This is Season 6, Episode 5 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Kate Koch; we discuss women in leadership positions, mentorship, balance at work…and so much more.

Kate Koch Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners

Dr. Kate Koch is the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for Lemont-Bromberek SD113a.

She has served as an elementary principal, an assistant principal, and a middle school history teacher.

She is also the co-host of the Unsupervised Leadership Podcast and the author of Unsupervised Leadership: Celebrating and Elevating Fun, Fab, and Fierce Females. 



FocusED Show Notes with Guest Kate Koch

“Unsupervised leadership” is about being in a space where you can lead authentically. In these cases, the leader can be themselves without fear of making mistakes. 

Kate talks about women in leadership, specifically in education where the balance is off between the number of women in the profession versus the number of administrators who are men.

Kate has been getting feedback from listeners that her message about women in leadership is giving them the confidence to apply for jobs and ask for the highest salary possible. 

Dr. Koch tells us a few stories about her experience with leadership roles and what she faced in interviews and other spaces as a female. 

Kate talks about the differences between the way women lead and the way that men lead and the need for both perspectives. TJ brings up the Jane Goodall episode with Tim Ferriss where Goodall says that women should not try to lead like men because we need female leaders, not just more males. 

She tells us about what “balance” means for her. Two strategies: turn it off and have an accountability partner. 

Kate shares a story about how much time she was putting into her work and the feeling that she might need to walk away; we need to create conditions where people have balance or we will continue to lose educators. 

Joe asks Kate who inspires her and she told us about her mentor, Kate Chambers, and her podcast co-host, Courtney Orzel. She calls out several other peers and mentors who guide and support her work. 

Kate talked about listening to books, and her current favorite read is Anxious Generation. 

Thanks for listening to FocusED, an educational leadership podcast brought to you by TheSchoolHouse302 @ theschoolhouse302.com where we publish free leadership content. Go to the site, subscribe, and you’ll get all of our content sent directly to your email. 

FocusED is your educational leadership podcast where our mission is to dissect a particular focus for teachers and school leaders so that you can learn to lead better and grow faster in your school or district. Let us know who you would like to hear from next.

Unsupervised Leadership with Kate Koch

Hello, tech enthusiasts! This is Aurora, and you've tuned in to AI Tech News Today. Let’s dive into today's fascinating developments in the world of Artificial Intelligence. 

First up, openai launches ChatGPT Gov. OpenAI has unveiled a specialized version of its popular ChatGPT, aimed specifically at United States government agencies. This tool promises to enhance efficiency and security while supporting AI-driven decision-making. With secure access to advanced models within Microsoft Azure's cloud, agencies like the Air Force Research Lab and Los Alamos National Lab are already on board. This could significantly reshape how public sector work is done, though it also raises some important questions regarding governance and privacy.

Next, let’s talk tools! Want to transform any content into thought-provoking questions? Well, now you can! There’s a new AI tool that helps you create engaging questions from any piece of content, enhancing discussions and driving engagement. Perfect for educators, content creators, and professionals looking to spark conversation.

Moving on to AI emailing innovations. If you’re looking to master the art of emails, a new suite of AI tools can help streamline your email communications. These tools can assist in drafting, organizing, and even providing insights based on email interactions, making your digital correspondence smarter and more efficient.

Last but not least, we have prompt of the day: Scout Leads! This involves strategizing to find, connect with, and engage new leads in your targeted market. Utilizing this prompt can help propel your sales efforts to the next level by ensuring you’re always one step ahead.

That's a wrap on today’s news. Stay curious, stay informed, and check back next time for the latest in AI advancements! Until then, this is Aurora signing off.

OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Gov to Boost Efficiency in US Government Agencies as New AI Tools Transform Content and Email Communications

This is Season 6, Episode 6 of FocusED, and it features our guest, Peter Cookson; we discuss community leadership, supporting students in poverty, school culture…and so much more.

Peter Cookson Brings a Tons of Experience to FocusED Listeners

Peter Cookson serves as a senior researcher with the Learning Policy Institute, a founding principal investigator for the American Voices Project based at Stanford University, and an educational policy teacher at the McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University. 

He has written extensively on the causes and consequences of American poverty and advocates for a new vision for public education. He began his career in education as a fifth-grade teacher in rural Massachusetts.

He received his doctorate from New York University and most recently completed a Master of Arts in religion from the Yale Divinity School where he held the Katsuso Miho Scholarship in Peacemaking. 

He founded the Center for Educational Outreach and Innovation at Teachers College and The Equity Project at the American Institutes for Research and before that, he was the executive director of Ed Sector in Washington D.C.

Peter is the author of School Communities of Strength: Strategies for Educating Children Living in Deep Poverty.

FocusED Show Notes with Guest Peter Cookson

All kids learn in environments where threats to their self-esteem are diminished. ~ Peter Cookson

Peter starts by defining “communities of strength.” Included in his definition is that the whole community believes that every student can learn and that learning is joyful. 

Peter says that he learned more doing the project for this book than any other project he has done. 

He tells us that 5 million kids in the US live in “deep poverty,” that’s 50% or more lower than the national threshold. 

Peter tells us about the resilience of students in poverty is inspirational. 

Peter’s passion for this work comes from his time as a 5th grade teacher in a school where many of the students lived in deep poverty. This motivated him to go back to school to become a sociologist to study the intersection between poverty and learning. 

He unfolds a story about his time as a teacher where he was able to experiment. He was doing project-based learning before it was a thing. 

Peter’s vision for the book when he started was to make it a practical guide versus just a sad story about the current scenarios in schools that serve students in poverty. 

The book includes the science of learning because we know more now about how to teach and how people learn than ever before. 

One key, says Peter, is that the staff has to bring a “second to known” mentality to their approach to teaching the whole child.  

He tells us that the primary responsibility of the school leader is to create an environment for teachers and students. 

Peter tells a story about a superintendent who fired any principal who didn’t fully believe that all students can learn. Don’t miss what he says about the commitment factor.

Peter mentions Linda Darling-Hammond as an expert on the science of learning, among other things. 

He says that each of the principles in the book comes with implementation guidance.

Communities of Strength with Peter Cookson

CCEA Podcast with Host Kristan Nigro and Special Guest, CCEA President Marie Neisess

CCEA Podcast 2-12-25

Shawn tells us that “future-ready” is about students recognizing their purpose; he reminds us about the goal of education and the gaps that exist right now with what we provide and what students actually need. 

Dr. Dilly talked about the need for leaders to stay true to who they are, that relationships matter, and that we should celebrate our differences. 

Shawn elevates competencies that students need, including what he calls “human skills.” 

He talks about a “tsunami of change” that is coming our way along with the advent of AI and other disruptive technologies. 

Shawn tells us that part of the systemic barriers that perpetuate the problems with the curriculum, instruction, assessments, and resources is that we’re too highly regulated and legislated to change fast enough. 

He describes a problem for schools in that 65% of our students in school now will be working in jobs that aren’t currently available yet. 

Joe asks Dr. Dilly to help leaders to advocate for change that isn’t just based on policy requirements. 

Shawn calls to action that leaders align themselves to people who are thinking about problems in a way that we can work together to drive change. He also says that it’s important for school leaders to get involved in their state agencies at the highest levels. 

Shawn encourages leaders to ask the question: are our students ready? And, if the answer is no, what’s missing? That will drive what we need to do next. 

One change that he emphasized is the need for more student collaboration in schools--a life skill that everyone will need. 

He talked about the need for students to exercise imagination and curiosity as well as oral and written communication. 

Shawn names our biggest challenge as keeping up with AI in schools and classrooms. 

Dr. Dilly tells us that students will need to learn global dexterity and branding. They’ll need to work globally with people who are vastly different from them and yet maintain their identity. And, they need to be able to compete in a global world by selling themselves by integrating the proper credentials with an attractive reputation. 

Shawn mentions McKinsey and the World Economic Forum. Joe asks about other resources that he frequents. Check out the book list below.

Schools for this Century and Beyond with Shawn Dilly

On sale April 29th, 2025

From the #1 New York Times bestselling writer and author of How to Love an American Man comes a memoir that inspires us to remember the special teachers in our lives and reflect on the change we create when we share our stories.

Mrs. Korthaus has always been ahead of her time—an educator who inspired her students to dream bigger, think deeper, and live boldly. For decades, she led an English classroom with caring and conviction, but it’s not until she’s retired, and then fighting cancer, that she begins to share her story: long ago marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., building a corporate career, and overcoming heartbreak before “accidentally” becoming a teacher and forever shaping the lives of countless young adults—including bestselling author Kristine Gasbarre.

In Show, Don’t Tell, Kristine reflects on her thirty-year friendship with this extraordinary teacher who shaped her life so significantly. She shares the profound lessons Mrs. Korthaus taught her and other students on self-discovery, resilience, strength, and showing up fully for life. It shines a spotlight on the power of sharing our lives and our stories with each other as it moves between tragedy, awe, and the heartwarming relationship forged over decades between two women from different generations. Above all, it delivers a moving reminder about the elders who’ve believed in us—and a call to thank them for the lives they influenced us to lead.

Listen Here

Show, Don't Tell By Kristine Gasbarre (Audiobook Excerpt)

On sale April 29th, 2025

Teacher By Teacher traces the remarkable journey of the 10th U.S. Secretary of Education and is a deeply personal love letter to all the teachers in our lives.

The story of John B. King Jr.’s inspiring path to President Obama’s Cabinet begins the day that his mother died. He insisted on going to school that day, knowing he would find comfort in his classroom. As he navigated living alone with a father dying from undiagnosed Alzheimer’s, it was public school teachers who saved his life. King’s teachers believed in him and saw his potential. They made school a safe, supportive, and engaging place where King could be a kid despite the challenges at home. While some might have dismissed a rebellious young Black and Puerto Rican teen whose life was in crisis, King’s teachers and counselors gave him a second chance.

King went on to earn degrees from Harvard, Columbia, and Yale and committed his career to trying to do for other young people what educators did for him. Teacher By Teacher is an inspiring account of how dedicated educators—both King’s own teachers and the phenomenal teachers who he has encountered throughout his career as a teacher, principal, and education policymaker—can profoundly shape the lives of their students. King’s experiences constantly reinforce the role of schools as places of survival, healing, and hope.

This book is about overcoming challenges and the mentors who help us make it through them. Teacher By Teacher should inspire students, parents, teachers, and everyone who believes in the transformative power of education. But more than that, this book examines the life-changing impact of mentorship, especially for those who are underserved by public institutions and social systems in America.

Teacher By Teacher By John B. King Jr., Read By Joshua Quinn and John B. King Jr. (Audiobook Excerpt)

Anne Morriss and Frances Frei are best-selling authors and among the world’s most influential thinkers, speakers, and advisors. Their clients range from Fortune 10 companies to tech founders to political leaders working to build national competitiveness. They join to talk about their new book, Move Fast and Fix Things, outlining a practical process leaders can implement to drive change.

Best of Design Matters: Frances Frei and Anne Morriss

Host Ryan Tripp speaks with Milton Clarke, author of The Community College Reform Movement: Contentions and Ideological Origins, about how today's reform agenda, rooted in acceleration, completion, and performance metrics, often overlooks the lived realities of students and faculty. Clarke reflects on the limits of market-driven policy and the need for structural investment in public education:

“You're still throwing students into a credit bearing class when they're not ready to do it, or they don't have the support, and that would be one of my biggest complaints.”

____

The Community College Reform Movement
Contentions and Ideological Origins
By Milton E. Clarke 

"This book critically examines the rise of the higher education reform movement, often referred to as the “completion agenda,” which, since the early 2000s, has sought to restructure core aspects of the community college experience. Using community colleges from across nine U.S. states as practical examples, it explores the major higher education reforms, including dual enrollment, the demise of developmental education, corequisites, and performance-based funding. Against the popular view that support for such policies is tied to neoliberalism, it argues for a more nuanced understanding of the complicated and often indistinct ideological foundation of the reform movement, demonstrating that supporters and detractors alike draw on similar concepts such as equity, student success, and affordability. This complication is further clarified through an account of the history, processes, functions, and institutions that paved the way for the advent of the higher education reform movement."

---> https://bit.ly/4mPTlXJ


*The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges. Any content provided is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as endorsement by the organization.

Rethinking Reform: Equity, Neoliberalism, and the Future of Community Colleges

What happens when a high-powered engineer walks away from corporate life to follow a dream rooted in ancestral wisdom, music, and the magic of nature? Tune in for an inspiring discussion with Jennifer Elwell Comeau on her new books The Inside of ME, and A Moon in All Things. 

Moments with Marianne airs in the Southern California area on KMET1490AM & 98.1 FM, an ABC Talk News Radio affiliate!  

Jennifer Elwell Comeau inspires humans to restore our sacred partnership with the rest of the natural world. A certified Forest Therapy Guide, singer-songwriter, and author-speaker, nature is Jennifer’s creative muse. Her Nautilus Gold-winning children’s book, “The Inside of ME” is a profound reminder of the magic that happens on the inside when we go outside. Her debut novel, A Moon in All Things, has been called “atmospheric and beguiling” by Kirkus Reviews, and her poems and essays are published in four anthologies. She has produced two albums of original music available on all streaming platforms. She partners with OzGREEN, an award-winning non-profit bringing YOUth LEADing The World programs to Australia, Africa, and India.  She resides in Kennebunkport, Maine, where she holds climate buoyancy and writing workshops, hosts sacred circles, and runs a Wild Wonder Forest Bathing business. www.jennifercomeau.com 

For more show information visit:
www.MariannePestana.com 

The Inside of ME with Jennifer Elwell Comeau

Could one children’s book spark lifelong healthy habits in your child? Tune in for an inspiring discussion with Alana C. Marks on her Nautilus award-winning children’s book Bugs in My Tummy.
 
Moments with Marianne airs in the Southern California area on KMET 1490AM & 98.1 FM, an ABC Talk News Radio Affiliate!  https://www.kmet1490am.com

Alana C. Marks discovered a love of writing as an adolescent when she began writing a pen pal. One pen pal soon grew to a multitude as her letters spread to friends near and far. When her children were born, her nightly story telling talents blossomed and from that ritual her first novel, Unbroken Bones, was born.  Writing is Alana's hobby which she does in her spare time between managing her business and traveling abroad. She's a sucker for a quiet walk or bike ride down a lonely forest trail, which always seems to soothe her soul and ignite her imagination.  https://www.alanacmarks.com

Bugs in My Tummy on Amazon: https://a.co/d/5aRW2aH 

For more show information visit:
www.MariannePestana.com


Bugs in My Tummy with Alana C. Marks

Kevin Wall explores the transition from education to advocacy, emphasizing the importance of communication and understanding policy landscapes. Key insights include leveraging skills for broader impact and the necessity of building networks. This episode provides practical advice for educators considering advocacy roles.

Kevin Wall | Navigating Career Transitions from Education to Advocacy

Tracking student progress is one of the most crucial components of a child’s journey in special education. Data collection allows us to provide children with the best possible interventions and actively impact their education. Special educators, occupational, physical, speech-language, and behavior therapists all use SMART goals as an efficient way to support intervention planning and data collection.  SMART is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. The SMART template provides a consistent structure for goal-writing. They are widely recognized in education and help professionals ensure that the goal includes all necessary components.  

S: Specific
Educators should write goals with definitive criteria. Break down anything that might be considered vague. ‘Play-group’ could be described more specifically as ‘a teacher-facilitated recess group with five same-age peers.’ If the child has to switch school districts without notice, the new educators should easily distinguish all the goal criteria. Don’t forget to include any adaptive equipment, modifications, or cues that the student will use to meet their target.  

M: Measurable
This part of the goal reveals the intended outcome and helps track progress. To improve a goal, add one specific behavior that an educator can measure. For example, “Hakim will initiate three social interactions with peers, as measured by teacher data collection” rather than “Hakim will participate in a play-group.” Be sure to include who will collect the data or if there will be an observation period, retesting, or portfolio collection.  

A: Attainable
When a child qualifies for special education or transitions into a program, they undergo a thorough evaluation. The evaluation should contain the child’s present levels of educational performance. Use this information to create goals that are attainable within the term of the IEP. If a child is currently speaking with one-word responses, it is unrealistic to expect them to use an average of six words per sentence within a year. Use their present levels along with your clinical reasoning to determine what is an attainable goal.  

R: Relevant
Does the goal fit into the context of the child accessing their education? Does it make sense given the child’s individual learning profile and needs? If it is unclear, try using vocabulary that ties the goal back to the student’s educational needs. If it still doesn’t fit, consider what the team wants to prioritize to ensure that the goal is relevant.  

T: Time-bound
The goal should be attainable within the timeframe of the IEP. An IEP is typically valid for one year. However, if a related service gets added to the plan mid-year, the specialist will create goals for a shorter time. To ensure that you are using the correct timeframe, look for the next annual IEP date and write it into the goals.

Learn more: https://cbstherapy.com

Writing SMART Goals

Contract Discussion with Host Kristan Nigro and members of the CCEA Negotiation Team

CCEA Podcast- 8-15-25

Feedback from an educator who took our mindfulness for educators 101 module - an Emotional Literary Assistant based in a school for primary/kindergarten age

Find out more

Educators 101 module feedback

Routines do more than keep life organized—they give children the security, confidence, and independence they need to succeed. In this episode of The Teachers’ Tribe Podcast, we dive into why routines matter, which daily habits make the biggest difference, and how parents, teachers, and caregivers can create simple yet powerful routines that stick.

Intro Theme Song:  Vocals - Shevaughn James; Music - Malik McFarlane; Lyrics - Maxine McFarlane & Shevaughn James

TTT Ep068 - The Power of Daily Routines

This podcast outlines a significant shift from using traditional spreadsheets to employing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for proactive and predictive analytics to track student progress

Beyond the Spreadsheet - Using AI for Student Progress Analytics

In the education world, a lesson plan is both a map and a safety net. It ensures alignment with
standards, caters to diverse learners, and keeps the learning on track. But traditionally, crafting a truly perfect one tailored, differentiated, and engaging could take hours of solitary work. Welcome to the new era. AI is not here to write your plan for you (only you can provide the human insight), but it is the ultimate collaboration tool, reducing the planning process from hours to minutes. Let us explore a practical, five-step guide on how to leverage AI for your next lesson plan, ensuring it’s aligned, accessible, and amazing.

Five Steps AI Lesson Planning Framework

CBS Therapy is the premier provider of school-based and pediatric special education staffing services in the Northeast. We work with special education directors, program directors and special education program administrators to deliver highly qualified therapists and educators to address the diverse needs of the students they serve. Our therapy clinics provide pediatric speech-language, occupational and physical therapies.

Kevin Wall is a Worcester-based professional with experience in education, civic programming, youth development, and nonprofit community outreach.

Grammy-winning audiobook publisher. Authors include James Patterson, David Baldacci, and Michael Connelly. Earbuds encouraged. Follow us on Twitter at @HachetteAudio.

In a single moment your life can change!  “Moments with Marianne” is a transformative hour that covers an endless array of topics with the ‘best of the best.’ Her guest are leaders in their fields, ranging from inspirational authors, top industry leaders, business and spiritual entrepreneurs.  Each guest is gifted, and a true visionary!  A recognized leader in her own work, and while teaching others to develop, refocus, and grow; Marianne will bring the best guest, and sometimes a special surprise.  Don’t miss this – you never know just which ‘moment’ will change your life forever.

Design Matters by Debbie Millman features interviews with designers, artists and cultural leaders, including Lawrence Weiner, Barbara Kruger, Malcolm Gladwell, Eric Kandel, Stefan Sagmeister, John Maeda, Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones, Michael Arad, Milton Glaser, Massimo Vignelli, Paula Scher, Steven Heller, Jonah Lehrer, among others.

In 2011, Design Matters received the People’s Design Award from the prestigious Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards.

Subscribe to Design Matters for free on iTunes, where new episodes are uploaded weekly: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/design-matters-debbie-millman/id328074695

Clark County Education Association is the Union of Educational Professionals representing 18,000 Educators in the 5th largest school district in the US, Clark County School District.

The goal of CCEA podcasts are to:
- Educate
- Inspire
- Advocate
- Inform
- Promote
educators, policy makers, educational community, and the public around issues at matter in public education.

FocusED is your educational leadership podcast where our mission is to dissect a particular problem of practice and/or pinpoint a place of progress so that you can learn to lead better and grow faster in your school or district with more knowledge, better understanding, and clear direction on what to do next.

The Teachers’ Tribe is a collaborative community that is open to educators (that is, both parents and teachers) across the globe.  It facilitates cultural exchange, collaboration and "the joy of learning and teaching".

You'll find meditations for all ages here.  Below is a sample of a few or our audios, but you can join the Meditation Hub for full access here https://teachchildrenmeditation.com/meditation-benefits-connected-kids-training/connected-kids-podcast-and-meditations-subscription/

We are a compassionate enterprise committed to helping young people develop the skills to reduce stress and anxiety with meditation skills.  3 published books and a worldwide teaching programme offering accredited resources for adults (parents/carers/professionals).

New tracks tagged #Educators