Charter School Superstars

Latest Episodes:

Ep 36: Crafting college readiness with the Dell Foundation’s Oscar Sweeten-Lopez Jul 10, 2019

Show notes

This week, Ryan sits down with Oscar Sweeten-Lopez, President of College Success Tools for the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. In today’s interview, Oscar informs us about the Dell Scholars Program, a foundation and student resource network that helps low-income students get into, and eventually graduate from, college. Oscar also gives us some insight on preparing students for college and future endeavors. You can find out more about his work by visiting www.dellscholars.org and www.gradsnapp.com.
Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)
Producer: Ross Ulysse

Ep 35: Growing the natural leadership capacity of every child with Bob Bourgault of Almond Acres Charter Academy Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

This week, Ryan interviews guest Bob Bourgault, Executive Director of the Almond Acres Charter Academy in San Miguel, California. In today’s interview, Bob speaks to us about his overall philosophy on education. Bob also talks about strategies on growing the natural leadership skills in every child to cultivate a broader swath of leaders. You can find out more about his work by visiting www.bobbourgault.com and almondacres.com
Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)
Producer: Ross Ulysse

Ep 34: Restorative justice in the K-12 environment with Sue Jamback of RestorativeUS Jun 26, 2019

Show notes

This week, Ryan interviews guest Sue Jamback , Executive Director of RestorativeUS. In today’s interview, Sue talks to us about the idea of restorative justice, a movement that advocates restitution and repair over punishment when managing behaviors. Sue also talks about this approach in a K-12 environment, detailing various methods, procedures, and resources available to educators and families. Her book The Restorative Playbook is available now on Amazon, and you can find out more about her organization by visiting www.restorativeus.com
Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

Ep 33: Diversity and integration in school settings with Sonia Park of the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition Jun 19, 2019

Show notes

This week, Ryan sits down with Sonia Park, Executive Director of the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition. In today’s interview, Sonia informs us about the DCSC, an organization that supports charter schools that embody diversity across race, socioeconomic status, language, and abilities. Sonia also talks about her strategies for and the educational benefits of racially-diverse schools and classrooms and reflects on how her work has effectively evolved over time. You can find out more about her work by visiting www.diversecharters.org
Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

Ep 32: Developing school leaders with Dr. Jennifer Reiter-Cook of the California Charter Schools Association Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

This week, Ryan talks to Jennifer Reiter-Cook, Director of Southern California School Development for the California Charter Schools Association. In her work for the CCSA, Dr. Reiter-Cook has developed initiatives designed to cultivate the next generation of California charter school leaders. In our interview, our guest reflects on her work and discusses her process for empowering educators and advocates to become charter founders. She also discusses the importance of community engagement in getting effective charter schools off the ground. Find out more about her work by visiting www.ccsa.org.
Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

Ep 31: The promise of project-based learning with Heather Buskirk of K12. Jun 05, 2019

Show notes

This week, Ryan sits down with Heather Buskirk of K12. Heather is a National Board Certified Teacher and an expert in project-based learning. Heather talks about the model and discusses why it is beneficial for students (and teachers!). She also shares how project-based learning can work in the online environment and across an entire school's curriculum plan.
Click here for Heather's recent article in Real Clear Education about project-based learning: https://bit.ly/2IICndw.
Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

Ep 30: Successful school turnarounds with Raymond Ankrum of Riverhead Charter School May 29, 2019

Show notes

This week, Ryan sits down with education reform activist and Riverhead Charter School Superintendent Raymond Ankrum. Raymond shares the story of this high-performing charter school, and how his team was able to move Riverhead's proficiency scores from the teens to the high eighties in just a few years. When Raymond is not running Riverhead's inspiring program, he is the co-host of the education podcast 8 Black Hands, We talk to our guest about his show and why he enjoys sharing his insight on the podcasting medium. You can watch Raymond and his 8 Black Hands co-hosts recording their show at the National Charter School Conference, June 30-July 3 in Las Vegas. Find out more and register by visiting ncsc.publiccharters.org.
Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

Ep 29: Educating students for 21st century careers with Tony Morales of N2Growth May 22, 2019

Show notes

This week, Ryan sits down with entrepreneur and charter school graduate Tony Morales. Tony is a managing director at N2Growth, a prestigious multinational executive search firm. Our guest is also actively involved with a number of education-focused nonprofit organizations. Ryan talks to Tony about his charter school experience and how it helped bring him to where he is in life today. Tony also provides insight on what schools should be doing to prepare students for the tech-focused careers of the 21st century.
Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

Ep 28: Empowering the Black community with school choice: Rev. Dr. Jacquie Hood Martin May 15, 2019

Show notes

This week, Ryan talks to Reverend Dr. Jacquie Hood Martin. Dr. Martin is a minister, education advocate, author, and a co-organizer of the "Is School Choice the Black Choice" nationwide town hall events. Ryan talks to our guest about her education advocacy, her town halls, and the ways that school choice and charter education have served to empower the Black community as a whole (and not just students). Find out more about her work by visiting www.jacquiehood.com.
Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

Ep 27: Bridging the charter school facilities gap with the National Alliance's Mark Medema May 08, 2019

Show notes

This week, Ryan sits down with Mark Medema, the Managing Director of the Charter School Facility Center for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Ryan talks to Mark about strategies for charter schools to overcome the "facilities gap" that makes it more difficult for charters to procure suitable facilities relative to their traditional public school counterparts. Mark also discusses some welcome policy developments throughout the country that have helped address this gap. Mark will be presenting a session about facilities at the National Charter Schools Conference in Las Vegas from June 30th to July 3rd. Find out more and sign up by visiting ncsc.publiccharters.org.
Host: Ryan Kairalla (@ryankair)

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