Productive Disruption

Career & Technical Education (CTE) is about providing hands-on, real-world learning opportunities to students as they explore their passions to find their purpose. The Rhodes Branding team was thrilled to do just that by partnering with the Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE) to mentor high school students in San Antonio, Texas, on a hands-on video production project for ACTE's Coalition for Workforce Development Summit.Hear from two talented students how professional mentorship has helped shape their learning experience, the impact CTE has on their future goals, and what they'd tell their peers considering CTE.

Career & Technical Education (CTE) is transforming the future of education and workforce development. In this special CTE Month edition of Productive Disruption, host Dan Wyar sits down with three dynamic CTE leaders from across the country:  Chris Brida, Director of CTE & Advanced Coursework, Portland Public Schools (OR)  Leon Burgess, Director of Secondary Education, College & Career Readiness/CTE, Florence School District 3 (SC)  Melony Ritter, CTE Director, Cabarrus County Schools (NC)Together, they discuss the power of business and industry partnerships in shaping student success, how to advocate for CTE from the district to state policy level, breaking the outdated “Vo-Tech” stereotype, and more!

In honor of Careers in Construction Month, we invited a Construction Technology Instructor and the Director of Career & Technical Education from Austin Independent School District to share how the construction pathway in the eighth-largest school district in Texas prepares students for successful careers in a lucrative industry. They cover how project-based courses through the pathway provide personal and professional growth and leadership opportunities for students, earned certifications position Austin ISD students ahead of their peers, and internships and mentorships convert to interviews and jobs. Careers in Construction Month is an annual campaign by the National Center Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and the Build Your Future organization to increase public awareness of construction careers and inspire the next generation of craft professionals. To l learn more, visit https://www.byf.org/careers-in-construction-month/#. Connect with Austin ISD's Director of Career & Technical Education,Tammy Caesar, on LinkedIn and on Twitter (X) check out @caesar2656. Follow Austin ISD's Career & Technical Education on Twitter (X) at @AISD_CTE.

On this episode of Productive Disruption, we sit down with Channing Jones of Minneapolis Public Schools and Dr. Shelley Neilsen Gatti from the University of St. Thomas to explore the MPS + St. Thomas Teacher Residency – an innovative partnership that's cultivating homegrown talent, increasing diversity among educators, and creating a sustainable, supportive pathway to teaching. Discover how this residency model is breaking down barriers, filling the teacher pipeline with diverse and qualified educators, and strengthening the workforce in Minneapolis.  

Go behind the scenes of a successful, 10-school rebrand with Dothan City Schools and Rhodes Branding! Get the scoop on this district-agency partnership from Dothan's Public Relations Officer Meagan Dorsey and our Creative Director Michael Ho. Learn what goes into the creation, launch, and community adoption of 10 new visual identities that align Dothan City Schools' elementaries with the district-wide Wolfpack pride! Show Notes: Connect with Meagan Dorsey on LinkedIn , and on Twitter (X) check out @MeaganDorsey17. Dothan City Schools is on Facebook and Twitter (X) at @DCSdothan.

Discover how leaders can create a supportive and inclusive online school culture. Dive into the digital realm of education with Alicia Hughes, an expert in organizational leadership in the virtual space – having pioneered a virtual public charter school that continues to thrive on collaboration and relationships. In this episode, Alicia shares tried-and-true strategies for setting professional and academic expectations while fostering a strong sense of community and belonging among staff and students in a fully virtual environment. Alicia is a virtual space expert, having over 14 years in the remote workspace and over a decade in virtual leadership. She is the former Executive Director of South Carolina Connections Academy, the largest public school in the state of SC, a soon-to-be author, and founder of Sparking Up Leadership Consulting – where she uses her experience to empower and inspire others seeking to lead in the virtual space. Connect with Alicia Hughes on LinkedIn, and for information on Sparking Up Leadership Consulting, check out sparkingupleadership.com and "Sparking Up Leadership" on Facebook.

To explore ways K-12 Human Resources and district leaders can utilize AI to maximize efficiency in their districts, we're talking with a superintendent from Ohio who's well-versed and proactive in modeling effective usage of AI in his district. Kirk Koennecke, CEO/Superintendent of Indian Hill Exempted Village School District, shares how to empower and inspire administrators, teachers, and staff to experiment with and utilize new technology. A veteran educational leader with 20 years of experience in administration and 29 years of service to students, Kirk Koennecke is in his fourth year as CEO/Superintendent at the Indian Hill Exempted Village School District. Named the National Association of School Superintendents (NASS) 2023 Superintendent of the Year, Mr. Koennecke is also a certified leadership and executive coach, has been a featured presenter nationally, and published numerous articles within education publications. Learn more about the Schoolwide AI Roundtables Virtual Series through the Butler County Educational Service Center where Kirk Koennecke will be speaking next, AASA's STEM Leadership Consortium powered by JASON Learning referenced on this episode, and get to know Mr. Koennecke in his Superintendent's Message. Connect with Kirk Koennecke on LinkedIn, and on Twitter (X) check out @ihsuperbrave. Indian Hill Exempted Village School District is on Instagram at @indianhillschools and Twitter (X) at @IHSchools.

February is Career & Technical Education Month, and we're celebrating and elevating CTE with nationally recognized leader Dr. Sarah Heath! Recipient of Advance CTE's 2023 State CTE Distinguished Leadership Award, Sarah is the State Director for Career and Technical Education in Colorado and Associate Vice Chancellor for Career and Technical Education (CTE) at the Colorado Community College System (CCCS). In her current position, she leads oversight of all secondary and postsecondary CTE programs in the state, which train more than 230,000 students every year in fields as diverse as healthcare, construction, and aviation. Sarah has dedicated her career to advancing CTE, first as a high school business and computer science teacher, then as a state program director and local system administrator. Improving and increasing opportunities for workforce education and preparation is her life's passion; she served as the national president of the Association for Career and Technical Education and continues to advocate for CTE on a state, regional, and national level. In 2023, Sarah was named Equity Champion (CTE) by the Colorado Association for Career & Technical Administrators, a branch of the Colorado Association for Career and Technical Education. A proud "Triple Dawg," Sarah has a bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree from the University of Georgia. For the resources for local, state and national leaders Dr. Heath references on this episode, check out Advance CTE's Learning That Works Resource Center. Learn more about Colorado's CTE strategic plan, and the national CTE Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education. Connect with Dr. Sarah Heath on LinkedIn, and on Twitter (X) check out @Sarahheathcte, @GoCCCS and @CTEWorks.

Superintendents set the stage for how values and vision drive district culture, making them key players in educator recruitment. To explore the superintendent's role in educator recruitment and retention, we asked AASA's 2023 National Superintendent of the Year® and leader of the No. 1 ranked district for "best places to teach" and "best teachers" in the Rochester, NY area what's made his district so successful in attracting – and keeping – educators. Dr. Kevin McGowan has been the Superintendent of the Brighton Central School District since 2009, is the President of the New York State Council of School Superintendents, and Past President of the Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation (LEAF). For more information on the topics Dr. McGowan references on this episode, check out Diversity and Equity at Brighton, and the district's human resources page. Connect with Dr. Kevin McGowan on LinkedIn, and on Twitter (X) check out @KCMcgowan. Brighton Central School District is on Facebook and Twitter (X) at @BrightonBelieve.

Tyler Vawser brings his personal experience in recruiting, onboarding, and culture as Apptegy/SchoolCEO's former VP of People to a conversation about SchoolCEO's extensive research on educator retention and recruitment. Today, Tyler is VP of Marketing and leads Apptegy's Marketing & Media teams, which offer a number of resources to school leaders including guides to school marketing and SchoolCEO, a suite of resources including a quarterly print magazine, conferences, and a podcast, SchoolCEO Conversations. Connect with Tyler Vawser and SchoolCEO on LinkedIn, and on Twitter (X) check out @Tvaw and @school_ceo. SchoolCEO data referenced in this episode can be found here: 2023 Research on What Teachers Want, Teacher recruitment starts with strong job descriptions, 2019 What Do Millennial Teachers Want, andMarketing Your Schools' Employer Brand podcast.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) expert and K-12 communications director Rebecca Bultsma joins Molly at Rhodes Branding to demystify AI in education, share practical tactics, and discuss ethical implementation of the resource in modern educational settings. Follow Rebecca on LinkedIn and Twitter for more daily AI applications and insights.

In our second podcast featuring the Educator Perceptions and Insights Center (EPIC), we sit down with Dr. Luke Simmering, Owner and Director of Research. Luke is an experienced Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with over 15 years of experience leading talent assessment and development objectives for global organizations across multiple industries. Tune in to learn more about how Luke and EPIC use data to uncover employee priorities for individual school districts, and interpret these drivers into actionable strategies for K-12 leaders to improve educator retention.

American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) Executive Director Dr. Dale Fisher joined Molly McGowan Gorsuch to talk about this year's AASPA conference in Anaheim and current hot topics related to K-12 human resources, recruitment, and retention. An active AASPA member since 2012, Dr. Fisher is currently the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources at Deerfield Public Schools District 109.

Check out the latest episode of Productive Disruption! We sit down with Dr. Bret Church the Owner and Managing Director of the Educator Perceptions and Insights Center (EPIC) and an Associate Professor of School Leadership at Emporia State University. Bret is joining me today to discuss how he and his business partner, Dr. Luke Simmering, are bringing the industry-standard practice of using data to drive retention strategies to the K-12 sector – and why it's more important than ever before!

Check out the latest episode of Productive Disruption! We sit down with Dr. Don Killingbeck to talk about his innovative work as the Superintendent of the Hemlock Public School District. With his extensive background, including a doctorate in Educational Leadership & Administration and advanced degrees in Educational Technology and Instructional Design, Dr. Killingbeck is a passionate advocate for leveraging #EdTech to enhance crucial aspects of school leadership. Get ready to delve into the remarkable journey and insights of Dr. Killingbeck in this compelling episode.

For our first podcast of 2023, we dove into the world of higher education to learn how two university leaders are developing innovative strategies for engaging with prospective families during the admissions process. Bucknell University's Lisa Keegan and Heather Johns joined the podcast to discuss the different touchpoints throughout Bucknell's admissions process and some of the tools, tactics, and first-hand generational research they utilize to ensure every interaction is meaningful and on-brand. Lisa is the Vice President for Enrollment Management, and Heather is the Vice President for Communications at Bucknell. You can hear more from Lisa and Heather on the College Admissions Insider podcast.

Welcome back to another episode of Productive Disruption! This week, we are joined by Larry Jacobs, the Founder and President of The American Consortium for Equity in Education (ACE-ED). According to the company's website, ACE-ED is the only multimedia platform and educational organization focusing exclusively on equity and access for every learner. Additionally, Larry is the host of Ed Talk Radio.

This week, we are joined by Rebecca Rolland, author of "The Art of Talking With Children." In her latest book, she explores different techniques and methods to help parents and teachers build better relationships with their children. In addition to being an author, Rebecca is a speech pathologist and Harvard lecturer. Connect with Rebecca: https://rebeccarolland.com/ Connect with Gabby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriella-dionisio-8a6571111/ Connect with Rhodes Branding: https://www.rhodesbranding.com/

Welcome to a new episode of Productive Disruption! In this episode, Molly McGowan Gorsuch, APR sat down with Mark Sherwood, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at Cincinnati Public Schools. Topics covered in this episode: The day-to-day role of a Chief Communications and Marketing Officer The importance of a marketing team in K12 education Corporate marketing practices that schools can incorporate and learn from Why branding in schools matters The challenges associated with marketing in schools Connect with Mark Sherwood: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marksherwood/ Connect with Molly McGowan Gorsuch, APR: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollymcgowangorsuch/

Welcome back to another episode of Productive Disruption! In this episode, Gabby Dionisio, Copywriter at Rhodes Branding, sits down with Shakaka Perry, a Re-Engagement Coordinator for Communities in Schools of Charlotte Mecklenburg. In this conversation, they discuss how crucial Shakaka's role is for her assigned school, what it takes to build strong relationships with students, and how COVID has impacted absenteeism.

Marie Russel is the Director of Communications, Family Engagement & Outreach & Turlock Unified School District in California, and was named the 2021-2022 Communicator of the Year by CalSPRA - the California state chapter of the National School Public Relations Association. Trinette Marquis is the Executive Director of CalSPRA, and serves as an instructor for the CalSPRA Academy courses. Marie and Trinette join host Molly McGowan Gorsuch to talk about the September "attendance awareness” campaign in Turlock USD that Marie developed – using the strategy she learned from Trinette through a CalSPRA course. Connect with Molly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollymcgowangorsuch?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAAv-_PIB31LlaRKdyTt-1_VW7rzB1YJ9dXo&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_search_srp_all%3BP511Pt60TjyXza7tqzmiIw%3D%3D Connect with Marie: https://twitter.com/fmarierussell?s=20&t=bsNrsp7V0OaMWWO2u-CMwQ Connect with Trinette: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trinettemarquis/

This week, we are joined by Brian White. Brian is the President of the American Association of School Personnel & Executive Director of HR & Operations for Auburn-Washburn USA 437. As our team heads to the AASPA conference next week, we're talking about all things recruitment, retention, and HR best practices. Connect with Dan Wyar & Brian White Learn more about Rhodes Branding

Molly McGowan Gorsuch, Director of Client Engagement at Rhodes Branding, sat down with Dr. Dan Domenech, Executive Director of the American Association of School Administrators. Dan spent 27 of his 36 years in public education as a superintendent. He also served on the U.S. Department of Education's National Assessment Governing Board, the advisory board for the Department of Defense schools, the board of directors for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the Education Policy Institute, and several other national and international education organizations. Connect with Molly Connect with Dan

Dan Wyar, VP of Operations at Rhodes Branding, sat down with Mike Smith of The Bay to talk about his initiatives and programs to empower teens in his area. Watch the full interview on YouTube Read our blog Follow us on Instagram

Brett Roer currently serves as Outlier.org's High School Strategic Partnerships Lead after 16 years of empowering high school students in Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx. His mission has been to equip high school students with the foundational academic skills needed to graduate from their best-fit colleges and feel both academically and financially supported along the way. Outlier.org works with high schools to build best-in-class, online dual-enrollment programs for students. Starting their junior year in high school, students with Outlier.org certificates can build a track record of academic success, explore new subjects, and earn transferable college credits from the University of Pittsburgh, a top 60 nationally ranked school. Outlier courses are developed in partnership with instructors from schools like Yale, Harvard, and MIT, and at a cost of only $400 per course, we're on a mission to expand access to high-quality education and reduce student debt. Connect with Gabby Dionisio from Rhodes Branding.

Batsheva Fankel is a former teacher and administrator turned podcast host, educational consultant, author, and entrepreneur. She received her bachelor's degree from NYU and her Masters of Arts in Teaching from The American Jewish University. Currently, she is the host of Overthrowing Education, an edgy yet entertaining show that addresses the revolutionary changes that are happening to create more meaningful education. Batsheva is the author of The Jewish Educator's Companion and creator of The Lenses of Questioning kit. To connect with Batsheva on LinkedIn, click here. To view her website, click here. To connect with Gabby on LinkedIn, click here.

For more than 10 years, the Trane Technologies BTU Crew initiative has brought STEM learning to life in classrooms across the U.S. The initiative teaches students the concepts of energy efficiency and sustainability using their own school building as an educational tool. Designed for easy integration into current science programs, it helps students grow analytical skills with hands-on learning through interactive digital tools, empowering them with new skills and teaching them to become stewards of energy conservation in their communities. Trane's Educator in Residence, Dan Whisler, spent more than 30 years in the classroom as a science teacher and now leads the BTU Crew initiative. He joined Productive Disruption to talk about the project and the growth in STEM programs nationwide.

Van Robotics develops social robots that teach skills-based lessons while collecting data about individual users and leveraging machine learning techniques to develop smart, social robot tutors. Their robots offer a plug-and-play, widely accessible solution for schools, after-school programs, and parents with students struggling in core subjects. Van Robotics CEO Laura Boccanfuso joined Productive Disruption to chat about the ABii robot and how her company is helping students make impressive gains in the classroom.

Daisy Christodoulou is the Director of Education at No More Marking. In 2019 she was recognized in the New Year's Honors List with the Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to education. Daisy has also authored three books: Teachers vs Tech?: The case for an ed tech revolution, Making Good Progress? The future of Assessment for Learning, and Seven Myths about Education. Daisy joined Rhodes Branding's Productive Disruption to talk about worldwide trends in education and her work at No More Marking around comparative judgment.

For more than 30 years, the Center for Educational Innovation has been a recognized leader in advancing meaningful reforms in public education. For traditional and charter public schools seeking a comprehensive level of support, CEI helps schools transform into high-performing educational institutions with vibrant and engaging learning environments capable of advancing learning for all students. CEI's Director of Strategic Partnerships, Tom Davis, joined Productive Disruption to talk about the current state of public education in the U.S. and his work at CEI.

Since 2009, Ball State University's immersive learning production, Ball State Sports Link, has emerged as a national leader in sports media and production. Graduates can be found at ESPN, Turner Sports, every professional sports league, and many NCAA Athletics Departments across the country. BSU's Sports Production major was the first four-year academic track in the nation and was spearheaded by Chris Taylor. Chris joined Productive Disruption to talk about the program's history and how its manic focus on creative storytelling has led to student-produced Emmy-award-winning content.

The mission of the Call Me MISTER® (an acronym for Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) initiative is to increase the pool of available K-12 teachers from a broader more diverse background. Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Roy Jones, and Site Coordinator, Mark Joseph, joined Productive Disruption to chat about the program's origins and provide their thoughts on the national teacher shortage.

If you've ever Googled a school, you've likely come across their Niche profile page. With more than 27 million users last year, the Niche platform helps its users discover the schools, companies, and neighborhoods that are right for them. Niche analyzes dozens of public data sets and millions of reviews to produce comprehensive rankings, report cards, and profiles for every K-12 school in the United States. Niche's Senior Enrollment Insights Leader for K-12, Angela Brown, joined Productive Disruption to talk about the platform and the state of enrollment and recruitment in the K-12 landscape.

Rhodes Branding is launching a podcast in December 2021 called Productive Disruption! The podcast will spotlight bold and innovative ideas in K-12 education. Episodes will be posted once per month starting in December. Full episodes will be posted wherever you listen to podcasts, as well as the Rhodes Branding YouTube channel. Subscribe and share!