from his background in education, edtech, and operations, Daniel offers a masterclass in purchasing strategy, explaining how schools can leve...

In this episode, Markesha Tisby, M.Ed., returns to the Pro Series to dive deeper into how school and instructional leaders can support K-2 teachers in delivering high-quality foundational literacy instruction. Building on her first episode on phonics and early literacy, Markesha now shifts the spotlight to leadership—sharing practical ways administrators, coaches, and consultants can create the co...

In this episode, I sit down with Markesha Tisby, M.Ed., founder and CEO of Tisby Educational Consulting, to explore the critical importance of K-2 instruction and how foundational literacy sets the stage for long-term academic success. A former early childhood teacher and coach, Markesha shares strategies for integrating phonics into all content areas and building joyful, rigorous instruction that...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Henrietta Muñoz, CEO of the Texas A&M University-San Antonio Institute for School and Community Partnerships. With over 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and school-community partnerships, Dr. Muñoz shares why data is essential for school boards and how board members—especially those without an education background—can better understand and use sch...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Alicia Martin, CEO and founder of DWG Educate & Serve LLC, to discuss how school and district leaders can effectively use data to drive student success. Known as the "Data Diva Doc," Dr. Martin shares her expertise in data-driven instruction, assessment strategy, and leadership development. We explore her three-step framework—Discover, Work, and Grow—designed t...

James Aycock has supported students with disabilities in schools for close to two decades. It truly is his calling and boy am I thankful he is in that space. He shares with listeners the hard truth about tests but doesn't leave us discouraged. He teaches us about the different types of assessments out there and how they are (or should) be used. He offers advice for parents on what to do when they...

In this episode, I sit down with Roger Campbell, award-winning speaker, AI strategist, and founder of Gemstack. Roger shares insights into how AI is transforming education, from streamlining administrative tasks to enhancing classroom learning. We discuss practical ways school leaders can integrate AI tools, debunk common misconceptions, and explore ethical considerations around data privacy. Key...

** Trigger warning: This episode includes brief mentions of addiction, alcoholism, and suicide. If these topics are difficult for you, please take care while listening or skip this episode if needed (skip to 11:17 to avoid mentions).  Your well-being is important to us.** Athea Davis is the SEL Director / After School Mindfulness Educator at Etoile Academy Charter School. With testing season aroun...

Missy Couch introduces each member of the CheckBox Pro team! With their combined efforts, this team provided 10,392 hours of support to school leaders across the country in 2024. Each team member shares: the city and state they live in, their total years in education, when they joined CBP, why they like doing this work, and what is one thing, big or small, personal or professional that they hope t...

Missy Couch shares highlights from 2024!  LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Episode 1: The Power of a Great Coach w/ Kela Small ( https://open.spotify.com/episode/4u1uSeTXFIpIAJga2ggwi4?si=b6f6c6ef9ed64c41 ) Episode 4: ESSER Funds are Over, What's Next w/ Sam Brobeck ( https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Oil3C0p21CcqJfMJlhfuU?si=5f9813845e3f4673 ) Episode 9: Founding Schools: Pre & Post Kids w/ E...

Paul Morrissey is a school leader who understands the woes and joys of securing a facility. With seven campuses, he can attest that no two facility projects are the same. Which is why his advice to any leader looking to secure a facility is: Build a mission aligned team, trust the team to do their work, and be a critical partner to that team along the way. A school is not your building. Find the r...

Andrew Stanton is a Principal and Project Manager at Project Management Services, Inc. or more commonly known as PMSI. He talks through the key responsibilities of a project manager for a facility project. But the thing I honed in on was the importance of having one person on the team who has the big, start to end picture that the leader can lean on. Rather than coordinating with a dozen contracto...

Eric Cohen has been in the business of designing and building charter schools for the last decade! Whether you need a designer, general contractor, or construction manager, Butler-Cohen Design+Build does it all and they are another important member of the facility team. They bring functionality and beauty to the process, so that kids have a place they are excited to learn and grow. Regardless of t...

Tom Sage is a passionate and mission aligned lawyer who any school leader would be lucky to have on their team! After talking to him, I can't believe I ever thought a lawyer wasn't essential to a facility deal for schools. Tom discusses how he got into this business, the role the lawyer plays on the facilities team, and why after all these years he still does this work. Lawyers are in positions of...

Amy Martorano is a real estate broker and has closed numerous deals for charter schools! She has helped leaders find a building that will allow students to learn and grow. She gives listeners a broad overview of the facility search process and emphasizes that it is never too early for leaders to start searching. Procuring a space can take 12-18 months alone, and then the project managers and archi...

Drew Masterson founded Masterson Advisors LLC to provide financial advice to founding and growing organizations who need someone they can trust. With 40 years of experience in general public finance and 23 years focused on advising charter school leaders, he was able to share a wealth of knowledge about the development and execution of a plan to secure a facility. The facility search is a pain poi...

Laura Tierney is the Founder and CEO of The Social Institute. At TSI, their goal is to help students navigate the social media world in positive and productive ways. Laura believes, "if students aren't healthy, they can't learn." Through collaboration with students and schools, they have developed the core skills students believe they should have for social media use: Playing to your core values P...

Danny Song was a teacher, leader, and founder for 15 years in the urban education sector. He recently transitioned to a CEO role of Give Services, a commercial services company with a mission to give back.   He shared how that transition was made easier by the skills he developed through his time in the classroom and leading schools. Most specifically, the skills of empathy and "knowing how to lea...

Jill Dunchick has a mission of "developing authentic leaders through body, mind, and emotional cohesion." She walks us through how her coaching sessions, Impact Cohorts, and various training opportunities equip leaders to identify and live out their core values through "felt sense" and "interoception." Through this ongoing process, leaders are able to navigate the challenges and joys of school lea...

Elizabeth Simpson has extensive experience in education from teaching to leading to founding. She has managed to create sustainability for herself by embodying the philosophy of, "if I am well, then my school will be well." She has founded two different schools, one pre-kids and the other after becoming a mom. In order to maintain a high level of effectiveness both at school and at home, she imple...

Ryan Dolibois of the Sarofim Foundation has been in education since the 20th century! With much of his career focused on strategic planning and fundraising, he is able to speak extensively about how and why these two pieces are essential for the growth and sustainability of a non-profit organization, specifically charter and private schools. Ryan quickly understood and embraced three main ideas wh...

Mera Dougherty and Stephanie Parga are two leaders with one vision: provide an amazing academic experience for students and families. Every decision they make is with kids in mind, which is why they are intentional about their hiring practices and teacher development. Their advice when starting a new school in a community that may be hesitant to have you there: Learn your community. Hire from your...

Sam Durant of Libertas School of Memphis speaks with us about charter school expansion. What started out as a personal journey to find the right school for her daughter, became a professional passion to give this Montessori educational experience to all students.  She is now overseeing the expansion process of Libertas into grades 6th-8th. She had a wealth of knowledge about identifying when and h...

Kalli Harrell is an Instructional Coach, science content lead, and adjunct professor with Memphis Teacher Residency (MTR). MTR trains prospective teachers in a year-long residency model through graduate courses, classroom internship, and personalized coaching. As a residency program, she shares how they work alongside various school leaders to ensure that their teachers are trained and equipped to...