The Leaders' Table

It’s no coincidence that Irene Holtzman spends her days advocating for agile school decision making, and her favorite evenings, rocking the dance floor. But being quick on her feet takes a lot of planning. Put your earbuds in and join us as a fly on the wall for Irene’s reflections on her path from 6th-grade teacher to Executive Director of Friends of Choice in Urban Schools (FOCUS). From the tough lessons in her first year leading a team to the importance of mentorship from a leader who she describes as “the baddest of the bad”, this interview have you moving to the rhythm.

What hasn’t Rick Hess done? He’s an educator, political scientist, advocate and author of many books including the recently published Letters to a Young Education Reformer, not mention his role at the American Enterprise Institute. This conversation ranges from evolution and revolution in school systems to how we can move beyond treating the symptoms of struggling schools, to why you usually learn the most from those who disagree with you. But the best part? Rick’s reflections on how to handle the astonishing difficulty of working for change, and how to avoid overwhelm and burnout for a sustainable career. I’d say he should write a book on that, but he already has!

What hasn’t Rick Hess done? He’s an educator, political scientist, advocate and author of many books including the recently published Letters to a Young Education Reformer, not mention his role at the American Enterprise Institute. This conversation ranges from evolution and revolution in school systems to how we can move beyond treating the symptoms of a struggling schools, to why you usually learn the most from those who disagree with you. But the best part? Rick’s reflections on how to handle the astonishing difficulty of working for change, and how to avoid overwhelm and burnout for a sustainable career.

For our milestone 20th episode, we’re excited to share The Leaders’ Table with CEO of New Day New Year and former Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, John Deasy. Deasy is a leader on a mission to kill the school to prison pipeline with lessons to share on keeping calm under pressure.

For our milestone 20th episode, we’re excited to share The Leaders’ Table with CEO of New Day New Year and former Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, John Deasy. Deasy is a leader on a mission to kill the school to prison pipeline with lessons to share on keeping calm under pressure. If you’ve listened to other episodes of The Leaders’ Table, you know this episode is packed full of the good stuff!

This episode is stacked with tips from the San Antonio Independent School District’s Superintendent, Pedro Martinez’s career leading Chicago’s education system with Arne Duncan, turning education around in Nevada, and now with a community ready for change in one of the fastest growing districts in the country. Take note of Pedro’s advice for strengthening your systems-building muscles, how to balance quick wins with long term planning, and more!

Delia Pompa is a leader whose unique “strength in quietude” has helped her build and sustain a widely respected, multi-decade advocacy career across multiple political waves. She has been a voice for children and families from inside both venerable advocacy organizations and government, including the National Council of La Raza, the Texas Education Agency, and most recently, the Migration Policy Institute.

Courtney English is all about his community and leading Atlanta’s Board of Education to serve all kids. As the youngest-ever chair of the Board of Education for the school system where he was once both a student and a teacher, stories of students and the relationships Courtney has with teachers, parents, and community members show up in every policy decision he makes. Courtney shares what he’s learned about building trust as captain of a ship that’s navigated its fair share of tough storms.

If you’ve heard previous episodes of The Leaders’ Table, you know we’re on a quest to find out what makes leaders tick. This week with Kaya Henderson, we cut right to the heart of it. Our conversation with Kaya packs a punch — and not in the way you might expect if you know much about this former Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools. Kaya’s one of those rare leaders who’s willing to go there, get deep and share not only how she measures her own personal and professional success, but how her favorite mistakes have shaped her leadership. That’s authentically Kaya. Tune in for tips, tricks, insights and stories from Kaya Henderson and other education changemakers.

Curious what Chris Cerf has learned from a career in policy working for both Democrats and Republicans, and now as the Superintendent of Newark City Public Schools? Then this episode of The Leaders’ Table is for you!

What makes Maryland State Senator Bill Ferguson a rare leader? He’s not only had experience at three levels of Maryland’s education system — first as a teacher, then in the central office, and now as an elected official — but he’s also truly in it for the long haul, not just the easy wins. We ask Bill what the rest of the world can learn from Baltimore at its best and at its worst, and how he keeps it all together as a leader.

Ever meet a leader whose energy is infectious? Who you can just tell is going places? That’s Manny Lamarre. As executive director of the newly created Nevada Governor’s Office of Workforce Innovation, Manny stands at the intersection of workforce development, education and equity in a state that was hard hit by the last recession. Manny’s got a dream job at the cutting edge of policy, but what’s even more exciting is imagining what lies ahead for him and the communities he serves. Sky’s the limit when you’re on a rocketship!

Luzelma Canales is a powerhouse of an advocate. As Executive Director of RGV FOCUS, she knows her data inside out and upside down. She distils complicated policy issues for any audience. She facilitates sessions like a magician and bringing partners on board is easy as pie. But what sets her apart, makes her an example not just for women in leadership, but an example for us all? Her community leads her. Listen to learn how.

Stacey Childress flips The Leaders’ Table upside down this episode, sharing lessons learned from her role as CEO of The NewSchools Venture Fund and career as an entrepreneur. From why finding a learner’s mindset is more important than being right, to avoiding getting super-scheduled with meetings, Stacey’s advice will help you reframe your workday.

As Founder and CEO of 4.0 Schools, Matt Candler and his team have built charter schools, incubated EdTech companies, built houses, and organized communities. And yet he’s one of the most humble leaders we’ve ever met. Listen in as we ask Matt about lessons he’s learned and how he’s quieted his inner perfectionist to allow his inner entrepreneur to develop living ideas.