Learning Can’t Wait

In this episode of Learning Can’t Wait, Hayley Spira-Bauer speaks with Aidan McDowell, founder and CEO of Unique Learn, about making learning more personal, purposeful, and engaging. Drawing on his own school experiences, Aidan explains how understanding students’ interests, cultures, emotions, and circumstances can help educators create meaningful learning experiences. He discusses Unique Learn’s approach to personalized practice and Unique Path’s student-driven career exploration, emphasizing intrinsic motivation and opportunities for students to direct their learning. The conversation also explores his concerns about blanket AI bans, his company’s shift toward helping districts manage fragmented technology and data, and why listening to educators and treating students as individuals should guide innovation.

In this episode of Learning Can’t Wait, Peter Bahr, Vice President of Employer Alignment and Managing Director of Strada’s Institute for the Future of Work, joins Hayley Spira-Bauer to explore how education can better connect students to career opportunities. Drawing on his own experience navigating college while working full-time, Bahr discusses Strada’s research on interstate talent migration, including the finding that 55% of college-educated workers attended both high school and college in the state where they currently work. He explains why developing local talent matters, encourages educators to introduce college and career pathways early, and urges policymakers to base decisions on data. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes transparent information about college costs and career prospects, meaningful work experience, and mentorship as essential supports for students building their futures.

On this Learning Can’t Wait podcast episode, host Hayley Spira-Bauer speaks with Teach For America CEO Aneesh Sohoni about how his parents’ immigrant journey shaped his belief in educational opportunity and how teaching revealed both his students’ potential and the systemic barriers they faced. Aneesh explains that Teach For America’s impact extends far beyond two years in the classroom, creating a 72,000-member, multigenerational leadership network working throughout education and related fields. As schools confront teacher shortages, artificial intelligence, economic uncertainty, and declining student well-being, he argues that the central challenge is leadership—and calls on new and experienced leaders to transform purpose into collective action so every student can learn, lead, thrive, and see a place for themselves in the future.

In this special crossover episode of Learning Can't Wait and ETS's Praxis Journeys, Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Vinay Ganti, Head of Partnerships and District Solutions at ETS, to discuss his unconventional journey into education, the challenges facing K-12 schools, and the future of teacher recruitment and retention. Vinay shares how his experiences in higher education, edtech, and innovation shaped his passion for education as a tool for life-changing impact. The conversation explores teacher shortages, leadership, school redesign, innovation in education, the role of edtech and AI, and the importance of supporting educators through strong professional pathways and mindset development. Ultimately, both guests emphasize that improving outcomes for students requires investing in teachers, embracing innovation, and sharing successful practices across school communities.

In this episode of Learning Can't Wait, Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Rose Else-Mitchell, Executive Director of the Science of Reading Center at SUNY, to discuss the evolving Science of Reading movement, the importance of bridging the gap between research and classroom practice, and how educators can evaluate the effectiveness of instructional materials and professional learning. Rose shares insights from her journey as an educator, highlights the critical role of implementation and coaching in driving student outcomes, and emphasizes that every student, regardless of age, can learn to read when educators combine evidence-based practices with a belief in student potential.

In this episode of Learning Can't Wait, Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with retired education leader and author Wendell Sumter to discuss his new book, Dirt Road Destiny. Drawing from his upbringing in rural South Carolina and his 36-year career in education, Wendell shares how family, mentors, adversity, and resilience shaped his leadership journey. He reflects on pivotal experiences, including being told he was "not college material," overcoming educational misplacement, and learning the importance of empathy through difficult personal and professional moments. The conversation explores leadership, school culture, community engagement, and Wendell's "Win Them Over" framework, which emphasizes listening, collaboration, and winning hearts rather than arguments. Ultimately, the episode is a powerful reminder that challenges can become stepping stones toward purpose, impact, and lasting leadership.

In this episode of Learning Can't Wait, Hayley Spira-Bauer is joined by Alex Meis, Vice President of Attendance Strategy at ParentSquare, and Dr. Anny Iacono, Director of Student Services and Special Education at Nuview. Together, they explore the growing challenge of chronic absenteeism and explain why improving attendance is fundamentally about building relationships rather than enforcing compliance. The discussion highlights how Nuview transformed attendance outcomes through empathetic communication, customized family support, community partnerships, and a person-first approach, resulting in district-wide attendance improvements and stronger engagement with families.

In this episode of Learning Can’t Wait, Dr. Brenda Lewis, Superintendent of Fridley Public Schools, shares her leadership journey from paraeducator to superintendent and discusses the challenges her district faced during ICE Metro Surge. She explains how immigration enforcement activities on and around school property disrupted student attendance, created fear among families, and threatened students' access to their constitutional right to education. Dr. Lewis reflects on leading through crisis, supporting staff and families, rebuilding trust within the community, and maintaining a steadfast commitment to student safety, belonging, and public education. She also offers valuable leadership lessons on communication, transparency, governance, and leading through core values.

In Season 12 Episode 2, Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Rachael Tutwiler Fortune, President of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, for an inspiring conversation about community-driven change, future readiness, and the power of believing in young people. Drawing from her personal journey as a young mother who benefited from mentors who invested in her potential, Rachael shares how Jacksonville has dramatically improved graduation rates through collective action while remaining focused on literacy, workforce preparation, and educational equity. She emphasizes that preparing students for the future requires more than workforce skills, it demands developing strong learners, confident creators, and caring citizens who can thrive in a rapidly changing world.