Wake Up and Teach, by Kelly Education

In this episode of Wake Up and Teach , host Nicola Soares, President of Kelly Education, speaks with Angela Kelly, a life coach for school leaders and host of The Empowered Principal Podcast , about how the K–12 workforce challenges are playing out at the building level. While districts focus on hiring, development, and retention strategies, it’s principals who manage the everyday realities — from...

In this episode of Wake Up and Teach , host Nicola Soares, President of Kelly Education, sits down with Shaily Baranwal, Founder and Chief Learning Ambassador of Elevate K-12. They discuss the urgent teacher shortage crisis and how live, virtual instruction is helping districts ensure every student has a qualified teacher in the classroom. Shaily shares the story behind Elevate K-12, why tradition...

In this episode of Wake Up and Teach, host Nicola Soares, President of Kelly Education, sits down with Kelly Coash-Johnson, Executive Director of the American Association of School Personnel Administrators. They explore the fiscal pressures impacting school staffing today, from increasing healthcare costs to the challenges of staying competitive with private sector salaries. Kelly shares practical...

What does it take to build a sustainable and resilient education workforce in today’s climate of shortages and burnout? In this episode of Wake Up and Teach , host Nicola Soares, President of Kelly Education, speaks with Bill Briggman, Chief Human Resources Officer for Charleston County School District. With more than two decades of leadership in South Carolina, Bill has implemented bold strategie...

In this episode of Wake Up and Teach , host Nicola Soares, President of Kelly Education, talks with Dr. Catina Lyles, Chief Human Resources Officer at the Special School District of St. Louis County—Missouri’s largest specialized education provider. They explore how strategic hiring, intentional collaboration, and long-term support for special education professionals can benefit all students in th...

In this episode of Wake Up and Teach , host Nicola Soares, President of Kelly Education, sits down with Dr. Dan Sims, Superintendent of the Bibb County School District in Georgia, to talk about one of the most powerful levers in education: workforce effectiveness. With nearly three decades in public education, Dr. Sims shares how Bibb County’s strategic plan—anchored in their “Theory of Action”—co...

In this episode of Wake Up and Teach , host Nicola Soares, President of Kelly Education, sits down with Brent Maddin, Executive Director of the Next Education Workforce at Arizona State University, to discuss how schools can rethink staffing models to better support educators and students. Brent shares how team-based teaching approaches can enhance collaboration, improve student outcomes, and crea...

In this episode of Wake Up and Teach , host Nicola Soares, President of Kelly Education, is joined by Amy Bouque, Chief People Officer at Kelly, to explore the Six Elements of People Success. These elements—purpose, growth, clarity, well-being, empowerment, and connection—are essential for fostering engaged and resilient education teams. Nicola and Amy discuss strategies for addressing challenges...

In this episode of Wake Up and Teach , Nicola Soares, President of Kelly Education, sits down with Justin Wing, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources at Mesa Public Schools in Arizona. Together, they explore innovative strategies tackling one of education’s greatest challenges—burnout in the teaching profession. Justin shares insights into his district’s collaboration with Arizona State Univ...

In the first episode of Wake Up and Teach , Nicola Soares, President of Kelly Education, hosts Susanne Griffin, Vice President and Managing Director at Greenwood Asher & Associates, and Brad Beckner, Vice President of Operations at Kelly Education. The topic of the day is: The State of the Education Workforce. Together, they dive into the intricate challenges of recruiting, hiring, and retaining t...

Welcome to Wake Up and Teach , the podcast that’s your front-row seat to the future of education! Join Nicola Soares, President of Kelly Education, as she delves into dynamic discussions with leaders who are transforming the preK-12 workforce.  Each episode uncovers how these visionaries are reimagining how people go to work in our nation’s schools, from innovative hiring strategies that tackle th...