Getting Smart Podcast

The job of "principal" has quietly become impossible, one person expected to coach every teacher, be the expert in every subject, set the vision, and be present in the community, all at once. In this episode, host Nate McClennen talks with Dr. Lindsay Whorton, president of the Holdsworth Center and author of "A New… Read more

Will AI upend education as we know it, or just get absorbed into the systems we already have? In this episode, host Nate McClennen talks with Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy, about where AI is actually headed in schools, in the workforce, and in daily life. Sal shares his real thesis on the so-called "AI… Read more

Digital badges and credentials promise to finally show what a learner actually knows. Dr. Kelly Page says that promise has a dark side nobody's talking about. In this episode, host Mason Pashia talks with Dr. Kelly Page, a social design ethnographer and author of "When Credentials Cause Harm: Unpacking the Risks of… Read more

In this episode of Catching Up, Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia get into what happens after a $2.5 billion settlement lands, and whether "fund real life" is actually a better answer than another wave of mental health apps. They also talk through a study showing AI models recommend completely different schools… Read more

Public education is facing a moment it hasn't seen in decades: shrinking enrollment, an explosion of school choice options, and real questions about who should even be in charge of a district's decisions. In this episode, host Mason Pashia talks with Dr. Janice K. Jackson, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, the… Read more

A new federal tax credit is launching in January 2027 that could bring real money into public schools, and most districts don't even know it exists yet. In this episode, host Nate McClennen talks with Antonio Parés, founder and principal of Walnut Hill Workshop, about the Education Freedom Tax Credit, also known as… Read more

Dr. Jane Shore is an education researcher, school co-founder, and author of "People-Based Learning: The Future of Learning is Human" (Routledge, 2026). She joins host Rebecca Midles to talk about her three-part framework, connect, reflect, and affect, and why the future of education depends on human connection, not… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Mason Pashia sits down with Edson Barton, CEO and co-founder of YouScience, to explore what it truly means to build a credentialing system that delivers value to learners, not just paperwork. Drawing on Utah's landmark House Bill 260, which mandates stackable… Read more

In this episode of Catching Up, Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia tackle three of the most urgent tensions in modern education. They explore a landmark Penn study revealing that while AI can streamline lesson planning, it may inadvertently erode student intrinsic motivation and engagement. The hosts also dive into the… Read more

Reach University is rethinking higher education with a simple but powerful idea: turn jobs into degrees. In this conversation, Joe Ross shares how apprenticeship degrees can help districts grow their own teachers by investing in the talent already in their buildings. From paraeducators to support staff, this model… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia and Jason Cummins sit down with Tyson Yunkaporta for a thought-provoking conversation on Indigenous knowledge, relational learning, and the role of schools as spaces for dialogue, contradiction, and meaning-making. Together, they explore how language shapes… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia sits down with Gersom de Koning to explore theater education as a transformative practice. Their conversation examines how drama builds confidence, collaboration, leadership, and transferable skills while also offering a powerful model for gamification,… Read more

In this episode of The Getting Smart Podcast with Liberty Public Schools, Rebecca Midles introduces how Liberty Public Schools, located just north of Kansas City and serving about 12,000 students, is reimagining learning through real-world experiences and personalized pathways. The conversation features Julie Moore,… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia talks with Chris McNutt of Human Restoration Project about how empathy interviews can help schools move beyond traditional surveys and toward more meaningful, student-centered change. The conversation explores Polaris, a platform designed to gather and analyze… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia is joined by Michael Crawford of America Succeeds and Chris Unger of Northeastern University to explore what it really takes to help young people build durable skills. Drawing on a 16-month study of 12 innovative high schools, they discuss how schools can make… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers sits down with Dr. Whitney Oakley, superintendent of Guilford County Schools, to explore the Guilford Guarantee—a bold district commitment that every graduate leaves high school with college credit, an industry-recognized credential, or a meaningful… Read more

Outline (0:00) Introduction & Ancient Grains (6:45) Teaching Across Contexts (11:39) The Stimulation Gap (17:36) The Hook, Pitch, Awakening & Strengthening Framework (28:14) Civics, Democracy & the Classroom (37:19) Civic Virtues & the Role of Schools Links Read the full blog here Watch the full video here Dr. Douglas… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia sits down with Keri Rodrigues, founder and president of the National Parents Union, to explore the power of parent voice in education. From school safety and special education to report cards, trust, AI readiness, and student data privacy, Keri shares why… Read more

In this episode of Catching Up, Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia explore the ideas shaping the future of learning and work—from the link between school innovation and enrollment demand to the rise of student influencers as a new form of district storytelling. They also dig into AI's growing role in education, including… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen talks with Liza Garoznik, founder and CEO of Real Discussion, about one of the biggest questions in education today: how do we teach and assess durable skills like communication, listening, and collaboration? Framed by the rise of AI and growing concern… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia sits down with Joana Ponce and Catherine Alves, featured in Roadtrip Nation's Explore Your Interests , for a thoughtful conversation about passion, purpose, and the messy reality of career exploration. Together, they reflect on how exposure to new people and… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen sits down with Dr. Adel DiOrio to explore how school leaders can move from fragmented initiatives to real coherence through knowledge management, transformational leadership, and coaching. Drawing on her research in rural school systems and insights from The… Read more

Why do so many promising ideas in education stay stuck in individual classrooms? In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen talks with Rebecca Wolfe about what it takes to turn innovation into lasting system change. From teacher agency and school leadership to accountability and knowledge-sharing,… Read more

Every school that has tried to change and failed has done so for the same reason: the system kept producing exactly the results it was designed to produce, and nobody changed the system. What Lake City Area Schools discovered — through honest self-examination, disciplined sequencing, and a refusal to mistake movement… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark speaks with Stephanie Reisner and Steph Loeck of GPS Education Partners about how work-based learning can transform student engagement, career readiness, and economic mobility. Drawing on 25 years of experience and their new book, Make School Work , they… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen sits down with Vriti Saraf, CEO of Ed3, to explore a timely and essential question: How do we move from using AI for efficiency to using AI for human flourishing in education? Drawing on Ed3's new research, The Emerging Role of Teachers in the Age of AI ,… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen sits down with Gianna Biaggi, founder and executive director of the Magnolia Project, to explore how schools can treat the community as campus. Together, they discuss how Magnolia Project connects middle and high school students with local mentors through… Read more

Students at Wellesley High School are helping imagine what learning could look like in 2040. In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast , Mason Pashia talks with Alty and Anaya, two learners from the school's Evolutions (EVOLS) program, about designing future-ready classrooms, visiting innovative schools, and… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark speaks with Dr. Deborah Kenny, founder of Harlem Village Academies and author of The Well-Educated Child, about what it means to educate for depth, agency, and purpose in the age of AI. Their conversation explores deeper learning, Montessori, International… Read more

Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia unpack a wide-ranging set of ideas shaping the future of learning, from AI "hive minds" and youth relationships with AI to portraits of a graduate, durable skills, and real-world learning. They explore what it means to prepare students for a non-routine economy where judgment,… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast , Tom Vander Ark talks with Jean-Claude Brizard, CEO of Digital Promise, about the launch of the Center for Learner Pathway Innovations and what it will take to build New Pathways that are truly "unbounded." They dig into the barriers that keep learners from seeing and… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen sits down with author and education advocate Ted Dintersmith to rethink what math should look like in a changing world—especially as AI makes rote procedures less relevant. Together they unpack the limits of test-driven instruction, the consequences of low… Read more

Stephanie Malia Krauss returns to the Getting Smart Podcast for a conversation with Tom Vander Ark about her new book, How We Thrive: Caring for Kids and Ourselves in a Changing World . Together they explore why so many adults and young people feel overwhelmed and depleted—and what it looks like to "rehumanize" school… Read more

Learning doesn't happen "in rows," and Kevin Stoller has seen firsthand how the right environment can change everything. In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia talks with Stoller—author of Creating Better Learning Environments and host of the Better Learning podcast—about designing learner-centered… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast , host Victoria Andrews sits down with student leaders from Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technology (NEAT) to explore what happens when a Portrait of a Graduate becomes more than a poster on the wall. Kaylyn Rosado, Connor Mawhiney, and Anna Montero share… Read more

In this episode of Catching Up , Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia explore what's changing in education—and what should change next—through the lenses of infrastructure, accountability, and emerging technology. They discuss a "smart city" view of transportation and connectivity, unpack new research on how parents… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Rebecca Midles talks with Kelly Coffin, superintendent in Farmington Hills, Michigan, about what it really means to "go slow to go fast" in district transformation. Coffin shares how leaders can build trust and capacity through co-design with educators closest to… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Victoria Andrews sits down with Eric Wearne of Kennesaw State University and the National Hybrid Schools Project to explore what research is revealing about hybrid models (often 2–3 days on campus and 2–3 days at home), including facilities and regulatory challenges, who… Read more

In the latest episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia sits down with Nat Kendall-Taylor, CEO of Frameworks Institute, to explore the critical role of narrative in education reform. They discuss how framing and storytelling can combat fatalism, foster engagement, and create systemic change in education.… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Victoria Andrews sits down with Dr. Justin Terry, Superintendent of Forney ISD, to discuss the groundbreaking Opportunity Center (OC) in Forney, Texas. Dr. Terry shares the vision behind this 350,000-square-foot, future-ready facility that integrates career, college, and… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Mason Pashia dives into the incredible work happening at the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (EIC) in Williamson County, Nashville. Joined by mentor Clay Banks and three inspiring student entrepreneurs—Abby, Samuel, and Adam—the discussion highlights how… Read more

The latest episode of the Getting Smart Podcast dives into Kentucky's innovative "United We Learn" initiative, which emphasizes community-driven education, competency-based learning, and local accountability systems. Host Rebecca Midles is joined by Sarah Snipes, Director of Innovative Learning at the Kentucky… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. David Dimmett, CEO of Project Lead the Way, to discuss the critical importance of AI literacy, STEM pathways, and career readiness in today's rapidly evolving world. They explore how Project Lead the Way is preparing students and educators… Read more

On this episode of Catching Up, hosts Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia dive into key topics shaping education in 2026. From the rise of AI in classrooms and concerns about its regulation to a deep dive into the potential of scholastic journalism as a tool for real-world learning, they explore how education can foster… Read more

In the latest episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with education leader Richard Carranza, Chief Strategy and Global Development Officer at IXL. Together, they explore transformative topics like the growing role of AI in education, the enduring importance of arts in identity development, and… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen engages with Wangchuck Wangchuck and Tashi Dendup to explore Bhutan's innovative approach to learner-centered practices. Learn how Bhutan connects education with its community, culture, and environment to foster critical thinking, collaboration, and… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with Diane Tavenner , founder and CEO of Futre, and Marshawn Brown , a student user of the platform. Together, they discuss how Futre empowers students to explore diverse career pathways with transparency and dignity. From personalized career… Read more

In this dual-episode podcast, Tom Vander Ark of Getting Smart and Ben Kornell of EdTech Insiders dive into the transformative year of 2025 in education and share bold predictions for 2026. They explore how AI-driven innovations, work-based learning, and personalized education models are reshaping teaching and… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Nate McClennen is joined by Dr. Brent Maddin of the Next Education Workforce Initiative at ASU Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and Dr. Rebecca Hutchinson, superintendent at Concord Community Schools in Michigan. Together, they explore the transformative potential of… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Dr. Kenny Rodriguez, Superintendent of Grandview School District in Kansas City, shares how his district has embraced real-world learning and innovative pathways to drive student success. From his early work with Big Picture Learning in Tulsa to leading regional… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Mason Pashia sits down with Amara Nwuneli, the Africa 2025 Earth Prize regional winner, to discuss her inspiring work tackling urban climate challenges in Lagos, Nigeria. Amara shares how her project, The Green Sustainability Hub, integrates sustainable infrastructure… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen sits down with Fernande Raine, founder of the History CoLab, to explore the critical role of civics and humanities in shaping the future of education and empowering young people. They discuss the intersection of crises—disconnection, democracy challenges,… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, we sit down with Elliot Haspel, a nationally recognized child and family policy expert and author of Crawling Behind: America's Childcare Crisis and How to Fix It and Raising a Nation: 10 Reasons Why Every American Has a Stake in Childcare for All . Together, we explore… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia dives into the critical importance of elevating youth voice and agency in shaping the future of education. Joined by Izumi Vasquez, a recent Harvard graduate and UNICEF Youth Foresight Fellow, alongside Caitlyn McCurn and Shai Naides of UNICEF, the… Read more

In the latest episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia dive into a dynamic mix of topics shaping the future of learning and beyond. From exploring early reading development and its ties to brain pathways, to addressing the ethical concerns around AI and student surveillance, this episode… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers sits down with Jen Chow, co-founder and COO of Polygence, Rahul Patel, founder of Hypothesis to Hardware, and Zohra Khawaja, founder of Hearts Against Homelessness, to explore how equitable mentorship and personalized learning systems can empower students… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with Dr. Doug Fisher to discuss the new book, Teaching Students to Use AI Ethically and Responsibly . Together, they explore the critical need for AI literacy in schools and how educators can teach about , for , and with AI to prepare students for… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Rebecca Midles sits down with Pam Moran, Ira David Socol, and Liz Calvert to explore how educational leaders are transforming traditional teaching and assessment into meaningful, student-centered learning experiences. Drawing from their new book, Real Learning, Real… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with Dr. Tessa Forshaw and Rich Braden, authors of Innovation-ish: How Anyone Can Create Breakthrough Solutions to Real Problems in the Real World . They explore how innovation mindsets, creative problem-solving, and AI as a co-intelligence tool… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Jenny Curtin, Director of Education at the Barr Foundation, shares her insights on reimagining high schools to create equitable, future-ready opportunities for all students. Jenny discusses her work leading transformative education initiatives across New England, including… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark speaks with Paul Benedict, associate professor and executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Ohio University, about their groundbreaking AI initiative. In just two years, the College of Business transformed how students think about AI,… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with Dr. Ronald Dahl, a distinguished pediatrician and developmental scientist from UC Berkeley, to explore the transformative potential of adolescence. Together, they discuss why adolescence is not just a period of vulnerability but also a dynamic… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Rebecca Midles sits down with Jon Alfuth and Julianna Charles Brown from KnowledgeWorks to explore the "how" behind transforming education systems. The conversation dives deep into the importance of state policy frameworks, personalized learning, and competency-based… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Jeanine Collins, co-founder and Chief Impact Officer of the Center for the Future of Learning joins to share how Nevada is transforming its education system through bold partnerships, learner-centered design, and the arts. This episode dives into her journey from classroom… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Tony Wagner and Dr. Ulrik Christensen to dive into their new book, Mastery: Why Deeper Learning is Essential in the Age of Distraction. Together, they unpack the concept of mastery learning, why it matters in today's rapidly changing world,… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen sits down with Matt Bowman, co-founder of Open Ed, to explore how unbundled learning and personalized education are transforming the future of learning. They discuss Open Ed's innovative approach to blending public and private education systems, the role of… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark speaks with Dr. Isaac Agbeshie-Noye, Program Director for Widening Pathways at the SHRM Foundation. They discuss the concept of a skills-first future and how it can unlock potential and economic mobility through inclusive hiring practices. The conversation… Read more

In this episode of Catching Up, Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia dive into the latest innovations shaping the future of learning. From Alpha School's groundbreaking two-hour AI-driven learning model to the rise of ambient AI that integrates seamlessly into our everyday lives, this conversation explores the intersection… Read more

In this podcast episode, leaders Virgel Hammonds and Beth Rabbitt discuss how FullScale is accelerating competency-based and personalized learning by aligning practice, policy, people, and progress. By adopting a Co-CEO leadership model, they emphasize the power of collaboration, distributed leadership, and bold… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia sits down with David McCullough III, co-founder of the American Exchange Project, to explore how domestic student exchanges can foster empathy, bridge cultural divides, and build lifelong curiosity. Learn how this innovative program connects high school… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Rebecca Midles sits down with Dr. Bill Nicely, Educator in Residence at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, to explore how cross-state, cross-sector collaboration in Kansas City is transforming education. They discuss the Real World Learning Initiative, the importance of… Read more

Join us on this week's Getting Smart Podcast as we sit down with Sangeet Paul Choudary, author of Reshuffle: Who Wins When AI Attacks the Knowledge Economy . Together with Tom Vander Ark, Sangeet explores the profound reshuffling of markets, education, and talent development in the age of AI. Discover how the value… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen and Hayley Spira-Bauer explore the transformative potential of AI, media literacy, and personalized learning in reshaping education. The lively conversation discusses how generative AI can reduce teacher workloads, foster high-agency classrooms, and create… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia explore key topics shaping education today, from the varying start dates of schools across the U.S. to the global progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They dive into data on teacher shortages, discussing challenges with… Read more

Join us on the latest episode of the Getting Smart Podcast as Rebecca Midles sits down with Dr. Dave Richards, Executive Director of the Future Learning Council. Together, they explore how Michigan's coalition of school districts and ISDs is driving statewide transformation through personalized learning and… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen is joined by Kristen Burrus and Michael Stone from Chattanooga to discuss how fab labs and innovative learning ecosystems are transforming STEM education. They explore how STEM School Chattanooga and the Volkswagen eLab Network are integrating project-based… Read more

Explore the fascinating intersection of poetry, art, and identity on this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast featuring Mason Pashia. Mason discusses his debut book, Kestrel and Other Songs , and dives deep into the creative process, the power of words, and the ways poetry invites us to see the world differently.… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with Casey Evans, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs at American University's Kogod School of Business, to explore how AI is revolutionizing specifically business education. From integrating AI literacy across a fully redesigned curriculum… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark dives into the intersection of education and workforce innovation with Kerry McKittrick, Co-Director of Harvard's Project on Workforce. Together, they explore the evolving job market in the AI era, discussing challenges like the "AI job apocalypse" and the… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia explore the intersection of education innovation, policy updates, and emerging technologies. From the role of AI in fostering human flourishing to the potential of CTE centers and ISDs as innovation hubs, they dive into transformative ideas… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Shawnee Caruthers explores the transformative power of Career Pathways Academy at iPark 87 with a dynamic panel of guests: Dr. Jonah Schenker (Ulster BOCES), John Boolukos (Archtop Fiber), and students Cameren Thibault-Edmonds and Natalie Winrow. Together, they… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark dives into the AI revolution in corporate learning with special guest Josh Bersin. Together, they explore the transformative potential of AI-powered tools like the Galileo HR Agent, which are reshaping talent development, HR systems, and learning and… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, we dive into California's groundbreaking efforts to expand equitable access to computer science education. Joined by Dr. Caryn Lewis, Rod Garcia, and Dr. Sharisa Chan, we explore how initiatives like the Cal MSCS Professional Learning Partnership are fostering equity,… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia and Jason Cummins are thrilled to have Kara Bobroff join them to share her journey in transforming education for Indigenous communities. As the founder of One Generation and the driving force behind the Native American Community Academy (NACA), Kara… Read more

Join us on the Getting Smart Podcast as host Mason Pashia dives into regenerative design in education with Benjamin Freud, Head of Upper School at Green School Bali and co-founder of Coconut Thinking. Together, they discuss how schools can move beyond sustainability to embrace regenerative practices that create… Read more

In this episode of Catching Up, Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia dive into a rich tapestry of educational innovation and thought-provoking topics. They explore Indiana's groundbreaking charter micro schools initiative, designed to re-engage students through public micro schools, and the fascinating history of Junior… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, we explore the transformative power of professions-based learning through the lens of the CAPS network. Join Tom Vander Ark as he gets into how CAPS integrates real-world learning experiences with career-connected pathways, creating dynamic opportunities for students… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with Dr. Don Haddad, retiring superintendent of St. Vrain Valley Schools, to explore the impactful journey of transforming a school district into a responsive, high-performing system. Dr. Haddad shares insights on building a vision that aligns… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen dives into the cutting-edge world of AI in education with Habib Bangura from Urban Assembly. Discover how Project Cafe is revolutionizing classroom instruction by providing real-time, developmental feedback to teachers. By utilizing AI-driven video analysis,… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, join Tom Vander Ark as he explores the transformative power of community-engaged learning with guests from Elizabethton High School in rural Tennessee. Discover how educators like Dustin Hensley are redefining education by integrating real-world challenges into the… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with Paul Herdman, CEO of the Rodell Foundation of Delaware, to discuss the transformative power of pathways in education. They delve into how initiatives like work-based learning and seamless transitions from high school to career can enhance… Read more

In the latest episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, we dive into the transformative power of project-based learning (PBL) through the lens of the Border Lands project. Hosted by Shawnee Caruthers, this episode features insightful conversations with Ryan Sprott, an educator and PBL advocate, alongside former students… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen and Rebecca Midles discuss the Getting Smart Learning Innovation Framework , designed to catalyze systems change in education. They explore how personalized, competency-based learning models integrated with AI can meet the diverse needs of students and… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen and Monique Uzelac, the Executive Director of the Washtenaw Educational Options Consortium in Michigan explore the innovative approach to educational choice within the consortium, discussing how it offers diverse programs like competency-based learning and… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers has a vibrant conversation with Superintendent Dr. George Philhower to explore how joy, alongside connection, growth, and success, forms the core of their educational commitments. Learn about their innovative initiatives, like the Joy Integration… Read more

In this episode of Catching Up, Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia explore the evolving landscape of education with a focus on AI leadership, applied humanities, and innovative learning spaces. They dive into key topics such as the role of AI in transforming educational practices, the shift towards applied humanities in… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Victoria Andrews sits down with educational leaders BB Ntsakey and Kelly Niccolls to explore the transformative power of liberatory assessment. Discover how these innovative approaches move beyond traditional metrics to create personalized, student-centered learning… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, hosts Jordan Luster and Victoria Andrews delve into the critical aspects of sustainability within the microschool movement. They are joined by insightful leaders like Amar Kumar and Andrew Lee, who share their expertise on maintaining financial health, ensuring leadership… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Jamie Merisotis, CEO of the Lumina Foundation, about the evolving landscape of work and education in the age of artificial intelligence. As industries rapidly adopt AI technologies, Jamie shares insights on how… Read more

In this enlightening episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark and Dr. Kaleb Rashad engage in a thought-provoking dialogue with Dr. Michael Fullan, an internationally acclaimed advocate for deeper learning. Together, they explore whether deeper learning is the key to addressing the challenges and… Read more

In this episode of "Catching Up!", Mason and Nate dive into a vibrant discussion on the evolving landscape of education, focusing on how vibe coding, curiosity, and judgment are poised to redefine learning priorities. They explore the shifting dynamics of computer science education in the age of AI and highlight the… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, we delve into the transformative assessment practices of One Stone, a unique high school that prioritizes student agency and real-world skills. Host Victoria Andrews engages in an enlightening conversation with Celeste Bolin, Executive Director of One Stone, and students… Read more

Join Shawnee Caruthers and Carlos Moreno in an enlightening conversation on the Getting Smart Podcast as they delve into the transformative power of leading with love, care, and vulnerability in education. This episode, recorded live at South by Southwest, explores the theme of Humanizing Pathways Leadership. Carlos… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Rebecca Midles delves into the essential competencies of modern-day leadership with Laura Hilger, Senior Director of Teaching and Learning at KnowledgeWorks. Joined by Carmen Coleman and Estrada, the conversation explores the development and impact of the Lead for… Read more

In this episode of "Catching Up!", hosts Mason and Nate dive into a lively discussion on the future of education, exploring how learning spaces, AI readiness, and global innovations are reshaping the landscape. From the creative redevelopment of community hubs in former malls to the pressing need for media literacy… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Kathleen deLaski, author of "Who Needs College Anymore?" to explore the ever-evolving landscape of higher education. DeLaski challenges traditional views on college education, delving into how the rise of alternative pathways like… Read more

On the latest episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia engages with Will Richardson, co-founder of The Big Questions Institute, to explore the evolving role of education in the face of global complexity and potential collapse. Richardson shares insights from his new manifesto, emphasizing the importance of… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Sara Schapiro, the director of the Alliance for Learning Innovation. Together, they explore the critical need for enhanced research and development (R&D) within the education sector—an area historically… Read more

In this episode of "Catching Up!", join Mason Pashia and Nate McClennen as they explore the intersection of learning spaces, AI readiness, and global education innovations. Discover how AI-assisted teams outperform conventional groups and what New Zealand's competency-based education system can teach us about learner… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Jordan Luster explores the transformative potential of relational intelligence in education with Isabelle Hau, Executive Director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning and author of " Love to Learn ." Together, they explore the concept of relational intelligence (RQ)… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark chats with Don Wettrick , CEO of the StartEdUp Foundation, to explore the future of entrepreneurship education. Don Wettrick talks about how the foundation is transforming high school students into proactive problem-solvers and innovators through initiatives… Read more

In this episode of "Catching Up," Mason Pashia and Nate McClennen dive into the endless potential of AI across various sectors, with a focus on education and music. They explore the implications of AI-generated music, the concept of unbundling education to expand learning ecosystems, and the emerging importance of… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia and his guests talk about how YouScience is transforming career navigation for students and educators. Joined by an achieved panel of guests, including Peter Van Mondfrans from YouScience, Kaitlyn Tyler from the Greater Springfield Partnership, Christina… Read more

In the latest episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Victoria Andrews engages in an enlightening conversation with Tiffany Green, the visionary founder of Uprooted Academy. This innovative platform is designed to transform the college application journey for young students by incorporating holistic elements such… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Rebecca Midles sits down with Aylon Samouha, the CEO of Transcend and a visionary in education reform. They delve into the concept of The Third Way, an approach that blends community insights with proven educational practices to create lasting change in schools. Aylon… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Nate McClennen explores the topic of teen engagement with guests Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, authors of "The Disengaged Teen." They delve into the four modes of learning—passenger, achiever, resistor, and explorer—offering insights on how students move… Read more

Welcome to the Getting Smart Podcast, in today's episode, we dive into the innovative initiatives of District 214, a leader in creating personalized, real-world learning experiences for students. Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, District 214 is part of the Illinois Accelerate Ed cohort, focusing on… Read more

In this episode, Mason Pashia is joined by Michael Horn to discuss his new book, "Job Moves: Nine Steps for Making Progress in Your Career." They explore the jobs-to-be-done theory and how it applies to career choices, highlighting the iterative process of career pathways. Michael shares insights on hiring your job,… Read more

Mark your calendars for SXSW EDU March 3-6, 2025 in Austin, Texas, and register now at sxswedu.com . Let's work together to shape the future of education—one idea at a time. In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark interviews Abby Falik, founder of The Flight School, a transformative educational… Read more

In today's rapidly evolving educational landscape, Arizona is pioneering a transformative approach through unbundled learning. This model breaks down traditional educational silos, integrating K-12, higher education, and workforce readiness to equip students with the skills necessary for the 21st century. By… Read more

In Colorado, the unbundled learning movement is reshaping how education is delivered, bridging the gap between traditional schooling and real-world experiences. This initiative is driven by the need to provide students with relevant, career-connected learning opportunities that prepare them for future success. By… Read more

The podcast episode "New Hampshire Unbundled" explores how New Hampshire has become a leader in unbundled and competency-based learning, offering students personalized educational pathways that extend beyond traditional school environments. By embracing initiatives like the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School… Read more

In this engaging episode of the Getting Smart podcast, hosts Jordan Luster and Victoria Andrews dive into the world of micro schools with Coi Morefield, the innovative founder of the Lab School of Memphis. Morefield introduces Microschool Masters, a groundbreaking platform designed to address the unique challenges of… Read more

The recent "What's Next in Learning 2025" Town Hall highlighted pivotal trends poised to redefine education, emphasizing the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI), governance shifts, and literacy. AI is revolutionizing classrooms by offering personalized learning experiences but also posing challenges such as… Read more

In this episode, Shawnee Caruthers explores the innovative approach of the Blue Sky Institute to redefining healthcare education through its partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee and East Tennessee State University. This initiative addresses workforce shortages by offering accelerated pathways that… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, we explore LEGOs exciting new venture into science education with their latest K-8 curriculum. Tom Vander Ark chats with Bo Stjerne Thomsen, head of LEGO Education, about how this innovative, inquiry-based learning approach is set to transform classrooms by integrating… Read more

In today's episode, we're diving into the transformative world of career-connected learning with two pioneers leading the charge. Joining us are Dannyelle Austin, the executive director at Launchpad, and Lisa Richardson, the project lead of Catalyze. Catalyze is dedicated to reshaping how students interact with… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with Dennis "Doc" Littky, an educational innovator whose work with Big Picture Learning and College Unbound is reshaping the landscape of personalized and experiential education. From the inception of Big Picture Learning, which challenges… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark delves into the innovative educational approaches of Tacoma Public Schools, highlighting their commitment to integrating college and career readiness into a unified pathway. Partnering with Tacoma, Tom speaks with Adam Kulaas, Director of Innovative… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark delves into the intricacies of workforce development and public leadership with Jennifer Purcell, the director of Future Ready Oregon. This state-level initiative represents a groundbreaking approach to aligning education and workforce systems, with a strong… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart podcast, Tom Vander Ark is in conversation with Laura Slover and Mike Flanagan, focusing on the transformative initiatives in education being spearheaded by ETS and the Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC). The discussion gets into the Skills for the Future initiative, emphasizing… Read more

In the podcast episode featuring Laurie Gagnon, the focus is on the transformative potential of Competency-Based Education (CBE) in reshaping K-12 learning environments. Laurie discusses how CBE moves away from traditional seat-time-based models, emphasizing mastery of skills and knowledge at an individualized pace.… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Victoria Andrews takes us into the transformative world of eSports alongside Danny Martin, co-founder and CEO of eSposure. With eSports growing into a $250 billion industry, it's more than just competitive gaming; it's a thriving ecosystem that fosters community, teaches… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen and Tim Dasey delve into the multifaceted impact of AI on education, exploring both the challenges and opportunities it presents. As AI becomes a larger part of various educational contexts, it prompts a reevaluation of traditional teaching methods and calls… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers gets into a profound discussion with Dr. Christopher Emdin and Sam Seidel about their latest work, "From White Folks Who Teach in the Hood." This conversation is essential for educators who are ready to challenge their own biases and rethink their roles… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, hosts Jordan Luster and Victoria Andrews dive into the world of microschools, exploring how these small, adaptive learning environments are making education more accessible and equitable. The conversation touches on the different strategies employed by micro school leaders… Read more

Project Lead the Way is a proven national leader in science, technology, engineering, and math education, for Pre-K through high school. They strive to help teachers make every student in every grade STEM-successful, through interactive, problem-based learning. Learn more and find a school with Project Lead The Way… Read more

In this podcast episode, Victoria Andrews gets into the transformative power of community in education. Joined by John Watson and Mawi Asgedom, the three discuss how fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion can lead to innovative learning environments. John Watson, the CEO of Evergreen Education Group, highlights… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, we are joined by an inspiring lineup of educational leaders who are at the forefront of transforming Nevada's educational landscape. Our guests are Jhone Ebert, Nevada's State Superintendent, and Jeanine Collins, Chief Innovation Officer at Ed Extraordinary. They discuss… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart podcast, hosts Jordan Luster and Victoria Andrews talk to Desiree Corbin of Mindsprout Montessori, Tiffany Blasingame of the Ferguson School, Kenesha Skaggs of SOAR Academy, Coi Morefield of The Lab School of Memphis, Amar Kumar of KaiPod, and Julia Bamba from the Issaquah School… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark speaks with Rachelle Dené Poth, an esteemed educator, author, and ed tech expert, about the integration of AI in education. Rachelle shares insights from her latest book, How to Teach AI: Weaving Strategies and Activities into Any Content Area, highlighting… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined by Carolyn Weir, Executive Director of the McClure Foundation, discussing Vermont's innovative Free Degree Promise. This initiative offers accelerated, debt-free pathways to post-secondary education, particularly benefiting students from rural… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by project-based learning (PBL) advocate Kyle Wagner to delve into the transformative power of PBL in creating student-centered environments. Kyle shares his journey from visiting innovative schools like High Tech High to becoming a global… Read more

This town hall discussion focuses on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the education system, particularly in K-12 settings. Nate McClennen leads this riveting conversation with featured speakers such as Wes Kriesel, Kunal Dalal, and Jerry Almendarez. Listen in as the discuss the growing use of AI… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Rachel Davison Humphries, Senior Director of Civic Learning Initiative at the Bill of Rights Institute. They explore the urgent need for robust civics education amidst a rapidly evolving socio-political landscape. Rachel emphasizes the role of… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined by Betsy Revell, Senior Vice President of Career Connected Learning, and Marie Mackintosh, President and CEO of EmployIndy. They discuss the organization's efforts to provide Indianapolis students with access to tech apprenticeships through… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart podcast, Tom Vander Ark speaks with Lisa Gevelber, Vice President at Google and founder of Grow with Google. They discuss the transformative impact of Grow with Google, a program designed to provide alternative career pathways through online certificates in high-demand fields. The… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart podcast, Shawnee Caruthers speaks with Kathy Goodacre, Principal Gabe Oliveira, and Vice Principal Erika Raffo about the transformative work happening in Sonoma County through the CTE Foundation and its partnership with Elsie Allen High School. Kathy discusses the foundation's… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, we're joined by Todd Smith, past podcast host and guest and CEO of Symphony Workforce , and Stacey Ocander, Senior Director of Workforce and Education Initiatives at Nebraska Hospital Association to discuss their collaborative efforts to address the healthcare workforce… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark talks to Conrad Wolfram, CEO of Wolfram Research and author of The Math Fix, to discuss the evolving role of computational thinking in education. They explore how the surge in computational power and AI can transform math education by moving away from manual… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark talks to Dr. Candy Van Buskirk, Assistant Superintendent of the Career Academy Network in South Bend, Indiana, to discuss her new book, 'Learn Outside. They talk about the innovative educational strategies at Career Academy Network and the goals of the new… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark talks with Jean-Claude Brizard, CEO of Digital Promise They talk about the organization's unique congressional mandate and its role in educational innovation. They explain how Digital Promise has exceptional access to U.S. government agencies, enhancing its… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is part of a new short monthly series where Mason Pashia is joined by Dr. Jason Cummins, a previous guest and a friend of the podcast, to speak with indigenous leaders and academics to discuss how indigenous ways of knowing and leading can, and should, shape the education… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, we're joined by two members of the Communities Foundation of Texas team: Chris Coxon, Managing Director of Programs; and Ryan Franklin, Senior Director, Policy & Advocacy. Educate Texas has been in a leadership role in college and career readiness school models for over… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by Mrs. Wordsmith, learn more at mrswordsmith.com and save 15% on your order by entering discount code GETTINGSMART15 at checkout, (edited) On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined by Dr. Gholnecsar Muhammad. You might know her as… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Victoria Andrews is joined by Melissa Byrne, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning at Barrington Community 220 School District in Illinois. We visited Barrington High School a few weeks ago with a team of principals from the Kansas City area. Melissa shared… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia is joined by Jennifer Brandsberg-Engelmann to discuss a new approach to teaching economics and why it is critical to teach economics to K-12 students as a way of understanding the world. Links Regenerative Economics Course Link to the course Recent Webinar on… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by Mrs. Wordsmith, learn more at mrswordsmith.com On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Carl Gombrich, the Dean at the London Interdisciplinary School (LIS), to discuss his transition from University College London (UCL) to… Read more

We hope you've attended our town halls, but are you looking for even more ways to learn in community? Check out one of the two forthcoming webinars from the Aurora Institute. Learn more here . This Getting Smart Town Hall focused on pathways in Health Sciences and focus on the following elements of effective pathways:… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by Mrs. Wordsmith, learn more at mrswordsmith.com On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Shari Camhi, Superintendent of the Baldwin School District in Long Island. Together, they discuss the need for enhanced media literacy… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined by two of the leaders leaning into this space, Juan Jose Gonzalez, Managing Director of Pathways & Operations at Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University ( EdSystems ) and Gina Schuyler, Department Chair of Career and Technical… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is part of a new short monthly series where Mason Pashia is joined by Dr. Jason Cummins, a previous guest and a friend of the podcast, to speak with indigenous leaders and academics to discuss how indigenous ways of knowing and leading can, and should, shape the education… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Nate McClennen is joined by Sarah Elizabeth Ippel, Founder and Executive Director of the Academy for Global Citizenship, a public K-8 charter school that opened in 2008 on the southwest side of Chicago. ACG just moved into a brand new campus in partnership with the… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Yu-Ling Cheng ,Co-Producer of Remake Learning Days and Director of Kidsburgh and Parents as Allies , (Kidsburgh operates as a project of Grantmakers of Western PA ). Remake Learning Days is one of the world's largest festival of hands-on learning… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Shawnee Caruthers is joined by Jennifer Mellor, Chief Innovation Officer at the Phoenix Chamber Foundation and Mike Huckins, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and IT Operations at the Greater Phoenix Chamber. Together, Jennifer and Mike are working on ElevateEdAZ, a… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by, Dr. Lesley-Ann Noel, a professor at North Carolina State University. Lesley-Ann is also author of Design Social Change , a new book from Stanford's d.School run featuring past guests Sam Seidel and Olatunde Sobomehin on Creative Hustle and Sarah… Read more

This special episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a live broadcast of a conversation between Tom Vander Ark and authors from the Stanford d.school. Together they discuss four new books that speak to important aspects of this work. This conversation features Sam Seidel and Olatunde Sobomehin of Creative Hustle, Dr.… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Shawnee Caruthers is joined by Stacy Wall Schweikhart, CEO of Learn to Earn Dayton. Stacy brings more than 21 years of public sector leadership and a deep network of partners and resources to the CEO role. We're also joined by Dr. Thomas Lasley, Director of Policy and… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Rebecca Midles is joined by Nell Rosenberg, National Director of Teleservices at Clarke Schools for Hearing & Speech. Links: LinkedIn Clarke School for Hearing and Speech tVisit Teleservices Program National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management,

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is part of a new short monthly series where Mason Pashia is joined by Dr. Jason Cummins, a previous guest and a friend of the podcast, to speak with indigenous leaders and academics to discuss how indigenous ways of knowing and leading can, and should, shape the education… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Rebecca Midles is joined by two members of the Transcend Usable Knowledge team —Cynthia Leck, and Juetzinia Kazmer-Murillo, to discuss their new report Igniting Agency in Early Learners . Links: Igniting Agency in Early Learners Cynthia Leck Cynthia Leck LinkedIn Juetzinia… Read more

On this special episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, producer Mason Pashia is joined by Timothy Jones. In honor of Poetry Month, Timothy and Mason discuss their deep appreciation and practice of the intersection and language. Timothy is a long-time educator, coach, mentor and someone who lives and breathes hip-hop.… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Rebecca Midles is joined by Sydney Schaef, Managing Director at reDesign, a nationally recognized, women-led education design lab committed to ensuring every young person is future-ready. reDesign recently released the Future9 competencies, 34 skills across a six-level… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark and Shawnee Caruthers talk about a recent set of school visits in Minnesota as a part of an ongoing series of Real World Learning field trips. The Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area is a thriving community of nearly 3 million people. Made up of 7… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Todd Smith, a New Pathways Fellow, founder and CEO of Symphony Workforce and former podcast guest hosts a conversation about an exciting initiative underway in Nebraska. These guests represent the Omaha Taskforce. Joseph Murray, Jesuit Academy . Osuman O. Issaka, Simple… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Ryan Lufkin , VP of Academic Strategy at Instructure . Links: Ryan Lufkin LinkedIn Instructure Portfolium Canvas Credentials Parchment End of last year release - stratification

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Shawnee Caruthers is joined by Erika Giampietro, Executive Director at the Massachusetts Alliance for Early College. Erika recently led a design team as a part of the Accelerate ED initiative, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Accelerate ED is built on the… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Shawnee Caruthers and Tom Vander Ark discuss a recent set of school visits in Dallas, Texas. These schools do an incredible job of showcasing dual enrollment, pathway management, business partnerships and building culture in their schools. These schools create radical new… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Mason is joined by repeat guest Aaron Schorn of Unrulr and two new guests for the Getting Smart Podcast, Kwaku Aning, Director of the Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Thinking at the San Diego Jewish Academy and Mike Yates, The Reinvention Lab at Teach for America.… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined by New Pathways Senior Fellow Timothy Jones to discuss one of our New Pathways Design Principles: Purposeful. When designing pathways, they must "help learners identify strengths and interests and match them with possible futures. With a growing… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee is joined by New Pathways Senior Fellow Timothy Jones to discuss one of our New Pathways Design Principles: Intentional. When designing pathways, ensure that they are "co-authored experiences and journeys with personalized and localized guidance and support."… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee is joined by New Pathways Senior Fellow Timothy Jones to discuss one of our New Pathways Design Principles: Curated. When designing pathways, they must be "meaningful sequences of learning experiences linked to opportunity. The result in experiencing success in… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee is joined by New Pathways Senior Fellow Timothy Jones to discuss one of our New Pathways Design Principles: Equitable. When designing pathways, they must "provide equitable accessible, meaningful accommodation and support the development of social capital needed to… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Shawnee Caruthers is joined by Michael Gonzalez, Executive Director of Rural Schools Innovation Zone, a first-of-its-kind partnership made up of five school districts and five institutions of higher education in South Texas that, like our New Pathways campaign, help… Read more

Join your community March 4-7 in Austin, Texas for SXSW EDU 2024 to help create a new tomorrow for learners everywhere! Go to sxswedu.com/attend/ to learn more. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Lydia Logan , Vice President, Global Education and Workforce Development, Corporate… Read more

Join your community March 4-7 in Austin, Texas for SXSW EDU 2024 to help create a new tomorrow for learners everywhere! Go to sxswedu.com/attend/ to learn more. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia is joined by Josh Schachter, Founder of CommunityShare and long-time storyteller of environment and… Read more

This episode is an overview of a recent contribution to a publication from the Hoover Institute written by Tom Vander Ark. This publication takes a look at the shift from print to digital in light of the 40th anniversary of A Nation At Risk. This era marked a shift from information scarcity to abundance, a shift from… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Nate McClennen is joined by Rachna Mathur, Senior STEM Strategist, CEO/Founder of Stemology Club and Meg Grothman, Director of Arizona Impact and Mathematics Innovation at ASU Prep. We have worked with ASU Prep and ASU over the years, and they both continue to live up to… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Shawnee Caruthers is joined by Sharif El-Mekki, Founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development. A proud alum of Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, PA and the former principal of Mastery Charter, Shoemaker Campus, Sharif sees education as activism and… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Charles Fadel, Founder of Center for Curriculum Redesign . Center for Curriculum Redesign is a leading authority on elementary and secondary outcomes and they recently published a great new book called Education for the Age of AI . This book is… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is part of a new short monthly series where Mason Pashia is joined by Dr. Jason Cummins, a previous guest and a friend of the podcast, to speak with indigenous leaders and academics to discuss how indigenous ways of knowing and leading can, and should, shape the education… Read more

How might we design new school models to better serve all young people? What are the skills, and jobs of tomorrow? IFTF's Foresight Essentials course is great for those looking to build something new or trying to innovate within their current role. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen is joined by Derek Wenmoth, Founder of Futuremakers , teacher, principal, distance educator and educational policy adviser in New Zealand and internationally. He's also joined by Annette Thompson, Chief Executive Officer at Inquire Innovation and,… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia is joined by two individuals from America's Promise Alliance (APA), an organization that weaves people and organizations together for a positive impact. Mike O'Brien, CEO of America's Promise Alliance, and Parvathi (Parv) Santhosh -Kumar their VP of Community… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Family Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of… Read more

On this Getting Smart Town Hall, we took a look at apprenticeship pathways and tried to answer some of the following questions: What does a modern apprenticeship system look like? How might we set up the necessary systems to create earn-and-learn opportunities in technology and teaching pathways. We were joined by… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is part of a new short monthly series where Mason Pashia is joined by Dr. Jason Cummins, a previous guest and a friend of the podcast, to speak with indigenous leaders and academics to discuss how indigenous ways of knowing and leading can, and should, shape the education… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Jean Eddy, CEO of American Student Assistance (ASA) and author of Crisis-Proofing Today's Learners: Reimagining Career Education to Prepare Kids for Tomorrow's World . Links: Crisis Proofing Today's Learners Jean Eddy American Student Assistance… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Family Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is brought to you by our recent publication Green Pathways, and makes the case for why ALL pathways need sustainability and green embedded. Find out more here . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Mason Pashia is joined by Shiva Rajbhandari, a current freshman at UNC… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Victoria Andrews is joined by Producer Mickey Breeze, the 10-time Beat Battle Champion of the Twin Cities. He is also a former teacher for the "Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project." and a DJ for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Twins. He's a proud alumni of the High School for… Read more

On this episode of Getting Smart Podcast Victoria Andrews discusses student entrepreneurship with an awesome group from Frisco ISD. Tommy Thompson teaches Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Finance Classes, as well as the DECA sponsor in Frisco ISD. Before teaching he worked in the corporate world for 18 years, started… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is part of a new short monthly series where Mason Pashia is joined by Dr. Jason Cummins, a previous guest and a friend of the podcast, to speak with indigenous leaders and academics to discuss how indigenous ways of knowing and leading can, and should, shape the education… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by our friend Dr. Chris Unger, a Teaching Professor in the Graduate Programs in Education including the Doctor of Education program and author of the great new book A Revolution in Education: Scaling Agency & Opportunity for All . Links: Viva La… Read more

On this Getting Smart Town Hall, we took a look at our latest publication, Support & Guidance For All New Pathways Journeys and spoke with practitioners and policy experts to get an overview of the current state of advisory models in U.S. schools. Together, we highlighted some exemplars in the space and discuss how… Read more

How might we design new school models to better serve all young people? What are the skills, and jobs of tomorrow? IFTF's Foresight Essentials course is great for those looking to build something new or trying to innovate within their current role. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Bob Schwartz to talk about pathways to opportunity and the role of college, specifically community colleges. Bob's new book is America's Hidden Economic Engines: How Community Colleges Can Drive Shared Prosperity , which argues that community… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Ben Wildavsky to discuss his new book The Career Arts: Answering Big Questions About College and Career . This book makes the case for building career success through broad education, targeted skills, and social capital. Ben is also a visiting… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is part of a new short monthly series where Mason Pashia is joined by Dr. Jason Cummins, a previous guest and a friend of the podcast, to speak with indigenous leaders and academics to discuss how indigenous ways of knowing and leading can, and should, shape the education… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Elliot Washor, the co-founder of Big Picture Learning and author of the great new book Learning to Leave: How Real-World Learning Transforms Education . This book is the followup to the great Leaving to Learn: How Out-of-School Learning… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by repeat guest Kim Smith to discuss a landscape analysis, the rise of learner-centered education and the three horizons. Kim is the founder of LearnerStudio , a nonprofit intermediary accelerating progress towards a flexible, rigorous, equitable,… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a recording of the latest Getting Smart Town Hall — Agriculture Technology Pathways. On this episode, we heard from a great panel of guests who are running a wide range of programs to help young people connect with the growing field of agriculture technology. Links: Town… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Justin Reich, ED of MIT Teaching Systems Lab , host of the Teach Lab Podcast and author of Iterate: The Secret to Innovation in Schools. On this episode, they discuss the two paths to coherence: Invitational Leadership: inviting people into… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Nate McClennen is joined by Sharon Laidlaw, Director of Place Network at Teton Science Schools, to discuss place-based education, a movement that was articulated in the 1990's and now has become a centerpiece of education innovation everywhere. This movement is rekindling… Read more

We've recently released a new publication that synthesizes years of research on AI and its impact on teaching and learning. You can find it at GettingSmart.com/artificial-intelligence/ On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen is joined by Anant Agarwal, MIT Professor, Chief Platform Officer at 2U… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Family Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of… Read more

We've recently released a new publication that synthesizes years of research on AI and its impact on teaching and learning. You can find it at GettingSmart.com/artificial-intelligence/ On the recent Getting Smart Town Hall, we were joined by leaders who are thinking about generative AI and its implications and uses in… Read more

Are you interested in attending one of the field's largest gatherings of K-12 education innovators? The Aurora Institute Symposium 2023 promises community, lessons about education innovation from the field, and the latest research and policy to support education transformation. Find out more here. On this episode of… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined by Eduardo Briceño, speaker, author and facilitator. His new book, The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset into Action , was selected as a "Must-Read" by the Next Big Idea Club, which is curated by Susan Cain, Malcolm Gladwell,… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Nate McClennen is joined by Morgan Camu , Head of Programs at Outschool.org and Justin Dent , founding Executive Director of Outschool.org. This non-profit branch of outschool.com is working to ensure not only access to all of outschool.com's resources to those who are… Read more

Are you interested in attending one of the field's largest gatherings of K-12 education innovators? The Aurora Institute Symposium 2023 promises community, lessons about education innovation from the field, and the latest research and policy to support education transformation. Find out more here. On this episode of… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Nate McClennen is joined by Thanasi Dilos, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer at Civics Unplugged . Thanasi has been an explorer with Nat Geo, a Venture Fellow and is also the Co-Founder and Founding Champion of DreamDAO - and he is 20 years old. Links: LinkedIn Civics… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is brought to you by our recent publication Green Pathways, and makes the case for why ALL pathways need sustainability and green embedded. Find out more here . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined again by Navid Nathoo, a former guest on the… Read more

Are you interested in attending one of the field's largest gatherings of K-12 education innovators? The Aurora Institute Symposium 2023 promises community, lessons about education innovation from the field, and the latest research and policy to support education transformation. Find out more here. On this episode of… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is brought to you by our recent publication Green Pathways, and makes the case for why ALL pathways need sustainability and green embedded. Find out more here . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by repeat guest Jamie Merisotis, CEO of… Read more

On the recent Getting Smart Town Hall, we were joined by NGLC to discuss their recent report focused on what comes after a school district adopts a Portrait of a Graduate. We also featured two of the educators highlighted in the report, not to mention countless others in our audience who are doing important work on… Read more

Are you interested in attending one of the field's largest gatherings of K-12 education innovators? The Aurora Institute Symposium 2023 promises community, lessons about education innovation from the field, and the latest research and policy to support education transformation. Find out more here. On this episode of… Read more

Are you interested in attending one of the field's largest gatherings of K-12 education innovators? The Aurora Institute Symposium 2023 promises community, lessons about education innovation from the field, and the latest research and policy to support education transformation. Find out more here. On this episode of… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by a high school student Sabrina Zhang. We are also joined by Jack Prater, one of Sabrina's teachers at Polytechnic School in Pasadena, California. They recently collaborated as a mentor/mentee team in The Earth Prize competition, a $200k global… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance® (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance® (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving… Read more

This episode is supported by our recent Artificial Intelligence publication which focuses on the ways in which AI is shaping teaching, leading and learning. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen is joined by Karema Akilah, founder of the Genius School, Genii DAO and Geniiverse. We met Karema at… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Rebecca Midles is joined by Landon Mascareñaz an educator, writer, and vice president of community partnership at the Colorado Education Initiative. We're also joined by Doannie Tran, a partner at the Center for Innovation in Education. Their new book, The Open System:… Read more

This episode is supported by our recent Artificial Intelligence publication which focuses on the ways in which AI is shaping teaching, leading and learning. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Ryan Craig, Managing Director of Achieve Partners . Ryan is leading the development of… Read more

Are you interested in attending one of the field's largest gatherings of K-12 education innovators? The Aurora Institute Symposium 2023 promises community, lessons about education innovation from the field, and the latest research and policy to support education transformation. Find out more here. On this episode of… Read more

On this Getting Smart Town Hall, we are joined by Erin Mote from Educating All Learners Alliance and Karla Phillips-Krivickas from Think Inclusion to discuss some of the core challenges facing learners with disabilities, some of the most pressing topics circling the learning disability field and to highlight exemplars… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Karen Pittman, Partner at Knowledge to Power Catalysts and Gary Briggs, Director of Systems Impact at New Teacher Center to discuss a recent report The Elephant in the Classroom. This position paper articulates a new, shared purpose for education… Read more

We've recently released a new publication that synthesizes years of research on AI and its impact on teaching and learning. You can find it at GettingSmart.com/artificial-intelligence/ On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr Scott Muri, Superintendent of Ector County School District… Read more

Are you interested in attending one of the field's largest gatherings of K-12 education innovators? The Aurora Institute Symposium 2023 promises community, lessons about education innovation from the field, and the latest research and policy to support education transformation. Find out more here. On this episode of… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Rebecca Midles is joined by a former guest on the Getting Smart Podcast and a friend of Getting Smart, Stephanie Malia Krauss. Stephanie is the author of multiple books, including Making It and the new Whole Child, Whole Life: 10 Ways to Help Kids Live, Learn, and Thrive .… Read more

We've recently released a new publication that synthesizes years of research on AI and its impact on teaching and learning. You can find it at GettingSmart.com/artificial-intelligence/ On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen is joined by Bodo Hoeden co-founder and CEO of Nolej, a generative AI… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is supported by the JFF Horizons Summit. Find out more at horizons.jff.org . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Michelle Blanchet, Founder & Director of the Educator's Lab and author of Preventing Polarization: 50 Strategies for Teaching… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Scott McLeod, a Professor of Leadership for Educational Organizations at University of Colorado Denver and author of numerous books, most recently Leadership for Deeper Learning . Scott is also a Senior Fellow at Getting Smart. Links:… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by JFF Horizons. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, we're rebroadcasting a recent Getting Smart Town Hall where we discussed various Portraits of a Graduate, Graduate Profiles, and Student Learning Goals with hopes of identifying a set of learner… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is brought to you by our new Credentialed Learning Interactive Publication, check it out at GettingSmart.com/Credentialed . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Rebecca Midles and Victoria Andrews are joined by Kathryn Kennedy , Executive Director of Wellness for… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia is joined for a second time on the podcast by Awaachiáookaate', or Jason Cummins Ed.D. He is an enrolled member of the Apsaalooke Nation, and recently served as a principal at Crow Agency Public School. As an Indigenous scholar and school leader he has… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving… Read more

What would an economy look like that centered justice, regenerativity and collaboration? Want to play a role? Find out more about the Next Economy MBA from LIFT Economy. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. David Dimmett , President and CEO of Project Lead the Way. Prior to… Read more

We hosted a town hall event called Raise the Bar: Policy Shaping Pathways . We were lucky to be joined by two policy gurus: Dr. Amy Loyd, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Education and Julie Lammers, Senior Vice President, Advocacy and Corporate Social Responsibility at American Student Assistance (ASA).… Read more

Interested in learning more about the World of Work? We'd love to see you at the summit. Register here . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, New Pathways Senior Fellow Trace Pickering is joined by Al O'Bannon. Al is the Executive Director of the LBA Foundation in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and is a Certified School… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance® (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, New Pathways Senior Fellow Trace Pickering is joined by David Weinberg, a teacher, principal, curriculum director, assistant superintendent, and a founder of EPIC North HS in New York City. He now spends his time working to help schools become more innovative and… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined by Josh Fryday ,California's Chief Service Officer within the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom to lead service, volunteer, and civic engagement efforts throughout California. Links: Josh Fryday California Volunteers College Corps Climate Action… Read more

What would an economy look like that centered justice, regenerativity and collaboration? Want to play a role? Find out more about the Next Economy MBA from LIFT Economy. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Justin Aglio, the Executive Director of the Readiness Institute at Penn… Read more

Will we be seeing you this year at SXSW EDU? Register today. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined by Jenee Henry Wood, a Partner at Transcend Education and David Nitkin, also a Partner at Transcend . David and Jenee recently worked on an initiative called Conversations with Kids ,… Read more

On the 2023 edition of our annual "What's next in learning?" Getting Smart Town Hall, we dug into some of the core drivers impacting learning today: the Pandemic Response, New Pathways and AI Everywhere. We then broke these categories down further into trends that we are seeing that are likely to have a big impact on… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, we're sharing a recent conversation between Tom Vander Ark and Louka Parry. Together they discuss the mission of school, credentials and records, generative AI, shifting towards regenerative models of learning and much more. Louka Parry is CEO of The Learning Future, a… Read more

Schools are supposed to prepare young people for the opportunities ahead of them, but oftentimes the opportunities move faster than the school systems. In the last few years some of the world's leading countries have made massive commitments to sustainability. Legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act has promised… Read more

Interested in learning more about the World of Work? We'd love to see you at the summit. Register here . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen is joined by Dr. Julie Evans , CEO of Project Tomorrow, and author of the new book Free Agent Learning . Project Tomorrow runs Speak Up which routinely… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance ® (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Rebecca Midles is joined by two dear friends and peers: Kelly Niccolls and Abby Benedetto. Kelly Niccolls is formerly a Getting Smart colleague and now leads Secondary Teaching and Learning at Cheney Public Schools . Abby Benedetto is one of Getting Smart's Senior Fellows… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by repeat podcast guest Sam Seidel Director of K12 Strategy + Research at the Stanford d.school , the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University and Olatunde Sobomehin, CEO of StreetCode Academy to discuss their new book Creative… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Barbara "Bobbi" Kurshan and Kathy Hurley the co-authors of the new book InnovateHERs: Why Purpose Driven Entrepreneurial Women Rise to the Top . Dr. Barbara "Bobbi" Kurshan, is the President of Educorp Consultants Corporation and Senior… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance® (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving… Read more

Thank you to BetterHelp for sponsoring this episode. Speak with an affordable, licensed therapist at your convenience and save 10% on your first month at BetterHelp.com/GettingSmart . We've done it! It's the season finale of EduCatered. Thank you SO much for joining us through all of these great conversations this… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Ellen Perconti, Superintendent at Goldendale School District . Dr. Ellen Perconti is an experienced education superintendent with a demonstrated history of leading instructional reform and creating cultures focused on engagement. Links :… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance® (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance® (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is supported by LME Global's Learning Blueprint. Find out more at lme.global/smart. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom is joined by Tanya Sheckley, author of the new book Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination Meet. Tanya Sheckley is the… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by David McRaney, author of the new book How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion and the host of the You Are Not So Smart Podcast . Links: About You Are Not So Smart You Are Not So Smart Podcast How Minds Change… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined by author and instructional specialist Miriam Plotinsky to discuss her new book Teach More, Hover Less . Miriam is a strong advocate for student-centered learning, she provides coaching and professional development for teachers and… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance ® (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance ® (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving… Read more

We're thrilled to bring you an episode of one of our favorite current podcasts: UnTextbooked. In each episode, a young producer talks to a scholar about a topic they're curious about. We know that you, our audience, care deeply about at least two things: Continuing to learn and challenge yourself, and celebrating… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Chris McNutt and Nick Covington , two leaders of the Human Restoration Project , an initiative aimed at transforming school systems towards human-centered policies that promote well-being and powerful learning. Links: Chris McNutt Nick Covington… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance® (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is supported by LME Global's Learning Blueprint. Find out more at lme.global/smart. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Alex Budak, a UC Berkeley Haas faculty member and now the author of a new book called Becoming a Changemaker : An… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by a group of guests to discuss the promise of science fairs and why science deep dives should be part of every learner's experience. In 2020 we spoke with Maya Ajmera , CEO of the Society for Science and host of the Regeneron International Science… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with American Student Assistance® (ASA), The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with ASA, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving students a chance to experience success in what's next. On this episode… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with ASA, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving students a chance to experience success in what's next. On this episode… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Nate McClennen is joined by David Rogers from Dual Language Education of New Mexico . The organization began informally in 1997 and formally in 2001, the mission of the organization is to advocate for and support the effective design and implementation of dual language… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with ASA, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving students a chance to experience success in what's next. On this episode… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by someone very familiar to our listeners, Michael Horn. Michael has been on the podcast a handful of times to discuss his many books on college, innovations in higher education and more. Today Michael is here to discuss his new book From Reopen to… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with ASA, the Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving students a chance to experience success in what's… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined by Victoria Andrews , a fellow Getting Smart-er. They're also joined by Dr. Shameka Gerald, the VP of Learning at YELLOW . Recently the three of them went to Big Picture's Big Bang Conference which they described as invigorating, foundational… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with ASA, the Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving students a chance to experience success in what's… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with ASA, the Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving students a chance to experience success in what's… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Belle Liang, a professor of Counseling Psychology at Boston College, and Tim Klein, an award-winning urban educator, clinical therapist, school counselor and formerly served as the Chief Impact Officer at Project Wayfinder. Tim now works with… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, it's a family reunion! Nate McClennen is joined by Abel McClennen, the Director and one of the founders of La Paz Community School in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. A PK-12 school on two campuses with a mission to cultivate informed, mindful citizens of the world. Links: La Paz… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with ASA, the Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving students a chance to experience success in what's… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with ASA, the Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving students a chance to experience success in what's… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign . In partnership with ASA, the Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education's status quo and propose new methods of giving students a chance to experience success in what's… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen is joined by Lisa Lewis, a freelance journalist who focuses on the intersection of parenting, public health, and education and recent author of The Sleep-Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired , and How Parents and Schools Can Help Them Thrive . Let's… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Valerie Truesdale , the Assistant Executive Director of AASA, the Superintendents Association; and Dr. David Miyashiro , Superintendent of Cajon Valley Unified School District and Dr. Kelly Niccolls Teaching and Learning Asst. Director,… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Michael T. Conner , CEO/Founder of the Agile Evolutionary Group . Dr. Conner served as Superintendent of Schools (Middletown, CT), Chief Academic Officer (Norwalk, CT), Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning (Willimantic, CT) and… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by the phenomenal Kaya Henderson. Kaya is the CEO of Reconstruction , a edtech company that delivers k-12 courses that situates Black people, culture, and contributions in an authentic, identity-affirming way. Kaya is a career educator, starting as… Read more

On this special episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, producer Mason Pashia is joined by Tom Vander Ark and Shawnee Caruthers to celebrate the approximately 400th episode of the Getting Smart Podcast. They discuss why Getting Smart started a podcast in the first place, run through a quick lightning round of favorite… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is brought to you by What If . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark and Getting Smart Podcast Producer Mason Pashia are joined by Dr. Frank Keil , a Yale Professor of Psychology & Linguistics and author of the new book Wonder : Childhood and the… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign. Find out more here . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Mark Benigni , the award-winning superintendent of Meriden Public Schools and the co-author of the forthcoming book The Great Equalizer:… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign. Find out more here . This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a re-airing of our recent New Pathways Town Hall that breaks down each of the six pillars of pathways. These pillars will help learners find meaning in their personal,… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our Green Schools campaign , an initiative to highlight important thinkers and activists in the movement to make schools more sustainable, more green, and more mindful of our relationship with the planet. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Deion Jordan is joined by Isaiah Walker, principal at KIPP Philadelphia Prep Academy , where he manages and mentors multiple Principals in Residence. Isaiah started his teaching career at Saint Charles Borromeo School in Harlem, teaching middle school science. He then… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Nate McClennen is joined by three incredible students who recently competed in the Regeneron Science Talent Search , an event co-hosted with Society for Science. Check out our podcast episode with Maya Ajmera to hear more about Society for Science. The students are… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Shawnee Caruthers is joined by Nadine Levitt, founder of WURRLYedu and PD Reimagined . She is also the creator of the My Mama Says book series and writer of numerous blog s and education resources. Nadine has a varied combination of experiences - from lawyer, to opera… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen is joined by GPS Education Partners (GPS Ed) and representatives of DuPage County Schools to discuss school and industry partnerships and work-based learning. We recently supported GPS Ed in publishing a white paper called Work-Based Learning Ecosystems:… Read more

Producer's Note: This episode had some minor technical difficulties, notably some persisting pops and clicks throughout the recording. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Shawnee Caruthers is joined by some innovators in Colorado's Embark Education program. Embark Education is a micro middle school in North… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Nate McClennen is joined by Adam Geller , CEO and Founder of Edthena — a personalized professional learning and video observation tool. Nate and Adam discuss a wide range of things from their backgrounds as science teachers, the psychology of performance improvement,… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy and Amy McGrath, Chief Operating Officer at ASU Preparatory Academy. They recently launched the Khan World School @ ASU Prep - an innovative new online high school opening in August. For full shownotes,… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr Angela Duckworth, a professor at Penn. She's a co-founder of Character Lab , the author of Grit , a bestseller that reveals the secret to achievement is passion and persistence; and the co-host with the No Stupid Questions podcast with Stephen… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee is joined by a superstar team of students and teachers from Immokalee High School. Falia Justima is an educator at Immokalee High School in Collier County Public Schools in Naples, where she has taught for four years. She is also an entrepreneur in the local… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by What If? Also, if you're interested in submitting your teacher pledge, find out more here and send a recording to Mason@GettingSmart.com. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined by a few special guests from Project Invent ,… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by engage2learn . Contact them today! On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined live by the Principal/Director and students from Summit Tech Academy in Lee's Summit, Missouri. First, we talk with Dr. Jeremy Bonnesen - the… Read more

Thank you to BetterHelp for sponsoring this episode. Speak with an affordable, licensed therapist at your convenience and save 10% on your first month at BetterHelp.com/GettingSmart . On this episode of EduCatered we're joined by Heidi Alexander, Founding Principal at ASU Preparatory Academy - Pilgrim Rest Elementary.… Read more

We recently recorded a Getting Smart Town Hall that is all about poetry. Over the course of the conversation we discuss why we use poetry to kick-off events, what poetry means to the Getting Smart Team, what poetry means to our audience, what are new methods of teaching poetry and much more. In this event, we used the… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Erin Jones , educator, leader, athlete and author of the great book Bridges to Heal US: Stories and Strategies for Racial Healing. Let's listen in as Erin reads us an original poem and they discuss athletic leadership, community conversations,… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Nate McClennen is joined by Maggie Favretti and Benjamin Freud , authors, consultants and advocates for the environment, for people and for a more sustainable future. At Getting Smart, we are thinking a lot about Green Schools - sustainable and equitable and inclusive… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by Difference Making . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Rebecca Midles is joined by Zoe Weil, co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education, and a pioneer in the comprehensive humane education movement. She is also the author of the… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by Getting Smart Services . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Steve Katsouros, f ounder and CEO of the Come To Believe Network , an inclusive and accessible college model. The network was inspired by the success of Arrupe… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined by Shannon Buerk, the Founder & CEO of engage2learn . Engage2learn is a platform that grows high-performance cultures in public schools to sustain local visions of learning for students. With 28 years of K-12 experience, Shannon has partnered… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by Smart Sprints. Find out more here. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Shawnee Caruthers is joined by co-founders of Symphony Workforce , Todd Smith and John Batcher . Symphony Workforce is a gamified solution for career discovery and talent… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by our upcoming Smart Sprint, Bring Your Portrait of a Graduate to Life. You can register here. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers is joined by the one and only Chris Emdin, founder of HipHopEd where he is the colleague of our former… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by our upcoming Smart Sprint, Bring Your Portrait of a Graduate to Life. You can register here. This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a recording of a recent Getting Smart Townhall — New Pathways: Every learner on a personalized path to opportunity. This… Read more

We are thrilled to bring you a new podcast from Getting Smart called EduCatered: A Podcast That's Catered to Educators. Subscribe here ! On this episode of EduCatered we're joined by Elizabeth Herbert, the Social Studies Department Chair at Gateway STEM high school in St. Louis Public Schools . Elizabeth spent some… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by engage2learn . Contact them today! On this episode, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Harriette Thurber Rasmussen and Dr. Mohammed (Mo) Raei, co-editors of the new book Adaptive Leadership in a Global Economy: Perspectives for Application and Scholarship . Dr.… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined ( again ) by Dr. Fernande Raine , the Founder of The History Co:Lab , social entrepreneur and Russia scholar. She also leads The Learning Collaborative , an organization that works to change the way we teach and collaborate around history. LINKS:… Read more

On this special episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Mark Schneider live at SXSW EDU. Mark is the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Department of Education. Prior to joining IES, he served as vice president and an Institute Fellow at American Institutes for Research… Read more

On this special episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers hosts a live conversation at SXSW EDU with Kenny Rodrequez , Superintendent of Grandview C-4 School District and Paul McCorkle , Associate Executive Director of Cornerstones of Care . Listen in to hear them discuss essential skills, connecting to… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Nate McClennen is joined by Jennifer Seydel and David Sobel , co-authors of the new book Trailblazers for Whole School Sustainability . Jenny is the Executive Director of the Green Schools National Network and has decades of experience in the classroom and building new… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Rebecca Midles is joined by Mike Ruyle , a former educator, a recognized voice in trauma-informed care and the recent author of the book The School Wellness Wheel: A Framework Addressing Trauma, Culture and Mastery to Raise Student Achievement. We are also joined by… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Nate McClennen is joined by Aaron Schorn, Head of Growth & Community at Unrulr . He is also a Getting Smart Columnist. They are also joined by Trinity Asing, the founder of Mauka Market - the world's first regenerative marketplace. Aaron supported Trinity's journey at… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by one of his favorite podcast hosts… Baratunde Thurston, host of the How to Citizen podcast. Baratunde is an Emmy-nominated host, author of the New York Times bestseller How To Be Black , and creator/host of How To Citizen with Baratunde which… Read more

We are thrilled to bring you a new podcast from Getting Smart called EduCatered: A Podcast That's Catered to Educators. Subscribe here ! At Getting Smart, food, education, and innovation are at the heart of our recipe. This podcast mixes it all together to get to know teachers that are doing the work and making a… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Joseph South ( @southjoseph ), Chief Learning Officer at ISTE. Joseph formerly served as the Director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education. Let's listen in as Tom and Joseph discuss the importance of… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Caroline Hill, a Washington DC based education entrepreneur and founder of 228 Accelerator . Caroline also is the creator of the equityXdesign framework , a way of building on design thinking and other design processes to ensure human-centered… Read more

On this episode of the podcast, we are running a recent Getting Smart Town Hall recording all about unbundling and re-bundling learning experiences. The conversation covered schools and programs that are reframing learning to credential, credit, and count programs and experiences outside of the traditional pathways in… Read more

This episode of the podcast is brought to you by the Smart Update , our weekly newsletter. Sign up today. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Rebecca Midles is joined by a superstar lineup of design thought leaders to discuss liberatory design . Victor Cary, Senior Director at the National Equity Project… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Rebecca Midles is joined by Jenna Mancini Rufo, co-author of Reimagining Special Education: Using Inclusion as a Framework to Build Equity and Support All Students alongside Julie Causton. Jenna is the CEO of empowerED , an education consulting firm specializing in… Read more

We are thrilled to bring you a new podcast from Getting Smart called EduCatered: A Podcast That's Catered to Educators. Subscribe here ! On this episode of EduCatered we're joined by Rachael Fenner, a Reading Specialist and Teacher at Carr Lane , a Visual and Performing Arts Middle school in St. Louis . Rachael is… Read more

You're listening to the Getting Smart Podcast. I'm Nate McClennen and today I'm joined by Taylor Shead , the CEO of STEMuli . STEMuli is a Dallas-based company that is building technology skills for the workforce in order to build a diverse talent pipeline. They are also the first educational metaverse that has been… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by GettingSmart.com where we recently ran a related post called So You Designed a Profile of a Graduate, Now What? On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Ken Kay, founder of Partnership for 21st Century Skills, leading advocate of… Read more

You're listening to the Getting Smart Podcast. On today's episode we are sharing a recording of a recent town hall event called What's Next in Learning: 2022, which was led by the Getting Smart Team. Over the course of the conversation we spotlight inspiring audience members, share tons of leading examples and drop… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom is joined by Stig Leschly, Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School where he teaches entrepreneurship. Stig is a practicing entrepreneur, and is currently the CEO and Founder of College101, an issue advocacy organization focused on US higher education. Let's listen… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is brought to you by the upcoming Smart Sprint , which kicks off January 24th. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Getting Smart's Educator in Residence Deion Jordan is joined by a few very special guests from Crosstown High in Memphis, TN — Ava, Dallas, and Vera.… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by the spring cohort of Education Reimagined's Learning Lab Orientation. You can register now ! On this episode, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Gilda Barabino, the President of the Olin College for Engineering. Dr. Barabino is also the Professor of Biomedical and… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by What If. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Rhonda Broussard, founder of Beloved Community , veteran educator, student of the world and author of the upcoming book One Good Question . Let's listen in as they discuss… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by Smart Sprints. We recently hosted a Getting Smart Town Hall alongside Green Schools National Network to spotlight some of their recent work on establishing a GreenPrint, a framework and philosophy for building an ecosystem of sustainability minded schools and… Read more

This episode is sponsored by our upcoming Smart Sprint. Find out more here. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Greg Toppo and Jim Tracy, co-authors of the new book, Running with Robots: The American High School's Third Century . Greg Toppo is a journalist who has covered… Read more

On this episode of the EduCatered podcast, we're joined by Rachelle Dené Poth , a Spanish and STEAM educator who lives in Pennsylvania. She is also a Getting Smart Columnist and active conference goer, tweeter and the first person to jump into a new tech solution. Shawnee chats with Rachelle about a range of topics,… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Nate McClennen is joined by Brent Maddin , Executive Director of Next Education Workforce at Arizona State University. Brent leads a team that is collaborating with P-12 practitioners and higher-ed faculty to help design the roles of current educators, expand who enters the… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Annie Murphy Paul author of the new book The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain. For the past decade, Annie has been a leading brain science writer on The Brilliant Blog. Let's listen in as Tom and Annie discuss the… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Kiko Suarez, VP of Higher Education and Workforce Development at Territorium , a global edtech company connecting learners with recommended jobs. Territorium recently launched its AI-powered Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR) , into the U.S. to… Read more

This episode of the podcast is a re-publishing of our recent Getting Smart Town Hall we are celebrating the one year bookiversary of Difference Making at the Heart of Learning by Tom Vander Ark and Emily Liebtag. We talked with our live audience about purpose-based learning, getting communities involved and how this… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Clifton Taulbert , an acclaimed author, speaker and entrepreneur. His life story, Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored became a critically acclaimed 1996 movie and one of his books was sent to Nelson Mandela as a gift for his release from… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom Vander Ark is joined by Christine Ricci and Leo Morton, two business leaders from Kansas City who recently met with Tom at a Kauffman Foundation-sponsored real-world learning event. For the last five years, Christine served as CEO of Phone Medic, also known as… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia is joined by a very special guest — Luke Harris. Luke is a Junior at Horace Mann high school and has described himself as " enjoying taking things apart and not quite getting them back together." For the past two years, he has been developing a design… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Carla Marschall , co-author of the new book Worldwise Learning: A Teacher's Guide to Shaping a Just, Sustainable Future , which is a guide focused on supporting K-8 learners in gaining a better understanding of how to be global citizens. Carla… Read more

We are thrilled to bring you a new podcast from Getting Smart called EduCatered: A Podcast That's Catered to Educators. It'll be on its own podcast feed soon! At Getting Smart, food, education, and innovation are at the heart of our recipe. This podcast mixes it all together to get to know teachers that are doing the… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by the Getting Smart newsletter: Smart Update. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Robert Simmons III . Robert is a scholar and activist on diversity, equity and inclusion. Robert serves as a Scholar in Residence and a Scholar… Read more

Be sure to sign up for our Smart Update newsletter to get a weekly round up of what's innovative in learning. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Nate McClennen is joined by Kim Alexander and Alton Frailey from Collegiate Edu Nation (CEN). Kim is the CEO of Collegiate Edu Nation and has spent most of his… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom is joined by Daniel Pianko and Nasir Qadree. Daniel is the co-founder and managing director of Achieve Partners , an investment fund harnessing digital transformation to build new models for learning and new pathways to good jobs. He also hosts the Better Money, Better… Read more

Getting Smart recently hosted a monthly town hall event called Ask Away: A Getting Smart AMA (Ask Me Anything). We invited the audience to ask us questions about leadership and the future of learning and we did our best to answer them. We recorded the session and you can listen to it now. You can register for our next… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Getting Smart team members Mason Pashia and Shawnee Caruthers are joined by Timothy Jones, a long-time educator, coach, mentor and someone who lives and breathes hip hop. Timothy is the Chief Visionary Officer at #HipHopEd, a digitally-birthed organization with a sprawling… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom is joined by Sarah Stein Greenberg, the Executive Director of the Stanford d.school and the recent author of Creative Acts for Curious People: How to Think, Create, and Lead in Unconventional Ways . Sarah has spent the last decade leading d.school and her new book is a… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by GettingSmart.com . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Nate McClennen is joined by Amy McGrath, Deputy Vice President of Arizona State University . They discuss Learning Under Quarantine, a new model that is a fully adaptable, just-in-time learning… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Rebecca Midles is joined by Dr. Ulcca Joshi Hansen, the Chief Program Officer at Grantmakers for Education . She is also the author of The Future of Smart: How Our Education System Needs to Change to Help All Young People Thrive . Ulcca has a career built upon… Read more

Dr. Roger Weissberg passed away this week after a multi-year battle with cancer. Roger always strove to live social and emotional learning as well as teach it, and he helped to shape much of the present day vision of what education should be. We are deeply grateful for Roger's leadership and his commitment to making… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with Roberta McFarland, Director/Principal of Outdoor Environmental Education for Waskowitz Outdoor Programs . Dr. McFarland has a long career in residential outdoor environmental education and she loves helping young people find magic by engaging… Read more

his episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by our recent publication Designing Microschools: Why Small Learning Environments is a Big Idea On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with Martin Reeves, SVP Boston Consulting Group, BCG, and chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast we're talking with Michael Levine, Senior Vice President of Noggin , Nickelodeon's direct-to-consumer interactive learning service for young people. Michael spent time at Carnegie, Sesame Street, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and has been a leading advocate for the importance… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by 20 Invention Opportunities in Learning & Development. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Rebecca Midles sits down with Katie Martin, Chief Impact Officer at Learner-Centered Collaborative . Katie supports school and district leaders to reimagine… Read more

This episode of Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by Screencastify . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with Richard Culatta , CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education (better known as ISTE), a nonprofit serving education leaders in 127 countries. Richard was… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with Ken Kay, founder of Partnership for 21st Century Skills and its successor EdLeader 21, and Suzie Boss, long time education writer and consultant. Ken and Suzie recently co-authored the book Redefining Student Success: Building a New Vision to… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by Screencastify . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with Amir Nathoo ( @AmirNathoo ), CEO of Outschool , an education platform that offers live online classes for K-12 learners. Amir earned a Masters degree in Electrical and… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by Screencastify . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Rebecca Midles ( @AKRebecca ) sits down with Rebecca Wolfe ( @rewolfe13 ), Vice President of Impact and Improvement at Knowledgeworks and Ryan MacDonald, S enior Program Associate on the… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by Screencastify . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by John Watson, founder of Evergreen Education Group . John is the leading expert on online learning. He recently hosted the Digital Learning Annual Conference (DLAC). Let's… Read more

Be sure to sign up for the Getting Smart Smart Update for a weekly blast about what's next in learning. On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Tom sits down with Briony Chown (@BrionyChown ), Director of High Tech High Elementary Explorer . Briony is a seasoned educator who is passionate about creating a better… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by Screencastify . On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom speaks with Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed, superintendent of Hopkins Public Schools in southwest Minneapolis and famous school architect Randy Fielding, who is focused on pathfinding efforts and… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast we're joined by three esteemed guests to discuss the new AASA Report issued by the Learning 2025 Commission, which makes a commitment and a recommendation for whole child design. Joining us today is Dr. Luvelle Brown who is currently serving as the Superintendent of the… Read more

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom speaks with Anthony and Chelsea Craig, leaders in the state of Washington and advocates for indigenous ways of life and leading. Dr. Anthony Craig has served as a teacher, teacher leader, principal, and central office administrator in suburban and reservation settings… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast Rebecca Midles is talking with Randy Weiner and James Bailey about their new book The Daily SEL Leader: A Guided Journal . Aside from being an author, Randy Weiner co-founded and served as the first Chairman of the Board at Urban Montessori Charter School (UMCS) in Oakland,… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom is joined by Dr. Pedro Noguera and Dr. Frederick (Rick) Hess, co-authors of the new book A Search for Common Ground: Conversations About the Toughest Questions in K-12 . Pedro Noguera is the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the Rossier School of Education and… Read more

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is brought to you by a new Getting Smart campaign called "What If?" On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Rebecca Midles talks with Antonia Rudenstine about RedesignU and a new approach to k-12 content mapping. Antonia Rudenstine is a former high school teacher, is now… Read more

Today, Shawnee Caruthers, the Director of Learner Experience at Getting Smart, is sitting down with Dr. Debbie Silver. Dr. Silver is an award-winning educator with 30 years of experience as a classroom teacher, staff development instructor, and university professor. As a former Louisiana State Teacher of the Year,… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom sits down with Dr. Fernande Raine, a social entrepreneur who works towards re-imagining how we talk about, teach and use history as well as bringing civics education to the forefront. She currently heads Got history and The Learning Collaborative , two organizations… Read more

This week, Tom Vander Ark is sitting down with Justina Nixon-Saintil, the Vice President and Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at IBM. Justina drives strategic, socially responsible programmatic investments that enable IBM's technology and talent to address some of society's biggest challenges worldwide.… Read more

Today the Getting Smart team is sitting down with Mark White, an award-winning teacher, Principal, and Superintendent, as well as Dwight Carter, a nationally recognized school leader and Director of Student Support Services at Eastland-Fairfield Career Center in Groveport, Ohio. Recently, Mark and Dwight published the… Read more

Today Tom is joined by Fred Dust; the author of the new book, Making Conversation: Seven Essential Elements of Meaningful Communication . Fred is a former Senior Partner and Global Managing Director of the legendary design firm, IDEO. And in his new book, he shows how to design conversations and meetings that are both… Read more

Today, Tom is speaking with Dr. Christina Theokas, Chief of Applied Science at Turnaround for Children, about the whole-child design movement and the new Toolbox from Turnaround for Children. The Turnaround for Children Toolbox is an online hub created by educators, for educators — and is backed by science, research,… Read more

Today. Tom is sitting down with author and entrepreneur, Suneel Gupta, to discuss his new book, BACKABLE: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take a Chance on You. Suneel is the co-founder of Rise Labs, Inc. and teaches innovation on faculty at Harvard University. Using the seven steps inside BACKABLE ,… Read more

Today, Tom talks with Nate Kellogg of The Learning Accelerator and Gwen Baker of Bellwether Education Partners about the Strategy Lab — a project of the Always Ready for Learning initiative. The Strategy Lab is a networked learning community from The Learning Accelerator, in partnership with Bellwether Education… Read more

Today, Tom is sitting down with Thomas Homer-Dixon, the author of the new book, Commanding Hope: The Power We Have to Renew a World in Peril. Thomas is also the author of the well-received book, The Ingenuity Gap, and, the Director of the Cascade Institute at Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC, Canada.… Read more

This week, the Getting Smart team is speaking with Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski about their new book, When You Wonder, You're Learning: Mister Rogers' Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids . Gregg Behr is the Executive Director of The Grable Foundation, a father, and a children's advocate whose… Read more

Today Tom is sitting down with Dr. Trish Scanlon, CEO and founder of SoapBox Labs. Dr. Scanlon is one of the foremost leaders in voice technology — especially with regards to children's voices. She has over 20 years of experience working in speech recognition technology, including Bell Laboratories and IBM. In 2018,… Read more

This week, Tom Vander Ark is joined by a group of young change-makers and Dr. Erin Raab, Chief Strategy Impact Officer of the Choice-filled Lives Network. Together, they discuss the "100 Days of Conversations" project, a collaborative project organized to catalyze conversations in communities across the country on… Read more

Welcome back to the Nevada Succeeds mini-series! This three-part series is all about leadership, innovation, and education opportunities within Nevada Succeeds — a Las Vegas-based education non-profit focused on empowering systems transformation through educator impact, policy, and design-thinking. This third part… Read more

In this week's episode, Tom is sitting down once again with special guest, Pavel Luksha. Pavel Luksha is a leading education futurist. He's a Professor of Practice at Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, the Director and founder of Global Education Futures, and serves on the advisory board for Whittle School and… Read more

Welcome back to the Nevada Succeeds mini-series with your hosts, Rashawn "Shawnee" Caruthers and Tom Vander Ark! This three-part series is all about leadership, innovation, and education opportunities within Nevada Succeeds — a Las Vegas-based education non-profit focused on empowering systems transformation through… Read more

Today, Tom is sitting down with three outstanding learners who are passionate about difference-making, innovation, and making the world a better place. All three students — Sofia Sanchez, Naila Moloo, and Aaryan Harshith — are a part of The Knowledge Society (TKS); one of Getting Smart's favorite afterschool programs!… Read more

Join hosts Rashawn "Shawnee" Caruthers and Tom Vander Ark in this special Getting Smart Podcast mini-series about the Nevada Succeeds InspirED Global Fellowship! This will be a three-part series all about leadership, innovation, and education opportunities within Nevada Succeeds — a Las Vegas-based education… Read more

Today, Getting Smart team member Rashawn "Shawnee" Caruthers is sitting down with Margarita Geleske of Uncharted Learning and Tom Leonard, the Superintendent of Texas's Eanes Independent School District. Margarita worked with the founding Uncharted Learning to create INCubatoredu, which helps students develop… Read more

Today, Getting Smart team member, Rebecca Midles, is virtually sitting down with Kelley Munger and Megan Marcus of FuelEd. Kelley and Megan are both professional development consultants that specialize in social-emotional learning and relationship building. Megan is the founder of FuelEd. She started her career in… Read more

Today Tom is sitting down virtually to speak with Jeremy Keeshin, about his new book, Read Write Code: A Friendly Introduction to the World of Coding and Why It's the New Literacy . Jeremy has been an innovator from an early age and co-founded CodeHS back in 2012 when he was just graduating from Stanford University… Read more

Today Tom is speaking with Dr. Ron Crutcher, President and Professor of Music at the University of Richmond. He's also the author of the new book, I Had No Idea You Were Black: Navigating Race on the Road to Leadership . Dr. Crutcher was a founding co-chair of Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP) and a… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast , Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Summer Stephens and Nate Waite about district change in the Churchill County School District. Summer Stephens is a longtime educator and superintendent that has successfully implemented systems of blended and online learning, voice and… Read more

In this episode, Getting Smart team member, Rashawn Caruthers, talks with two educators from Phoenix Charter Academy about their Primary Person Model. This model is a one-on-one advisory system that puts mental health and wellness at the forefront of student progress, which now — more than ever — is so important.… Read more

Joining Tom today is Thomas Hatch, a professor at the Teachers College Columbia University and the Director of the National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching (NCREST). Thomas's research includes studies of school improvement, district, and national levels. His latest book, The Education We Need… Read more

Today Tom is speaking with Stephanie Krauss; an educator, social worker, researcher, and writer. Her work focuses on what young people need in the first quarter of life for them to thrive and be ready for adulthood. She is a senior advisor to JFF and a staff consultant for the Youth Transition Funders Group. In this… Read more

Today Tom is speaking with Navid Nathoo; an innovator, entrepreneur, and creator of the new program and platform, The Knowledge Society. The Knowledge Society is an after-school program that helps learners navigate interests and encourages them to contribute to their communities as well as the global community with a… Read more

Today, Tom is virtually sitting down with Trace Pickering, the Executive Director of Iowa BIG — one of Getting Smart's favorite learning programs in the country! Trace has a background in community building, has served as the Associate Superintendent of Cedar Rapids Community School District, and has also served as… Read more

In this episode, Tom is joined by Kelly Young, President of Education Reimagined, to chat with Randy Ziegenfuss, podcast host and former Superintendent, about his multi-decade influence in the education space. Randy recently retired from the role of Superintendent in the Salisbury Township School District where he… Read more

In this week's episode, Tom virtually sits down with Kim Smith, founder of the Pahara Institute and co-founder of NewSchools Venture Fund and Bellwether Education Partners. Kim Smith is widely recognized as an innovative and entrepreneurial leader in education and has been featured in Newsweek 's report, "Women of the… Read more

This week, Tom is speaking with Joe Erpelding, a passionate educator and leader who is in the business of transforming schools and students' lives. Joe served as the Principal at the Poway Unified School District for a number of years before making his way to Design39Campus where he was able to create a magical,… Read more

Today, Tom is talking with journalist and author, Jeff Selingo, about his new book, Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions . This book was published in September 2020 and was named an Editor's Choice by the New York Times book review. Jeff has written about higher education for more than two decades and… Read more

This week, Tom is joined by special guest, Maya Ajmera, the President and CEO of the Society for Science & the Public and Publisher of its award-winning magazine, Science News . In 1993, Maya founded The Global Fund for Children (GFC), a non-profit organization that invests in innovative, community-based organizations… Read more

Today, Tom is joined by a powerful panel of ed leaders to discuss the future of learning. You will hear from Dr. Pamela Moran, Byron Sanders, and Ed Hess. Dr. Pamela Moran is recognized internally as a leading advocate for contemporary education. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Virginia School… Read more

This week, Tom is sitting down with author and advisor, Michelle Weise, to discuss her new book, Long Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don't Even Exist Yet. Michelle is currently serving as an entrepreneur-in-residence and Senior Advisor at Imaginable Futures, a venture of The Omidyar Group. Michelle was… Read more

Joining the podcast in this episode is Marni Baker Stein, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at the Western Governors University (WGU). For over 25 years, Marni has been designing and scaling programs to improve access, affordability, and student success. Prior to joining WGU, she worked for educational institutions… Read more

Today's episode features a conversation with Dr. Donna Housman. Dr. Housman is a clinical psychologist and founder of the Housman Institute, a Boston-based, early childhood training, research, and advocacy organization. This institute also features its own lab school, Beginnings. In these challenging times, Dr. Donna… Read more

Today the Getting Smart team is joined by Donna McDaniel to discuss professional learning and real-world learning. Donna is a longtime educator who has bridged the world of business and education. Through her experience and numerous school settings, Donna has invaluable experience for knowing the ins and outs of what… Read more

In this week's episode, Tom is talking with Dr. Beth Rabbitt and Dr. Asaf Bitton about the state of global health, how it relates to schools, and a new initiative called the Parabola Project, which offers education leaders tools and strategies to minimize health risks while maximizing learning when reopening schools.… Read more

In this week's episode, Tom is talking with author and thought leader, David Price, on the power of us. David is an author, educator, consultant, and public speaker based in North Yorkshire, UK. He has written two Amazon best-selling books, the latest titled, The Power of Us: How We Connect, Act, and Innovate… Read more

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast we are giving you a look at a new conversation series led by Getting Smart team member Rebecca Midles. She has been having informative and inspiring conversations with leaders in the field of competency-based education and they are all available to you at… Read more

In this week's episode, Tom is speaking with Karen Cator and Vic Vuchic. Karen Cator began her career in Alaska as a teacher and a special assistant for telecommunications for the governor of Alaska. This led to Apple, where she directed their leadership and advocacy efforts in education. She then was appointed to… Read more

In this week's episode, Tom is speaking with a father-daughter duo, Mark and Alex Milliron. Mark Milliron serves as Senior Vice President and Executive Dean of the Teachers College at Western Governors University (WGU). In addition to his work with WGU, Mark helps catalyze positive change in education through his… Read more

On today's episode of the Getting Smart podcast, Rebecca Midles sits down with Tom Vander Ark to discuss the new book co-authored by him and Dr. Emily Liebtag: Difference Making at the Heart of Learning . This book stemmed out of our multi-year Future of Work campaign when our team realized that one of the hallmarks… Read more

Today on the podcast, Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Deanna Mulligan on the topics of talent, leadership, and the opportunity gap. Deanna grew up in a small town in Nebraska, earned an MBA from Stanford, and became the Principal Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company. After working there for eight years, Deanna… Read more

This week, Tom is sitting down with the president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, Jamie Merisotis. Jamie is a globally-recognized leader in philanthropy, education, and public policy. Jamie's foundation, Lumina Foundation, is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. They… Read more

Today, Tom is speaking with Amy Klement , Managing Partner of Imaginable Futures , a global philanthropic investment firm that believes learning has the power to unlock human potential and aspires to provide every learner with the opportunity and the tools they need to imagine, and to realize, a brighter future. Amy… Read more

This month on Getting Smart, the podcasts will be focused on the theme of difference-making — which is also t he subject of a new book launched just this week by Tom Vander Ark and Emily Liebtag, Difference Making at the Heart of Learning: Students, Schools, and Communities Alive With Possibility. To kick things off,… Read more

Today, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Ed Hess to talk hyper-learning — o ne of the new demands of the 21st-Century workforce. After 20 years in business, Ed Hess has spent nearly two decades in academia teaching leadership. He is a professor of business administration and Batten Faculty Fellow at the University of… Read more

In this episode, Tom is talking education venture funding with Shauntel Garvey! Shauntel is a partner and co-founder of Reach Capital, an impact-focused edtech venture fund that was spun out of non-profit NewSchools Venture Fund, in 2015. Since then, they have deployed about $95 million in 61 investments, including… Read more

Today Tom is speaking with gaming and esports expert, Mike Sepso. Mike is widely considered the godfather of esports and has been at the heart of esports for nearly 20 years. In 2002, Mike launched Major League Gaming, a professional esports organization. He later sold MLG to game-maker, Activision, in 2015. Last… Read more

In today's episode, Tom is joined by Julia Freeland Fisher and Dr. Mahnaz Charania. Julia is the Director of Education Research at the Clayton Christensen Institute and the author of the important 2018 book, Who You Know: Unlocking Innovations That Expand Students' Networks. Dr. Mahnaz Charania is a Senior Research… Read more

Today's episode is featuring an interview with Dr. Helene Gayle. Dr. Gayle is the CEO of the Chicago Community Trust; one of the nation's leading community foundations. The trust works with donors, non-profits, community leaders, and residents to lead and inspire philanthropic efforts that improve the quality of life… Read more

In today's episode, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Gary Funk and Haley Richardson for a discussion on rural schools and rural teachers! Gary Funk has spent 30 years serving and advocating for America's rural schools. For the last four years, he has served as the Director of the Rural Schools Collaborative. Currently,… Read more

Today, the Getting Smart team is bringing you an episode on leading in a culture of change with Michael Fullan. Michael has been the world's most persistent and persuasive advocate for powerful learning experiences. He is encouraged by the global momentum he sees with whole systems adopting deep learning strategies… Read more

Today on the podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Ron Berger. Ron has been teaching for 40 years and is currently the Chief Academic Officer at EL Education. He's also the author of some popular books you may have heard of! One of which, Leaders of Their Own Learning: Transforming Schools Through Student-Engaged… Read more

Today we're talking with John Winsor on the open talent economy. John Winsor built a big publishing business around sports and fitness. He saw the business changing and started crowdsourcing articles from athletes. That got him interested in open talent — otherwise known as 'work outside of full-time employment,'… Read more

The Getting Smart team is excited to be bringing you a conversation with one of their favorite teacher bloggers, Rachelle Dene Poth! Rachelle is a French, Spanish, and technology teacher and an ed-tech consultant. She's also an attorney with a Master's Degree in Instructional Technology and leads the ISTE Teacher… Read more

Today's episode is featuring a conversation on computational thinking with Conrad Wolfram. Conrad Wolfram directs global strategy for Wolfram Research, a leader in computational resources. For the last decade, Wolfram has been encouraging educators to teach math(s) as if computers existed. He wants teachers and… Read more

In today's interview, the Getting Smart team is talking to Ada Palmer, a history professor at the University of Chicago. As a historian, Ada studies the long-term evolution of ideas and the history of religious radicalism, science, and freethought, especially in the Italian Renaissance, Enlightenment, and Classical… Read more

Today, the Getting Smart team is bringing you a podcast with their friend, Michael Horn, a speaker and writer on the future of education. Michael has spent the last five years leading the higher education consulting practice at Entangled Group. One of their early investments was with Guild Education, a venture-backed… Read more

Today's episode is featuring a recent interview Tom Vander Ark had with Brian Greenberg on creating great schools! Greenberg is an educator, investor, and entrepreneur at the intersection of technology, education, and philanthropy. He is also one of Getting Smart team's favorite people right now in education! After… Read more

Today the Getting Smart team is speaking with Hardeep Gulati, the CEO of PowerSchool. PowerSchool is a leading ed-tech platform, serving more than 32 million students, 65 million parents, and nearly 100 million users in 70 countries. The company empowers teachers and drives student growth through innovative digital… Read more

In today's episode, Kelly Niccolls, Learning Design Manager from the Getting Smart team, is joined by Kristi Dominguez and Ellen Dorr for a follow-up podcast on leading school systems towards healing with love. Building upon their first discussion in episode 252, Ellen and Kristi focus on the commitment of leadership… Read more

Today, the Getting Smart team is bringing you an interesting episode on educating on climate change with Nichole Berg and Kimberly Howard. Nichole Berg is the program's manager for climate change and climate justice at Portland Public Schools where she leads efforts to support the school board's groundbreaking climate… Read more

In today's episode, Tom is sitting down with former Governor Jeb Bush, to discuss all things digital learning. Bush served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 until 2006. After leaving office, he formed and still chairs the Foundation for Excellence in Education also known as ExcelinEd. The national non-profit… Read more

In today's episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Corey Mahn and Shameka Montgomery to discuss next-gen career education. Corey Mohn is the Executive Director of the Blue Valley Center for Advanced Professional Studies (or CAPS for short). This next-generation career center supports five… Read more

This week on the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is welcoming back a return guest — Ryan Craig! Ryan is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of University Ventures and Achieve Partners. As Managing Director of University Ventures, Ryan was the most important investor in higher education — or, more specifically,… Read more

In this special episode, Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Kaleb Rashad, a leading voice in education and the Director of Creative Leadership at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education. Over the past 10 years, Kaleb has worked with diverse communities to co-create equity-driven, liberatory school cultures… Read more

Today, the Getting Smart team is bringing you an episode on the innovation opportunity ahead. As we all try to make sense of the health, economic, and education crisis we're all experiencing, the Getting Smart team has been participating in dialogues with educators from around the world about how to make the best of a… Read more

This week on the podcast, Tom Vander Ark interviews Dr. Jason Glass, the Superintendent of Jeffco Public Schools! Serving 84,000 students, Jefferson County is the largest district in Colorado. It encompasses 800 square miles and serves urban, suburban, and rural communities west of Denver. Before Jeffco, Dr. Glass… Read more

In this episode, you are welcome to join Tom Vander Ark and Greg Shaw for a discussion around reprogramming the American dream. Greg Shaw is a writer from Bellevue, Washington. He has supported the policy and communication needs of Microsoft and the Gates Foundation for more than 25 years. Three years ago, Greg worked… Read more

In today's discussion, Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Dr. Eric Tucker, the co-founder and Executive Director of the Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School. Brooklyn Labs is a next-generation college-preparatory 6–12 public charter school that prepares scholars with the academic foundation, digital literacy, and… Read more

In this episode, the team is diving into artificial intelligence and the future of work and learning. Today's guest, Flynn Coleman, is an international human rights attorney, a professor, and a social entrepreneur. She's also a former competitive athlete, she speaks five languages, and she has lived and learned in a… Read more

This week on the podcast, Tony Wagner is joining Tom Vander Ark to speak about his most recent book and all that he has learned throughout his career in education. Tony Wagner is a former high school teacher, principal, teacher educator, and school coach. For three decades, he's been an advocate for deeper learning… Read more

Today, the Getting Smart team is bringing you an episode focused on project-based learning featuring special guest, Jenny Pieratt. Jenny is the founder and President of CraftED Curriculum, an incredible PBL resource that offers educators and administrators a wide range of training and tools to help them achieve the… Read more

Today, the Getting Smart team is speaking with Byron Sanders about the opportunity gap in Dallas, Texas. Byron grew up in Dallas, observing differences in opportunity. He remembers his mother scrambling to find enriching activities for him. Now, he's doing the same thing for the youth of Dallas County on a much larger… Read more

In this episode, Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Daniel Gohl. Dan is the Chief Academic Officer at Broward County Public Schools. The district serves the greater Fort Lauderdale area of South Florida and has nearly 270,000 students on 241 campuses. It's the sixth-largest district in the country. Dan has been a… Read more

Join the Getting Smart team today as they explore community development with community expert, Lia McIntosh! Lia McIntosh is a marketer, organizer, pastor, and most recently, a grant-maker. She leads the Education Fellows Program at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Missouri. The program's goal is… Read more

This week, Getting Smart is bringing you another bonus episode as a part of their Getting Through series. Getting Smart launched this series to support educators, leaders, and families during this uncertain time and extended school closures. They have curated and created resources and inspiration around new learning… Read more

In today's special bonus episode, the Getting Smart team is sharing two school districts' success stories that are currently shifting to remote learning after the outbreak of the coronavirus. In these schools, the buildings may have closed but the learning has never stopped! Both of these Superintendents have built… Read more

Today on the podcast, Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Anant Agarwal, the founder and CEO of edX. In 2012, Anant founded edX, which was created in partnership between MIT and Harvard to extend open access to the courses taught by the best professors in the world. On top of this, Anant is also a Professor of Electrical… Read more

With schools in a majority of states closes, more than 36 million of about 50 million American students are learning remotely. The pandemic is posing a huge challenge for students and parents. Some parents are trying to figure out how to stay at home with the kids. Others are trying to figure out how to work at home… Read more

This week on the podcast, join Tom Vander Ark, Dr. Emily Liebtag, and Nate McClennen as they discuss their newly published book, The Power of Place: Authentic Learning Through Place-Based Education ! They speak about the main themes they cover, the experiences and examples they share throughout it, and the defining… Read more

In today's episode, Tom Vander Ark is continuing the conversation about starting career education early with Ed Hidalgo and Dr. David Bluestein! If you haven't already, be sure to tune into that conversation first and then come back here to listen to Part Two! After almost two decades of leadership and high tech human… Read more

In this week's episode, Tom Vander Ark is talking with Dr. David Blustein, a Professor of Counseling Psychology at Boston College. Dr. Blustein's 2006 book, The Psychology of Working, made him a leader in the emerging field of vocational psychology. His newest book, The Importance of Work in an Age of Uncertainty,… Read more

Today, the Getting Smart team is going to learn about a school that is taking student-centered learning global! Rebecca Amis is the co-founder of MUSE School in Calabasas, California. MUSE is a small student-centered P-12 school with a robust sustainability agenda, a great Seed-to-Table program, a vegan kitchen, and… Read more

Today the team is talking with Patricia DeKlotz. Dr. DeKlotz has been Superintendent in the Kettle Moraine School District since 2006. And for the last 10 years, she has been recognized as a national leader in personalized and competency-based learning for students and teachers. In 2016, Dr. DeKlotz was named… Read more

This week on the podcast, the Getting Smart team is talking about the past and future of EdTech with Larry Berger! After his Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, Larry Berger served as a Whitehouse Fellow working on educational technology at NASA. In 2000, he co-founded Wireless Generation, an early leader in… Read more

In today's episode, Emily is speaking with Beth Anderson. Beth leads the Hill Learning Center, a K–12 non-profit based in Durham, North Carolina, that has an innovative approach to meeting the needs of students with learner differences. Their mission is to transform students who have learning differences through a… Read more

Whether you're a parent, an educator, or someone who has worked alongside youth, you probably understand the confusion that comes up for learners and their parents when it comes time for college. They're trying to figure out where to go, what to major in, and how to pay for it. But that's why American Student… Read more

Today's episode is all about limitless learning and learning math that really matters with Dr. Jo Boaler! Dr. Boaler is a Professor of Mathematics Education at Stanford University and the author of fourteen books. Her newest book, Limitless Mind: Learn, Lead, and Live Without Barriers , shares the benefits of a growth… Read more

Today, Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Chad Dorsey about modeling and data science in STEM education! Chad grew up a science geek; he loved the lakes and meadows of summer camp, he studied physics in college, and he did doctoral work in geophysics at Oregon. Later on in life, he taught science in Maine and Vermont… Read more

Today, the Getting Smart team is bringing you another fantastic throwback episode from the Getting Smart Podcast vault! And given that it's the holiday season, it only makes sense to share an episode that's all about giving the gift of place. This special episode was recorded while Tom and Emily spent time in Jackson,… Read more

Today the Getting Smart team is bringing back a past episode of an interview they did with Dr. Pam Moran. Last summer, Pam wrapped up 32 years with Albemarle County Public Schools. Starting as a science teacher and concluding with a dozen years as superintendent, Dr. Moran quietly became one of America's leading… Read more

Today, the Getting Smart team is bringing you an episode with an innovative leader and celebrated education disrupter for more than two decades, Julie Young! Julie is the CEO of ASU Prep Digital and Deputy Vice President of ASU Educational Outreach. Before leading ASU Prep Digital, Julie was the founding CEO and… Read more

This week, Tom is speaking with Terry Grier! Terry is known as America's Superintendent coach and was a big district superintendent for over 20 years in four different states. He made Houston the best big urban district in the country. And as Tom says, has done more to develop educational talent than anyone in… Read more

In today's episode, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Rebecca Parks and Dr. William Nicely. Dr. Nicely is the Superintendent of Kearney School District and Rebecca is the leader of two schools within the district — S outhview Elementary and LENS. Southview is a great K-5 school, serving 550 learners, and LENS (Learning and… Read more

Today on the podcast, Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Dr. James Lane, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction at the Virginia Department of Education. Dr. Lane started his career in education serving as a band teacher, a school leader, and then System Head in two districts before finally ending up at the… Read more

Today's topic is all about trends! Tom is flying solo this episode to outline 20 global trends that learning leaders need to consider. These trends are impacting not only elementary and secondary but higher education as well! This podcast summarizes a blog series Tom wrote in August in September (linked below) — so be… Read more

Today's episode is coming to you right from Getting Smart's backyard — Bellevue, Washington! Recently, the Getting Smart team went to Bellevue to talk with DreamBox Learning's CEO and President, Jessie Woolley-Wilson. Jessie has been with DreamBox since 2010 and has been a leader in ed tech for more than two decades!… Read more

Today's episode is all about contribution and empowering all students to make meaningful contributions to the world! At Loudoun County Public Schools that is their motto! LCPS is a big Virginia district west of Washington, DC, serving about 84,000 students in 94 schools. In today's episode, Tom Vander Ark gets to… Read more

Today on the podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Michael Horn! Michael has been a thought leader in education from the day Clayton Christensen took him on as a co-author of Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns. After the book came out in 2008, Michael went on to lead the… Read more

Today the team is speaking with Scott Looney, the Head of School at Hawken as well as the founder of the Mastery Transcript Consortium (better known as MTC). MTC is made up of 150 schools that are working together to change the high school system of assessment, crediting, and transcripting. Recently, MTC has had the… Read more

Today's episode features the story of Eagle Rock School — a residential high school for young people that haven't been successful in other environments. Located on a square mile of mountain wilderness in Estes Park, Colorado, Eagle Rock is supported by American Honda Motor Co. Inc. In 1995, Dan Condon was an intern at… Read more

Today we're listening in on a conversation Tom had with Katherine Prince. Katherine leads the foresight practice at KnowledgeWorks as the Vice President of Strategic Foresight. In this role she has held for the last 9 months, Katherine leads their exploration of the future of learning, creates the strategy for their… Read more

Today on the podcast, Tom is speaking with Diane Tavenner and Mira Browne from Summit Public Schools. With the backing of a group of parents, Diane Tavenner formed Summit Public Schools in 2003. Now, a network of secondary schools in the Bay Area in Washington State, the thirteen cohorts of Summit graduates have all… Read more

Pavel Luksha is a leading education futurist. He's a Professor of Practice at Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, the Director and founder of Global Education Futures, and serves on the advisory board for Whittle School and Studios. What drives Pavel forward is creating a world that works for everyone. He's a global… Read more

This week, Tom is speaking with Ron Berger, the Chief Academic Officer at EL Education. Ron has been with EL Education since 2003 and is responsible for leading EL Education's vision of teaching and learning. Bringing with him 40 years of experience as a teacher and professional development designer, with 28 of those… Read more

Today, the Getting Smart team is bringing you an interview with Benno Schmidt. Benno served as President of Yale University, the Dean of Columbia University Law School, and the CEO and Chairman of Edison Schools (now EdisonLearning). Currently, Benno serves as the Co-Chair of the Global Advisory Board at Whittle… Read more

Today the team is talking with Abby Falik, the founder and CEO of Global Citizen Year. Abby grew up with parents committed to traveling the world — and never the usual tourist traps. After high school, she wanted to get close to the issues that she really cared about but couldn't get into the Peace Corps without a… Read more

Today the Getting Smart team is bringing you an episode with none other than Susan Patrick, the President and CEO of iNACOL. For the past 14 years, Susan has led the international advocacy organization known as iNACOL. At iNACOL, they seak the transformation of education systems and advocate for breakthrough policies… Read more

Today's guest is Michael Hinojosa, the Superintendent of Schools in Dallas, Texas. Dallas, Texas is also where Michael grew up and went to school, the same town his own children went to school in, and also where he has taught and coached for many years. DISD is a rapidly growing school district with 150,000 students… Read more

In today's episode, Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Pamela Cantor, M.D., a leading expert on childhood development. Dr. Cantor has practiced child psychiatry for nearly two decades and originally studied the impact of trauma on childhood development at Cornell. After 9/11, New York City asked her to counsel children… Read more

In today's episode, the team will be speaking with Don Wettrick, the founder and President of STARTedUP Foundation! Don's father was a teacher, and after attempting career #1, he decided to go back and follow in his father's footsteps and become a teacher too. Don found that he enjoyed growing things and becoming… Read more

Today's episode features a fascinating interview with Connie Yowell and Paul LeBlanc. In the most interesting deal of 2018, Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), the leading online university, and LRNG, the leading out-of-school learning platform, merged. Connie Yowell, CEO of LRNG and EVP of SNHU, saw the merger… Read more

Today the team is talking with Peter Janzow, the current Vice President of Business Development for Credly, and the co-founder of Winterlake Press. Peter started his education career as a textbook salesman, 35 years ago. When it looked like the digital revolution would bring print to an end, Peter built an… Read more

Today, Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Richard Barth, CEO of KIPP and Chairman of the Board at Braven. Prior to these roles, he also worked with Teach for America from 1989-1996, was President of District Partnerships for Edison Schools for seven years, and served as a Member of the Board at General Assembly. After… Read more