Jen Womble | Technology, Education, and Conferences
In the episode, Jen dives into the urgent challenges facing schools-like the national teacher and leadership shortage-and shares her vision for transforming education through community, storytelling, and actionable innovation. She emphasizes the need to change the narrative around teaching, celebrate its impact, and ensure that professional learning translates into real classroom change.
Use these insights to spark conversation about the future of education, the value of educators, and how conferences like FETC are driving meaningful progress.
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36:25
Curtis Valentine | Teacher Shortage, Leadership, and Passion
From a young man who grew up with a stutter to founding a movement that's empowered thousands of male educators, Curtis Valentine's story reveals how community can transform both individuals and education.
The interview with Nancy Livingston, CEO of the National Summer School Initiative (NSSI), explores how their 5-week summer programs prevent learning loss while simultaneously developing teachers' skills through high-quality curriculum and mentorship from exceptional educators. Livingston emphasizes that summer school programs are cost-effective, scalable interventions that can accelerate student learning while helping teachers improve their instructional practice by providing them with streamlined materials and structured support.
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26:09
Dr. Iheoma Iruka | Early Childhood, Curriculum, & Equity
Dr. Iheoma Iruka discusses her work with the National Academies developing a new vision for pre-K curriculum that better serves all children, especially those historically underserved, including Black and Latino children, multilingual learners, children with disabilities, and those living in poverty. The interview highlights the importance of rejecting false dichotomies in early childhood education by integrating play with academics, supporting teachers with proper resources, and creating curriculum that reflects the diversity of children's experiences and backgrounds.
This podcast episode features a conversation between Hayley Spira-Bauer and Nicola "Nikki" Soares, president of Kelly Education. Nikki, who began her career as a social studies teacher before moving into academic publishing and eventually leading Kelly Education, discusses the challenges facing education staffing today. She highlights the teacher shortage crisis, declining enthusiasm for the profession, inadequate compensation, and increasing demands on educators. Nikki advocates for reimagining education systems by making schools community cornerstones, better aligning curriculum with workforce needs, improving teacher compensation, and embracing alternative certification pathways. She explains that Kelly Education supports educators through professional development, mentoring, and recognition programs while using technology to efficiently match qualified teachers with schools. Nikki emphasizes the importance of measuring impact through classroom observations, teacher performance metrics, and fill rates. Despite current challenges, she remains excited about the renewed focus on educational excellence and advises new teachers to be purpose-driven in pursuing this essential profession.
The Learning Can’t Wait Podcast is your view into how changemakers are driving innovation in the field of education. Each week we interview leaders who are challenging the status quo at a time when it is absolutely necessary to rebuild the system for our students.
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