Disrupt Education Podcast

After lighting up the college model in Episode 1, Peter and Alli come back with the real question: if higher ed is broken… what replaces it? Jeremy Smith (PEGA6 co-founder/CEO) answers with one phrase that frames the entire episode: workforce engineering. Jeremy argues that education shouldn’t be treated like a pipeline where students just get moved along. It should be treated like a supply chain...

Welcome to 2026 — and the Disrupt Education Podcast’s 10th year — with one word leading the charge: Bold. Peter and Alli kick off a brand-new 4-part series with Jeremy Smith, founder and CEO of PEGA6, and he doesn’t tiptoe into the conversation… he kicks the door in. Jeremy shares his path from investment banking and multiple startup exits to building what he calls a totally new kind of higher ed:...

What a year. 🎙 In this special New Year’s episode of the Disrupt Education Podcast, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl look back on 2025 – the year disrupting education stopped being “spicy” and started becoming the norm. They unpack: How the podcast crossed 400+ episodes and over half a million downloads, and why it still feels like a movement more than a show Why 2025 felt like education finally cat...

What if the real disruption in education isn’t a new program… but how we use time, teachers, and tech? In this Disrupt Education recap episode, Alli Dahl and Peter Hostrawser unpack the big ideas from their conversation with Kristy Volesky and Jeff Frost, authors of CTE Reimagined: The Blueprint for Education’s Future—and then push them even further. In this episode, Alli and Peter dive into: Why...

What if CTE stopped just filling jobs and started building future leaders and communities? In this episode of the Disrupt Education Podcast, hosts Alli Dahl and Peter Hostrawser sit down with Kristy Volesky and Jeff Frost to dig into their new book, CTE Reimagined: The Blueprint for Education’s Future. This isn’t another “how to run a program” manual—it’s a salty, honest challenge to the status qu...

This is it — the wrap-up to a series that’s genuinely changed how we think about readiness, purpose, and the future of learning. In this powerful finale, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl pull together everything uncovered across six episodes: the exposure gap, the purpose gap, the human connection behind career discovery, and how aptitudes—not guesswork—can reshape an entire education system. This e...

What happens when you see your future unfold — live, in real time? In this immersive episode of the Disrupt Education x YouScience series, hosts Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl pull back the curtain for the first-ever live aptitude and career discovery walkthrough with Jason Van Nus and returning guest Abby Caudill. Abby—whose first episode sparked this entire series—joins to explore her real YouSc...

Innovation in education doesn’t stop with a platform — it evolves through integration, purpose, and human connection. In this forward-looking episode of the Disrupt Education x YouScience series, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl sit down with Edson Barton, CEO and Founder of YouScience, to explore what’s next for education technology — from AI-driven career tools to human-centered workforce coaching...

In part three of our Disrupt Education x YouScience series, we move from “here’s the problem” and “here’s the system” to “here’s the proof.” Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl sit down with leaders using YouScience at scale — including voices from the Montgomery County ESC in Ohio — to show what happens when aptitude data actually gets used in classrooms, counseling offices, and community workforce pi...

Are we preparing students for life or just preparing them to pass? In this second episode of the Disrupt Education x YouScience series, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dah team up again with Talent Pipeline Specialist Jason Van Nus to uncover how schools and industry can finally work together to build purpose-driven education that actually leads somewhere. What’s Inside: - Why 77% of students say they w...

We tell students to “pick a path” — but what if they’ve never seen what’s possible? In this kickoff episode of the Disrupt Education x YouScience series, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl dive into the exposure gap — the growing disconnect between student potential and the opportunities they even know exist. Joined by Talent Pipeline Specialist Jason Van Nus, they unpack why awareness, not test score...

When the “honeymoon” ends and learning gets real, the old playbook crumbles. In this wrap-up of our Fall series, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl break down what actually works—from state-level lab schools to district academy models, regional coaching, and community translators who turn contained learning into community vitality. We highlight:- Kristy Volesky (EduVitality): Make learning visible, lo...

Sometimes disruption isn’t about big programs or sweeping reforms—it’s about moments. In this Disrupt Education episode, Peter and Alli reflect on their powerful conversation with Dr. Karen Baptiste (Preschool to Prison documentary) and unpack why teacher efficacy and collective efficacy are the true game-changers for students. From a little girl inspired by a female skydiver, to educators choosin...

What turns a school into a pipeline—or a community? Dr. Karen “Dr. K” Baptiste (producer/director of the Emmy-nominated Preschool to Prison) joins Disrupt Education to unpack the mindsets, policies, and daily practices that quietly push students—especially students of color and students with disabilities—toward exclusion. We get specific: why “parental involvement” isn’t the silver bullet, how tea...

Passionate district leaders change everything. In this Jeff Stenroos debrief, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl unpack why Beloit’s academy model works—and how admin who build (not just talk) create talent pipelines with community, industry, and teachers fully aligned. We dig into:The power of vertical alignment (district → building → classroom → community)Why placing the right people in the right se...

What happens when a district actually builds career pathways students can feel? In this episode, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl sit down with Jeff Stenroos (Director of Secondary Ed, School District of Beloit, WI) to unpack a builder’s blueprint: Ford NGL-aligned academies, freshman seminar + mock interviews, tight industry partnerships, and a K–12 pipeline that makes work-based learning real. Jef...

What happens when you stop following the playbook and start creating your own? In this episode, Peter Hostrawser & Alli Dahl build on last week’s conversation with Scott Carr (Ep. 400) and dive into what it really takes to scale classroom innovation into full system change . Using football field analogies, real classroom stories, and community connections, they explore how to move from small e...

What happens when students stop buying what school is selling? In this milestone episode, we sit down with Scott Carr (CESA 2, WI) to explore how schools can move from “best practice” to next practice —building systems that prioritize purpose, durable skills, and authentic community partnerships. Scott shares his journey from a disengaged student to a leader in education transformation, offering a...

How do you truly disrupt education—not just tweak it? In this episode, Peter Hostrawser and Alli Dahl dive deep into their conversation with Dr. Gary Skeen, who’s leading a bold education transformation in Virginia. From statewide flexibility for schools to reimagining teacher preparation and building 193+ workforce partnerships, Gary’s model proves change is possible at scale. Hear powerful stori...

In this episode of the Disrupt Education Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Gary Skeen, Associate Director of the ODU Center for Educational Innovation and Opportunity. He’s leading the charge in Virginia’s College Partnership Lab School Network—a statewide movement that’s actually transforming public education by designing what he calls “next practices.”We dig deep into how Virginia is building a full...

In this episode, Peter and Alli reflect on the powerful insights shared by Kristy Volesky in last week’s Disrupt Education conversation. We break down the most impactful takeaways—from rethinking the role of schools in community growth to why true transformation can’t happen without bold local partnerships. This isn’t about checking boxes or chasing test scores—it’s about designing learning experi...

Kristy Volesky returns to the Disrupt Education Podcast to drop powerful insights on how education and community development must evolve together. Kristy unpacks her newest initiative, Edu Vitality, and why strategic collaboration—not checkbox programs—is the key to sustainable learning and local economic growth. We talk about empowering students through real-world projects, placemaking, entrepren...

In this powerful episode, Peter and Alli reflect on lessons from Derrick Griffin (DG Sax), diving into the themes of lifelong learning, embracing chaos, mentorship, and finding alignment with your values. From skydiving to music to building intentional communities, they explore how personal growth is a journey—not a destination. Learn why documenting your path, surrounding yourself with growth-min...

Derrick Griffin—aka DG Sax—returns to the podcast with powerful insight on life, learning, and building a purpose-driven path. From music to business, Derrick shares how embracing both structure and creativity helped shape his journey. He dives into the value of durable skills, the myth of instant success, and why college served as a healthy middle ground—not a destination. This episode offers rea...

In this recap episode, Peter and Alli reflect on the powerful insights shared by recent grads Abby Caudill and Lindsay McDonald in Episode 392. They dive deep into the real-world implications of college, why Gen Z is pulling back the curtain on traditional education, and how educators can better connect learning to purpose. From career counselors who never show up to the real reason students feel...