Dr. Carole Basile is the Dean and a professor at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, the largest college of education in the nation. Since 2016, she has led efforts to redesign the educator workforce through team-based models that honor learner variance and expand the possibilities of teaching. Before ASU, she served as Dean of the College of Education at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, and held faculty and leadership positions at the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Houston. Carole is co-author of The Next Education Workforce: How Team-Based Staffing Models Can Support Equity and Improve Learning Outcomes, and has published widely on teacher preparation, systems change, and school–community partnerships. With a career that also includes 15 years in business management and organizational development, she brings a rare blend of entrepreneurial spirit and educational vision .

Erin O’Reilly at the University of Montana, a previous podcast guest, wrote the following about Carole for this episode. “Her work in reimagining the teacher workforce is truly inspiring. Through innovative, team-based teaching models, she and her team are not only transforming how schools operate but also reshaping the future of education. As a teacher educator and researcher, I’ve been deeply influenced by her vision and dedication. Witnessing the tangible impact on teacher retention and job satisfaction has given me renewed hope and affirmation in my own work designing systems and curriculum to better support aspiring educators.”

So listeners, let’s get to know Carole before we dive into the deep end of education, teaching in teams, and teacher training pathways. We start with music. Carole has been listening to A History of Rock in 500 Songs. It’s not just about riffs or hit singles—it’s about rock as a cultural movement, full of experimentation, disruption, and variance. When she listens, is she a fan? A learner? A dean leading one of the largest colleges of education in the country? Likely all of the above.

Then we rewind to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where school came easily but wasn’t especially engaging. Her entrepreneurial father shaped her worldview—teaching her to manage people well and stay open to ideas. His influence still guides her leadership.

Carole’s career is anything but conventional: student teaching in Philadelphia, a master’s in counseling, 15 years in business, then a doctorate that brought her back to education. Along the way, a boss once told her being interested in “a lot of things” was a flaw. But David Epstein’s Range would disagree—and Carole’s life proves it.

From there, we’ll talk about variance. Not just as a math term or biblical one, but as a philosophy of education: every learner moves at their own pace, in their own way. ASU’s Next Education Workforce is putting that into practice—moving beyond the “one teacher, one classroom” model to teams of educators who bring diverse strengths.

We’ll also touch on ideas like “loonshots” and “possibility thinking,” and ask Carole to paint a picture of what team-based classrooms feel like—for students, teachers, and families. And we’ll close with a shout out to those whose shoulders she stands on.

So buckle up. From Jefferson Airplane to Jefferson County, from Harrisburg to Arizona, this conversation is about rock and roll, variance, teaching in teams, and the future of education itself.

Post production editing provided by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is by pianist, Michael Sloan.