Learning Can’t Wait

On this special episode of the Learning Can’t Wait podcast, we take a brief detour from our Rural Education Miniseries to sit down with Arne Duncan, former Secretary of Education and current Managing Partner of Emerson Collective.

Arne brings a wealth of experience from his time at Chicago Public Schools and the Obama Administration, offering unique perspectives on what officials at local, state, and federal levels are missing in our education system. With a passion for creating stable, safe communities for children, Arne discusses fighting chronic student absenteeism with “relentless outreach,” the intentional use of technology in the classroom, and addressing the nationwide teacher shortage with an educator-centered approach.

Known for successfully bridging political divides, Arne encourages us to see education as a nation-building goal. He also shares his best advice for new educators and extends a heartfelt thank you to those leading the future of our democracy in the classroom.

For further reading, check out Arne Duncan’s book: “How Schools Work: An Inside Account of Failure and Success from One of the Nation's Longest-Serving Secretaries of Education.”

Produced by Fullmind

Welcome to Episode One of our Rural Education mini-series on the Learning Can’t Wait podcast! This week, Hayley Spira-Bauer hosts a panel of three incredible education leaders to help us dispel myths about rural America:

Melissa Harris - Senior Fellow at Transcend

Allen Pratt - Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association

Taylor McCabe-Juhnke - Executive Director at Rural Schools Collaborative

Tune in as our guests illuminate the many positive aspects of rural education, exploring how the "scrappiness" of rural schools inherently fosters a culture of innovation. The group also delves into the opportunities of AI and other technologies, while describing why collaboration between rural schools and communities is essential. 

Join us every Tuesday at fullmindlearning.com/podcast. Next week, we continue our Rural Education mini-series by discussing collegiality in rural schools with Michael Gonzalez and Richard Wright.

Show notes from this conversation include:

Changing the One-Size-Fits-All Education Model from the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction

Rural Cultural Wealth: Dismantling Deficit Ideologies of Rurality  from the Journal for Multicultural Education

Produced by Fullmind

This week on the Learning Can’t Wait podcast host Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Jessica Sie, Chief Academic Officer at Zeta Charter School.

In this inspiring episode, Jessica describes her passion for breaking down systemic and structural barriers to education. We learn how Jessica defines innovative work and why she believes some of the most exciting ideas to transform education might be coming from different sectors entirely. Finally, Jessica shares her philosophy around teacher professional development and why she always grounds her work in its core mission, vision, and values.

Join us every Tuesday at fullmindlearning.com/podcast. Next week, we begin our Rural Education mini series! Speaking with teachers, superintendents, non-profit leaders, and governmental advocacy groups, the Learning Can’t Wait podcast will dig deep into the current state of rural education and how we can best set rural students up for success. 

To kick off the series, we’ll speak with Melissa Harris, Taylor McCabe-Juhnk, and Allen Pratt to dispel myths about rural America.

Book recommendations for this week’s episode include:

Mindset by Carol Dweck

Culture Code by Daniel Coyle

Power of Moments by Chip & Daniel Heath

Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammonds

Produced by Fullmind

Welcome back to the Learning Can’t Wait podcast! This week, Hayley Spira-Bauer hosts a thought-provoking conversation with Juliana Finnegan, VP of Educator Experience at Vivi.  

Tune in as Juliana shares her thoughts about the role of technology in the classroom and how it can support effective instruction without replacing essential human connection.  Hayley and Juliana also discuss Learning Language Models and the vital difference between passive and active engagement.  Finally, we learn about why Juliana believes we need to make technology “future proof” if we’re going to use it in schools.

Join us every Tuesday at fullmindlearning.com/podcast. Next week, we talk to Jessica Sie, Chief Academic Officer at Zeta Charter School.

Resources from this conversation include:

NETP

Jessica Grose's three writing pieces

Research-Based, Online Learning for Teachers

Vivi for Teachers

Produced by Fullmind

This week on the Learning Can’t Wait podcast, host Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Brandon Cardet-Hernandez, Chief Strategy Officer at Mrs. Wordsmith.  

In this delightful conversation, Brandon describes how both rigor and play are central to his work helping kids to read and tackling the ‘30 million word gap’.  Brandon also shares lessons from his early career and what it’s like to work on education at a political level.  Lastly, Brandon emphasizes that “not all screen time is created equal” and shares tips for how adults can be more involved in children’s use of technology.

Produced by Fullmind

Welcome back to Season 5 of the Learning Can’t Wait podcast! Today, Hayley Spira-Bauer hosts a conversation with Doug McCurry, Former Co-CEO and Superintendent of Achievement First, now working as a consultant.

Doug shares insights on the resilience learned from his father and son, the impact of smartphones on school and mental health, and  why summer is a great time for both students and teacher development.  Doug also discusses his ideas around curriculum and standards, and shares how school leaders can support their teams through celebration and recognition.

Produced by Fullmind

Welcome back to the Learning Can't Wait Podcast! This week, we're excited to present a panel discussion on innovation in education featuring Brett Roer, Jacob Kantor, and Candice Sears.

Tune in as host Hayley Spira-Bauer talks to our respected guests about what makes them hopeful about education today. They'll explore how we can make technology work with, not against, traditional teaching methods. The discussion also covers strategies for encouraging schools to adopt new approaches and why it's important to prioritize student input in innovation decisions.

Produced by Fullmind

Join us today for a special solar eclipse episode of the Learning Can't Wait Podcast! Host Hayley Spira-Bauer dives into the universe of STEM with John Dedeax Davis Jr., an Education Specialist at NASA's Office of STEM Engagement, and Talia Milgrom-Elcott, the Founder and Executive Director of Beyond100K.

In this captivating discussion, they explore how NASA shares scientific concepts with the public why the solar eclipse is an amazing opportunity to tap into the sense of mystery and wonder all around us. John shares a fascinating project involving tree seeds that traveled to the moon and back, while Talia emphasizes that just as reaching the moon is achievable, so is overcoming the shortage of STEM educators.

Produced by Fullmind

In this week's installment of the Learning Can't Wait Podcast, host Hayley Spira-Bauer engages in a captivating dialogue with Chrissybil Boulin, the visionary force behind Jump Start Tutoring and the CEO of Vero Learning.

Tune in to this enlightening exchange as Chrissybil shares her journey, revealing how a setback—failure to gain admission into her desired college—propelled her into the realm of entrepreneurship, ultimately impacting the lives of countless students. Chrissybil delves into her transformative initiatives, which empower young minds with invaluable career guidance and facilitate seamless job placements. She also explains why a focus on self discovery is essential for kids to understand what they’re good at and what they need to improve.

Produced by Fullmind

On this week’s episode of the Learning Can’t Wait Podcast Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Senior Research Analyst at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, Dr. Steven Weiner.

Listen to this delightfully nerdy discussion where Steven shares his research on unconventional learning environments and what insights we can gain from them.  Hayley and Steven also discuss why they both believe that being a teacher right now means you better be ready for change.

Produced by Fullmind