The Authority Podcast — Expert Insights and Fresh Ideas for Education Leaders

In this "Best Of," we revisit my conversation with Sahil Bloom about his first book, The Five Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life, a New York Times bestseller. We talk about:What curiosity is and isn’tMaking the case that being curious about new ideas is an objective goodWhat’s impressive and disappointing when meeting a new personFive types of wealth: Time, Social, Mental, Physical, FinancialPrioritizing when there’s a conflictWhat 80 and 90 year olds say about their livesThe most compelling thing Sahil learned about learningAbout today’s guestSahil Bloom is an inspirational writer and content creator, captivating millions of people every week through his insights and bi-weekly newsletter, “The Curiosity Chronicle.” Sahil is a successful entrepreneur, owner of SRB Holdings, and the managing partner of SRB Ventures, an early-stage investment fund. Sahil graduated from Stanford University with an MA in public policy and a BA in economics and sociology. He was a four-year member on the Stanford Baseball Team. Connect with Sahil:www.sahilbloom.comhttps://x.com/sahilbloomhttps://www.instagram.com/sahilbloom https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahilbloom About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on LinkedIn or Bluesky. I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Priten Soundar-Shah is CEO of Pedagogy.Cloud, which provides innovative technology solutions to help educators navigate global challenges in a rapidly evolving world, as well as founder of the civics education nonprofit United 4 Social Change. He also hosts the podcast Margin of Thought here on the Be Podcast Network. In this episode, we discuss:The guiding principles of engaging with AI. Why engage at all?Risks if schools go all in on AI — or if they don’t Other emerging technologies to look out forWhat drives ethical decision-makingDo we have to compromise between innovation and responsibility or can we have it all?Keys to making policies clear, consistent, and school-wideListen to Priten’s podcast, Margin of Thought, on the Be Podcast Network: https://listen.priten.org Listen to my previous episode with Priten, on this book AI and the Future of Education. About today’s guestPriten Shah, M. ED and B.A, Harvard, is the CEO of Pedagogy.Cloud, which provides innovative technology solutions to help educators navigate global challenges in a rapidly evolving world. Priten is also the founder of United 4 Social Change, a civics education nonprofit that focuses on helping teachers integrate interdisciplinary education into their curricula through animated videos, lesson plans, and innovative classroom activities.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn  

In today's "Best Of," we're going all the way back to episode 9 of The Authority with Dr. Carey Borkoski. We talked about her book Dancing with Discomfort: A framework for noticing, naming, and navigating our in-between moments. You'll hear about:The importance of transitions in creating an interesting, fulfilling lifeHow to navigate unanticipated personal or professional transitionsNavigating the transition into an administrator roleAddressing the discomfort of giving or receiving feedbackGetting over imposter syndromeAbout today’s guestDr. Carey Borkoski is an Associate Professor and Research Fellow in the School of Education at Loyola University - Maryland, and a Lead Coach in the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. Her research focuses on the role of building community and cultivating belonging in student and faculty successes. She also writes and speaks on strategies and technology tools that contribute to building a sense of community in our learning spaces.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Brian Butler is an educational consultant, speaker, author, and award-winning former principal who is passionate about nurturing collaborative school cultures that unlock every student’s unlimited potential. In this "Best Of," we revisit our conversation about Brian's books, Every Student Deserves a Gifted Education and Limitless Future.Hear about:Brian's inspiring storyWhat is a gifted education?The necessary mindset shift to plan a gifted education for every studentThe five shifts/elements to help create a schoolwide approach to nurturing each student’s unique strengths, passions, and talentsFallacy of Fixed Intelligence, Labels Be Gone, Obligation of Teams, Our Superpowers,  Resistance and InspirationLearn more about Brian:www.brianbutler.infoBrian’s podcast, “A Conversation with Brian"About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

In more than 40 years of teaching, Andee Nunn reached over 4,000 students juggling positions as a reading specialist, English teacher, and communications adjunct faculty. She was named the 2008 Danbury (CT) Teacher of the Year, 2008 Connecticut State Semi-Finalist Teacher of the Year, and won the 2018 NAACP Excellence in Teaching award. Her book is Magic in Room 216: How One Teacher Came of Age and Inspired the Next Generation.Tune into our conversation to hear about:What is the “magic?”The risks Andee took during her teaching careerThe students who taught her the mostHow she was able to get students to open upWhat was the catalyst that sparked Andee’s “metamorphosis?”Reflections on the current state of educationGet Andee’s book, Magic in Room 216. About today’s guestBorn in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Long Island, Andee Nunn’s imaginary teaching started at age 6 when she modeled her kindergarten teacher’s magical classroom. In her basement she lined up her dolls and play acting at her dream profession began. After high school, she earned her B.A in Speech Education, MS in Secondary Education from Queens College, NY. and later completed post graduate studies in Reading at Western CT State University. Andee earned certification as an Elementary Education Teacher, Reading Specialist grades K-12, as well as High School English Teacher grades 9-12. During her more than 40 years as an educator, she juggled positions as a Reading Specialist/Consultant, English Teacher, Director of IAP, The Individualized Achievement Program at Western for first generation college students and served as Adjunct Professor of Communications. Andee was named 2008 Danbury Teacher of the Year, 2008 Semi-Finalist CT. Teacher of the Year and was the 2018 recipient of the NAACP Excellence in Teaching Award. Now retired, she resides in Danbury CT where she raised two daughters and lives with her husband of 48 years. For the last few years, she has addressed high school and college aspiring educators as guest speaker.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Nathaniel Provencio has worked in the public education field since 2001 as a classroom teacher, building administrator and associate superintendent. He is a speaker, school leadership coach, and author of Community Connections and Your PLC at Work®: A Guide to Engaging Families.We talk about:Why parent and family engagement are important to schools, and how it relates to PLCsHow the concepts of a PLC apply to family engagementIs connecting with families just code for more work for already overworked teachers? Engaging families who traditionally have barriers to engagementThe biggest ‘community connection fail’ Nathaniel has seen a school try, and how to do it betterGet Community Connections and Your PLC at Work from Solution Tree. Learn more about Nathaniel at his website provenprincipalllc.com About today’s guestNathaniel Provencio has worked in the public education field since 2001 as a classroom teacher, building administrator and associate superintendent . In 2010, he became the principal of Minnieville Elementary in Prince William County, Virginia. Under his leadership, Minnieville Elementary was recognized as a Virginia Distinguished Title 1 School, became a National Model Professional Learning Community and was the winner of the 2019 Richard DuFour PLC Award.Mr. Provencio has been honored as the 2017 Prince William County principal of the year, the 2017 Washington Post Principal of the Year and the 2019 Virginia National Distinguished Principal of the Year.Mr. Provencio is the author of Community Connections and Your PLC at Work, which focuses on how schools can utilize the professional learning community framework to enhance family and community engagement.Mr. Provencio graduated from the University of North Alabama in 2001 with a degree in education and has a master’s degree in education administration from George Mason University in which he was recognized as one of 50 all-time George Mason University Alumni.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Dr. Chad Dumas is a Solution Tree PLC at Work®, Assessment, and Priority Schools associate and international consultant, presenter, and award-winning researcher whose primary focus is collaborating to develop capacity for continuous improvement. His latest book is The Teacher Team Leader Handbook: Simple Habits to Transform Collaboration in a PLC at Work®.We discuss:Foundations and actions of teacher team leadersHow important to establish the mission of the PLC?The book has Swiss Army Knife-like tools for leaders — you don’t use them all every time you pull out the knife, but you have what’s needed for the situationRole and responsibilities of the teacher team leaderThe assumptions a team leader must makeWho selects the leader?When it’s time to build capacity and when it’s time for a resetGet the book here: https://nextlearningsolutionspress.com/ttlh/Hear my previous conversation with Chad on episode 132, Let’s Put the C in PLC with Chad Dumas.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

In this "Best Of" episode, I spoke with Tony Frontier about his book AI with Intention: Principles and Action Steps for Teachers and School Leaders (ASCD). In one of our most popular conversations from last year, you'll hear about:On the topic of AI and education, what is important for educators to keep in mind about what has changed and what remains the same?Tony’s greatest fear and greatest hope about how AI will change educationEssential Question: How can teachers and students use AI tools to support intentional teaching and learning?Most important guiding principles that challenge teachers to think more clearly about what has changed and what is the sameEssential Question for Leaders: How can leaders build capacity to ensure AI tools are used to effectively support intentional teaching and learning?Read Tony’s Educational Leadership article, “Active Learning, Not Passive Compliance”Get the book AI with Intention from ASCD or wherever you get your books.About today’s guestTony Frontier, PhD is an award-winning educator who works with teachers and school leaders nationally and internationally to help them prioritize efforts to improve student learning. With expertise in classroom assessment, student engagement, curriculum development, meaningful feedback, technology integration, and strategic planning, Frontier emphasizes a systems approach to empower leaders and teachers to serve others.As a former classroom teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools, an Associate High School Principal, the Director of Instruction for the Whitefish Bay School District, and a college professor who taught PhD candidates statistics, research, and learning theory, Frontier brings a wealth of experience as a classroom teacher, building administrator, central office administrator, and researcher to his workshops, writing, and research.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn 

In our latest "Best Of" episode, I'm bringing back my second conversation with Mark Miller. Each of my episodes with Mark is worth revisiting. Mark is a Wall Street Journal and international best-selling author, communicator, and the former Vice President of High Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A. Today, Mark serves as the Co-Founder of Lead Every Day, an extension of his life-inspired mission to encourage and equip leaders with the tools they need to be successful. As an author, Mark has more than one million books in print in 25+ languages. His latest is Uncommon Greatness: Five Fundamentals to Transform Your Leadership.We discuss:Mark’s journey to leadership and how it influenced his understanding of uncommon vs. “common” greatnessReasons for the global leadership crisis33% of organizations believe there’s not sufficient leadership for today and 50% of leaders don’t believe their organization has enough emerging leaders for the needs of the future“How can I add the most value in this situation?”The Five Fundamentals: See the Future, Engage and Develop Others, Reinvent Continuously, Value Results and Relationships, Embody a Leader’s HeartBeing a leader people want to followSubscribe to The Authority to get more deep-dive interviews with education authors. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn more about the Be Podcast Network for educators.Connect with our guest:Get Uncommon Greatness at https://www.leadeveryday.com or wherever you get your booksReach out to Mark directly at 678-612-8441Text UNCOMMON to 66866 for additional resourcesConnect on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/in/highperformanceleaders and @MarkMillerLeads About our guestMark Miller is a Wall Street Journal and international best-selling author, communicator, and the former Vice President of High Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A. Mark started his Chick-fil-A career working as an hourly team member in 1977. In 1978, he joined the corporate staff working in the warehouse and mailroom. During his tenure with Chick-fil-A, the company grew from seventy-five restaurants to over 2,700 locations with annual sales exceeding $19 billion. Today, Mark serves as the Co-Founder of Lead Every Day, an extension of his life-inspired mission to encourage and equip leaders with the tools they need to be successful. Mark began writing almost twenty years ago when he teamed up with Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One Minute Manager, to write The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do. With over one million books in print in more than twenty-five languages, his global impact continues to grow. For more information, please visit https://leadeveryday.com. 

Danny Steele worked for 31 years in education as a principal, assistant principal, teacher, coach, and assistant professor of Instructional Leadership.  In 2005, Steele was recognized as Alabama’s “Assistant Principal of the Year,” and in 2016, he was recognized  as Alabama’s “Secondary Principal of the Year.”  He has written six books including two with Todd Whitaker, has presented at numerous state and national conferences, and has spoken in school districts around the country.  His new book is The Instructional Leader in You: 10 Strategies for Every School Leader.We discuss:Instructional Leader: a necessary part of every principalship?What are the barriers to instructional leadership?Being strategic with delegationBeing curiousBeing visibleBeing About the CultureInterconnectedness of the strategiesGet Danny’s book from Routledge and learn more about his work here: www.leadershiplearningandculture.com About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Brig Leane, former principal of Fruita Middle School in Colorado, has over 25 years of experience in education. He has been an assistant principal and has taught at the middle and high school levels in inner-city, suburban, and rural schools in California and Colorado. In 2017 and again in 2018, Fruita Middle School made the Seattle-based GettingSmart.com’s list of 85 schools in the nation that other educators should visit.His latest book is The PLC Dashboard: Implementing, Leading, and Sustaining Your Professional Learning Community at Work.We discuss:How Brig developed the PLC DashboardWhat the dashboard is and what it doesWhat to say to a principal who has unsuccessfully tried the PLC process in the past and is not clear on what to do differently this timeHow does The PLC Dashboard lighten the load for an administrator?How a principal gains confidence to start and sustain the PLC processGet the PLC Dashboard from Solution Tree. Learn more about Brig’s work at www.BrigLeane.com About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

In this episode of The Authority on the BE Podcast Network, I talk with National Center for Restorative Justice founder Nicholas Bradford about what restorative justice in schools really looks like beyond the buzzwords. We explore why suspensions fail to change student behavior, how restorative practices promote true accountability and community repair, and what it takes to implement these systems well.Nicholas outlines five core pillars of school‑based restorative justice, unpacks common misunderstandings among educators and the public, and shares practical guidance on language, expectations, contracts, and follow‑through. This conversation is essential listening for school and district leaders, teachers, counselors, and anyone interested in replacing zero‑tolerance discipline with relational approaches that improve school culture and student outcomes.Find A Real-World Guide to Restorative Justice in Schools wherever you get your books.Connect with Nicholas:https://www.nationalcenterforrestorativejustice.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bradfordnicholas/ https://www.facebook.com/4RestorativeJusticeAbout the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Bill Barnes is the superintendent for the Howard County Public School System in Maryland. Bill was a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and has served on the board of directors for the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics.Erin Lehmann, EdD, currently serves as an associate professor for the University of South Dakota. She is an author, leader, and facilitator, advocating for leading instructional improvement.Today, they join the show to talk about their book, Leading Educator Wellness: Six Critical Actions to Support All Staff. Our discussion covers:The tangible challenges educator wellness is meant to address—attrition, shortages, effectiveness, and moreStarting with leader wellness firstMoving from self-care to systems-care SMART wellness goalsDemonstrating authentic commitment to wellness combined with high standards of excellencePractical actions leaders can take todayGet Leading Educator Wellness from Solution Tree. About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

My guest today is author, speaker, and podcaster Casey Watts. Casey’s book is The Craft of Clarity: Six Steps to Bridge Gaps, Foster Commitment, and Create Sustainable Alignment.We talk about:“Not Another Unrealistic Book of Complicated Ideas”Misaligned perspectives between teachers and leaders - living in different worlds“Clarity precedes capacity.” What does that mean for leaders?Strategy is simple. Clarity is complex. Many teams think they’re collaborating, but really they’re just coordinating. What’s the difference, and how can leaders move their people from faux collaboration to true collaboration?When a team is stuck in silos or cycles of dysfunction, what’s one practical move a leader can make right now to start turning things around?Get Casey’s book, The Craft of Clarity. Learn more about Caseywww.catchingupwithcasey.comwww.linkedin.com/in/catchupwithcaseywww.instagram.com/catchupwithcasey About today’s guestCasey Watts is a passionate speaker, author, and thought leader in team leadership with over 20 years in education and 10 years of experience coaching educators, entrepreneurs, and leaders. She is the creator of the Clarity Cycle Framework, helping leaders bridge gaps, foster commitment, and create sustainable alignment. Casey is also the founder and host of The Catching Up with Casey podcast, where she and her guests bring clarity to the seemingly small things in leadership that make a big difference.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Today’s guest is my friend and fellow podcaster, Jeff Bradbury. Jeff is an educator, ISTE award-winning digital learning strategist, educational broadcaster, public speaker, entrepreneur, and triplet dad. His powerful message has inspired thousands of educators through the TeacherCast Educational Network.Jeff’s new book is Impact Standards: Designing District Systems That Power K–12 Learning.We talk about:Digital learning: the “have to” vs. the “want to”Is all learning digital? The Digital Learning Strategic Plan: why do we need a plan and how do we get buy-in?How instruction is like musicWhat is a Digital Learning Curriculum?Curriculum mappingInstructional Coaching - what is it, what are the relationships, what does the coach do?Making the learning visible to the communityGet Impact Standards from X Factor Edu. Learn more about Jeffhttps://jeffreybradbury.comhttps://teachercast.netAbout the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Roy S. Whitehurst is a former CIA analyst and instructor. He spent 30+ years evaluating written information, photos, videos, and other media collected by the CIA and taught media literacy skills to new CIA analysts. He’s the author of Teaching Media Literacy with Social Media News: Practical Techniques for Middle and High School Classrooms.We talk about:Some of the types of media to evaluate and what makes them challengingVelocity of informationDisinformation, misinformation, malinformationEvaluation skillsIs media literacy scalable?Do people want to be informed?What makes Roy optimistic and pessimisticGet Teaching Media Literacy with Social Media News from Routledge. About the guestRoy S. Whitehurst is a former CIA analyst and instructor. He spent 30+ years evaluating written information, photos, videos, and other media collected by the CIA and taught media literacy skills to new CIA analysts. Roy argues that anyone—not just CIA analysts—can learn how to evaluate the accuracy, credibility, logic, and argumentation of posts on social media. He believes that these skills are critical for us to engage in civic discourse and build a stronger democracy. He maintains a website, www.medialiteracysleuth.com, where he periodically posts evaluations of social media, including trending pop culture media and media appropriate for use in civics, ELA, and social studies curricula.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Dr. Mario Acosta spent 20 years of his educational career as a teacher, instructional coach, assistant principal, academic director, and principal leading schools with diverse profiles. He was named the 2022 Principal of the Year in the state of Texas while he was the principal at Westwood High School, a U.S. News & World Report top-50 campus and member of the High Reliability Schools (HRS) Network.His latest book is The Schools Our Students Deserve: A Comprehensive Framework for Shaping Exceptional School Culture.We discuss:What are the schools our students deserve? Are we asking this question enough?The current state of schools and identifying the gapsOutcomes students deserve…The values to center in a school’s cultureMany schools saw temporary bursts of innovation after the pandemic, but struggled to sustain them. How can leaders build on the urgency of that moment and create lasting change?How does a leader take charge of the culture? Building support from the communityAttracting high-quality educators and retaining them long-termGet The Schools Our Students Deserve from Solution Tree. You can also learn more in this webinar: http://bit.ly/4fXCYWaAbout the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Ranan Lachman is a transformation expert with a BA in Computer Science and an MBA who has reinvented himself across radically different worlds — jet-fighter co-pilot, management consultant, Wall Street investment banker, and CEO of multiple technology companies.He lives what he teaches, having relocated to four countries across four continents and even circled the globe for a year with his family while managing a startup.Ranan is currently founder and CEO of Better Speech. We discuss his work with Better Speech and his book, Comfort Override: Future-Proof Your Life as AI Flips Your World.Topics include:How AI can help schools address special education goalsPrinciples for implementing AI responsibly in special educationHow can professionals proactively prepare for AI disruption in their industry?Daily practices to develop the adaptability “muscle”Evolving intentionally as an individual and an organizationLearn more about today’s guest:www.comfortoverride.comwww.betterspeech.com About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

As a Walt Disney Imagineer, Brian helped create the stories and magic for some of the world’s most beloved attractions. Over the past 35 years, he has produced work for a who’s who list of corporations, as well as small entrepreneurial ventures. Now, as a sought-after Innovation Consultant through his practice known as The Brainstorm Institute, he works with both large and small companies to help them gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.Currently, he is a full-time instructor at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College, where he teaches a variety of courses related to themed entertainment, immersive design, event production, and advanced technologies. His book is Creative Cross-Pollination: A Former Imagineer's Take on the Innovation Process.We discuss:Brian’s background as a Walt Disney Imagineer and his work writing for some of the world’s most beloved theme parks — and how this work influenced his approach to educationHis definition of innovationThe 4 techniques of Creative Cross-PollinationHow educators can integrate this technique into their workDriving innovation and creativity in educationEmerging trends in technology (AR/VR, Telematics, Military, etc.)...and how to cross-pollinateBrian’s take on the future of workOrder Creative Cross-Pollination: https://bit.ly/3LESDP0 Learn more about today’s guest:https://www.brainstorm-institute.comwww.ensoeducation.com About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

James I. Bond is one of America’s leading behavioral management specialists. He joins the show to talk about his book Brain Glue, which was named a 2023 Best Business Book finalist by Publishers Weekly.We discuss:How selling becomes much easier by making your ideas “sticky” The desire to connect with others and make your ideas connectThe science of persuasionUnderstanding the way people learn about ideasThe power of humorAbout the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Mitch Weathers is an educator, author of the bestselling book, Executive Functions for Every Classroom, and the founder of Organized Binder. He returns to the show to share tips for authors, especially how to launch and promote your book. We talk about:Starting to plan for a book launchKnowing why you want to writeIt doesn’t matter how valuable your book is if nobody knows it existsThe book as a marketing vessel: how does it open doors?Use your network to your advantageWhat makes promoting a book different from promoting your business?How to define successListen to my previous conversation with Mitch on episode 81 of The Authority, Executive Functions for Every Classroom with Mitch Weathers. About today’s guestMitch Weathers is an educator, author of the #1 bestselling book, Executive Functions for Every Classroom, and the founder of Organized Binder. Organized Binder is an MTSS Tier 1 solution that exposes students to the executive functions that promote success. In a world where we must embrace technology, analog interaction and hands-on practice is more important than ever. Studentness, the habits of being a student, are critical in today’s educational landscape and Mitch is among those leading the charge.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Across two decades in education, Mia Hood has served in a variety of K-12 roles, including classroom teacher, instructional dean, and, most recently, regional director of literacy. Currently, she designs curriculum for schools and nonprofits and teaches literacy and secondary education at the City University of New York and professional writing at New York University. Mia joins the show to talk about her book, Pop Culture Literacies: Teaching Interpretation, Response, and Composition in a Digital World.We discuss:Defining pop culture todayHow pop culture literacy and media literacy are similar and differentWhy teach pop culture literacy?When/how would a typical teacher incorporate lessons on pop culture literacy into their curriculum?What teachers should be learning from their studentsWhat worries and inspires MiaGet Pop Culture Literacies from Routledge Eye on Education or wherever you get your books. Connect with Mia:https://miahood.substack.com/linkedin.com/in/mia-hood-a309439a@miaelizabethhood on IGAbout today’s guestMia Hood is the author of Pop Culture Literacies: Teaching Interpretation, Response, and Composition in a Digital World. Across two decades in education, she has served in a variety of K-12 roles, including classroom teacher, instructional dean, and, most recently, regional director of literacy. Currently, she designs curriculum for schools and nonprofits and teaches literacy and secondary education at the City University of New York and professional writing at New York University. Mia received her doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she studied sociocultural and critical perspectives on literacy. She writes all about pop culture literacies in the newsletter Popstack.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Lacey Robinson is president and CEO of UnboundEd. A former teacher, principal, and professional development specialist who has focused on literacy, equity, and school leadership for more than 25 years, her life’s work aims to enable educators to disrupt systemic inequities in their school districts and classrooms.She frequently serves as a featured keynote speaker, and her personal literacy journey is shared on Emily Hanford’s “Sold a Story” podcast. Today we’re discussing the science of reading:If we've known for decades about the science of reading, and its effectiveness as a model for literacy instruction, why have we deviated from it?Should schools of education change what they are teaching? Should K-12 be more directive toward teacher training programs?Why hasn't the science of reading been centered in teacher training? What specifically do students need from science-based reading instruction? What is the urgency?Listen to my previous conversation with Lacey Robinson, about her book Justice Seekers, on episode 74 of The Authority. Learn more about UnboundEd and Lacey’s work at www.unbounded.org.About today’s guestLacey Robinson is the president and CEO of UnboundEd, and the chair of the Board of CORE Learning. As CEO, Robinson sets the organization’s vision for transforming instruction for students at the margins. She is a former teacher, principal, and professional development specialist who has focused on literacy, equity, and school leadership for more than 25 years. Her life’s work aims to enable educators to disrupt systemic inequities in their school districts and classrooms. She led the merger of UnboundEd, Pivot Learning, and CORE Learning under the UnboundEd banner — creating the nation’s largest K–12 educator development organization focused on improving teaching and learning for underserved students.Robinson is a leading national voice on disrupting the predictability of students’ educational outcomes, and was named to 2023’s Forbes 50 Over 50 list in recognition of her innovative leadership. She frequently serves as a keynote speaker and is featured on Emily Hanford’s 2022 “Sold a Story” podcast.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies. He is a leadership development and performance coach for professionals in a range of industries and consults with organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry to help communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano and LinkedIn

Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket has earned a reputation as a strong instructional leader, passionate educational advocate, and dedicated mentor. As the Principal of a National Blue Ribbon school in Maryland, she is a lifelong learner who strives for excellence not only for herself, but also for everyone she serves. Today, she joins the show to discuss Relational Intelligence: The Key Factor to Exceptional School Leadership.We discuss:Relational Intelligence (RQ): the ability to build trust, communicate with empathy, and connect authentically How is RQ different from EQ?Why Trust is the first pillarChallenging the myth that leadership is about charisma or controlResults: improved teacher retention, enhanced student outcomes, and increased community engagement.Get Relational Intelligence on Amazon or wherever you get your books. Our previous episode, with Jen Schwanke, also explored trust. Listen to it here: https://bit.ly/46pcCI5About today’s guestDr. Rachel Edoho-Eket is a wife, mother, principal, author, and speaker. With decades as a teacher and leader in public education, she has earned the reputation as a strong instructional leader, passionate educational advocate, and dedicated mentor. As the Principal of a National Blue Ribbon school in Maryland, she is a lifelong learner who strives for excellence not only for herself, but also for everyone she serves. Currently, she is President of the Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals and is an ASCD facility member.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

This week we welcome back Jen Schwanke, who previously joined the show to discuss The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management. Jen has been an educator for almost three decades, teaching or leading at all levels. She currently serves as a deputy superintendent in Ohio, is an instructor in educational administration at The Ohio State University, and is the co-host of the popular Principal Matters Podcast with our previous guest Will Parker (listen to his episode here).Jen’s newest book is Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools.We discuss:Jen writes each of her books on a very specific topic — how did she decide on this one?Conflict Management and TrustGoals: What is trust and what does it look like? How to develop trust with staff, students, and parents. Can you be a good principal without it?How is trust broken?Reciprocal nature of trustHow can you find out if you’re trusted?Listen to episode 110, The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management with Jen Schwanke.Get the book Trusted from ASCD.  About today’s guestJen Schwanke, Ed.D., is a longtime educator, teaching and leading at all levels. She is the author of four ASCD books, including the recently-released The Principal’s Guide to Conflict Management, and has published hundreds of articles for various educational publishers. She has written and presented for multiple state and local education organizations, and has provided professional development to various districts in the areas of school climate, personnel, and instructional leadership. An instructor in educational administration at Miami University of Ohio, Dr. Schwanke currently serves as a Deputy Superintendent in Ohio. You can find her at jenschwanke.com.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Today’s guest is likely quite familiar to our audience here. Will Parker is host of Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast, with more than 1.5 million downloads to date. An Oklahoma educator since 1993, Will won a teacher of the year award in 1998, was named Oklahoma Assistant Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary Principals in 2012, was principal of a Title I school, and served as executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Secondary School Principals and the Oklahoma Middle Level Education Association for six years. His new book is Whose Permission Are You Waiting For?: An Educator’s Guide to Doing What You Love. We discuss:What motivated this new book“An Educator’s Guide to Doing What You Love”Understanding your pathways in education: “Do I choose A or B?” or “What’s next for me?” Why and how to be coachedThe importance of avoiding the binary in decision-makingKeys for new ideas: Thinking, Planning, Experimenting, Executing Executing with intentionWhy is it important for leaders to give themselves permission for growth?Value of becoming a mentorConnect with Will or listen to his podcast here: https://williamdparker.com. Learn more about all of his books here: https://williamdparker.com/books About today’s guestWilliam D. Parker is the founder of Principal Matters, LLC—an educator, author, speaker, and executive coach who leverages his expertise in school culture, leadership, and communication to equip educators with strategies for motivating students, inspiring teachers, and reaching communities.He is also the host of Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast, with more than 1.5 million downloads to date. Will supports schools through professional development and leadership coaching.An Oklahoma educator since 1993, Will was named South Intermediate High School Teacher of the Year for Broken Arrow Public Schools in 1998. He became an assistant principal in 2004 and was named Oklahoma Assistant Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary Principals in 2012. As a principal of a Title I school, he helped lead initiatives in collaboration, remediation, and mentoring that significantly improved student achievement. For six years, Will served as executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Secondary School Principals and the Oklahoma Middle Level Education Association.Find out more about his leadership academies, masterminds, executive coaching, books, and keynote presentations at williamdparker.com. About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Today I'm pleased to share an episode from my friend Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan, a previous guest on The Authority and host of De Facto Leaders, a popular show on the Be Podcast Network.Ever feel like your school is trying all the “right” strategies—social skills groups, planners, behavior charts—but students still struggle with time management, motivation, and peer relationships?You’re not alone—and there’s a reason why, says Dr. Karen. This episode is a clip from her free training, “Create a Research-Based Implementation Plan for your School Team.”It’s designed for school leaders who want to guide their teams in embedding executive functioning support across both general and special education settings—without burning out staff.This episode is for you if you’re ready to:✔️ Help students truly benefit from academic instruction✔️ Support social-emotional growth alongside learning✔️ Avoid overwhelming your team with another “initiative”This episode is the first half of the training in audio format, but to view the whole training with the video, you can go to drkarendudekbrannan.com/efteams.Listen and subscribe at https://defactoleaders.com

For over 20 years, Tony Chatman has partnered with some of the most successful organizations in the world—including Chase Bank, the U.S. Secret Service, Phillips 66, Clear Channel, and St. Joseph’s Health. He specializes in bridging differences in perspectives, communication styles, and experiences by addressing the universal need we all share: to feel valued and seen.As a scientist and chemical engineer, as well as a husband, father, and former leader of a nonprofit dedicated to community upliftment, Tony combines intellect with humanity. He is equal parts head and heart. Tony’s book is The Force Multiplier: How to Lead Teams Where Everyone Wins.We discuss:The mission statement of leadershipWhat is a Force Multiplier?What makes relationship-based leadership effective?Relationship deposits and relationship withdrawalsSeven keys to being a force multiplierRoss: “I earned it, but now I have to learn it.”Learn more about Tony Chatman: www.tonychatman.com About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Kimberly Spencer is an award-winning high-performance, trauma-informed coach and trainer, Amazon best-selling author, TEDx speaker, and the founder of CrownYourself.com, helping visionary leaders transform their self-limiting stories, build their empire, stand out fearlessly, and make the income and the impact they deserve.Her book is Make Every Podcast Want You: How to be so Radically Interesting You'll Barely Keep from Interviewing Yourself.We talk about:Why should leaders want to be on podcasts?What matters when deciding which shows to target?How to find the right showsHow to be an interesting guest and how to prepareVisibility, messaging, and presenceWhat to do after you’re on a podcastGet the book or connect with Kimberly’s podcasts: Get the book: https://www.communicationqueens.com/bookListen to the Crown Yourself Podcast: https://www.crownyourself/com/podcast Listen to the Communication Queen Podcast: https://www.communicationqueens.com/podcastGet booked & coached LIVE on the Communication Queen Podcast: https://bit.ly/get-on-communication-queen-podcast About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

My guests Charle Peck and Josh Stamper are co-authors of The Language of Behavior: A Framework to Elevate Student Success, winner of the 2025 Firebird Educational Book Award.We talk about:Like our last episode with Dr. Bill Penuel, co-author of Creating Compassionate Change in School Communities, this book also refers to a compassionate approach to school culture and student behavior. Discussing student behavior as a form of communicationTrauma-informed framework, 3 core tenets: Consider the Environment, Explore the Root Causes of Behavior, Respond with IntentionalityHow improving student behavior with this framework affects other areas, like academic performance or classroom cultureWhat would the authors say to educators or school administrators who might be skeptical about trying a new approach?Find The Language of Behavior on Amazon or wherever you get your books. About today’s guestsCharle Peck holds an MS in Education and an MS in Social Work as a 20+ year veteran in education (K-12). As a global keynote speaker, she delivers powerful messages of hope to educators and facilitates meaningful professional learning sessions to equip adults with tools that integrate into everyday practice. Her unique lens as a high school teacher turned clinical therapist, and her work with adolescents and families in crisis, makes her stories relevant and captivating to those struggling in today’s system. You can purchase her books on Amazon and connect with her via her website CharlePeck.com and on LinkedIn @CharlePeckJoshua Stamper is a dedicated educator, speaker, author, and creator of Aspire to Lead. With a rich background in teaching and school administration, Joshua brings invaluable insight into the challenges and opportunities within the education system. His personal journey as a struggling student, combined with nine years of experience as a middle school administrator, fuels his passion for creating supportive and transformative learning environments. Joshua is committed to helping educators and leaders unlock their full potential, fostering growth, and inspiring lasting change in education.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Dr. William Penuel is Distinguished Professor of Learning Sciences and Human Development in the Institute of Cognitive Science and School of Education at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is co-author of Creating Compassionate Change in School Communities: Leading Together to Address Everyday Suffering in Schools. We talk about:Why does compassion matter for educators?How is compassion different from empathy, kindness, and relationship-building?How school leaders and educators can put compassion and dignity into actionEveryday suffering in schools - how can and should educators work to reduce it?Fostering inclusivenessRelationships with families4 steps to help develop a plan for a more compassionate schoolHow can educators create self-compassion to move past burnout toward hope and positive action in their schools?Creating Compassionate Change in School Communities is published by Wiley. Find it wherever you get your books. About today’s guestWilliam R. Penuel, Ph.D., is Distinguished Professor of Learning Sciences and Human Development in the Institute of Cognitive Science and School of Education at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is also a Faculty Fellow at the Renée Crown Wellness Institute. He designs and studies curriculum materials, assessments, and professional learning experiences for teachers in STEM education. He also studies how contemplative practices and critical inquiry can support educators in cultivating more compassionate schools. A third line of his research focuses on how long-term research-practice partnerships can be organized to address systemic inequities in education. He is a co-developer of an approach to partnership research called Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) and is a co-author on the new book, Creating Compassionate Change in School Communities.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Blending memoir, personal essay, local topography, and culture, Alex Poppe’s Breakfast Wine is a frank, human story of pursuing an unconventional life and finding a way home. Alex is a business analyst, turned actor, turned teacher who accepted a teaching position in northern Iraq after a chance encounter with an acclaimed journalist. In this episode, you’ll hear her stories and learn what it was like to teach in conflict and post-conflict zones, including during the COVID-19 pandemic — and you’ll find out it was much different than you think. Get Breakfast Wine at bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/3FTV9hM About today’s guestHaving lived in conflict zones such as Iraq, the West Bank, and Ukraine, Alex Poppe writes about fierce and funny women rebuilding their lives in the wake of violence. She is the author of four works of literary fiction: Duende, a 2024 American Legacy Book Awards winner, a 2023 International Book Awards winner, and a 2023 Readers’ Choice Book Awards finalist; Jinwar and Other Stories, a 2024 Pen Craft Awards runner-up, a 2023 Readers’ Choice Book Awards winner, and a 2022 International Book Awards finalist; Moxie, and Girl, World, a 35 Over 35 Debut Book Award winner, First Horizon Award finalist, Montaigne Medal finalist, Eric Hoffer Grand Prize finalist, and was awarded an Honorable Mention in General Fiction from the Eric Hoffer Awards. In 2021, Alex was an artist-in-residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, where her memoir-in-essay Breakfast Wine began.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Today’s guest, Erik Palmer, is an educational consultant from Denver who focuses on showing teachers practical, engaging ways to teach oral communication skills, and showing educational leaders how to be more effective communicators.He’s the author of several books, including Well Spoken: Teaching Speaking to All Students, 2nd Edition (Routledge).We discuss:Defining modern, effective oral communication todayWhat most teachers struggle with, when it comes to teaching speakingWhat is uniquely important about learning speaking? How does it expand on/reveal other skills?Building a Speech: Audience, Content, Organization, Visual Aids, and AppearancePerforming a Speech: Poise, Voice, Life, Eye Contact, Gestures, and Speed (PVLEGS)Evaluating a Speech: Creating Effective Rubrics, Guiding Students to ExcellenceDigital speaking contexts including podcasts, webinars, and video/audio appsLearn more about Erik at www.pvlegs.com and find the book from Routledge About today’s guestErik Palmer is an educational consultant from Denver. Prior to becoming a consultant, he had a successful career in business managing a commodity brokerage office and trading on the floor of a Chicago commodity exchange. He was the national sales leader for a large commodity trading firm. In his second career, he spent 21 years teaching English, math, science, and civics, earning Teacher of the Year in one of the nation’s top school districts. Now in his third career as a consultant, Palmer focuses on showing teachers practical, engaging ways to teach oral communication skills, and showing educational leaders how to be more effective communicators.Palmer is an internationally acclaimed speaker. He has given keynotes and led in-service trainings for districts across the US and for educators around the world. Palmer is a frequent contributor to educational magazines and is the author of several books: Well-Spoken: Teaching Speaking to All Students (Routledge, 2024), Teaching the Core Skills of Listening & Speaking (ASCD, 2014), Researching in a Digital World (ASCD, 2015), Good Thinking: Teaching Argument, Persuasion, and Reasoning (Stenhouse Publishers, 2016), Own Any Occasion: Mastering the Art of Speaking and Presenting (ATD Press, 2018) and Before You Say a Word: A School Leader’s Guide to Clear and Compelling Communication (ASCD, 2024). He is a program consultant for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Into Reading and Into Literature language arts programs.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

To close out May, I'm happy to highlight another Best Of episode with three-time guest Katie Novak. This was our first conversation, about her best-selling book UDL Now!We talked about:“If UDL is the answer, what is the question?”Who should be doing UDL?UDL is best practice: “Teachers are working too hard to not have a greater impact on learners.”Understanding the similarities and differences between UDL and differentiated instruction (DI) — and why teachers should be doing bothThe three core beliefs of UDL: variability, firm goals, and expert learningWhat is the right amount of student voice and choice?Find UDL Now! from CAST Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and on Katie’s website: https://www.novakeducation.com/udl-now About today’s guestKatie Novak, Ed.D. is an internationally renowned education consultant, a graduate instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education, and the best-selling author of 14 books on inclusive practices, with over 250K books sold worldwide. Katie designs and presents workshops both nationally and internationally focusing on the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), inclusive practices, and universally designed leadership. Connect on Twitter @KatieNovakUDL and LinkedIn. 

Today’s episode wraps up our four-part series on communication and finding your voice. My guest is Matthew Rolnick.Matt is SVP of Partnerships & Events for The Real American Beer Company and former VP of Strategy & Innovation at Yaymaker. He’s an Amazon bestselling author, speaker, LinkedIn 2023 Top Entrepreneurship Voice, and a Udemy Instructor for 135k students.Matt is author of Find Your Yay.We discuss:Find your voice and grow your brand on social media — who should do it?Defining a personal brandThe purpose of building an online presenceWhat kind of content should people share?Cutting through the noiseBenefits of a networkAbout the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Today is part 3 of our miniseries on communication. My guest, Michael Davis, works with business owners, entrepreneurs, and business leaders who struggle to effectively give presentations. He helps them increase their confidence, influence, and impact with more impactful presentations every time they stand up and speak.Michael's expertise in communication is rooted in the belief that all business problems stem from communication issues. If your organization aims to improve leadership, team collaboration, and overall effectiveness, then Michael's approach can deliver these results.Michael is founder of Speaking CPR and author of seven books on communication, including THE Book on Storytelling.We discuss:What is storytelling and what is it not?What leaders lose when they don’t use storytellingHow storytelling helps leaders enhance influence, foster trust, strengthen organizational structure, and develop their staffStakeholder engagement“Then, Now and How” frameworkHow can storytelling help leaders save time?Learn more about Michael and get the book:https://SpeakingCPR.com 52 Storytelling Tips: https://speakingcpr.com/52-storytelling-tipshttp://bit.ly/SpeakingCPRYouTube About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

This week, we’re continuing our miniseries on finding your voice and increasing your influence as a leader. My guest is Ryan Millar, a Canadian-born, Amsterdam-based coach, story trainer, and communications consultant. All of his work draws heavily on his 25+ years as an improviser. Ryan got his start in Vancouver BC in the late ‘90s with !nstant Theater, and has worked with Boom Chicago and toured Europe teaching and performing at festivals.His latest book, on the art of public speaking, is called The Confident Presenter.We discuss:How Ryan got started teaching public speakingThe connection between improv and public speaking“All effective public speakers are confident, but not all confident public speakers are effective.”Adjusting to the audienceIdentifying your goals and then determining strategies: Opening, stories, rhetorical techniques.What are some of those techniques for making a connection?Getting feedbackLearn more about Ryan and the book at https://ryanmillar.com and https://confidentpresenter.co About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

This week, we’re starting a four-episode miniseries on finding your voice and increasing your influence as a leader. My guest to kick it off is Dr. Laura Sicola, a leadership communication and influence expert, and a renowned speaker, former bilingual K-12 teacher and university professor who holds a PhD in educational linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania.With over 20 years of experience, she has coached TED speakers, delivered her own TED talk with over 7 million views, and appeared in major media outlets. Her clients include notable organizations like Comcast, GSK, and IBM. Her book is Speaking to Influence: Mastering Your Leadership Voice.Laura and I discuss:Whether you are seen as a leader (not whether you believe you are a leader)Communication — what does it help you do as a leader?Image and reputation goals: mapping them out, making them authentic, understanding their relevance to your impactHow to choose and use the right wordsThe Three Cs of Vocal Executive Presence: Command, Connect, and CloseHow can I build my brand as a "go-to expert" and speaker?Learn more at www.laurasicola.com and www.speakingtoinfluence.comAbout the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Miriam Plotinsky is a National Board–certified teacher with additional certification in administration and supervision. She’s currently an instructional specialist with Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland.She’s the author of several books, including Small but Mighty: How Everyday Habits Add Up to More Manageable and Confident Teaching (ASCD).We talk about:Why Miriam wanted to write a book about "small but mighty" teaching practicesPhyllis Fagell said about the book, "Small but Mighty is an indispensable guide for any teacher who ever wished that doing the impossible felt more manageable.”What are some of the biggest challenges facing teachers today?“Habits over motivation” as key to successBeginning with beliefs - how teachers need to address their own beliefsBenefits of “habit stacking”How to make the habits practicalFind Small but Mighty from ASCD or wherever you get your books. About the guestMiriam Plotinsky is an instructional specialist with Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland and the author of several education books, including Small but Mighty: How Everyday Habits Add Up to More Manageable and Confident Teaching (ASCD). She is also a National Board–certified teacher with additional certification in administration and supervision. She can be reached at https://miriamplotinsky.com About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Episode 150 of The Authority is a special one. I’m joined by Dr. John B. King, Jr., the 10th U.S. Secretary of Education. John is currently the chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), the nation’s largest comprehensive system of public higher education. Over the course of his career in public education, he has been a high school social studies teacher, a middle school principal, the first African American and Puerto Rican to serve as New York State Education Commissioner, a college professor, and the president and CEO of the Education Trust.His new book is called Teacher By Teacher: The People Who Change Our Lives.We discuss:John’s inspiring storyTeachers who treat students as worthy of respectThe teachers who made an impact and why they still stand out todayWhat we miss when schools are discouraged from supporting and developing the whole personThe meaning of public education – why it’s critical and what we miss when it’s not supportedThe public education discourse - what’s missing or what we get wrongRigor and joy are not mutually exclusiveGoing on “offense” to create relevance in school and address chronic absenteeismReasons for hope in educationYou can find Teacher by Teacher wherever you get your books.About today’s guestJohn B. King Jr. served in President Barack Obama’s cabinet as the tenth U.S. Secretary of Education. Over the course of his extensive and influential career in public education, he has been a high school social studies teacher, a middle school principal, the first African American and Puerto Rican to serve as New York State Education Commissioner, a college professor, and the president and CEO of the Education Trust, a national education civil rights organization. King is currently the chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), the nation’s largest comprehensive system of public higher education. Both of King’s parents were career New York City public school educators. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife, an education researcher and former teacher, and his two daughters.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn 

This week I welcome Amanda Morin and Emily Kircher-Morris to the show. Amanda is a neurodivergent neurodiversity activist, an award-winning author, early childhood specialist, certified teacher, and nationally known speaker, deeply committed to fostering accessible and inclusive environments for neurodivergent individuals.Emily has dedicated her career to transforming how we understand and support neurodivergent minds. As a licensed professional counselor, educator, and thought leader, she brings a unique blend of clinical expertise and lived experience to her work with neurodivergent individuals.Their book is Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools: Transforming Practices So All Students Feel Accepted & Supported.Hear about:What does neurodiversity-affirming mean?Neurodiverse vs. neurodivergentHow many students are neurodivergent? What are most typical diagnoses?Sensory needs and behaviors educators may observeHow students often hide their neurodivergent traitsHow a school can prepare - staffing, training, etc.Neurodiversity-affirming communication (The Double Empathy Problem)Get Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools wherever you get your books.Connect with our guests:https://www.neurodiversityaffirmingschools.comhttps://neurodiversitypodcast.com/speakinghttps://www.amandamorin.com/speakinghttps://www.amandamorin.com/coachinghttps://neurodiversity.university About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Today’s guest, Tony Frontier, is an award-winning educator who works with teachers and school leaders nationally and internationally to help them prioritize efforts to improve student learning. He’s the author or co-author of several books, including Teaching with Clarity and Five Levers to Improve Learning.We discuss his latest, AI with Intention: Principles and Action Steps for Teachers and School Leaders (ASCD).Hear about:On the topic of AI and education, what is important for educators to keep in mind about what has changed and what remains the same?Tony’s greatest fear and greatest hope about how AI will change educationEssential Question: How can teachers and students use AI tools to support intentional teaching and learning?Most important guiding principles that challenge teachers to think more clearly about what has changed and what is the sameEssential Question for Leaders: How can leaders build capacity to ensure AI tools are used to effectively support intentional teaching and learning?Guiding principles for educational leaders Read Tony’s Educational Leadership article, “Active Learning, Not Passive Compliance”Get the book AI with Intention from ASCD or wherever you get your books.About today’s guestTony Frontier, PhD is an award-winning educator who works with teachers and school leaders nationally and internationally to help them prioritize efforts to improve student learning. With expertise in classroom assessment, student engagement, curriculum development, meaningful feedback, technology integration, and strategic planning, Frontier emphasizes a systems approach to empower leaders and teachers to serve others.As a former classroom teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools, an Associate High School Principal, the Director of Instruction for the Whitefish Bay School District, and a college professor who taught PhD candidates statistics, research, and learning theory, Frontier brings a wealth of experience as a classroom teacher, building administrator, central office administrator, and researcher to his workshops, writing, and research.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Brian Butler is an educational consultant, speaker, author, and award-winning former principal who is passionate about nurturing collaborative school cultures that unlock every student’s unlimited potential. In this episode, we discuss two of his books, Every Student Deserves a Gifted Education and Limitless Future.We talk about:Brian's inspiring storyWhat is a gifted education?The necessary mindset shift to plan a gifted education for every studentThe five shifts/elements to help create a schoolwide approach to nurturing each student’s unique strengths, passions, and talentsFallacy of Fixed Intelligence, Labels Be Gone, Obligation of Teams, Our Superpowers,  Resistance and InspirationPersistence, curiosity, communication, flexible thinking Brian’s podcast, “A Conversation with Brian”About today’s guestBrian Butler is an educational consultant, speaker, author, and award-winning former principal who is passionate about nurturing collaborative school cultures that unlock every student’s unlimited potential. Brian has advised thousands of schools across the United States, Australia, and Canada.As a former school-based educator and principal, Brian worked with countless parents and parent groups, supporting and guiding them in their essential role in nurturing their children’s growth and potential. He emphasized the importance of leveraging the unique strengths and insights that each family contributed. Brian’s goal is to help parents recognize that they hold the key to their children’s success and development, which drove him throughout his career to create a collaborative and empowering environment so every child could flourish.Brian has enjoyed diverse career experiences, including being a professional basketball player in the European League. He holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communications from The George Washington University, a teacher’s certification in physical education, and a master’s degree in school counseling from George Mason University. With an administrative endorsement from the University of Virginia, Brian is known for his ability to drive positive change.To learn more or contact Brian, visit www.brianbutler.info About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

We're pleased this week to highlight another "Best of The Authority" episode. This one is my conversation with Dr. Thomas Guskey, Professor Emeritus in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky. He is known throughout the world for his work on student assessment, grading and reporting, professional learning, and educational research. He's the author/editor of thirty books, including the one we discussed for this episode: Engaging Parents and Families in Grading Reforms.We talked about:Defining the purpose of grading“Is my purpose as a teacher to select talent or develop talent?”The state of grading practices in US schoolsCommunicating grading — what families want to knowWhat do families oppose?What leaders get wrong about the change processExamples of successful grading reform in school districtsFind Engaging Parents and Families in Grading Reforms from Corwin or wherever you get your books. Learn more at www.tguskey.com. About today’s guestThomas R. Guskey, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky. A graduate of the University of Chicago’s renowned Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistical Analysis (MESA) program, he began his career in education as a middle school teacher, served as an administrator in the Chicago Public Schools, and was the first Director of the Center for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning, a national educational research center. Dr. Guskey served on the Policy Research Team of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, and on the task force to develop the National Standards for Professional Development. He was named a Fellow in the American Educational Research Association and was awarded the Association’s prestigious Relating Research to Practice Award. He is author/editor of thirty books and over three hundred published articles and book chapters on educational assessment, program evaluation, and grading and reporting. He may be contacted by email at [email protected], Twitter at @tguskey, or at www.tguskey.com. About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Today I welcome Alex Kajitani and Tom Hierck to the show. Alex and Tom are both award-winning educators and bestselling authors, and together they’ve written their latest title You’re a Teacher Now! What’s Next?We talk about:“What have I got myself into?” The question all new teachers ask.Why is this the book for right now?What Alex and Tom would change about the typical experience for new teachersClassroom management, relationship building, effective instruction, self-care — where to start?The different people to build relationships withWhat it takes to feel and be effective at instruction and classroom management“Do nows” for early career teachersWhat veteran teachers and administrators can learn from the bookWhat about administrators?Making teachers want to be and stay teachersFind the free Teacher Success Video Series: https://alexkajitani.com/education-writing/youre-a-teacher-now Find You’re a Teacher Now! What’s Next? from Solution Tree or wherever you get your books. About the guestsAlex Kajitani is the 2009 California Teacher of the Year, and a Top-4 Finalist for National Teacher of the Year. He is the author of several books, including Owning It, which was named “Recommended Reading” by the U.S. Department of Education. A highly sought-after education speaker, Alex is known around the world as “The Rappin’ Mathematician.” He has a popular TED Talk, and was honored at The White House. He was also featured on The CBS Evening News, where Katie Couric exclaimed, “I LOVE that guy!” (and you will too!). For more, visit https://AlexKajitani.com Tom Hierck is an acclaimed educator, best-selling author, and a compelling presenter, infusing his message of hope with strategies culled from a career that has spanned all grade levels and many roles in public education. He was recently named as one of the world's Top-10 Global Gurus for Education, and his belief that “every student is a success story waiting to be told” has led him to work with teachers and administrators across the globe to create positive school cultures and build effective relationships that facilitate learning for all students. He is the author of 25 books, including the acclaimed "Trauma-Sensitive Instruction." For more, visit www.TomHierck.com About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Today I'm thrilled to introduce our newest podcast here on the Be Podcast Network, Artificial Intelligence: Real Talk hosted by Eli Marshall Davis. Eli is an Interventionist at Hemphill Elementary in Birmingham, AL, where he sits on the leadership team and chairs the MTSS/Problem Solving Team committee. He is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of South Carolina, focusing on Teaching and Learning, with research interests in social justice, epigenetics, and the transformative potential of AI in education. In this episode, host Eli welcomes his longtime friend Dr. Marlena Ward Dodds. They explore artificial intelligence, particularly its impact on education and inclusivity, the challenges of online learning, and the digital divide. Dr. Dodds shares her insights and experiences with AI, both in higher education and in the broader context of learning and development. They also discuss the ethical implications and biases in AI, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and equitable access to technology.Listen to Artificial Intelligence: Real Talk about subscribe here: https://avisionforlearning.com 

It’s a pleasure to welcome Dr. Lorraine Radice back to the show. Lorraine is an Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in a public school district in New York and an Associate Assistant Professor at Hofstra University. Prior to her current role, she was a preK-12 Director of Literacy. Lorraine’s book, Leading A Culture of Reading, was a 2023 GOLD Winner for Education in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year awards. Her new book is Revolving Literacy: How to Connect Relevance and Future-Ready Skills to Secondary English Instruction.We talk about:What revolving literacy means“Newfound literacies”Future-ready skills for grades 6-12Future-ready goals and how they relate to goals of the revolving literacy frameworkDefining engagement and relevanceStudent agencyTeaching students to be readers, writers and researchersFind Revolving Literacy from Solution Tree or wherever you get your books. Learn more at www.lorrainemradice.com Listen to my previous episode with Lorraine (episode 118)About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

Popular guest Dr. Kimberly Nix Berens returns to the show. She’s a scientist-educator, Founder of Fit Learning, and author of Blind Spots: Why students fail and the science that can save them. We’re also joined by Dr. Michael-Joseph Mercanti-Anthony, principal of Antonia Pantoja Preparatory Academy, a public school for students in grades 6-12 in the southwest Bronx.  We talk about:Defining the science of learning, and which students and subjects it applies toHow instruction designed from the science of learning improves educational outcomesCauses of skepticism (earned and unearned) and how to combat itWhy are schools resistant to implementing science-driven instruction?The difference between "evidence-based" and "data-driven” instruction Why "data-driven" instruction is essential for improving learning outcomes with individual studentsBuilding school-wide capacity: buy-in and trainingCertainty with approach vs. certainty in the linearity, outcomesListen to my previous conversation with Kimberly Berens about her book, Blind Spots: https://bit.ly/486xHpY Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn more about the Be Podcast Network for educators.About today’s guestsKimberly Nix Berens, Ph.D., is a scientist-educator and Founder of Fit Learning. She co-created a powerful system of instruction based in behavioral science and the Technology of Teaching, which has transformed the learning abilities of thousands of children worldwide, including those who are struggling, average, gifted, or learning disabled. For more than 20 years, her system of instruction has produced one year’s worth of academic growth in only 40 hours of training. Her learning programs effectively target such essential areas as early learning skills, basic classroom readiness, phonemic awareness, reading fluency, comprehension, inferential language, basic and advanced mathematics, logical problem solving, grammar, and expressive writing. Learn more at http://www.drkimberlyberens.com Dr. Michael-Joseph Mercanti-Anthony is the principal of Antonia Pantoja Preparatory Academy, a public school for students in grades 6-12 in the southwest Bronx. He is also an elected member of the Greenwich, CT Board of Education, where he served as chair of the 2024 researchEd Greenwich conference.  He taught high school social studies and English for ten years before becoming an administrator. His writings have appeared in Edutopia, Educational Leadership, and the Hechinger Report. Learn more at http://mjma.info About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on LinkedIn or Bluesky. I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

My guests today are Katie Novak and Ashley Marlow. Katie, an internationally-renowned education consultant, graduate instructor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, and the best-selling author of numerous books, returns to The Authority for the third time. Ashley is an elementary math coach, consultant, and director of operations for All Learners Network.They co-authored the new book Universal Design for Learning in Mathematics Instruction, K-5.This fun and timely discussion covers:Well…there’s a lot about bumper stickers (stay tuned)“Supplement not supplant”Math is one of the areas with the biggest hurdles to access and inclusionAlgebra as the gatekeeper to future successWhat to make of the latest NAEP resultsCreating a math learning environment that sends the message that we are all capable mathematiciansThe problems with traditional math instructionWhat would a universally designed math class look like? How is it different from a traditional classroom?Importance of numeracy and keys to teaching itDolly PartonRead the Edutopia article Making Math Accessible for All Students. Find Universal Design for Learning in Mathematics Instruction, K-5 from CAST Publishing or wherever you get your books. About today’s guestsKatie Novak, Ed.D. is an internationally renowned education consultant, a graduate instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education, and the best-selling author of 14 books on inclusive practices, with over 250K books sold worldwide. Katie designs and presents workshops both nationally and internationally focusing on the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), inclusive practices, and universally designed leadership. Connect on LinkedIn or her website. Ashley Marlow, MSEd, is an elementary math coach, a consultant, and the director of operations for All Learners Network. She has 13 years of experience in teaching and coaching and is passionate about supporting teachers of experience in creating equitable learning opportunities in math. Ashley plans professional learning opportunities focusing on instructional routines in mathematics that support belonging, engagement, and access to rigorous grade-level content for all students. Connect on LinkedIn. About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on LinkedIn or Bluesky. I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt 

For our next "Best Of" episode, I'm excited to republish my conversation with Mitch Weathers, teacher and founder of Organized Binder, Inc. We talked about his book Executive Functions for Every Classroom: Creating Safe and Predictable Learning Environments Grades 3-12, published by Corwin. Hear our conversation about:Defining executive functions and their importanceSigns of executive dysfunctionJustin Baeder, The Principal Center, says the book “makes the case for universal classroom routines that free up students' mental bandwidth to focus on learning.”Practical steps to create predictable learning environments — and why you should do itPatrice Bain writes that this statement stopped her in her tracks: “As teachers, if we are aware that our students are partially organized, and we do nothing about it, then we are complicit in their failure.”Goal-setting and accountabilityGetting families involvedFind Executive Functions for Every Classroom from Corwin or at http://organizedbinder.com/book Listen to previous episodes of The Authority referenced in this conversation:Mapping Professional Practice with Justin Baeder and Heather Bell-Williams: https://bit.ly/3TaQsUN A Parent’s Guide to Powerful Teaching with Patrice Bain: https://bit.ly/47RKeOf About today’s guestMitch Weathers is a teacher and founder of Organized Binder, Inc. Together with the Organized Binder team, Mitch works with K-12 schools and colleges in the US and internationally to equip students with executive functioning skills. When he is not working with schools, you can find him running trails training for his next ultramarathon. He and his wife, Amber, live in Northern California with their two daughters, Vivienne and Olive. Connect with Mitch @organizedbinderAbout the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on LinkedIn or Bluesky. I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt