In the final installment of our mini-series on equity, belonging, and inclusion we chat with Dr. Patti Hess, the Director of Pupil Services for a school district in Connecticut. Patti's past work as a school social worker helped inform and prepare her to oversee all of the special education services in her district. Our co-host team chats with Patti about this work, what high quality inclusion looks like and why inclusion is directly tied to both belonging and equity. Plugs include HomeByMe and all the amazing special education teachers out there, or as Patti says, all "Inclusion Champions". Music by Ketsa.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage school experiences for teachers and students around the world, questions of belonging in classrooms become increasingly critical for educators and administrators to grapple with. In this episode the co-hosting team chats with Shahrzad Missaghi. Originally from Iran, Shahrzad's life story is a fascinating example of the importance of belonging for all students. This is the second episode of our series on Equity, Belonging, and Inclusion. Plugs include Mason's Greatest Gems by Chelsea Lee Smith and Elaheh Bos, The Lighthouse Effect by Steve Pemberton, Cultivating Genius by Gholdy Muhammad, a new translation of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, and singer/songwriter Tim Ward, Jr. Music by Ketsa.

In our first episode of a mini-series on Equity, Belonging, and Inclusion, our co-host team chats with Dr. Antonia Johnson and Dr. Ken Simon of East Carolina University's Project I4. Antonia and Ken are working with school leaders to make classrooms more equitable around the country, and we dive into what educational equity means, what evidence we might see of equity in classrooms, and some tangible tips on how teachers can pursue more equitable practices. Plugs include Avoiding Racial Equity Detours by Paul Gorski, Coaching For Equity by Elena Aguilar, Rethinking Ethnic Studies, and Mathematical Mindsets by Jo Boaler. Music by Ketsa.

Dr. Antonio Boyd is the Executive Vice President of Future of School (FoS) and a columnists for Getting Smart. He met our co-host team at Northeastern University as all of us pursued our doctorates together. In this conversation we chat about equity, school change at both the macro- and micro- levels, and how intermediary organizations like FoS can shift the education landscape. Antonio shares a bit about his journey as an education activist and lots more about the future of school. Plus include the FoS Resilient Schools Project, the FoS Resilient Teachers grants, Street Data by Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan, Five Practices for Equity Focused School Leadership and Antonio's forthcoming book The Booker T. Blueprint (TBD!). Music by Ketsa.

Located in a small town in rural Appalachia, Springhouse Learning Community was founded by Jenny Finn and an amazing team of educators to center vitality in the educational experience of young people and adults. Since its founding, Springhouse has pushed underlying assumptions around what school should and could be all about for its learners and community. Centering ideas such as vulnerability, connection, and resiliency, the community is leading the way in generating school that is responsive and meaningful for students. This episode also features H Leopold and Sarah Merfeld, two of the community's dynamic team, who lend important depth and dynamic to the conversation. Plugs include The Body Is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor, Monoculture by F.S. Michaels, The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin, Letters To A Young Poet: A New Translation, and Heat Wave by Glass Animals. Music by Ketsa.

Gary Schoeniger has been working to build entrepreneurial mindsets in schools for more than 15 years. He is an international speaker, author, founder of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Institute (ELI). In this conversation, our co-host team dives into what it means to be an entrepreneur and what implications this has for schools. We talk with Gary about ELI, his book Who Owns The Ice House: Eight Life Lessons From An Unlikely Entrepreneur, and ELI's initiative Icehouse. Plugs include Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman and the Entrepreneurial Mindset Imperative. Music by Ketsa.

Canada-based Xello was founded over 25 years ago by entrepreneurs Matt McQuillen and Jeff Harris. They saw the need for a unified approach to consistent college and career readiness curricula in schools and developed a CD-ROM (say whaaa?!?) as an initial solution. From this early effort, has blossomed a comprehensive platform that helps schools engage students in purposeful thought activities around their futures. But is the secret sauce really in the platform? Listen up as Matt and Jeff share their insights. Plugs include Blaze's Party Rentals and Bovine Math. Music by Ketsa.

In our final episode of our DiP series, our co-hosts interview one another about their research projects. From a technology professional development cohort, to collaborative leadership, to personalized learning, to an examination of change agents, this episode features a wide range of topics. We also explore some tips for those considering pursuing a doctorate while still maintaining full-time employment. We hope you loved this DiP series as much as we did! Music by Ketsa.

In the next installment of our dissertations in practice series the co-hosts launch into the episode with a conversation about how to balance the work of being a scholar practitioner with their day jobs, family lives, and personal time. We then hear from researchers Dana Huff and Amanda Wild, colleagues of our co-hosts at Northeastern University, as they talk about the challenges they face as an English department chair, and as a special education teacher. Considering entering a doctoral program? Email us for a conversation. We'd love to chat. Music by Ketsa.

In our second installment of the DiP series, we sit down with Laura Walker-Andrews, Jeff Cheng, and Katelyn Goodington, three of our amazing colleagues from Northeastern University. Laura and Jeff talk about some of the challenges they experience working with community college students, and Katelyn talks about how her work has been supporting teachers of some of our youngest students. All of the researchers share some of their implications for scholar practitioners. The co-hosts talk about what a dissertation in practice is all about. Music by Ketsa.

As our co-hosts move toward the completion of their own dissertations, we are using our platform to feature other researchers in our cohort and the amazing work they are doing. In this first episode of our DiP mini-series we are highlighting the work of Nicole Willard, Rebecca Murphy, and Kathy Dilks who are doing great things in the fields of early childhood education, international credential evaluation, and higher education. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. Music by Ketsa.

Penn Pritchard is the Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at AIM Academy and has been working on centering traditionally minoritized voices in curricula, helping teachers build their capacity to make classrooms more equitable and inclusive, and constructing spaces that allow student voice to be heard and valued for more than a decade. In this conversation we chat with Penn about experiencing change as a teacher, crucible moments, and inclusivity in schools. Plugs include André Robert Lee's film Equity in Action Grant: Pushing for Progress in Our Communities, Outwrite, Threadit, Releasing the Imagination by Maxine Greene, We Will Not Cancel Us by Adrienne Maree Brown, and the Your Body Is Not an Apology Workbook by Sonya Renee Taylor. Music by Ketsa.

Author and consultant Emily Liebtag has been working in education for more than a decade supporting schools, teachers, and education leaders to unleash the potential of young people around the world. In this conversation we talk about Emily's recent book and how building connections with others can be a way for teachers to get support for the efforts they're trying to make in their everyday classrooms. We are also joined by special guest Chris Unger. Plugs include Difference Making at the Heart of Learning by Emily and Tom Vander Ark, Sankofa Farms, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, What School Could Be the app, Welcoming the Unwelcome by Pema Chodron, and the One tablet by Wacom. Music by Ketsa.

In this episode our co-hosts chat with Terwill Tomino and Maria Gallastegui, two amazing bilingual educators who have spent their entire career promoting the value of language-learning, literacy, and dual language schools. We explore the topics of language immersion, the impact of growing up in a bilingual household, and why everyone should drop what they're doing, put on a Selena song, and dance for 3 minutes everyday. Plugs include Señorita Spanish, Later by Stephen King, and Braver Angels. Music by Ketsa.

In this special episode, Mike sits down with 5 students and fellow educator Jane Shore to explore opportunity in this moment of challenge and division. Part of the 100 Days of Conversations About School, this episode seeks to add to the national dialogue around what school could be. Visit the 100 Days website for more details about how to set up your very own community conversation. Music by Ketsa.

As educators, we often push for teaching and learning to happen in engaging, 21st century ways. Dr. Sarah Pazur's work with CS Partners and FlexTech Education around the state of Michigan supports educators and schools as they transition to more authentic, project-based classrooms. With a fascinating background in progressive teaching and leadership, Sarah offers a terrific perspective on what opportunities and challenges exist for schools as they emerge from the pandemic. Plugs include How to Citizen with Baratunde, 100 Days of Conversations About School, the Human Restoration Project, and Real School Budapest. Music by Ketsa.

Sociology professor Jen McGovern has been working with students at the higher ed level for more than 20 years. With roots in student affairs, and a deep appreciation for the value of sports in the lives of young people, Jen gives her perspective on the challenges and opportunities for K12 institutions from her unique position. Jeannine, Julie, Matt, and Mike ask Jen about cultivating curiosity, promoting self-directed learning, and the personalization of curriculum at all levels of education. Plugs include three other awesome podcasts: Nice White Parents, Heavy Medals, and Forward Progress. Music by Ketsa.

Our newest series is called Perspectives and in it we have conversations with individuals who might not always be at the center of the education dialogue. In this episode we talk with entrepreneur, standardized test prep expert, and dynamic thinker Justin Menda of the company Rocket Prep. Justin talks about his experiences with test preparation and his work to empower students to set goals and make decisions in their lives. He also illuminates some aspects of education that he sees as requiring change, particularly as we approach a post-pandemic work. Music by Ketsa.

After a brief fall / winter hiatus, the team is back in action with some intriguing insights into their experiences this fall. Jeannine talks about curriculum changes in the virtual classroom. Julie elaborates on the recent declaration of future DOE nominee Miguel Cardona. Mike shares his insights into the impending teacher shortage. No plugs this week as we get back into the swing of things, but check out our upcoming episodes for some interesting guests and thoughtful dialogue. Music by Ketsa.

Executive Functioning (EF) has quickly become a buzzword in the educational landscape over the past five years. Elizabeth Hamblet has been doing work with college-aged students to address EF skill deficits and help these young people find success at what can be a particularly tumultuous time. In this Knowledge Drop episode, Mike chats with Elizabeth about EF, her book about transitioning to college, and what implications a focus on EF could have for K12 educators and schools. Plugs include Elizabeth's website LDAdvisory.com and her book From High School to College: Steps to Success for Students With Disabilities. Be sure to used the code RETHINKINGEDU for a special discount on Elizabeth's book. Music by Scott Holmes.