Leader to Leader with Darryl Cobb

Join Darryl Cobb, President of the Charter School Growth Fund, for the final episode of Leader to Leader Season 2, as he sits down with Tori Jackson Hines, the founder of Atlanta’s Resurgence Hall. They explore how a school that consistently ranks in the top 2% of all Georgia schools, even outperforming the state's most affluent communities, is actually a "human development organization&q...

Join Darryl Cobb, President of the Charter School Growth Fund, as he sits down with Carlos Gonzalez, former Director of Schools at HIVE Preparatory, to explore how a “win every minute” mindset helped turn a bold vision into sustained results for students. From growing up in Little Havana to stepping into education after a career detour, and then launching a charter school with just days to spare d...

Join Darryl Cobb, President of the Charter School Growth Fund, for Episode 4 of Leader to Leader Season 2 as he sits down with Julie Jackson, Co-CEO of Uncommon Schools, to explore what it takes to lead one of the nation’s most impactful public charter networks. With nearly three decades in education experience, from classroom teacher to national leader, Julie has built her career around a simple...

Join Darryl Cobb, President of the Charter School Growth Fund, for Episode 3 of Leader to Leader Season 2 as he sits down with Isabel Garcia, Executive Director of RCMA. Founded in 1965, RCMA began as a single child development center serving farmworker families and has since grown to 55 centers and 3 charter schools across rural Florida. Isabel, herself the child of farmworker families, shares ho...

Join Darryl Cobb, President of the Charter School Growth Fund, for a special edition of the Leader to Leader podcast recorded live at NACSACon 2025. Darryl sits down with Dr. Adriana Tamez—educator, executive leader, and fierce advocate for Houston’s underserved communities—to unpack what it takes to build and sustain great public schools. Drawing on her upbringing and a career grounded in service...

Join Darryl Cobb, President of the Charter School Growth Fund, for Episode 2 of Leader to Leader Season 2 as he sits down with Jamar McKneely, CEO of InspireNOLA Charter Schools. Since co-founding InspireNOLA in 2013, Jamar has built one of Louisiana’s highest-performing charter networks, rooted in a mission to inspire and empower every student to reach their full potential. In this episode, Jamar...

Join Darryl Cobb, President of the Charter School Growth Fund, in the Season 2 premiere of the Leader to Leader podcast series, featuring Roblin Webb, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Freedom Preparatory Charter Schools. In this episode, Roblin shares how she built Freedom Prep from a single school into a thriving network serving more than 2,500 students across Memphis and Birmingham. Hear h...

Join Darryl Cobb, president of the Charter School Growth Fund, in a back-to-school limited series of the 'Leader to Leader' podcast, featuring Pablo Cesar Villavicencio, CEO of Alliance College-Ready Public Schools in Los Angeles, California. In this candid conversation recorded Live at the National Charter Schools Conference, Pablo reflects on his journey from South LA to the helm of one of the l...

Join Darryl Cobb, president of the Charter School Growth Fund, in a back-to-school limited series of the 'Leader to Leader' podcast, featuring Peter Anderson, Head of Schools at Washington Latin Public Charter Schools in Washington, D.C. In this thoughtful and energizing conversation recorded Live at the National Charter Schools Conference, Peter shares how classical education, deep commun...

How do early life experiences shape the kind of leader you become in education? On this episode of Leader to Leader, Darryl Cobb sits down with Nella Garcia Urban, CEO of DSST (formerly known as the Denver School of Science and Technology), to explore her remarkable journey from a chalkboard-wielding kid on the Texas-Mexico border to the leader of Colorado’s largest charter school network. Nella s...

What does it mean to be a college prep school… in kindergarten? On this episode of Leader to Leader, Darryl Cobb sits down with Greg White, CEO of LEARN Charter School Network, for a rich conversation about early ambition, sustained results, and why he believes every student deserves to out-grind the odds. From his roots in Baltimore and South Carolina to his work today across Illinois and D.C., G...

In the heart of East Tulsa, how do you build a school that carries your mother’s dreams, your community’s story, and your passionate fight for education in every classroom? On this episode of Leader to Leader, Darryl Cobb sits down with Elsie Urueta Pollock, founder and CEO of Tulsa Honor Academy, to talk about how her journey from immigrant student to school founder is reshaping education in Okla...

High school is about more than just test scores. On this episode of Leader to Leader , Darryl Cobb sits down with Oliver Sicat, CEO of Ednovate Charter Schools, to talk about his journey from first-generation college student to leading one of the most innovative charter school networks in California. Oliver shares how his own struggles with the college admissions process shaped his belief that sch...

What does it take to start a charter school from the ground up—without a charter law in place? On this episode of Leader to Leader, Darryl Cobb sits down with Amanda Johnson, Executive Director of Clarksdale Collegiate, to explore her journey from Teach for America to founding a high-performing K-8 charter school in rural Mississippi. Amanda shares the challenges of launching a school in the Delta...

Join Darryl Cobb, president of the Charter School Growth Fund, in the inaugural episode of the 'Leader to Leader' podcast series, featuring Constance Jones, former CEO of the Noble Network of Charter Schools. Hear about Constance's personal journey, the challenges she faced, and her dedication to empowering over 12,000 students across 17 campuses in Chicago. Discover what fuels her leadership and...

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