Education Influencers

Today on Education Influencers, Dr. Carla Sparks interviews Dr. Daryll Wharton, certified special educator, special education strategist, and founder of Beyond Compliance Advisors, about building special education compliance systems that move schools from “fire drill” audit readiness to confidence so students reliably receive required supports and services. Wharton explains that compliance challenges are often systems issues, emphasizing efficient processes, staff capacity-building, accurate documentation, and transferable IEP practices. She offers tips for new teachers—breathe, see students as general education first, build rapport, and teach the way students learn—and for school and district leaders to know special education law and timelines, stay involved in IEP work, and partner with families. She promotes parent workshops, virtual access, related service provider involvement, and strengths-based IEP meetings, and shares a success story of supporting a student into hair school who later owned a salon.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast

00:29 Meet Dr Daryll Wharton

01:27 Beyond Compliance Origins

03:55 From Compliance to Confidence

07:05 Systems Not Staffing

11:04 Advice for New Teachers

12:46 Guidance for School Leaders

15:51 Partnering With Parents

19:42 Building Parent Empowerment

23:04 Virtual Engagement and Teamwork

25:25 Success Story and Transition Planning

28:42 Closing Thanks and Wrap Up 

#SpecialEducation #IEP #SpecialEdCompliance #IDEA #SchoolLeadership #DistrictLeadership #K12Education #InclusiveEducation #EquityInEducation #ParentEngagement #FamilySchoolPartnership #IEPMeeting #SpecialEducationTeacher #RelatedServices #SchoolPsychologist #SpeechTherapy #OccupationalTherapy #PhysicalTherapy #AdaptivePE #VisionImpairment #CerebralPalsy #StudentOutcomes #TeacherTips #EducationPodcast #EducationInfluencers

Today on Education Influencers, Dr. Carla Sparks interviews Jonny Havey, founder of eLearning Partners and former PwC IT auditor and CPA, about using education as a competitive advantage to increase product adoption, customer acquisition, and customer and employee retention. Havey explains how uninspiring online CPE courses led him to build more engaging e-learning programs and consult clients from solopreneurs to S&P 500 teams. 

He introduces the Plug the Profit Leak Challenge, a multi-day group consulting experience based on aligning “ROI Pie” across business, customers, buyers, and employees to uncover profit leaks, often finding at least $100K quickly. He outlines an ROI framework—define ROI, set KPIs, then choose tactics and measure results—plus the Pareto Principle (80/20) and 64/4 rule to focus time and energy on what drives outcomes. He shares resources at elearningpartners.com and plugtheprofitleak.com.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast

00:30 Meet Jonny Havey

01:41 Why eLearning Partners Started

04:32 Who Businesses Serve

05:32 Plug the Profit Leak

10:38 ROI for Educators

13:08 Profit Equation and KPIs

19:22 Education Meets Business

23:06 Time Energy and 80 20

31:59 Where to Find Jonny

33:20 Startup Tips for Founders

35:50 Relationships Build Trust

37:42 Final Takeaways and Thanks 

On Education Influencers, Dr. Carla Sparks interviews Tricia Conyers, founder of Inspire Her Coaching, about helping women close the gap between who they are and who they know they can become by taking action in the presence of fear, self-doubt, and uncertainty. Tricia explains that confidence is built through action, not waiting to feel ready, and shares her Confidence Wheel framework—nurturing the brilliant self (self-knowledge and authenticity), brave self (courage, growth, and stepping outside the comfort zone), and bold self (visibility, owning wins, and expanding networks).

She discusses creating coaching programs, retreats, workshops, and deeper conversation spaces for connection and momentum. Conyers also highlights her co-hosted podcast, Every Little Model, and announces her book Confidence Is Action, launching September 14 on Amazon and major online retailers.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Welcome to Education Influencers

00:28 Meet Tricia Conyers

02:26 Why Inspire Her Exists

06:50 Defining the Gap

12:03 Confidence Is Action Book

16:24 Launch Date and No Preorder

17:26 Confidence Wheel Framework

22:01 Comfort Zone and Fear

25:23 Creating Connection Spaces

27:48 Every Little Model Podcast

30:11 Final Thoughts and Farewell 

 #EducationInfluencers #CarlaSparks #TriciaConyers #InspireHerCoaching #WomenInLeadership #WomenEmpowerment #ConfidenceBuilding #ConfidenceIsAction #BehaviorChange #LeadershipDevelopment #PersonalGrowth #MindsetCoaching #CareerGrowth #Entrepreneurship #WomenEntrepreneurs #BoldLeadership #BraveSelf #AuthenticConfidence #SelfBelief #ComfortZone #GoalSetting #CoachingForWomen #RetreatsAndWorkshops #EveryLittleModel #ConfidenceWheel

Today Dr. Carla Sparks interviews Dr. Rachel Maldonado, CEO of Irvington Community Schools and an EdD graduate of National Louis University (Dec. 2025). Dr. Maldonado shares her experience leading school transformation across Florida and Indiana in Title I urban settings, including building Duval Micro School into a nationally recognized dropout recovery model with a 96.2% graduation rate.

She explains how funding structures, charter autonomy, and state legislation can create barriers for marginalized students, and describes navigating policy to move students to graduation. Dr. Maldonado highlights NLU’s mentoring and the disciplined focus needed to complete a doctorate while leading a dropout prevention school.

She emphasizes relationship-building, listening to understand, transparent communication, cross-training staff, managing resistance, and ethical innovation (including AI/CTE) as keys to sustainable improvement amid staffing shortages and increasing political pressure.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:41 Meet Dr Rachel Maldonado

03:52 Influencing School Transformation

07:31 Doctoral Journey at NLU

09:15 Finishing the Dissertation

14:28 Impactful Change and Dropout Prevention

16:46 Humble Beginnings and Equity Lens

21:28 New CEO Role in Indiana

25:43 Relationships and Listening to Lead

30:06 Valuing Staff Without Big Pay

30:39 Transparent Leadership Communication

31:56 College Access and Scholarships

32:54 Risk Taking for School Turnarounds

34:17 AI CTE and Legislative Barriers

37:14 Hybrid Learning and Future Proofing

39:35 Speaking Up and Charter Warnings

41:22 Lessons Learned and Letting Go

42:35 Tips for Education Change Makers

46:01 Managing Resistance Inside Out

48:06 Irvington Challenges and Momentum

51:54 Gratitude and Closing Reflections 

#EducationLeadership #SchoolTransformation #CharterSchools #PublicEducation #DropoutPrevention #DropoutRecovery #TitleOneSchools #UrbanEducation #EquityInEducation #Inclusion #StudentSuccess #GraduationRate #EducationalPolicy #SchoolFunding #TeacherRetention #InstructionalLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership #CEOInEducation #NationalLouisUniversity #EdD #Dissertation #CommunitySchools #AIinEducation #CTE

Today on Education Influencers, Dr. Carla Sparks interviews Dr. Dina Metova, assistant principal at Citrus Elementary (Orange County Public Schools, Florida) and adjunct professor at National Louis University. Dr. Medeva shares how earning an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership expanded her platform to mentor doctoral students, present research, and connect leadership theory to daily school practice.

She explains her relationship-centered approach to influence, focusing on teacher empowerment, student impact, and building trust. Dr. Medeva highlights key school improvements under collaborative leadership, including Citrus Elementary earning its first A grade in 13 years, strengthening MTSS, increasing teacher retention, expanding teacher leadership, boosting family engagement, and implementing student-led data conversations. She describes balancing K–12 administration with higher education teaching and offers tips for educators: keep learning, build relationships, share work, and lead through service to students and teachers.

Episode Highlights:00:00 Welcome to the Podcast00:40 Meet Dr Dina Medeva03:01 Doctorate Doors Opened05:05 Research What Matters06:51 Influence Through Relationships09:26 Daily Impact and Teacher Leaders12:01 Transforming School Culture15:43 Balancing K12 and Higher Ed20:51 More Contributions and Research23:15 Servant Leadership Mindset26:56 Five Tips for Change Makers32:16 Closing Thanks and Takeaways

#EducationalLeadership #SchoolLeadership #TeacherRetention #SchoolCulture #MTSS #K12Education #ElementaryEducation #InstructionalLeadership #TeacherEmpowerment #StudentAchievement #FamilyEngagement #StudentLeadership #DoctoralEducation #EdD #HigherEducation #AdjunctProfessor #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalLearning #EducationResearch #SchoolImprovement #EquityInEducation #CollaborativeLeadership #ServantLeadership #EducationPodcast #NationalLouisUniversity

Today on Education Influencers, Dr. Carla Sparks interviews Dr. Dan Evans, author, trainer, and former Principal of the Year and Chief Academic Officer in Pinellas County, Florida, known for leading instructional change that produced the district’s highest achievement scores in reading, math, and science. Dr. Evans discusses his upcoming book, Remarkable Learning: A Guide for Building Creative and Confident Kids (releasing in September), which focuses on evidence-based “levers” that build academic confidence and self-efficacy so struggling students reach grade-level proficiency. 

He highlights academic discussion and strong questioning as high-yield strategies and explains “force multipliers” as the most impactful instructional moves. Evans describes narrowing focus, tightly designing curriculum, and pairing explicit instruction with applied, experiential learning (including STEM) as keys to rapid improvement. The book is available for preorder via Bloomsbury, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. 

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast

00:40 Meet Dr Dan Evans

02:05 How Dan Influences Schools

03:11 New Book Sneak Peek

04:42 Building Academic Confidence

07:37 High Impact Discussion Strategy

09:22 Force Multipliers Explained

11:33 Preorder and Where to Buy

12:32 District Leadership Wins

14:13 Applied Learning and STEM

15:46 Principalship and Turnaround Work

18:09 Find Dan Online

18:50 Advice for Change Makers

22:20 Closing Thanks and Wrap Up 

#EducationInfluencers #DrDanEvans #DrCarlaSparks #EducationPodcast #InstructionalLeadership #EducationalReform #TeacherProfessionalDevelopment #AcademicConfidence #StudentSelfEfficacy #StrugglingLearners #GradeLevelProficiency #HighImpactTeaching #EvidenceBasedInstruction #ClassroomStrategies #AcademicDiscussion #EffectiveQuestioning #CurriculumDesign #LessonPlanning #SchoolTurnaround #PrincipalLeadership #ChiefAcademicOfficer #AppliedLearning #ExperientialLearning #STEMEducation #RemarkableLearning

Today on Education Influencers, Dr. Carla Sparks interviews Dr. Kristy Verdi about K–12 service learning and how it differs from collegiate service learning. Dr. Verdi, a former high school social studies teacher who discovered service learning in 1999, founded Learn and Serve Tampa Inc. in 2020 to train and support teachers; the organization has supported projects in over 35 Tampa Bay schools, including park cleanups, donations for people and pets, facility enhancements, environmental protection, and community honor events. 

She explains the IPARD framework (investigation, planning/preparation, action, reflection, demonstration/celebration) and quality standards such as reciprocity, and discusses how service learning aligns with project-based learning through reflection, action, and sharing results with decision-makers. Verdi advocates embedding service learning into teacher preparation through instructional methods courses, developing a module, and leveraging organizations like the National Youth Leadership Council and related conferences and journals.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast

00:30 Meet Dr Kristy Verdi

03:07 Service Learning Defined

05:03 IPARD Framework Explained

06:38 Training Pre Service Teachers

08:33 Methods Course Integration

10:12 Building a Teacher Module

13:14 Publishing and Measuring Impact

16:08 Service Learning vs PBL

18:57 Beach Cleanup Done Right

23:32 Supporting Teachers in Schools

26:53 Favorite Project Patriot Day

30:25 Finding Videos and Resources

33:04 Models and Funding for Training

35:16 Closing Thanks and Wrap Up 

Today Dr. Carla Sparks interviews Dr. Bianka Newkirk , an educational leader and senior administrator in talent acquisition and HR programs for Orange County Public Schools, one of the nation’s largest districts. Dr. Newkirk explains how earning her doctorate at National Louis University and her dissertation on induction for second-career educators led her into instructional recruiting, educator development, and retention work, noting that over 50% of new hires are second-career teachers. 

She discusses why Florida’s certification changes and job security attract career changers, and highlights state-level contributions with the Florida Department of Education, including revising civics curriculum and updating Florida Educational Leadership Standards (FELS) with professional learning. Dr. Newkirk details a districtwide mentoring program redesign focused on structured mentor-mentee agreements, administrator alignment, and reducing early-career teacher turnover.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast

00:36 Meet Dr Bianka Newkirk 

02:19 Doctorate to Career Shift

04:01 Second Career Educators Explained

05:24 State Level Influence

07:24 FELS Standards Impact

09:02 Revamping Teacher Mentoring

13:57 Talent Acquisition Pathways

17:11 Curriculum Writing at Scale

19:33 Advice for Change Makers

21:20 First Day Teaching Reflections

23:50 Closing Thanks and Wrap Up

Today Dr. Carla Sparks interviews Dr. Aleli Vazquez, an educational leader and National Louis University alumni Hall of Fame inductee, about leading with purpose through school culture, instruction, and advocacy. Dr. Vazquez shares how earning her doctorate in 2020 supported her leadership during COVID, her work as a founding principal in Florida, and her current role as Dean of Faculty at the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta. 

She explains RCA’s high-energy, high-expectation model for grades 4–8 and its conferences that allow educators to observe live classrooms, learn RCA strategies, and implement systems like the house system. Dr. Vazquez details coaching and feedback practices centered on reflection, excellence, and support, and emphasizes sustainability through shared vision, transparency, staff ownership, and developing leaders. She gives her advice on educator leadership without titles, investing in people, protecting culture, and leading with heart, empathy, and excellence.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:39 Meet Dr Aleli Vazquez

03:12 Post Doctorate Journey

05:17 What Is Ron Clark Academy

07:15 Coaching Teachers at RCA

10:31 Visiting RCA Conferences

13:04 Influencing Through Adults

16:06 Culture Meets Instruction

20:42 Building Sustainable Legacy

24:19 From Principal to RCA

30:12 Advice for Change Makers

34:01 Closing Thanks 

Today on Education Influencers, Dr. Carla Sparks interviews Dr. Rachel Chappell, a 27-year educator and Director of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction for Sarasota County Schools, about leading district-wide curriculum, instruction, and student outcomes. Dr. Chappell discusses how earning her EdD at National Louis University opened opportunities to share research on oral language and early literacy intervention, support dissertation writers, and step into her current leadership role. 

She highlights Sarasota’s Literacy for All initiative, the district’s transition to science of reading-aligned instruction, strengthening Tier 1 teaching and targeted supports, and building educator capacity through job-embedded professional learning. She also describes designing a K–12 Multi-Tiered System of Supports framework, cross-department collaboration, grant-funded professional learning in literacy and math, and leadership practices centered on relationships, trust, clarity, feedback, data, and continuous improvement.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:30 Meet Dr Rachel Chappell

02:06 Doctorate Opens Doors

04:16 Influencing Reading Success

06:58 Impact Beyond School

08:44 Building K12 MTSS

10:35 Director Role Realities

15:15 Trailblazing Sarasota

18:12 Grants And Innovation

21:20 Tips For Change Makers

25:41 Relationships At The Core

26:52 Closing Thanks