Swimming Upstream

Welcome back to another episode of Swimming Upstream with your host, Tom Luna. Today, we are thrilled to have Trent Van Leuven, the Idaho Teacher of the Year, joining us. Trent's journey began on a dairy farm in Roberts, Idaho, leading him to a prestigious career in education influenced by his early involvement with the FFA and a pivotal encounter that steered him toward teaching.  Throughout...

In this episode, we grapple with the ever-evolving landscape of schooling and discuss how to modernize the educational experience for the 21st century. Senator Lent shares his insights on key developments from around the country, from school board dynamics and professional development to legislative efforts to revolutionize education funding formulas. We'll explore initiatives like Launch, which i...

In this episode of Swimming Upstream, host Tom Luna interviews Sydnee Dickson, the State Superintendent of Utah, a leader steering education toward a future as bright as the minds she's nurturing. From humble beginnings in a two-room schoolhouse to modern classrooms, Sydnee shares how personalization is key to educational growth. We'll navigate through the unique challenges faced by rural educatio...

In this episode of Swimming Upstream we're diving deep with a man dedicated to educational transformation, Richard Woods, the State Superintendent from Georgia. Together, we'll explore Richard's journey from classroom teacher to the helm of Georgia's educational system, his insights into politics for the sake of progress, and the importance of a mastery-based approach that centers on the student's...

In this episode of "Swimming Upstream," host Tom Luna interviews Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne. Tom Horne shares his unique pathway to his current role, having served as a school board member, Arizona state superintendent of schools, and Arizona attorney general. Throughout the interview, Tom Luna and Tom Horne discuss Arizona's focus on school choice and the challe...

In this episode of "Swimming Upstream," host Tom Luna dives into a conversation with Kirsten Baesler, the state superintendent of North Dakota. They discuss the vital role of school boards and their challenges, drawing from Baesler's experience as a former school board member. Additionally, Baesler shares her innovative approach to addressing teacher shortages and promoting education in North Dako...

In this episode of Swimming Upstream, Tom Luna interviews Katie Jenner, the Secretary of Education for Indiana. Jenner discusses the challenges and goals of the education system in Indiana. She emphasizes the need to shift the focus from simply high school graduation to preparing students for success by identifying and measuring five specific critical characteristics of a graduate. Jenner highligh...

In this episode of Swimming Upstream, host Tom Luna welcomes guest Cade Brumley, the State Superintendent of Education for Louisiana. Brumley discusses the importance of policy players, such as the state board of education and state legislature, in approving and implementing policies that prioritize education. He emphasizes the need to inform the legislature about the needs and priorities of the s...

In this episode of Swimming Upstream, host Tom Luna interviews Katy Anthes, former Commissioner of Education for Colorado, to discuss the importance of blurring the lines between high school, postsecondary education, workforce, careers, and apprenticeships. Anthes emphasizes the need for students to see the relevance of their education and its connection to their future goals. Colorado has taken s...

In this episode of Swimming Upstream, host Tom Luna sits down with Jamie Rosenberg, founder, and CEO of ClassWallet. As the former founder and executive director of AdoptAClassroom.org, Jamie recognized the difficulties of getting and tracking funding for teachers and schools. This revelation initiated the development of ClassWallet, a leading end-to-end digital solution to manage funding within s...

Improving Reading Skills with Multi-Dimensional AI In this episode of Swimming Upstream, Mark Angel, the co-founder and CEO of Amira Learning, joins the show. Mark shares how Amira Learning combines reading science with machine learning to offer the first comprehensive AI reading assistant of its kind that listens, assesses, and coaches users to accelerate reading mastery. Mark talks about his pas...

Creating Unique Communities and Assessments In this episode of Swimming Upstream, Tom Luna sits down with David Cook, the Director of the Division of Innovative Learning in Kentucky. David shares insights into how he and his team of professionals are improving and expanding innovative learning in Kentucky schools by moving away from the “one size fits all” into a more multi-dimensional approach. I...

Steps to Improve Idaho’s Education System In this episode of Swimming Upstream, Tom Luna sits down with Scott Bedke, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Lieutenant Governor of Idaho. Together they discuss how Scott entered the legislature and the importance of an education leader passionately working with the community. Scott shares his focus on improving the education budget and creating...

Advocating For Early Literacy and Rethinking High School In this episode of Swimming Upstream, Tom Luna sits down with Ellen Weaver, South Carolina's State Superintendent of Education. Ellen describes her responsibility for overseeing a $1.5 billion budget and ensuring that schools and districts abide by federal and state laws and the requirements established by the department. Ellen explains how...

Empowering Teachers, Parents, And Students for Better Education w/ Ryan Walters In this episode of Swimming Upstream, Ryan Walters, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and Secretary of Public Education for the State of Oklahoma is the guest. In his dual role as Superintendent and Secretary, he oversees, implements, and reviews the policies of the public school system as well as added re...

Engaging Education Stakeholders and Providing Relevance with Debbie Critchfield In this episode of Swimming Upstream, Debbie Critchfield, the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the state of Idaho and a former member of the Idaho State Board of Education, joins the show. Her vast role is to run the state's public school system and implement the state Board of Education policies. Debbie descri...

Using Data to Improve Education with Aimee Guidera In this episode of Swimming Upstream, we have Aimee Guidera, the Secretary of Education in Virginia. She oversees education from Pre-K through Postsecondary in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Aimee describes how they’re using the information to identify where the education system is in Virginia and what they’re going to change to get different resul...

Florida’s Efforts in Improving Education with Manny Diaz In this episode of Swimming Upstream, we have Manny Diaz, Commissioner of Education in Florida. He is a lifelong educator, having begun his career in education as a teacher and an administrator. Manny explains Florida’s efforts in improving education after the pandemic's interruption to growth. He also explains how they’re using the science...

Improving Education Through Sound Policy Making with Kirsten Baesler In this episode of Swimming Upstream, we have Kirsten Baesler, the State School Superintendent and Administrator of the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. A position she has held since 2012 and has been reelected twice. She has more than 30 years of education advocacy experience and is committed to working with famili...

Hi, I’m Tom Luna, I am a former school board member, and I was privileged to serve as a Senior Advisor to US Sec of Education Rod Paige. I also had the honor of serving for 8 years as Idaho State Superintendent of Public Instruction, during that time, I also served as the President of the Council of Chief State School Officers. One thing I have learned, in all these experiences, is that educating...