Featured Interviews
Gaia Bernstein
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Gaia Bernstein is a Seton Hall law professor and the author of the award-winning book Unwired: Gaining Control Over Addictive Technologies. Gaia studies how Big Tech is transforming our present and future and advocates for the regulation of technology so that we can remain masters of our own lives.
Dr. Erick Messias
Dr. Messias has over 45 publications in scientific journals, and has published several book chapters. He also launched and was editor-in-chief of the medical literary journal Medicine and Meaning. He is currently the chair of psychiatry at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
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Pam Pritzker-Ridley
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Pam Pritzker-Ridley
is a principal and ASL interpreter who also happens to be Amber Chandler's former student. Pam is an advocate amd champion of the D/deaf and hard of hearing. She is an educational leader with expertise in currciulum.
Kim Meadows
Kim Meadows is the Director of Training for National
Association of Workforce
Development. Kim's experience as a Project Manager and Rapid Response Coordinator, as well as an adjunct GED and ESL instructor has provided a unique view that values the lived experience of students. Kim emphasizes exposure to and exploration of options for students.
Alfie Kohn
Alfie Kohn is an American author and lecturer in the areas of education, parenting, and human behavior. He is a proponent of progressive education and has offered critiques of many traditional aspects of parenting, managing, and American society more generally, drawing in each case from social science research.
Christopher Penn
Christopher S. Penn is a world-class keynote speaker. As the Chief Data Scientist at Trust Insights and co-host of the award-winning Marketing Over Coffee podcast, Christopher combines a deep understanding of AI with a dynamic presentation style that leaves audiences inspired and empowered.
Melinda Person
Melinda Person is the President of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), representing more than 700,000 people.
Under her leadership, NYSUT has delivered some of the most significant victories for public education in decades — from significant Fix Tier 6 pension reforms to restoring APPR to local control. She championed the statewide push for phone-free schools to protect instructional time and student mental health.
Mary Cathryn Ricker
Mary Cathryn Ricker is the Executive Director, Albert Shanker Institute. She is a National Board Certified middle school ELA teacher who has served as Minnesota’s Commissioner of Education, as Executive vice-president of the American Federation of Teachers, and as president of the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers, Local 28. Her years as a teacher give her a broad perspective on educational issues.
Dave Schmittou
Dave Schmittou was the 2018 College Educator of the Year and the 2014 Michigan Administrator of the Year. Dave Schmittou is a former professor of Educational Leadership at Central Michigan University, elementary school principal, middle school principal, assistant principal, coach, and teacher.Dave is a proud father of four children, resident beach bum/educational pirate, speaker, and author.
Larry Ferlazzo
Larry Ferlazzo is a former award-winning high school English and social studies teacher of more than two decades. He is currently a volunteer tutor to English-learner newcomers at a local school and to youth in juvenile hall. He is the author or editor of 13 books, including The ELL Teacher’s Toolbox, The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide, and The Student Motivation Handbook.
​Tyler Thigpen
Tyler specializes in helping school founders and leaders bring visionary ideas to life. From launching new schools to redesigning existing ones, Tyler’s guidance is informed by the full spectrum of educational transformation. Whether you’re building a microschool, a public charter, or a private school, Tyler helps you solve challenges and equips you to thrive for years to come.
Rick Wormeli
Rick Wormeli writes professional articles and education books while training teachers, principals, superintendents, business organizations, school boards, and parents in North America and around the world. He has achieved many honors in his career, including being in the first group of Nationally Board Certified Teachers in the United States.
Tom Vander Ark
Tom Vander Ark is an advocate for innovations in learning. As Senior Advisor of Getting Smart, he advises schools, districts, networks, foundations and learning organizations on the path forward. A prolific writer and speaker, Tom is author of Getting Smart, Smart Cities That Work for Everyone, Smart Parents, Better Together, The Power of Place and Difference Making at the Heart of Learning. He has published thousands of articles and papers through GettingSmart.com and LinkedIn.
Rebecca Winthrop
Rebecca Winthrop studies how parents and educators can collaborate to help children flourish. She is a leading global authority on education, the director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.
She conducts studies on how to better support children’s learning so that they can thrive in life, work, and as constructive, connected citizens.
