Leading with Laser Focus: Dr. James Lane’s Seven Steps to School Success

Who do you actually trust to tell you what works in education — the policymaker, the researcher, or the person who’s lived every layer of the system? Dr. James Lane has been all three: band director, teacher, principal, superintendent, state and federal policymaker, and now CEO of University Instructors. He joins hosts Dr. Roberta Lenger Kang and Dr. Cristina Compton to unpack his new book, Leading with Laser Focus: The Seven Steps to School Success, sharing the deeply personal stories behind his framework and discussing “academic optimism” — the belief that teachers, more than any outside factor, make the decisive difference in a student’s trajectory. We’re proud to make this content free and accessible to all. If you find value in our episodes, please consider donating to support and sustain our efforts: https://cpet.tc.columbia.edu/giving.html