EDUP Xcelerated Excellence

EDUP Xcelerated Excellence

By Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMPEducation
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EDUP Xcelerated Excellence episodes

  • Sharif El-Mekki—Rebuilding the Black Teacher Pipeline

    Our Guest, Sharif El-Mekki, is founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development in Philadelphia, PA.


    Sharif explains the mission of the center to rebuild theBlack educator pipeline. He stresses the importance of attending to the social-political context of the profession. Three pillars undergird the center’s work steeped in community to build while leading. The pillars arepolicy and advocacy, professional learning, and pathways for entry into the profession.

     

    With much national attention on the Science of Reading,Sharif, shares how Black literacy is connected to liberation. He also explains the overall importance of culturally relevant pedagogy.

     

    Your Host: Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP

     

    Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 2025 conference in Las Vegas, NV with the  code EDUPXE10OFF and receive a reduced rate, courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence.

     

    Resources:

     Freedom Schools

    Right to Read Philly

    Center for Black Educator Development

    Concerned Black Men

    The EDUP Experience


    35 min
  • Richard Blank—Educating Call Center Representatives in the Bilingual Market

    Our Guest is ⁠Richard Blank⁠. He is a native of Philadelphia, PA and CEO of ⁠Costa Rica’s Call Center.⁠


    Richard shares the ingredients for supporting and preparing call center representatives for high-impact engagement with clients. He addresses the role of AI in call center productivity and the role of empathy as an effective tool in human interaction.


    He shares how developing community and engagement lead to retention of employees. Richard gives back to the community by offering scholarships for students.


    Your Host: ⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠


    Sponsors: ⁠The 2.0 Conferences⁠. Register for the 2024 conference in Las Vegas, NV with the code EDUPXE10OFF courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence for a reduced rate.


    ⁠Xcelelerated Excellence Consulting⁠, dedicated to offering support to education leaders and  their organizations to meet their full potential for excellence.



    Resources:

    EDUP The Experience

    CRM PROV



    44 min
  • Dr. Carlota Ocampo—Leading Academic Success, Upholding the Catholic Tradition of Trinity Washington University

    Our guest, Dr. Carlota Ocampo, is Provost of Trinity

    Washington University. She describes Trinity as a unicorn, the nation’s first Catholic liberal arts college for women that is a minority serving institution (MSI). She is a graduate of Howard University.

     

    She shares how faculty are prepared for actively engaged pedagogy in support of post-graduation outcomes for student success. Dr. Ocampo explains how students are supported for

    mental health on campus. She and the leadership team continually engage in the examination of barriers to students’ success.

     

    Dr. Ocampo describes how a catholic mission upholds social justice, service, and educational prowess. She credits President Patricia McGuire for the vision and strategic direction of the institution.

     

     

    Your Host:  Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP

     

    Sponsors: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 2025 conference in Las Vegas with the code EDUPXE10OFF and receive a 10% discount.

    Xcelerated Excellence Consulting

     

    Resources:

    How Colleges can Support the Mental Health of Students of Color

    The STEVE Fund

    President Patricia McGuire’s Blog Posts

     The EDUP Experience

    #EDUPProvost


    54 min
  • Emily Hellstrom—Literacy Instruction for Struggling Readers, Literacy Academy Collective (2 of 2)

    Our guest, Emily Hellstrom, is Director of Strategy and External Affairs and co-founder for the Literacy Academy

    Collective (LAC).


    Emily shares her literacy story and the approach taken by LAC

    to support struggling readers. She explains how the organization also supports teachers to improve their skills and the learning trajectory for struggling readers in their classrooms.

     

    The Goal of the Literacy Academy Collective is to launch a

    network of schools across New York City to support struggling readers.

     

    Your Host :  Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP

     

    Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 2025 conference in Las Vegas with the code EDUPXE10OFF and receive a 10% discount.

     

    Resources:

    EDUP Xcelerated Excellence —Naomi Peña, Supporting Families of Struggling Readers

    EDUP The Experience

    Xcelerated Excellence Consulting

    New York State Path Forward Team Releases Action Plan to Transform Literacy Instruction

    Literacy Academy Collective

    NAEP Report Card: Reading

    Reading Reform Across America: A Survey of State Legislation (Shanker Institute)

     

     


    1 hr
  • Naomi Peña—Supporting Families of Struggling Readers, Literacy Academy Collective (1 of 2)

    Our guest, Naomi Peña, is Director of Community Engagement and co-founder for the Literacy AcademyCollective.

     

    Naomi shares her experiences as a parent and an advocate to assistant families with children struggling in reading.  She explains the origins of the Literacy Academy Collective via a competitive proposal process.

     

    Working with families, describes how outreach and emotional support are vital resources for parent engagement.

     

    The Goal of the Literacy Academy Collective is to launch anetwork of schools across New York City to support struggling readers.

     

    Your Host :  Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP

     

    Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 2025 conference in Las Vegas with the codeEDUPXE10OFF and receive a 10% discount.

     

    Resources:

    EDUP The Experience

    Xcelerated Excellence Consulting

    NewYork State Path Forward Team Releases Action Plan to Transform Literacy Instruction

    NAEP Report Card: Reading

    Reading Reform Across America: A Survey of State Legislation (Shanker Institute)

     

     

     


     

     


    25 min
  • Dr. Chezare A. Warren—Centering Possibilities in Education for Black Children

    Our Guest, Dr. Chezare A. Warren, is Associate Professor of education policy with a secondary faculty appointment in the department of teaching and learning at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College.

     

    He addresses the role of empath and the counterbalance of false empathy as jumping off point for greater equity in schools. In doing so, he elevates the importance of interpersonal relationships that humanize educational experiences.

     

    Dr. Warren shares how his latest book Centering Possibility in Black Education emphasizes to work of Black artists and the possibilities for the educational experience of Black children.

     

    In this episode he explores art a scholarship and advocacy, reaching audiences and loving all people, but particularly Black people out loud.

     

    Chezare punctuates his experience by centering Black life as a space of refuge.

     

     

    Your Host: Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP

     

     

    Resources:

    Chezare Warren


    Centering Possibility in Black Education

     

    The Difference Between False Empathy and True Support (TED Talk)

     

    Freedom Dreams by RobinD. G. Kelley

     

    The EDUP Experience

     

     Sponsors:

    The 2.0 Conferences


    Xcelerated Excellence Consulting

     

    35 min
  • Inspirational Shorts with Dr. Sara Platt — @CAEPCon on The University of Mississippi Educator Preparation in Community

    Our guest, Dr. Sara Platt, is Assistant Dean, Director of

    Assessment and Accreditation and an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University of Mississippi’s School of Education. University. She explains that Ole Miss is home to the largest,
    public education preparation program in the state of Mississippi.

     

    Sara explains how CAEP standard number one for content and pedagogical knowledge has been instrumental in shaping program quality on campus. She describes the university’s unique approach

    to educator preparation as situated within local communities. Networking with local families, school districts, and organizations is a key feature for this approach. Dr. Platt lauds the contributions of Dr.  LaTonya Robinson, Chief of Student Services, Oxford School
    District, who served as the Practitioner-in Residence.

     

    Sara inspires other educator preparation programs to remain

    in conversation with communities for greater effectiveness and equity.

     

     

    Your Host: Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP

     

     

    Resources:

     

    Missouri Community Action Network


    Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

     

    EDUP The Experience

     

    EDUP Accreditation Insights

    12 min
  • Inspirational Shorts with Drs. LaVada Taylor and Nancy Grim — @CAEPCon on Chicago State University and Teacher Preparation

    Our guests are Drs. LaVada Taylor  and Nancy Grim are

    Dean and Professor, respectively, at Chicago State
    University (CSU). Both are with the School
    of Education.

     

    For this Inspirational Short recorded during the fall 2024

    CAEPCon convening in Arlington, VA.  Dean Taylor shares that Chicago State University is as a gem and is the only predominantly Black colleges across five states in the Midwest.  It was the first teacher’s college in the
    state of Illinois.

     

    Our guests stress that CAEP accreditation helps to level the

    playing field by providing the workforce will well prepared and highly qualified teachers. Dean Taylor explains that CSU graduates are both culturally complement and content proficient.

     

    They inspire other educator preparation programs (EPPs) to

    see the value in CAEP accreditation as strength in evidence for quality educator preparation. They also remind EPPs to continually focus on the needs of P-12 schools and their communities.


     

    Your Host: Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP

     

    Resources:

      

    Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is one of two national accrediting association for educator preparation, boasting more than 500
    members across the United States and internationally.

       

    James A. Banks, Emeritus Professor, University of Washington, College of Education

     

    EDUP Xcelerated Excellence Episode with Dr. Christopher A Koch, President of CAEP

       

    EDUP Accreditation Insights

        

    EDUP The Experience

     

     


    10 min
  • Inspirational Shorts with Dr. Costonzo Bryant-Martin— @CAEPCon on Generational Leadership and Service to Educator Preparation

    Our guest, Dr. Costonzo Bryant-Martin is Assistant Professor of Education and Director of the Call Me MiSTER Program at South Carolina State University (SCSU).

     

    For this Inspirational Short recorded during the fall 2024 CAEPCon convening in Arlington, VA, Costonzo describes the unique SCSU student experience, explaining that students are transformed through a family-oriented approach. He is also a third-generation graduate and employee of SCSU.

     

    As a first-time attendee of CAEPCon, Costonzo explains how the conference has helped to better elevate the purpose of CAEP accreditation as a lever for quality educator preparation.

     

    Dr. Bryant-Martin shares that the Call Me MiSTER program is designed to address the Black Male teacher shortage in the state of South Carolina. His campus program has seen a rise in students’ overall GPAs and pass rates on teacher licensure exams, and that graduates are working at all levels of the profession.


    He inspires other educator preparation programs (EPPS) to advance effectiveness and equity by knowing their narratives and focusing on outcomes that support their narratives. He points to the CAEP standards a resource in

    this regard.

     

    Your Host: Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP

     

    Resources:

       

    Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is one of two national accrediting association for educator preparation, boasting more than 500
    members across the United States and internationally.

     

    Call me MiSTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models)

     

    EDUP Xcelerated Excellence Episode with Dr. Christopher A Koch, President of CAEP

     

    EDUP Accreditation Insights

     

    EDUP The Experience

    10 min
  • Dr. Mark LaCelle-Peterson—Leading Equity and Effectiveness in Educator Preparation through Accreditation (Part 2 of 2)

    Our guest, Dr. Mark LaCelle-Peterson, is a founding team member and President of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP).

     

    Mark addresses the founding of AAQEP, responding to a demand for greater flexibility and innovation in education accreditation and an examination

    of quality in context.

     

    A cornerstone of AAQEP’s focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is anchored in a standard requiring education preparation programs to work with P-12 schools most in need, as well as the expectation that completers of AAQEP accredited programs are prepared to support “all learners.”

     

    Mark explains how, through collaboration with stakeholders, AAQEP champions consequential validity, shaping the work of educator preparation programs

    are achieving desired outcomes of quality.

     

    Your Host: Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP

     

    Resources:

    • Equity Now: Justice, Repair, and Belonging in Schools (Book) by Tyrone Howard
    • Reclaiming Accountability in Teacher Education (Book) by Marilyn Cochran-Smith
    • EDUP Accreditation Insights
    • The EDUP Experience
    • Education Deans for Justice and Equity

      •  

      The Sponsors:

      The 2.0 Conferences

      Xcelerated Excellence Consulting

       

      EDUP Xcelerated Excellence Community Mentionings:

      • Dr. Christine Dawson, Siena College
      • Dr. Joe Lubig, Associate Dean, Northern Michigan University




        • 48 min

      About EDUP Xcelerated Excellence

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      A podcast for the advancement of educational excellence and equity for traditional and non-traditional educational experiences and contexts, across higher education and beyond. The podcast seeks to…