Free Range Humans

Judy Halbert and Linda Kaser have the privilege of leading the Networks of Inquiry and Indigenous Education and the Aboriginal Enhancement Schools Network. They are deeply committed to achieving equity and quality for all learners—and to networking for innovation and improvement both in Canada and internationally. Their conversation with Rod and Jal covers several topics including: an opening discussion on the intersection of critical race theory (CRT), politics and education; humorous acronyms; how Canadian education frameworks could be helpful in the United States; why Judy and Linda are "famous for networks;" how to identify and then spread pockets of greatness throughout all schools; and the importance of strong and equitable assessment tools.

Additional Resources:

www.deeperlearningdozen.org

The Spiral Playbook

System Transformation for Equity and Quality

Leadership Mindsets: Innovation and Learning in the Transformation of Schools

Anthony (Tony) Mackay is CEO/President of the Washington DC based National Center on Education and the Economy. He has held multiple positions within education and continues to consult in parts of the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Tony is deeply connected to the global learning transformation agenda and offers a unique perspective on the current and future state of our education systems. Highlights from the episode include: an overview of what the global learning agenda looks like; why social and emotional needs should be guiding learning strategies; the idea that future change is reliant on risk-taking leaders; turning parents into allies; navigating the politics of education; and the importance of the entire education ecosystem working together.

Alisa Berger was the founding principal at both the NYC iSchool, a New York City public high school, and the Mott Hall II school, a NYC public middle school. Devon Larosa is the former principal of La Follette High School in Madison, Wisconsin and currently works as the Deputy Chief of Schools - High School Network for the Chicago public school system. This robust conversation covers several topics including: lessons we can take from the virtual classroom and integrate into traditional teaching; how to create real spaces for student healing and mental health; what is needed to make the classroom more relevant to students; how to better prepare students so they can pursue their passions; balancing teaching critical issues even when teacher biases are present; and how care, compassion and empathy should be at the core of all education systems.

Andy Hargreaves is Director of Chenine (Change, Engagement and Innovation in Education) at the University of Ottawa in Canada, and Emeritus Professor at Boston College, USA. He has published more than 30 books and has eight Outstanding Writing Awards. His most recent book, Five Paths of Student Engagement (with Dennis Shirley), focuses on engagement strategies that promote students' well-being, learning, and success. Highlights from his conversation with Rod and Jal include: how Andy is managing life and professionalism in retirement; why authoring his latest book felt like a quest; the difference between changing urban and rural school systems; how technology may actually discourage deeper learning; and how successful systems can serve as models for reducing educational inequities more broadly.

Shane Safir is described as an innovator at heart, with a rare combination of leadership and instructional expertise. Her voice resonates with educators who want to reinvent their schools and organizations into places of equitable learning. Jamila Dugan began her career as a teacher in Washington D.C. and currently serves as an equity-centered leadership development coach across all sectors. Shane and Jamila started collaborating seven years ago and have co-authored the book "Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation." Highlights from their conversation with Rod and Jal include: a glimpse into the origins of their book; a look at the current system and how it is setting up teachers and students to fail; discussing the idea of how certain data sets may be inhibiting educational progress; why the most powerful data isn't always easy to measure; why an emphasis on human interactions, mental health, and well-being should be the focus of our classrooms post-COVID; and how we need to adjust our teaching and promote innovation to better reach students.

Michael Fullan is the former Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and Professor Emeritus of the University of Toronto. He is co-leader of the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning global initiative (npdl.global). Recognized as a worldwide authority on educational reform, he advises policymakers and local leaders in helping to achieve the moral purpose of all children learning. Highlights from his conversation with Rod and Jal include: definitions of coherence and enactment; an emphasis on leading from the middle instead of traditional ideas of top-down or bottom up; how districts waste too much money on policies that don't impact equity; the importance of student involvement in policy making conversations; and how to make students feel a greater connection to the success of humanity.

Neema Avashia teaches ethnic studies in the Boston Public School system, and Jen Poeger is the Assistant Principal of La Follette High School in Madison Wisconsin. Both have accomplished incredible things and learned valuable lessons over the past year. Highlights from their conversation with Rod and Jal include: what classrooms should be focusing on as students return to in-person learning; what it means to re-socialize an entire school community; how we should leverage the pandemic disruption to re-think what "normal" schooling looks like; why saying all the right things isn't enough - educators need to start "walking the walk;" and emphasizing that there needs to be more dialogue between students and policy makers.

Ron Berger is Chief Academic Officer for EL Education, an organization that partners with districts and charter boards to found public schools in low-income communities. EL Education’s core work is building teacher capacity in schools and districts through professional coaching, resources and open-source curriculum. Ron teaches a course at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, he is an Annenberg Foundation Teacher Scholar, received the Autodesk Foundation National Teacher of the Year award, and is the author of six books.

Highlights from the conversation include: a physical therapy metaphor for teaching post-COVID; the importance of quality as students head out in to the real world; how certain standards pose a threat to creativity and deeper learning; the idea that genius is spread out equally among the kids of this world, but opportunity is not; and Ron tells us what it's like to live in a town where most of his neighbors are former students.

Sarah Fine is co-author of "In Search of Deeper Learning: The Quest to Remake the American High School." She teaches a deeper learning course at Harvard, and is the director of the San Diego Teacher Residency, which was formerly the High Tech High Graduate School of Education Teaching Apprenticeship program. Sarah and Jal share how they decided to pursue the project, what it was like to conduct research in schools and classrooms, who has guided and influenced their thinking and writing, how their views have changed since the books publishing, and why they have such a strong partnership even if they do drive each other nuts on occasion!

http://www.deeperlearningdozen.org

Tyler Thigpen is the head of the Forest School and Institute for Self Directed Learning. He also teaches at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School. Tyler has led several schools and is one of the foremost champions of agentic learning in the U.S., a model that puts students at the center of learning design. Highlights from the conversation include: how Tyler's background as a minister helped shape his ideas when it came to building a school; the importance of teaching "learning science" and allowing students to make their own rules; extending that same "learning science" to the education of teachers, staff, and parents; lessons from developmental theory that can be applied to schools; and the return of the lightning round, but this time, questions get flipped back on the hosts!