SchoolED

Michael Carter is the Founder, President, and CEO of Strive For College, a non-profit that connects at-risk youth with mentors who help them gain access to college. In 2015, Michael was named to Forbes' "30 Under 30 in Education." He is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where he completed an honors thesis on the history of admissions to elite universities in the US and the UK. Patrick and Michael discuss virtual college counseling as pioneered by Strive For College. The conversation turns to algorithms that guide low-income students to matriculate to colleges they are more likely to graduate from. Finally, Patrick and Michael discuss how metrics can help students minimize debt. 

Deborah Loewenberg Ball is the Dean of the School of Education at the University of Michigan. She is also the Director of Teaching Works, an institute that aims to better the quality of teachers entering the profession. Deborah taught elementary school for more than fifteen years and continues to teach elementary math each summer. Patrick and Deborah discuss problems with the current model of teacher training and what better preparation might look like. The conversation ends with insights into professional development and ways to meaningfully evaluate teacher effectiveness.

Nikki Thompson is the Executive Director of OneGoal New York, a non-profit committed to ensuring more students of low-income backgrounds attend and graduate from college. Prior to joining OneGoal, Nikki served as a Chief of Staff at the New York City Department of Education. Patrick and Nikki discuss the disparity between the number of low-income students who attend college and those who actually graduate. The conversation turns to an overview of OneGoal's strategy in improving each of those outcomes. The second half of the interview focuses on the purpose of college, costs and benefits, and how effectively and efficiently it achieves what we want it to.

Angela McKee is the Project Manager for the Future Dining Experience initiative at San Francisco Unified School District. She holds a master's degree in food studies and food systems from New York University. Patrick and Angela discuss SFUSD's redesigned cafeterias, which were recently featured in The Atlantic Monthly. They also discuss the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and its effectiveness at manipulating children's decisions on nutrition. Angela ends the conversation with a call-to-action: interested school leaders should explore the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement at Cornell University. 

Lisa Consiglio is the Executive Director of Narrative 4, a non-profit that fosters story exchanges in schools across the world. Lisa formerly led the Aspen Writer's Foundation, part of The Aspen Institute. Patrick and Lisa discuss the logistics of a story exchange, its purpose, and the need to build empathy in all people but especially children. The conversation ends with a reflection on Americans' poor understanding of other Americans and the government's role in bridging those gulfs. 

Megan Sweas is the author of Putting Education to Work: How Cristo Rey High Schools Are Transforming Urban Education. Megan is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She was also an Annenberg Fellow at the University of Southern California where she earned a master's degree in specialized journalism. Patrick and Megan discuss the work-study programs operated within the Cristo Rey Network. Additional topics include the scalability of the model, its desirability, and the nature of incentives in improving student motivation.  

Michelle Bouchard is the President of HealthCorps, a nonprofit committed to health education in schools across the country. Patrick and Michelle discuss the state of health of children in America. The conversation turns to changes in health education from baby boomers to millenials. Lastly, Patrick and Michelle consider how to overcome normalcy bias and teach children to make positive decisions that serve their long-term wellbeing.

Paul Thomas is an associate professor of education at Furman University and author of numerous books, including Ignoring Poverty in the U.S.: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education. He also hosts the blog "The Becoming Radical: A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness." They discuss grit, slack, and the effects of poverty on learning. The conversation turns to examine the feasibility of education reform absent a better social safety net. In the final segment, Patrick and Paul consider potential solutions to childhood poverty, including a guaranteed minimum income and wraparound social services.

Michael Horn is the Executive Director of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation and author of Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools. Michael holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Patrick and Michael discuss creative destruction, blended learning, and the promise of technology to transform K12 education. Michael then highlights the importance of assumptions in educational design. The conversation closes with a reflection on delivering personalized learning to children everywhere.

Gabe Rose is the Chief Strategy Officer for Parent Revolution. Parent Revolution is a nonprofit that transforms underperforming public schools by empowering parents to advocate for their children. Patrick and Gabe discuss California's 2010 Parent Empowerment Act. The interview turns to a debate on the ability of parents to evaluate a school's effectiveness. The conversation closes with a reflection on options for parents who are dissatisfied with their child's current school.