Free Range Humans
Free Range Humans is a podcast that explores how we can make schools fit for human consumption. Hosted by Jal Mehta, professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Rod Allen, former district superintendent and Assistant Deputy Minister with the BC Ministry of Education.
Episodes
Are Schools Preparing Kids for a World That No Longer Exists?
Ted Dintersmith is an education advocate, author, filmmaker, and former venture capitalist whose work focuses on preparing young people for a rapidly changing world. After a successful 25-year career as a partner at Charles River Ventures and service on the U.S. delegation to the United Nations focused on education and entrepreneurship, he turned his attention to reimagining schooling for the inno
What Latvia Can Teach Us About Deeper Learning
Zane Olina is passionate about creating meaningful learning opportunities for both young people and adults. She has an MEd and PhD in Learning and Instructional Technology from Arizona State University, and her career spans classroom teaching, curriculum reform, leadership development, international education initiatives, and deep involvement in OECD Learning 2030 work. Currently, Zane works as He
Lose the Bubble Wrap – Making a Case for Self-Directed Learning
Dr. Tyler S. Thigpen has worked in innovative district, private, and charter schools in Georgia, as well as national and regional nonprofits. Tyler is co-founder of The Forest School: An Acton Academy in south metro Atlanta, founder and executive director of the Institute for Self-Directed Learning, and instructor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. He also holds a doct
Teaching Power: What Schools Communicate About Authority and Democracy
Jason E. Glass. Ed.D., has more than 25 years of leadership experience in public education, spanning classroom teaching, district and state-level leadership, and executive roles in higher education, and currently holds the title of Superintendent of the Laguna Beach Unified School Distrirct. Prior to joining LBUSD, Dr. Glass served as Associate Vice President of Teaching and Learning at Western Mi
Why Context Matters More Than Ever - A Conversation with Amelia Peterson
Amelia Peterson is a social scientist with a background in policy and consulting. She is currently leading the development of an entirely new MBA program at the London Interdisciplinary School. In her previous role as Head of Learning and Teaching at LIS, she has led on developing many of the school's internal processes of curriculum and institutional design. Highlights from the conversation inclu
Courage is Contagious: Leading for Equity in a Time of Backlash
LaShawn Routé Chatmon is the founding CEO and President of the National Equity Project, leading the organization’s transition from the Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools (BayCES). Under her leadership, the National Equity Project has catalyzed a movement to revitalize our country’s approach to equity in education. Tom Malarkey is the director of strategic consulting at the National Equity P
Real World Swirl: When the City is the Classroom
Dov Stucker is a co-founder and Lead Teacher of Burlington City & Lake Semester (BCL) – a partnership between the Burlington School District and Shelburne Farms. He taught Social Studies at Burlington High School from 2011-2021, including School Innovation Seminar, a course that engaged students in the complex work of school redesign. Before returning to the classroom, Dov worked for nine years co
Transformation in the Age of AI: Education for Human Flourishing
Anthony Mackay is the immediate past CEO and current Co-Chair of the Washington DC-based National Center on Education and the Economy, while also serving as Deputy Chancellor, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia; Honorary Senior Fellow of the Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne; and Visiting Professor to the International Centre for Educational Enhancement, Universit
The Potential Pitfalls of Progressive Education (And How to Avoid Them)
Alisa Berger is now a Free Range Humans regular, making her fourth appearance on the podcast. She was the founding co-principal of the New York City iSchool and is the author of How To Innovate: The Essential Guide for Fearless School Leaders, among many other accomplishments. Jal was very interested in bringing this topic to the table in an effort to better balance perspectives on progressive edu
Rooted in Respect and Reciprocity: Exploring Land-Based Learning
Kyle Peruniak is a former wildland firefighter and current land-based educator in British Columbia. He is focused on creating inclusive experiences that promote empathy for the land, respect and appreciation for indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing, and provide youth with healthy, rich, learning opportunities. Lori Hryniuk is an experienced public school secondary Principal and educator who
Beyond the Report Card: Teaching with Heart and Kindness
Paige Fisher is an associate professor at Vancouver Island University with 18 years of experience in teacher education and leadership development. Her work has included embedded teacher ed programs, Indigenous teacher education initiatives, and explorations of non-traditional grading and assessment. Highlights from her conversation with Rod and Jal include: reflections on her own experiences as a
A School that Feels Like Family - Welcome to SMASH
SMASH isn’t new — it’s been doing things differently for over 50 years, emphasizing multi-age classrooms, social-emotional learning, looping, and strong adult-child relationships. Jessica Rishe (principal) and Malika Boyer (6th grade teacher) share how the school cultivates trust, responsibility, and belonging across all grade levels — and why it still stands out even as others catch on to ideas l
Human Schools - A Sneak Peak at Jal Mehta and Libby Woodfin's New Book
Libby Woodfin is a writer and educator from western Massachusetts. She has authored or co-authored nine books for teachers and published numerous articles and blogs for educational outlets such as EdWeek, Middleweb and Educational Leadership. Libby began her career as a fifth and sixth-grade teacher at the original lab school for the Responsive Classroom in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and went on t
Blue Sky Thinking - A Conversation with Ginger Spickler and Erin Johnson
Crosstown High is a learner-centered public charter school that engages students in meaningful, project-based work and authentic relationships that will prepare them to be self-directed, lifelong learners. Erin Johnson is the Head of School and an an art teacher, while Ginger Spickler carries the title of Director of Sustainability while also serving on the leadership team. Highlights from their c
Weaving Compassionate Systems with Deeper Learning - A Conversation with Jill Jensen and Peter Senge
Peter M. Senge is the founding chair of SoL (Society of Organizational Learning), a global network of organizations, researchers, and consultants dedicated to the “interdependent development of people and their institutions”, a Senior Lecturer at MIT's Sloan School of Management, and cofounder of the Academy for Systemic Change, which seeks to accelerate the growth of the field of systemic change
Back from Break - A Short Promo to Resume Season Four
Rod and Jal make a plug for their upcoming "Deeper Learning Ed Camp," an off-the-grid summer camp for school-based educators seeking inspiration, rejuvenation, and connection with like-minded colleagues from around the country who believe in the power of deeper learning for students. The camp program features several leaders in the field, including past podcast guests such as Ron Berger, Michele S
Seeing People in Their Full Complexity - A Conversation with Jessica Nordell
Jessica Nordell holds degrees in physics from Harvard and poetry from the University of Wisconsin, where she was the Martha Meier Renk Distinguished Graduate Fellow in Poetry. Her unique blend of experience allows for a writing style that combines rigorous science with a poetic compassion for humanity. Highlights from her conversation with Rod and Jal include: an opening anecdote that shows how a
The Artisan Teaching Model - Is it the Key to Great Classrooms?
David Krulwich is principal and T’Keyah Robinson is vice principal of South Bronx Early College Academy. They both previously worked at the Urban Assembly School for Applied Math and Science in the Bronx, and together with Kenneth Baum, have developed the Artisan Teacher Model. This new model merges the idea of teamwork with the concept of an artisan-apprentice relationship - a more intense teache
Challenging Injustice - The Role of Education in Strengthening Democracy
Scott Seider is a professor at Boston College, Aaliyah El-Amin is a faculty colleague of Jal's at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Julia Bott is a longtime principal and now coaches principals on leading for equity. Highlights from their conversation include: an opening dialogue about the dismantling of the United States Department of Education, covering the organization's role and ho
Rethinking Teacher Education - A Conversation with Sarah Fine and Tori Theisen-Homer
Sarah Fine and Victoria (Tori) Theisen-Homer both got their doctorates from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Tori is the Founding Director of the Arizona Teacher Residency, and Sarah ran the San Diego Teacher Residency program before becoming an assistant professor at the University of California San Diego. Tori is the author of Learning to Connect: Relationships, Race and Teacher Educati
Welcome to Season 4: Doom, Gloom and Glimmers of Hope
Before the amazing guests join season four, our hosts reflect on all that has happened since we signed off on season three this past spring. They dive into personal updates, changing perspectives on education, and the challenges teachers and students face in a suddenly unstable and unpredictable landscape. Highlights from the conversation include: life updates that cover kids, grandkids, and a per
The Weeds of Curriculum Reform - A Conversation with Ben Jensen
Dr. Ben Jensen is the CEO of Melbourne-based consultancy Learning First. Ben has advised governments in Australia, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia on education strategy and reform. Before founding Learning First in 2014, he was director of the Grattan Institute’s School Education Program. He also worked with numerous education systems across the world during five years at the OECD,
From Student to Teacher to Leader - A Conversation with Dr. Michele Shannon
Michele Shannon is the Executive Director of the Deeper Learning Districts. Previously, she was a National Designer and Facilitator for the Leadership Academy, where she built the capacity of educational leaders through leadership training to confront inequities & create conditions for students to thrive. She also served as Chief of Schools for Boston Public Schools, where she led a team of eight
Harnessing AI in Education - A Conversation with Chris Kennedy and Eric Xie
Chris Kennedy is the Superintendent of Schools/CEO at West Vancouver Schools. He has taught secondary English and Social Studies, and been both an elementary and secondary school principal. One of the most progressive voices in BC education, Chris has been featured by Macleans Magazine as one of the 100 Young Canadians to Watch and his work has been featured in various local and national publicati
Parallels in Policing and Education - A Conversation with Dr. Neil Gross
Neil Gross, a sociologist best known for his work on policing, higher education, politics, and pragmatism, is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology at Colby College in Maine. A frequent contributor to the New York Times, Gross holds a bachelor’s degree in legal studies from UC Berkeley and received his PhD in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before joining the Colby faculty
The Importance of Purpose and Values - A Conversation with Shanna Peeples
Shanna Peeples is the Dr. John G. O’Brien distinguished chair in education at West Texas A&M university. In 2015 she was awarded USA National Teacher of the Year for her work at Palo Duro High School, which earned her an opportunity to meet and be personally lauded by President Obama. She now has her own wikipedia page, much to the chagrin of our co-host, Jal Mehta! Highlights from the conversatio
Generative AI in Schools: Adopted vs. Arrived - A Conversation with Justin Reich
Justin is an associate professor of digital media in the department of Comparative Media Studies/Writing at MIT and the director of the Teaching Systems Lab. He is the author of Iterate: The Secret to Innovation in Schools and Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Can’t Transform Education, and he is the host of the TeachLab Podcast. He earned his doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of E
Craftsmanship as a Model for Education - A Conversation with Ron Berger
Ron Berger is Chief Academic Officer for EL Education, an organization that partners with districts and charter boards to found public schools in low-income communities. EL Education’s core work is building teacher capacity in schools and districts through professional coaching, resources and open-source curriculum. He is an Annenberg Foundation Teacher Scholar, received the Autodesk Foundation Na
The Bad Educational Innovations Draft - A Conversation with Alisa Berger
Alisa Berger was the founding principal at both the NYC iSchool, a New York City public high school, and the Mott Hall II school, a NYC public middle school. She currently teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in the Professional Education Program, and is Co-Director of The Deeper Learning Dozen. In this unique format, Alisa, Rod and Jal will build a roster of "bad educational innova
Why Politics Doesn’t Have to Be a Dirty Word - A Conversation with Diana Hess
Diana Hess has been dean of University of Wisconsin–Madison’s School of Education since Aug. 1, 2015. She is only the ninth dean of the School of Education since its founding in 1930. Since 1997, Hess has been researching how teachers engage their students in discussions of highly controversial political and constitutional issues, and what impact this approach to civic education has on what young
The Power of Tension and Hope - A Conversation with Jo Chrona
Jo Chrona is an education consultant, speaker, and author, supporting professional learning opportunities in the areas of Indigenous education and anti-racism. She has more than 25 years teaching in both K-12 (secondary) and post-secondary education, and played a vital role in developing First Peoples Principles of Learning in British Columbia. This powerful conversation covers several topics incl
From Hero to Host - Women as Change Agents in Education
Cresta Mcintosh is the Associate Superintendent for the Monterey Public Schools in California, and Jocelyn Fletcher Schuech is the Associate Director of Teaching and Learning in Burlington Vermont. Alisa Burger currently teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in the Professional Education Program, and is Co-Director of The Deeper Learning Dozen. This marks her third appearance on the
Fish Out of Water - Preserving Creativity with James Thompson
James Thompson is the designer behind Black Badger, a creative design agency that specializes in using advanced materials in new and exciting ways. He's previously done special edition pieces with luxury watch brands De Bethune and MB&F. He’s mucked about with everything from McLaren supercars to next-generation submarine design. Born in Vancouver, Canada, James relocated to Gothenburg, Sweden in
The Culture of Yes - Encouraging New Ideas in Education
Chris Kennedy is the Superintendent of Schools/CEO with the West Vancouver School District (West Vancouver, British Columbia). He has taught secondary English and Social Studies, and been both an elementary and secondary school principal. In addition, he runs a blog entitled "The Culture of Yes" where you can find several articles on the most pressing and timely issues in education. Highlights fr
Finding Clarity - Working Outward While Looking Inward
Shawn Ginwright is a leading innovator and scholar of African American youth, youth activism, and youth development. He currently holds the title of Professor of Education in the Africana Studies Department at San Francisco State University, and starting this fall, will join Jal as a Professor of Practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Highlights from their conversation include: a li
The Importance of the Land - Learning from Indigenous Cultures
This powerful conversation features four guests from the Nisga’a Nation and the Nisga’a School District: Sayt Gibuu (Lydia Stephens) - Nisga’a Lisims Language and Culture Program Manager, Luu-MisMaakskw (Esther Adams) - Nisga’a Lisims Director of Language and Culture, Galksi-De'entkw (Peter McKay) - District Principal Indigenous Education, and Jill Jensen - Superintendent. Highlights from the epi
Open vs. Closed? - A Battle for Which System Belongs in Education
Doannie Tran was a middle and high school teacher, and was assistant superintendent for academics and professional learning for Boston Public Schools, and currently is a partner at the Center for Innovation in Education. Landon Mascareñez describes himself as educator, writer, and democracy builder. He works at the Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) and is the vice chair of the Colorado State Boa
Snakes Out of the Bag - It's Okay to Make Mistakes
Dr. Pam Moran is a recently retired superintendent of thirteen years and has also worked as a teacher, staff developer, elementary principal, and assistant superintendent. She was the 2010 president of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents and the 2016 Virginia Superintendent of the Year, one of four finalists for the national superintendent of the year. Ira Socol is a Principal of So
The Harvard Professor - Jal Mehta's Origin Story
Jal Mehta is a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and also holds the title of faculty co-chair for the Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology program. His research explores the role of different forms of knowledge in tackling major social and political problems, particularly problems of human improvement. He has also written extensively on what it would take to improve Amer
Transforming Education for Holistic Student Development - Looking at Systems Around the World
Amanda Datnow is Professor and Chancellor’s Associates Endowed Chair in the Department of Education Studies and Associate Dean of the Division of Social Sciences at the University of California, San Diego. Amelia Peterson is currently part of the founding faculty at the London Interdisciplinary School. Previously, she was a fellow in the Social Policy department at the London School of Economics.
India Embraces the "Happiness Curriculum" - How to Make Revolutionary Change Under Adverse Circumstances
Dream a Dream empowers children and young people from vulnerable backgrounds to overcome adversity and thrive in a fast-changing world. Since 1999, they have helped over 3 million young people thrive in the 21st century through innovation labs and strategic partnerships with governments in five states across India. Vishal Talreja is the co-founder and Trustee of Dream a Dream, and Dr. Connie Chung
The Locus of Change: Schools vs. Districts - A Debate with Alisa Berger
Alisa Berger was the founding principal at both the NYC iSchool, a New York City public high school, and the Mott Hall II school, a NYC public middle school. She currently teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in the Professional Education Program, and is Co-Director of The Deeper Learning Dozen. Throughout the conversation, Alisa will argue for schools, Rod will argue for districts,
Examining the Intersection of Education and Politics - A Conversation with Shanna Peeples
Shanna Peeples is the Dr. John G. O’Brien distinguished chair in education at West Texas A&M university. In 2015 she was awarded USA National Teacher of the Year for her work at Palo Duro High School, and also found her way to Harvard where she attended classes taught by our co-host, Jal Mehta!Highlights from this episode include: why schools have become a target for whipping up moral panic in the
United We Learn - Reflections on a Recent Trip to Kentucky
During their trip to Kentucky, our hosts sat down with Lu Young, Jason Glass, Justin Bathon and Caleb Bates, of Kentucky's United We Learn Coalition. This group is building a vision for the future of public education in Kentucky, with the goal of everyone in the commonwealth – educators, families, students, community members and business leaders – working together to support public schools in brin
"No one wants to go first." - A Conversation with Charles Leadbeater
Charles Leadbeater is a self-proclaimed “intellectual odd-job man,” with a background in journalism, entrepreneurship, and most recently, large-scale systems change. As the co-director of the System Innovation Initiative at the Rockwool Foundation in Copenhagen, he is helping to develop practical approaches to shifting big public systems. His conversation with Rod and Jal focuses on what is needed
Lessons from Apartheid - A Conversation with Timothy Knowles
Timothy Knowles is the 10th president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Prior to joining Carnegie, he served as founder and managing partner of the Academy Group, an enterprise designed to prepare extraordinary young people from under-resourced communities to own and operate successful companies nationwide; reduce economic disparities and; serve as a human capital engine,
Canadian Education Reform in the United States? - Rod and Jal Debate
As season two gets underway, Rod and Jal leverage their own knowledge and experience to debate the merits of bringing Canadian school reform to the United States. Highlights from their conversation include: a history of Canadian reform processes dating back to Rod's work with the Ministry of Education in British Columbia; the influence of Michael Fullan; a controversial take on a new border desig
Reflections - A Look Back at Season One of Free Range Humans
Gino Beniamino returns as guest host to navigate us through a reflective journey that covers a wide range of topics. Rod and Jal go back and listen to past sound bites and remember some of their favorite moments from season one. Highlights from this episode include: reflecting on the significance of finishing an entire season; recapping the major themes that were present across many of our intervi
Three Act Play - A Conversation with Kaleb Rashad
Dr. Kaleb Rashad is the Interim Chief Executive Officer of High Tech High. Kaleb is also the Co-Founder & Creative Director at the Center for Love & Justice located within the High Tech High Graduate School of Education (HTH GSE). In this role, he works with community leaders in the US, Canada, Spain, and Hong Kong to create new schools and redesign existing schools focused on advancing equity thr
In it for the Money? - A Conversation with Shanna Peeples
Shanna Peeples is the Dr. John G. O’Brien distinguished chair in education at West Texas A&M university. In 2015 she was awarded USA National Teacher of the Year for her work at Palo Duro High School, and also found her way to Harvard where she attended classes taught by our co-host, Jal Mehta!Highlights from this episode include: an opening dialogue on the recent school shooting in Evalde, Texas;
Encouraging Disruption and Co-Construction - A Conversation with Kim Ondrik
Kim Ondrik is the Head Learner from Q'SHINTUL Mill Bay Nature School on Vancouver Island, and someone Rod and Jal have worked closely with in the past. They would describe her as courageous, fierce, values-driven, and always acting in accordance with her beliefs about what constitutes great learning for kids and adults. Highlights from this week's episode include: an opening discussion on the rece
Opening Doors with Philanthropy - A Conversation with Kent McGuire
Kent McGuire is the Program Director of Education at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. He leads the investments in teaching and learning and open educational resources strategies, with a focus on helping all students succeed in college, work and civic life. Highlights from this episode include: an opening dialogue on re-entry into the world post-COVID; the childhood influences that develop
Designing for Belonging - A Conversation with Victor Cary and Susie Wise
Victor Cary has worked in education for over 40 years, starting as a high school teacher in Richmond, CA, and now serves as the Senior Director at the National Equity Project, where he leads development of the equity-centered coaching and leadership model. Susie Wise is a design leader with experience in the education, tech, and social sectors. She coaches leaders in equity design and innovation
The Future of Education is Human-Centered - A Conversation with Ulcca Joshi Hansen
Dr. Ulcca Joshi Hansen is an author, consultant, founder of Educating Potential, and currently Chief Program Officer at Grantmakers for Education. Her work is aimed at changing the dialogue about education in America. Her conversation with Rod and Jal covers a lot of topics including: what different kinds of teaching and learning look like; why we need to move past endless debates and focus more
Breaking Down Command and Control in Schools - A Conversation with Andy Calkins and Carlos Beato
Andy Calkins is the co-director of Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) and helps to lead strategy development, organizational management, and program execution across all phases of the initiative. Dr. Carlos Beato is the newest crew member and also co-director at NGLC. Prior to joining he served as the founding principal at the International High School at Langley Park (IHSLP) in Bladensbur
The Power of the Podcast - A Conversation with Members of Next Generation Politics
Clara Medina is a senior at NEST+m High School in New York City. Madeline Mayes, is a junior at Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn, New York, and Kenisha Mahajan is a junior from Queens, New York who attends Stuyvesant High School. All three are involved in Next Generation Politics, a youth-led organization built to inspire and equip today's youth to drive a more productive, inclusive, and info
Learning Isn't Linear - A Conversation with Members of the Big Picture Learning Network
Zelia Gonzales is the co-founder of Rebel Ventures Network (RVN) which provides a structured environment for young people to develop, maintain, and reflect upon community and personal explorations. David Banda is a teacher at The MET, a network of six small, public high schools located in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island. They are joined by Andrew Frishman, a member of the Big Picture Learning
Speaking Truth to Power - A Conversation with Prince George's District Student Advisory Council
Harsh Dhaliwal, Kyra McKinnon, and Chris Zimmerman are high school students and members of the Prince George District Student Advisory Council (DSAC). Katie Marren, their mentor teacher, also joined the conversation and she is the District Vice Principal in the Indigenous Education Department. This group is creating quite a stir in Prince George and beyond with their work on anti-racism, and with
The Power of Doubt - A Conversation with Jessica Forbes and John Watkins
John Watkins is Co-Director with Jal Mehta & Alisa Berger, of the Deeper Learning Dozen, creating a community of practice for superintendents who are committed to the transformation of their districts. He has over thirty years experience in consulting, coaching, designing, facilitating, researching, and evaluating in school and school district improvement efforts. Jessica Forbes is a teacher at O
Flipping the Script - A Conversation with Rod Allen and Jal Mehta
To celebrate the podcast reaching 10,000 downloads this week, we turned most of the interview topics over to our listeners — choosing questions they submitted leading up to the recording. Also, producer Gino Beniamino joins the episode as a guest host, and picks his favorite audience submissions along with a few of his own. The conversation covers a wide range of topics including: the origin of Ro
Facilitating Belonging - A Conversation with Shelley Moore
Shelley Moore is a Canadian educator and an expert on special education. A teacher and researcher, she advocates for inclusive education and seeks to reform Individualized Education Programs to better suit the needs of individual students. Her energetic conversation with Rod and Jal includes: pointing out the differences between integration and inclusion; the importance of co-constructing communit
Want Better Learning? Build Relational Organizations - A Conversation with Jody Hoffer Gittell
Jody Hoffer Gittell is Professor of Management at Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy & Management, and co-founder and board member of the Relational Coordination Collaborative. She is an expert in the human and humane approach to building organizations.Highlights from the conversation include: what it means to build a relational organization and culture; emphasizing internal con
Heart, Head, Hands - A Conversation with Marshall Ganz
Marshall Ganz is the Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in Leadership, Organizing and Civil Society at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He teaches, researches, and writes on leadership, narrative, strategy and organization in social movements, civic associations, and politics. His conversation with Rod and Jal covers a number of topics including: the diversity and promise of today's young stu
Creating "Kidsburgh" - A Conversation with Gregg Behr
Gregg is the founder and co-chair of Remake Learning, a 15-year endeavor to build a learning ecosystem in southwestern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. Remake Learning is a network that ignites engaging, relevant, and equitable learning practices in support of young people navigating rapid social and technological change. He is also executive director of the Grable Foundation, managing a g
Supporting Student (and Adult!) Mental Health During COVID
Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl is the NoVo Foundation Endowed Chair in Social and Emotional Learning and Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. There has been a push to maintain in-person learning during the pandemic, and that has come with several new challenges - one of the biggest being how to handle the mental health impact being felt by everyone in s
"Just tell the damn truth!" - A Conversation with Jeff Duncan-Andrade
Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade is Associate Professor of Raza Studies and Education at San Francisco State University. He is also founder of the Roses in Concrete Community School, a community responsive lab school in East Oakland. His conversation with Rod and Jal covers many areas including: how schools should be leveraging the pandemic to re-invent themselves; the value of creating a space for failure
Like Mother Like Son? - A Conversation with Louise Mehta
Our first episode of the new year features two parts: an opening conversation between Rod and Jal addressing the latest COVID surge and what it means for education systems, and a one-on-one conversation between Jal and his mother, Louise Mehta, as they connected during the holidays. Louise Mehta has been a teacher, administrator, and Associate Head of the Park School in Baltimore, Maryland, and mo
Famous for Networks - A Conversation with Judy Halbert and Linda Kaser
Judy Halbert and Linda Kaser have the privilege of leading the Networks of Inquiry and Indigenous Education and the Aboriginal Enhancement Schools Network. They are deeply committed to achieving equity and quality for all learners—and to networking for innovation and improvement both in Canada and internationally. Their conversation with Rod and Jal covers several topics including: an opening disc
The Ground is Not Waiting for the System to Move - A Conversation with Tony Mackay
Anthony (Tony) Mackay is CEO/President of the Washington DC based National Center on Education and the Economy. He has held multiple positions within education and continues to consult in parts of the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Tony is deeply connected to the global learning transformation agenda and offers a unique perspective on the current and future state of our education sy
Make Schools Relevant Again - A Conversation with Alisa Berger and Devon Larosa
Alisa Berger was the founding principal at both the NYC iSchool, a New York City public high school, and the Mott Hall II school, a NYC public middle school. Devon Larosa is the former principal of La Follette High School in Madison, Wisconsin and currently works as the Deputy Chief of Schools - High School Network for the Chicago public school system. This robust conversation covers several topic
Paths to Student Engagement - A Conversation with Andy Hargreaves
Andy Hargreaves is Director of Chenine (Change, Engagement and Innovation in Education) at the University of Ottawa in Canada, and Emeritus Professor at Boston College, USA. He has published more than 30 books and has eight Outstanding Writing Awards. His most recent book, Five Paths of Student Engagement (with Dennis Shirley), focuses on engagement strategies that promote students' well-being, le
"Street Data" - A Conversation with Jamila Dugan and Shane Safir
Shane Safir is described as an innovator at heart, with a rare combination of leadership and instructional expertise. Her voice resonates with educators who want to reinvent their schools and organizations into places of equitable learning. Jamila Dugan began her career as a teacher in Washington D.C. and currently serves as an equity-centered leadership development coach across all sectors. Shane
"Is it fair to ask young people to save the world?" - A Conversation with Michael Fullan
Michael Fullan is the former Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and Professor Emeritus of the University of Toronto. He is co-leader of the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning global initiative (npdl.global). Recognized as a worldwide authority on educational reform, he advises policymakers and local leaders in helping to achieve the moral purpose of all children learning. Highli
A Disruptive Moment in Education - A Conversation with Neema Avashia and Jen Ploeger
Neema Avashia teaches ethnic studies in the Boston Public School system, and Jen Poeger is the Assistant Principal of La Follette High School in Madison Wisconsin. Both have accomplished incredible things and learned valuable lessons over the past year. Highlights from their conversation with Rod and Jal include: what classrooms should be focusing on as students return to in-person learning; what
Our Kids are Not Broken - A Conversation with Ron Berger
Ron Berger is Chief Academic Officer for EL Education, an organization that partners with districts and charter boards to found public schools in low-income communities. EL Education’s core work is building teacher capacity in schools and districts through professional coaching, resources and open-source curriculum. Ron teaches a course at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, he is an Annenbe
Behind the Curtain – Sarah Fine and Jal Mehta Take Us Inside the Making of “In Search of Deeper Learning”
Sarah Fine is co-author of "In Search of Deeper Learning: The Quest to Remake the American High School." She teaches a deeper learning course at Harvard, and is the director of the San Diego Teacher Residency, which was formerly the High Tech High Graduate School of Education Teaching Apprenticeship program. Sarah and Jal share how they decided to pursue the project, what it was like to conduct re
Free Range Classrooms - A Conversation with Tyler Thigpen
Tyler Thigpen is the head of the Forest School and Institute for Self Directed Learning. He also teaches at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School. Tyler has led several schools and is one of the foremost champions of agentic learning in the U.S., a model that puts students at the center of learning design. Highlights from the conversation include: how Tyler's background as a minister help
Revolution Through Evolution - A Conversation with Suzanne Dillon
Dr. Suzanne Dillon is the governmental representative for Ireland in the OECD Future of Education 2030 project, which she has been involved in since 2016. She has also been Chair of the project's Advisory Group since Spring 2018. Suzanne trained as a second-level teacher and worked in schools for 15 years before joining the Department of Education and Skills in Ireland as a school inspector. Her r
Hopeful - A Conversation About Education Transformation with David Albury
David is a Senior Associate at Innovation Unit. As a co-founder and previous Board Director, David has helped shape the organization and its strategy since its foundation in 2006. For over two decades, David has consulted and advised on forming and implementing strategies and policies for transformation and innovation in education, early learning, healthcare and other public services. Interview hi
Equity in Curriculum - A Conversation with Houdda Balouch and Shannon Guglielmo
Houdda Balouch and Shannon Guglielmo are teachers at Landmark High School in New York City, part of the New York State Performance Standards Consortium that values student voice and ownership of learning tasks over standardized exams. They are both part of the Equity in Curriculum team that conducts action research on how a white supremacist system impacts our school in the day to day, as well as
