Voices for Excellence

Dr. Pedro A. Noguera is the Distinguished Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and Faculty Director for the Center for the Transformation of Schools at UCLA. He is a sociologist whose scholarship and research focuses on the ways in which schools are influenced by social and economic conditions as well as by demographic trends in local, regional and global contexts.

Frank Polen is beginning his ninth year as the Assistant Superintendent, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Adult Education Director at Buckeye Career Center in New Philadelphia, Ohio. Mr. Polen is committed to schools, community development, and leadership initiatives. He has helped students of all ages Discover Their Passion and Prepare for Their Future through career and technical education.

Dr. Sabba Quidwai gives you the skills and strategies to build your human advantage and be irreplaceable in a world with AI. For the past decade she's been doing this with schools and businesses using a method called design thinking. By marrying design thinking with futures thinking, she helps organizations create a culture of innovation that's not only responsive but also preparatory. While we can't predict the future, design thinking and design sprints allow us to be well-prepared for multiple scenarios. 

David is the Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Assembly. He started with the UA in 2014 as the Director of Social-Emotional Learning, where he created the Resilient Scholars Program (RSP), a unique approach to integrating SEL into curriculum and classroom practices across the UA network. As the Senior Director of Strategy, David led the expansion of the organization into a model provider of school support, with an emphasis on innovation and equity in public education.

Dr. Donna Vallese's entire career has been dedicated to improving outcomes for students by supporting educators in implementing game-changing and innovative practices. I have had the opportunity to work at all levels of education (state, university, district, school, and classroom) and those settings have been in urban, charter, sub-urban, and rural schools.

In honor of one year of Voices For Excellence, we are rejoined by our first guests, Dr. Alex Marrero and Zandra Jo Galvan. What steps have been made, not made, or achieved in the past year with regards to education? Listen in and find out!

Anthony Kim began his career in education by helping higher education institutions with technology projects and data. He is the Founder and CLO of Education Elements. He believes that learning environments and school designs need to be open and flexible so that teachers, the true designers of learning, can successfully create the best possible learning conditions for students.

Jessica is an accomplished public education and civic sector trailblazer with nearly two decades of diversified experience with a commitment to leadership and service, where she has led public education initiatives with the California Department of Education. As a leader in Education, Jessica understands the importance of access and has an unwavering commitment to social justice.

Marlon Styles is a recognized inspirational speaker and educational leader. He testified before the United States Congress in 2020 to advocate for access and opportunity for all students. Styles’ mission is to inspire educators to see themselves as empowered Unifiers capable of creating the types of learning experiences today’s modern learners need to thrive.

Ms. Lynette White’s career in education spans 14 years and 3 school districts. She was recently appointed as the District & Community Relations Coordinator for Banning USD. Ms. White is an Edu-influencer who has presented statewide on the importance of telling your story and maximizing your efforts on social media to brand yourself as leader and brand your organization as well as the importance of developing a valuable professional learning network.