Opportunity Thrives

In this episode of Opportunity Thrives, Jason Mitchell sits down with Dr. Quintin Shepherd, a true visionary for the future of education, and the Superintendent at Victoria Independent School District in Victoria, Texas.  Throughout this fascinating conversation, Dr. Shepherd shares his views on education and the new approach that he's bringing to his district, including what he calls radical transparency and putting the public back in public education. He describes radical transparency as the direct connection between the communities we serve and providing unprecedented levels of accessibility to information and people - being transparent with absolutely everything.  But Dr. Shepherd's primary focus stems from his practice of compassionate leadership and expressing vulnerability, and he believes that's why radical transparency works. It's built on the foundation of compassion. He also shares his perspective of the terms complicated vs. complex and how his district is using crowdsourcing to foster open communication and identifying whether a challenge is complicated or complex.   He has also shares how he believes it's important to create a culture of innovation. One of the first steps he took to achieve this is by reducing the cost of failure to increase value. He believes that in too many education systems, failure is equated with blame. Innovation cannot or will not happen within in a culture of blame. He believes in embracing failure to foster a culture of innovation.  This is episode is filled with inspiration, hope and valuable insights about how we can transform the way we lead school districts by modifying our approach to some of the most basic leadership practices. 

Jean Sharp had another opportunity to speak with John Watson, the founder of Evergreen Education Group and the Digital Learning Annual Conference in this episode. They discuss the role of the Digital Learning Collaborative had in contributing to the Biden/Harris leadership transition, the role schools play in supporting students - beyond just academics, and the silver linings the pandemic has created for new learning options.  We discuss the Digital Learning Annual Conference: https://www.deelac.com/ Digital Learning Collaborative: https://www.digitallearningcollab.com/

In this episode, we reconnect with Debra Giacolone, the Director of Student Services for Sarasota County School District in Sarasota, Florida, and Dr. Crystal Ladwig the Director of Research and Development for Suite360, a social-emotional learning provider that partners with districts across the country. When Jean Sharp, Chief Academic Officer at Apex Learning, last spoke with Debra and Crystal in an Opportunity Thrives episode last fall, they raised concerns about the health and well-being of our students, particularly in these times of lockdowns and school closure. We revisit this conversation and they share the unfortunate reality that there has been a significant rise in mental health concerns as students grapple with isolation, anxiety, depression, and trauma.  We discuss opportunities to support students despite these challenges, how Sarasota County is addressing student and educator wellbeing, and what Crystal is seeing with other districts across the country. Regardless of the challenges, they share a message of hope for the future and practical guidance other district leaders should consider as they navigate how to best support the social and emotional needs of our students and educators.   

On the show today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Stepan Mekhitarian, the Interim Director for Innovation, Instruction, Assessment & Accountability at Glendale Unified School District in Glendale, California.  Stepan is passionate about supporting teachers in the blended and virtual learning environments. In fact, he's so passionate about this topic, that he wrote a book about it: The Essential Blended Learning PD Planner: Where Classroom Practice Meets Distance Learning.  In this episode, he shares how his district is guiding teachers and leaders on how to effectively use instructional technology to benefit students and educators. Stepan shares more about how his district is applying these practices to support teaching and learning within his district and how they have been able to navigate the transition to virtual learning. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic thrust students and teachers into virtual learning (literally overnight), existing digital inequities were quickly exposed. Matthew Hiefield, a teacher for Beaverton School District, and a member of their Digital Equity and Inclusion Team, shares how their district is addressing these challenges while also seeking out new opportunities to improve learning during the pandemic. Matthew Hiefield has 25 years of experience teaching high school Social Studies and is currently a Future Ready TOSA  focuses on digital divide issues and how they affect teaching and learning.   In this episode, Matthew shares the district's priorities in addressing connectivity issues, intentional outreach, how they are identifying opportunity gaps, and establishing consistency while still getting creative to ensure students continue to learn. 

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that change is inevitable in every aspect of our lives. This couldn’t be more apparent than what we experienced in education and the evolution and mainstreaming of virtual learning this year. We put together a culmination of some of the most powerful conversations, insightful projections for the future, and what educators believe will stick moving forward now and well after the pandemic wanes. What opportunities are you discovering as a result of this unique time in life and in education? In this episode, we take a look back at all of the many leaders, students and educators who shared their insights, nuggets of wisdom and projections for the future of learning with us throughout the past year. We want to go back and consider what these leaders anticipate will stick with us long after the pandemic is over.  Lisa Rowbotham, the Secondary ELA Supervisor for Passaic Public Schools in New Jersey, Carl Hooker, Thomas Vacanti, the Online Learning Coordinator for the City School District of Albany, Kerrie Torres, Assistant Superintendent from Brea Olinda Unified School District, Kimberly Smith, the new executive director of the new Center for Inclusive Innovation from Digital Promise, Sean Slade, the Senior Director of Global Outreach at the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), James Butler from Tucson Unified School District, and Nicola Peck an Apex Learning student, all share their insights and perspectives with us in this episode. 

On today’s episode, we have the opportunity to speak with district leaders from Tucson Unified School District who are navigating the challenges and opportunities that a district-wide shift to online learning can bring. James Butler, the senior director of instructional technology and online education, and Omar Sotelo, the program manager for academic standards in the Office of Curriculum and Professional Development join Jean Sharp for this conversation. They share their experiences and insights implementing a district wide virtual learning program across their district, including best practices they've adopted and their keys to success.  Tucson Unified School District, in Tucson, Arizona, serves approximately 42,000 students and has 86 campuses across 200 square miles. As a district, their focus has been on serving the diverse needs of their students throughout the community and continuing to provide a very rigorous, relevant, and engaging environment that encourages teaching and learning and drives student achievement - no matter how students are learning.

At the new Center for Inclusive Innovation, educators like Kimberly Smith are gathering creative ingenuity from communities across the country so it can more easily be shared among school leaders. They’re motivated by a radical commitment to equity in education for Black, Brown, and Indigenous students. Kimberly is the executive director of the League of Innovative Schools at Digital Promise, which founded the Center for Inclusive Innovation. She has decades of experience creating digital curriculum, supporting educators, and developing learning tools for PreK-12 schools. In this episode of Opportunity Thrives, Jean Sharp spoke with Kimberly about what educational leaders are focused on right now as they work to better support their students, parents, and staff. In addition to all things related to the pandemic, she’s hearing about the importance of sharing best practices, providing dependable technology, and acting on school leaders’ strong desire to deliver equity to all.

In this episode, we talk with Ariana Flewelling, an Education Strategist who provides collaboration and consulting on the use of Educational Technology and Transforming Education.  She specializes in pedagogy-first technology integration to enhance practice and student achievement. Her passion is inspiring others to share their stories and skills through technology. Throughout her work, Ariana works to ensure technology is implemented equitably to provide all students access and opportunity.   Throughout this conversation, Ariana shares her perspective on culturally responsive teaching and universal design for learning to benefit all students. We discuss integrating the way districts, schools, teacher work together and providing ongoing reinforcement and support structures in place to set students, teachers and district leadership on the path for success in 2021. 

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Sean Slade, a global education leader, speaker, author, and policymaker with over 25 years of experience spanning five countries and four continents. He currently serves as the Senior Director of Global Outreach at the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), focusing on promoting and expanding the Whole Child approach across the United States and globally.  This transformational initiative is a move from a focus of academic achievement to one that promotes the long-term development and success of all children is one that Sean speaks passionately about in this episode.  ASCD is a membership-based non-profit organization founded in 1943. It has more than 125,000 members from more than 128 countries, including superintendents, principals, teachers, professors of education, and other educators.  Learn more about ASCD: http://www.ascd.org/Default.aspx ASCD Whole Child Approach: http://www.ascd.org/whole-child.aspx

In this episode, we focus on education innovation in New Jersey, and we have the pleasure of chatting with Lisa Rowbotham, the Secondary ELA Supervisor for Passaic Public Schools who also runs the AVID program for the district. Throughout the episode Lisa shares their district's strategies for implementing successful remote learning opportunities for their students. She shares how they have been able to support the unique learning needs of each student, provide expansive professional development and support for teachers, engage students who are learning from a distance, and enlist parents as partners in the learning process.  Whether you are a remote learning pro, or you are still trying to work out many of the kinks, you will most definitely gain a few insights in this episode. Lisa shares helpful strategies that other education leaders and teachers can implement within their district right away. 

In our latest podcast episode, we talk with Carl Hooker about his desire to see K-12 education become more like the 1989 movie Dead Poet’s Society. He believes we have the potential engage students to learn in unorthodox ways and to inspire them to pursue their dreams – right now more than ever during this unusual time in education. As the former Director of Innovation & Digital Learning for the Eanes Independent School District, Carl shares a mix of practical tools and ideas that educators can immediately implement. From his start as a teacher, to his current district technology leadership, he’s always had one common belief: students should drive their own learning. Through a unique blend of technical expertise, educational experience, and flexibility, he believes districts have the potential to not only support students where they are, but to broaden their horizons and change their lives. Carl helped spearhead the Learning and Engaging through Access and Personalization (LEAP), and he has been a part of a strong educational shift with technology integration since becoming an educator. In this episode, Carl shares his perspective on how the pandemic has shifted the need to support students, parents, and families in a different way, including the three keys to districts who are succeeding with digital learning right now.

In our latest podcast episode of Opportunity Thrives, we had a chance to chat with Leslie Lenhart, the Communications Director for Tucson Unified School District in Tucson, Arizona. Leslie shares the district’s strategies to be very intentional and responsive during the pandemic, including many practical tips that others can implement within their own districts. Tucson Unified School District is the third largest school district in Arizona, serving more than 47,000 students in 89 schools and programs throughout Tucson, Arizona. The diverse district is home to students from 76 countries and 94 languages, and more than 60 percent of the students are Hispanic or Latino. Because the district serves so many diverse languages and cultures, Leslie shared the importance of sharing effective communication to meet the needs of their dynamic community.  Here's the Welcome video we mentioned in the episode: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2786583634902775.

On today's episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Shaunna Finley, an education expert, strategic partner and a curriculum developer and facilitator for Communities in Schools. Working directly in 2,500 schools in 25 states and the District of Columbia, Communities In Schools builds relationships that empower students to stay in school and succeed in life. Their school-based staff partner with teachers to identify challenges students face in class or at home and coordinate with community partners to bring outside resources inside schools. From immediate needs like food or clothing to more complex ones like counseling or emotional support, their organization does whatever it takes to help students succeed. Throughout this episode, we discuss how Communities in Schools is making a difference in the lives of students, particularly those who are struggling. And Dr. Finley shares the mission of Communities in Schools and how the organization connects students and families with support within their district. She shares lessons learned during the pandemic and how Communities in Schools is walking through this new journey with students, parents and the community when it comes to recovering, re-engaging and re-Imagining the future of education.

Dr. Adam Phyall, the Director of Technology and Media Services for Newton County School System in Newton, Georgia, joins us to share how his team is addressing this unusual time in education. He was recently recognized as one of the top 30 K-12 IT influencers worth a follow in 2020 according to EdTEch Magazine. Dr. Phyall shares what he believes is working well in education right now, and the positives he's seeing during this time. He also discusses the possibilities for reimagining learning---from asynchronous to synchronous learning. Every school system has its own problems and challenges, but he believes there are incredible possibilities for self-paced learning that he hopes will continue after things return to "normal."    He also shares how in a regular year, both students and adults can have issues, but during a global pandemic those challenges can be exponential, which is why SEL should be an absolute priority. He reinforced the need to establish personal health checks. And he also shares how important it is for us to address inequities and ensure cultural diversity is represented throughout our schools and districts.  In the show we mention Thought Exchange, a crowd sourcing platform for leaders: https://www.thoughtexchange.com/.

On today's episode, we chat with Dr. Monica Burns, a former New York City school district teacher, Apple Distinguished Educator, and the Founder of ClassTechTips.com. Monica was part of her school’s leadership team and was a vocal advocate for bringing one-to-one technology into her classroom.  Monica has presented to teachers, administrators and tech-enthusiasts at numerous national and international conferences, including SXSWedu, ISTE, FETC and EduTECH, and she is a regular contributor to Edutopia. Monica visits schools across the country to work with PreK-20 teachers to make technology integration exciting and accessible.  Throughout our conversation, Monica shares the challenges teachers are facing with many competing agendas when it comes to instruction – thinking about the needs of their students: equity of access, student engagement, learning gaps, student stress and trauma, not to mention the regular instruction.  She shares what she believes teachers are prioritizing and if that will change over time. She also provides examples of what some districts have done to successfully navigate these challenges through the lens of the student, the teacher, and the parent. And Monica provides her perspective on what she believes will become part of our best practices for education---even when the pandemic is behind us.

On this episode, Jean Sharp has the pleasure of speaking with Kevin Hogan, the host of a new Marketscale podcast. On his new show, Remove Possibilities, Kevin dives into the technology that is revolutionizing the education industry with educators, startups, and thought leaders providing compelling insights into the future of education technology. Throughout this episode, Kevin shares his perspective on the future of education and what’s important for educational leaders to consider right now. He shares the common themes and strategies he has heard across the education spectrum and how education leaders are addressing these unparalleled challenges in education.  Kevin likes to focus on the positive outcomes of this challenging time in life and some of the glass half full moments he's seeing arise during this time in edtech.  He also shares how he believes the pandemic will change what school looks like...in the near term...and over the long term. 

In our 19th episode of Opportunity Thrives, we explore the extraordinary pressure on education leaders to provide effective, informative, accurate and timely communication to students, staff, families and the larger school community right now. It has certainly never been easy to be an educator, but the pressure to not only educate our students, but to find the right balance of communication, is overwhelming to say the least. In this episode, we dig a little deeper into how this is working in practice. Districts across the country have developed and are implementing reopening plans—plans to safely welcome students and staff back to school this fall. Their work has been comprehensive, thorough, and unprecedented. These plans share several common themes— resetting expectations for the new school year; redefining the school day with consideration for flexible and adaptable learning models, parent choice, health and safety protocols; and restarting school with consideration and attention to detail regarding operational and logistical plans. We discuss how districts are reevaluating their approach to communication with families and their school communities, including what strategies have been effective, and what has been challenging as they provide district updates and communicate critical information to students and families. Tom Vacanti joins us for this discussion. Originally a high school science teacher, Tom has been the Online Learning Coordinator for the City School District of Albany, New York since 2011. In this role, he develops and implements web-based learning solutions for secondary level students with the goal of meeting the needs of diverse learning populations. He works together with students, parents, teachers, and administrators to identify deficits and develop short-term and long-term plans to meet student educational goals. And he has been very involved in the communication strategies with students, families, and district leadership. Kanoe Namahoe, the director of content for SmartBrief Education, also joined us for this episode. She covers the latest breaking news in education technology within the K-12 and higher ed sectors. As an editor, Kanoe has a broad perspective of what the trends are in K-12, including how districts are continuing to evolve their reopening plans and the communication strategies they are implementing to support those plans.

In our latest episode of Opportunity Thrives, we talk with two superintendents about how they are evaluating their partners and how their relationships with vendors has changed since the pandemic. This is a special joint episode where we partnered with Talk Supes, a podcast hosted by Doug Roberts, the CEO and founder of the Institute for Education Innovation. The pandemic has created one of the biggest disruptions in education that any of us have ever experienced. The demands with the shift to virtual learning, and strict new guidelines for health and safety, are certainly unparalleled and one of the most challenging environments our school systems have ever faced. More than ever, districts are leaning on technology partners and the private industry to support the dynamic and evolving needs required by the pandemic. In this new era of distance learning, we discuss what really matters and the responsibility of district solution partners and curriculum providers that are coming alongside districts to support student success. We dive into this topic with our guests, Dr. Andy Crozier, who is currently serving his 10th year as a public-school superintendent and his fifth year at Central Lee Community School District in Donnellson, Iowa; and Dr. Donald Shively of Paducah Public Schools in Paducah, Kentucky.

In our 17th episode of Opportunity Thrives, a podcast committed to better supporting the needs of today’s secondary students, we explore this very question. We know that education leaders are doing all they can to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and staff for this fall. For many districts, that has meant starting off the year with fully virtual learning programs. In fact, as of September 2, 73 percent of the 100 largest school districts, have opted for remote learning only as their back-to-school instructional model. That means more than eight million students in urban city centers are learning solely online this fall. We know this shift to fully virtual learning has brought with it many challenges for educators, students and their families. And as we all learned this past spring, building relationships with students is critical to the success of our virtual programs. Kerrie Torres, the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services for the Brea Olinda School District in Orange County California, joined us for this episode to share how her district is providing opportunities for educators and students to connect in a meaningful way. With more than two decades of experience in education, Kerrie has successfully leveraged digital curriculum to keep students on track with intervention and remediation programs. Her experience lends itself well to supporting student success in what has become a vastly virtual world. Kerrie shares their district’s plans for the fall and how she believes there are still opportunities to connect with students in a unique way using digital curriculum. Even though the relationships with students looks different this year, staying flexibility and creating new learning options has been the key to their success.