Our Podcast
Build Momentum for Education:
K-12 Superintendent Series
Welcome to Season 5 of the Build Momentum for Education podcast hosted by Sarah Williamson, the CEO of SWPR Group, an agency that supports public relations, communications strategies, and thought leadership support for school districts, education companies and startups, and Dr. Chad Bolser, Chancellor of Ivy Tech. This season, they explore a particularly unique perspective in thought leadership in K-12 education: humanizing the role of the superintendent.
Throughout the many conversations we continue to have with superintendents, a clear theme has emerged about the need to bring more humanity to the role of the superintendency. In this special podcast series, we interview current and former superintendents and researchers to pursue the core question: how can we better see superintendents as real people navigating complex challenges to provide the best possible education for our K-12 students? We dig deeper into how this important work can help build community, invite collaboration and increase widespread engagement.
Our lineup includes Dr. Susan Enfield of The Network of Distinguished Educators, Dr. Rainey Briggs of the Baraboo School District in Wisconsin, Dr. Randy Mahlerwein of Mesa Public Schools in Arizona, Dr. Adam Clark from Mt. Diablo Unified School District in California and Rachel S. White, the Associate Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy at the University of Texas at Austin (and many others) as part of the “Superintendent Series: Humanizing the Role of the Superintendent.”
Tune in for new episodes every other Thursday, available on Spotify, iTunes, or your preferred listening platform as we explore humanizing the role of the superintendent in K-12 education.
Tom Vander Ark Talks AI, Cultivating an Entrepreneurial Mindset, and Building Credibility
In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Tom Vander Ark, an advocate for innovations in learning. He is the CEO of Getting Smart, a design learning firm that helps education organizations increase their impact with innovations for a better learning experience.
Technology and Learning Alchemist Julia Fallon | SETDA
In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Julia Fallon. Julia, a self-described technology and learning alchemist, is the Executive Director of the nonprofit State Educational Technology Directors Association, where she works with U.S. state and territorial digital learning leaders to empower the education community to leverage technology for learning, teaching, and school operations.
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Leading with Impact and Urgency | Erin Mote, InnovateEDU
In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Erin Mote. Erin is the co-founder and executive director of InnovateEDU, a nonprofit whose mission is to eliminate the achievement gap by accelerating innovation in Common Core-aligned next-generation learning models and tools that serve, inform, and enhance teaching and learning.
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From Classroom Teacher to CEO | Tammy Laughner
In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Tammy Laughner. Tammy is a retired primary/intermediate school teacher who served for almost 30 years in Indianapolis Public Schools. She is also the co-founder and CEO of Vimme Learning, an online math curriculum made by teachers for teachers to be used by students in grades K-8.
Futurecasting 2023: Predictions from CEOs, superintendents and education leaders across the industry
In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are kicking off this first episode of the year with their predictions for 2023 in the education space along with some influential people across the Industry.
Thought Leadership Power Hour| Juliana Finegan & Hayley Spira-Bauer
In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Juliana Finegan and Hayley Spira-Bauer. Juliana is the VP for strategy and learning for the company Vivi. Juliana is a passionate educator and leader with experience inside and outside the classroom. Hayley is the Chief academic officer for iTutor.com, a member of the advisory board at Inspiring Educators, and an Edtech Mentor in StartEd.
Superintendents and EdTech Leaders Talk Challenges and Opportunities for 2023 | IEI Fall Summit
In this special episode, Sarah and Katie attend the Institute of Education Innovation Fall Summit 2022. They are joined by 16 superintendents and other leaders who dive into trends and challenges in education and how IEI helps them navigate.
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A National Perspective on EdTech and What’s Ahead | Kristina Ishmael
In this episode of Build Momentum, Sarah and Katie are joined by Kristina Ishmael. Kristina is an educator, learner, advocate, and agent of change. As the Deputy Director of the Office of Ed Tech, she executes the office mission of developing national edtech policy that enable everywhere, all-the-time learning and support digital equity and opportunity.
