E319

281: Why School Improvement Fails So Often, and What to Do Instead

From The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast · Hosted by Jennifer Gonzalez

2026-09-28·52:15

Episode summary

In this episode of The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast: Schools are constantly trying to improve, but too often, big improvement efforts don't lead to the changes people hoped for. In this episode, I talk with Jal Mehta and Max Yurkofsky, authors of A Chance to Solve Their Own Problems, about what gets in the way of meaningful school improvement, what needs to be in place for it to work, and how leaders can create the conditions that allow educators to solve problems together. Thanks to Brilliant and Listenwise for…

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Original publisher description

Schools are constantly trying to improve, but too often, big improvement efforts don't lead to the changes people hoped for. In this episode, I talk with Jal Mehta and Max Yurkofsky, authors of A Chance to Solve Their Own Problems, about what gets in the way of meaningful school improvement, what needs to be in place for it to work, and how leaders can create the conditions that allow educators to solve problems together. Thanks to Brilliant and Listenwise for sponsoring the episode. To read a summary or a transcript and find links to the book, visit cultofpedagogy.com/continuous-improvement. To learn more about Mastering the Lesson Plan, visit cultofpedagogy.com/teaching101.