How can districts prepare students for both college and career success? In this episode of Lessons Learned, host Matt sits down with Adam Bowen, Superintendent of New Buffalo Area Schools, for a candid conversation on building systems that equip students for life after graduation—whether that path leads to higher education, the workforce, or both. Drawing on a career in education that began in high school, Adam shares how his district combines academic rigor with practical readiness, leveraging ...
Aug 14, 2025•28 min•Ep. 23
How do we prepare students for jobs that don't exist yet? In this episode of Lessons Learned , host Matt tackles this question with Chike Aguh, Senior Advisor of The Project on Workforce at Harvard. As a former Chief Innovation Officer at the U.S. Department of Labor and nationally recognized education leader, Chike has seen firsthand what it takes to align K–12 learning with the demands of today’s economy. From apprenticeships and technical education to AI and emerging technologies, he makes th...
Aug 07, 2025•53 min•Ep. 22
How Can We Align K–12 Pathways with Real Economic Opportunity? In this episode of Lessons Learned , host Matt sits down with Dr. T.J. Vari, Senior Director of Product Strategy at MaiaLearning, to explore how schools can design college and career pathways that truly prepare students for life after graduation—starting as early as kindergarten. Drawing on his experience as a teacher, principal, superintendent, and now product strategist, Dr. Vari shares how early career awareness, work-based learni...
Jul 31, 2025•40 min•Ep. 21
How can we make math instruction more engaging and relevant for every student? In this episode of Lessons Learned , Season 2, host Matt is joined by Dan Meyer, former high school math teacher and current VP of User Growth at Amplify, widely known for his groundbreaking work with Desmos. Dan shares his personal journey from teaching ninth grade to helping transform math instruction at scale. With a deep passion for student-centered learning, he unpacks the systems approach required to make math i...
Jul 24, 2025•38 min•Ep. 20
In this episode of Lessons Learned, host Matt sits down with Dr. Steven Gering, Director of Solution Design, to explore how schools can better prepare students for life beyond graduation—whether that path leads to college, career, or both. Drawing from decades of experience as a teacher, principal, and Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Gering shares his personal journey and the critical lessons he’s learned about designing systems that support all learners. From de-stigmatizing CTE to improving schedu...
Jul 17, 2025•42 min•Ep. 19
What does building ‘life-ready’ students really look like? In this special compilation episode of Lessons Learned , we highlight five powerful insights from the visionary education leaders featured in Season 2. From district superintendents to CTE directors, these voices share a collective optimism about the future of public education. Across their diverse experiences, a shared message emerges: real progress requires courageous leadership, deep community engagement, and a relentless focus on wha...
May 22, 2025•25 min•Ep. 18
How can we rethink workforce partnerships and CTE pathways to transform career readiness? In this episode of Lessons Learned, Season 2, host Matt is joined by Mac Beaton, Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) for Henrico County Public Schools in Virginia, for an inspiring discussion on how intentional academic pathways and CTE can reshape student mindsets around college and career readiness. Mac shares his personal journey from apprentice electrician to CTE leader, revealing how hands...
May 15, 2025•42 min•Ep. 17
How can districts evolve to support every educator and every student? In this episode of Lessons Learned , our host Matt is joined by members of Iberia Parish’s team, Brett Ferguson, Kirsten Dutile, and Kyla Aucoin, for a powerful conversation on building sustainable systems of support for both teachers and students. Drawing on their diverse journeys into education, the team shares how Iberia Parish is redefining professional development, prioritizing tailored support for educators at all stages...
May 08, 2025•33 min•Ep. 16
What role do schools, families, and businesses play in building career-ready learners? In this episode of Lessons Learned , Matt is joined by Superintendent Patrick Ward of Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools in Ohio to explore what it means to build a future-ready education system—from the classroom to the community. Patrick shares his powerful journey from a second-grade student with a dream to teach to leading a district focused on innovation. This episode dives deep into how school systems can ...
May 01, 2025•35 min•Ep. 15
How do Educational Service Centers (ESCs) help turn policy into practice in Ohio’s schools? In this episode of Lessons Learned , Matt is joined by Craig Burford, Executive Director of the Ohio ESC Association (OESCA), to discuss the role Educational Service Centers (ESCs) play in shaping student success across the state. With over 25 years of experience in the field, Craig shares how ESCs serve as critical connectors—bridging state legislation with on-the-ground implementation in school district...
Apr 24, 2025•38 min•Ep. 14
How can we leverage student agency to build more invested, more prepared graduates? In this episode of Lessons Learned, our host Matt kicks off Season 2 with Jennifer Kushell, CEO and founder of Exploring Your Potential—a career readiness program that helps students connect their interests to future planning. Throughout our conversation, we explore key topics such as: How career conversations build engagement and academic relevance that help students persist in and beyond K-12 The gaps in many C...
Apr 17, 2025•32 min•Ep. 13
What is some of the best teacher advice you've received? In this of Lessons Learned, BetterLesson Director of Solution Design Romain Bertrand sits down with Jaime Speed, an educator in Oregon with over 24 years experience. During their conversation they discuss blended learning, the Scottish Storyline method, and how sometimes, the best way to form relationships with your students is to just be yourself. You can also tune in on Apple or Spotify. If you like what you hear, please like, subscribe,...
Jun 13, 2024•51 min•Ep. 12
Can family engagement lead to greater educational outcomes—and less teacher turnover? In the latest episode of Lessons Learned, BetterLesson CEO Matt Kennard sits down with Vidya Sundaram, CEO and Co-Founder of Family Engagement Lab for a conversation about creating a better environment for learning through meaningful connections. Hear about how increased family engagement impacts student achievement and well-being, and learn some strategies for schools or districts looking to make engagement a ...
May 30, 2024•29 min•Ep. 11
"Teacher Talk" helps us learn from other educators by hearing about their favorite classroom strategies and methodologies. In this episode, BetterLesson's Director of Solution Design Romain Bertrand has a conversation with Afrika Afeni Mills. During their conversation, they talk about building a classroom library, how to keep learning (and the power in *admitting* that you are still learning) and the best strategies to have fun during instructional time. Thanks for tuning in. We hope you enjoy! ...
Apr 29, 2024•59 min•Ep. 8
AI in education may be the topic du jour, but rightfully so. Whether you are embracing–or rejecting–the onslaught of these new technologies, there’s simply no way to ignore them anymore. So what are we doing to address and manage ai in our schools? And are we utilizing its power and capabilities to our advantage? In this episode of Lessons Learned, BetterLesson CEO Matt Kennard sits down with Anna Edwards, Chief Advocacy Officer and Co-Founder, Whiteboard Advisors , and Erin Mote, CEO and Founde...
Apr 12, 2024•31 min•Ep. 9
Apr 12, 2024•23 min•Ep. 1
Math instruction is difficult… but what if we rethink how we teach it? In our latest episode of Lessons Learned, we were joined by Kiddom to discuss innovative approaches to make math education more engaging, relatable, and enjoyable for both students and educators. Learn how to go beyond the traditional math pedagogy of rote memorization to foster a deeper understanding and aptitude for the subject. Thanks for tuning in. We hope you enjoy! If you like what you hear, please like, subscribe, or s...
Mar 26, 2024•47 min•Ep. 7
Having quality, dedicated teachers in our building is the first step towards creating successful classrooms filled with happy, thriving students. But with the ongoing teacher shortage, that feels practically impossible. Join Chandler Unified School District Human Resources Administrator Abby Druck and BetterLesson Instructional Coach Melissa Linton for a conversation endorsed by ASA (Arizona School Administrators). You'll hear about how to tackle the unique challenges of the teacher shortage—tea...
Feb 28, 2024•33 min•Ep. 6
Join BetterLesson Director of Solution Design for a “Teacher Talk” with 2016 Montana Teacher of the Year, Dr. Jessi Anderson. In this episode, they talk about the importance of science education, using AI like ChatGPT in the classroom, and strategies for perking yourself up when you're having a bad teaching day. (You might want to create your own "Why Folder" after listening!) Thanks for tuning in. We hope you enjoy! If you like what you hear, please like, subscribe, or share! And consider subsc...
Feb 09, 2024•52 min•Ep. 5
In this episode of Lessons Learned, join Matt Kennard (BetterLesson CEO), Anna Edwards (Chief Advocacy Officer and Co-Founder, Whiteboard Advisors), and Jenna Keaney (BetterLesson SVP of Professional Learning) as they discuss: The teacher shortage and legislation popping up around the country to help alleviate this problem. How to ensure schools and districts are still delivering quality education to students despite staffing challenges. What is the ideal path forward? Thanks for listening, and ...
Jan 17, 2024•33 min•Ep. 4
Join BetterLesson Director of Solution Design for a "Teacher Talk" with 2014 Texas Teacher of the Year and 2023 National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductee Monica Washington. In this episode, they talk about the best (and worst) advice they received as teachers, what the first day of teaching felt like, as well as favorite strategies to use on those low-energy days. Thanks for listening, and enjoy! If you like what you hear, please like, subscribe, or share! And consider subscribing to our monthly ne...
Dec 12, 2023•42 min•Ep. 3
October is Mental Health Awareness Month, so we are going to dive in to a conversation on student mental health. We hope you will walk away with some tips and strategies for ways you can improve your campus culture, increase personal connections, and affect student mental health in a positive way.
Oct 30, 2023•43 min•Ep. 2
Join BetterLesson CEO Matt Kennard and guests Jenna Keaney and Alaina Mackell discuss balanced literacy, Lucy Calkins, state reading legislation, the Science of Reading, and the best ways to make a shift in your reading curriculum.
Oct 30, 2023•24 min•Ep. 1
