In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Rainey Briggs, the superintendent of the Baraboo School District in Baraboo, Wisconsin.. In 2022, he was recognized as one of the 48 Most Influential Black Leaders in Wisconsin. Dr. Briggs and his wife, Julie, who is also an educator, are the co-founders of Meraki Consulting, which offers seminars, workshops, professional development, coaching, mediation, and other services centered on equity and inclusion.  Dr. Briggs works collaboratively with organizations such as North Star Consulting Services, where he partners to provide equity institutes to school districts around the country. In their spare time, the Briggses enjoy going to sporting events and traveling with their three teenage daughters: Rayna, Rylee, and Reagan.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Tell us more about your career. (01:25)
• Do you agree with the RAND research showing that superintendents have one of the most stressful jobs in America, and how did you cope with stress in your own career? (04:51)
• How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (08:30)
• How did your experiences compare with other superintendents across the nation? (10:24)
• What brings you joy and what do you love about your job? (12:15)
• What have you found is the key to bringing people together to see your vision as a leader and cultivate community support? (14:39)
• In what ways are you using storytelling to connect with educators, families and the broader community? (16:14)
• What advice can you give to superintendents who might be struggling with divisiveness and building a community? (18:06)
• Why is it important for the community to see superintendents as real human beings? (20:11)
• What can community advocates do better to support K-12 leaders? (23:50)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Dr. Briggs’ career (01:33)
• His perspective on job stress and coping strategies (05:22)
• Changes in scrutiny of the superintendency (08:52)
• His personal experiences as a superintendent as compared to others (10:38)
• About what brings him joy in his work (12:39)
• Keys to bringing people together and cultivating community support (15:01)
• Different ways of rallying a community through storytelling (16:24)
• Advice for superintendents struggling with divisiveness (18:21)
• The importance of communities’ viewing superintendents as real human beings (21:05)
• Suggestions on advocating for K-12 leaders (24:32)

Quotes:

”When you start to judge, you lose out on curiosity, right? That curiosity of really wanting to know and understand what's happening or how you can even support others is really important.”

“Knowing your values, your worth, your beliefs, and what you stand for is the number one piece of advice that I would give.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Rainey Briggs:
Baraboo School District Website
Meraki Consulting, LLC
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Sandy Husk. During her remarkable 48-year career, she has served at every level, from classroom teacher and school counselor to superintendent to  interim CEO and executive director for ACSD (the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, a nonprofit with more than 125,000 members in 128 countries). She is currently the advisor to the CEO for MindPrint Learning; a member of the board of directors at Wayfinder and at Abl; and a board member and advisor for Husk Consulting. As a district leader, she has helped prepare students for graduation all across the U.S., including Oregon, Tennessee, and Colorado, learning each state’s idiosyncrasies.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Tell us more about your career. (01:22)
• What have been the most rewarding aspects of your work in education? (02:47)
• Do you agree with the RAND research showing that superintendents have one of the most stressful jobs in America, and how did you cope with stress in your own career? (04:05)
• How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (06:03)
• How did you unify communities to see your vision for the district–especially during times of budget cuts? (06:51)
• How did your experiences compare with other superintendents across the nation? (09:28)
• How are you able to rally people around storytelling and communications opportunities? (11:05)
• What advice can you give to superintendents having difficulties building relationships within a divisive community? (12:21)
• Why is it important for the community to see superintendents as real human beings? (14:53)
• What can community advocates do better in supporting K-12 leaders? (16:25)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Dr. Husk’s career (01:31)
• Rewarding aspects of her career serving districts in multiple states (03:01)
• Her perspective on stress and coping strategies (04:30)
• Changes in scrutiny of the superintendency (06:12)
• How to promote a unifying vision for a district (07:12)
• Her personal experiences as a superintendent as compared to others (09:45)
• Different ways of rallying a community (11:24)
• Advice for superintendents today (12:29)
• The importance of communities’ viewing superintendents as real human beings (15:03)
• Suggestions on advocating for K-12 leaders (16:46)

Quotes:

“Every employee and every connected leader needs to be working towards the same communications so that you can get that confidence and the belief up. I have said this many, many times: I can get up and make a speech, and a whole bunch of people aren't going to believe it—but if the teacher and the bus driver and the secretary are saying it, now you've got momentum.”

“One thing I learned over the many years is I had to get some rules for myself on work-life balance.”

“You have to keep focusing on the vision. We want to feel good about each other even when we're making really, really tough decisions.”


Stay in touch with Dr. Sandy Husk:
LinkedIn 

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Adam Clark, Superintendent of Mount Diablo Unified School District in California. He was named as a 2022 Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association. Previously, Dr. Clark served as Superintendent for Vallejo City Unified School District and Associate Superintendent at Antioch Unified School District. He has also been a principal at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Tell us about your career in education and your current role at Mount Diablo. (01:30)
• What is the most rewarding aspect of your career? (02:27)
• How are you able to deal with stress? (04:45)
• How do you think the scrutiny of the superintendency has changed over the years? (07:12)
• How do you bring different communities together to see your vision? (11:05)
• To what extent do you believe your experiences are typical of superintendents in your state or nationally? (13:56)
• What advice can you give to other superintendents who are struggling to cultivate engagement within their communities? (17:53)
• What causes people to overlook the fact that superintendents are actual individuals, and how can we show that you are real people tackling difficult problems to enable K-12 kids to receive the best education possible? (20:38)
• What can you suggest to advocates, community members, and parents for supporting district leaders? (24:31)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• All about Dr. Adam Clark’s career (01:38)
• Rewarding aspect of his work  in education (02:40)
• Strategies for coping and dealing with stress (04:52)
• Changes in scrutiny of the superintendency (07:21)
• Unifying communities around a vision (11:24)
• His personal experiences vs. other superintendents’ experiences  (14:13)
• Dr. Clark’s advice to other superintendents (18:06)
• Seeing superintendents as individuals (20:54)
• Suggestions for advocates in the community (25:07)

Quotes:

“I remember how it was to be a young parent, and how maybe I didn't have all the information, and I just reacted to certain things. I also remember being a student myself—and that's one thing I try to remind people, to remember when you were a student, remember how your mind worked and the things that were important to you.”

“I want to show my true self and who I am. Yes, I do have to, at times, speak properly and correctly and use the right terminology and things like that. But at other times, I’ve got to show myself. I have to show excitement. I have to show disappointment. I have to talk about things that we won't stand for, we won't tolerate, and I need to be forceful when I say those things. But then I need to show true excitement and exuberance when good things are happening.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Adam Clark:
LinkedIn
Mount Diablo Unified School District 

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined Dr. Randy Mahlerwein, an Assistant Superintendent in Mesa Public Schools in Arizona. He has been a public educator and leader for the past 24 years and a key contributor for the past four years in his district’s implementation of the Next Education Workforce. He is also an influencer, researcher, and educator. Dr. Mahlerwein is hyper-motivated to change the conditions that influence the environments in which educators and students operate daily.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Please tell us about your career and your current role. (01:13)
• What are the most rewarding aspects of serving in school leadership? (02:29)
• How are you able to cope with the stress of your career? (06:47)
• How has scrutiny of your position changed in the last few years? (09:52)
• How are you able to communicate with diverse groups to support your district’s goals, help them come together constructively despite disagreements, and truly create a sense of community? (11:54)
• How do you think your experiences compare to those of school administrators in your state, locality, or country? (15:30)
• Can you tell us more about your leadership style in education trades? (20:49)
• Why do you think the community needs to perceive you as a genuine person tackling difficult problems and giving K-12 children the finest education possible? (23:06)
• What advice would you give advocates for supporting their district leaders? (25:45)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Dr. Mahlerwein’s career in district leadership and his role in Mesa Public Schools (01:26)
• Aspects of serving in school leadership (02:36)
• Strategies for coping with stress (06:50)
• Changes in scrutiny of his position (10:05)
• Ways to bring the community together to support district goals (12:09)
• Similar experiences among school administrators(15:56)
• Dr. Mahlerwein’s leadership style in education trades (20:56)
• The importance of community acknowledgement of superintendents as real people (23:15)
• How advocates can support district leaders (25:57)

Quotes:

“I believe happy teachers and happy administrators produce happy students—and happy students learn.”

“We really started talking about the concept of earning your title every day. When you've been bestowed with an opportunity as a governing board [member] or superintendent, and you have to be the model. You have to work harder. As you move up through the ranks as leaders, the responsibility becomes greater.”

“Once you build a psychologically safe team, there's nothing they can't do, because they're going to talk about all the most difficult things together with respect and dignity.”

“If we want to be thought of as humans, it's our responsibility to communicate and lead in a way that people can see. You can't just expect to hand people a belief about you that you haven't worked hard to earn.”

Stay in touch with Randy Mahlerwein:
Email: [email protected]

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Susan Enfield, the former superintendent of the Washoe County School District in Nevada. She also spent 10 years as the superintendent of Highline Public Schools in Burien, Washington. Prior to joining Highline in 2012, she had held the positions of Chief Academic Officer and Interim Superintendent at Seattle Public Schools. 

Some Questions We Ask:

• Please tell us more about your roles as a superintendent, the districts you oversaw, and your current activities? (1:23)
• Describe how you have gone about building The Network of Distinguished Educators and its work and achievements? (1:56)
• What was your greatest source of fulfillment as a superintendent? (4:11)
• Can you tell us more about your upcoming book? (5:39)
• How did you handle different stressors throughout your career as a superintendent? (9:21)
• What are your observations with regards to the changes in the role of superintendents over the years? (11:50)
• How much do your experiences reflect those of other superintendents across the nation—and do you think you all have had similar experiences in relation to the stressors? (13:26)
• What is the key to bringing people to see your vision as a leader and cultivating communal support? (15:36)
• How have you been able to engage with educators, families, and communities through storytelling and communication? (17:56)
• How can parents and members of the community help our country's school districts more effectively? (20:04)
• Would it be beneficial if community people and parents could comprehend superintendents by placing themselves in their position? (23:09)
• How do you cultivate quality board members? (25:02)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Dr. Susan Enfield’s life as a superintendent (1:30)
• Her role in building The Network of Distinguished Educators (2:05)
• Dr. Enfield’s greatest sources of fulfillment as a superintendent (4:15)
• All about her upcoming book (5:56)
• How she handled stressors while in the role of a superintendent (9:28)
• Changes in the role of superintendents throughout the years (12:00)
• Ways in which her own experiences were similar to other superintendents (13:40)
• Key factors in uniting people behind her vision as a leader (15:51)
• Her engagement with educators, families, and communities (18:11)
• How of parents and members of the community can help school districts (20:18)
• Effectively understanding superintendents  (23:49)
• Cultivating quality board members (25:37)

Quotes:

“I think we are in a time where we have to find language and causes that bring all of us together around the right things and have conversations around that.”

“The work of serving children is a gift on any day, and you endure those hard days on the job for the sake of the work."

“Leadership is not about self-aggrandizement. Leadership is not about personal, individual accomplishments. Leadership is about service above self.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Susan Enfield:
The Network of Distinguished Educ

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

Hello Build Momentum for Education listeners, we're so excited to kick off Season 5 of the Build Momentum for Education Podcast.

This season, we're exploring a particularly unique perspective in K-12, thought leadership, humanizing the role of the superintendent. In this special podcast series, we interview current and former superintendents and researchers to pursue the core question, how can we better see superintendents as real people navigating complex challenges to provide the best possible education for our K-12 students. We dig deeper into how this important work can help build community, invite collaboration and increase widespread engagement.

Episodes will run every other Thursday on Spotify, iTunes or whatever platform you listen to.

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
Free Case Study Guide
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Marina Parr, Director for Workforce System Advancement at Washington’s Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board and Stephanie Davidsmeyer, a Director of Communications for the Washington State Board of Education. Stephanie has 10 years of experience in nonprofit, corporate, and government outreach media relations.

Some Questions I Ask:

• Marina, tell us more about your work and if you have seen a shift in how districts prioritize workforce development. (01:25)
• Stephanie, from the communications perspective, what trends are you seeing in workforce development and advancement? (04:03)
• Have you both seen an increase in public-private partnership when it comes to workforce development in Washington? (08:09)
• How is the ESSER cliff impacting districts in Washington in terms of workforce development? (16:39)
• What are the key takeaways of the Workforce System Poster? (21:20)
• Stephanie, how do you share powerful success stories to the community? (23:51)
• What are you most hopeful about for the future of workforce development? (27:57)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Marina’s work and her view of districts prioritizing workforce development (01:49)
• Stephanie’s perspective on workforce development across Washington state (04:34)
• Marina and Stephanie’s points of view with regards to expansion of workforce development (11:08)
• Impact of the ESSER cliff on workforce development in Washington state (18:32)
• Key takeaways of the Workforce System Poster (21:42)
• How Stephanie tells powerful success stories(24:13)
• Marina’s hopes for the future of workforce development (28:21)

Quotes:

“We know that businesses are busy. Probably the biggest challenge in workforce development is getting businesses to the table, because they're really trying to run their businesses. So you need to make effective use of their time.” 

“I've talked to students that are making canoes and then talking with advisors and building reports about how much it would cost to open their own business in boat making. They have all this math and all these figures that go into it. These kids will just blow you away.”

“Our state has had something called industry skill panels that bring together similar businesses so they can discuss common skill gaps, hiring challenges, difficulties that their employees face finding housing and other support. And the interesting thing is that these businesses are typically competitors.”

“Chronic absenteeism is an issue. It really did start with the pandemic [when] kids kind of checked out, and then they never really checked back in. So we have to figure out how to re-engage students and really get them to be present. And we know that populations that have struggled the most had the widest gap.”

Stay in touch with the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board:
Website

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this replay episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Jessica Morrison, the Executive Director of Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative, one of the partners in the newly established Career Launch Southwest initiative, which serves as a vital link between employers and the workforce of the future. She was previously the Director of Career and College Counseling at Animas High School in Durango for six years. In June 2021, the school won the Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) Award from the Colorado Department of Education for its Sophomore Inspire Week program.

This episode concludes our series focusing on rural collaboratives that are developing opportunities for students in specialized career pathways.

This is the final episode in a four-part series focusing on rural collaboratives that are developing opportunities for students in specialized career pathways.

Some Questions I Ask:

• Tell us more about Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative. (01:21)
• How do you create partnerships? (04:39)
• What are the challenges and successes in working with higher education partner institutions? (07:50)
• What is your funding model and how do you make it work for school districts? (11:51)
• What are the credentials you are currently offering to high school students and what are the outcomes of the program? (15:22)
• What advice can you give to leaders about starting the collaboration process? (24:30)
• How are you sharing your success stories? (30:14)
  
  

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• All about the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative (01:34)
• Southwest Colorado Educational Collaborative’s partnerships (04:56)
• Challenges and successes in higher ed partnerships (08:14)
• Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative’s funding model (12:07)
• Credentials and outcomes of the program (15:53)
• Advice to leaders interested in collaborating on workforce development(25:17)
• Strategies for sharing success stories and elevating thought leadership in education (30:40)

Quotes:

“I want all of your listeners to understand that these pieces take time—this is not for a school district that is faint of heart. I've worked in K-12 institutions as well as on the federal government side, and I know how important data is. What are the numbers? How many students are earning industry credentials? But laying the groundwork takes years, so it's looking at all of the different components to then determine what are the steps that need to be put in place along the way.”

“As you're building out this dream of consolidating resources in order to do more or bring more to a region, you can also be doing some more low-hanging fruit like priming students to be ready, which pushes your partners to get to the place of shared courses.”


Stay in touch with Jobs for the Future:
Career Launch Southwest Website
Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative Website
Email: [email protected]

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this replay episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Aaron Black. He is currently the Superintendent at Randolph Eastern School Corporation in Union City, Indiana, and is spearheading the Rural Alliance Zone 32. Aaron was named a semifinalist for the Yass Innovation Prize 2023 from the Yass Center for Education (formerly the Center for Education Reform). The prize recognizes leaders in sustainable, transformational, outstanding, and permissionless education.

This is the third episode in a four-part series focusing on rural collaboratives that are developing opportunities for students in specialized career pathways.

Some Questions I Ask:

• Tell us something about yourself and Randolph Eastern. (02:22)
• What do you do in Randolph Eastern and what trends do you see on a national scale? (05:47)
• What made you decide to start the Rural Alliance Zone 32? (07:32)
• What is your funding model and how would you advise other superintendents about joining a collaborative? (09:16)
• What credentials students are looking for and what are you offering? (11:31)
• What are students’ experiences within your program? (15:15)
• What are your goals in the next five years? (18:33)
• How do you share your story? (20:10)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• All about Aaron Black (02:35)
• His role at Randolph Eastern and trends he sees (06:02)
• The start of rural collaboratives in Randolph County (07:59)
• His advice to other superintendents about joining rural collaboratives and about funding models (09:39)
• Credentials students look for and what Randolph Eastern offers (11:57)
• Student experiences with the program (15:46)
• Goals in the next five years (18:48)
• How to emulate the way Aaron shares his story (20:22)

Quotes:

“We start with kindergarteners, taking career exploration trips and being very intentional about getting them out in front of employers and learning how the world works. We do that with every grade level, and it culminates at the high school.”

“We know [students] have their skills and interests, right? We know what their passions are. But we're not telling them, ‘Hey, you're going to be a nurse your entire life.’ We're saying, ‘Hey, check out this health care pathway. It may be a perfect fit for you.’”

“Success looks like student participation and access. … The win is in five years if the numbers multiply five times by student participation and if we continue to attract schools to help us figure out this access issue.“


Stay in touch with Aaron:
LinkedIn
Twitter
The UC Experience Podcast
Website

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Lauren Marie Hall Riggins, a senior manager at Empower Schools, a national nonprofit that partners with communities and educators to reimagine local education systems. Lauren is currently the Director of Youth Poet Laureate at VOICES Corporation, an organization offering culturally sustaining programs for young people, where she also serves as a board member and consultant. She is an experienced educator, researcher, and nonprofit leader with many notable achievements.

This is the second episode in a four-part series focusing on rural collaboratives that are developing opportunities for students in specialized career pathways.

Some Questions I Ask:

• Can you tell us more about Empower Schools? (01:34)
• What workforce issues are being addressed in the traditional CTE space? (04:04)
• What opportunities have you developed with higher education partners, and what challenges have you encountered? (07:05)
• How do you address funding in K-12 education collaboratives? (10:54)
• What credentials are you looking to offer in these collaborations, and how do they enhance students’ futures? (14:19)
• How do the collaborations address student transportation? (19:21)
• What are your goals in rural collaboratives, and do you have to be rural to be part of them? (25:08)
• What other places across the country have built impressive collaborations to support students? (28:43)
• How do you share your powerful story of success? (31:33)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• All about Empower Schools (01:46)
• Workforce issues traditional CTE addresses (04:19)
• Opportunities and challenges with higher education partners (07:35)
• Strategies for funding K-12 collaboratives (11:09)
• Pros and cons of credentials (15:41)
• Creative approaches to student transportation (19:34)
• Aspirational goals for education collaboratives anywhere (25:29)
• Which other states have built impressive collaborations (29:02)
• How Lauren shares her organization’s success (31:49)

Quotes:

“I joke with my friends in the education innovation scene—excuse my language if we can't use this term—but someone needs to make transportation sexy. Why is no one innovating transportation?.”

“We've created a situation where we have thousands and thousands of students across the country who have insane amounts of post-secondary debt and no real career prospects. … Post-secondary is important, but let's marry it with very intentional academic supports and a clear path that kids have explored and feel good about—and that leads to a family-sustaining wage.”

“Rural collaboratives are a really unique way of maintaining community identity and collective efficacy, the sense that a group of people feel like they can do something well together, take care of their kids, [and] create a really strong regional economy.”

Stay in touch with Lauren:
LinkedIn
Email: [email protected]

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook