Reimagining Schools

Michael Robins hosts as we have a conversation about the adventurous highs and lows of starting a new school!

Virtual Prep Academy just concluded their first year in operations and is gearing up for expanding this next year to grades K-10.

For more information about teaching or positions with our school contact Erin Robins at [email protected]

For information about enrolling your student in our school please visit us at ok.vprep.com

In this episode I am talking with Dr. Scott Martin who is the founder of the Odyssey Leadership Academy. This innovative school model focuses on human flourishing as their true north. With an impressive list of accomplished students and graduates, this school is a fantastic example of how schools can look in the future!

https://www.odysseyleadershipacademy.org/

Dr. Scott Martin can be contacted at [email protected]

In this episode Chase Eskelsen and I are discussing the new era of educational entrepreneurship and the importance of approaching schools differently!

Prior to starting FerskenED, Chase was the Chief Operations Officer at an education nonprofit focused on creating and launching new blended learning schools and programs. Under his leadership, the nonprofit launched two blended programs and acquired an international online school with hybrid components.

His educational background started at a full-time online charter school in Texas where he oversaw the operations of the school including attendance and truancy, state testing, registrars, enrollment, and main office tasks. He was then able to launch a second full-time online district school in the state. His team was able to grow enrollment from about 1,400 to approximately 8,000 at the charter and 0 students the first year to about 6,000 students when he departed the district school.

He then transitioned to a role with a major EdTech company supporting the academic policy and public and government affairs teams. He ended his time with this organization as the national director of board and partner relations.

Chase holds a M.Ed. in School Administration. In his free time he enjoys traveling, spending time in the mountains, gardening, and utilizing his sourdough starter in new recipes with his wife and three kids.

You can find Chase on Linkedin

In this episode I am talking with Renee Porter who was the founding President and CEO of the Cristo Rey School in Oklahoma City. This model focuses on providing students from low socio-economic backgrounds an opportunity for a high quality education and work-study program that allows them to explore potential future careers starting as a high school freshman.

"Nobody ever learned anything against their will, sooner or later it becomes voluntary, you need enrollment. Enrollment in the sense that you want to learn" -Seth Godin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogMiGK0opq0

In this episode I am talking with Michael Hirsch, the Executive Director of Loveworks Leadership. Loveworks Leadership, Inc. is a leadership organization committed to empowering youth to become leaders by giving every student an opportunity to lead. We discuss how students learning through their passions changes the dynamic in education and how we can see more of that type of learning connected in our schools. You can find out more and contact Michael at: https://www.loveworksleadership.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hirsch-b0998348/

In this episode I am talking with Ryan Walters who is Oklahoma's Secretary of Education and is also the CEO of Every Kid Counts in Oklahoma. EKCO is a non-profit organization working towards more equitable access for all students to schools across Oklahoma. Ryan's background in public education allows him to have a unique perspective on how we can solve some of our most complicated problems in education. Find out more about Ryan on LinkedIn and EKCO at www.everykidcountsok.org

In this episode we discuss how an early passion for teaching, led Dr. Brandi Maynard down an inspiring pathway to entrepreneurship where she now focuses on her passion to provide support to gifted students and families. You can contact Dr. Maynard on LinkedIn and find out more about gifted resources at https://giftedresources.com/

In today's episode, Dr. Ulrik Juul Christensen and I discuss some of the problems and challenges facing our current education system and possible solutions. Dr. Christensen is the Executive Chairman and founding partner of Area9.

Growing up in a family of educators, Dr. Christensen has long had an affinity for both teaching and learning. Since founding his first company in 1997, he has continued to devote his professional life to advancing an improved, highly individualized way of learning, and has been driving the development of Area9 and McGraw-Hill Education’s adaptive learning platforms.

In addition, Dr. Christensen serves on the boards and advisory boards of several educational organizations, and have served on numerous boards - both commercial and non-profit - boards the past 20+ years . He is available to connect on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ulrikjuulchristensen/

In this episode, I am talking with Ryan Warriner of Ontario, Toronto. We discuss his career pathway from being a kindergarten teacher to professor, author and professional consultant/coach. You can reach out to Ryan at professionalpresentationservices.com and Ryan is also available on LinkedIn

In this episode Lea Ann discusses her background in building online school models and supporting current school districts as they innovate and grow.

Lea Ann created Elevate-e-Learning.com after an entire career in public school leadership, where she was so fortunate to be in positions that allowed creativity and to lead teams to systemically think outside the box. It has been a fascinating journey for me that spans thirty-three years of building programs to meet student needs based on new (and sometimes old) legislation. 

She retired from school leadership in June 2021 with a passion for establishing this consulting company to help principals and school districts navigate successful school choices and innovative instructional methodologies. While her focus over the last fifteen years has been online learning (from credit recovery labs to a statewide public virtual school under the Texas Virtual Schools Network), she has experience in program building across all special programs in public education.

You can reach out to Lea Ann on LinkedIn or by visiting her website at elevate-e-learning.com