In this episode of The Open System, guest Chris Stewart joins Landon Mascareñaz, Doannie Tran and Stephen Hurley to discuss the pressing need for redesigning education and reigniting democracy.

Chris Stewart is Chief Executive Officer for brightbeam, a nonprofit network of education activists demanding a better education and a brighter future for every child. Chris is a lifelong activist and 20-year supporter of nonprofit and education-related causes. 

Chris blogs and tweets under the name Citizen Stewart. He is based in Minneapolis. (bio excerpted from Ednavigator)

 The conversation explores the disconnect between research and practice in education, the importance of creating inclusive spaces for challenging traditional paradigms, and the political pressures faced by education leaders.

Key takeaways:

1. Education should prioritize individual self-actualization and intellectual development to foster an informed democratic society. Current systems often fall short in achieving these goals.
   
   
2. Creating breakthrough spaces with radical clarity, inclusive democracy, and restructured systems is crucial for fostering disruptive discussions and challenging assumptions in education.
   
   
3. Education leaders must develop new tools to navigate the intense political climate and promote collaboration among diverse stakeholders while working towards a more open and equitable future. By addressing these critical issues, this episode offers valuable insights into the future of education and its role in strengthening democracy.

Doannie Tran, Landon Mascareña and Stephen Hurley are joined by Matt Leighninger as we continue to explore the intersection between education and democracyand how to innovate and adapt our systems to meet the evolving needs of 21st-century citizens.

Matt Leighninger directs the Center for Democracy Innovation at the National Civic League. He leads the Center’s work in strengthening democratic infrastructure, organizing national engagement efforts, and measuring the quality of engagement and democracy.

Matt has been one of the central figures in democracy innovation over the last twenty years. As a network-builder, convener, author, commentator, researcher, and practitioner, he has helped catalyze and connect the key developments in the recent evolution of democracy. (bio excerpt from NCL website)



Key Takeaways:

1. Redefining Public Meetings for Greater Civic Trust:  Matt Leighninger outlines a project aimed at transforming public meetings through technology and small group deliberative processes, to make them more effective, efficient, and trustworthy.
   
   
2. The Dynamic Nature of Democracy: Doannie Tran and Landon Mascareñaz emphasize the importance of viewing democracy as a dynamic system that must evolve to cater to diverse needs, advocating for innovative practices like liberatory design and co-creative work in public decision-making spaces.
   
   
3. Hope Amidst Polarization: Despite current democratic stresses, Matt Leighninger and the team remain hopeful, highlighting that most people desire community collaboration and innovation. This optimism is grounded in historical successes and the present willingness of individuals to engage in improving local democracies through creative and participatory processes.

In this episode, Doannie Tran, Landon Mascarenez and Stephen Hurley welcome guest, Rod Allen to  explore the concept of "breakthrough spaces" as implemented and experienced by Rod in his work as a school leader in the province of British Columbia, Canada.

3 Key Takeaways:

1.  Building Trust through Co-Creation: the shift from seeking mere buy-in from communities to engaging them in the co-creation process, underscoring the importance of building social license and trust over time for meaningful change in education.
   
   
2. Curriculum as a Catalyst:  the role of curriculum reform as both a symbolic and practical focal point, setting the stage for broader educational transformations directed by community partnership and input.
   
   
3. Breaking Through Closed Systems: strategies for creating breakthrough spaces that challenge the status quo, advocating for a more open, inclusive, and democratic approach that leverages deep listening and co-construction to address systemic inequities and empower all students.

Join Landon Mascareñaz, Doannie Tran and Stephen Hurley, as they explore "provoking" as a powerful part of the process of moving to open systems in education. In this short episode, the importance of provoking closed systems and the need for radical clarity and inclusive and creative democracy.

Key Takeaways:

1. Provoking Closed Systems: the role of provocation in breaking open closed systems within education, and why provocation is crucial for initiating change.

2. Radical Clarity: the concept of radical clarity and how it is different from traditional clarity, and its significance in driving meaningful change within educational systems.

3. Inclusive and Creative Democracy: the difference between inclusive and creative democracy, and how these concepts are redefining the way democratic participation is approached within educational communities.

Mary D. Moran is a futurist, an organizer and the Executive Director of Nuestra Voz, a nation-building organization, anchoring ancestry while building Black and Brown solidarity in New Orleans.

in this episode, Doannie Tran, Landon Mascareñaz and Stephen Hurley welcome Mary Moran for a compelling conversation that dives into the heart of community involvement and the pressing need for education systems to embrace the rich history and knowledge within communities.
Listeners are invited to explore how educational and political landscapes can be reshaped when they are rooted in ancestral wisdom and powered by community-driven change.

Key Takeaways from this episode:

1. The Power of Ancestral Wisdom: the significance of honoring community history and basing future growth in education on this ancestral knowledge.

2. Leadership Reimagined: the necessary shift in leadership mindset—from viewing communities as outsiders to valuable partners in co-creation.

3. Embracing Open Moments for Change: the concept of "open moments"—times when political alignment and the volition for co-creation sync up, presenting opportunities for meaningful change.

In this episode, Stephen Hurley, Doannie Tran and Landon Mascareñaz are joined by Bibb Hubbard, founder and President of Learning Heroes, an organization formed to help parents most effectively advocate on behalf of their children’s educational success.

Join us as we uncover the untapped potential of family engagement and discuss how education can be a catalyst for democracy.

Three key takeaways from this episode:


Empower Families as Partners: Co-creation is more than a buzzword – it's about schools recognizing parents as valued collaborators, using tools like the Parent Teacher Planning tool to set concrete goals for children's achievement and well-being.-


Leadership and Training are Crucial: Transformation in education hinges on strategic leadership. Principals and school leaders need support to overcome barriers and must be trained to engage families effectively, respecting diverse cultures and languages.-

Transparency Builds Trust: Sharing clear, objective data about a child's academic performance is fundamental for parental empowerment. This transparency facilitates a shared reality, enhancing trust and cooperation between families and educators.

In this episode we are joined by Hanseul Kang, Assistant Dean and Executive Director of The Broad Center at the Yale School of Management. Listen in as Landon Mascareñaz, Doannie Tran and Stephen Hurley explore the vital role of open leadership in education and its impact on democracy. Hanseul Kang shares her comprehensive experience in engaging communities through innovative tools and inclusive strategies to build a vibrant local democracy, particularly in the context of school choices.

A few key takeaways:

1. Trust through Engagement: Highlighting the critical role of developing trust in educational leadership via proactive community engagement.
2. Purposeful Leadership: Stressing the need for leaders to align their drive with community needs, fostering resilience and meaningful change.
3. Strategies for Broader Engagement: Offering practical tools and strategies for leaders to solicit and incorporate wider community participation effectively.

In today's episode of the podcast, Landon and Doannie speak with Dr. Brian Danoff about education, civic life and the hope of participatory democracy.

Dr. Brian Danoff is a professor in the department of Political Science at Miami University in Ohio. Dr. Danoff’s research is in American political thought and modern political theory.

A few key takeaways from the conversation:

• the potential of democratice leadership to empower citizens
• the importance of participatory democracy
• the concept of co-creation and the shift educators must undergo to embrace democratic leadership principles.

In this mini-episode, Landon Mascarañez and Doannie Tran provide important insights on planning to move towards Open.

Here are 3 key ideas explored in this episode: (Just teasers. Listen to the entire episode for more!)

• The importance of preparation
• Looking at the community in a different way
• Addressing students, communities, and resources in closed systems.

For more on the principles and practices of "Open", be sure to visit The Open System Institute site.

For your copy of the book, The Open System: Redesigning Education and Reigniting Democracy, visit Harvard Education Press and use the discount code OSPC23

In this episode, authors Landon Mascarañaz and Doannie Tran set some of the groundwork for our journey into an "open" way of thinking. Learn about what motivates them to be doing this work, some of the underlying principles that we will be exploring in this series and how listeners might become more open to thinking about...well...OPEN!

For more on the principles and practices of "Open", be sure to visit The Open System Institute site.

For your copy of the book, The Open System: Redesigning Education and Reigniting Democracy, visit Harvard Education Press and use the discount code OSPC23