Host: John Hendron; Guest: Starr Sackstein – Author, educator, assessment expert, columnist, and Massachusetts State Coordinator for Educators Rising.

“Your voice, your story is what makes it important.”

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Overview

In this episode, John sits down with veteran educator and prolific author Starr Sackstein to explore her writing journey, her unexpected career shifts, and her work supporting future educators through Educators Rising. Starr offers candid advice for aspiring writers, unpacks her process for creating books with (and without) co-authors, and reflects on the challenges and rewards of teaching and publishing. She also shares insights into the growing Educators Rising movement in Massachusetts and the power of student-led leadership experiences.

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Key Topics Covered

1. Getting Started as an Author
•Starr’s early writing pathway: blogging, guest posts, and opportunities that opened doors.

• Why any educator with something to say should consider writing.
• Tips for new writers:
• Know your audience.
• Commit to disciplined time.
• Expect and embrace revision.
• Seek feedback from trusted readers.
• Rejection as a normal part of the writing and publishing process.
• The role of smaller educational presses and the legitimacy of self-publishing.

2. Developing a Writing Process
•Starr’s need for quiet, focus, and intentional structure.

• How outlining, subheadings, and moving between sections keep momentum going.
• Navigating co-authorship: when it works well, and when it doesn’t.
• Using AI as a tool—for prompts, research leads, and first-draft thinking—without outsourcing your writing voice.
• Strategies to overcome writer’s block: reading, movement, stepping away, and studying other authors’ approaches.

3. The Unexpected Career Impact of Publishing
•How blogging and early books led to opportunities for speaking, consulting, and thought leadership.

• Stories of former students encountering Starr’s work in graduate programs.
• The reality of innovating inside a school system—and the visibility (and complications) that come with it.

4. Advice for Aspiring Educators
•What students should know about the first years of teaching: authenticity, transparency, and giving yourself permission not to know everything.

• The emotional rewards and long-term impact of classroom life.

5. Inside Educators Rising
•Starr’s role as Massachusetts State Coordinator.

• Preview of the Fall Regional Student Leadership Summit at Elms College—fully student-led, featuring peer workshops, CTSO collaboration, and statewide partnerships.
• “Students walk out of these programs with confidence it took me years to build.”
• The value of Educators Rising’s curriculum, micro-credentials, and competitions in building student confidence and readiness for the teaching profession.
• How CTSO experiences support all students—future teachers and undecided students alike—through leadership, service, and skill-building.

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You can contact Sackstein at [email protected]
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