On Balance

Ben Farrell joins Dr. Rod Berger to discuss wildly innovative approaches to education positioning current students for the future. Human-centered design, and entrepreneurism and innovation underscore this new approach to education.

Ben joined the New England Innovation Academy (NEIA) from The International Montessori School of Beijing in Beijing, China. Prior to that, he was the Dean of Students and Director of Leadership Education at the Webb Schools in California, worked in residential life at Bowdoin College, and earlier in his career, worked in admission at the Thacher School in California. Ben received his M.A. in Higher and Post-Secondary Education from Teachers College-Columbia University in New York and completed Graduate Coursework in Cross-Cultural Conflict Transformation and Reconciliation at the School for International Training in Vermont.

Nina Rees | President and Chief Executive Officer

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS)

Nina Rees is the president and chief executive officer of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement. Prior to joining the National Alliance, Nina spent 20 years shaping education policy in the public and private sectors. She served as the first Deputy Under Secretary for Innovation and Improvement in the U.S. Department of Education. Before moving to the Education Department, Nina worked in the White House as Deputy Assistant for Domestic Policy to the Vice President of the United States. A native of Iran who immigrated to America at the age of 14, Nina earned her undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech and a master’s degree at George Mason University. She now lives in McLean, Virginia, with her husband and daughter.

On Balance brings together the founders of Daybreak Health to discuss mental health issues throughout U.S. education and solutions to meet students, families, and schools where they are needed most. After observing his brother's struggles with mental health, Alex Alvarado knew that more could be done. Alvarado began to dream big, bringing his Stanford roommate, Siddarth Cidambi, into the fold, and Daybreak was born.

Daybreak Health partners with school districts to provide personalized mental health support to empower each student to be successful—in school and life. As the leading school-based teletherapy provider, Daybreak’s programs are designed to give students access to high-quality, affordable, and culturally competent care to meet their unique needs. Our evidence-based model treats students to a place of concrete improvement to drive academic outcomes like better grades, higher attendance, and behavioral improvements. To learn more about Daybreak’s school-based mental health programs, visit daybreakhealth.com. Daybreak currently partners with over 60 districts across the U.S., with clinicians specializing across 26 different mental health conditions and 13 modalities of care, speak 8 languages, 74% report as BIPOC, and 14% as members of the LGTBQ+ community. Daybreak continues to make noise in the business world as well, being named by Business Insider as one of the 25 most promising Edtech startups of 2023.

In this On Balance episode, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Ana Homayoun to discuss her latest book, ERASING THE FINISH LINE: THE NEW BLUEPRINT FOR STUDENT SUCCESS BEYOND GRADES AND COLLEGE ADMISSION.

For over two decades, Ana has focused on helping students discover practical solutions to promote purposeful learning. Her prescriptive solutions encourage better executive functioning skills, effectively address the culture of teen perfectionism, and provide real-life advice on how to navigate social media and technology overwhelm in an always-on digital world. Her sensible perspective is real, relevant, and adored by parents, educators, and students around the world.

On Balance with the CEO of the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), Aaron P. Dworkin, explores the organization's upcoming SUMMER LEARNING SUMMIT (October 9-11, 2023, at the historic Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC) and the background of a leader who has always looked to make a difference. Aaron was a pleasure to get to know and a voice sorely needed to support children, families, and communities across the U.S.

Aaron is a national leader in the education, out-of-school time (OST) and youth development fields. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), which works to ensure all young people in America, but especially the most vulnerable, can access and afford a high-quality summer learning experience every year. Aaron oversees NSLA’s support to their network of 15,000 program partners and leaders in the areas of Program Quality, Partnerships, Policy, Public Awareness and Leadership Development. Prior to NSLA, he served as President of the After-School All-Stars National Network, a non-profit organization providing free afterschool and summer programs to 90,000 low-income students in more than 450 Title I schools in 20 major cities across the U.S. Previously, he founded and directed Hoops & Leaders, an award-winning, grassroots youth mentoring and leadership program for low-income boys in New York City. He is a member of the American Camp Association National Board and a graduate of Tufts University, Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, and the Coro Fellowship and Leadership Greater Washington. He resides in Washington DC with his wife Lauren and two children.

Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs works with schools, organizations, and agencies to create responsive learning environments, upgrade curriculum, and support teaching strategies to meet the needs of contemporary learners. Her models of curriculum mapping and her design and approach to modernizing school ecosystems and learning spaces have been featured in numerous books, articles, podcasts, and software solutions throughout the world.

Through her collaboration with the brilliant Allison Zmuda, Heidi has become fascinated by the possibilities storyboarding offers to streamline curriculum and increase student-facing engagement. Jacobs and Berger dive into her latest book, with Zmuda, entitled 'Streamlining Curriculum: Using the Storyboard Approach to Frame Compelling Learning Journeys.'

Jacobs has consulted with groups ranging from international, national, state, and provincial education departments, professional organizations such as ASCD, NAESP, Learning Forward, the European Council of International Schools, the Near East School Association, the College Board, ADK International Sino-Canadian Schools in China, New Zealand’s Learning Network, the Kennedy Center, the Peace Corps World Wise Schools, Carnegie Hall, Australia’s EduTech, and the United Nations Council on Teaching about the UN, the Near East School Association, the International Baccalaureate, the NY State Higher Education Commission, the CCSSO workgroup on Global Competencies, and AASA’s Collaborative Project focused on innovation. In 2014 she received the MAIS International Educator Award in Seville, Spain.

Breeyn Mack (Senior VP of Education) and Garrett Bauman (Director, Public Policy and state Partnerships) of Teaching Strategies join Berger to talk about public policy across the education ecosystem in the U.S.

Driven by research that shows a child's first eight years form a critical foundation for success in school and in life, Teaching Strategies has been an advocate for the early education community for over 40 years. Today, Teaching Strategies connects teachers, children, and families to inspired teaching and learning experiences, informative data, stronger family partnerships, and professional learning through the leading early learning platform and resources. Its products, including the most widely-used curriculum and assessment solutions, The Creative Curriculum® and GOLD®, are found in over 250,000 classrooms and more than 80 countries around the world and reach over 4 million children each year.

To learn why thousands of early childhood programs and many states and countries choose to partner with Teaching Strategies to help ensure children's success in school and in life, visit teachingstrategies.com and follow on Twitter@TeachStrategies.

In this On Balance episode, Dr. Rod Berger sits down with Dr. Andrew Kahn, Associate Director of Behavior Change and Expertise at Understood.

About Andrew Kahn:

Andrew Kahn, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist specializing in working with people who think and learn differently. In his role as associate director of behavior change and expertise, Dr. Kahn focuses on ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, general learning and behavioral challenges, and learning and social-emotional functioning. 

For nearly 20 years, Dr. Kahn worked within the public school system providing training, evaluations, direct consultation, and therapeutic support to students, their families, and staff. He has worked closely with underserved communities struggling with the impact of poverty, food insecurity, and limited access to educational support. Additionally, he supported school committees to develop policies on mental health, suicide prevention, and access to learning interventions. 

Before joining Understood, Dr. Kahn served as a clinician, a clinical director of a community mental health agency, and a presenter for Summit Professional Education on ADHD, autism, and anxiety for nearly 10 years. He was also an appointee to the Maine Advisory Committee for School Psychology and educator at the University of Maine.

Dr. Kahn identifies as a person with learning and thinking differences. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Syracuse University and both master’s and doctoral degrees from Nova Southeastern University.

Learn more about Understood.

In this On the Clock episode, Dr. Rod Berger sits down with new Strategos Group Partner and former Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent Addison Davis.

Davis is an accomplished education leader with a wealth of experience in the field. As Superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) from March 2020 to July 2023, he made significant contributions to one of the largest school systems in the country.

Under Davis’ leadership, HCPS experienced remarkable improvements, including a rise in the district’s state academic ranking from 35th to 19th, the highest in its history. He successfully guided the district through the COVID-19 pandemic and overcame a deficit of more than $150 million. 

He also played a crucial role in reducing the number of underperforming schools, improving the graduation rate from 87% to 89%, the highest in the district’s history. 

One of his greatest accomplishments was reducing 28 historically “D” and “F” schools to only five over his 39-month tenure. 

Davis’ achievements extend beyond Hillsborough County. During his tenure as Superintendent of Schools for Clay County, he led efforts that resulted in significant academic progress, including an impressive jump in the district’s statewide academic ranking from 20th to 7th. He also oversaw a notable increase in the graduation rate from 84% to 93%, narrowing the achievement gap in the process.

Before his time in Clay County, Davis was the Chief of Schools for the Duval County Public School System, the country’s 20th largest school district. He served Duval County Schools for eighteen years, beginning as a teacher before becoming an Assistant Principal, Principal, Executive Director of Turnaround, Middle School Cluster Chief, and then Region Superintendent.

In addition to his accomplishments, Davis has been recognized for his contributions to education. He was named Superintendent of the Year by the Florida Association for Career and Technical Education and received the Allen Temple A.M.E. Church Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Award. Davis' commitment to community engagement during the pandemic earned him the Whitney M. Young Service Award. He is also a member of Chiefs for Change, a distinguished network of district and state education leaders.

Welcome to another episode of On Balance with your host, Dr. Rod Berger. In today's episode, we have a fascinating discussion with guest Kristin Greco, CEO of Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR). This episode dives deep into the important and often overlooked topic of trauma in schools and its impact on students, teachers, and communities. Kristin brings her expertise and insights, drawing from her background in mental health and extensive experience in developing and implementing strategic goals in education. Dr. Rod Berger and Kristin Greco shed light on the complexities of trauma and its relevance in the education sector.

Join us as we explore the profound influence of trauma, from its manifestation in students to the challenges it presents for educators. Together, we will uncover the importance of assessment, professional development, and empathy in creating a supportive environment for our young learners. So, get ready to gain valuable insights and perspectives on trauma in schools on this episode of On Balance with Kristin Greco.

Key Moments

[00:05:05] Understanding how trauma in youth has evolved over time.

[00:07:18] How has trauma impacted the classroom as a collective?

[00:12:58] COVID brought mental health to the forefront, and there are insufficient resources for schools.

[00:15:32] PAR customers partner for data and dialogue, and to cope.

[00:18:11] The importance of maintaining leadership, responsibility, and staying informed.

[00:21:25] Professional development, support, listening, empathy, workload challenges.

Connect with Kristin Greco, MBA

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-greco-4bb4396/

Website: https://www.parinc.com/

Resource Mentioned

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: https://www.nctsn.org/⁠

Connect with Dr. Rod Berger

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodbergerpsyd/

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PODCASTS

🎧 Capital Class with Adam Giery: https://www.strategosgroup.com/podcast

🎧 On the Clock with Todd Dallas Lamb: https://www.strategosgroup.com/podcast-on-the-clock

🎧 Swimming Upstream with Tom Luna: https://swimming-upstream.captivate.fm/listen

🎧 On Balance with Dr. Rod Berger: https://www.strategosgroup.com/podcast-on-balance

🎧 To the Point with Jim Horne and Doug Mesecar: https://to-the-point.captivate.fm/

Produced by Old Soul: https://bit.ly/3KuYfrD

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