Advertise on podcast: Learning Counsel Report Podcast

What happens when the invisible work built into the structure of schooling becomes so great that its consequences eventually show up in learners? In this episode of The Learning Counsel Report, LeiLani Cauthen talks with Sherri Wilson, Ed.D., principal of William Dandy Middle School in Broward County Public Schools, whose career has moved between classroom, school and district leadership, including service as Director of Innovative Learning. That macro-to-micro perspective gives Sherri Wilson an unusually clear view of the distance between what institutions decide and what educators must actually do to make those decisions work. The conversation begins with the mounting "work around the work": the materials, digital systems, adaptations, instructional assembly and implementation labor surrounding teaching itself. Sherri Wilson describes digital fatigue, the need to streamline resources for effectiveness and a persistent gap between policy and daily practice. She also makes the case that leaders cannot merely hand teachers another strategy and expect it to scale. Leaders have to remove the barriers that keep the intended work from actually happening. Then the conversation reaches the consequence. Sherri Wilson describes what her school calls an "academic ER", an intensive response in which student data drives modified scheduling and more targeted instructional groupings. She argues more broadly for decentralizing the traditional master schedule so resources and practitioners can move more responsively to learner needs. The larger question is uncomfortable: Are schools continually asking exceptional people to compensate for structures that create too much work in the first place, perhaps by buying curriculum that doesn't try to reduce workload? AI creates an opportunity to rethink that equation, not merely by helping educators do more, but by removing unnecessary work and giving more human capacity back to the actual work of teaching and learning.

With the release of Supergirl creating a flashpoint in pop culture, this episode explores how Warner Bros. Discovery, DC, and Discovery Education are turning superhero storytelling into powerful learning experiences for students. LeiLani Cauthen speaks with Euan Lampitt, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Warner Bros. Discovery, about the impact of the DC Superpowered Storytellers initiative and the partnership with Discovery Education. Together, the organizations have reached students through more than 3,200 schools and youth organizations, helping make creative, career-connected learning accessible to all. Euan shares how iconic superhero characters help students build creativity, confidence, and a sense of purpose while connecting classroom learning to real-world career pathways. The conversation highlights Discovery Education's role in developing rigorous, standards-aligned English Language Arts (ELA) and cross-curricular curriculum that uses storytelling to strengthen literacy, communication, critical thinking, and social-emotional learning skills. From classroom-ready lessons and virtual field trips to hands-on studio experiences and afterschool activities, discover how culturally relevant content can boost engagement, inspire student voice, and help young people see themselves not just as consumers of stories—but as storytellers, creators, and future innovators.

Hear from guest Molly Hebert Loyd, CEO of Concentric Education Solutions about how her organization is leading the charge to solve an intractable problem in schools, chronic absenteeism, with a human solution.

This podcast episode focused on the importance of coherence in classrooms and the integration of AI tools in education, featuring Sari Factor, Vice Chair and Chief Strategy Officer of Imagine Learning, and Jason Fournier, Senior Vice President of Product Design and AI. The discussion explored how curriculum-informed AI can support teachers by providing targeted resources and feedback while maintaining educational coherence, rather than relying on generic LLMs.

This podcast episode focused on the importance of coherence in classrooms and the integration of AI tools in education, featuring Sari Factor, Vice Chair and Chief Strategy Officer of Imagine Learning, and Jason Fournier, Senior Vice President of Product Design and AI. The discussion explored how curriculum-informed AI can support teachers by providing targeted resources and feedback while maintaining educational coherence, rather than relying on generic LLMs.

Listen in as LeiLani and Shaka Mitchell, Nashville-based lawyer, facilitator and national leader in education reform policy discuss the school choice expansion and the many different roles that AI is playing in the expansion.

Schools must be in sync with Millennial parents and their Alpha Generation children with mobile communications that drive a sense of community spirit while increasing student recruitment and retention.  The landscape of schooling has scattered into a multitude of options, especially with 29 States and Washington D.C. having at least one type of school choice program that includes vouchers.  Find out how the right tech reduces everyone's frustration and establishes a digital home, so your school is the choice made.

AI is advancing rapidly, but not all applications lead to better learning. There's a big difference between flashy, generative AI and the kind of AI that fuels real learning, especially in math. In this episode, Dan Tracy of MIND Education unpacks how thoughtfully designed, neuroscience-based programs can use AI to enhance, not replace, great instruction. Learn why effective AI in math education isn't about automation, it's about understanding how students learn. Learning becomes personal when students are actively thinking, visualizing, and problem-solving and that's what great design, not automation, delivers. Listen in as Dan shares how MIND leverages AI to analyze patterns in student thinking and iteratively improve instruction, creating a natural environment for learning. Built on decades of neuroscience and real classroom data, MIND Education can uniquely speak to how thoughtful, neuroscience-informed, visually grounded design drives real outcomes in math.

With an epic teacher shortage, schools are turning to tutoring to solve for the 40% mixed ability teaching currently burdening teachers. What are the logistics of adding tutoring, how does it work? What subjects can be covered? Are tutors qualified and how does feedback work? Listen in as LeiLani and Connie Warren, M.Ed. , Senior Marketing Manager, BookNook discuss this important topic as schools prepare for even more losses of teachers going into the 2025-26 school year. High-impact tutoring has the potential to solve major problems schools have with both staffing and driving achievement for all learners.

In this episode, we welcome Dan Tracy, a leading expert in mathematics education at MIND Education. Dan shares his insights on one of the biggest challenges in achieving high-quality math instruction: shifting from a procedural approach to conceptual understanding that fosters deep mathematical thinking.  Dan and LeiLani, explore how to create  a math class full of discussion, experimentation, and trial and error, with teachers facilitating learning and challenging students with thought provoking questions. Whether you're working with individual students, leading professional development, or shaping district-wide initiatives, these 7 keys will provide a clear roadmap for positive change, and selecting a high-quality math curriculum.

Discussion with Beatriz Arnillas, Executive Director, 1EdTech Foundation With at least seven thousand educational software publishers in America, including libraries of discrete digital objects, systems, courseware, and various single-function apps, there is a lot to consider in terms of how it could all work together. Meet Beatriz Arnillas, a life-long educator who concerns herself with the future of infrastructure at the 1EdTech Foundation. 1EdTech and it's Foundation advocates for edtech interoperability, and the building of an open, trusted, and innovative ecosystem that makes edtech use better for everyone.  Listen in as Beatriz and LeiLani discuss what is meant by an efficient ecosystem and other topics such as the changing landscape of skill students need as AI comes into play.

Math scores are down, and kids are still struggling at pre-pandemic levels, according to NAEP. District leaders need a solution now. In this episode, we tackle this issue head-on. Join us as we dive deep into practical actionable strategies you can implement immediately to address these challenges. We speak with Brandon Smith, a leading math expert on Neuroscience learning at MIND Education, about how to pinpoint specific learning gaps using readily available data, design targeted interventions, and monitor student progress effectively. This isn't just theoretical - we discuss real-world examples of how data-driven instruction has led to significant improvements in math achievement. If you're a district leader, principal, curriculum director, or math coach concerned about student math performance, this episode is a must-listen. We provide concrete steps you can take today to start closing the math gaps and get students back on track.

What does research show is really happening with declining student learning? Brian Shaw, CEO of Discovery Education, joins LeiLani to discuss what he's been seeing and what it has meant to drive new software development. For one thing, Brian talks about what parents want for their learners today is different than it used to be. Listen in to meet Brian and hear what is going down in charting new directions to create the opportunities for K12 learners, both helpful for learners and desired by parents, that K12 educators should know about.

Join LeiLani as she discusses an oft-overlooked arena of classroom modernization – instructional audio. If you've ever been that learner at the back of the room with a teacher or presenter you can hardly hear, or who continues speaking while they are turned towards a presentation so their voice is now muffled, you can get an idea of the importance of this discussion. Tony Zeikle, Sr. VP of Revenue at Lightspeed Technologies joins LeiLani in talking about this tech area and repercussions to learning, to teachers' vocal cords, and the quality of the experience when listening is fully engaged. He makes many comments about how it elevates the human side of teaching and learning. Don't miss the part about instant security and safety alerts because the teacher is wearing this technology and can respond with lightning quickness in times of need in classrooms.

As we prepare students for the challenges of tomorrow, math education must evolve to meet their needs. In this podcast, we'll explore the shifting role of math in our world and discuss how innovative approaches like game-based and visual learning are shaping the future of math education. Discover how neuroscience informs these innovations and engage students, foster critical thinking, and build deep mathematical understanding. Whether you're looking to improve math outcomes or bring fresh strategies into your district, this conversation will offer valuable insights into selecting the right tools and approaches to ensure your students are ready for tomorrow's world.