In this episode of Education. Elevated., Todd Shy, Head of School at Avenues New York, speaks with Mark Edmundson, University of Virginia professor and author of Self and Soul: A Defense of Ideals, about the deeper work of education—and what may be missing from it today.Edmundson argues that while critical thinking is essential, a culture of relentless debunking can leave students detached, cynical, and unsure of what to live for. Education, he suggests, must help young people move beyond critique toward ideals that offer purpose, coherence, and moral direction.From the power of reading to the influence of great teachers, and from Emerson and Nietzsche to Walt Whitman’s democratic vision, this conversation explores how schools can shape not only sharp minds—but whole human beings.

🔹 What happens when skepticism becomes an end in itself?
 🔹 Can schools teach ideals without indoctrination?
 🔹 Why reading still matters in an age of distraction
 🔹 How teachers change lives in quiet, lasting ways

Join us for a reflective, ideas-forward conversation about education, formation, and the lives schools help students build.

#EducationPodcast #ThoughtLeadership #FutureOfEducation #LiberalArts #Teaching #Reading #MarkEdmundson

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In this episode of Education. Elevated., we sit down with Sammy Wright (@sammywrightwrites)—UK educator, headteacher, and author of Exam Nation—to explore the impact of standardized testing, educational inequality, and what truly supports student success.

Hosted by Todd Shy, Head of School at Avenues New York, this conversation unpacks the following:

• Why exams fail the students who need the most support.
• What schools can do to build more equitable systems.
• Lessons from over 20 years in UK classrooms and leadership.
• The story behind Sam’s novel Fit, winner of the Northern Book Prize.
  
  

📘 Learn more about Exam Nation: https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/295552/sammy-wright 

 🎓 Learn more about Avenues: https://www.avenues.org

 🎙️ Subscribe for more episodes of Education. Elevated., where we connect with leaders and changemakers redefining what learning can be.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this special episode of Education. Elevated., we sit down with Claudia Costin, one of Brazil's leading educational experts,  former Secretary of Education for Rio de Janeiro, and founder of FGV CEIPE (Center for Excellence and Innovation in Educational Policies), to explore how schools must evolve in the age of artificial intelligence.

Hosted by Tim McNamara, Secondary Division Head at Avenues São Paulo, this conversation tackles some of the most pressing questions in education today: 

• Why memorization is no longer enough in a world where AI can automate knowledge
• How schools can foster uniquely human skills like critical thinking, socioemotional intelligence, and complex problem-solving
• The risk of widening inequality if education systems fail to adapt 

👤Follow Claudia Costin

🎓 Learn more about Avenues: https://www.avenues.org

🎙️ Subscribe for more episodes of Education. Elevated., where we connect with leaders and changemakers redefining what learning can be.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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🎙️Education. Elevated. | Um podcast da Avenues: The World School

Título: Education. Elevated.: Educando seres humanos na era da IA com Claudia Costin

Neste episódio especial, recebemos Claudia Costin, uma das principais especialistas em educação do Brasil, ex-secretária de Educação do Rio de Janeiro e fundadora do CEIPE/FGV (Centro de Excelência e Inovação em Políticas Educacionais), para uma conversa sobre como as escolas precisam se reinventar na era da inteligência artificial.

Com mediação de Tim McNamara, Secondary Division Head da Avenues São Paulo, o episódio aborda algumas das questões mais urgentes na educação atual:

• Por que memorizar conteúdos já não é suficiente em um mundo onde a IA pode automatizar o conhecimento
• Como as escolas podem desenvolver competências essencialmente humanas como pensamento crítico, inteligência socioemocional e resolução de problemas complexos
• O risco de aprofundar desigualdades se os sistemas educacionais não acompanharem as transformações tecnológicas

👤Siga Claudia Costin

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🎙 Inscreva-se no canal para mais episódios com líderes e agentes de mudança que estão redefinindo o futuro da educação.

🎧 Ouça agora no Spotify ou na sua plataforma favorita.

#PodcastEducacional #FuturoDaEducação #IAnaEducação #PensamentoCrítico #ClaudiaCostin

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Title: Education. Elevated.: Agreeable Disagreement with Olivia Gross

Description:
 In this episode of Education. Elevated., Head of School Todd Shy sits down with Olivia Gross—an Avenues New York alum and founder of the High School Law Review—for a thoughtful conversation on free speech, academic freedom, and what it means to “agreeably disagree.”

https://highschoollawreview.com/

Olivia shares how her education at Avenues shaped her intellectual path, from majoring in Fundamentals at the University of Chicago to launching a national movement empowering high school students to explore constitutional law and civic discourse.

They explore:

• The origins of Avenues Law Review
• Olivia’s academic journey and mentorship experiences
• The balance between free speech and academic responsibility
• Her article “The Future of Free Speech: Curiosity Culture”
• Why schools must trust students to engage, explore, and grow
  
  

📌 Don’t miss this inspiring dialogue about education, courage, and the future of civil discourse.

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes of Education. Elevated., where we connect with leaders and changemakers redefining what learning can be.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

#EducationPodcast #FutureOfEducation #EdInnovation #ThoughtLeadership #IndependentSchools

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Episode 2: The Disengaged Teen with Jenny Anderson

In this episode of Education Elevated, host Todd Shy sits down with Jenny Anderson, award-winning journalist, speaker, and coauthor of The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Learn Better, to explore why students lose interest in school—and how we can help them thrive. Drawing on years of research, Jenny breaks down the four learning modes that shape student engagement and shares strategies for fostering curiosity, resilience, and intrinsic motivation. 

Key Topics:

✅ The four learning modes: Resistor, Passenger, Achiever, and Explorer
 ✅ Why achiever-mode students are often the most fragile learners
 ✅ How to foster intrinsic motivation and curiosity in students
 ✅ The role of failure, risk-taking, and autonomy in deep learning
 ✅ What parents and educators can do to create an environment for engagement
 ✅ How schools can balance academic rigor with student well-being

📖 The Disengaged Teen is available now!

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!

#EducationPodcast #IndependentSchools #EdLeadership #thedisengagedteen #jennyanderson

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How do schools navigate the pressures of polarization, pluralism, and shifting norms around speech and the purpose of education? In this inaugural episode of Education. Elevated., Todd Shy, Head of School at Avenues New York, sits down with:

🔹 John Gulla, Executive Director of the Edward E. Ford Foundation
🔹 Ted Ogden, Director of Teaching & Learning at Avenues

Together, they discuss the E. E. Ford Foundation’s groundbreaking framework: Thriving in a World of Pluralistic Contention. This framework challenges schools to embrace discipline, non-partisanship, intellectual diversity, and expressive freedom—helping educators navigate today’s complex educational landscape.

💡 Key Topics:
✅ The role of schools in a divided society
✅ How educators can balance freedom of expression and inclusivity
✅ The evolving role of independent schools
✅ Strategies for fostering open, meaningful discourse in classrooms

📌 Subscribe for more conversations with thought leaders in global education. Join us as we explore some of the biggest questions in education today.

#EducationPodcast #FutureOfEducation #EdInnovation #ThoughtLeadership #IndependentSchools

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