Outliers in Education from CEE

Don't be afraid of the big, bad A.I.! In this episode, we sit down with educator, author, consultant and A.I. expert Jeff Utecht to dissect how AI tools like ChatGPT-4 have the potential to revolutionize the classroom. Utecht helps us navigate the delicate balance of excitement and fear around AI's role in education, offering valuable insights into how educators can best serve their stud...

We talk about ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) at school. We take bullying head on. But there's one especially treacherous ACE that afflicts as many as 1 in 3 teens from which we shy almost completely - teen dating violence and sexual abuse. Abuse survivor-turned-activist and national touring expert Ashley Bendiksen has made it her mission to bring these widespread and uncomfortable issue...

Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal has been at the helm of education in this state for seven of the most challenging years in education in recent memory. But that hasn't dissuaded him from seeking a third term this November. In this episode, Reykdal steers us through the complex terrain of educational policy, public opinion and a changing world that will deman...

Discover the strategies and the heart that drives exceptional educational leadership with Dr. Laurie Dent, the 2024 Washington State Superintendent of the Year.  Dr. Dent unveils her playbook for guiding the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District to new heights, and how she's hit the home runs she has, including her steadfast commitment to the pursuit of a 100% graduation rate. Dr. Dent delves in...

Jamie Johnson is out to foment a "rebellion against overwhelm" that threatens education in this country. Educator, author, and coach Jamie Johnson left her work as a teacher so that she might have an even greater impact on education in this country. Her first salvo, a new book entitled "Teach and Still Have Time to Pee" is a serious take on tackling teacher burnout couched in e...

Laughter isn't just the best medicine, it may also be a pivotal part of a successful learning experience. In this episode we speak with big-bearded and gregarious Geoff McLachlan, founder of Professionals at Play and explore how the simple joy of play can prove rejuvenating both students and educators alike. As the unstructured playgrounds of the past have been replaced with the excessively s...

Andre Wicks is the creative force behind EverydayPrincipal.com, an online platform designed to connect educators and administrators with the latest research, knowledge and best practices in the field of K-12 education. A seasoned principal himself, Andre knows what his colleagues are up against on a daily basis and offers inspiring and practical insights into nurturing relationships, sustaining a...

The U.S. Surgeon General has officially declared loneliness a national epidemic, one that is more deadly than smoking, obesity and addiction. It is now estimated that living with a lack of social connection increases a person's risk of early death as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day! But there's a cure available - connection - and it can be administered in as little as seven seconds....

Is your school board in disarray? Tensions boiling over? Factions forming? Superintendent ready to jump ship? School boards across the country face unique sets of challenges daily. But one policy-based model known as Coherent Governance® maps out what its founder believes to be, "... the most 'user-friendly' system in the world for effective board governance." Discover the powe...

What if quality education was accessible for every child, regardless of their socioeconomic background or race? Buckle up as we explore this intriguing question with Reid Saaris, the force behind the nonprofit Equal Opportunity Schools. With Reid’s unique insights, we illuminate the dark corners of educational inequality and the persistent underinvestment in students of diverse backgrounds, settin...

We know more about the inner workings of the human brain than ever before, but is our educational system taking advantage of what we've learned? Cognitive behavioral researcher Dr. CK Bray joins us on the podcast today to explore the intricate relationship between neuroscience, education, and culture. Dr. Bray shares insightful perspectives on the pressing need for change in our educational p...

In just two short years it is projected that 25 percent of all students in American schools will be English Language Learners (ELL). Are our schools prepared for that? Seasoned educator Andrea Bitner helps us understand the explosion in ELL students and how our school systems can best handle this change. Bitner, an educator for 23 years, fills us in on the unique challenges of teachers and schools...

A pioneer in Early Learning in Washington State, Ferndale School District Superintendent Kristi Dominguez believes passionately that all children have the capacity to thrive in education, they simply don't all have the same opportunities to do so, and that those years before kindergarten are among our best opportunities to begin addressing those inequities. "When you teach to the heart o...

Dr. Tinisha Parker, as Executive Director for Student Services for Gwinnett County Public Schools in Georgia, is responsible for the wellbeing of more than 180,000 students. Imagine the challenges she faces in supporting the social, emotional, and academic needs of all students. Dr. Parker tells us how she approaches this complex and very personal professional work. "Outliers in Education&quo...

Maria Barrera read an article in the New York Times about rising suicide rates among eight-year-olds and found her life path permanently altered. This Stanford-educated mechanical engineer caught the wave of new tech sweeping through education and began developing a system in which every child has access to the wellness support they need when they need it. Today, as CEO of Clayful Health , Barrerr...

Superintendent Eric Sobotta of the Reardan-Edwall School District in Washington State was moved to tears when he saw the film, "LISTEN" by Erahm Christopher , so much so that he flew Christopher into his district all the way from Montreal not once, but four times. The goal was to begin employing the power of listening across his district and to help his staff, building leaders, teachers...

Lifelong newspaperman Rufus Woods provides a uniquely positive perspective on the pathways to a better educational system. Woods has been passionate about education his entire career and he has seen the good and the bad. Through the mental discipline of appreciative inquiry, Woods  has developed a slate of positive and inspiring ideas on how to improve our current systems. Overarching philosophies...

Coach Jim Johnson rose into the national spotlight back in 2006 when he allowed Jason "J-Mac" McElwain, a young high school basketball student-manager on the autism spectrum, to suit up and get in the game. What happened next is the stuff of legend. Today, Coach Johnson is a nationally recognized expert on teamwork and leadership, a sought after motivational speaker and author of the boo...

Former long-time superintendent Nick Brossoit's advice is crystal clear - start with an unwavering love for and commitment to kids, and everything else will fall into place. In this deeply moving and insight-filled episode, we spend time with Nick as he stares down the end of his life and reflects back on his 33 years in education.  In 2020, Nick was diagnosed with terminal cancer and at the...

Something remarkable happened at Freeman High School last fall when a group of students, having decided they were truly being listened to and in a safe environment, opened up the floodgates and let their voices be heard. The catharsis that resulted is a symptom of a growing trend toward elevating student voice in our schools. In this episode, we hear from Freeman School District Superintendent Ran...

Superintendent Michelle Whitney of the Pasco School District in Washington attributes her rise to leadership to "the gifts of strangers," mentors along the way who amplified her talents and breathed the confidence into her that she needed to continue. That's what she strives to do for her own staff and students today, leading with vulnerability from a place, "where life experie...

Dr. Darrin Peppard calls himself a "recovering" high school principal. Today, he leverages his 25 years in education to elevate voices and promote positivity through his books, podcasts, speaking engagements and his Road To Awesome network. In this episode, we drill down on ways to transform and energize school cultures and the real impacts that can have on learning and leadership. LINKS...

Award-winning filmmaker Erahm Christopher wants to hear from students and argues that the more carefully we listen to them and to one another, the better our chances of transforming education into a more compassionate, productive and effective institution. Christopher has produced and directed more than 20 films, taking on subjects such as  bullying, substance abuse, school violence, disabilities...

Boise State University Professor Emerita, author and long-time educator Kathleen Budge finds parallels in her work and the findings of The Outliers Study that help define a roadmap for improvement in schools faced with large populations of students from low-income settings. Poverty and performance are not tied together and the keys to ensuring that lie in the culture of the schools serving impover...

Craig Randall, author of " Trust-Based Observations ", unpacks the many ways that trust underpins a positive school culture. The presence of strong relational trust emerged as one of the central findings in "The Outliers Study" from CEE, as a common denominators among schools that outperform the rest. Randall helps us understand how and why to establish and maintain trust throu...