Hours of marinade went into this week's episode. San Leandro Superintendent Mike McLaughlin served up some lessons for Lee Thomas while dining on GrilleeQ's smoked pork belly bites, grilled longanisa, smoked chuck roast, and blueberry cornbread muffins.

In a plain-spoken and candid interview, McLaughlin discussed the successful passage of school bond measures—and how the district follows through. "We make sure we do it right and on budget," he said. Also in the episode: housing for teachers, what happens if ICE agents show up at a school, and how AI is being introduced in classrooms.

This episode of The Marinade with Lee Thomas is sponsored by Lucy's Creations Floral Arrangements. For more information, visit lucyscreationsforyou.com.