Education and job training can lead to good jobs and living wages; but for many adult learners, that path to greater prosperity is anything but straightforward. Structural barriers, disconnected systems, and outdated models often make it difficult for individuals to gain the skills and credentials they need to advance their careers. How can we modernize education and workforce systems and create opportunities for all learners? In this episode of the Leading Voices podcast, host Danny Torres talk...
Aug 11, 2025•35 min•Ep. 18
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an effective framework for creating flexible learning environments by designing learning experiences that give students choices in how they learn, what materials they use, and how they show their understanding. But can this framework be applied beyond the classroom as an engaging and innovative approach to solving enduring challenges within systems? WestEd’s UDL Lab and "UDL Jams” use the principles of the UDL framework to bring people together in real time...
Jun 10, 2025•21 min•Ep. 17
Placement into accelerated mathematics courses can open doors for students, paving the way toward advanced high school coursework, college readiness, and future career opportunities. But ensuring students are placed accurately requires a rigorous, evidence-based approach. In this episode of the Leading Voices podcast, host Danny Torres talks with Scott Firkins , Director of Assessment Content at WestEd, and leaders from the Palo Alto Unified School District in California, Dr. Guillermo López, As...
May 20, 2025•30 min•Ep. 16
Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) have expanded across the United States in recent years. These accounts provide state education funds, originally allocated for students to attend public school, to be redirected to families to use for educational services of their choice. These programs enable parents to use these funds for a wide range of educational services, such as private school tuition, tutoring, distance learning options, and more. In this episode of the Leading Voices podcast, host Danny...
Mar 17, 2025•18 min•Ep. 15
How can district and state leaders identify signs of school distress long before they are designated as in need of improvement by state accountability systems? In 2020, WestEd partnered with the National Charter School Resource Center (NCSRC) to develop and conduct a portfolio of research (listed below) that identified signs of early distress in schools, or "indicators of distress," and described an approach to support school improvement efforts. When states and education decision-makers wanted ...
Aug 12, 2024•42 min•Ep. 14
Gun violence impacts families, first responders, and communities in profound and lasting ways. In 2023, more than 18,000 persons died by homicide in the United States. And on June 26th, 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General declared gun violence a public health crisis. In this episode of the Leading Voices podcast, host Danny Torres talks with experts from WestEd’s Justice and Prevention Team and developers of the Violence Prevention Navigation Framework (VPNF) : Lori Toscano , Shaun Ali , and Kerwin H...
Jul 22, 2024•29 min•Ep. 13
Early childhood practitioners face various challenges in the field, including staffing shortages, lack of funding for programs and professional development, and insufficient cultural representation in the workforce. In this episode of the Leading Voices podcast, host Grace Westermann talks with Monica Mathur-Kalluri, Project Director within WestEd’s Early Childhood Intervention, Mental Health, and Inclusion team. As a Project Director, Monica engages with practitioners, parents, and state and co...
May 22, 2024•27 min•Ep. 12
In this episode of the Leading Voices podcast, host Danny Torres talks with Angela McGuire , Project Director within WestEd’s Early Childhood Intervention, Mental Health, and Inclusion team under Early Childhood Development and Learning . Angela leads the Comprehensive Early Intervention Technical Assistance Network (CEITAN), which has supported the professional growth of early childhood intervention professionals for more than 30 years. Together, they discuss the critical role of early interven...
Apr 10, 2024•23 min•Ep. 11
With national literacy scores in decline and with the loss of instruction time during the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for effective literacy professional learning for teachers and engaging students equitably is more important than ever. For over 25 years, Reading Apprenticeship at WestEd has improved teaching practice and helped thousands of students achieve high levels of academic literacy across multiple disciplines. In this episode, host Marley Arechiga talks with Linda Friedrich , Director o...
Feb 16, 2024•29 min•Ep. 10
States are working to build and modernize integrated data systems to help public agencies better understand and respond to the needs of students, families, and communities, which is critical in the post COVID-19 era. To integrate data from across sectors effectively, states need to consider many legal and technical challenges as well as data privacy concerns and system security. In this episode, host Danny Torres talks with Baron Rodriguez , Executive Director for WestEd's Data Integration Suppo...
Jan 24, 2024•18 min•Ep. 9
Teachers are leaving the educator workforce at alarming rates, and the trend has intensified in recent years. Why are teachers leaving and what are some ways state education leaders can help districts retain them and attract new teachers? In this episode, host Marley Arechiga talks with Caitlin Beatson , Deputy Director of the Region 2 Comprehensive Center at WestEd, and Kate Wright , Director of the Region 15 Comprehensive Center, about the importance of sustaining the educator workforce and ho...
Nov 17, 2023•18 min•Ep. 8
In this episode, Danny Torres talks with WestEd’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jannelle Kubinec, and former CEO Glen Harvey , who stepped down in 2023 after 26 years at the helm. Jannelle Kubinec brings over 24 years of experience transforming outcomes for children, youth, and their families through research, policy, and technical assistance. Her insights on WestEd’s whole-person approach and her steadfast commitment to equity and excellence are a testament to her leadership and vision for...
Oct 25, 2023•36 min•Ep. 7
In this episode, Danny Torres talks with Dr. Katie Drummond , Director of the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northwest, and Dr. John Rice , Director of the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) West. Their conversation covers a range of topics, including: Addressing effects of the pandemic in the REL West and REL Northwest regions Partnering with community-based organizations and state and local education agencies Advancing research and evidence in state and district programs Supporting t...
Oct 17, 2023•26 min•Ep. 6
Many schools are working to better support students’ physiological, social, and emotional growth in addition to their cognitive development as a part of their school improvement efforts. Moreover, students are playing a key role in helping education leaders develop and implement new policies and practices. In this episode, Danny Torres (host) and Grace Westermann (co-host) talk with Rebeca Cerna , Director for the California Center for School Climate (CCSC) , and special guest, Julian Berkowitz-...
Jul 27, 2023•24 min•Ep. 5
“We've essentially created a blueprint for these state education agencies to get a sense of how they could improve their data systems, how they could think through changing or modifying their current accountability frameworks, and how by identifying particular student groups who have been historically underserved and getting a better sense of their experiences and their outcomes in schools, all those things can really team to improve the system.” – Dr. Raifu Durodoye Transcript In this episode, ...
Jul 06, 2023•22 min•Ep. 4
“I hope that after engaging in this conversation, folks are thinking about the systemic work that needs to be done. It is not just left to the principal to figure out how she can decompress and do self-care. There are real systemic gaps and challenges that will continuously make her job unbearable. And so, what can we do to lighten that load to mitigate some of those barriers?” – Dr. Erin Browder Research shows effective and supported education leaders, particularly principals, can have a signif...
Oct 17, 2022•24 min•Ep. 3
“At the heart of formative assessment is a belief in the students and the communities that we partner with and their ability as a system to learn and grow. This idea that learning is for all of us is something that’s central to our belief system. That learning is something that we share as humanity — a desire to learn, a desire to grow, and a desire to learn from one another.” In this episode, Nancy Gerzon, Franchesca Warren, and Cali Kaminsky, all experts with WestEd’s Formative Insights, discu...
Sep 01, 2022•39 min•Ep. 2
In recent years, educators have faced unprecedented upheaval and stress. While ensuring student well-being, self-care often becomes less of a priority. However, self-care is critical for educators. In this episode, Dr. Christina Pate , Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety, and host Danny Torres share a rich discussion about the importance of educator self-care for improved well-being and better student outcomes. S...
Jun 06, 2022•41 min•Ep. 1
