Build Momentum for Education - K-12 Superintendent Series

S05E15 - Balancing Two Districts and One Mission: A Journey Through Leadership and Change | Dr. Matthew Montgomery, Superintendent

Thu, 22 May 2025 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Matthew Montgomery, the current superintendent of two school districts, Lake Forest Community High School District 115 and Lake Forest Elementary District 67, for almost four years. In addition to this unique setup, he is also the Lead Superintendent for Cohort and Partner Connections in AASA, The School Superintendents Association.

Some Questions We Ask:

Can you tell us more about your career as a superintendent for two school districts? (01:30)
What are the most rewarding aspects of school leadership? (06:19)
What is your take regarding the 2023 RAND study, and how do you cope with the stress that your role brings? (08:18)
Has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (12:27)
Do you think your experiences are similar or different compared to other superintendents across the nation? (15:23)
What strategies do you incorporate to help the community understand your vision for the district? (19:15)
What are your thoughts regarding humanizing the role of superintendency? (24:11)
How can we better support district leaders? (28:51)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Dr. Montgomery’s career (01:53)
Rewarding aspects of school leadership (06:22)
Thoughts about the 2023 RAND study and coping with stress (08:31)
Scrutiny of the superintendency (12:37)
Similarities and differences regarding superintendents’ experiences (15:40)
Strategies for uniting the community around a vision for the districts Dr. Montgomery leads (19:29)
Thoughts on humanizing the superintendency (25:04)
How K-12 education system supporters can advocate for district leaders (29:03)

Quotes:

“I was a high school science teacher, and I always wanted to know what was happening in the principal’s office when they would close the door. … When I got to the principal’s office, then I was curious about what was happening in the superintendent’s office. And now I make the joke that when I’m in my office, if anybody walks in and closes the door, I’m like, ‘Oh, please don’t!’ [Now] I’ve had my fill of what happens.”

“As a leader, you are a conduit for an incredible amount of stakeholder voices. You need to try to find some cohesiveness and then be responsible for helping lead them in the direction that they have defined.”

“Leadership is the most rewarding and challenging role that people can experience, and it is a privilege to be given this responsibility.”

“We need to have a community that understands that you need great people leading organizations. How we treat our leaders matters—and increases the likelihood when one leader leaves, you are going to find another great leader to follow.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Matthew Montgomery:
LinkedIn
Lake Forest Schools

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

S05E14 - Leading with Heart: A Superintendent’s Story of Building Trust and Leading with Transparency | Heidi Sipe, Superintendent, Umatilla School District

Thu, 08 May 2025 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Heidi Sipe, Superintendent of Umatilla School District in Oregon, a role she has held for a remarkable 17 years. Heidi previously served as the district’s Federal Programs Director and Assistant Superintendent for five years. She also has a higher education background: She is an Adjunct Professor at Lewis and Clark College in Oregon and was an Adjunct Professor at Concordia University in Chicago. Heidi brings a government perspective as well, having served as an Assistant Superintendent in the Oregon Department of Education.

Some Questions We Ask:

What is the most rewarding aspect of serving as a superintendent? (01:24)
What is your opinion about the 2023 RAND Study and how do you cope with stress in the superintendency? (02:06)
How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (03:26)
What are your strategies for bringing the community together to see your vision as a superintendent? (06:51)
How do you gauge the engagement level of your community? (10:00)
Do you think your stress level as a superintendent is representative of others across the nation? (11:30)
What creative ways have you used storytelling and communication? (13:04)
What’s your advice to district leaders who are having difficulty building a community? (16:56)
Why is it important to see superintendents as real people? (20:02)
How can we better support superintendents in their roles? (21:39)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Rewarding aspects of the superintendency (01:33)
Dr. Sipe’s opinion on the 2023 RAND study and stress coping mechanisms (02:22)
Scrutiny of the superintendency (03:31)
Bringing the community together around one vision (07:01)
Gauging community engagement levels (10:12)
Stress level comparisons among superintendents (11:41)
Creative ways of reaching out to the community (13:17)
Advice for other district leaders (17:01)
The importance of humanizing superintendents (20:28)
Tips for advocating for superintendents (21:50)

Quotes:

“How I do parental involvement: I try to be places. I try to visit. I try to get to know people.”

“We can't ever forget that we are given this incredible opportunity—but also responsibility—to be a partner in raising the next generation of leaders, and if we don't own that and recognize the significance of it, we're failing our communities. No one's going to trust someone to be a partner in raising their kid unless they know that person and they know what they stand for."

Stay in touch with Heidi Sipe:

LinkedIn

S05E13 - From the Classroom to the Whitehouse | Dr. James Lane, CEO, PDK International

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. James Lane, Chief Executive Officer of PDK International, a nonprofit that supports those who work in public education, and its community-based movement Educators Rising. He has served at the federal, state, and local levels: in the U.S. Department of Education as Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; as Superintendent of Public Instruction in Virginia; and as Superintendent of three Virginia school divisions in Chesterfield County, Goochland County, and Middlesex County. Dr. Lane is also a former school principal and band director.

Some Questions We Ask:

Tell us more about your career at all levels of K-12 education and now as a leader at PDK? (01:22)
What is the most rewarding aspect of your career? (05:01)
What insights from your time in the Department of Education surprised you—and were there any misconceptions about the superintendency that you experienced while working as a policymaker? (08:02)
What are your thoughts about the 2023 RAND study, and do you have similar perspectives as other superintendents? (12:36)
What are your strategies for bringing the community together to see your vision? (17:09)
How have you been able to connect with the whole community to support you along the way in your career? (22:59)
What is your opinion regarding humanizing the role of superintendents? (28:36)
What advice would you give to supporters of K-12 education about advocating for district leaders? (33:13)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Dr. James Lane (01:32)
Rewarding aspect of his expansive career (05:20)
Insights he gained and misconceptions he encountered (08:21)
Thoughts about the 2023 RAND study (13:06)
Strategies for bringing the community together (17:34)
How he connected with the community (23:13)
His thoughts on humanizing the role of superintendents (28:51)
Advice on advocating for K-12 district leaders (33:47)

Quotes:

“For me, the rewarding part of education is working with kids and preparing them for an amazing life and career and job and everything else. And I tried to remember that in every role I've ever been in.”

“The very best school districts I've seen have stability in the board and the superintendent, and then that leads to stability in the principalship, of the teachers, and of expectations around what we do in schools.”

“What your families want for their kids is important. Be willing to change what you want to do in that community based on the feedback of families.”

“The best thing that we can do to improve schools is make sure there's a great teacher in every classroom who's engaging parents and students.”

Stay in touch with Dr. James Lane:

PDK International
Educators Rising
LinkedIn

S05E12 - Leading with Vision and Vulnerability: What Schools Really Need | Dr. Buddy Berry, Eminence Independent Schools

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Buddy Berry, the superintendent of Eminence Independent Schools in Kentucky. He founded the innovative model “School on FIRE” (Framework of Innovation for Reinventing Education). He was recognized by the Obama Administration as one of the top 100 School Superintendents in America for his district’s implementation of digital learning and invited to the ConnectED Superintendents Summit at the White House.

Some Questions We Ask:

Please tell us about your career as a superintendent. (01:13)
What is the most rewarding aspect of being a superintendent? (04:53)
What can you say about the 2023 RAND study and how do you cope with the stress your career brings? (06:06)
How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (07:41)
Do your experiences represent other school administrators' experiences across the nation? (09:21)
How do you bring the community to see your vision? (11:02)
What are the core values or core metrics that you focused on to change the community’s view of the education system? (16:52)
What is your advice to other district leaders for building a community? (23:55)
What is your take on humanizing the role of superintendents and how can the community benefit from it? (26:48)
What advice can you give supporters of K-12 education about advocating for district leaders? (28:45)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Dr. Buddy Berry (01:39)
Rewarding aspects of being a superintendent (05:02)
His take on the 2023 RAND Study and coping with stress (06:33)
Scrutiny of the superintendency (07:46)
Comparison of his personal experiences to other administrators’ (09:30)
Building a community with one vision (11:17)
Establishing core values across a district (17:24)
Advice for district leaders (24:18)
Humanizing the role of superintendents (26:56)
Advice to those advocating for superintendents and district leaders (29:13)

Quotes:

“Enrollment has doubled in the last decade. Test scores have gone from the eighth percentile to hovering around the 80s. We started the first early college high school program in Kentucky that's on a college campus. … We've had 500 kids go through that program, and 498 have earned a degree or are college right now. Crazy results from a population that's, you know, 70% free and reduced lunch, 18% homeless, and the vast majority first-generation college.”

“I'm a big believer that your teachers live in the community. They're the people that are mostly talking to everybody at the grocery. And so if you can win your teachers over to your vision and your thinking and what you're doing, they'll sell it for you.”

“You can't win everybody over in one day. So it's about that consistency and that transparency and just being real to them—that I think eventually does win everybody over.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Buddy Berry:
School on F.I.R.E
School on Fire Innovating Instruction

S05E11 - A Lesson in Humble Leadership | Dr. Matthew Hicks, Northeastern Wayne Schools Indiana

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Matthew Hicks, Superintendent of Northeastern Wayne Schools in Indiana. He is also currently a lecturer at Purdue University and a dissertation chair at Indiana Wesleyan University. Earlier in his career, he served as a language arts classroom teacher and as a principal at the high school and middle school levels. He has volunteered as a Den Leader for Crossroads for America Council, Boy Scouts of America for the past eight years.

Some Questions We Ask:

Can you share more about yourself and your career as a superintendent? (01:46)
What is the most rewarding aspect of your career? (03:58)
Do you agree with the 2023 RAND study? And how do you cope with the stress your career brings? (06:56)
Has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (09:27)
In comparison with other administrators you interact with across the nation, do you believe your own personal experiences align with their experiences? (11:21)
How do you bring the community to see and share your vision so you can build it together? (13:07)
How do you communicate with the community and connect with educators and families through creative storytelling? (15:04)
What is your advice for other district leaders who are struggling with building a community? (16:50)
Why do you think it’s important to see superintendents as humans and not just robots? (19:16)
How can the community support and advocate for superintendents? (21:52)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Dr. Matthew Hicks (01:56)
Rewarding aspects of being a superintendent (04:05)
Thoughts about the RAND study and coping with stress (07:31)
Scrutiny of the superintendency (09:34)
About his personal experiences in district leadership vs others’ (11:32)
Uniting a community around one vision (13:17)
Effective communication strategies (15:17)
Advice for district leaders (16:55)
Humanizing the role of superintendents (19:25)
How the community can advocate for superintendents (22:05)

Quotes:

“There are things in education that happen that are just very difficult to deal with. Losing a student is an absolute nightmare scenario for that family, for a school community—and it is one of those things that reverberates through time. You don't forget those moments because they hurt so bad. Those sorts of things will unfortunately be a part of the role.”

“And our [vision statement] is that we're a nurturing family where each Knight belongs, grows, and contributes. That's our whole vision. And so if I can't run something through the ‘belong, grow, or contribute’ filter, then we're not doing it. If it doesn't fit into that filter, that's not us. That's not what we're doing right now. And so it really has helped with the decision-making. It puts us in a position to give a quality ‘no’ for the things that don't fit in that vision and an enthusiastic ‘yes’ for the things that do fit within that vision.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Matthew Hicks:
Email: mhicks@nws.k12.in.us
LinkedIn

S05E10 - The Superintendent Lab | Dr. Rachel White, University of Texas at Austin

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Rachel White, Founder and Lead Researcher at The Superintendent Lab, a hub for data, research, insights, and innovation on the public school district superintendency. She is currently the Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. White has also taught at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Old Dominion University and has served as a school board member and volunteer coach at Van Wert City Schools in Ohio. She is a member of the University Council for Education Administration, the American Educational Research Association, and the Association for Education Finance and Policy.

Some Questions We Ask:

Tell us about yourself and The Superintendent Lab. (01:31)
How do you humanize the role of superintendents and incorporate that in your research? (04:26)
In what ways did the RAND study inspire your research? (08:08)
How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years, and is turnover being addressed by retention programs? (11:52)
In your research, have you looked at partnerships between superintendents and the community? (16:07)
Which of your research findings are most alarming? (18:34)
In your opinion, how will the new administration impact K-12 leadership? (24:48)
How can the community support and advocate for superintendents? (28:06)
Tell us more about your hopes for The Superintendent Lab. (30:26)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about Dr. Rachel White and The Superintendent Lab (01:40)
Humanizing superintendents (04:34)
Dr. White’s research (08:13)
Scrutiny of the superintendency and retention programs to address turnover (12:22)
Partnerships between superintendents and the community (16:33)
Research findings that alarm her (18:40)
Impacts of the new administration on K-12 leadership (24:58)
Advocating for superintendents at the community level (28:22)
Hopes for The Superintendent Lab in the future (30:32)

Quotes:

“Superintendents that have strong trusting relationships with their school board—and particularly their school board president—are significantly less likely to be job seeking.”

“What we know is that principal stability impacts teacher stability, and we know teacher stability does impact students outcomes and educational experiences, right? So it's sort of like doing a stepwise process to get to what is the impact of superintendent turnover.”

“Any sort of changes at the federal level may mean that superintendents really have to step up right and make sure that we continue to say, ‘We are going to serve every kid that walks in our door, and we're going to do whatever it takes to do that.’”

Stay in touch with Dr. Rachel White:
LinkedIn
The Superintendent Lab website
Email: rachel.white@austin.utexas.edu

S05E09 - Using Storytelling to Foster Trust and Community Support | Dr. Alena Zachery-Ross, Ypsilanti Community Schools

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 01:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Alena Zachery-Ross, Superintendent of Ypsilanti Community Schools in Michigan. She has decades of experience at public K-12 and charter schools of all sizes, including serving as Superintendent for Okemos Public Schools and for the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System. She is a sought-after professional speaker, educational consultant, and leadership development coach as well as a church pastor.

Some Questions We Ask:

Can you tell us more about your career and your current role? (01:23)
What is the most rewarding aspect of your career? (02:10)
What can you say about the RAND research, and how you are able to cope with stress? (03:03)
How do you think scrutiny of the superintendency has changed over the years? (04:32)
How do you unify people to build community within your school district? (05:32)
How much do you think your experiences align with those of superintendents in your state or across the country? (07:11)
How are you sharing stories to bring people together? (08:33)
What advice can you give to other superintendents with regards to cultivating engagement? (10:34)
What makes people forget that superintendents are real people, and how can we demonstrate that you are solving challenging issues to give K-12 students the best education possible? (12:35)
How can a community advocate for superintendents? (14:06)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about Dr. Zachery-Ross’ educational career (01:31)
Rewarding aspects throughout her career (02:19)
Her take on coping with stress (03:26)
Scrutiny of the superintendency through the years (04:54)
Unifying the community (05:47)
Her personal experiences as a superintendent compared with others’ (07:26)
Sharing stories to unify people (08:50)
Dr. Zachery-Ross’ advice to other school leaders (10:49)
Treating superintendents as individuals and not robots (12:55)
Advocating for superintendents (14:44)

Quotes:

“During my time as superintendent in two different districts, I've been able to take students to Ghana, Africa, on educational journeys, and watching them has been the best joy. It's been life-changing for those groups of students. It was phenomenal to see them return as transformed people and as transformed learners.”

“We all want to make a difference in our students’ lives. We all want to see academic growth. We all want to support our staff and families and make an impact on our community.”

“A smile goes a long way—and it's up to us to be personal. It's up to us to make that connection.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Alena Zachery-Ross:

Dr. Alena Zachery-Ross Website

Ypsilanti Community Schools Website

S05E08 - The Superintendency: One Of The Most Challenging, Yet Rewarding, Careers | Dan Cox

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Dan Cox, the Superintendent of Schools in Rochester Community Unit School District 3A in Rochester, Illinois. In his 16-year education career in the state, he led the Staunton Community Unit School District and the Jasper County Community Unit 1 School District. He also served as an Assistant Principal and Principal at East Richland Elementary School in Olney. He is active on many boards at the local, regional, and state levels, including the State Assessment Review Committee for the Illinois State Board of Education.

Some Questions We Ask:

Can you tell us more about your career as a superintendent? (01:25)
What aspect of your career is most rewarding? (02:18)
What are your thoughts about the RAND research and how important wellness is to you in coping with stress? (04:04)
How do you feel scrutiny of the superintendency has changed over the years? (05:45)
What are key factors in unifying the community to support your vision? (09:34)
How much do you think your experiences align with those of superintendents in your state or across the country? (07:11)
How are you able to share and communicate your stories with the community? (12:39)
What advice can you give to other school leaders who are struggling in building a community? (15:21)
Why is it important for people to see superintendents as human beings? (18:23)
How can the community support superintendents? (20:20)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Dr. Cox’s career in education (01:36)
Rewarding aspects of his career (02:29)
The importance of wellness in coping with stress (04:15)
Scrutiny of the superintendency (05:53)
Developing a single vision for the community (09:56)
Thoughts on communication and storytelling (12:54)
Advice on community-building for fellow school leaders (15:43)
Humanizing the role of superintendents (18:35)
Advocating for superintendents (20:26)

Quotes:

“We had a pandemic, and it was our responsibility as superintendents to bring a sense of hope, but also a sense of peace and calm and renewal—and then bring in joy and love: the joy of education and the love for what we do and who we serve, which is our kids and our communities.”

“If I was to break it down and just really be authentic and vulnerable about it, [my advice for wellness] is to know who you are at your core and don't identify yourself with your profession.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Dan Cox:

S05E07 - Being a Transformative Leader in the Face of Complex Challenges | Dr. Quintin Shepherd, Pflugerville ISD

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Quintin Shepherd. Quintin has 19 years’ experience as a superintendent and currently holds that leadership role at Pflugerville Independent School District in Texas. He has a demonstrated history of improving school districts in both rural and urban areas in multiple states by being committed to transformational and collaborative leadership focused on doing what is best for the children in each district. Quintin is the co-author of the book “The Secret To Transformational Leadership,” together with podcast co-host Sarah Williamson, and his second book, “Transforming Education for Systemic Change and Empowered Communities,” was published in February 2024

Some Questions We Ask:

Tell us more about your career as a superintendent. (01:20)
What is most rewarding about being a superintendent? (04:21)
What are your thoughts regarding the 2022 and 2023 RAND research, and how do you cope with stress in your career? (06:02)
How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (09:32)
In what ways have you developed a shared vision for your district with your community? (11:57)
How are your experiences similar to other K-12 school leaders across the nation? (15:09)
What is the best way to illuminate the humanity of district leaders? (17:27)
As advocates for K-12 education, how can we truly support superintendents today? (19:14)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Dr. Quintin Shepherd’s career in education (01:30)
The joys of being a superintendent (04:27)
The changing nature of stress in this job over time, and his strategies for coping with it (06:29)
Changes in scrutiny of the superintendency with the rise of the internet (09:38)
Developing a shared vision for the district and being the chief storyteller (12:17)
His experiences as a superintendent compared to others across the nation (15:17)
Humanizing superintendents and district leaders (17:48)
How supporters can all advocate for superintendents (19:41)

Quotes:
“There are only two types of people who work in schools. There are those who teach and those who support teachers. And never forget that [as a principal] you are now the chief supporter of your teachers in your school. ”

“If I'm not my best self, I can't be an effective leader for the people who are counting on me.”

“Leaders are tremendously adept at filling space. We can create it and fill it all day long, but it's a totally different skill set to be able to create the space and then just hold it for others, to be able to fill that space—and do so in a way that's respectful."

“I'm just a big advocate of going to the community first. It requires tremendous vulnerability, tremendous humility. But if you lead that way, the community will actually step up and help you solve the problem.”

Connect with Quintin Shepherd:
Dr. Quintin Shepherd's LinkedIn
Dr. Quintin Shepherd’s Twitter

S05E06 - Leading with Joy | Dr. George Philhower, Superintendent, Eastern Hancock Schools

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. George Philhower, Superintendent of Eastern Hancock Schools in Indiana since 2021. Previously he was an administrator for 13 years at Western Wayne Schools, another rural Indiana district. He holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from Cardinal Stritch University, a master’s in educational leadership and administration from the University of Indianapolis, and both an Ed.S. and Ph.D. from Indiana State University.

Some Questions We Ask:

Tell us more about your career as a superintendent. (01:33)
What brings you joy in being a superintendent? (03:32)
What are your thoughts regarding the 2022 and 2023 RAND research, and how do you cope with stress in your career? (05:01)
How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (07:02)
How are your experiences similar to other K-12 school leaders across the nation? (08:52)
What is the best way to illuminate the humanity of district leaders? (10:16)
In what ways have you developed a shared vision for your district with your community? (12:02)
What is your advice for someone who’s just starting as a superintendent, and how can they build their community? (14:54)
What advice can you give to superintendents who might be struggling with that? (15:51)
As advocates for K-12 education, how can we truly support superintendents today? (17:12)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Dr. Philhower’s career in education (01:45)
The joys of being a superintendent (03:42)
His point of view on the RAND research and his strategies for coping with stress (05:25)
Change in scrutiny of the superintendency (07:08)
His experiences as a superintendent compared to others across the nation (09:16)
Developing a shared vision for the district (12:07)
His advice for superintendents who are just starting to build their communities of support (15:13)
Different ways of rallying a community through storytelling (16:24)
Advice for struggling superintendents (16:00)
How supporters can all advocate for superintendents (17:28)

Quotes:

“I just really believe that if we do nothing, the gravity of the work we're doing, the gravity of the world, is not pulling us towards a place of joy. So if we're going to get there, it's got to be intentional. And that intentionality comes from just looking for things that bring you joy and looking for opportunities to cause moments of joy.”

“A face-to-face conversation or a phone call when you have questions or concerns is 100% the best way to resolve an issue.”

“We do what we call CAFE meetings. It stands for community and family engagement. We do those quarterly. We've got a network of employee partners and community leaders and anybody that's willing to sit down and chat with us that we meet with. And we'll get over 100 people at those meetings sometimes.”

Stay in touch with Dr. George Philhower:
Eastern Hancock Schools
LinkedIn

S05E05 - Mastering the Five Steps of Happiness as a Superintendent | Dr. Rainey Briggs, Superintendent, Baraboo School District

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Rainey Briggs, the superintendent of the Baraboo School District in Baraboo, Wisconsin.. In 2022, he was recognized as one of the 48 Most Influential Black Leaders in Wisconsin. Dr. Briggs and his wife, Julie, who is also an educator, are the co-founders of Meraki Consulting, which offers seminars, workshops, professional development, coaching, mediation, and other services centered on equity and inclusion. Dr. Briggs works collaboratively with organizations such as North Star Consulting Services, where he partners to provide equity institutes to school districts around the country. In their spare time, the Briggses enjoy going to sporting events and traveling with their three teenage daughters: Rayna, Rylee, and Reagan.

Some Questions We Ask:

Tell us more about your career. (01:25)
Do you agree with the RAND research showing that superintendents have one of the most stressful jobs in America, and how did you cope with stress in your own career? (04:51)
How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (08:30)
How did your experiences compare with other superintendents across the nation? (10:24)
What brings you joy and what do you love about your job? (12:15)
What have you found is the key to bringing people together to see your vision as a leader and cultivate community support? (14:39)
In what ways are you using storytelling to connect with educators, families and the broader community? (16:14)
What advice can you give to superintendents who might be struggling with divisiveness and building a community? (18:06)
Why is it important for the community to see superintendents as real human beings? (20:11)
What can community advocates do better to support K-12 leaders? (23:50)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Dr. Briggs’ career (01:33)
His perspective on job stress and coping strategies (05:22)
Changes in scrutiny of the superintendency (08:52)
His personal experiences as a superintendent as compared to others (10:38)
About what brings him joy in his work (12:39)
Keys to bringing people together and cultivating community support (15:01)
Different ways of rallying a community through storytelling (16:24)
Advice for superintendents struggling with divisiveness (18:21)
The importance of communities’ viewing superintendents as real human beings (21:05)
Suggestions on advocating for K-12 leaders (24:32)

Quotes:

”When you start to judge, you lose out on curiosity, right? That curiosity of really wanting to know and understand what's happening or how you can even support others is really important.”

“Knowing your values, your worth, your beliefs, and what you stand for is the number one piece of advice that I would give.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Rainey Briggs:
Baraboo School District Website
Meraki Consulting, LLC
LinkedIn

S05E04 - Galvanizing Community Around a Shared Vision | Dr. Sandy Husk, Superintendent Emeritus

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Sandy Husk. During her remarkable 48-year career, she has served at every level, from classroom teacher and school counselor to superintendent to interim CEO and executive director for ACSD (the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, a nonprofit with more than 125,000 members in 128 countries). She is currently the advisor to the CEO for MindPrint Learning; a member of the board of directors at Wayfinder and at Abl; and a board member and advisor for Husk Consulting. As a district leader, she has helped prepare students for graduation all across the U.S., including Oregon, Tennessee, and Colorado, learning each state’s idiosyncrasies.

Some Questions We Ask:

Tell us more about your career. (01:22)
What have been the most rewarding aspects of your work in education? (02:47)
Do you agree with the RAND research showing that superintendents have one of the most stressful jobs in America, and how did you cope with stress in your own career? (04:05)
How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (06:03)
How did you unify communities to see your vision for the district–especially during times of budget cuts? (06:51)
How did your experiences compare with other superintendents across the nation? (09:28)
How are you able to rally people around storytelling and communications opportunities? (11:05)
What advice can you give to superintendents having difficulties building relationships within a divisive community? (12:21)
Why is it important for the community to see superintendents as real human beings? (14:53)
What can community advocates do better in supporting K-12 leaders? (16:25)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Dr. Husk’s career (01:31)
Rewarding aspects of her career serving districts in multiple states (03:01)
Her perspective on stress and coping strategies (04:30)
Changes in scrutiny of the superintendency (06:12)
How to promote a unifying vision for a district (07:12)
Her personal experiences as a superintendent as compared to others (09:45)
Different ways of rallying a community (11:24)
Advice for superintendents today (12:29)
The importance of communities’ viewing superintendents as real human beings (15:03)
Suggestions on advocating for K-12 leaders (16:46)

Quotes:

“Every employee and every connected leader needs to be working towards the same communications so that you can get that confidence and the belief up. I have said this many, many times: I can get up and make a speech, and a whole bunch of people aren't going to believe it—but if the teacher and the bus driver and the secretary are saying it, now you've got momentum.”

“One thing I learned over the many years is I had to get some rules for myself on work-life balance.”

“You have to keep focusing on the vision. We want to feel good about each other even when we're making really, really tough decisions.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Sandy Husk:
LinkedIn

S05E03 - Leading with Authenticity | Dr. Adam Clark, Mt. Diablo Unified School District

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Adam Clark, Superintendent of Mount Diablo Unified School District in California. He was named as a 2022 Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association. Previously, Dr. Clark served as Superintendent for Vallejo City Unified School District and Associate Superintendent at Antioch Unified School District. He has also been a principal at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Some Questions We Ask:

Tell us about your career in education and your current role at Mount Diablo. (01:30)
What is the most rewarding aspect of your career? (02:27)
How are you able to deal with stress? (04:45)
How do you think the scrutiny of the superintendency has changed over the years? (07:12)
How do you bring different communities together to see your vision? (11:05)
To what extent do you believe your experiences are typical of superintendents in your state or nationally? (13:56)
What advice can you give to other superintendents who are struggling to cultivate engagement within their communities? (17:53)
What causes people to overlook the fact that superintendents are actual individuals, and how can we show that you are real people tackling difficult problems to enable K-12 kids to receive the best education possible? (20:38)
What can you suggest to advocates, community members, and parents for supporting district leaders? (24:31)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about Dr. Adam Clark’s career (01:38)
Rewarding aspect of his work in education (02:40)
Strategies for coping and dealing with stress (04:52)
Changes in scrutiny of the superintendency (07:21)
Unifying communities around a vision (11:24)
His personal experiences vs. other superintendents’ experiences (14:13)
Dr. Clark’s advice to other superintendents (18:06)
Seeing superintendents as individuals (20:54)
Suggestions for advocates in the community (25:07)

Quotes:

“I remember how it was to be a young parent, and how maybe I didn't have all the information, and I just reacted to certain things. I also remember being a student myself—and that's one thing I try to remind people, to remember when you were a student, remember how your mind worked and the things that were important to you.”

“I want to show my true self and who I am. Yes, I do have to, at times, speak properly and correctly and use the right terminology and things like that. But at other times, I’ve got to show myself. I have to show excitement. I have to show disappointment. I have to talk about things that we won't stand for, we won't tolerate, and I need to be forceful when I say those things. But then I need to show true excitement and exuberance when good things are happening.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Adam Clark:
LinkedIn
Mount Diablo Unified School District

S05E02 - The Power of Teams and Leading with Psychological Safety | Dr. Randy Mahlerwein

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined Dr. Randy Mahlerwein, an Assistant Superintendent in Mesa Public Schools in Arizona. He has been a public educator and leader for the past 24 years and a key contributor for the past four years in his district’s implementation of the Next Education Workforce. He is also an influencer, researcher, and educator. Dr. Mahlerwein is hyper-motivated to change the conditions that influence the environments in which educators and students operate daily.

Some Questions We Ask:

Please tell us about your career and your current role. (01:13)
What are the most rewarding aspects of serving in school leadership? (02:29)
How are you able to cope with the stress of your career? (06:47)
How has scrutiny of your position changed in the last few years? (09:52)
How are you able to communicate with diverse groups to support your district’s goals, help them come together constructively despite disagreements, and truly create a sense of community? (11:54)
How do you think your experiences compare to those of school administrators in your state, locality, or country? (15:30)
Can you tell us more about your leadership style in education trades? (20:49)
Why do you think the community needs to perceive you as a genuine person tackling difficult problems and giving K-12 children the finest education possible? (23:06)
What advice would you give advocates for supporting their district leaders? (25:45)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Dr. Mahlerwein’s career in district leadership and his role in Mesa Public Schools (01:26)
Aspects of serving in school leadership (02:36)
Strategies for coping with stress (06:50)
Changes in scrutiny of his position (10:05)
Ways to bring the community together to support district goals (12:09)
Similar experiences among school administrators(15:56)
Dr. Mahlerwein’s leadership style in education trades (20:56)
The importance of community acknowledgement of superintendents as real people (23:15)
How advocates can support district leaders (25:57)

Quotes:

“I believe happy teachers and happy administrators produce happy students—and happy students learn.”

“We really started talking about the concept of earning your title every day. When you've been bestowed with an opportunity as a governing board [member] or superintendent, and you have to be the model. You have to work harder. As you move up through the ranks as leaders, the responsibility becomes greater.”

“Once you build a psychologically safe team, there's nothing they can't do, because they're going to talk about all the most difficult things together with respect and dignity.”

“If we want to be thought of as humans, it's our responsibility to communicate and lead in a way that people can see. You can't just expect to hand people a belief about you that you haven't worked hard to earn.”

Stay in touch with Randy Mahlerwein:
Email: rmahlerwein@mpsaz.org

S05E01 - Humanizing the Superintendent Series: Engaging in Healthy Debate | Dr. Susan Enfield

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Susan Enfield, the former superintendent of the Washoe County School District in Nevada. She also spent 10 years as the superintendent of Highline Public Schools in Burien, Washington. Prior to joining Highline in 2012, she had held the positions of Chief Academic Officer and Interim Superintendent at Seattle Public Schools.

Some Questions We Ask:

Please tell us more about your roles as a superintendent, the districts you oversaw, and your current activities? (1:23)
Describe how you have gone about building The Network of Distinguished Educators and its work and achievements? (1:56)
What was your greatest source of fulfillment as a superintendent? (4:11)
Can you tell us more about your upcoming book? (5:39)
How did you handle different stressors throughout your career as a superintendent? (9:21)
What are your observations with regards to the changes in the role of superintendents over the years? (11:50)
How much do your experiences reflect those of other superintendents across the nation—and do you think you all have had similar experiences in relation to the stressors? (13:26)
What is the key to bringing people to see your vision as a leader and cultivating communal support? (15:36)
How have you been able to engage with educators, families, and communities through storytelling and communication? (17:56)
How can parents and members of the community help our country's school districts more effectively? (20:04)
Would it be beneficial if community people and parents could comprehend superintendents by placing themselves in their position? (23:09)
How do you cultivate quality board members? (25:02)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Dr. Susan Enfield’s life as a superintendent (1:30)
Her role in building The Network of Distinguished Educators (2:05)
Dr. Enfield’s greatest sources of fulfillment as a superintendent (4:15)
All about her upcoming book (5:56)
How she handled stressors while in the role of a superintendent (9:28)
Changes in the role of superintendents throughout the years (12:00)
Ways in which her own experiences were similar to other superintendents (13:40)
Key factors in uniting people behind her vision as a leader (15:51)
Her engagement with educators, families, and communities (18:11)
How of parents and members of the community can help school districts (20:18)
Effectively understanding superintendents (23:49)
Cultivating quality board members (25:37)

Quotes:

“I think we are in a time where we have to find language and causes that bring all of us together around the right things and have conversations around that.”

“The work of serving children is a gift on any day, and you endure those hard days on the job for the sake of the work."

“Leadership is not about self-aggrandizement. Leadership is not about personal, individual accomplishments. Leadership is about service above self.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Susan Enfield:
The Network of Distinguished Educators
LinkedIn

Season 5 Trailer: Superintendent Series!

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0800

Hello Build Momentum for Education listeners, we're so excited to kick off Season 5 of the Build Momentum for Education Podcast.

This season, we're exploring a particularly unique perspective in K-12, thought leadership, humanizing the role of the superintendent. In this special podcast series, we interview current and former superintendents and researchers to pursue the core question, how can we better see superintendents as real people navigating complex challenges to provide the best possible education for our K-12 students. We dig deeper into how this important work can help build community, invite collaboration and increase widespread engagement.

Episodes will run every other Thursday on Spotify, iTunes or whatever platform you listen to.

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
Free Case Study Guide
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

S04E15 - Workforce Development in Washington State | Marina Parr & Stephanie Davidsmeyer | REPLAY

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Marina Parr, Director for Workforce System Advancement at Washington’s Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board and Stephanie Davidsmeyer, a Director of Communications for the Washington State Board of Education. Stephanie has 10 years of experience in nonprofit, corporate, and government outreach media relations.

Some Questions I Ask:

Marina, tell us more about your work and if you have seen a shift in how districts prioritize workforce development. (01:25)
Stephanie, from the communications perspective, what trends are you seeing in workforce development and advancement? (04:03)
Have you both seen an increase in public-private partnership when it comes to workforce development in Washington? (08:09)
How is the ESSER cliff impacting districts in Washington in terms of workforce development? (16:39)
What are the key takeaways of the Workforce System Poster? (21:20)
Stephanie, how do you share powerful success stories to the community? (23:51)
What are you most hopeful about for the future of workforce development? (27:57)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Marina’s work and her view of districts prioritizing workforce development (01:49)
Stephanie’s perspective on workforce development across Washington state (04:34)
Marina and Stephanie’s points of view with regards to expansion of workforce development (11:08)
Impact of the ESSER cliff on workforce development in Washington state (18:32)
Key takeaways of the Workforce System Poster (21:42)
How Stephanie tells powerful success stories(24:13)
Marina’s hopes for the future of workforce development (28:21)

Quotes:

“We know that businesses are busy. Probably the biggest challenge in workforce development is getting businesses to the table, because they're really trying to run their businesses. So you need to make effective use of their time.”

“I've talked to students that are making canoes and then talking with advisors and building reports about how much it would cost to open their own business in boat making. They have all this math and all these figures that go into it. These kids will just blow you away.”

“Our state has had something called industry skill panels that bring together similar businesses so they can discuss common skill gaps, hiring challenges, difficulties that their employees face finding housing and other support. And the interesting thing is that these businesses are typically competitors.”

“Chronic absenteeism is an issue. It really did start with the pandemic [when] kids kind of checked out, and then they never really checked back in. So we have to figure out how to re-engage students and really get them to be present. And we know that populations that have struggled the most had the widest gap.”

Stay in touch with the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board:
Website

S04E14 - Rural Innovation Series | Jessica Morrison, Executive Director, The Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative | REPLAY

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0700

In this replay episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Jessica Morrison, the Executive Director of Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative, one of the partners in the newly established Career Launch Southwest initiative, which serves as a vital link between employers and the workforce of the future. She was previously the Director of Career and College Counseling at Animas High School in Durango for six years. In June 2021, the school won the Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) Award from the Colorado Department of Education for its Sophomore Inspire Week program.

This episode concludes our series focusing on rural collaboratives that are developing opportunities for students in specialized career pathways.

This is the final episode in a four-part series focusing on rural collaboratives that are developing opportunities for students in specialized career pathways.

Some Questions I Ask:

Tell us more about Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative. (01:21)
How do you create partnerships? (04:39)
What are the challenges and successes in working with higher education partner institutions? (07:50)
What is your funding model and how do you make it work for school districts? (11:51)
What are the credentials you are currently offering to high school students and what are the outcomes of the program? (15:22)
What advice can you give to leaders about starting the collaboration process? (24:30)
How are you sharing your success stories? (30:14)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative (01:34)
Southwest Colorado Educational Collaborative’s partnerships (04:56)
Challenges and successes in higher ed partnerships (08:14)
Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative’s funding model (12:07)
Credentials and outcomes of the program (15:53)
Advice to leaders interested in collaborating on workforce development(25:17)
Strategies for sharing success stories and elevating thought leadership in education (30:40)

Quotes:

“I want all of your listeners to understand that these pieces take time—this is not for a school district that is faint of heart. I've worked in K-12 institutions as well as on the federal government side, and I know how important data is. What are the numbers? How many students are earning industry credentials? But laying the groundwork takes years, so it's looking at all of the different components to then determine what are the steps that need to be put in place along the way.”

“As you're building out this dream of consolidating resources in order to do more or bring more to a region, you can also be doing some more low-hanging fruit like priming students to be ready, which pushes your partners to get to the place of shared courses.”

Stay in touch with Jobs for the Future:
Career Launch Southwest Website
Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative Website
Email: info@swcoedcollaborative.org

S04E13 - Rural Innovation Series | Aaron Black, Superintendent, Randolph Eastern School Corporation | REPLAY

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 08:00:00 -0700

In this replay episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Aaron Black. He is currently the Superintendent at Randolph Eastern School Corporation in Union City, Indiana, and is spearheading the Rural Alliance Zone 32. Aaron was named a semifinalist for the Yass Innovation Prize 2023 from the Yass Center for Education (formerly the Center for Education Reform). The prize recognizes leaders in sustainable, transformational, outstanding, and permissionless education.

This is the third episode in a four-part series focusing on rural collaboratives that are developing opportunities for students in specialized career pathways.

Some Questions I Ask:

Tell us something about yourself and Randolph Eastern. (02:22)
What do you do in Randolph Eastern and what trends do you see on a national scale? (05:47)
What made you decide to start the Rural Alliance Zone 32? (07:32)
What is your funding model and how would you advise other superintendents about joining a collaborative? (09:16)
What credentials students are looking for and what are you offering? (11:31)
What are students’ experiences within your program? (15:15)
What are your goals in the next five years? (18:33)
How do you share your story? (20:10)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about Aaron Black (02:35)
His role at Randolph Eastern and trends he sees (06:02)
The start of rural collaboratives in Randolph County (07:59)
His advice to other superintendents about joining rural collaboratives and about funding models (09:39)
Credentials students look for and what Randolph Eastern offers (11:57)
Student experiences with the program (15:46)
Goals in the next five years (18:48)
How to emulate the way Aaron shares his story (20:22)

Quotes:

“We start with kindergarteners, taking career exploration trips and being very intentional about getting them out in front of employers and learning how the world works. We do that with every grade level, and it culminates at the high school.”

“We know [students] have their skills and interests, right? We know what their passions are. But we're not telling them, ‘Hey, you're going to be a nurse your entire life.’ We're saying, ‘Hey, check out this health care pathway. It may be a perfect fit for you.’”

“Success looks like student participation and access. … The win is in five years if the numbers multiply five times by student participation and if we continue to attract schools to help us figure out this access issue.“

Stay in touch with Aaron:
LinkedIn
Twitter
The UC Experience Podcast
Website

S04E12 Rural Innovation Series | Lauren Marie Hall Riggens, Senior Manager, Empower Schools | REPLAY

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Lauren Marie Hall Riggins, a senior manager at Empower Schools, a national nonprofit that partners with communities and educators to reimagine local education systems. Lauren is currently the Director of Youth Poet Laureate at VOICES Corporation, an organization offering culturally sustaining programs for young people, where she also serves as a board member and consultant. She is an experienced educator, researcher, and nonprofit leader with many notable achievements.

This is the second episode in a four-part series focusing on rural collaboratives that are developing opportunities for students in specialized career pathways.

Some Questions I Ask:

Can you tell us more about Empower Schools? (01:34)
What workforce issues are being addressed in the traditional CTE space? (04:04)
What opportunities have you developed with higher education partners, and what challenges have you encountered? (07:05)
How do you address funding in K-12 education collaboratives? (10:54)
What credentials are you looking to offer in these collaborations, and how do they enhance students’ futures? (14:19)
How do the collaborations address student transportation? (19:21)
What are your goals in rural collaboratives, and do you have to be rural to be part of them? (25:08)
What other places across the country have built impressive collaborations to support students? (28:43)
How do you share your powerful story of success? (31:33)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about Empower Schools (01:46)
Workforce issues traditional CTE addresses (04:19)
Opportunities and challenges with higher education partners (07:35)
Strategies for funding K-12 collaboratives (11:09)
Pros and cons of credentials (15:41)
Creative approaches to student transportation (19:34)
Aspirational goals for education collaboratives anywhere (25:29)
Which other states have built impressive collaborations (29:02)
How Lauren shares her organization’s success (31:49)

Quotes:

“I joke with my friends in the education innovation scene—excuse my language if we can't use this term—but someone needs to make transportation sexy. Why is no one innovating transportation?.”

“We've created a situation where we have thousands and thousands of students across the country who have insane amounts of post-secondary debt and no real career prospects. … Post-secondary is important, but let's marry it with very intentional academic supports and a clear path that kids have explored and feel good about—and that leads to a family-sustaining wage.”

“Rural collaboratives are a really unique way of maintaining community identity and collective efficacy, the sense that a group of people feel like they can do something well together, take care of their kids, [and] create a really strong regional economy.”

Stay in touch with Lauren:
LinkedIn
Email: lhallriggins@empowerschools.org

S04E11 - Rural Innovation Series | Mike Gonzalez, Executive Director, Rural Schools Innovation Zone | REPLAY

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 08:00:00 -0700

In this replay episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Michael Gonzalez, executive director of the Rural Schools Innovation Zone out of Premont,Texas. He was also a former principal at Premont Collegiate High School. This is the first episode in a four-part series focusing on rural collaboratives that are developing opportunities for students in specialized career pathways.

Some Questions I Ask:

What is the Rural Schools Innovation Zone? (01:16)
Please tell us more about the three school corporations involved. (07:06)
What are the challenges and successes in dealing with the higher education system? (09:27)
How do you recommend the funding model to other education organizations and districts? (12:58)
What are the outcomes of the zone and how are you growing this? (16:59)
How do you address the potential barrier of transportation? (22:01)
What about other logistics like bell schedules? (24:12)
What advice can you give to school leaders about starting a real collaborative? (26:08)
How do you share your story to the community and the whole educational sphere? (27:45)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about the Rural Schools Innovation Zone (01:31)
The participating schools (07:41)
The successes and challenges in dealing with the higher education system (09:49)
Recommendations for the funding model (13:10)
Student outcomes and growth (17:31)
Ideas for handling transportation (22:10)
Making the logistics work (24:48)
Mike’s advice to school leaders looking to start a collaborative (26:17)
His way of sharing this story to the community (27:59)

Quotes:

“Be a champion for your community. Be a champion for the kids that are there that are underserved for a wide variety of reasons, whether it be resources or parity or scarcity, whatever the right word is. The local champions need to come to the forefront [and] advocate for the right things to do for kids. Start with your local school boards, your principals, your students, your superintendents, and then take it to the next step from there.”

“You can live in your community and take advantage of other resources and other programs away from your community but come back and still have community pride.”

“I’m trying to get to those organizations that reach the older members of the community that don’t have kids in school so they can understand what we’re doing, because they’re the ones going out and voting.”

Stay in touch with Michael:
RSISZ Website
LinkedIn
Email: mgonzalez@thersisz.org
Text: (361)-522-0261

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
Free Case Study Guide
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

S04E10 - Sturm Collaboration Campus | Jill Garber, Danny Winsor, and Dr. Stephanie Fujii CSU, Arapahoe Community College & Douglas County School District

Thu, 09 May 2024 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode we have a special group with us from the Sturm Collaboration Campus in Castle Rock, Colorado: Jill Garber, the Director of the CSU Collaboration Campuses; Dr. Stephanie Fuji, the President of Arapahoe Community College; and Danny Winsor, the Assistant Superintendent of Douglas County Schools. We explore the Big Blur and how they have brought individuals, partners, and education institutions together to do what's best for students.

Some Questions I Ask:

How did the collaborative come together in Castle Rock? (01:19)
What problems would you like to solve through this partnership — and have you been involved in K-12 public-private partnerships in the past? (03:02)
Tell us more about the Big Blur. (06:39)
For Danny: How can K-12 school districts reimagine their collaborations to ensure they provide relevant experiences to students? (11:07)
For Jill: How do you see the rise of work-based programs at Sturm and what is your advice for higher education institutions implementing them? (16:44)
What’s next for Sturm? (20:45)
How do you share your ventures with the community? (28:09)
What are you most hopeful about for the future of work for our students? (35:15)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

From Jill about the Sturm Collaboration Campus (01:31)
Danny’s point of view regarding public-private partnerships (03:19)
Stephanie’s take on the Big Blur (06:54)
How to ensure school district partnerships provide relevant experiences(11:41)
Jill’s take on the rise of work-based programs (17:11)
The future of Sturm (21:30)
Strategies for sharing their ventures with the community (28:52, 30:41, 32:54)
Their hopes for the future of work (35:27, 36:07, 38:54)

Quotes:
“If you truly, truly want to blur the lines between K through 12, post-secondary education, and the world of work, you have to have partnerships in which folks are willing to do work that's messy.”

“It's important to seek the input of industry, involve them in the process, and have relationships with them … and to also have wraparound services for students — things like advising, career counseling, and especially transfer admissions. Our internal minutiae can make it weird for students sometimes and impact their success.”

Stay in touch with:
D. Winsor:
Douglas County School District
Dr. Fujii:
Arapahoe Community College
J. Garber:
Colorado State University
Email

Resources Mentioned:
The 74 Million Survey

S04E09 - Durable Skills & The Future of Work | Tim Taylor, Co-Founder & President, America Succeeds

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Tim Taylor, who is a co-founder and the president of America Succeeds, a nonprofit organization committed to engaging business leaders in modernizing the education system. He also served as the founding president of Colorado Succeeds. One of the America Succeeds initiatives Tim highlights is Durable Skills, which includes a combination of how you use what you know – skills like critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity – and character skills like fortitude, growth mindset, and leadership.

Some Questions I Ask:

Tell us more about America Succeeds. (01:14)
Based on your research, what skills are applicable to the workforce community? (02:50)
Are you seeing more public- private partnerships with K-12 organizations now than the past? (06:10)
How did America Succeeds begin working with the Indiana Employability Skills Innovation and Implementation Grant and what was the outcome? (08:16)
How are you working with America Succeeds partners networks across the country? (15:46)
How do you recommend business leaders, partners, and everyone to work together and move this mission in a collaborative way? (18:13)
How are you sharing America Succeeds stories? (19:50)
What are your hopes about the future of work? (22:04)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About America Succeeds (01:40)
About durable skills for the workforce (03:06)
About public-private partnerships with K-12 organizations (06:26)
How America Succeeds and the Indiana Employability Skills Innovation and Implementation Grant intersect (09:07)
About America Succeeds partnerships across the country (16:03)
Tim’s recommendations for collaboration (18:46)
How he shares America Succeeds stories (20:03)
His hopes for the future of work (22:13)

Quotes:

“The challenge everywhere is how do we make a student's day look different or a classroom look different to practice these skills when we're asking so much of teachers already. And one of the things we discovered in working on this project is that it's not doing more, necessarily, it's just doing what you do a little differently.”

“It's rare that I have talked this long about durable skills without talking about one of our big drivers: economic mobility and equity. … There's been a lot of inequity.”

“The Association for Talent Development did a study, and 83% of employers complained about a skills gap. The largest two in the workforce are critical thinking and communication skills. We're hearing this over and over again; this is not an isolated problem.”

Stay in touch with America Succeeds:
Tim Taylor LinkedIn
America Succeeds Website
Durable Skills by America Succeeds Website
Email:info@americasucceeds.org

S04E08 - Workforce Development in Washington State | Marina Parr & Stephanie Davidsmeyer

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0700

Marina, tell us more about your work and if you have seen a shift in how districts prioritize workforce development. (01:25)
Stephanie, from the communications perspective, what trends are you seeing in workforce development and advancement? (04:03)
Have you both seen an increase in public-private partnership when it comes to workforce development in Washington? (08:09)
How is the ESSER cliff impacting districts in Washington in terms of workforce development? (16:39)
What are the key takeaways of the Workforce System Poster? (21:20)
Stephanie, how do you share powerful success stories to the community? (23:51)
What are you most hopeful about for the future of workforce development? (27:57)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Marina’s work and her view of districts prioritizing workforce development (01:49)
Stephanie’s perspective on workforce development across Washington state (04:34)
Marina and Stephanie’s points of view with regards to expansion of workforce development (11:08)
Impact of the ESSER cliff on workforce development in Washington state (18:32)
Key takeaways of the Workforce System Poster (21:42)
How Stephanie tells powerful success stories(24:13)
Marina’s hopes for the future of workforce development (28:21)

Stay in touch with the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board:
Website

S04E07 - The Big Blur | Joel Vargas, Vice President, Jobs for the Future

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Joel Vargas of Jobs for the Future, a nonprofit that focuses on strategies to transform education and workforce systems. Vargas is vice president of JFF’s Education practice, which supports systems change in the education ecosystem, influences policies that promote diverse pathways, and identifies and applies data-informed, learner-centered solutions. Before joining JFF, Vargas directed, initiated, and studied programs designed to help students from populations underrepresented in post-secondary education enter and complete college.

Some Questions I Ask:

Tell us more about Jobs for the Future. (01:18)
How have you seen districts prioritize workforce development? (03:43)
How are effective are educators at transmitting this shift to students and parents? (06:56)
What’s The Big Blur and what impact is it having? (11:08)
Is there an increase in public-private partnership in terms of workforce development? (16:37)
What are some successful funding strategies for district partnerships? (20:20)
How do you feel about AI? (22:29)
Tell us more about how you share your success stories across the education community? (25:15)
What are you most hopeful about for the future of workforce development? (27:20)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about Jobs for the Future (01:30)
Joel’s thoughts on districts prioritizing workforce development (04:05)
How this shift in priorities is transmitted to students and parents (07:37)
The Big Blur as a principle for organizing older adolescents’ learning (11:20)
Public-private partnerships in workforce development (17:07)
Funding strategies for district partnerships (20:35)
Joel’s thoughts about AI (22:50)
Tips for sharing successful stories across the education community (25:33)
Joel’s hopes for the future of workforce development (27:27)

Quotes:

“We really think we need the ‘power of us’ in this day and age—and frankly, in this political climate—to get some of these things done. So we're going to have an explicit focus on policy.

“Young people have to start working earlier, out of necessity. And our systems don't support learning and working at the same time. So we said, ‘What we need to do is blur all the systems.’”

“Our Pathways to Prosperity network just celebrated 10 years. We've worked with well over 30 communities, states, and regions over the last 10 years to advance these kinds of college and career pathways.”

Stay in touch with Jobs for the Future:
Website
Email: jvargas@jff.org

S04E06 - Rural Innovation Series | Jessica Morrison, Executive Director, The Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Jessica Morrison, the Executive Director of Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative, one of the partners in the newly established Career Launch Southwest initiative, which serves as a vital link between employers and the workforce of the future. She was previously the Director of Career and College Counseling at Animas High School in Durango for six years. In June 2021, the school won the Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) Award from the Colorado Department of Education for its Sophomore Inspire Week program.

This episode concludes our series focusing on rural collaboratives that are developing opportunities for students in specialized career pathways.

This is the final episode in a four-part series focusing on rural collaboratives that are developing opportunities for students in specialized career pathways.

Some Questions I Ask:

Tell us more about Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative. (01:21)
How do you create partnerships? (04:39)
What are the challenges and successes in working with higher education partner institutions? (07:50)
What is your funding model and how do you make it work for school districts? (11:51)
What are the credentials you are currently offering to high school students and what are the outcomes of the program? (15:22)
What advice can you give to leaders about starting the collaboration process? (24:30)
How are you sharing your success stories? (30:14)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative (01:34)
Southwest Colorado Educational Collaborative’s partnerships (04:56)
Challenges and successes in higher ed partnerships (08:14)
Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative’s funding model (12:07)
Credentials and outcomes of the program (15:53)
Advice to leaders interested in collaborating on workforce development(25:17)
Strategies for sharing success stories and elevating thought leadership in education (30:40)

S04E05 - Rural Innovation Series | Aaron Black, Superintendent, Randolph Eastern School Corporation

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Aaron Black. He is currently the Superintendent at Randolph Eastern School Corporation in Union City, Indiana, and is spearheading the Rural Alliance Zone 32. Aaron was named a semifinalist for the Yass Innovation Prize 2023 from the Yass Center for Education (formerly the Center for Education Reform). The prize recognizes leaders in sustainable, transformational, outstanding, and permissionless education.

This is the third episode in a four-part series focusing on rural collaboratives that are developing opportunities for students in specialized career pathways.

Some Questions I Ask:

Tell us something about yourself and Randolph Eastern. (02:22)
What do you do in Randolph Eastern and what trends do you see on a national scale? (05:47)
What made you decide to start the Rural Alliance Zone 32? (07:32)
What is your funding model and how would you advise other superintendents about joining a collaborative? (09:16)
What credentials students are looking for and what are you offering? (11:31)
What are students’ experiences within your program? (15:15)
What are your goals in the next five years? (18:33)
How do you share your story? (20:10)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about Aaron Black (02:35)
His role at Randolph Eastern and trends he sees (06:02)
The start of rural collaboratives in Randolph County (07:59)
His advice to other superintendents about joining rural collaboratives and about funding models (09:39)
Credentials students look for and what Randolph Eastern offers (11:57)
Student experiences with the program (15:46)
Goals in the next five years (18:48)
How to emulate the way Aaron shares his story (20:22)

S04E04 - Rural Innovation Series | Lauren Marie Hall Riggens, Senior Manager, Empower Schools

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0800

Can you tell us more about Empower Schools? (01:34)
What workforce issues are being addressed in the traditional CTE space? (04:04)
What opportunities have you developed with higher education partners, and what challenges have you encountered? (07:05)
How do you address funding in K-12 education collaboratives? (10:54)
What credentials are you looking to offer in these collaborations, and how do they enhance students’ futures? (14:19)
How do the collaborations address student transportation? (19:21)
What are your goals in rural collaboratives, and do you have to be rural to be part of them? (25:08)
What other places across the country have built impressive collaborations to support students? (28:43)
How do you share your powerful story of success? (31:33)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about Empower Schools (01:46)
Workforce issues traditional CTE addresses (04:19)
Opportunities and challenges with higher education partners (07:35)
Strategies for funding K-12 collaboratives (11:09)
Pros and cons of credentials (15:41)
Creative approaches to student transportation (19:34)
Aspirational goals for education collaboratives anywhere (25:29)
Which other states have built impressive collaborations (29:02)
How Lauren shares her organization’s success (31:49)

Quotes:

Stay in touch with Lauren:
LinkedIn
Email: lhallriggins@empowerschools.org

S04E03 - Rural Innovation Series | Mike Gonzalez, Executive Director, Rural Schools Innovation Zone

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Michael Gonzalez, executive director of the Rural Schools Innovation Zone out of Premont,Texas. He was also a former principal at Premont Collegiate High School. This is the first episode in a four-part series focusing on rural collaboratives that are developing opportunities for students in specialized career pathways.

Some Questions I Ask:

What is the Rural Schools Innovation Zone? (01:16)
Please tell us more about the three school corporations involved. (07:06)
What are the challenges and successes in dealing with the higher education system? (09:27)
How do you recommend the funding model to other education organizations and districts? (12:58)
What are the outcomes of the zone and how are you growing this? (16:59)
How do you address the potential barrier of transportation? (22:01)
What about other logistics like bell schedules? (24:12)
What advice can you give to school leaders about starting a real collaborative? (26:08)
How do you share your story to the community and the whole educational sphere? (27:45)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about the Rural Schools Innovation Zone (01:31)
The participating schools (07:41)
The successes and challenges in dealing with the higher education system (09:49)
Recommendations for the funding model (13:10)
Student outcomes and growth (17:31)
Ideas for handling transportation (22:10)
Making the logistics work (24:48)
Mike’s advice to school leaders looking to start a collaborative (26:17)
His way of sharing this story to the community (27:59)

Quotes:

Stay in touch with Michael:
RSISZ Website
LinkedIn
Email: mgonzalez@thersisz.org
Text: (361)-522-0261

S04E02 - Strategic Community Partnerships Drive Innovative Workforce Development at Tacoma Public Schools | Adam Kulaas

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Adam Kulaas, the Director of Innovative Learning and Career and Technical Education for Tacoma Public Schools in Washington State. He also founded Jobs 253, which offers the district’s high school students the opportunity to earn credit toward graduation while gaining meaningful work experience.

Some Questions I Ask:

Tell us about Tacoma Public Schools and your role in the district? (01:15)
What is the Job 253 program? (02:10)
What impact does Jobs 253 have for students and the community? (04:31)
Who funds the program? (06:47)
How do you work with other entities? (08:36)
How do employers respond? (11:14)
Will there be a shift in how districts implement workforce experiences in the future? (12:04)
What is your advice for others who want to consider a similar approach in other cities? (13:29)
When do you introduce the program to students? (15:29)
How do you share your success with others? (17:09)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Adam’s role at Tacoma Public Schools (01:21)
All about the Jobs 253 program (02:43)
Impacts of Jobs 253 (04:42)
Funding sources for Jobs 253 (07:01)
Expansion of the program (09:09)
Employers’ response toward the program (11:26)
Trajectory of priorities for Job 253 in the future (12:26)
His advice to other districts adapting theJobs 253 program (13:44)
Reasons to introduce the program as early as possible (15:41)
Sharing Adam’s success story to the community (17:26)

Quotes:

“We served over 1,000 kids in paid work experiences. For perspective, that mirrored the 10 years previous. It's this really rich, exciting opportunity that evolved over the years [but] still remains firmly anchored in this idea of giving kids a paid work experience and serving community.”

“It's been fun to watch us shift or solidify some of the trajectories for youth in terms of life in high school, but even beyond in terms of what's next.”

“The faster we can adapt to scenarios that empower learners–give them not just a sense of ownership, but actual control over what their current experiences are, and then help them frame what that looks like beyond–then we win. I see an intentional push at the state and national levels to integrate more real work experiences, real world experiences. But I think I'm in a unique scenario. You have to gather a mass in order to go from theory to action.”

Stay in touch with Adam Kulaas:
Getting Smart Website
Job 253 Website
Tacoma Public Schools

S04E01 - K-12 to Career: How Community Colleges are Accelerating Workforce Development | Chad Bolser, Katie Lash

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by a new co-host, Chad Bolser, a Chancellor from Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana. In previous roles, he served as vice president of Strategic Operations-Southern Campuses and Chancellor at the Richmond Campus. Chad was the athletic director at Richmond Community Schools for six years and the head coach for boys basketball for 10 years. We also bid farewell to Dr. Katie Lash as she embarks on a new chapter of her career as Ivy Tech’s Vice President for K-14 and Strategic Initiatives.

Some Questions I Ask:

What news do you have to tell us, Katie? (02:12)
Who is Chad Bolser? (03:51)
How do community colleges (including Ivy Tech) impact their local areas? (05:25)
How are K-12 educators expanding their role in preparing students for the workforce? (07:38)
How are community colleges adapting to these changes? (10:14)
What takeaways do you have from national conferences you attend? (11:33)
How does thought leadership play a role in elevating Ivy Tech’s reputation and influence at the state and national level? (14:30)
How does Katie’s new role (from K-12 to K-14) illustrate community colleges’ strategies? (19:36)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Katie’s new career path (02:17)
All about Chad Bolser (04:10)
The growth of community colleges like Ivy Tech (05:45)
Chad’s insights regarding K-12 and the workforce (08:00)
Community colleges’ adaptation to AI (10:38)
The evolution of community colleges nationally (11:52)
The influence of Ivy Tech through thought leadership and education (15:25)
Katie’s transition from K-12 to K-14 (20:36)

Quotes:

“One of the reasons that I like the term community college—as opposed to two-year or, when we leave off the community portion of that and just say college to try to stay in the higher education lane—is because we are the connectors of the community. And I think one of the reasons that we're having this moment when lots of folks are talking about how we can be integrators is because we're connectors. We connect to employer partners.”

“It doesn't matter whether it's an elementary student, a middle school student, or high school student, if you ask them about knowledge, rarely are they turning to the curriculum that they've been presented with. They're turning to their devices, they're turning to AI, they're turning to all of the options that they have. We shouldn't be surprised that they're also learning how to do a lot of things that we would have gone to classes for—and they're doing it in 15-minute increments on the internet. That's not a bad thing. That's a wonderful thing.”

“Accessibility has always been the core of what community college’s two-year experience has been for the educational system.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Katie Lash:
LinkedIn

Season 4 Trailer: Global Workforce Series!

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0800

Hello, Build Momentum listeners. We're excited to kick off season four of the podcast and we have some exciting changes to share this season. We're so thrilled for last season's co-host, Dr. Katie Lash, who recently left the service center to take on the role of VP of K-14 and Strategic Initiatives at Ivy Tech are so happy for her and wish her well as she focuses on her new job. The good news is that we're still keeping our Indiana connection and Chad Bolser and Chancellor from Ivy Tech will be this season's new co-host!

This season are kicking off a workforce development series including interviews with Superintendents, District CTE leaders, and rural education organizations committed to driving innovation and leading impactful change in K- 14 to support workforce development.

S03E24 -Technology and Learning Alchemist Julia Fallon | SETDA | REPLAY

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Julia Fallon. Julia, a self-described technology and learning alchemist, is the Executive Director of the nonprofit State Educational Technology Directors Association, where she works with U.S. state and territorial digital learning leaders to empower the education community to leverage technology for learning, teaching, and school operations. Prior to joining SETDA, Julia worked for Washington state’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for 17 years. In her free time, she runs the Crazy Idea Factory™.

Some Questions We Ask:

What is SETDA? (00:45)
What have you discovered about state edtech trends? (05:43)
What is your organization’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Collaborative? (11:11)
How does SETDA unify and elevate voices and messages? (15:04)
What are your views on seeing AI and VR pop up everywhere? (19:15)
What are your hopes for the future? (26:01)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about Julia Fallon and SETDA (01:03)
About cybersecurity and investments in devices and learning management systems (06:22)
About the Cybersecurity and Privacy Collaborative with the Melinda Gates Foundation (11:18)
SETDA’s strategies as a learning community (15:39)
Julia’s perspectives on AI and VR (19:30)
Her thoughts and hopes for the future (26:12)

Quotes:

“We really believe that states have a role to play. It depends on your state, though, of course—because everybody talks about local control. And that means different things for different regions. But the idea is how can you leverage what other states have already done so you don't have to start from scratch.”

“Technology is here to automate. Had we had the pandemic 10 years ago, think about video conferencing! It used to be like, you had a book a room, and then 14 people got involved, and the thing got plugged in, and you had to show up somewhere. And now I'm in my house talking to people around the world.”

“ [The pandemic] highlighted a lot of the gaps that we had and the reality that there are communities we haven't served and we didn't serve well. And now there are different ways to serve them.”

Connect with Julia:
SETDA Website
SETDA Twitter
Julia Fallon’s LinkedIn
Julia Fallon’s Twitter

Resources Mentioned:
”Human Work In the Age of Smart Machines” by Jamie Merisotis
”The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization” by Thomas L. Friedman

S03E23 - Bridging the gap between edtech organizations and K-12 decisionmakers to solve education's most difficult challenges| Doug Roberts, CEO, Institute for Education Innovation (IEI)

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Doug Roberts, who is the founder and CEO of the Institute for Education Innovation. IEI specializes in bridging the gaps between individuals and organizations that are committed to seeing students succeed in school and in life. Doug and his team create safe spaces for problem-solving and innovative thinking, including the IEI Summer Summit where this episode was recorded.

Some Questions We Ask:

Could you tell us why you’re here and what IEI has going on this week? (00:59)
What is IEI? (02:28)
What are your thoughts about superintendents’ stress levels and how does IEI support them during difficult times? (02:45)
Why is it important for edtech companies to have evidence, and how should they be ensuring they have it, especially with ESSER funding dwindling? (05:48)
How do you think edtech companies are getting it wrong when they focus on AI support for school districts? (11:12)
What are some of the ways you have committed to increasing the superintendent pipeline, and how do you think others can help support it too? (15:13)
Tell us more about Supes’ Choice Awards. (21:31)
You've really worked to build your thought leadership presence throughout the years. Is there anything you would change in the industry in terms of how people publicly try to build their exposure and awareness? (27:45)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About the IEI Summer Summit (01:11)
About the Institute for Education Innovation (02:32)
About superintendents’ stress levels and how IEI supports them (03:03)
The importance of evidence and why companies should have it, especially in connection with ESSER funds (06:14)
What edtech companies do wrong when they focus on AI support for school districts (11:30)
What IEI Lead is and what it does (15:23)
Doug and Katie’s perspective on the Supes’ Choice Awards (21:54)
Katie’s advice for people who want to apply for the Supes’ Choice Awards (26:54)
Doug’s thought leadership (28:06)

Quotes:

“Evidence is really in the eye of the beholder. That's a decision between a superintendent and her or his cabinet and the actual educators who will implement the thing.”

Connect with Doug:
Doug's Twitter
Email: doug@instituteforedinnovation.com
Doug Robert's LinkedIn
IEI Twitter
IEI Website
Supes' Choice Website

S03E22 - Tom Vander Ark Talks AI, Cultivating an Entrepreneurial Mindset, and Building Credibility | Tom Vander Ark | REPLAY

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Tom Vander Ark, an advocate for innovations in learning. He is the CEO of Getting Smart, a design learning firm that helps education organizations increase their impact with innovations for a better learning experience. Tom is also a prolific writer and speaker who has authored or co-authored eight books, including “The Power of Place: Authentic Learning Through Place-Based Education” and “Smart Parents: Parenting for Powerful Learning,” and he’s working on a new one. He has also been a content contributor for Forbes, LinkedIn, and Getting Smart. In his free time, Tom enjoys cycling and making vegan creations.

Some Questions We Ask:

What career experiences led you to launch Getting Smart? (00:44)
What trends and challenges are districts facing now? (01:50)
What’s your take on the evolution of AI? (03:31)
Can you tell us more about your new book? (11:39)
What are your thoughts on developing an entrepreneurial mindset among students? (15:17)
Looking ahead, what are your hopes in education? (18:14)
What advice and insights do you have for other organizations hoping to follow the path you’ve taken? (20:03)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about Tom Vander Ark and Getting Smart (00:53)
The top challenges school districts face today (02:06)
Tom’s perspective about AI (03:48)
About Tom’s new book (11:58)
His thoughts regarding entrepreneurial mindset (15:42)
How to create more opportunities and environments where young people can succeed (18:24)
His advice for other organizations to follow his path to success (20:34)

Quotes:

“The key to education today is helping students develop a sense of identity and agency, understand their strengths and interests, and then understand how and where they can act on the world, spot opportunities to make a difference, design solutions, and deliver impact to a community.”

“That the rise of the platform economy has created many new ramps for people to step into employment or create a new business or campaign. It has enabled a new wave of entrepreneurship.”

“We can create environments where students are experiencing success in what's next. They're actually doing work that matters. That's project-based learning. That's work-based learning. That's enterprise.”

Connect with Tom:
Getting Smart Website
Tom's Twitter
Tom’s LinkedIn
Tom's Instagram
Tom's Epic Veggie Creation Instagram

Resources Mentioned:
Human Work In the Age of Smart Machine by Jamie Merisotis
Tom Vander Ark Books

S03E21 - Ken Eisner on Global Trends in Education, the Workforce, and Leadership | Ken Eisner

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Ken Eisner. Ken is currently a Consulting Advisor with Avathon Capital, a Special Partner at Good Harbor Partners, and a Senior Advisor at New Markets Venture Partners. He is the former Director of Business Development for Amazon Web Services’ Global Learning Systems.

Some Questions We Ask:

What have you been up to since leaving Amazon earlier this year? (00:56)
What do you think about the shifts in higher education? (03:23)
What is the most effective way to evaluate microcredentials? (09:05)
How can you apply the lessons you’ve learned through working in education with the government and private sectors? (16:21)
What tips can you share for those who want to secure investments?
What is your advice for those who want to elevate their profile and establish their platform within the education sphere?
What are your predictions for education in the future?

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Ken’s life after Amazon (01:00)
His thoughts about higher education (03:57)
To evaluate microcredentials (09:23)
How Ken applied the lessons he learned in education (16:51)
His advice and tips for securing funds
His advice for those who want to establish a platform in education
Ken’s thoughts and predictions for education in the future

Quotes:

“There are two systems of learning: Education from elementary school to middle school to secondary school to higher ed, and then there's corporate training, which really should be the lifelong learning path. Higher ed traditionally focuses on civic mindedness and an elite education—at least, that's the roots of it— while corporate training puts the round peg of learning into the square hole of people who are selling widgets or services.”

“We know that the ‘sage on the stage’ is a foregone educational experiment. It worked for a period of time, for various reasons, but it needs to evolve.”

“‘Have backbone, disagree, and commit’ is one of my favorite leadership principles. As a leader, how are you encouraging debate within your organization? How are you reaching out to every person in your organization and ensuring their voice is heard?”

Connect with Ken:
Ken Eisner's LinkedIn
ken.eisner@gmail.com

S03E20 - The Original Disruptor Shares thoughts on the Future, AI and Thought Leadership | Michael B. Horn

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by edtech pioneer Michael Horn. Michael is the co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute, a nonprofit think tank dedicated to Disruptive Innovation, and an adjunct lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Michael has won numerous awards for his insightful work, serves on a range of advisory boards, and is the author of books such as “From Reopen to Reinvent: (Re)creating School for Every Child,” ”Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns,” “Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools,” “Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life,” and “Goodnight Box.”

Some Questions We Ask:

Describe your journey in education. (00:47)
What do you think about this current moment in education? (02:07)
What is your opinion on incorporating AI in education? (05:15)
Please tell us about your book “From Reopen to Reinvent” (08:05)
We're seeing a shift in what students are doing post high school. New pathways are developing. What are your thoughts on that? (16:12)
What are you most hopeful about in the direction education is headed? (19:28)
What insights can you share for listeners who are looking to build their own profiles? (24:31)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Michael’s journey in education (00:58)
His thoughts on AI in education (03:11)
How schooling can best coexist with technology (06:37)
The key message of his book “From Reopen to Reinvent” (08:20)
The importance of choosing the right pathways that are accessible and that suit the student (16:36)
Michael’s thoughts on building your leadership profile (24:31)

Quotes:

“Know your expertise. Lean into that expertise. And make insights out of that expertise. That’s number 1. Second, be humble. You have a lot to learn from everyone you connect with. Third, be authentic. If a theory on which you’re drawing doesn’t have a perspective on something, say that. Know your limits.”

“I think the biggest regret in that book is that we named it “Choosing College” as opposed to something a little catchy and more encompassing—but lesson learned, right? The idea was like, ‘Hey, step back and think about what progress you're trying to make. What's the outcome you're really seeking?’ And if you can understand that, then all of a sudden, you realize college isn't the only pathway anymore to get from A to B. ”

“We're seeing more pathways open up that empower students. It's really positive. It's putting kids at the center. It's giving families more options. I think AI tools are going to create more pathways, and I think we're going to see more districts create their own pathways and portfolios of different school types that power students to learn whatever they want and to chase their dreams in exciting ways.”

Connect with Michael:
LinkedIn
Website
Books
Substack

S03E19 - Deconstructing Evidence-Based EdTech Post ESSER | Bart Epstein

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Bart Epstein,a Research Associate Professor in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. The education entrepreneur was named one of the 30 K-12 IT Influencers to Follow by EdTech Magazine in 2022. He is the founder of the EdTech Evidence Exchange, a board member at ISTE+ASCD, and a civil test pilot for NASA.

Some Questions We Ask:

Tell us about your background and journey in education. (00:32)
What are your thoughts about the ASU+GSV conference? (01:55)
Could you share your research about the EdTech Genome Project and the EdTech Evidence Exchange? (05:31)
What are the challenges and opportunities for ISTE+ASCD in relation to AI? (13:38)
How do you evaluate tech solutions and recommend them to district leaders? (19:22)
How did you build and elevate your own profile, and what are your suggestions for other leaders? (27:09)
What are you most hopeful about in the coming year? (34:18)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Bart Epstein’s background and journey in education (00:43)
His thoughts about ASU+GSV and AI (02:38)
All about EdTech Evidence Exchange and the EdTech Genome Project (05:55)
Challenges and opportunities for ISTE+ASCD (13:59)
Tech solution evaluations and recommendations (19:36)
His process for building his own profile and suggestions for other leaders (27:37)
His hopes and expectations for the coming year (34:25)

Quotes:

“I think we're most likely in the coming years to see AI teaching assistants help reduce variability in classrooms in a way that makes whole class lessons more effective for all students.”

“At ISTE and ASCD, we are focused on providing educators with the tools and support, and community that they need as they lead this recovery. Quite frankly, they are exhausted, and many of them are working environments in environments where there are teacher shortages. They are heroes who can only operate on fumes for so long. And so we need to collectively find ways to make it as easy as possible for them to get the support that they need.”

“AI, when it's done right, like other technologies, should save you a lot of time. And it should free you up to do the things that are most human and most impactful.”

“Stay laser-focused on the wants and needs of your intended audience. In a world of endless boring press releases and webinars, the way to stand out, in my experience, is to understand what people want and then give it to them. And if you don't know, ask them! People love to talk about their problems. Ask them what frustrates them, what else have they tried, what would fix their problem, what evidence they'd want to see what change they care about in the world.”

“Remember, it's never about you. It's always about them.”

“I'm most hopeful that we'll continue to make progress towards learning how to use technology to better support students and teachers. We really need it to perform.”

Connect with Bart:
LinkedIn
Twitter

S03E18 - From the Classroom to the Boardroom | AJ Crabill

Thu, 18 May 2023 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by AJ Crabill. AJ is a Conservator at DeSoto ISD in DeSoto, Texas, and as a Director of Governance at the Council of the Great City Schools. The education reform advocate and public speaker also served as a Deputy Commissioner at the Texas Education Agency and as Board Chair of Kansas City Public Schools. He is the author of the best-selling book “Great on Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Become Effective.”

Some Questions We Ask:

Tell us more about your journey in education. (01:07)
What educational path led to where you are today? (02:31)
What advice can you give to education leaders on how to elevate their roles? (06:15)
Tell us more about your book. (10:13)
As an education reformer, what are your thoughts about our system and its impact on our country? (12:06)
What is the difference between being focused on student outcomes versus adult inputs? (16:26)
What is your final advice for all educators? (20:18)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About AJ’s educational journey and what he does as a student outcomes evangelist (01:18)
About AJ’s past classroom experiences and his current leadership roles (02:50)
AJ’s advice to education leaders (06:40)
All about his book, Great on Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Become Effective” (10:33)
His thoughts about the education system and its impact (12:24)
His thoughts on student outcomes versus adult inputs (16:40)
The key to being a fantastic educator (20:38)

Quotes:

“It's not actually a change in what happened [in the past] that is driving my behavior, it's a change in how I see what happened and how I view it and what meaning I assigned to it—that is driving my response.”

“If there's any magic in public education, it's in the classroom—it's definitely not in the boardroom. And so the thing that matters most is the quality of instruction that students are experiencing day in and day out. If everything else is wrong and that's right, children are blessed. If everything else was right and that's wrong, children aren't going to get the blessings that they deserve.”

“The job of school boards is to represent the vision and values of the community. Their job is to constantly be listening for the community's vision of what they want students to know and be able to do, adopting goals that describe what the community expects to see out of their school system, and then monitoring progress toward those goals, constantly trying to figure out, ‘Are we actually producing the community's vision for our children?’ Nobody else in the organization has that role of saying, ‘What is the community's vision and how are we making sure that it is happening?’”

Connect with AJ:
AJ's Website
AJ’s LinkedIn
Great on Their Behalf Website
Purchase the Great on Their Behalf by AJ Crabill

S03E17 - BookTok sensation uses social media to learn to read | Oliver James

Thu, 04 May 2023 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Oliver James. Oliver is one of social media’s rising stars and an influencer on TikTok, where he was able to learn how to read through his fans’ support and encouragement.

Some Questions We Ask:

What is your story? (00:52)
When did you realize you needed to tell the TikTok community and your fans about your situation? (02:06)
Did people around you know you were struggling? (04:51)
Tell us about a teacher who changed your life as a student. (30:10)
Do you associate behavior with reading? (36:33)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Oliver James’ humble beginnings. (01:04)
The buildup of life and emotions that prompted him to share his situation. (02:39)
How Oliver struggled, what the people around him knew of those struggles, and how he was able to cope. (06:08)
How teachers helped him change his student life. (30:31)
The associations between reading and behavior. (36:47)

Quotes:

“There's this destination I'm trying to get to as a speaker. But this reading journey has to happen first. I need to become a better reader so then I can become that better speaker.”

“I would say for teachers out there, [if] a kid is struggling, just let him be himself and then entertain his world.”

“One of my main goals is to try to make people understand the value of choice. Not just the simple value of choice, I'm talking about digging deep into the choice and being like, “I could choose to be happy, even when I'm sad,” and you be like, “Oh, if you want to give it a try, it's gonna be hard.” But if you break that barrier to pull yourself out of sadness into the smiling joy of laughter, you will be the most joyful person on earth, because you have learned how to overcome things that are way beyond people's comprehension.”

Connect with Oliver:
Oliver James' TikTok
Oliver James' Instagram
oliverspeaks1@gmail.com

S03E16 - The Essential Role of Philanthropy in Education | Lina Eroh, Overdeck Family Foundation

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Lina Eroh, Communications Director for the Overdeck Family Foundation. Lina leads both internal and external communications efforts, working closely with grantees and the Foundation team. She has also provided her specialties in corporate communication for iconic consumer brands such as eBay. She is the President of the Rye Free Reading Room Auxiliary Board and spends her weekends with her three daughters, husband, and giant schnauzer.

Some Questions We Ask:

Please share with us your background—including how you ended up in philanthropy. (00:46)
How does Overdeck prioritize recipients? How do you decide whether you're going to take on a project? (03:18)
What are appropriate ways for an organization that is interested in pursuing funding to reach out? (06:10)
As a communications leader, how do you help folks tell stories about their projects? (10:13)
What role do you think philanthropy plays in supporting nonprofits? (12:16)
Can you share more of your powerful case studies? (23:38)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Lina’s background and her philanthropic journey (00:53)
About Overdeck Family Foundation, its recipients, and its projects (03:52)
Strategies for connecting with potential funders (6:24)
Tips for collaboration around messaging (10:38)
Overdeck’s philosophy of philanthropy for evidence building, innovation, and growth (12:38)
Examples of Overdeck’s work in education and health care (18:34)
About its family engagement work and the Learning Heroes program (23:48)

Quotes:

“Overdeck Family Foundation's philosophy is to fund what we know the government struggles to fund or is not as interested in funding. So we know that the Department of Education spends less than one tenth of 1% of its budget on R&D. So that is a big reason why we designed our funding in these three pillars: evidence building, innovation, and growth.”

“You don't [want to] have an intervention in 2023 relying on evidence from like 2013, when nobody had Chromebooks. You really [want to] have timely evidence that a nonprofit can take to a district and say, ‘This works in this context, and this context is very similar to your context. Therefore, there's a real reason for you to try this product to meet the challenges that your system has.’”

“Kids should love learning. It's one of the amazing opportunities of being a human—and one of the real privileges we have of living in a country with a public education system. I'm really hopeful that coming out of the pandemic, some of this innovation that philanthropy has funded really does start to move the needle for kids, both in immediate outcomes and long-term results.”

“There's so much funding out there right now that is looking to be put to work for great things that really move the needle for kids.”

Connect with Lina:
Overdeck website
Lina Eroh’s LinkedIn
Email: lina@overdeck.org

S03E15 - AI: Are we Asking the Right Questions? | Ben Farrell

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0700

On this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Ben Farrell, the Assistant Head of School and Director of the Upper School at the New England Innovation Academy. Prior to joining NEIA, Ben was the Principal and Head of School at The International Montessori School of Beijing. Ben received his M.A. in higher and post-secondary education from Teachers College, Columbia University in New York, and completed graduate coursework in cross cultural conflict transformation and reconciliation at the School for International Training in Vermont.

Some Questions We Ask:

How can teachers effectively use artificial intelligence in the classroom? (00:43)
What are some of the challenges utilizing AI and how can they be addressed in the classroom? (03:37)
What are some ways that you see projects being managed with AI? (05:14)
How do you think administrators (maybe even PR firm owners!) can take advantage of AI? (8:07)
What other ways do you see generative AI integrating into the curriculum? (11:17)
How can teachers and school leaders navigate AI conversations with their communities? (14:10)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About the use of AI in classrooms (00:50)
Challenges of utilizing AI (03:45)
Ideas for differentiated learning with generative AI (05:44)
AI use beyond education (08:24)
Other integration of generative AI into the curriculum (12:13)
Tips for having AI conversations in the community (14:51)

Quotes:

“All the information in the world is just out there waiting for us to find it and to utilize it..”

“This is going to be with us in the future. So I think we have to find ways to not only live with it but utilize it in an ethical, thoughtful way that our students can grab onto because they're going to be using this or some more advanced version of this the rest of their lives now.”

“For the first time in my career, I had the ability to sort of sit with my Upper School students and say, ‘What should we do? What do you think we should do?’ And I think they were taken aback by that.”

Connect with Tom:
NEIA website
Ben Farrell’s LinkedIn

S03E14 - Tom Vander Ark Talks AI, Cultivating an Entrepreneurial Mindset, and Building Credibility | Tom Vander Ark

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0700

What career experiences led you to launch Getting Smart? (00:44)
What trends and challenges are districts facing now? (01:50)
What’s your take on the evolution of AI? (03:31)
Can you tell us more about your new book? (11:27)
What are your thoughts on developing an entrepreneurial mindset among students? (15:04)
Looking ahead, what are your hopes in education? (18:04)
What advice and insights do you have for other organizations hoping to follow the path you’ve taken? (19:51

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about Tom Vander Ark and Getting Smart (00:53)
The top challenges school districts face today (02:06)
Tom’s perspective about AI (03:48)
About Tom’s new book (11:46)
His thoughts regarding entrepreneurial mindset (15:30)
How to create more opportunities and environments where young people can succeed (18:11)
His advice for other organizations to follow his path to success (20:22)

Quotes:

“The key to education today is helping students develop a sense of identity and agency, understand their strengths and interests, and then understand how and where they can act on the world, spot opportunities to make a difference, design solutions, and deliver impact to a community.”

“That the rise of the platform economy has created many new on ramps for people to step into employment or create a new business or campaign. It has has enabled a new wave of entrepreneurship.”

“We can create environments where students are experiencing success in what's next. They're actually doing work that matters. That's project-based learning. That's work-based learning. That's enterprise.”

S03E13 - Marketing Emails: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly | Sarah Williamson & Katie Lash | REPLAY

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie will be diving into sending marketing emails and making phone calls to superintendents and district leaders and figuring out what strategies are working and what don't.

Some Questions Sarah Asks:

Katie, could you give us a glimpse into your daily life with emails? (2:48)
What are some of the worst experiences you've ever had with regards to receiving emails and what made them so bad? (6:10)
What do you think is a reasonable number of times for someone to pester you if they haven't heard back from you? (10:07)
Are there any more follow-up strategies they could use? (11:01)
What are some descriptions or phrases that are not effective but that vendors think are effective? (17:30)
Any other words or thoughts or things to avoid? (20:19)
What are some good examples of emails you've received? (21:32)
Beyond emails, what is the best way people can connect with district leaders to actually build connections and sell products? What do you think is the most effective way? (27:06)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Katie’s current email situation (3:11)
Marketing email horrors (6:25)
Email and phone call follow-up frequency (10:12)
Other strategies that can work in sending emails or making phone calls (11:17)
Ineffective phrases not to say in phone calls or emails (17:43)
Samples of marketing emails that can catch attention (21:53)
Best and most effective ways to build connections and sell products (27:20)

Quotes:

“Some of them, I actually might want to [respond to], but they came in at the same time that I needed to respond to someone else and were just a low priority for the moment. And for that reason, I totally expect people to follow up with me.”

“I hesitate to say name-dropping [is effective] because then I could see somebody really latching on to that and going overboard. But if somebody genuinely is like, ‘Hey, I know so and so….’ I also notice if their message is personal, but with the volume of people they're trying to sell to they don't have time to make it personal. But if you really want my attention, you will."

“Relationships matter. Something identifiable, whether that's a salesperson you've worked with at a different school and you bring them to your new school because you know them, or it’s a relationship of trust because you've shown me a product that has helped my life.”

S03E12 - Technology and Learning Alchemist Julia Fallon | SETDA

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0800

What is SETDA? (00:45)
What have you discovered about state edtech trends? (05:43)
What is your organization’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Collaborative? (11:11)
How does SETDA unify and elevate voices and messages? (14:33)
What are your views on seeing AI and VR pop up everywhere? (18:44)
What are your hopes for the future? (25:30)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about Julia Fallon and SETDA (01:03)
About cybersecurity and investments in devices and learning management systems (06:22)
About the Cybersecurity and Privacy Collaborative with the Melinda Gates Foundation (11:18)
SETDA’s strategies as a learning community (15:07)
Julia’s perspectives on AI and VR (18:59)
Her thoughts and hopes for the future (25:41)

S03E11 - Leading with Impact and Urgency | Erin Mote, InnovateEDU

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Erin Mote. Erin is the co-founder and executive director of InnovateEDU, a nonprofit whose mission is to eliminate the achievement gap by accelerating innovation in Common Core-aligned next-generation learning models and tools that serve, inform, and enhance teaching and learning. She and her husband, Eric, are the co-founders of the Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School, an organization that serves over 800 students. Erin is a loving wife to Eric and a loving mother to Roo and Clare.

Some Questions We Ask:

What is InnovateEDU? (00:48)
How did you start Project Unicorn? (01:59)
Tell us more about the ideas and tools that come from the coalition. (07:46)
How does one go about starting an alliance and a coalition? (12:26)
What are takeaways or strategies for success we can apply to building our own audiences and growing our own impact (15:21)
How do you balance being a CEO, a mother, and everything that comes with those roles? (20:14)
What makes you hopeful about the future of education and transforming the lives of young people moving forward? (27:52)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about InnovateEDU (00:59)
How Project Unicorn began (02:24)
About Pathways Alliance (08:02)
Why trust is the main element in creating a coalition and starting an alliance (12:40)
Strategies for success such as being authentic, having a sense of urgency, and being a good listener (15:50)
How Erin juggled her career and her family (20:50)
What makes her hopeful about the future of education (28:11)

Quotes:
“Not every organization will agree on everything. But can you agree on the 80% you have in common? … If you can build a coalition on trust and finding common ground when there is that 20% disagreement, it’s still comfortable and you have a space for radical candor.”

“We don’t see vulnerability as a superpower, and we should.”

“The thing that gives me hope every single day is actually our young people. They are amazing, dynamic, caring, global citizens, and our job is to create experiences that invest them in their own learning and drive social impact and change. …That's the stuff that fills my cup and makes me feel urgency.

“Our schools are amazing. Our educators are innovators. Our young people are catalysts for change. We need to figure out a way to unlock that power, and that's what I'm committed to at InnovateEDU.”

Connect with Erin:
InnovateEDU Website
InnovateEDU Projects
Erin's LinkedIn
Erin's Twitter
Media

S03E10 - From Classroom Teacher to CEO | Tammy Laughner

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Tammy Laughner. Tammy is a retired primary/intermediate school teacher who served for almost 30 years in Indianapolis Public Schools. She is also the co-founder and CEO of Vimme Learning, an online math curriculum made by teachers for teachers to be used by students in grades K-8

Some Questions We Ask:

Please tell us about yourself. (1:06)
How and where did you start your journey? (2:03)
What has the business world been like for you? (4:31)
What’s your approach to reaching your target goal? (8:38)
Tell us more about your company and why you intend to stay small. (10:46)
What are your final thoughts and philosophies? (17:09)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All about Tammy Laughner (1:13)
How Vimme started (2:10)
Tammy’s experiences in shifting to the business world (5:12)
Her approach to impacting how students are taught math (8:42)
About her company versus the larger companies in Indiana (11:02)
Tammy’s thoughts on the power of being a classroom teacher (17:27)

Quotes:

“I'm in a world with big players like textbook companies—huge, huge players in the space. I'm not looking to see how many people I could get onto Vimme Learning. That's not what we're about. My goal is to impact as many students and how they’re taught math as we can.”

“With manufacturing leaving many medium- and small-sized towns, it's really decimated downtown areas. Math is so important because so many jobs that are not being filled have technical skills, and I'm super excited about the STEM push that's going on. I feel like we're really poised to make sure Indiana students are ready for any direction they want to go.”

"I'm born and raised in Indiana. My state is unique. It jumped off the Common Core bandwagon, so our standards are unique to Indiana. The big players go after the big fish, right? That's Common Core. And I just want to do well by the residents of Indiana. That's important to me.”

“There's something about seeing content when it hits the desks of a range of learners and how they interact with that curriculum. There's a lot of information there. It's a really powerful space, and I hope teachers understand the role they play and the information that they can see.”

Connect with us:
Tammy Laughner LinkedIn
Vimme Learning Website

S03E09 - Futurecasting 2023: Predictions from CEOs, Superintendents and Education Leaders

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are kicking off this first episode of the year with their predictions for 2023 in the education space, along with some influential people across the industry.

Some Questions We Ask:

What are your projections for K12 and ed tech this year?
What are some of the challenges and themes we will see in 2023?
What are you hopeful and/or excited about for education in 2023?

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Sarah’s and Katie’s projections in education for 2023 (1:37)
Jeff Patterson’s projections in education for 2023 (11:44)
Tammy Laughner’s projections in education for 2023 (14:03)
Dennis Carpenter’s projections in education for 2023 (16:05)
Tom Burton’s projections in education for 2023 (19:59)
Sonny Thadani’s projections in education for 2023 (27:49)
Michael Barnes' projections in education for 2023 (29:07)

Quotes:

“We're going to start hearing about looming budget issues. Many districts are already pinched by declining enrollment and its effects on the recurring budget. If we see an economic slowdown, there will be state budget shortfalls. Two, the ed tech market has plateaued. We have too many solutions, many that are a little more than beta products. The venture capital funding bubble will contract but not die. The result will be considerable consolidation and a focus on proven quality.”

"Internet for All that was passed by our government will provide high-speed broadband for everyone by 2029. That's a big deal. It will be a game changer.”

“Technology is definitely going to continue to gain traction. There's a lot on the horizon as it relates to artificial intelligence, and it has substantially less bias in judgment. So look for that AI to be coming about, and look for those companies to be able to demonstrate how they are showing up in innovative, anti-bias ways.”

“We grow the most when we push each other to learn—and that can happen with powerful, purposeful dissension. To some people, it may seem negative, but it certainly isn't. And in Princeton [City Schools], I know that you really want to rumble, if you will, using terminology from Brené Brown. But rumbling with vulnerability and not being afraid to share your opinion is a theme we're going to see more and more.”

“Every day of our lives, we have three things that happen—and only three things: We get better, we get worse, or we stay the same. And two of the three, you don't advance. So I feel like every single day is an opportunity to get better. And we can help each other get better by making sure we challenge each other professionally.”

Connect with us:
Jeff Patterson LinkedIn
Tammy Laughner LinkedIn
Dennis Carpenter LinkedIn
Tom Burton LinkedIn
Sonny Thadani LinkedIn
Michael Barnes LinkedIn

S03E08 - Thought Leadership Power Hour | Juliana Finegan & Hayley Spira-Bauer

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Juliana Finegan and Hayley Spira-Bauer. Juliana is the vice president of strategy and learning for the company Vivi. She is a passionate educator and leader with experience inside and outside the classroom and host of Vivi’s Educator Pineapple Podcast.

Hayley is the chief academic officer for iTutor.com, a member of the advisory board at Inspiring Educators, and an edtech mentor in StartEd. Hayley is an educator who specializes in elementary education and curriculum development. She hosts a podcast called Learning Can’t Wait.

Some Questions We Ask:

Please introduce yourselves (1:00, 2:43)
What were iTutor’s beginnings? (5:05)
Hayley, how did you and your team bring out the academic perspective of iTutor and its message to the people? (7:04)
Juliana, how did you and Vivi cultivate incredible relationships with clients and build partnerships? (10:10)
Juliana, how did you identify partnerships and establish broad connections? (13:57)
How did you both start in podcasts? (22:41, 26:24)
Juliana and Hayley, how do you measure successful PR and thought leadership? (30:30)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Juliana and Hayley (1:12, 2:57)
How iTutor started and its business processes (5:28)
What it’s like to work together with team of brilliant folks with a background in education, get to know your stakeholders, and constantly talk about the organization’s core values (7:14)
About building partnerships that genuinely help bring strong communities together (10:55)
Ways of bringing people together, identifying commonalities for each individual, and having a common language for continued education (14:08)
Hayley’s and Juliana’s podcast consistency and progress (23:13, 26:35)
Using podcasts as a tool for communicating brilliant ideas, giving airtime to intelligence, and interacting with incredible leaders (30:55)

Quotes:

“I think, you see common threads from conversations to which also impact how you look at what you're doing, and you look at your product because I think that that's like it's not measurable.”

“I think common language is key to have those conversations and really fill those gaps strategically. And to build those partnerships and foster that, like continued engagement is like, let's make sure we're talking about the same thing.”

“Every person you meet in your life has something that brings value to your world, and it is your job to or to the world, excuse me, not your world, the world, it is your job to find out what that is.”

Connect with us:
Juliana Finegan LinkedIn | Vivi Website | Educator Pineapple Podcast
Hayley Spira-Bauer LinkedIn | iTutor Website | Learning Can't Wait Podcast

S03E07 - Superintendents and EdTech Leaders Talk Challenges and Opportunities for 2023 | IEI Fall Summit

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0800

In this special episode, Sarah and Katie attend the Institute of Education Innovation Fall Summit 2022. They are joined by 16 superintendents and other leaders who dive into trends and challenges in education and how IEI helps them navigate.

Guests we interviewed:

Doug Roberts, Founder and CEO, IEI (1:46)
Sara Croll, Vice President, IEI (6:59)
Dr. Melvin Brown, Superintendent, Montgomery Public Schools (7:57)
Christy Moston Scott, Executive Director, Unchartered Learning (8:49)
Tiffany Law, Director of Partner Relations, IEI (11:50)
Dr. Jeff Dillon, Superintendent, Wilder School District (14:05)
Dr. Kelley Gallt, Superintendent, Lake Zurich District 95 (15:01)
Dr. Matthew Hicks, Superintendent, Northeastern Wayne Schools (17:15)
Dr. Tahira Dupree Chase, Superintendent, Westbury Union Free School District (20:18)
Shanna Downs, Executive Director, West Georgia Regional Education Service Agency (21:59)
Joachim Horn, Founder & CEO, SAM Labs (23:06)
Brett Roer, High School Strategic Partnerships Lead, Outlier.org (23:57)
Michael Lee, CEO & CFO, ERDI Corporation (24:52)
Piper Bognar, Superintendent, Van Dyke Public Schools (26:01)
Dr. Ann Levette, Superintendent, Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools (27:15)
Dr. Alena Zachery-Ross, Superintendent, Ypsilanti Community Schools (29:17)

Some Questions We Ask:

Describe your organization.
What do you gain from events like this one?

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

How districts are enhancing safety
Tips for providing engaging entrepreneurial education
Common challenges school district face and how IEI helps with solutions

Quote:

“It was very humbling to hear my fellow superintendents dealing with the same challenges all over this country.”

Connect with us:

S03E06 - A National Perspective on EdTech and What’s Ahead | Kristina Ishmael

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Kristina Ishmael. Kristina is an educator, learner, advocate, and agent of change. As the Deputy Director of the Office of Ed Tech, she executes the office mission of developing national edtech policy that enable everywhere, all-the-time learning and support digital equity and opportunity.

Kristina is also listed in the 30 K-12 IT Influencers Worth a Following 2020 by EdTech Magazine.

Some Questions We Ask:

How was it that she started in education and ended up in edtech? (1:35)
What’s a typical day in her life? (7:02)
How and when does she work with edtech providers, developers, and entrepreneurs in the field? (17:01)
Are there any more products on tutoring companies and social-emotional learning companies? (21:54)
Any advices or ideas for school districts on prioritizing investments? (24:39)
What is the future of education? (27:23)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Kristina Ishmael’s journey from education to edtech (1:50)
Kristina’s daily routine (7:06)
How her team structures its work to ensure they stay up to date on edtech providers, developers, and entrepreneurs within healthy boundaries (17:22)
About artificial intelligence and its future opportunities (22:12)
Her advice and ideas for school districts (24:51)
About the future of education, with a focus on AI and machine learning,and how educators are involved in the process (27:51)

Quotes:

“It's not necessarily just making sure that everyone has access to the same things, we know that [is important], but the things that they need, that are going to meet them where they are. And so we talk a lot about that.”

“I was really cognizant about coming back into government because I don't really think there were a lot of healthy boundaries the last time that I was in this role. There were expectations for communication at any time of the day and night or early morning. And I was like, ‘We're not doing that.’ And so we helped establish healthy boundaries.”

“I'm really eager to see where AI is going to take us. I know that there are risks. Don't get me wrong. Perhaps it's the optimist in me, but I just see all of the opportunities that are going to come with this as well.”

“I saw what technology could do in the hands of my multilingual learners when I was in the classroom—not only for language acquisition but for content acquisition as well. It is a tool. It is not meant to substitute for the teacher. And as we are developing our report on AI and education, the phrase that we keep coming back to is that ‘the human in the loop.’”

Connect with Kristina Ishmael
Kristina Ishmael LinkedIn
Office of Educational Technology website
Office of Ed Tech Twitter

S03E05 - 3 Crazy Innovative Ways to Leverage Thought Leadership | JW Marshall

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by JW Marshall, the director of learning solutions at Marketscale, and a fellow podcast host of the Voices of E-learning show. He is also the VP of Marketing at Summit K-12 in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

Some Questions We Ask:

How’s it been going since you were last here? (1:09)
How did you become an industry podcast expert in education? (2:46)
How were you able to combine his passion for media, Edtech, and entrepreneurship? (7:05)
What he did at Summit K-12 (11:17)
What is Voices of ELearning and getting podcast guests (18:53)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

All life updates from JW Marshall (1:16)
JW Marshall’s beginnings as a podcast expert and in education (2:52)
His success on programs and in podcasts (7:23)
All about his show called Texas K-12 Education and sub-shows related to education (11:20)
All about Voices of ELearning and How he was able to get people to guest on his show (19:20)

Quotes:

“Throughout my career, it's been fun to kind of find the next big thing and really kind of hone in on it and you know, build a really strong program around meeting the audience's where they're at. And so the podcast has been my favorite.

“it's not really just about reaching the millions. It's about reaching the people that care about that topic that want to share their insights that want to engage in a way that's not just a LinkedIn post or not just a tweet, right? But a more deep conversation.”

“So it's really a win-win. I think when you do it right, you obviously get a lot of value in hosting the conversation. But the goal has to be providing value to others. It can't be salesy. It can't be, you know, a really selfish reason to do the show, because people will see that really quickly. You got to be authentic. And if you come across as really caring about the guest, and the conversation and the audience, good things are gonna happen.”

“I would just say it really does kind of change your life a little bit. If you put yourself out there and you're consistent, strategic, and you learn from you know what works and doesn't work very quickly.”

Connect with JW Marshall
Voices of E-Learning Podcast
JW Marshall LinkedIn
JW Marshall Email
JW Marshall Twitter

S03E04 - Thought Leadership vs. Product Promotion: How to Achieve the Balance | John Watson, Founder of DLAC

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by John Watson. John is the founder and CEO of the Evergreen Education Group, which runs the Digital Learning Annual Conference (DLAC) and the Digital Learning Collaborative.

Some Questions We Ask:

Tell us about your background and how you got into this space. (1:04)
What are your thoughts about partnership? (5:34)
When reviewing hordes of conference proposals, how do you gauge the value they will provide? (7:20)
What are some of the trends and themes in recent submissions? (10:43)
You mentioned that our thoughts on partnership in one of our previous podcasts resonated so much you sent it around to your colleagues. What other topics intrigued you in that podcast? (13:54)
Tell us more about what launching a conference is like. (21:06)
Has it been rewarding? (23:27)
What is your experience with earning profits from conferences? (29:07)
What are the future plans for Evergreen Education Group and DLAC? (30:23)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

John’s background (1:06)
Advice for DLAC sponsors and Digital Learning Collaborative members (6:48)
Strategies companies can use to frame their conference proposals around how they were able to help districts solve problems (7:56)
Trends in submissions and themes that people would like to hear about at DLAC (10:50)
How to manage massive email volume (14:08)
The experience of launching conferences from scratch (21:33)
The growth trajectory of conferences and the rewards for organizers like John (23:36)
The pandemic’s impact on conference profits (29:10)
How district leaders can work more collaboratively with partners (30:31)
Evergreen Education Group’s future plans, including rolling out new platforms, a content library, live videos, and webinars (33:31)

Quotes:

“We encourage companies to talk about the districts that they are working with to solve a problem for students or for teachers [in their conference proposals]. … “We've identified this problem, and here's how we're trying to address it through a product or a service.”

“That whole partnership terminology is a way of trying to hide the true elements of what the vendor-customer-slash-client relationship is.”

“The approach we've always taken with our conferences, you may have noticed, we don't pay $25,000 to have a keynote speaker show up and tell everybody what they're supposed to think. [In] four years, we've had much more than four keynotes—none of them professional speakers— telling their stories. And that to us is a key element.”

“When you initially look at a budget, it's kind of like, ‘How can this not make money?’ And the answer is because there's always a lot more cost, and everything will be more expensive than you think. No matter how good your people are, it still comes in way, way higher [than projected].”

Connect with John Watson:
LinkedIn
DLAC website
Evergreen Education Group

S03E03 - Slaying Substack, Writing Books & Embracing Failure(s) | Kevin Hogan + Carl Hooker

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 04:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Carl Hooker and Kevin Hogan. Carl is a speaker and consultant for HookerTech in Austin, Texas. He is also the co-founder of K12Leaders, a social network built for educators by educators, and a seasoned author whose latest work is “Ready, Set, FAIL! Using Failure & Risk-Taking to Unlock Creativity.” He hosts the UnDisrupted podcast and the Learning UnLeashed podcast.

Kevin is an acclaimed writer and editor for The Hogan Report and eSchool News, respectively. He is the host of the podcasts Innovations in Education, which focuses on K-12, and Getting There: Innovations in Education for higher ed.

Some Questions We Ask:

Carl, could you tell us about your new podcast and Substack? (1:48)
What is your new book about? (6:41)
What do you think about self-publishing versus using a publishing house? (8:30)
Any advice for book marketing? (13:26)
Will you share the story from your book about creating a recipe? (14:49)
What is the key to a successful thought leadership? (21:53)
Do you have any final thoughts? (33:55)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Kevin’s professional background and Substack (2:18)
Carl’s book (6:55)
The pros and cons of self-publishing vs a publishing house (8:35)
Tips for book marketing (13:39)
Snippets from Carl’s book (14:57)
Kevin’s and Carl’s thoughts on leadership (22:12)
Final thoughts and upcoming projects (34:11)

Quotes:

“I can write all day, but I need editors to help clean it up. And if you read any of my blogs, which are not edited, you can see sometimes I kind of go off down tangents and I have to pull myself back in.”

“I want kids to always have the opportunity to know what's most important. Is it about following directions? Or is it about showing your understanding of a topic and demonstrating your learning?”

“For exhibiting thought leadership, authenticity is going to be key.”

“As a leader, you don't have to say you have failed or you're a failure, but you have to be real. And I think that's a hugely important aspect that may not have been in place before [the pandemic].”

Connect with Carl Hooker:
LinkedIn
Ready, Set, FAIL!: Using Failure & Risk-Taking to Unlock Creativity Book
Podcasts

Connect with Kevin Hogan:
LinkedIn
The Hogan Report

S03E02 - Marketing Emails: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly | Sarah Williamson & Katie Lash

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 08:00:00 -0700

Katie, could you give us a glimpse into your daily life with emails? (2:48)
What are some of the worst experiences you've ever had with regards to receiving emails and what made them so bad? (6:10)
What do you think is a reasonable number of times for someone to pester you if they haven't heard back from you? (10:07)
Are there any more follow-up strategies they could use? (11:01)
What are some descriptions or phrases that are not effective but that vendors think are effective? (17:30)
Any other words or thoughts or things to avoid? (20:19)
What are some good examples of emails you've received? (21:32)
Beyond emails, what is the best way people can connect with district leaders to actually build connections and sell products? What do you think is the most effective way? (27:06)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Katie’s current email situation (3:11)
Marketing email horrors (6:25)
Email and phone call follow-up frequency (10:12)
Other strategies that can work in sending emails or making phone calls (11:17)
Ineffective phrases not to say in phone calls or emails (17:43)
Samples of marketing emails that can catch attention (21:53)
Best and most effective ways to build connections and sell products (27:20)

S03E01 - Build Momentum Is Back with a New Co-Host: Katie Lash! | Katie Lash

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Katie Lash. Katie is the Director of the East Central Education Service Center in Indiana. Katie is a former fourth-grade teacher, a special education teacher, and a former principal. She has also been an adjunct faculty member at Indiana University East since 2015.

Katie will be joining as a co-host in this season of Build Momentum, and together we will be exploring how to leverage key partners, constituencies, and the media to authentically impact organizations and the leaders who champion them.

Some Questions I Ask:

How did we meet? (0:48)
Will you tell us about your background and how you got into the work you're in now? Also please share more about your role at the East Central Indiana Service Center. (3:36)
Could you tell us more about the role service centers play in the education system and how you help students and superintendents throughout multiple districts? (5:49)
What are you hearing these districts are facing right now in terms of challenges, particularly related to teacher retention? (8:39)
Do you think [the teacher shortage crisis] has been going on within your community for a long time or is more serious now than ever? (14:30)
What are you excited about as we enter 2022-23? school year? (16:13)
What are you seeing companies do well in thought leadership? Can you share any of the strategies that you think lead to richer discussions and more authentic connections between companies and individuals? (19:18)
What do you hope to achieve and what takeaways do you want people to have on the coming season of this podcast? (24:01)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

How Katie and Sarah met (1:17)
Katie’s background and role at the East Central Indiana Service Center (3:44)
The role of service centers in the education system (6:01)
Education challenges amidst COVID and the teacher shortage in education (9:03)
What’s yet to come for the 2022-23 school year (16:23)
Thought leadership strategies to help companies build authentic connections with individuals (19:53)
What to expect on Build Momentum Season 3 (24:31)

Quotes:

“We don't necessarily have a teacher shortage. Teachers exist, [but] they're leaving this particular field. There are plenty of licensed teachers. Teachers are a really hot commodity to be recruited into other professions.”

“Sometimes I am the decision maker—there might be a product that, depending on what it does, the service center itself needs to buy. But in other situations, maybe we're not the purchaser—we might be the door. We know the districts well and know exactly what they're looking for. And so sometimes, I can get [a vendor] right to the person they need to be talking to, and they can skip 10 steps because I already know who they need to meet.”

“I'm really excited to see the districts authentically using the service center and letting me help convene them as a lot of fun and just hearing them brainstorm together.”

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
Free Case Study Guide
Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Katie Lash:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:

Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

Season 3 Trailer: What's New In Season 3 of Build Momentum!

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0700

Hello, Build Momentum listeners! We have some exciting news to kick off Season Three. Katie Lash, our good friend, and fellow education leader will be joining me as a co-host this season.

I'm Sarah Williamson, the founder of SWPR Group, a public relations firm dedicated to providing thought leadership for education organizations, and the leaders who champion them, and Katie Lash is the executive director of the East Central Education Service Center in Indiana. And she's also an educational powerhouse with vast perspectives on what works and what doesn't when it comes to reaching key district leaders in a meaningful way.

Throughout this season, we're going to dig deep into thought leadership and education, including interviews with superintendents, future plans for the US Department of Education conversations with district leaders who have leveraged their thought leadership platforms to transform their own districts, and how vendors and Ed leaders have the potential to leverage these partnerships to elevate their profile and awareness in a meaningful way.

Watch for episodes every other Thursday on Spotify, iTunes, or whatever platform you listen. We look forward to exploring thought leadership and education on this season of Build Momentum.

S02E18 - From Educator to Edtech Leader | Brett Roer, Outlier.org

Thu, 05 May 2022 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Brett Roer. Brett is the high school strategic partner lead for Outlier, an organization that’s setting out to create the world's best for-credit, university-level online courses—and offer them at a fraction of the cost of a traditional college or university. Brett spent 16 years empowering public high school students as an educator in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx prior to joining Outlier.

Some Questions I Ask:

Would you start off by sharing more about your background as an educator and what led to your transition to edtech? (1:41)
How did you end up at Outlier? (4:53)
What are the differences between working in edtech and education? (6:55)
What was your biggest takeaway from this year’s ASU-GSV Summit? (11:08)
How have you been able to navigate this new edtech world so seamlessly? And what is your advice for other companies and leaders and founders and CEOs looking to do the same? (13:12)
What final advice do you have? (19:37)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Bret Roer’s background in education (1:49)
About Brett and Outlier (5:06)
His transition from the education space to edtech (7:06)
His biggest takeaway from the ASU-GSV Summit (11:29)
How to successfully navigate the edtech world (13:52)
Final advice (19:51)

Quotes:

“Ultimately, [the edtech side] is very similar to education. We're partners. We're here to help students succeed. And in this exact instance, we're here to help school leaders and educators succeed. So that's really the biggest takeaway. The titles are different, but the same mindset, mentality, and quality of human beings is similar.”

“Build relationships, and the partnerships will come. The relationships are what matter now, and what will make you able to multiply those relationships into tangible partnerships. So that is step one. Do not pitch. Build trusting relationships. And if you're authentic about it, those other partnerships will come. Patience is difficult in this because educators and people in my field of edtech, we want results. We’re success- and result-oriented people.

“I want high school students to experience this nationwide. It's not about the sale, it's about the experience and exposure for high school students. I don't want another year or two to wait for that student. So I have to temper my love for bringing this to students with knowing that is going to come in due course if you can build trusting relationships with innovative educators.”

Connect with Brett Roer:
Outlier website
Brett Roer's LinkedIn

S02E17 - InnovaterHERS: A Chat with the Authors | Dr. Barbara Kurshan & Laura Smulian

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 06:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Barbara Kurshan and Laura Smulian. Dr. Barbara "Bobbi" Kurshan is the president of Educorp Consultants Corporation and senior fellow and innovation advisor of the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, and a former education industry entrepreneur who has more than 40 years of experience in education, including developing the first children's software products for Microsoft.

Laura Smulian is a writer, an editor, and an award-winning learning designer who spent the past seven years building out operations for quickly growing edtech startups in Latin America. She also launched a venture called the E-Ship Bootcamp, a four-week program that takes teams of students through the process of building their own startup from zero to launch.

Some Questions I Ask:

How did the InnovateHer project come together? (2:19)
What do you want potential and future innovators to achieve through this book? (4:07)
How do you describe the benchmark for entrepreneurial mindset throughout the book? (5:03)
Would you share a snapshot of some of the people you included in the book? (21:40)
What would you love to see women pursue to embark on their careers as purposeful innovators after reading the book? (23:30)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

The beginning of InnovateHers (2:26)
Key takeaways from reading the book (4:19)
About the “Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile” (5:22)
The story of innovator Lisa Hall (21:53)
Actions to be taken after reading the book to be a purposeful innovator (23:46)

Quotes:

“I wanted them to see that the stories were personal, that they could do it too, and that there were certain things they needed to be aware of along the way so they wouldn't have the traps that women have had in the past.”

“I'd like to see [people] share the book with young innovators. I think it's a great gift to give to somebody that you're mentoring. The other thing I want to see them do with it is to share their story. I'd like to build a community of people that are sharing their stories so people understand that we're all not that different, but we can learn from our entrepreneurial mindset.”

“There's no one right way to rise to the top. It has nothing to do with external indicators and checking off boxes, but rather traits and skills that are powerful that we can build and work to leverage in order to rise to the top. There's not a formula for this; everyone was a little different.”

Connect with InnovateHer:
InnovateHer website
Dr. Barbara Kurshan's LinkedIn
Laura Smulian’s LinkedIn

S02E16 - Our New Book: The Secret to Transformational Leadership | Dr. Quintin Shepherd

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Quintin Shepherd. Quintin has18 years’ experience as a superintendent and currently holds that leadership role at Victoria Independent School District in Victoria, Texas. He has a demonstrated history of improving school districts in both rural and urban areas in multiple states by being committed to transformational and collaborative leadership focus on doing what is best for the children in each district. Quintin is the co-author of the book “The Secret To Transformational Leadership,” together with Sarah Williamson.

Some Questions I Ask:

Please share your journey in education and how you became a superintendent (1:38)
What are some high-level projects you initiated in your school district? (4:25)
Why did you feel compelled to write the book and what do you hope people will achieve when they read it? (7:50)
You offered specific examples where you said there is a change that needs to happen. What are some of those examples? (10:05)
What is your philosophy about competence versus compassion, and how has it transformed your personal approach? (13:14)
Describe what you call this new language of leadership and explain its potential to ignite a spark in leaders and their teams? (15:56)
What does “leading from the middle” mean to you, and how can others apply it? (21:11)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Quintin’s journey in education and leadership (1:47)
Projects Quintin supported in his school district (4:37)
His journey into writing “The Secret to Transformational Leadership” (8:16)
The differences between transactional and transformational leadership (10:22)
Competent and compassionate philosophies of leadership (13:21)
What Quintin means by calling for a new language of leadership (16:21)
How to lead from the middle (21:17)

Quotes:

“Everybody has a unique and personal genius, and I think we should find their genius and let their genius shine.”

“My goal was to make this topic as approachable as possible for people. there's a theoretical underpinning. You're basically trying to learn a different language when you're working toward transformational leadership.”

“Compassion creates ownership. It seems so easy as I'm saying it! But it requires the leader to step back and just be honest about one thing: that you're vulnerable. You don't choose to be vulnerable. You don't pick a time to be vulnerable. You're just vulnerable, accepted. And when you recognize a situation as complex and unknowable, you have no choice but to be compassionate. Because if you decide to be competent, whatever it is that you do, you will be judged—and you will be judged harshly.”

“My personal definition of leadership: iIt's an influence relationship. That's it. So anybody can be a leader.”

Connect with Quintin Shepherd:
Quintin Shepherd's LinkedIn
Quintin Shepherd’s Twitter

S02E15 - Superintendent of Princeton City School District | Tom Burton

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Tom Burton. Tom is the Superintendent of Princeton City Schools, located just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. Tom has been in education administration for 27 years and in the Princeton district for 7 years. He is the author of the book “The Mark of Leadership: Strategies for Leading with Purpose, Plans, and Passion,” and he has also written articles for various publications.

Tom is a loving husband and a proud father of 3 wonderful children.

Some Questions I Ask:

Would you mind starting off by talking about your journey through education? (1:22)
What led you to your interest in becoming a superintendent? (3:16)
Tell us about Princeton’s unique student body. (5:14)
What are some of the tools, resources, and partnerships that you've been able to implement throughout Princeton City Schools? (6:55)
Tell us about the partnerships with the business community and your district. (12:26)
Have any of your programs been replicated in other districts? (14:45)
What do you think is the first step in starting partnership programs? (16:48)
Tell us about the TEDx Talk you did on taking action. (20:10)
Tell us about your book: “The Mark of Leadership: Strategies for Leading with Purpose, Plans, and Passion"? (21:49)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Tom’s education journey from being a teacher to superintendent (1:45)
Tom’s interest in superintendency (3:23)
Princeton’s diversified student body and course offerings (5:23)
Tools, resources, and partnerships implemented throughout the district (7:28)
Building relationships and partnerships with businesses (12:37)
Implementation of programs outside the district (15:04)
Steps in starting partnership programs (16:57)
Tom’s TEDx Talk (20:23)
All about “The Mark of Leadership: Strategies for Leading with Purpose, Plans, and Passion" (21:59)

Quotes:

“Partnerships are critical for us, because we believe that we can help resolve one of the biggest issues that we have right now. And that's a workforce shortage.”

“Unfortunately, from a leadership perspective, sometimes instead of building the momentum, what they do is they see the rock, and they don't try to move it. If you look at this metaphorically, it's hard to start moving, but once you get it moving, it's all the momentum in the world.”

“As leaders, we need to be humble enough to realize what we can do to help culturally develop programs and processes that are going to stay long after we leave. So the book ‘Mark of Leadership,’ it's about passion. It's about purpose. And it's about plans.”

Connect with Tom Burton:
Tom Burton's LinkedIn
Tom Burton’s Twitter
Princeton Schools website
Princeton City Schools Instagram
Mark of Leadership Book
Tom Burton’s Article
Finding Resolution: Questioning the Answers | Tom Burton TEDxWorthingtonED

S02E14 - Former Gates Foundation Media Lead Shares PR Best Practices | Amy Enright

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Amy Enright. Amy worked at the epicenter of global health advocacy, directing media relations internationally for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She led a high-performing team of professionals in the U.S. and collaborated with colleagues in offices around the world to craft media strategies to support over a dozen major resource mobilizations for global partnerships.

Amy also drove top-tier media engagement for events like the World Economic Forum and the U.N. General Assembly and handled crisis communications and reputation risk management across the Gates Foundation's many programs, including public education in the U.S. She just recently launched her own independent consultancy, Newton Street PR, to share best practices in communications with other organizations focused on social good.

Some Questions I Ask:

Tell us about how you led media relations for Bill Gates and Melinda French. (3:00)
What’s your approach to navigating crisis situations in smaller organizations? (6:06)
What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned from handling the media? (9:46)
What would your advice be to those who are looking to stir up proactive coverage instead of navigating an influx of massive reactive media? (10:44)
Any other strategies for keeping media relationships positive? (12:14)
What are some of the best and proudest moments you had at the Gates Foundation over the years? (13:17)
Tell us about your new business. (16:04)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Amy’s experiences leading media relations for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other organizations (3:25)
What it’s like to navigate through crisis situations in high-profile organizations (6:35)
Lessons that Amy learned from handling the media (10:00)
Advice for the organizations that want to stir up proactive media (11:12)
Amy’s Gates Foundation memories (13:23)
More about Newton Street PR (16:18)

Quotes:

“The first order of business is to remain calm and get organized before you start reacting. And it sounds really obvious, but you'd be amazed at how the human instinct is to just start taking action.”

“It's very important to have the right protocols in place. Maybe keep a checklist close at hand: Who is the core group that will make decisions? Who needs to be informed immediately within the organization? How can you sort of divvy up responsibilities by an audience? Are you at risk of overreacting internally or externally to the situation? That can really lead to more problems down the road.”

“Having a good debrief is critical because you learn so much from each unique situation, and that can really help you improve next time.“

“Always look at what you're sharing from their point of view and think about their needs. The best media relationships aren't merely transactional.“

Connect with Amy Enright:
Amy Enright's LinkedIn

S02E13 - Nailing Your Elevator Pitch | Jim McVety

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Jim McVety. Jim is the managing partner of First Step Advisors, a consulting company that builds the capacity of companies that serve education, whether they are nonprofit or for-profit providers, and improves their vision of growth while aligning that vision through strategic planning. Jim is also an experienced sales and marketing communication specialist who is responsible for his client's success in all areas of education.

Jim hosts a podcast called “Jim Questions Everything” where he asks people in all walks of life (from educators to industry leaders to celebrities) to weigh in on topics like education, family, or culture; and what it takes to make sense of the world.

Some Questions I Ask:

Tell us about First Step Advisors. (1:22)
What is a “2-minute drill”? (4:01)
When a company comes to you to work on their “2-minute drill,” how do you start? (5:02)
What’s your framework for 2-minute drills? (6:30)
How do you support social-emotional learning companies in differentiating their messages? (8:45)
What do you think about the idea of being granular about a problem? (11:10)
Can you share some companies who have really effective 2-minute drills–and share what specific strategies they used ?(16:25)
Any other key learnings and final advice? (20:28)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

What First Step Advisors is (1:27)
An overview of the “2 minute drill” (4:24) plus its process (5:20) and framework (6:43)
What will make an SEL company stand out from others (9:09)
Jim’s thoughts on being granular and having an asset-based framework ready (11:37)
Examples of companies with successful 2-minute pitches (16:41)
Key learnings from “2-minute drills” over the years (20:36)

Quotes:

"Especially in early stage companies, [leaders] get enamored with their own creativity and they rely on a neat factor—’Hey, isn't this neat that I can do this!’—but what district leaders really want to hear is that you're paying attention to what they need, to what their staff needs, what their teachers and their students need.”

“The 2-minute drill becomes a really meaningful way to drive relevance and meaning and connection to the district leaders that companies are hoping to serve. I find it to be an effective, fascinating exercise.”

“Be your authentic self. Build that script, narrate your story—and then let it go. Don't work from a script, work from your story. Think about the key points you want to convey, and it will come naturally to you. … And that's what's gonna make it successful.”

“Give yourself a chance to tell your story from your story, not from your script. That’s my visionary advice. And from a practical standpoint, I say, practice, practice, practice in all the different kinds of conditions you might find yourself: sitting, standing, big room, small room, mask on, mask off. If you practice, you will be ready. So bring your story and practice and you'll be good to go.”

Connect with Jim McVety:
The First Step Advisors website
Jim McVety's LinkedIn
Jim Questions Everything Podcast

S02E12 - Disrupter, Innovator & Changemaker | Juan Ciapessoni

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Juan Ciapessoni, a globally awarded visionary inventor and serial entrepreneur focused on creativity and innovation using applied technology. He's a pioneer in the development of the internet in his native country, Uruguay, where he created one of the country's first ISPs. He co-founded and leads The Electric Factory, a global leader in creative technology and innovation for the world's top brands.

Juan has received more than 100 awards from organizations as diverse as South by Southwest (SXSW), Fast Company, the London International Awards, and Cannes Lions. One example of his many collaborations is The HY Project—a unique way to implement sound in electric and hybrid vehicles that integrates with the environment and stimulates plant growth—which is preserved in the archives of MOMA in New York as the Innovation Winner at the AICP Next Awards. He's been recognized as one of the most influential people in leadership, creativity, and innovation in Uruguay.

Some Questions I Ask:

Please share more background about your first venture and how that led you to pursue even more interesting, innovative opportunities across the whole world. (2:04)
Tell me about The Electric Factory. (4:25)
Why have you been so successful? (6:15)
Almost every student in Uruguay has an electronic device for education. Tell me about this. (11:29)
Have you gotten a lot of publicity? (13:46)
What's attracting companies to Uruguay? (14:42)
How have you been able to really elevate your profile? (18:18)
Can you share a story of when you have failed and overcome a challenge? (23:16)
What’s your final advice? (26:34)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Juan’s early business beginnings (2:24)
About The Electric Factory (4:28)
Juan’s secret to success (6:35)
Uruguay’s “one laptop per child” initiative and other technological programs (11:44)
Uruguay and PR
Attracting companies to Uruguay (14:47)
Juan’s secret to elevating your profile (18:33)
Juan’s failure story and how he overcame it (23:33)
Juan’s final advice (26:49)

Quotes:

“You're always gonna find people who can get the expertise you need into that discipline, but you need to be someone like a sponge. This is my quote: “The length of our life is finite. Sooner or later, we're going to die. But the width depends on us, and how we want to live our life depends on us.”"

“We need to be more human, more empathic with each other. And I think that's where Uruguay can win because we are passionate. We have passion. We enjoy life.”

“The only way to achieve long goals is by achieving small (goals).”

Connect with Juan Ciapessoni:
The Electric Factory
Juan's LinkedIn
Bachata

S02E11 - A Conversation with Bellevue School District Leader | Shomari Jones

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Shomari Jones. Shomari currently serves as the Director of Equity and Strategic Engagement for the Bellevue School District in Washington state. During his nearly eight-year tenure at Bellevue, Shomari has developed a multitude of initiatives aimed at closing achievement gaps, such as empowering students to advise district leaders on bias in the history curriculum and educating teachers about how to recognize and address their own unacknowledged prejudices.

Shamari was recently recognized as an Education Week Leader to Learn From. He also hosts a podcast together with Dr. Paul Sutton called “Coffee with a Little Bit of Cream”.

Some Questions I Ask:

What can you tell us about your school district and its diversity? (2:16)
Please describe The BOOM Experience and other student-led programs that are being replicated elsewhere. (4:33)
How are you working with other districts to help with this replication? (9:36)
In terms of the tipping point in equity and evaluating systemic racism, where do you think we are today? (16:07)
If you were going to offer advice, what would you suggest communities do? What can we as parents do? How can we support and get behind this cause? (20:12)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

What school diversity looks like in Shomari’s district (2:23)
About The BOOM Experience and other student-led programs (4:48)
What challenges he’s encountered in replicating and implementing programs to close the achievement gap (9:42)
Shomari’s stand on equity and his evaluation of systemic racism (16:25)
Tips for getting behind the cause (20:30)

Quotes:

“I would say we struggle just a little bit with regard to appropriately serving each and every student … so they have a sense of belonging or feeling that this place is fit for me. And so part of the work that I do is ensuring that we are leveling the playing field and providing opportunities equitably.”

“Between students, families, and staff, I think it is our obligation to make sure everyone feels like they have a sense of belonging. And, unfortunately, the way of doing that is to develop a program, instead of it being integrated into the system and transforming the environment.”

“I work separately with some of our school districts, especially within our region and the state, to help bolster ideas that they have on the creation of systems and supports that will best serve their students. And that works really well.”

“For better or for worse, equity has become very trendy. I don't know what the catalyst was that launched this trendy effort. But there is a huge exposure to the gaps that exist in our country, in our economy, and in our society—in particular in our districts and education system. I think that movement has begun to climb. And you would think that it would continue to climb after some of our real recent events.”

Connect with Shomari Jones:
Coffee with a Little Bit of Cream Podcast
Shomari Jones' LinkedIn
Email: joness@bsd405.org

S02E10 - Digital Safety Pioneer: Jeff Patterson | Jeff Patterson

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Jeff Patterson, the founder, and CEO of Gaggle, a company that has been supporting student safety and well-being for more than 20 years. Gaggle is also the pioneer in helping K-12 districts manage student safety on school-provided technology—which has helped hundreds of districts avoid tragedies and saves lives.

On Dec. 15, 2021, Gaggle was named the winner of the “Keeping Kids Safe Award” at the 2021 Supes’ Choice Awards, hosted by the Institute for Education Innovation.

Some Questions I Ask:

How did you get your start? (1:30)
How does the process work when you partner with a district? What's the first thing that happens? And how do you end up ultimately supporting those students? Could you share the specifics? (4:05)
What are some of your takeaways about social-emotional learning (SEL) and student safety in the pandemic? (5:22)
Can you share any examples of situations where you've been able to help prevent suicide successfully with the help of Gaggle? (6:51)
How do you navigate around the scrutinies and critics—both personally and professionally? (11:06)
What's your balance of standing up for what you believe in and acknowledging concerns through the media? (12:51)
What strategies would you recommend for other people who are facing backlash within their organization in some way or another? (15:13)
How do you suggest others adopt and cultivate their own audience and voice in the edtech space? Any strategies you would recommend? (16:24)
What’s next for Gaggle? (18:22)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Jeff’s story and how Gaggle came to be (1:50)
Gaggle’s processes when engaging with school districts (4:14)
Student suicide data (5:53)
[SUICIDE TRIGGER WARNING] Gaggle’s role in helping prevent suicide (7:21)
Strategies for embracing critics’ scrutinies to help more students (11:32)
Student privacy vs. student safety and other Gaggle practices (13:03)
Gaggle leadership’s advice for navigating conflict (15:29)
Strategies and recommendation for cultivating audiences and developing a voice in edtech (16:33)
New programs and the future of Gaggle (18:40)

Quotes:

“Humility shows vulnerability. You know, being curious, right? [We have] a leadership mantra within my own company that we try to live by when someone comes at us with some issue that we just want to understand. One of our core values is ‘Listen more than you talk.’ I think I'm gonna expand that to say ‘Ask great questions.’”

“I've really focused on helping people find jobs, understanding the industry. And then I try to share some sort of life lessons that I've had along the way. But I try to put the focus on others, not myself and my needs.”

Connect with Jeff Patterson:
Gaggle Website
Jeff Patterson's LinkedIn

S02E09 - A Word with Strong Fathers | J Michael Hall M.Ed.

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by J. Michael Hall, M.Ed. Mike is the founder of Strong Fathers-Strong Families LLC, an organization that focuses on family engagement programs. Mike has worked with over 200,000 fathers and professionals in 45 states and a couple of languages. Using his vast experience as an educator, speaker, and thought leader, he provides targeted trainings for schools and organizations.

Mike is a husband and a proud father of two sons. He was honored as a 2012 White House Fatherhood Champion of Change. He's also a former middle school teacher whose circuitous path led him to partnering with school districts to better support fathers and, ultimately, their students.

Some Questions I Ask:

Would you share your story with our listeners, so they understand more about you? (2:17)
It seems rare to find a program that's really focused on the father's that's available in school districts. Is that perception accurate? (6:50)
What happens to kids when their dad reads to them? (10:10)
What's your key to success when you're reaching out building relationships with district leaders to implement your program? (6:18)
You were honored by the White House in 2012 as a Fatherhood Champion of Change. That is an incredible achievement. Tell our listeners how that came about? (22:46)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Mike’s life story and the beginnings of Strong Fathers. (2:28)
What Strong Fathers and other programs that focus on fathers do. (6:57)
The effects of Dad’s engagement vs. Mom’s engagement. (10:11)
Strategies for reaching out to build relationships with district leaders implementing the program. (16:25)
About the White House Fatherhood Champion of Change award and why the Strong Fathers programs were recognized. (22:57)

Quotes:

“I'm trying to get where dads are. That's my mission. So we're going to get paid for that. But that's also where all the kids are, because this work really is about impacting kids.”

“90% of the guys are jumping in and when we tell them it's important to read to your kids. We tell them, ‘When you read to your kids, something different happens than when mom reads to the kids.’ That's what they need to hear."

Connect with J Michael Hall:

Strong Fathers-Strong Families Website
J. Michael Hall's LinkedIn
Strong Fathers White House Video
Strong Fathers Ted Talk Video
Strong Fathers Virtual Program Examples
Warm-up Exercise for Reading Night
"Why Would We Want to Engage Fathers?” Video

S02E08 - How to Launch an Awards Program | Doug Roberts & Alexa Escobedo

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Doug Roberts, founder, and CEO of Institute for Education Innovation (IEI), as well as Alexa Escobedo, IEI’s marketing coordinator and project manager for the first-ever Supe’s Choice Awards.

Some Questions I Ask:

Give us a quick overview of IEI. (2:10)
How did you conceptualize this new awards program? (3:20)
What do you recommend companies or organizations consider before launching an awards program? (7:02)
What are the first action steps for starting an awards program? (10:58)
What do you think went really well this year? And what would you do differently? (16:16)
Do you feel like the awards program is elevating your profile and do you think it is making an impact in the industry? (24:07)
What final advice or insights would you like to share? (25:55)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About the Institute for Education Innovation (IEI) (2:16)
How to conceptualize an awards program (4:45)
Considerations before launching an awards program (7:19)
Starting an awards program (11:26)
An overview of what happened in the Supe’s Choice Awards for 2021 (16:22)
The long-term branding benefits of an awards program (26:02)

Quotes:

“The people making the decision have to be authentic about who wins, so you have to really believe in what you're doing, and it has to come from the right place.”

“I would say the setup part was the most difficult. Once it was set, as far as getting the judges in there, getting the scorecards—that ran very smoothly, but there was a lot of front-end work. So I would also say to anybody who's starting off, don't get discouraged if you feel very overwhelmed in the beginning, because really doing all that hard work, in the beginning, is what pays off in the end. Then it becomes a smoother ride.”

“Even if you don't win, you are still seen by so many district leaders that you could get potential leads that way. It really is a conversation starter. And it's a great low-cost way to be seen.”

“You have to have some standing in your industry, you have to have a good network and a list to message to in the beginning to grow from. So [starting an awards program] shouldn't be the first thing you do; you should have something going already. I think that's really important. We were able to build off of our existing brand network membership to grow this.”

Connect with Doug Roberts and Alexa Escobedo:
Institute for Education Innovation (IEI) Website
Doug Robert's LinkedIn
Alexa Escobedo's LinkedIn

S02E07 - Insider tips for a successful event! | Carolyn Durkee

Sun, 21 Nov 2021 13:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Carolyn Durkee. Carolyn is the marketing director at Edison Learning, an education management organization that provides courses and instructional services in public schools.

Some Questions I Ask:

What is your role at Edison Learning? (2:12)
What is your advice for ensuring an event is a success? (4:11)
What is your recommendation for paying for panelists at an event? (7:41)
How do you structure communication and disseminate information to presenters? (12:22)
What happens after we do a handoff? (15:16)
What do you recommend as a follow-up strategy for thanking clients, speakers, or presenters? (17:20)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Carolyn’s role at Edison Learning (2:21)
Tips in planning for an event (4:45)
Policies for panelists’ or guests’ expenses at an event (8:01)
Best practices for communication with the people involved in an event (13:24)
Steps after doing a handoff (15:53)
Different ways to thank your clients, speakers, and presenters after an event (18:08)

Quotes:

“One [step to ensure an event’s success] would be communication. That's communication with your teammates, making sure you're all on the same page, as well as communication with panelists so that you can ensure they have the information they need and everyone's clear on responsibilities, expectations, all of that. And then the other piece would be documentation because the logistics do change frequently.”

“[Covering travel expenses] is always ideal when you can extend that and when their company can receive that. I think that's an ideal scenario because you're asking them to come and represent you.”

“It's easy to get caught up in the logistics of the conference and the speaker and forget to close the loop with the person who gave you that name in the first place to reach out.”

“It's nice to just send like a little handwritten note in the mail or just a little something that says thank you, especially when you've had webinars that are fully virtual and you're not covering travel. I will send a gift box in the mail—like a chocolate assortment gift box—for that presenter, and they like to share with other people in their office. It's just something small that says, ‘Hey, that was really awesome that you spent your time sharing about your work with us.’ It's small, but it goes a long way.”

Connect with Carolyn Durkee:
Edison Learning Website
Carolyn Durkee's LinkedIn

S02E06 - Thinking about writing a book? | Dennis Welch

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dennis Welch. He was a former full-time musician and songwriter. Dennis has also worked at Gallup, a global analytics and advisory company based in Washington, D.C.

In January 2012, Dennis started Articulate, a company specializing in PR and communications for the book industry. He is currently the president and CEO.

Some Questions I Ask:

How did you find your way into book public relations? (1:28)
How would you say promoting a book is different from promoting a business or a company or a product? (5:41)
What is your starting point for kicking off a book? (7:49)
What other things are you looking for to ensure a book PR’s success? (11:10)
Would you tell us a story about one of your greatest successes? (15:41)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Dennis’ book PR journey (1:50)
Book promotion vs. company/product promotion (5:56)
Dennis’ involvement in the book journey (8:03)
The mystic wonder of book PR (11:16)
Pitching the “Mad Scientist of Entrepreneurs” (16:03)

Quotes:

“This is a lot easier to do for somebody else than it is to do it for yourself, quite frankly, unless you're an egomaniac.”

“We have never advertised or done marketing of any kind. It is all word of mouth for 10 years. And that's such a blessing.”

“Every good thing happens in a dialogue.”

“I'm interested when people say, ‘You know what, this might change the lives of people in a way that could be transformational,’ and salt the culture a little bit and those kinds of things, you know, that piques my interest already. It makes my filters change for how I read their book or help them with the book.”

“I don't have to have [a big-name author like] Patrick Lencioni. To get some activity, some big activity, what I have to be able to explain quickly—to get your attention quickly—is why this matters. Create some urgency. And if I can do that, then you know what? Then anything is possible.”

“Everybody thinks they're going to write a book. But when you meet people who actually have written books, it's very cool. And I treat that like the gift that it is, because you spent a lot of hours in your room somewhere doing this—and it's important.”

Connect with Dennis Welch:
Articulate Website
Dennis Welch’s LinkedIn
dennis@bearticulate.com

S02E05 - A different approach to SEL: CEO and Co-Founder of Robin | Sonny Thadani

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 08:00:00 -0800

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Sonny Thadani. He is a dedicated dad of 3 and has a passion for education and mental health.

Sonny has worked with Sandy Hook Promise, an organization dedicated to improving the lives and mental health of students across the U.S. at his new company, Robin, Sonny is determined to solve the mental health challenges in education, having witnessed their impact first hand.

Some Questions I Ask:

What drew you to start Robin, and what is your personal story about mental health and wellness? (1:53)
How did Robin come to be? (4:34)
Is Robin another digital curriculum provider? If not, how is it different? (8:17)
What are some ways Robin has already made an impact? (14:23)
What additional advice do you have for growing a small company? (18:33)

This Episode, You Will Learn:

Sonny’s personal story (2:06)
How Robin came to be (4:40)
What Robin provides (8:35)
Robin’s media promotion and impact (14:44)
Advice for growing a small company (18:55)

Quotes:

“I don't think a lot of people have people they can openly talk to—especially quote-unquote adults—when you're a child.”

“I actually think that was one of my strengths as a co-founder in this business. I asked very basic questions because I didn't know how it was taught. I always believe in the voice of the customer. … Find out as kids, as teachers, as parents, what's going on?”

“My eldest is a first-grader, and I want her to learn everything that I learned about history and math and science. But what are those other things that we should be teaching our kids as parents and as educators?”

“Psychologists told us early on that in order to make this effective, we have to have the adults in our kids’ lives, teachers or parents, be part of it.”

“Part of what Robin does—and will do more and more in the future—is [focus on] the mental health and the wellbeing of a parent or a teacher or counselor also.”

“Take feedback to heart, but don't let it ruin your day. You’ve got to experiment, you’ve got to try, you’ve got to get feedback early. And you have to trust your instincts and trust the customer. The customer, I would say, is not always right. But they always have good ideas.”

Connect with Sonny Thadani:
Robin's Website
Robin's Instagram
Robin’s Twitter
Robin’s LinkedIn

S02E04 - The Future of Education is Now | Deborah Delisle

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Deborah Delisle. Deborah is the president and CEO of the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), a Washington, D.C.-based national policy practice and advocacy organization that promotes high school transformation to make it possible for every child to graduate prepared for postsecondary learning and success in life.

Some Questions I Ask:

What is the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) and what does it do to support the education industry? (1:26)
When did you absorb ‘Future Ready Schools'? (3:30)
What are you seeing schools doing to navigate this pandemic and what do you anticipate the school year will bring? (4:21)
What are your thoughts on re-imagining education? (7:26)
What trends do you see in education? (9:42)
What are you seeing in general with college and career readiness right now? (14:28)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

What All4Ed is (1:55)
The ‘Future Ready Schools’ Program (3:35)
Issues emerging in education in this pandemic (4:49)
Rethinking learning and education as a whole (7:35)
Trends in education (10:03)
College and career readiness in this pandemic (14:44)
Opportunities in education (17:36)

Quotes:

"We cannot go back to what was. When people say, ‘We have to go back to being normal,’ we weren't normal before. And many kids didn't succeed in a system like that.”

“We really need to just pause. We need to use this time and space. It's a limited opportunity to rethink the possibilities that can exist to engage more kids more robustly—for example, to utilize their talents and aspirations and redesign how schools work, including the incorporation of personalized learning.“

“Going back to rethinking education, we have to think of ourselves as co-facilitators of knowledge and content and learning processes—and as co-facilitators with our students in mind as well, because they have some ideas about how to access information in ways that perhaps we don't even think about.”

“I will often say to people, ‘If you can't buy into that, buy into the notion that these are the kids who will take care of you when you are senior citizens. I want people who care about other people. And that's how you offer kids hope every single day. Kids need hope for a brighter future. That's what they want.”

“Let's offer [kids] hope every day. Every student, every day.”

Connect with Deborah Delisle:
Alliance for Excellent Education
Deborah Delisle's LinkedIn

S02E03 - Death by Powerpoint No More! Crafting a Preso with Punch | Presentologist Johnny Quinn

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Johnny Quinn, a presentologist who currently lives in New Zealand.

Johnny established Audience Alive, which specializes in using the latest presentation technologies to help presenters, speakers, and organizations communicate their message better and to put an end to “Death by PowerPoint” in public speaking.

Some Questions I Ask:

I want to learn more about you, your story, and your background. What led you to become a presentologist? And how do you describe presentologists? (3:15)
What are the main things we’re doing wrong in making presentations? (6:23)
Do we have to use PowerPoint? Do we have to present with a slide deck at all? (13:51)
Do you have anything beyond that that you can share with us on insights for TED? (20:48)
If you had a final piece of advice for our audience, to make better presentations everywhere, what would that be? (26:29)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

What a presentologist is (3:25)
Challenges in creating presentations (6:39)
Silver bullets within newer versions of PowerPoint (10:35)
Interactive vs linear structure (14:23)
More tips in creating a killer PowerPoint presentation (15:58)
The 10-20-30 Rule of Presenting (18:53)
Tips for TED presentations (21:27)

Quotes:

“I actually believe that procrastination kills a lot of really great presentations.”

“I'm not afraid of public speaking, I have a fear of not doing it! You know, I enjoy doing it, I enjoy passing on the knowledge.”

“Whatever you use, try to think visually, because that's what humans are much better at doing.”

“The ‘sage on the stage’ is largely dead. We don't want somebody all knowing, all seeing pounding us with information behind the podium. We actually want a ‘guide on the side.’”

“Try to make your presentations more interactive.”

Connect with Johnny Quinn:
Audience Alive
John Quinn's LinkedIn

S02E02 - Creating Change that Makes an Impact | Marcus Soutra

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Marcus Soutra. Marcus is an educator and is also the president of Eye to Eye, a national mentoring nonprofit organization that empowers young people with learning differences.

Marcus is a champion for those who learn differently.

Some Questions I Ask:

What led you to this life's work and mission? (1:33)
How did you decide to put together Eye to Eye? How did that come about? (3:06)
How are you promoting your mission and your organization to gain support around learning differences? (4:35)
When you give students a platform, are you giving them any key messages? How do you coach them? How do you train them? (05:46)
You said you pursued conferences and other avenues to amplify their voice. Was it ever media outreach? (06:46)
How do you foster compassionate leadership throughout your organization? With your team? Do you have any examples of how you've been able to cultivate that spirit of empathy for others? (10:50)
Do you get vulnerable with your team on a regular basis? How does that look in practice? (12:29)
I'm curious if it is required to have a learning difference to work for your organization so that you can really connect with people? (13:48)
Do you have suggestions for how our listeners can do the same thing—because who doesn't want to live and work toward their passion? (15:37)
Do you think we're going to see more investments in programs like Eye to Eye after this year? Or how are you seeing business going with the pandemic? (17:43)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

What Eye to Eye is (3:13)
What Eye to Eye does to help students (4:54)
How Eye to Eye reaches the unreachable thru media outreach (6:52)
The identities of celebrities with learning disabilities (8:20)
About compassionate leadership in Eye to Eye (11:13)
Having inter-able relationships at Eye to Eye (13:59)
Adapting in the midst of the pandemic (19:41)

Quotes:

“I think if you say yes to enough things and you’re confident, and you work really, really hard, it does make that cocktail of opportunity.”

“When you're a leader, you're automatically vulnerable about your own strengths and weaknesses, which I think any good entrepreneur really is."

“To start a business or to do something like this, I think you have to be passionate about it, or it's just never going to work. Because with the amount of work that you need to put in, you have to have something to fuel your tank on an everyday basis.”

“I think the best advice I ever got in college was these two phrases, which I say all the time to myself: “Steal, steal, steal” and “Stay out of the teacher’s lounge.” You know, steal from other people’s good ideas. And the teacher’s lounge is a metaphor for something that exists in every industry, like the old ways of doing things, the old type of thinking. Stay out of that room, do your research, focus on students or whatever it is.”

Connect with Marcus Soutra:
Eye to Eye National
Marcus Soutra's LinkedIn

S02E01 - Create an winning proposal - Hint: It's not about you! | Jean Sharp

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, We are joined by Jean Sharp. Jean has dedicated her career to supporting great teaching and learning both in the classroom and online. For the past 10 years, she served as the apex learning vice president of content development and the chief academic officer. With more than 30 years of working in educational technology.

Jean is embracing the rhythm of a new season. She continues to contribute to education and relevant and impactful ways to consulting, writing, and research.

Some Questions I Ask:

When you're first gearing up for a conference submission, or you see a call for proposals come out. What do you do first? (2:24)
What are some of your biggest takeaways after reviewing probably thousands of proposals of yours? What resonates with you? And what advice would you have for others? (5:32)
What are some of the big don'ts or things we should avoid? Including our proposals? 13:34)
Have you noticed a difference from conference to conference and what people tend to prefer and what proposals seem to be more successful? (14:57)
Do you have any final advice for those who are going through this process? (16:42)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Finding success in submitting proposals and other tips and tricks. (2:33)
How to make your proposal stand out. (05:40)
Things to avoid in making proposals. (13:43)

Quotes:

“Understanding both the format of the conference and the audience is critically important.”

“I'm attracted to proposals that demonstrate what works. I'm not interested in proposals that are focused on products, or commercialized in any way.”

“If you've got a topic that's compelling, and you know, individuals who have made contributions in that way, or have been working in that arena for a while, invite them to participate and join you for it. My experience, your experience, as well has often been that they just simply need to be asked.”

“I think it's a better use of time to really invest in the proposals that you believe are the most relevant, and put the effort into ensure that they are well written and well developed. The second point I would make is to collaborate with others, I like to include different voices and perspectives into the proposals that we submit. And I love finding good partners to share the topics.”

“The proposals reflect to you.”

Connect with Jean Sharp:
Jean Sharp's LinkedIn
Jean Sharp’s Email: jean.sharpsolutionsservicesgroup@outlook.com

Season 2 Trailer: What to Expect in this New Season of Build Momentum

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 09:00:00 -0700

On Season 2 of Build Momentum, you can anticipate more great interviews, including a chat with the Presentologist where we learn a few slam-dunk strategies for improving your next presentation, a visit with Deborah DeLisle, the CEO of the Alliance for Excellent Education, who shares her hopes and fears post-pandemic, and tips for how to create a panel that will "WOW" any conference selection committee. We also explore how to create an industry award from the ground up and the keys to a successful book launch. This is going to be the best season yet on build momentum. I can just feel it. Join us as we kick things off October 14. I'll see you there.

Are you a visionary thinker? | Jeremy Nulik

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 09:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, We are joined by Jeremy Nulik. Jeremy is a futurist at Big Wide Sky from St. Louis Missouri.

In 2002, Jeremy completed his Bachelor or Arts degree majoring in English Literature at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. Come 2018, Jeremy successfully completed a compreensive certification course in Strategic Foresight at University of Houston in Houston, Texas.

Some Questions I Ask:

What is a Futurist? (1:30)
Are we all really on the same page with our future? (6:30)
How did you become a Futurist? (7:50)
Is there an actual program to be a futurist? (11:06)
How do you work with leaders to define and put meaning behind innovation? (13:33)
You want people to live in that transformational face when you're running through this with them? Or do you want them to go through all of these, all of them? (19:00)
How can we encourage our listeners and our leaders to really become more of a visionary thinker? And to try to get a couple paces ahead of me? Do you have any advice for us and us? (25:41)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

What a futurist is. (1:38)
What is Strategic Foresight (2:42)
What a futurist does (3:56)
How and Where you can be a certified futurist (11:16)
Putting meaning behind innovation thru Foresight (13:40)
Future Archetypes framework (15:12)
Being a visionary thinker (25:54)

Quotes:

“Like it or not, those images, if you're not conscious of them, you still have and do have an impact on how you make decisions”

“The only thing you would need is curiosity.”

“You know, and so the thing that's beautiful about that kind of mental exercise, you know, going through growth, collapse, discipline, transformation, even something that simple, and it would only take you like 20 minutes, the thing that's beautiful about it is for that 20 minutes, you are emancipated from having to like be right about the future, you don't have to predict it. You don't have to even place any bets on it for a while. You just get to live in that future, and figure out how you would feel, who you would be and how you'd respond.”

“The images, like to your point that you cultivate that you go about building, have an impact on what it is you're actually going to decide to do.”

“We just use the future as the safe canvas on which you can sort of play out what it is your real intentions are.”

Connect with Jeremy Nulik:
Big Wide Sky Website
Jeremy Nulik’s LinkedIn

Marketing in Higher Ed: Challenges and Opportunities | Erin Merz

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 10:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, We are joined by Erin Merz. She is the Director of Marketing and Communications for Portland State University School of Business. She focuses on supporting the institution's recruitment and retention goals.

Erin has a passion for storytelling, a results-driven mindset, and a commitment to building and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders that we look forward to digging into today. Erin is also an instructor for the essentials of marketing course at PSU

Some Questions I Ask:

What are the challenges and future plans in the higher education space? (1:21)
Do you mind giving us an example of how you're taking a closer look at systemic racism in your institution? (3:57)
Are you experiencing a drop in college enrollments in PSU and how are you supporting recruitment and retention through marketing particularly this year. (7:15)
How do you weave storytelling into your efforts and what you're doing now? (12:54)
As a marketing teacher, Are there any key takeaways from that course that you think our listeners might benefit from hearing? (15:26)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Unique challenges in Higher Ed. (1:45)
Systemic racism in Marketing in the Higher Ed space (4:07)
Significant enrollment declines and some marketing strategies for recruitment and retention at PSU (7:49)
Storytelling as a marketing tool (12:56)
Understanding marketing concepts (15:39)
How communication is really important (17:47)

Quotes:

“Imagery, I think, is just a very easy way to kind of describe it. But that's one project I've been working on. Yeah, I work for the School of Business, but it's a university wide initiative to be more thoughtful and think a little bit more critically about our imagery and how we're representing our students, and are we giving them ownership of their likeness. And that plays into systemic racism, because we don't want to take advantage of students of color, for example, and use them, you know, in a way that tokenizes them. ”

“Storytelling really helps showcase our values, the classroom experience, our faculty research.”

“ I just think it's so important to blend the data, the kind of value of the degree, the ROI of the degree with the people who are actually experiencing it.”

"It's marketing one on one, right, connecting to the hearts and the minds through whatever content you're putting out there."

Connect with Erin Merz:
Erin’s LinkedIn

Interview with EdSurge Founder Betsy Corcoran | Betsy Corcoran

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 11:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, We are joined by Betsy Corcoran. She is the co-founder of EdSurge. Her company has rapidly become a leading information hub for teachers, entrepreneurs, and school leaders with a commitment to edtech. She has also led the development of an award-winning news team, a robust conference program, and in-depth research.

Betsy has been a staff writer and editor for Scientific American magazine, The Washington Post, and Forbes media, and a fellow in the night science journalism program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Aspen Institute's Fahara fellowship and a featured commentator on television programs, including NBC’s, Press Here.

Some Questions I Ask:

What’s happening in education right now and what should we expect this fall? (1:38)
Where does technology play a part in this and do you think SEL can be addressed through technology? (4:01)
What do you think is going to be the long-term education plans? Do you think parents are going to demand that kind of flexibility moving forward? Do you think that's going to be part of education moving for what are your thoughts? (5:54)
What is the story about how you founded EdSurge? (10:11)
What have you been up to after you sold EdSurge? (16:14)
Do you have advice for these leaders in authentically sharing their story? (19:35)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

What’s happening in education during the pandemic and what to expect in the fall. (1:55)
SEL and technology in education (4:51)
Recognizing technology as a tool in support. (6:25)
How EdSurge was born. (10:30)
Betsy’s life after EdSurge. (16:47)
Advice for future thought leaders (19:40)

Quotes:

“There are a number of different ways that technology can support social-emotional ties and connections. But number one is you have to recognize that it is in support of building human relationships. It is not a replacement for human relationships.”

“Recognizing technology's always going to be a tool in support of a bigger purpose, bigger goal, we're going to continue to see a very big role for that."

“I learned a lot about how teachers viewed and used technology, I learned a lot about why they didn't often use it, it was really practical, it didn't work for them.”

"A huge priority for EdSurge was to amplify and support the voice of the teacher, the user of this technology, and to really help them say, you have a big voice, you're the user, you should feel empowered to talk about what you need, what doesn't work, that sort of thing."

“Do you love this thing so much that you'd be willing to you know, do something else, work in the grocery store, wait tables, you know, be an IT support person, or are you willing to do something else? Because you love this thing so deeply. Then you know, it's authentic, and people resonate with authenticity.”

Connect with Betsy Corcoran:
Betsy’s LinkedIn

Thinking about launching a Podcast? | JW Marshall

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by JW Marshall, the director of learning solutions at Marketscale and a fellow podcast host of the Voices of E-learning show.

Some Questions I Ask:

Are there any themes emerging from these leaders, as we kind of think about a new school year this fall and what we hope is the end of the pandemic? What insights can you share with us? (1:17)
What's your advice to those people who are thinking about doing podcasts? What would you say? (5:20)
So you said plan it out. But how does that look? Can you get a little more detailed? (7:55)
But how do you stay focused? What do you do to stay focused? (10:16)
We all want to know the answer to the million-dollar question exactly. How do you grow your audience? (14:30)
If you were going to start over, and you're launching your podcast again, would you do anything differently? (17:25)
What are some of your favorite shows that you listen to (19:34)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Themes emerging for the coming school year. (1:27)
When is the time to start a podcast (5:36)
Detailed planning for starting a podcast. (7:55)
Staying Focused in building momentum for your podcast (10:19)
Growing your Audience in different ways (14:43)
Considering the use of video as podcasts episodes (17:31)

Quotes:

“Don't wait any longer to start a podcast, it's time to jump in. There's never been a better time the technology is there.."

“ Think through what you're going to do and how you're going to do it. Be strategic.”

“You got to have a plan and you got to stick to the plan and you got to execute. And again, you want to get through those first 10 to 20 episodes and then you'll really start seeing the fruits of your labor. So stick with it..”

"I would say find things that inspire you and follow those leads."

"Don't underestimate the power of video podcasts"

“Sometimes some more passionate person that's driven is kind of beat out everyone else. And you see the next person to have a million followers and listeners and things like that. So don't wait. Don't sit back and wait. Get out there and do it and try it. Learn from your mistakes, be consistent”

Connect with JW Marshall:
Voices of E-Learning Podcast
JW Marshall LinkedIn
JW Marshall Email
JW Marshall Twitter

How do you Create a Thought Leadership Mindset | Sean Slade

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 12:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Sean Slade, A global education leader, speaker, author, and policymaker with over 25 years of experience.

Sean is from the US head of education at BTS spark a global education nonprofit focused on developing the next generation of education leaders. He is also a co-founding member for the UNESCO chair on global health and education, a member of the OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030 project. And he's also an NBC today show social and emotional learning expert.

Some Questions I Ask:

Tell me more about your new role at BTS spark and what led you there? (1:52)
What are the big challenges educational leaders share and some of the challenges they face? Where are they asking for support? (4:45)
Now that we know there's a big problem, How are you helping? And what kind of support are you providing? How are you helping them to hone their skill so that they can address some of these challenges? (7:45)
What advice you would have for our listeners to apply some of the skills that you're teaching (10:40)
What do you say to those leaders that are really heavily focused on data and demonstrating results in that way? And is there a balance between the two? (15:12)
How do you anticipate the shift on how we approach education and leadership? (16:09)
Have you seen an increase in interest in your program?(17:54)
What final advice do you have for our listeners today? (21:05)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

BTS spark is really focused on the education sector, and primarily principals & superintendents. What they do is educational leadership development. (2:31)
The biggest issue of our educational leaders. (4:51)
The support that BTS Spark is proving to our educational leaders. (7:55)
Perceptions about social-emotional learning. (16:29)
Better understanding and appreciation that our emotions and our health and our mental health, and our relationships and our connections matter. (21:38)

Quotes:

“We might be sort of trying to infuse certain concepts or skills or attributes in our students. But we often miss out on making sure that our teachers and our educators are not only role modeling the same thing, but also are experiencing the same thing."

“We are living in a world now where things are getting a little bit more volatile, and still uncertain, and we're gonna need school leaders to deal with uncertainty, and also who are able to make decisions.”

“To be the most effective leader, you need to bring your personal self into it.”

" Leadership and education is a human endeavor. And the best leaders are the ones that can make it personal, make it relevant, and provide meaning."

"We believe that the best leaders in schools are the ones that make education human and make leadership human."

Connect with BTS Spark:
Website
Twitter (BTS Spark US)
Twitter (BTS Spark Canada)

3 Reasons to Niche Down in EdTech | Matthew Downing

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 19:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, We are joined by Matthew Downing, an educator and a podcast host who is interested in the way how technology transforms the learning process and engages students in authentic learning experiences.

Matthew is from Philadelphia where he is a part of a large, urban, diverse public school district. He is passionate about helping teachers integrate technology in transformative ways while engaging students to use different technological tools in the classroom to promote a deeper learning experience.

Some Questions I Ask:

Who you are, what you do, and your passion for education?? (1:11)
Have you talked with others who are kind of working across different district sizes? And I don't know if the same tools would work in those districts? (2:16)
What is your dissertation about, what you're covering, and what you're researching? (3:35)
When you say attitudes and beliefs, you are talking about their attitudes and beliefs towards technology, and how they're feeling? How are you proposing that we improve those or address that? (5:38)
What is your take on merging entrepreneurship and education? (9:34)
How to set up education to blend with innovation and entrepreneurship (19:42)
Your conversations with many of these individuals on your shows that you have on your podcasts? Do you have any thoughts on how they can build awareness for themselves? And how to do that effectively? (15:25)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Similarities between the Rural and Urban districts in dealing with technology. (2:27)
Matthew's overview of his dissertation about how we can use professional development to technology integration in schools. (4:10)
How to improve the attitude and beliefs of students, teachers, and administrators towards technology. (5:53)
Setting up education for innovation. (12:10)
Matthew's insight on thought leadership and how to build awareness effectively through his podcast. (15:36)

Quotes:

“I've noticed through the process is that attitudes and beliefs play a huge role within professional development and within technology integration.

“Trust is universal.”

"It's starting small and then iterating, and allowing that to grow."

"I would just encourage them to one start small. But if you're going against the stream and the stream is too heavy, and you can't break it, you might have to get out and Get into a different stream that has the flow where you want to go."

Connect with Matthew Downing:
RethinkingEDU Podcast
RethinkingEDU Website
DivingdeepEDU Podcast
DivingdeepEDU Website
Matthew Downing's LinkedIn

What NOT To Do When Telling Your Brand Story (And Other Fascinating Insights) | Rod Berger

Thu, 27 May 2021 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, Dr. Rod Berger, a communications and media expert who writes about thought leadership and education for Forbes and has previously contributed to Scholastic and the Huffington Post, joins us.

Dr. Berger has interviewed the likes of Sal Khan, former US Department of Education Secretary Arnie Dugan, ministers of education, best selling author Daniel Pink, Sir Ken Robinson, and leading edtech investors. Dr. Berger has previously served in leadership and advisory roles for edtech companies in a guest lecture at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management.

Some Questions I Ask:

Dr. Berger’s PR Background (1:45)
How do you describe thought leadership? (4:32)
How would you recommend the listeners to start thinking about incorporating some of those strategies in their own companies with their leaders? (5:47)
Tell me about Press Release, does it have value and when does it have value? (12:17)
How do you like to receive media pitches, and what can people do to build better relationships with media personalities like yourself? (14:30)
Tell us about your new book (19:42)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Understanding PR and how it is an evolving space for people. (1:23)
PR strategies and challenges and how to overcome it (6:16)
The value of Press Release (12:16)
PR Pitching tips (14:43)
Sneak peek of Dr. Rod Berger’s new book. (19:48)

Quotes:

“It's about the questions that you can actually put into the group, right, that you can utilize as a precursor to a conversation where all parties are going to learn something that to me is thought leadership.”

“In PR, it’s understanding the why and then the who, because that will help extend, I think strategic opportunities.”

“It's never just about the message, right? It's about everything and the message.”

“For me, it's just be honest in the pitch, right? And at least give some sense that you spent some time and understanding who you're pitching to.”

Connect with Dr. Rod Berger:
Dr. Rod Berger’s' Twitter
Dr. Rod Berger’s LinkedIn
Dr. Rod Berger’s Email

Creating a Community of Supes and CEOs | Doug Roberts

Thu, 20 May 2021 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, We have our very special guest Doug Roberts, who is the founder and CEO of the Institute for Education Innovation. He and his organization specialize in bridging the gaps between individuals and organizations that are committed to seeing students succeed in school and in life while creating a safe space for problem-solving and innovative thinking.

Doug Roberts is an educator and has also worked for many years as a sales representative and VP of sales for several start-up companies.

Some Questions I Ask:

In detail, tell us about your organization? (1:13)
How do District leaders or Supes and organizations work together effectively? (4:31)
From your unique perspective and approach, what are the themes you're seeing right now, as we are on the horizon of emerging from this pandemic?? (6:29)
What's going to stick from this crazy pandemic experience? (12:02)
What’s coming up in terms of your speaking and coaching events? (15:58)
so you want people to attend? Are you looking for additional sponsors, if companies want to get involved? (21:54)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

What IEI is and how it helps superintendents and organizations (1:23)
IEI’s hybrid approach in bridging supes and organizations in this pandemic. (4:36)
How the organizations and supes adapt to this pandemic. (12:12)
Upcoming events and activities ahead (16:05)

Quotes:

“We've built a community, we refer to it as a family actually, just because that's a big part of our value system is just about, you know, supporting each other and being a network and being a community that helps each other regardless of whether our role is on the industry side or on the district side.”

“Education is a people's business. So we believe that the people need to get together in a more efficient way.”

“We've been connected in other ways. There are many different ways to connect. Yeah. And this year, we've tried to find as many as possible that are pandemic friendly. Each event we do we pivot more toward what we used to do.”

“We want to provide knowledge, guidance, strategy, intelligence, from the seat of a district leader to our industry partners”

Connect with Doug Roberts and IEI on:
Doug Roberts' Twitter
Doug Roberts' IEI Email
IEI Twitter
IEI Website
SupesTalk Website

Empathetic Marketing | Dawn McAvoy

Thu, 06 May 2021 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, We have an amazing guest, Dawn McAvoy. She is the Head of Marketing for Acendre. And today she shares how she built her ed-tech journey.

Some Questions I Ask:

Would you mind sharing your background including your long history in ed-tech and what’s currently happening in ed-tech? (1:18)
The current situation of the community colleges and how they are experiencing a renaissance right now (4:12)
Tell me about where you’re working now? (6:48)
When do you admit that visionary perspective is one of your superpowers (11:48)
How do you help people manifest their visions? (13:55)
How can we hone our skills at both increasing our capacity to think bigger, but then making sure the execution is flawless? (16:06)
Have you seen PR to be a valuable resource for either yourself or organizations that you've worked with over the years? (22:24)
What is your future prediction for ed-tech? (23:47)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

What’s happening in ed-tech and the connection of technology and education. (2:23)
What Acendre is and their online learning piece (6:58)
Dawn’s visionary perspective on everything and how she is a believer of manifesting your vision. (12:06)
Learning how to simplify in order to solve the most important problems. (16:16)
What is empathetic marketing and what it means to Dawn (19:55)
The Value of PR and the future of ed-tech (22:37)

Quotes:

“Technology is this great, or it has the capacity to be a great equalizer and to provide access to things that people in certain geographies or certain circumstances wouldn't normally have..”

“I am a believer in manifestation. And to me, manifestation and visions are very aligned. What do you want to manifest? That's your vision.”

“You have to create a discipline of giving yourself time to vision things. ”

“I think empathetic marketing. It's really about Being able to put yourself in your user, your prospect your customer, like choose your term, it's being able to put yourself into someone else's shoes, and try to understand as much about their situation as possible”

Connect with Dawn McAvoy on:
LinkedIn

How to Streamline and Scale Communication in a Crisis | Leslie Lernhart

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we chat with Leslie Lernhart, the Communications Director for Tucson Unified School District in Tucson, Arizona. TUSD is the largest district in Tucson, serving more than 47,000 students in 89 schools and programs.

Some Questions I Ask:

Would you mind just telling us more about your district other than what I shared and the students you serve? (1:18)
With the challenges that TUSD is experiencing during the pandemic, do you feel like you have recovered? (2:50)
What are your plans for continuing distance learning? (4:15)
Do you think that the community responded positively to having that central point of communication and they knew where to go when they needed information? (6:54)
With all of the workload and planning, how did you manage and do you have a large team? (7:52)
Do you think that other districts can and should replicate being accessible to the media and to their community?? (17:16)
What would you say is a big takeaway or a lesson that you've learned, in addition to what you just shared, or a piece of advice that you would give to other district leaders on communication? (18:57)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

TUSD background, their demographics and challenges. (1:23)
How TUSD adjusted to communicating during a pandemic. (3:13)
Utilization of online platforms for reaching out to the different communities within the district. (4:26)
District visibility and communication with the community. (17:24)

Quotes:

“So it's just a lot of moving parts that has been really interesting for us, as well as we are a very traditional school district. So having online platforms was not something that was a huge part of our district, but now has become a giant part and really helped us bring us which in a lot of ways it's a positive into the 21st century to be able to look for the future to really help our students.”

“I really have a collaborative team and was really grateful that they were super helpful in making sure that answers were getting received, and that information was shared really proactively.”

“People really want to hear from you. So even if you don't have all the answers, it's okay to say, ``I don't have all the answers, but this is what I do, and be as factual as you can and as transparent as you can.”

Connect with Leslie Lernhart and TUSD on:
Website

Don't Go Big. Go Focused. | Samuel Reed III

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, our guest, Samuel Reed III a.k.a Reed, shares his expertise in teacher-preneurship.

Reed is a teacher-preneur. He specializes in not just in teaching but also helping studetns and adults learn how to start a business and get it up and running.

Sam Reed, after getting his MBA, joined the Peace Corps as a Business Development Volunteer in Botswana. After finishing his tour, he started an information service and training company in Africa and Botswana but went bankrupt before they could make it on their fifth year mark. So he came back to the US and decided to become an educator and he realized that he has this entrepreneurial mindset and wanted to bring his entrepreneurial background into teaching.

Some Questions I Ask:

Tell us more about your background. (1:06)
What is he up to now and what role has innovation played in what he’s doing now (4:33)
What are some of the themes that you see arise out of those conversations you have with both the adults and the students, challenges, positive outcomes or transformations you're witnessing? (8:01)
How did COVID impact your program? (10:44)
How has the pandemic impacted your organization and how are you moving through that? (12:59)
So how has failure impacted your career? (15:39)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Designing and developing and formation of the business one on one side hustle acceleration program. (10:53)
Start of the Medium Blog post showing the intersection of like innovation, intersection of teaching, and the intersection of just like living a life. (11:56)
The word of mouth is actually more powerful, because those folks are going to spread the spread ability of what I'm doing. (13:49)
Celebrate your failures and juice people up and make you feel amazing (15:56)
Learning about the disposition of an entrepreneur (17:57)

Quotes:

“I want to teach young people because I think it's going to have more impact and I want to teach young people to not necessarily have to chase money.”

“I'm an entrepreneur, how can I bring this entrepreneurial background into teaching?”

“Don't go big, go focus.”

“If you're going to pitch your business, your data, your story has to be there. But you have to have some numbers that go with your stories. And those numbers need to be able to tell a story.”

Connect with Samuel Reed III on:
Website
Blog

How One Edtech Nonprofit is Using PR to Build Awareness I Gina Condon

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, We have an incredible guest, Gina Condon, who shares her insight on building awareness using PR.

Gina Condon is the founder of Construct, an education non-profit that works across the education system to accelerate educators as designers, ready to inspire a new generation of thinkers and doers, collaborators and change-makers.

Gina Condon has two degrees in developmental psychology and went to the Graduate School of Education at Harvard.

Some Questions I Ask:

Tell us more about your background. (1:01)
Tell us more about Construct (1:47)
how you got started and promoted your program and it's something that could be replicated in other cities? (5:25)
For other nonprofit leaders, how would you recommend that they share their message and their story? (11:08)
How has the pandemic impacted your organization and how are you moving through that? (14:40)
If you had one final piece of advice, what would that be? anything that you can share? Or just insights that you've gained? (18:12)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

PR and the importance of communication, written oral and digital is so important, and these are the skills that are the high-level transferable skills that all employers want and to succeed in the world that we know is changing constantly with the innovation economy. (2:20)
The entrepreneurial mindset is the future of education (4:01)
Having the skills to succeed in the innovation economy requires agency and autonomy. (12:21)
When you become really crystal clear on the value you add in your theory of change you can unleash the joy of learning (13:15)

Quotes:

“The entrepreneurial mindset really ensures that kids can be the entrepreneurs of their own life.”

“When you are a startup, you would have the opportunity to stay closer to the user experience, You're really much closer to it, so then you are being able to really study those needs of the users.”

“Entrepreneurs don't always move slow, sometimes you do have to slow down to go fast”

Connect with Gina Condon on:
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
Youtube
Website

From High School Principal to Social Media Influencer: Teacher Goals Founder Shares the Key to His Success | Brad Weinstein

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 15:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, We have a spectacular guest, Brad Weinstein, who shares his evolution from being an educator to an education influencer on social media. He shares tips and tricks for maximizing social media, particularly for the education sector.

Brad Weinstein is the founder of Teacher Goals. Teacher Goals is one of the leaders in social media for teaching and education that has a huge following on different social media platforms.

Brad went from an elementary teacher, a middle school teacher, to being a high school principal. He is also the one of the authors of the book Hacking School Discipline: 9 Ways to Create a Culture of Empathy and Responsibility Using Restorative Justice.

Some Questions I Ask:

How you got your start in education and your evolution and what you're focusing on now? (1:45)
So after you went to the new job at the innovative school, and you authored your book, what happened next? When did teacher goals start, tell me more about teacher goals and how they came to be. (10:31)
What your secret to success. But I think you just told us it's hours of dedication and time. Is it easier now than it used to be? (18:46)
Do you have any tools you recommend, I know you've told me before when we chatted about something that you use to drive people into an email list. Tell me about that. And other tools that you use to make your life easier? (21:56)
What are your tips for a viral post? how to do it and what are your strategies? (24:50)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

How Brad got his start in Education and his evolution (2:05)
It’s not an easy start. It's gonna take a lot of time, years, and years of consistency with your posting efforts (17:12)
Understanding that putting yourself out there to the world there's going to be some good comes with that, there's going to be some negative outcomes with that. (20:39)
Knowing what's going to work, what isn't going to work is important. (20:54)
You should constantly strive for content that is going to have never been seen before. (21:20)

Quotes:

“I literally spend eight hours a day or more on social media. And that's what people don't realize they don't get is that it's a lot harder than it looks to run in accounts, especially assessable accounts”

“The consistency is huge too because some people will tweet once and that they want to eat for three days and then they'll tweet Seven days later, and then they'll tweet five times in one day. And that is just you know, people tweeting when they have something to say. But when you're trying to build an audience, you need to think about what you're trying to say. And even plan it out a little bit with that consistency.”

“If I'm going to amplify someone, they have to be good for education, they have to be somebody that aligns with our mission and our values.”

Connect with Brad Weinstein on:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn

How a Former Educator is Streamlining Communication Between Districts and Edtech Companies | Jason Anklowitz

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 10:00:00 -0700

Jason Anklowitz likes to call himself a translator, but not for the reasons you might think.

As a former educator who now partners with both startups and school districts to provide change management support, guide technology integrations and streamline communication, he helps to bridge the gaps that can arise between educators and their technology providers.

In particular, one of his areas of expertise is understanding how to communicate effectively with various stakeholders throughout an organization (both on the district side and the private sector).

We discuss the process he's found to be the most effective and what he recommends others consider prior to reaching out to an education institution.

Here's a link to Jason's LinkedIn.

How One Teacher Turned her Passion into a Side Venture, Expanding her Perspective of What’s Possible

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 11:00:00 -0700

Liz Gilly Sims is an elementary art teacher, and she always felt like that was her path. There was only art in the classroom in her future. Then, after the events of 2020 and the growing civil unrest, she felt like she wanted and needed to do something more.

She embarked on a journey to explore how to get involved using the skills she possesses. Eventually this led to her launching open educational resources for educators everywhere.

In this episode of Build Momentum, she shares her story and how a mindset shift expanded her perspective of what teaching can and should look like and how she is contributing to change beyond her classroom.

The Art of the Possible: Interview with Kimberly Smith from Digital Promise

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 11:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum, we talk with Kimberly Smith, the Executive Director for the Center for Inclusive Innovation and the League of Innovative Schools, at Digital Promise.

Kimberly's passion for innovation, inclusivity and entrepreneurship in education is framed through the lens that anything is possible.

We discuss how to support students, educators and foster entrepreneurship throughout the education communities. We talk about failing forward, having comfort with risk, and seeking out opportunities to partner with and align with organizations who are leading the way or on the precipice of innovation and change.

She encourages us to get out and get involved, be in a fellowship, join a community, a board of directors or connect with your audiences and look up and engage with your constituents.

Learn more about Kimberly here: https://digitalpromise.org/our-team/kimberly-smith/

Books Influencing Education and the Future of Learning

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 13:00:00 -0800

I must admit, I have a bad book habit. If it was possible to get a master’s degree from simply reading business books, I might be nearing graduation. Or at least that’s how I justify my Amazon book habit to my husband. I remind him that books are a lot more affordable than going back to school!

And in celebration of this book habit, we have a special episode of Build Momentum featuring three of my favorite education influencers: Jean Sharp, Gary Schoeniger and James Butler.

These influencer share one book (or many) that have influenced both their personal and professional lives.

I hope this episode inspires you to indulge in the opportunity to pursue new ways of thinking, shift your mindset and explore new avenues for learning as much as it did for me.

Below are links to all of the books we mentioned in this episode!

Failing Forward - John Maxwell

Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World - Dr. Tony Wagner

Learning by Heart – Dr. Tony Wagner

Raw Materials for the Mind – David Warlick

Think Again – Adam Grant

Breakpoint and Beyond: Mastering the Future Today – George Land and Beth Jarman

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Succeed or Fail – Jared Diamond

The Origin and evolution of New Businesses – Amar Bhide

Sir Ken Robinson’s Ted Talk – Do Schools Kill Creativity?

The Children’s Machine – Seymour A. Papert

Looking for One Thing to Promote Your Brand? Carl Hooker Has Advice for You

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 14:00:00 -0800

Sometimes the fastest way to get from point A to point B is to ask someone else who's already there for directions.

We often talk with companies, organizations, schools and education leaders about their desire to elevate their profile and increase their brand visibility. In this episode, we had a chance to connect with one of the industry pros, Carl Hooker, about how he's been able to grow and sustain his influence as a leader in the education technology space.

Carl has more than 20 years of experience in education, technology integration, and outside-the-box thinking. He has a unique blend of humor and practical advice for education leaders. As a former educator, and an entrepreneur, he truly bridges the worlds of education, edtech, and entrepreneurship.

He shares the ONE thing he would recommend every organization and leader do to increase their profile and the most influential ways to leverage your skills and experience so that you too you can become a go to resource for your industry.

Learn more about Carl: https://hookedoninnovation.com/

The Art of Selling and Why it's Important (Even in Education!)

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 15:00:00 -0800

Yes, we've all heard that selling ourselves is important for success in our careers and in life, but how much does it really make a difference in the world of PR and marketing?

In this episode, we dive into this question in detail with an expert in all things sales related. Ray Makela is a partner at Sales Readiness Group (SRG), who shares his expertise on shifting your selling mindset to be more empathetic.

Selling with empathy means putting yourself in your customer's shoes and understanding their challenges. This can actually be a competitive edge! Whether an organization is trying grow their market share, build their brand or expand their impact, this is important.

Understand the person you're trying to reach, the organization where they work, and what they are going through, and ask good questions. But even more than asking the questions, take the time to truly listen to their needs when they respond.

We talk about selling in a virtual environment and he shares a few tips for keeping people engaged in a meaningful way, and how to show up with energy.

Promoting an Organization from the Outside In

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 13:00:00 -0800

In this episode, we have a lovely duo joining us to discuss a variety of things education, entrepreneurship and PR related!

Dr. Andrew Gold and Mary Beth Kerly, who are national leaders within the entrepreneurship education community share their wisdom with us, and I think you will enjoy them just as much as I do.

They are professors at Hillsborough Community College, they run numerous innovative programs, and are regularly being awarded prestigious grants. And side note, Beth was the former Director of PR and Volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware prior moving to Tampa.

The book we discuss authored by Andy Gold - Impact ED: https://www.amazon.com/Impact-Community-Entrepreneurship-Prosperity-Resetting/dp/1789047978

Working with Leadership Teams to Maximize Your PR Impact

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 10:00:00 -0800

One of the questions I get asked most often is how to work together with leadership teams to both promote and support the mission of an organization.

In this episode, we speak with Cheryl Vedoe, the former CEO of Apex Learning, who shares her insights with us about how to best work together with leadership teams to support the mission and growth of a company.

We cover everything from how to establish effective relationships with leadership teams, what to do when you have conflicts with your CEO, gaining access to leaders (and the right access), and the key to how you can be most effective together.

She shares a starting point for everyone when they begin thinking about PR and how it can benefit their organization - whether you're a larger, more mature company or a small startup or a school:
1) What's my goal? 2) What role do I want PR to play?

Download the free case study: casestudy.swpr-group.com

District Leaders Use the Entrepreneurial Mindset to Inspire Innovation and Change

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 13:00:00 -0800

On today’s episode, we partnered with Doug Roberts, the CEO and Founder of the Institute for Education Innovation and the host of the podcast, Talk Supes (and CEOs), to talk with two education leaders who have navigated the challenges of the pandemic and are implementing an entrepreneurial mindset into the work they are doing every day.

Katie Lash, the Executive Director for the East Central Educational Service Center in Indiana and Quintin Shepherd, a superintendent for Victoria Independent School District in Victoria, Texas , share how they believe having an entrepreneurial mindset has helped them to creatively solve problems, especially during this unusual time in life and in education.

Quintin talks about how he believes school districts need to reduce the risk of failure if they are going to see true and lasting change, and the importance for understanding the difference between challenges that are complicated and challenges that are complex.

He also outlines how he believes those who demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset tend to approach their work:

1) They have a need for achievement with clear metrics.
2) They are urgent in their approach to problem solving.
3) They are self-driven.
4) They have a high tolerance for ambiguity.

Bridging Education and the Entrepreneurial Mindset with Liza Herzog

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0800

On today’s episode, we have an opportunity to talk with Liza Herzog who leads academic research and assessment at the Close School of Entrepreneurship at Drexel University.

She shares her secret sauce with us on how she teachers her students - future educators and entrepreneurs - how to incorporate the entrepreneurial mindset into the work they plan to do.

She spent two decades in education, including seven years in higher education both as an administrator and as a faculty member, and a dozen years in K-12 education research, evaluation and policy.

Here's the four elements of success that she shared with us in the podcast:
1) Experimentation - Try doing small things in new ways!
2) Reflect - Think about how your practice, process, service works.
3) Collaborate - You cannot do anything by yourself. Share things in low stakes ways, and holding yourself accountable is the key to your progress.
4) Passion. Think about your work and how to improve on it. Who are your go to people and why?

You can connect with Liza here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liza-herzog-35100146/.

Adopting an Entrepreneurial Mindset to Drive Results

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0800

On today’s episode, we continue the entrepreneurial mindset series with Rob Herndon. Rob is the president of the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative, a social enterprise dedicated to expanding human potential through entrepreneurship education and training.

We discuss just what it means to apply the entrepreneurial mindset to education, the specific set of beliefs, knowledge, and thought processes that drives entrepreneurial behavior, and simple steps we can take to begin to implement a more entrepreneurial mindset into the work we do every day.

To learn more about ELI, visit: https://elimindset.com/
The Who Owns the Ice House book and training program we discuss: https://elimindset.com/entrepreneurship-programs/programs-overview/

Entrepreneurial Mindset in Practice: Interview with Barbara Kurshan

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 17:00:00 -0800

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Barbara “Bobbi” Kurshan. Bobbi is an education entrepreneur and an expert on how innovation and technology are transforming teaching and learning.

She has spent more than 30 years working in, and researching, the education marketplace. Bobbi is a Senior Fellow and Innovation Advisor who launched the nation’s first master’s program in education entrepreneurship; introduced the VOLT program for online teaching; and has overseen the Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition, the largest education business plan competition in the country.

She has also contributed significant research and thought leadership on innovation in education ecosystems. She maintains a regular blog on Forbes.com about educational technologies, the educational technology ecosystem, OER, and investing in education.

Bobbi shares how she got started in this work and how she's built her career around supporting entrepreneurs in education. Her perspective encompasses both the academic lens and profiling organizations and women who are successfully applying the entrepreneurial mindset into their work.

Here's a link to the Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile that we mentioned: https://www.emindsetprofile.com/.
Bobbi's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-bobbi-kurshan/

New Series: Bringing the Entrepreneurial Mindset to Education

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 16:00:00 -0800

People don't often think that entrepreneurs and educators have much in common, but there is significant research and data on why having an entrepreneurial mindset in education can impact teaching, learning, and the growth of your organization - whether it's a nonprofit, edtech company, school or research institute.

In this series, we will explore this conversation from many different angles and perspectives featuring leading voices who are bringing the entrepreneurial mindset to education organizations every day.

In the first episode of the series, we chat with Debra Conrad, the Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile (EMP) Product Director at the Leadership Development Institute at Eckerd College.

In this episode Debra shares what it means to have an entrepreneurial mindset and how she is working with people every day to track their effectiveness through the Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile assessment (EMP).

Learn more about the EMP or take your assessment at: https://www.emindsetprofile.com/.
This is the summit we mention in the episode: https://www.genglobal.org/node/93209

Understanding the Dynamic Relationship Between Communications and Funding

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 15:00:00 -0800

It requires a delicate balance to effectively communicate an organizational mission to potential funders and investors while also sustaining those investments over the long-term.

That’s why I invited a powerhouse duo to share their secrets to success with us. In this episode of Build Momentum, Terri Theisen and Jeanie-Marie Price share their secret sauce to cultivating relationships, effectively communicating their mission, and ultimately securing funding and investments that yield the greatest impact.

Hint: One of their secrets is that they strive to find joy in their work, in their talents and the talents of their teams. In fact, Jeanie-Marie follows the philosophy of sharing accountability, sharing responsibility, and sharing credit. She believes that if you follow those principles, then joy is easier to find.

I can’t think of a better way to enter 2021 (thank goodness!) and focus on the joy that’s yet to come this year!

3 Ways to Expand Your Impact

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 15:00:00 -0800

The New Year is a great time to adopt a growth mindset, harness our creativity, and consider three ways to expand our collective impact. On this episode of Build Momentum, Madeline Turnock, a PR and marketing expert in higher education, nonprofit and corporate
PR, shares her very applicable insights with us.

This quick, 12-minute podcast covers the top three ways Madeline recommends taking your organization to the next level in 2021. Here’s a preview of some of the insights she shares!

1) Map your ecosystem to create a web of inclusion.

How are all of your audiences connected and inter-connected? This might mean considering psychographics, demographics, your talent base, thought leaders, etc.

2) Identify a big challenge that your audience is facing (and how can you help solve it!).

Hint: using a lens of empathy is the key!

3) Ask “how might we solve this problem.”

Bring diverse voices to the table and consider creative ways of thinking to address the challenges you identify.

Here's a link to School Retool site she mentions: https://schoolretool.org/

Positively Navigating through Crisis with Dr. Stacy Hawthorne

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 21:00:00 -0800

If you don’t know Dr. Stacy Hawthorne, the director of Online Learning for the Davidson Academy, and the founder of Hawthorne Education, you are in for a treat! She brings her candid perspective on life and educating through crisis to the Build Momentum podcast in this episode.

Stacy has a few principles which she follows in her life and shares with us on the show:

· Never let adult decisions get in the way of what is right for kids.

· The 4 C’s for clearly communicating with your community, which are even more important during a global health crisis.

· Yes, real and meaningful relationships can be built online, but take the time to listen as much as you talk.

· When done well, there is a human factor to communication that enables you to connect with your clients, students, parents, families and broader community in an authentic way. She shares several strategies for doing just that in the episode.

And finally, Stacy reminds us that technology is an instrument to solve a problem, but it’s really the people that matter in the equation – no matter what industry or sector or group you’re looking to serve.

5 Ways to Streamline Communication for Your Organization

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 16:00:00 -0800

Getting the right message to the right people and at the right time is by no means easy. The ultimate challenge is understanding how to effectively share succinct and timely information with all of your stakeholders at just the right time.

But it is most definitely possible! In my latest podcast episode, I share several universal and applicable strategies to effectively communicate with your audience.

Whether you’re sharing information with your local community, school district leaders, parents, or even your internal team, we break down what’s most important to consider and how to simplify the communication process.

How the Pandemic Has Changed PR: Interview with Kevin Hogan

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 15:00:00 -0800

In this episode, we chat with Kevin Hogan, the host of a new Marketscale podcast series called Remote Possibilities where Kevin explores “the technology that is revolutionizing the education industry." Kevin is also a long-time education reporter and is currently an editor at large with eSchool News.

Kevin shares his insights as an editor, a podcast host, and the many interviews he's done with edtech and school district leaders. He provides wisdom for how education organizations and schools can be more successful right now, including the following tips:

1) Be specific. Know who you are pitching and make their job easy! You will definitely see results if you follow the guidance Kevin shares with us in this episode.

2) Become your own media channel. He recommends thinking like a media outlet and creating content and information for your audience, and he shares a few examples.

3) Focus on success stories and anecdotal feedback right now. Share your customer success stories! People care less about product details and more about the outcomes of your success.

He also sees several sliver linings out of this time in education. Throughout the many conversations he's had, a few common themes have emerged. He's found that people have a greater empathy for others, and they are looking for progress and opportunity -- even when you're in a state of chaos.

Building Community with PR

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 09:00:00 -0800

Erin Jones is one of the top equity leaders in the education space who has been in education for 26 years. She has worked in White communities, Black communities, and some of the most diverse communities in the nation. Erin’s goal is to inspire students, educators and organization leaders on how to employ equitable practices to better serve all of us.

Erin talks with us on Build Momentum about how to build community, how to be inclusive in your PR efforts, and the three pillars she uses to guide her work and her life when it comes to employing equitable practices.

Erin mentions this TED Talk in the episode by Simon Sinek in the episode: https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en

You can find more about Erin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-jones-8a24a814/.

Demystifying social media: 10 simple steps to ramp up your social game

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 15:00:00 -0800

On this episode of Build Momentum: PR Made Easy for Education Organizations, we we have a chance to chat with Michelle Mercer, who is an education social media marketing expert.

Michelle Mercer began her career in radio when she was in college, and she went on to become a broadcast journalist for the NPR affiliate in Indianapolis. After that she began working in the corporate programming department of a broadcast group where she analyzed researched and developed music formats for radio stations in major US markets and even a station in Paris.

She eventually became the music director of a rhythmic station in Boston before becoming the music director and ultimately the program director of Power 106 in Los Angeles, a hip hop station consistently #1 in the ratings. She became a freelance writer for local lifestyle publications and moved to Bend, Oregon. She was an early adopter of social media and began ramping up her knowledge quickly to help grow her own marketing business for many different industries, including education.

Michelle shares how social media can be particularly important right now for education organizations to communicate updates and changing plans. Michelle breaks down the basics for launching social media pages including how to get started, how to implement your defined strategies, and how to track your results.

If you are a novice, or you consider yourself a social media expert, most likely you will still glean a few nuggets in this episode that you can implement right away.

A Chat with John Watson: We talk DLAC, the future of education and communication during a pandemic

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 15:00:00 -0700

In this episode, we chat with John Watson, the founder of Evergreen Education Group and the Digital Learning Annual Conference.

John shares their decision to convert DLAC to a hybrid conference in 2021 and a few insider tips for Build Momentum podcast listeners to think about when submitting proposals this year. DLAC is an attendee-centered conference with a focus on short discussions rather than formal presentations.

John also shares his predictions that he believes have the potential to stick post-pandemic:

With such exponential exposure to online learning, many teachers, students, and families are having at least a few good experiences with at least a few aspects of curriculum that they enjoy. That could be the added flexibility or the extra time some parents have with their children and many want to see at least some element of this flexibility continue post-pandemic.

He also believes there will be more wide acceptance of remote work – even from large companies and organizations.

And he also shared the evolution with district leaders, parents, community leaders and stakeholders to manage with a level of constant uncertainty and navigating that flexibility right now.

Link to the DLAC conference: https://www.deelac.com/
Link the eLearning days report: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a98496696d4556b01f86662/t/5de715bb1c05887efd7fc74b/1576088927811/DLC_eLearning2019.pdf

Is it possible to create a mission with a margin?

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 15:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Build Momentum: PR Made Easy for Education Organizations, we explore the concept of achieving a mission with a margin and why it is so critical to the impact your organization can make in the world today.

Tom Stein, a veteran marketing leader, shares his advice for generating revenue and margin and how this idea has the potential to unlock your ability to achieve impact at scale and to have a mission that makes a true, meaningful difference.

Tom believes that embracing a mission with a margin is not only possible, but it’s mandatory. And he has some advice for our podcast listeners to help us achieve both.

1) Increase your visibility. Tell the world what you do and why you do it and the urgency of the need that you meet. You can’t assume that people understand why it’s important they invest in your organization or your mission right now. Inspire involvement and don’t assume this will happen magically.

2) Think commercially. How can you tap into the resources, constituencies, and partnerships to create margin. Whether you know it or not, you have a brand, and you are competing in a very noisy world. If you aren’t thinking about story telling in every way you can, you won’t be able to cut through that noise and compete for attention.

3) Be clear about your purpose. Be clear about your why. Everyone in your organization – both internally and externally – should understand your why and your purpose. Don’t assume that people just know it.

4) Be clear about your positioning and your differentiation. Is everyone on the same page? Having clarity around this is very useful internal, to prevent you from getting distracted, but it can also help you to articulate your value proposition to all of your stakeholders. The more succinct and focused this value propositions is, the better off you’re going to be at sharing this message.

5) Have an entrepreneurial mindset. This should include focus, discipline, accountability, and vision throughout the organization. This will enable you to achieve great things together.

6) Know your data. Do you know what works and what doesn’t work? Can you track your results and get better because of these results?

7) Build brand awareness. Make sure you are building brnad awarenss, engagement and story telling through digital channels in the form of content and blogs. Make the time to do it! If you do it, the time you spend will pay off in dividends.

How to land media coverage: Insider tips from an editor

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 13:00:00 -0700

I am absolutely delighted to have Kanoe Namahoe, the director of content for SmartBrief Education, on today's episode.

As an editor, Kanoe has a broad perspective of what the trends are in K-12, covering the latest breaking news in education technology within the K-12 and higher ed sectors, but even more, she’s also an approachable and a kind editor.

She spends some time with us to share her tips for landing media coverage, what to avoid when reaching out to an editor and how to give your content the best change for being published.

On this episode, she mentions the Insights series and I also shared my free guide: 3 simple tips for landing media coverage.

Launching Scholarships, Contests, & Award Programs that Make an Impact: Interview with Amy Valentine

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 10:00:00 -0700

On today’s episode, we have the pleasure of talking with Amy Valentine, the Chief Executive Officer and Education Evangelist of Future of School, a national public charity designed to support the growth of innovative school models integrating blended and online learning.

Prior to guiding Future of School's incubation and launch, Amy managed a portfolio of Colorado schools where she led academic and operational turnaround strategy. She also previously served as executive director for a network of Nobel Learning Community Schools in California. In both Colorado and California, Amy has worked with traditional, blended, and online school communities as a teacher, administrator, professional development mentor, and curriculum specialist.

Amy shares practical tips and advice for creating your own scholarship, award or contest. Here's a link to the organizations we mentioned in this episode:

Hide in Plain Sight - Nonprofit in Colorado that supports homeless youth.
Kipp Charter Schools
Scholarship America - This organization can walk you through the process of launching your own program.

The Journey to Becoming a Thought Leader: An Interview with Dr. Kecia Ray

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 13:00:00 -0700

On today’s episode, I am so excited to share that we have the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Kecia Ray. We have been inspired by how well she’s leveraged her success to become one of the most influential leaders in K-12 education today. We explore the path to Kecia's success and her advice for others who want to raise their profile or to grow their brands.

Kecia's career spans from designing technology within the Frist Art Museum and directing technology research through Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Science Outreach programs to being appointed as a turnaround agent by the Tennessee Commissioner of Education and established award-winning instructional technology programs recognized by the United States Department of Education and Harvard University.

Dr. Ray was named ’20 to Watch’ by the National School Board Association, Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women, a Top 10 EdTech Leader by Tech and Learning, an ISTE Making IT Happen recipient, and most recently named a Top 100 EdTech Influencer by EdTech Digest.

Organizations Kecia mentions in the podcast:

Humanizing your organization with PR

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 16:00:00 -0700

On today’s episode, we talk about humanizing your organization with PR. Right now more than ever, the entire world is talking about online learning and technology and getting kids to school, which more often than not means learning from a distance.

Nearly everyone is talking ABOUT students and ABOUT technology, but few are talking to students themselves and the people behind the technology that’s supporting our schools and districts.

The more you can do to embrace the stories of the students, district leaders and educators you are serving, the better. In this podcast, I share seven strategies that you can implement today to humanize your brand with PR.

Be sure to grab the free guide I mentioned: How to Create a Killer Case Study (even if you don't have data!)