EPISODE · Apr 11, 2026 · 29 MIN
Dr. Frank Rodriguez and Dr. Gene Tavernetti—Digital Captives: Helping Schools Strike A Balance Between Humans And Hardware
from Principal Center Radio · host Justin Baeder
Get the book, Digital Captives: Helping Schools Strike A Balance Between Humans And Hardware Visit the Schools Next website, www.schoolsnext.org Follow Gene on X @GTavernetti About The Guests Dr. Frank Rodriguez is entering his 32nd year working in and with schools, primarily in Southern California. He entered education in 1993 through a two year commitment to teach in a bilingual 5th grade classroom in Long Beach through Teach for America, and thirty years later is still finding it difficult to leave. He is the Managing Partner of Schools Next, as well as the President of RISE School Programs, RISE Educational Services and the RISE Educational Foundation. With his partner Dr. Gene Tavernetti, he co-developed the FAST framework, a direct instruction teaching model based on the pedagogy of Dr. Madeline Hunter which synthesized and incorporated the brain research of Dr. David Sousa, Eric Jensen and Dr. John Medina. Dr. Rodriguez was a teacher and administrator for twelve years before beginning a career in professional development and teacher and principal coaching. More recently he has overseen RISE School Programs which serves more than 3000 students in seven districts in northern Los Angeles County. Frank Professionally he is most proud of the RISE Educational Foundation, a non-profit that annually gives out college scholarships to high school seniors who were formerly in RISE programs as elementary school students, as well as to RISE employees who are completing their undergraduate degrees, and are largely first generation college students. Dr. Gene Tavernetti's journey in education began in 1977, encompassing roles as a coach, teacher, counselor, and administrator. His career reached a turning point when he discovered his passion for one-on-one instructional coaching, realizing the profound impact he could make on educators and student learning. In 2006, Dr. Tavernetti co-founded Total Educational Systems Support (TESS), a pioneering organization dedicated to training and coaching thousands of educators. TESS, under Gene's leadership, focuses on teacher-directed instruction, emphasizing engagement strategies, language development, and higher-order thinking skills. As the author of two influential books, Teach FAST: Focused Adaptable Structure Instruction explores explicit instruction methods, while Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles addresses common challenges faced by instructional coaches.
What this episode covers
Get the book, Digital Captives: Helping Schools Strike A Balance Between Humans And Hardware Visit the Schools Next website, www.schoolsnext.org Follow Gene on X @GTavernetti About The Guests Dr. Frank Rodriguez is entering his 32nd year working in and with schools, primarily in Southern California. He entered education in 1993 through a two year commitment to teach in a bilingual 5th grade classroom in Long Beach through Teach for America, and thirty years later is still finding it difficult to leave. He is the Managing Partner of Schools Next, as well as the President of RISE School Programs, RISE Educational Services and the RISE Educational Foundation. With his partner Dr. Gene Tavernetti, he co-developed the FAST framework, a direct instruction teaching model based on the pedagogy of Dr. Madeline Hunter which synthesized and incorporated the brain research of Dr. David Sousa, Eric Jensen and Dr. John Medina. Dr. Rodriguez was a teacher and administrator for twelve years before beginning a career in professional development and teacher and principal coaching. More recently he has overseen RISE School Programs which serves more than 3000 students in seven districts in northern Los Angeles County. Frank Professionally he is most proud of the RISE Educational Foundation, a non-profit that annually gives out college scholarships to high school seniors who were formerly in RISE programs as elementary school students, as well as to RISE employees who are completing their undergraduate degrees, and are largely first generation college students. Dr. Gene Tavernetti's journey in education began in 1977, encompassing roles as a coach, teacher, counselor, and administrator. His career reached a turning point when he discovered his passion for one-on-one instructional coaching, realizing the profound impact he could make on educators and student learning. In 2006, Dr. Tavernetti co-founded Total Educational Systems Support (TESS), a pioneering organization dedicated to training and coaching thousands of educators. TESS, under Gene's leadership, focuses on teacher-directed instruction, emphasizing engagement strategies, language development, and higher-order thinking skills. As the author of two influential books, Teach FAST: Focused Adaptable Structure Instruction explores explicit instruction methods, while Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles addresses common challenges faced by instructional coaches.
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Dr. Frank Rodriguez and Dr. Gene Tavernetti—Digital Captives: Helping Schools Strike A Balance Between Humans And Hardware
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