Voices for Excellence

Daniel Crook, founder of School Harbor and co-founder of AEG Systems, joins Dr. Michael Conner for a direct, infrastructure-first conversation about what K–12 districts are getting wrong about AI adoption. Daniel has spent years working inside the systems that districts rely on to manage data, make decisions, and integrate technology at scale. His assessment is clear: the AI problem in education i...

Today's kindergartners will retire in 2082, but are we preparing them for that world or ours? In this episode, Dr. Michael Conner sits down with Stewart Brown, Director of Partnerships at Code4Kids, to challenge the "21st century" trap that's already widening the gap for Generation Alpha and Beta. Stewart and Michael dig into why coding is becoming as essential as cursive, a fundamental literacy e...

Stop managing behavior. Start changing it. Dr. Mike Conner sits down with Dr. Donna Housman, CEO and founder of Housman Learning, to explore the paradigm shift reshaping early childhood education: why emotional intelligence isn't a soft skill, it's the durable, sustainable driver of academic achievement and lasting behavioral change. Key Topics: The evolution of emotional intelligence from "soft s...

Organizations love to say they’ve “given people the tools to succeed”, so why do the same individuals and teams keep being labeled as the problem? In this episode, host Dr. Michael Conner talks with Dr. Shokry Eldaly (Teachers College, Columbia University) about what’s really missing: structures that make efficacy possible. Shokry breaks down why motivation isn’t the primary barrier, how rigid sys...

Schools aren't just content delivery systems, they're the places where belonging happens, and that matters more in the age of AI than it did before. Matthew Berkshire, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Greenville Central School District in New York, built something unusual: a school improvement process that used AI to strengthen the human trust network, not replace it. When Greenville adop...

The superintendent isn't a budget manager, they're the chief advocate for all children. Dr. Michael J. Barnes rebuilt Mayfield City Schools around this principle, and the results speak for themselves. The superintendent is the chief advocate for all children in their community. Nobody else can say that, not the mayor, not the school board, not the superintendent of the next district over. But some...

What happens when a public school district builds a micro school inside itself, and doesn't apologize for it? Rob Dickson is the CIO of Wichita Public Schools (USD 259), and he's not waiting for permission to innovate. Creative Minds, a K-6 vertical classroom where kindergartners learn alongside sixth graders. Future Ready Centers that look like businesses, not classrooms, where students earn cert...

What if AI isn't trying to fit into your classroom — but to rebuild it entirely? Erin Mote, CEO and founder of InnovateEDU, explores what it means to navigate an arrival technology , one that doesn't fit into existing systems but fundamentally reorders them. Erin leads national and international work on AI literacy, including National AI Literacy Day (March 27th), and she's not here to hype or fea...

Can Your AI Guidance Actually Guide — Or Does It Just Add Cognitive Load? Thirty-five states have issued AI guidance for schools. But how many of those documents reduce workload instead of compounding it? How many build judgment muscles instead of issuing checkbox mandates? And how many actually get used in real classrooms? Julia Fallon, Executive Director of SETDA, has spent 25 years working with...

What does leadership look like when education is evolving faster than ever? In this powerful episode of Voices for Excellence , Dr. Michael Conner welcomes Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket — President of the Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals, nationally recognised keynote speaker, and two-time bestselling author. Together, they explore: • Why people must come before programs • How relation...

What if unlocking educational excellence meant embracing both our past traumas and the resilience we’ve built through them? In this compelling episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner welcomes Dr. Paul Miller, an influential educator and author, as part of our Black Excellence series during Black History Month. With a visionary approach that bridges the past and future of learning, Dr....

How do we build the future of learning with—and not against—the forces of innovation transforming society? In this visionary episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner sits down with Mike Yates—education disruptor, creative strategist, and a national leader shaping the future of teaching through AI and learner-centered design. From leading AI innovation at Teach For America's Reinvention...

What does it really take to redesign education systems for a future that demands equity, human-centered innovation, and world-class learning outcomes? In this riveting Black Excellence Series episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner sits down with visionary systems leader Dr. Tauheedah Baker-Jones—a powerhouse in transformational education reform whose work bridges research, policy, an...

What does it take to lead with clarity, compassion, and courage through the stormy waters of educational transformation? In this inspiring episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner welcomes Dr. Lloyd Jackson, Superintendent of the Texarkana Arkansas School District and a proud alumnus of the very community he now leads. Known for his signature calm and purposeful leadership, Dr. Jackson...

What does it take to lead a district through transformation while honoring the lived realities of students, educators, and community members? In this powerful episode of Voices for Excellence — part of our fourth annual Black Excellence series — Dr. Michael Conner sits down with Dr. Simone Griffin, Superintendent of Benton Harbor Area Schools in Michigan. Together, they explore the deep work of in...

What does it take to build a legacy that lifts others as it rises? In this powerhouse episode of the Black Excellence Series, Dr. Michael Conner sits down with Dr. David Heiber—renowned educator, visionary entrepreneur, and founder of Concentric Educational Solutions—for a masterclass in purpose-driven leadership, systems disruption, and unshakable commitment to our youth. With raw honesty and unm...

What does it take to lead through the shift when everything in education is evolving at once, and the pressure to deliver excellence for all students only intensifies? In this powerful instalment of the Black Excellence Series on Voices for Excellence, host Dr. Michael Conner is joined by transformational leader and 2022 NABSE National Principal of the Year, Brian K. Roberson II. A leadership coac...

How do we move beyond the limits of a single test score to truly see the brilliance and potential of every child? In this riveting episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner is joined by two extraordinary education leaders who bring over six decades of combined insight to answer that very question. Dr. Mark King, Vice President of Education at Arts for Learning Maryland and author of The...

What if we looked at failure not as a flaw—but as fuel for innovation? In this inspiring episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner sits down with Roxanna Villaseñor, former superintendent and CEO of Universal Leadership and Associates, to explore what it truly means to lead with intention and hope in an uncertain and rapidly evolving educational landscape. With a career spanning the cla...

What happens when a school district refuses to operate in silos—and instead imagines an ecosystem that truly wraps around every learner, every family, and every community member? In this inspiring episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner sits down with visionary educator and community leader Jody Bloyer, Deputy Superintendent of Racine Unified School District in Wisconsin. A former tea...

What happens when educational leadership is grounded in the wisdom of community, driven by emotion as much as intellect, and unflinchingly committed to equity? This week on Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner sits down with Dr. Brenda Garcia Castro—assistant principal at Century Community Charter School in Inglewood, California, and adjunct professor at Pepperdine University—for a deeply hum...

What does it mean to be a parent in the age of AI? On this episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner is joined by Kunal Dalal, a visionary educator, founder of AI Parentology, and one of today’s most important thinkers shaping the intersection of artificial intelligence and learning. With roots in both classroom teaching and education innovation, Kunal is not just exploring how AI can t...

What if the true measure of school success isn't just test scores—but the full humanity and future readiness of every learner? On this episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner sits down with Dr. Tonia Causey-Bush, a transformational instructional leader and Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services at Banning Unified School District in California. Renowned for her vision, humili...

In this thought-provoking episode of Voices for Excellence , Dr. Michael Conner sits down with Rebecca Bultsma — international AI ethics researcher, Chief Innovation Officer, and co-host of AmpED to 11 — to explore what it really means to lead in the age of artificial intelligence. From Kendrick Lamar lyrics to ethical paradoxes, this conversation moves from AI strategy and governance to the human...

In this episode of Voices for Excellence , Dr. Michael Conner sits down with one of education’s most innovative and heartfelt leaders, Superintendent Glenn Robbins. Together, they explore what it means to lead with authenticity, courage, and compassion in the ever-evolving landscape of education. From redefining school culture through relationships and student voice, to building genuine community...