Future of School: The Podcast

Rhegan McCall, a high school sophomore in Colorado, is today’s guest. Rhegan attends a private Jesuit school in which she enrolled just days before the start of high school, largely due to challenges her prior school was facing as a result of the pandemic.

Rhegan has had a deep understanding of school choice from a young age. From online learning pre-pandemic to choosing advancement pathways, Rhegan shows how students are picking up on alternative forms of education from the zeitgeist and championing choice within their schools.

In her conversation with Future of School CEO Amy Valentine, Rhegan talks about how quickly she had to change not only her school but also her expectations for high school. Although the transition was difficult, she found a place for advocacy and leadership in her new school, opening a conversation for herself and other students to explore alternative education paths.

Rhegan discusses her wish for more choice in her schooling, particularly the ability to graduate early. In attempting to graduate early, she lays a clear argument for how students have more choice in their education path. “This could be a good thing. This could help your institution and give individuals and students another way to education…” says Rhegan, “... I feel that it’s something a lot of people want to do but don’t know how to do. If educators could help students, that could be very beneficial.”

In exploring her options outside of a traditional classroom and education path, Rhegan believes that student self-advocacy and educator collaboration are essential. The change she wants to see is choice within the school and how much students should have control of their education. She believes that open and transparent communication with support networks like parents, teachers, and administrators is a way for students to explore options and uphold the kind of education they want to receive.

When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. Welcome to the “Students Speak” series on Future of School: The Podcast, presented in partnership with National School Choice Week.

Courtney Stevens is today’s guest. Courtney is a first-year student at Front Range Community College: Larimer Campus in Fort Collins, Colorado. She also did concurrent enrollment at the college while she was in high school.

Courtney began taking online classes as a high school senior as a result of the pandemic and found that she liked them as much as she enjoyed her in-person courses. She now takes classes online as well as in-person.

At first, the less structured schedule of online schooling felt challenging, but within a month Courtney adjusted. She also experienced more reading and writing in online classes due to the different structure, but found she adapted to this quickly, as well. Not only did she feel much more safe taking class online during the pandemic, but she also realized it was a great way to learn.

Classmates who remained in the traditional school were curious about the flexible schedule that enabled Courtney to take morning Tae Kwon Do classes and do Crossfit in the afternoon. She explained that online learning gave her control over her schedule, and she found this to be an important benefit.

When asked about some of the skills she developed most after transitioning to online learning, Courtney says, “I feel like I really cultivated my reading and writing skills... Even just looking at the stuff I wrote during my junior year compared to now, my writing has improved significantly.”

When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. Welcome to the “Students Speak” series on Future of School: The Podcast, presented in partnership with National School Choice Week.

Oam Patel is today’s guest. Oam is a graduate of Mountain Home High School in Mountain Home, Idaho, a small rural town, and a first-year student at Harvard University.

In ninth grade, he spoke with a cousin in Houston and learned about the variety of courses that were available in his cousin’s school. From this, Oam realized that online courses could provide access to numerous subjects even if they weren’t offered at his small school. He began to take some courses that summer which were supported by the Idaho Digital Learning Academy, the state-sponsored online school serving the entire state of Idaho.

From there, Oam continued to use online learning to augment his in-person courses. He accessed some history and computer science courses that weren’t available in his school and learned a lot more about his interests (he determined he’s not a history buff, but was encouraged to take some computer science classes in college).

Reflecting on what would be different if he’d never learned about online options, he says, “I think I’d be a little more closed-minded in my academics. I wouldn’t know about certain subjects that I really enjoy now. I wouldn’t have explored opportunities that I’m very glad I’ve taken.”

When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. Welcome to the “Students Speak” series on Future of School: The Podcast, presented in partnership with National School Choice Week.

Anna Maria Iaramboykov, a graduate of Radnor High School in Pennsylvania and second-year international college student in the UK at the University of Oxford, is today’s guest.

When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. Welcome to the “Students Speak” series on Future of School: The Podcast, presented in partnership with National School Choice Week.

Sahil Pontula, a Physics major at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is today’s guest. Sahil speaks with Amy Valentine, Future of School’s CEO and Education Evangelist.

Sahil first experienced online learning in middle school. He attended a traditional public school, but became interested in Latin, a class that wasn’t offered in his school, after visiting some archaeological ruins with his family. He was able to take the Latin class online without switching schools and later also took environmental science online, which fulfilled a requirement for high school ahead of time.

After he entered high school, Sahil continued to take some classes online in addition to his in-person learning. His high school has a partnership with the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, a public residential high school that is part of the University of North Carolina system, which gave access to many different courses.

In his senior year the pandemic hit, and his traditional classes also transitioned online. Sahil observed the difference in this “crisis schooling,” when schools weren’t yet prepared to take certain courses online, in contrast with the online courses he’d taken for many years.

Reflecting on his experience in middle and high school, and where he is now, Sahil says, “I’d really be limited in the avenues I’d be exploring now” if he hadn’t had options in his learning. He is a big believer in the in-person interaction of traditional courses, especially with lab classes when it’s particularly valuable to speak with instructors directly, and also expresses the importance of online learning as an option to open up many different pathways.

When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. Welcome to the “Students Speak” series on Future of School: The Podcast, presented in partnership with National School Choice Week.

Jazy Manoukian, a second-year student at Patrick Henry College in Virginia, is today’s guest. She speaks with Amy Valentine, Future of School’s CEO and Education Evangelist.

From K-12, Jazy attended a small Christian school, and in fact graduated in a class of only three students. The school provided flexible options for all learners that present an effective illustration of choice in the classroom. Among other benefits, Jazy says the small class size enabled more one-on-one support from teachers and gave students the opportunity to work at their own pace.

She observed the power of specialized and personalized education for each learner. Jazy always pushed herself to try new and challenging courses, and having options in her education allowed her to do so. She also had peers who needed a slow pace, at least in some subject areas, and personalized tracks provided those students with the right support to succeed.

“By making everybody learn the exact same way, I think you’re really disadvantaging a lot of students,” Jazy says, when asked about the risks when schools don’t provide students with choices in their learning. This goes both for the students who want to accelerate and those who need to slow their pace a little bit in order to master the content.

Based on her experience in school, Jazy advocates for a hybrid learning model that includes both online instruction along with in-person learning, which she believes provides a richer, well-rounded experience and strong student-teacher relationships.

When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. Welcome to the “Students Speak” series on Future of School: The Podcast, presented in partnership with National School Choice Week.

Isaac Steinmeyer, a first-year student at The College of Wooster in Ohio, is today’s guest. Isaac is interviewed by Amy Valentine, Future of School’s CEO and Education Evangelist.

“It helps you to become more passionate about what you’re learning,” says Isaac when asked about the benefit of students having agency and choice in their own education. He first began taking some online classes in middle school and found completely new interests, from history to world languages like French and Russian. He also used resources like Khan Academy for online learning. Reflecting on what choice has meant for him, Isaac realizes he’d be bored and less engaged with his learning if he didn’t have the opportunity to pursue these passions.

Isaac was a homeschool student for a number of years and felt he had a good idea of the options available in education. But when he was in middle school and researched the variety of choices out there, he was “absolutely astonished” by everything that was available. He says it’s important for all students and families to learn about the options they can pursue.

By his junior year of high school, Isaac signed up for a few college classes and took a microeconomics class online which was recommended by his mother and his school’s guidance counselor. It was an academic leap but exposed him to new, interesting content. Thanks to information and support from his local school district, Isaac found yet another subject he enjoyed.

Now in college, Isaac has the option to take hundreds of classes fully online, or to choose to take an in-person class remotely. He’s currently taking a blend of online and in-person classes. He encourages students to become familiar with all the options available to them and determine what is the best fit so they can become their own advocates.

When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. That’s the exciting opportunity we’re presenting in the newest season of Future of School: The Podcast, in which you’ll hear diverse perspectives from a number of learners whose experiences in school and their lifelong trajectories have been transformed for the better as a result of the choices they made with respect to interesting educational options. Future of School is pleased to present the Students Speak series in partnership with National School Choice Week.

The series is hosted by Amy Valentine, Future of School’s CEO and Education Evangelist. In the first episode, we hear from Satara Ehnes, a graduate of the Julesberg School District in Colorado and current student at Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Julesberg is a small rural district of fewer than 900 students, positioned just minutes from the Nebraska border. Despite the district’s small size and remote location, students have abundant opportunity to pursue their goals due to an administration that prioritizes students’ individual objectives and strategically utilizes technology.

In Satara’s case, she determined early on that she would like to pursue a medical degree, but was also aware of the time and cost associated with such a path. Through partnerships, the district made it possible for her to graduate high school with an Associate’s Degree, putting her well ahead by the time she entered a four-year university, and she is now nearing graduation and planning for medical school. Further, Satara is an advocate for the benefits of a well-rounded education that exposes students to real-world opportunities:

“I didn’t just learn how to read and write. I learned how to be a leader. I learned to take responsibility. I learned time management. So when I did make the transition from being in high school, living with my parents, being involved in all the extracurricular activities to the vast realities of being a young adult .. I think that really eased the transition.”

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

In the 16th episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Justina Nixon-Saintil, Vice President of Communications and Global Corporate Social Responsibility at IBM. Among other initiatives, Justina leads a variety of programs that leverage multi sector partnerships to help create more inclusive and innovative schools and workforce.

Justina shares her big idea that retraining through upskilling is a viable alternative to traditional education. She explains how, especially over the course of the pandemic, a high percentage of workers have decided to pursue continuing education and change careers. Providing more options for reskilling and upskilling programs as an alternative to traditional university degrees is an effective way to increase access to high-quality retraining and new career options. Justina explains how these programs can advance equity and how various stakeholders in the industry can get involved.

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

In the 14th episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Carolyn Gill, International and New Markets Specialist for Vista Higher Learning. Vista is a foreign language publisher and digital content provider, and Carolyn has a background in languages with a specialization in foreign language teaching.

Carolyn shares her big idea for a national program for all students to spend 6-9 months abroad after high school graduation. During this time, students would participate in service work, be immersed in another culture, and develop new language skills. When it’s not possible to go to another country, the program could also apply domestically, for students to travel to a different part of the country, spend time in a different regional culture, and develop life skills. “Gap years” of this type are common in countries like Australia and could provide many of the same benefits to American students.

Carolyn explains how the idea would increase cultural competence, help students gain maturity by living outside their comfort zone, and even look at their own community in different ways. These skills can be applied to an academic setting in higher education or the workforce.

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

In the 13th episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Haley Casten, a rising senior at Castle View High School in Castle Rock, Colorado.

Haley shares her big idea of eliminating the SAT and other high-stakes college admissions exams, or at least reducing their importance to the admissions process. She explains how for many students, like herself, who are good students but have anxiety around test-taking, they may not perform on the test in a way that demonstrates their actual ability. From Haley’s point of view, it’s much better to look at the student holistically, including their grades, character, extracurricular activities, and other well-rounded factors that are a truer representation of who they are as a learner.

“My grades are all A’s and B’s, and I feel that my SAT score doesn’t really show how hard I work in those classes, and how smart I actually am,” Haley explains.

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

In the 12th episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Dr. Terry Farris, Chief Academic Officer at American Heritage College.

Dr. Farris shares his big idea of individualized education plans (IEPs) for all students. Especially after the pandemic, we’re seeing more and more that kids (and adults) have different interests, and they deserve the opportunity to explore those interests productively. This also involves prioritizing critical thinking instead of over-testing, to keep students engaged and avoid the risk of “losing them.”

He proposes that we truly explore the possibility of IEPs for all. Often, according to Dr. Farris, most attention is either focused on designing education around the top 10% of students. Additionally, students in special education programs will have an IEP. What’s left is the students in “the middle” who aren’t provided with a personalized or engaging learning plan according to their needs or interests. As a result, many students will feel as though they don’t like school, or at least will fail to get the most out of their educational experience.

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

In the 10th episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Kyair Butts, a sixth grade teacher from Baltimore City Public Schools in Maryland. Kyair was Teacher of the Year in 2019 and 2020 largely because of his passion for adopting technology in his classes, his stellar mentorship of his students, and the facilitation of great minds and wisdom.

Kyair shares his big idea of Small Group Wednesday. This was an idea developed by the BCPS teacher advisory council along with the district’s CEO, and it proposes that Wednesday should be a half day of school in which, rather than teaching new content, the teacher will bring together small groups of students to focus on a particular skill based on what the teacher observed Monday or Tuesday, or based on data from recent assessments. It’s an opportunity to be more responsive to students’ personalized needs. In the afternoons, teachers would collaborate across grade levels for vertical planning, making sure that students in every grade are being equipped with the right standards-aligned skills.

Kyair presents his idea in response to the sentiment, common in some places, to get back to “the way it was” in schools following the pandemic. He explains that the traditional way of doing things didn’t work for all students, and now is when we must seize the opportunity to do not what was, but what could be. "Why not us, and why not now, to perfect education as something that it could be?," he asks.

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

In the sixth episode of our One Big Idea series, we hear from Ray McNulty, President of the Successful Practices Network. In his career, McNulty has served at the school, district, and state levels – as a teacher, principal, superintendent, and commissioner of education of Vermont; is a past president of the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE); was senior fellow at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and was previously the dean at the School of Education at Southern New Hampshire University, which was named the 12th most innovative organization in the world by FAST Company Magazine.

Ray’s One Big Idea proposes that we must dramatically rethink the way assessment is used, as he describes the shortcomings of the high-stakes standardized testing environment that is used to measure students and teachers. “I don’t hear parents coming up to me and saying ‘I want my child to be an incredibly good test-taker,’” he says, later adding, “We’ve made assessment an incredibly dangerous thing to learning.” Ray talks about the importance of well-rounded development, including how students are developing their character, and how schools should be promoting continuous growth in all areas. When testing is presented with such high stakes that it will mark students as a “success” or “failure,” it is counterproductive to learning. “We have to move to a growth model. We have to move to a growth perspective. We have to move to multiple measures, and not this one assessment,” he says.

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

In the third episode of our One Big Idea series, we hear from Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed, Associate Teaching Professor in the Graduate School of Education and the Assistant Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs in the Graduate School of Education at Northeastern University.

Dr. Reiss Medwed shares her big idea for big business to step up in support of education by offering community learning hubs at heavily-trafficked retail locations. Inspired by the efforts of companies to set up accessible vaccination centers for Covid-19, this idea builds on that concept and addresses the problem of many learning centers that are located out of the way for families. Listen to the episode to hear much more and find out how this idea can transform educational opportunities and enhance equity in communities.

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

In the second episode of our One Big Idea series, we hear from Kevin P. Chavous, President of Academic Policy & External Affairs at Stride, Inc. Kevin describes his idea for professionalizing the teaching corps by ensuring teachers attain a professional certification similar to the medical, legal, and accounting professions. Listen to the episode to hear his explanation of this big idea, and how it could lead to improvements in the profession and better compensation for teachers.

If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?

For this season of Future of School: The Podcast, we’ll hear from a diverse array of education stakeholders, from parents and educators to long-time industry leaders, who will share their bold proposals to transform teaching and learning in the United States. Everyone involved with education has a big idea they’d like to share. This is a platform where we can hear many of these exciting, innovative ways to change our K-12 system for the better.

In the first episode of this series, we’ll hear from Dan Domenech, Executive Director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association. Dan’s idea? It’s a big one: Completely revamping teaching and learning as we know it, to usher in new models of innovation. It’s not enough to tweak around the edges, he explains. The time has come for an overhaul. Tune in to hear his proposal to make transformative change happen.

In this episode, you’ll hear student, educator, and edtech industry perspectives on the role of technology in increasing educational access.

The episode begins with Amy’s Thoughts, presented by host Amy Valentine, addressing the topic of technology and access (0:37). Universal access to education means all people, regardless of geography, gender, race or any other factor, receive access to a high-quality education. Technology is an equalizer that can advance access.

Then, in the featured interview (2:47), Amy speaks with Stuart Udell, CEO of Achieve3000, about the role technology plays in making school more relevant for students. Stuart cites research from the National Dropout Prevention Center, which showed that 46% of kids who dropped out of school stated the reason as being “bored,” which relates to both engagement and relevance. He discusses many different factors that can either increase or decrease how relevant school feels to students, and then describes some of the ways in which technology can support increased relevance. Amy and Stuart also discuss a variety of other angles, including the innovation schools have pursued in the years leading up to, and through, the pandemic.

This episode’s Research Insight (17:10) addresses the digital divide, and specifically the statistic that nearly half of all rural schools have zero students enrolled in AP classes. This is a clear example of a divide that can be bridged through thoughtful implementation of online courses.

Next, Glen Stahl shares a student’s thoughts about the impact of online learning (17:40). While in high school, Glen took several online classes to allow for a more flexible schedule, which helped with his participation on the crew team. Glen explains that the top skill for students to develop is time management, which is essential for succeeding in online classes that work on a different schedule from the typical school week.

The final segment is an interview with teachers Tracy and Maren Kelly (19:39). Tracy, who has been involved in online instruction for many years, and Maren, who was first introduced in 2020, share their perspectives on what’s misunderstood about online learning, strategies every educator should try, their biggest dreams for education, and more.

We’ve recently observed National School Choice Week in the U.S., leading Future of School and educators nationwide to ask a number of relevant questions: What should school choice really mean in 2021? How is it defined by most Americans and how should it be defined? What work are we doing to enhance options in learning that go far beyond the physical school building? And, looking ahead, what is the future of school choice?

In this special episode, Future of School CEO and Education Evangelist Amy Valentine reflects on some of the recent conversations about school choice. We then share Amy’s recent interview on the Building the Bridge podcast, hosted by Dr. Wendy Oliver, which allowed for an in-depth, layered discussion of the future of school choice.

In the interview you’ll hear Amy’s insights on the history of the traditional school choice discussion, and the ways in which that conversation is expanding and evolving, both as a result of the pandemic but also dating back over multiple decades of online and blended learning. Among other perspectives, Amy shares that “COVID-19 made it undeniable to everybody in our country [that] parents should have the right, and they should be empowered, to choose the best learning environment for their children.”

In this episode, you’ll hear about many of the components that are contributing to an expanded, enhanced definition of school choice. When students and families have options and information, they can pursue the choices that are personalized to their needs and provide the greatest flexibility to achieve each of their goals.

The episode begins with the segment “Parent’s Thoughts,” presented by education advocacy pioneer Tillie Elvrum (0:39). Tillie, who co-founded Parent Support for Online Learning, a group of thousands of parents providing resources and mentorship, speaks about the positive impact of online learning in her own life. She discusses her son’s experience in a full-time online public school and then shares her hope that students everywhere will have choice over the  time, pace and place of their learning because “students work best when they’re masters of their own education.”

Then, in the featured interview (2:25), host Amy Valentine welcomes Kareem Farah, an award-winning former HS math teacher who is co-founder and CEO of the Modern Classrooms Project. Kareem shares his thoughts on the role of the teacher in modern learning environments, sharing that the teacher is largely the facilitator who can ensure learning is student-driven. He describes how he learned as a teacher to “eliminate the lecture,” a component of instruction he found ineffective and disengaging, and applied himself to more innovative practices.

Kareem also talks about the effects of the pandemic on the work he’s doing with the Modern Classrooms Project. The Project’s research-backed instructional model promotes teacher-created videos, self-paced student learning, and mastery-based grading, and demand has increased during the remote learning period. The approach speaks to the power of innovative thinking for educators, and giving students autonomy and choice in learning.

This episode’s Research Insight (18:53) highlights that flexibility is the top reason students choose online or blended learning, including flexibility related to their schedule, expanded course offerings, the ability to compete in an elite sports program, and more. Flexibility has never been more possible and is an essential component in the future of school choice.

Next, Christian Rodriguez shares a student’s thoughts about the impact of online learning (19:25). Currently a college student, Christian was involved in online learning throughout middle and high school. He found that it allowed him to maximize his time, by providing flexibility over when he completed his school work. He had a busy schedule working on a farm and participating in numerous organizations, and online schooling made sure he could do it all.

The episode concludes with an interview conducted by Jorgie Ingram, a Future of School Student Scholarship winner (21:32). Jorgie chats with Amy Valentine to dive into a vision of the future of school. What can it look like? Jorgie and Amy also discuss one of the most important ways technology can make an impact, which is to increase communication among stakeholders.

In this episode, you’ll hear about the future of the role of teachers in schools across America, insights on dramatically redesigning the learning experience around the key stakeholders―the students―and some strategies all teachers should use.

The episode begins with “Amy’s Thoughts,” presented by host Amy Valentine (0:37). She shares insights on the future of teachers―what can American educators expect as the profession evolves along with the K-12 system? The importance of teachers has never been more visible than during this period of widespread remote learning.

Then, in the featured interview (2:59), Amy welcomes Nancy Conrad, founding chair of the Conrad Foundation. The Foundation has run the annual Conrad Challenge―an innovation and entrepreneurship competition for 13-18 year old students―for the past 15 years. Nancy explains that we need to accept what we don’t know about the future, but at the same time seize the opportunity to create a new, better system for students. She explains how the “consumer” of education―the students―are the stakeholders who are never invited to the table and why we need to change this dynamic, and shares a number of key ideas about redesigning schools.

Following the interview, this episode’s Research Insight (17:46) indicates that most teachers don’t yet feel comfortable integrating high-touch technology into instruction, but would like to receive training on how to do so. It’s important to close this gap.

Then, Jackson Caves, an Oklahoma State University student and Future of School scholarship winner, describes what online learning has meant to him (18:28). Even though he grew up in a small town and graduated in a high school class of fewer than 50 students, online courses gave Jackson the opportunity to get a head start on college coursework.

The episode concludes with the “5-in-5” interview with Alejandro De La Peña (20:17), a rapid-fire session in which Alejandro gives a teacher’s perspective on some of today’s most important topics. Alejandro is a middle school special education teacher in El Paso, Texas. He talks about the way iPads have become the “staple of sped,” how surprisingly natural it can feel to teach and learn in an online environment, why his one big dream in education would be to better compensate teachers, and more.

In this three-minute special episode, Amy Valentine, Future of School CEO and Education Evangelist, gives commentary on a newly released survey from the National Parents Union that received coverage from The 74. In the survey, 6 in 10 parents indicated they’d like to see schools offer expanded remote learning options, even once pandemic-related restrictions have ended. Online learning has been present in America for 25 years, but is still very new to most Americans, with the past several months being the first exposure most students and parents have received. However, we’ve already come a long way, with parents becoming aware of the promise of flexible learning options to best meet comprehensive student needs. 

In this episode, you’ll hear predictions regarding the outlook for U.S. schools five years from now, the skills required to succeed in the future of work, why K-12 needs to innovate, and more.

The episode begins with “Amy’s Thoughts,” presented by host Amy Valentine (0:34). She gives a forecast for American schools, looking ahead to the year 2025. As Amy says, we’re currently “building the train while we’re building the tracks” for the future of school, but there are some key, simple truths we can all understand.

Next is the featured interview (2:51) with Nasir Qadree, Founding Managing Partner of Zeal Capital Partners, a new Washington, D.C.-based inclusive investment vehicle focused on partnering with exceptional management teams with diverse backgrounds and skillsets bridging America's Wealth and Skills gap. Nasir describes how, societally, the way we think about resources and equity is frequently not evenly distributed across the population. Therefore, it takes a “collective village” to ensure that resources get into the hands of those who need them. He also describes the events that motivated him to pursue a career that would impact issues of equity and gives perspective on the skills that will be essential to the future of work.

Following the interview, this episode’s Research Insight describes the range of reasons students have chosen to diversify their educational pathways (19:13). Then, Jazy Manoukian, a Wyoming native and current college student in Virginia, explains how a Future of School scholarship has supported her educational journey. Jazy also shares her perspective on the benefits of blended learning.

In the episode’s final segment (24:36), FoS Student Scholarship winner Satara Enes interviews Amy Valentine. Satara, originally from Colorado, is a freshman at Nebraska Wesleyan University. In the interview, Amy discusses how she came to pursue a career in education, why there are many different ways to be a teacher, and why the K-12 education system needs to focus on innovation.

In this episode of Future of School: The Podcast, you’ll hear about the power of education associations and stakeholders working together and gain a new perspective on the benefits of technology-enabled teaching and learning.

The episode begins with “Amy’s Thoughts,” presented by host Amy Valentine (0:37). She discusses the benefits of tech-enabled learning by presenting stories of two students―Elizabeth and Jemar―whose successes were shaped by blended and online learning options.

Next is the featured interview (2:40) with Dan Domenech, Executive Director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association. AASA is the premier association for school system leaders and serves as the national voice for public education and district leadership on Capitol Hill. Dan and Amy discuss the steps districts have taken to navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the journey from a starting point of “wishful thinking” all the way to meaningful action. Dan shares what schools are doing to deliver effective hybrid learning, how the role of the teacher has changed from “sage on the sage” to “director of learning,” how personalized learning is improving outcomes for students, and more.

Following the interview, this episode’s Research Insight demonstrates how most teachers felt that meaningful technology integration left them prepared to succeed in their instruction during the remote learning period caused by COVID-19 (19:13). Then, Kylie Gardner, a college senior and former FoS Student Scholarship winner, shares the ways in which online learning gave her better access to high-quality schooling. As a former elite cyclist, she was able to access instruction online at a time when she was unable to attend a brick-and-mortar school.

The episode concludes with the “5-in-5” interview with Theresa Bruce (21:50), a rapid-fire session in which Theresa gives a teacher’s perspective on some of today’s most important topics. Theresa is a social studies teacher at a KIPP charter school campus in Baltimore, Maryland. In this conversation, she discusses how many people misunderstand the critical role of the teacher in online instruction, shares one strategy―the feedback loop―that she believes every teacher should use, and gives her vision for the future of school.

In the debut episode of Future of School: The Podcast, you’ll hear compelling perspectives and personal stories from a variety of participants in the U.S. education ecosystem. The episode begins with “Amy’s Thoughts,” presented by Future of School CEO―and the host of this podcast―Amy Valentine. Amy defines and describes the important differences between crisis schooling and effective online education (0:37).

Next is the featured interview (2:57) with John Watson, founder of Evergreen Education Group, which manages the Digital Learning Collaborative―a membership group dedicated to exploring, producing, and disseminating data, information, news, and best practices in digital learning. John and Amy discuss the evolution of distance learning over the years, before and now through the pandemic. The conversation touches on the role of edtech early adopters, the factors that prepare schools to be flexible and resilient in the face of challenges, and more.

Following the interview, this episode’s Research Insight describes the profound transformation leading to effective remote education (21:04). Then, Ethan Rich, a Future of School Student Scholarship winner and recent college graduate, gives his insights on the importance of online education. Ethan reflects on how his experience over several years prepared him for success.

The episode concludes with the “5-in-5” rapid-fire teacher interview with Chuck Poole (23:54). Chuck is a middle school teacher in New Jersey with 20+ years of experience, as well as the founder of Teachonomy and organizer of the Teacher Success Summit. He talks about the experience that first opened his eyes to the power and potential of blended and online learning, one strategy (the “Emoji Box”) every teacher can use in the classroom, and more.