May 19, 2025 • 25 mins
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Ever wondered why the business world keeps lamenting graduates' lack of "soft skills"? The answer might lie in how disconnected our educational practices have become from the real-world demands facing our students.
Scott Oste, Curriculum Supervisor at Northampton Area School District, brings a refreshing perspective to this challenge. Having left teaching to work in corporate America before returning to education, Oste has crafted an approach that intentionally breaks down the walls between classrooms and industry. "Do we truly know what's expected of kids? Do we truly know what colleges even want of kids?" These questions drive his work creating meaningful partnerships with businesses across manufacturing, healthcare, biomedical fields, and beyond.
What makes Northampton's approach powerful is how they've aligned these partnerships with their district's "Profile of a Graduate" framework. Rather than treating industry connections as an add-on, they've integrated them into their core educational mission. The result? Teachers have better buy-in, students gain exposure to careers they never knew existed, and the district stays responsive to rapidly changing workforce needs.
Whether you're a classroom teacher seeking to make learning more relevant, an administrator looking to build community partnerships, or someone passionate about preparing students for an unpredictable future, this conversation offers practical insights for breaking out of educational silos and embracing a more connected approach to learning.
Want to learn more about ChangED? Check out our website at: learn.mciu.org/changed
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
pronounce your last name for me host host like toast
okay.
Oh, it's got oasty toasty okayyeah, oasty toasty, go ahead go
ahead I dare you go ahead.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
All right, we're good ready yeah all right back up if
you're gonna yell it.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Welcome back to Change Ed.
Changed Change Ed, the numberone.
Oh, excuse me, I'm so sorry.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
I've seen a podcast or two.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
It's not your first rodeo.
Nope, we are the number onerated educational podcast in the
entire Keystone StateCommonwealth.
It's a common, but it's alsocalled the Keystone State
Commonwealth.
It's a Commonwealth.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
But it's also called the Keystone State, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Keystone State, Commonwealth Pennsylvania.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Isn't that what's on your license plates?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
See, I know some things.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Change that I am your host.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Andrew Kuhn, education consultant from
Montgomery County IntermediateUnit, and here with me is
Patrice Semicek, the montgomerycounty intermediate unit and
still an educational consultant,hasn't changed yet and
everyone's favorite sdf tonymarbito.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Cliu 21 carbon lehigh intermediate unit sdf sdf.
You already said it, so I doyeah, today's guest.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
do we ever really need to clarify that, Like once
in a while?
Maybe like SDF could sound?
Speaker 4 (01:25):
What is SDF Staff Facility?
Oh boy, now even I forgot StaffDevelopment Facilitator.
Okay, I forgot my own title.
No one calls me that.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
No one calls any of us any of this.
I don't have business cardsanymore.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Education Consultant I call myself something else,
that's fine.
You call yourself somethingelse else that's fine you call
yourself something else like astem integration person.
That's fancy.
Specialist sounds way better.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Then you should put just did you just change your
email, so that signature is.
That's what it is now I shouldget on that.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Yeah, just change, it sounds better, I like that our
guest definitely agrees yeah, weclearly have four hosts, uh
andrew is out, I don't thishappens all the time, yet
somehow he weasels his way backin.
Our guest is also a listener ofthe show.
Send me an email.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
There are only one.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yes, thank you for the one lesson.
I'm the guy.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
He's friends with my mom, that's how he got connected
to the show.
Well, your mom stoppedlistening a while ago.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Yeah, but she Facebook blasted it.
So the your mom stoppedlistening a while ago.
Yeah, actually, but sheFacebook blasted it.
So, um, the fan of the show, he, he sent me an email.
Let me know that whenever hehas to do the most awful chores
at his house, that's when helistens.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Wow, that is a solid recommendation.
I'm cleaning toilets, I'mlistening to you.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I mean, you're not lying, yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
I got to dig through the trash for my kid's retainer.
Feels good, put on someChangeEd.
Put on some ChangeEd.
We're there in your worst times.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
At least we're being listened to.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Yeah, so we would like to welcome Scott Ost.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Scott, would you mind introducing yourself to the
ChangeEd Nation please?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Sure, my name is Scott Ost.
I am a curriculum supervisor atNorthampton Area School
District, which also involveslots of other duties as assigned
.
So although I do curriculum,there's lots of other things I
do too, but it's all good.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Now, do you have a floating title, just like Tony?
I mean, do you make things upas on the go?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Okay, yeah, I make it up as we go.
I mean, last week I was aguidance counselor, this week
I'm a STEM specialist, today I'man Uber driver.
I'm driving people around, okay, so TBD.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Yeah, to be determined.
Okay, all right.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Duties as assigned.
Yes, yeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
We know from our conversation interaction that
you've done a lot of work inreally the STEALS realm and
preparing and working withteachers to get them ready, and
what does that look like for youspecifically at the district
level and maybe what are some ofthe highlights that you've had
from that and even somechallenges that you've kind of
(03:54):
encountered that maybe didn'texpect?
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Yeah, it's encompassed a whole host of
things.
Right, you can think of STEMand STEELS as very integrated in
nature.
That's the approach we've takenin our district.
A lot of things have cometogether as of late, kind of
right at the perfect time.
We have a brand new profile ofa graduate that has core
competencies and skills that wehope every student in
Northampton leaves with.
So we've anchored everythingaround that and so Steeles
(04:19):
occurred right around that aswell, and so we've been using
those competencies and skills tomatch up to steals and so
teachers have better buy-in thatway because they see the
connections.
We also have a lot of anchoringaround developing some business
partnerships in the local area.
We've done a lot of networkingwith both local and regional
(04:40):
businesses in any industry youknow, from manufacturing to
healthcare to.
We have connections at theairport and we work in the
biomedical fields.
Down to the other day I was.
I was looking at Google mapsand there's a, there's a spot 10
minutes away from us and theymanufacture scents like what you
smell, candles and for likedifferent things that you use.
(05:01):
So like all those connectionshave kind of come to us right at
the same time and a combinationof those network connections or
those business connections andsteals and our profile of a
graduate have really helped us,launch us into a different
universe.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Nice, I want to lean into this because I really like
where you're going with this.
My question is about yourjourney and from your
perspective, were you preparedand then those things came
together?
Or were you like, let's launchinto this and see what comes?
And you just had an open mind,kind of as a district, and
you're like, oh great, let's,yeah, let's try this, let's try
(05:36):
this.
So which came first, the cartor the horse?
Speaker 2 (05:40):
My journey started as a teacher in science, middle
school teacher, and then Iactually I quit teaching for a
period of time in my career Tolisten, to Change it, of course,
yes.
Well, I had the idea before youdid actually, I just didn't put
it in action.
But I left teaching, went intobusiness for three years and did
some stuff in corporate Americayour typical like big company
(06:02):
sales job.
I was actually one of theseguys out here for a period of
time, so I used to go to thevendor shows and travel around
two states and so I got a senseof how the outside world works
with schools right and and howthey partner together.
And then, you know, myheartstrings were pulling hard
enough and I have a familyhistory of education and there's
(06:26):
a lot of educators in my familyand ultimately it pulled me
back into the classroom.
But what I did leave thatexperience with was a brand new
appreciation for how we reallyhave to break down walls in our
spaces and open ourselves up tothe outside world, because at
the end of the day, our kidsleave our education system and
they go out into the world.
(06:46):
Do we truly know what thoseskills are?
Do we truly know what'sexpected of kids?
Do we truly know what collegeseven want of kids?
And so my journey has taught methat you've got to really.
You got to really buildpartnerships with everyone
around you.
And it goes back to that oldadage, right, it takes a village
to raise a child.
It's totally true.
(07:07):
I mean, without thepartnerships that we have at
other local districts, but alsoin business and in industry,
even nonprofit organizations andorganizations that volunteer, a
lot of volunteer work that goesinto it.
They all contribute to thismadness that we have, and
Steeles has skyrocketed that toa certain degree.
You know it's.
It's, allowed me to say well,because of the new standards, I
(07:30):
now have to look forenvironmental partnerships as
part of the environmentalliteracy standards.
To answer your question, andrew, I mean it, it.
My journey taught me that thatis essential.
It's essential.
Our district didn't you knowthis didn't just happen for for
pure luck.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
You were intentional.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
And we were very intentional with how we do
things and and I want otherdistricts to to learn and grow
too.
I don't think I have all theanswers I want.
I want them to see the value inbreaking down those walls.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
What I'm hearing you say is that you're also modeling
what we would hope for from ourteachers and and then, in turn,
they can model what we wouldhope for for our students as
well.
So you're you're modeling thisshift in in mindset and how
we're going to actually approachscience and how we're going to
do these things.
You know what's interesting forme?
What stood out when you weresaying that is that and you said
(08:21):
it much more eloquently than Ican, and you can't have a job on
this podcast, but uh- it'sreally well-paying.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
So, yeah, I bet it is .
Yeah, yeah, people listen to usat their worst times.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
It's really so amazing I can tell by the room
that you're in.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, um we at least have a door Enjoy a
mint that we the one mint weneed to say the other one for
the next guest.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
So I'm speaking from experience.
We, as educators, think we knowwhat's next.
We think we know.
I was a middle school teacherand I was like I am preparing
you for high school.
Yeah, that's what I told mystudents.
You need this for high schoolHigh school teachers.
This is what you need forcollege College.
You need this for high schoolhigh school teachers.
This is what you need forcollege college.
(09:07):
This is what you need for yourlife, for your career.
And I think you hit the nail onthe head.
That said, we actually don'tknow.
Yeah, not definitively.
The way that we say that and Ithink a lot of that comes from
our own experience but thereality is is that for all of us
in this room, we all had adifferent experience.
So I'm preparing you for whatwas my experience, but there
(09:28):
could be 25 of you in that roomand none of you are going to
walk specifically in my shoes orhave any of the scenarios that
we do.
So being able to broaden thatto say we're preparing you for
the unknown right.
We have some ideas of what thatmight look like.
We have had lots of shows wherewe've talked about AI and the
impact of AI.
We don't really know whatthat's going to look like, right
(09:50):
, and even for science.
We said it often probably me,because I have all these
androisms that we are onediscovery away from rocking our
understanding of everything thatwe've ever known.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
That's a newer one.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
It felt good though.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
It's a newer one.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
It felt like it's been around longer than you made
it sound.
Sorry, it's been around longer.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
It sends the passion behind what you just said.
Yeah, it's very nice, thank you, Scott, You're welcome.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Thank you Actually.
I take that back.
We are hiring if you'reinterested.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Well, but here's what we to need to remember.
Going back to what you weresaying, is industry has been
saying this for a long time.
This is where the whole 21stcentury skills stuff came from
right.
Like we're trying to preparekids for industry without
connecting to industry toactually know what industry
really wants.
Like we think we know becausesome probably professors did a
research study and said here'swhat we think industry really
wants us to know, and now weneed to continue to beef up our
soft skills or we do all thesesurveys and we think one survey
(10:51):
is going to tell us everything.
So the connection that you'remaking to outside partners is a
phenomenal one, I'm sure.
Like you said, sometimes I try.
That was definitely not one.
Sorry, I had to Andrew's moreof the pun guy.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
And fun Pun fun.
Okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
So, but what I think is important is a lot of
educators actually don't doanything outside of education.
Yeah, many of us Correct Neverleft the classroom, literally
never left the classroom.
I'm K-12, then I'mpost-secondary ed, then I'm
straight into a classroom.
So I think that sometimes we doourselves a disservice as
(11:33):
educators by not having outsideperspective.
And that does go back to whatyou were saying, andrew, about a
myopic view and not being ableto really know what's out there.
So I'm sure your district ismassively benefiting from your
two years out.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
We are yeah, it's, it's.
Think of backwards planning.
Right, it's, it's backwardsplanning for us, like the end
result, Like we're going to letyou go out into the world and
see what you can do, but at thesame time, my pitch to industry
is like, listen, like this is awin for you because you get to
see.
You get to see.
I'm going to pull some languagefrom a former podcast episode
that you had, oh dear.
(12:06):
A couple of weeks ago I heardsomething about a braided river.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Oh yeah, he really does listen.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Wow, that's a deep cut.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
A braided river right and so you know, different from
a pipeline right where you'vegot all these ecosystems of
different people and places andorganizations that come together
and they kind of contributetoward the same goal.
So you know, my pitch toindustry is listen, it's a win
for you because we're buildingthat braided river, so to speak.
They know it as a pipeline.
I'm working on that.
I stole the braided river thingbut it's a win for you.
(12:34):
But it's also a win for usbecause I'm more intentional
with, I'm much more purposefulwith how we design instruction
in our classrooms and we canpivot along the way based on
what feedback you're giving us.
So you know, no longer do I nothave the correct amount of data
and feedback that I need toadjust instruction in our
classroom.
Those, those relationships withindustry is massive.
(12:56):
And you spoke a second ago aboutAI.
We're even talking right nowabout our October in service
being scheduled around.
We've we've sent teachers outon field trips to these
different local organizationsand that has helped tremendously
give different perspectiveright, and it was one day.
But everybody came back andsaid you know how impactful and
powerful that was.
And we have an AI leadershipteam right now and next year.
(13:20):
I think we're speaking oftaking those same industry
partners now and doing a reverseand saying now you come to us
and tell us what AI looks likein your industry and how it's
changing your industry, so thatwe can adapt and modify policies
and rules and procedures in ourdistrict around what you're
seeing, but again veryintentional and purposeful,
around how we address districtlevel initiatives, you know yeah
(13:44):
address district levelinitiatives.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
you know, yeah, the other thing that I think is
important too and not once haveyou mentioned, and maybe you do
this, but the important thingfor us when we're considering
partnering with industry people,oftentimes they feel like we're
coming at them, asking them forfunds.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
Like what money do you have?
How can you?
Speaker 3 (14:00):
support us there and what really we need.
Yeah, we all need, you know,money to support stuff, but what
we really need is that actualpartnership where we are
creating that braided river thatyou mentioned.
Thank you again for listening.
You're welcome Braided riverwhere we're not.
It's a mutually beneficialrelationship.
It's not just give me whatevermoney you have or tools you use.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Yeah, there's no ask.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
It's not about that.
It's about how can we help eachother.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
It is, and we as a district, we have to create
various entry points, right?
I mean, every industry hasdifferent pre-apprenticeships,
internships, job shadowing right, Just like I do with kids.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Or even human capital to be able to have a
conversation, right yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
We take the same approach with kids.
Like I've got to meet kidswhere they are.
I, as a supervisor, I have tomeet teachers where they are.
I've got to meet industry wherethey are too.
I can't go into an industrythat has a pre-apprenticeship
program the same way that I cango into another industry and
they don't even know whatpre-apprenticeship means.
So if you're at the base levelof trying to get yourself into a
(14:59):
classroom in front of kids,great.
If you want to come in andvisit, just do a presentation,
wonderful.
You've got a pre-apprenticeshipprogram that I can send kids to
and I can give them high schoolgraduate credit for Perfect.
Yeah.
But like it's all aboutproviding those different
avenues for kids and industry,yeah, depending on where they're
at, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Part of what I was thinking is, as you were sharing
on this, and actually I went toschool to be an educator, I
taught for a year and then Ileft for 12 years and worked in
a nonprofit world and came backand for sure.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Wait, you're not really that good of a listener.
If you've never heard thatstory, I'm just kidding.
I really just edit that out.
Wow, he's been teaching forfive years.
Just kidding.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
It's my second day teaching, but but it really
informed me and gave me adifferent perspective being kind
of out and coming back and hasinformed a lot of the choices
and decisions I make and alsohow I am as an educator.
But what it made me think ofand it's not something that
exists now what would beinteresting is that there are so
many different groups ororganizations that might have a
(16:04):
set way that they believe orsomething that they do, but
they'll say, when you turn acertain age, if you're part of
this group, you need to go outinto the world for two years and
then come back, or don't youchoose?
And so that's just aninteresting component to
consider for educators Like,well, what if you actually did
go do something somewhere else?
Or even if you worked ineducation with a corporation?
(16:24):
That'd be a fascinatingpartnership where it was like go
and you're going to work oncorporate training for two years
and then you join intoeducation.
But I guess what I'm thinkingfor you know most of our
listeners who are like, well, Ican't do it now, I'm already
locked in, I can't do that nowit's it's finding your own path
to gain that additionalperspective, but also getting
into these partnerships, notnecessarily looking for
(16:45):
something that you're going toget, but coming into it with
like a I just like to partner,right, like I don't know what
that looks like, but the thingthat resonates with me is that
we're hearing so often Iactually I don't care where you
are in education the concerns ofcorporate America.
They don't know how tocollaborate, they don't know how
to problem solve, they don'tknow how to do these things.
So then, when it trickles downto us at the education level,
(17:06):
we're like, yeah, all they wantto do is be on their phone.
It's almost like we'revalidating that issue versus
saying that's what I need to do,that's the work, that's the
work that we have to do.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
That's a major shift.
Going back to Steeles orconnecting it to this kind of
teaching, it's a major shift inthe way in which you approach
things.
They don't know how tocollaborate because we stand and
deliver.
They don't know how tocollaborate because we don't
give them projects to do.
They don't know how tocollaborate because we're not
breaking ourselves out of ourmolds and reading a book that
isn't related to education, ifwe're reading something like
(17:37):
that at all.
So to your point, yeah, I thinkwe need to do a better job of
recognizing how our practice andpedagogy needs to shift so that
we're meeting the needs of ourkids where they're at, and then
they can be successful adults inindustry.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Yeah, and as the adult you're modeling to what
that looks like.
So of course, as a teacher, youknow it's scary to kind of
reach out to the outside world.
I mean, I mean, I learned inbusiness how to cold call real
quick.
It's very intimidating and hardto do and it's awkward and
uncomfortable.
But what it did to teach me islisten.
(18:13):
I mean there's, there's humanbeings out there and we can
connect you to one individual inone business who will come into
your classroom and one on oneday.
Right, you're modeling to kidsthat we are.
We are again intentional aboutbringing industry in to teach
you about the jobs and careersand skills, if you will.
I mean, we don't.
Even in middle school, when Itaught, I didn't have them
(18:34):
really even speak about the dayin the life of you know, fill in
the blank, I had them speak tothe kids about collaboration,
communication, critical thinking, problem solving, working in a
group, being dependable, andthat's all we would talk about.
You know is a lot of thebehavioral things and not
necessarily the content.
But but the feedback fromindustry is if you can teach
those, you know those core.
We call them soft skills, right, I think they're.
(18:56):
They're more like power skills.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
It's actually very hard to learn.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
They're very hard to learn and those power skills are
extremely beneficial in anyindustry.
Doesn't matter what you get,you get yourself into, and so
that's been our profile of agraduate.
Of course, and we live andbreathe that.
You know, at least right now,and I think it's provided enough
benefit to us that the staffhas bought in and we want to
continue that.
But that's all it takes.
(19:20):
It just takes one single day,one single person, and you're
modeling how to make thatdifference.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
I would imagine it's a domino effect too, Like once
one teacher sees how successfulit is, they're talking to
another teacher and then theyjust kind of build from there.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
I think it also incentivizes the students, too,
to want to learn.
So if you have someone comingin from outside and this is my
occupation this is why you needto learn this Now I have a
reason to actually pay attentionto this teacher during this
class.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
And it might be something they've never even
thought of.
Like there's so many jobs outthere.
We, we talked to Ricky Arnold,the astronaut that was here at
NSTA, and he was like it takes500 people to get one person
into space and there's like, allright, I could be
over-exaggerating, but it's likea lot of people Cause I don't
ever over-exaggerate but theNever, not through editing you,
sure don't or exaggerate, butthe Never Not through editing
you sure don't.
However, there are so many jobsthat you don't even think about,
(20:14):
like, who is the person that'sdesigning the sleeping bag
that's being stuck to the wallso you don't float all around
the space station?
That's a job.
So that's the idea of evenexposing someone to a job.
I probably would have been in adifferent career if.
I knew there were other thingsPosing someone to a job.
I probably would have been in adifferent career if I knew
there were other things.
I watched CSI so I wanted to gointo forensics and then I
changed my mind when I realizedit was not the place for me.
But that was it.
(20:36):
I would have totally been in avery different pathway if I had
known there were other.
Not that I don't love teaching.
I love teaching, but it's thefamily business.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
One of the big things I'm hearing from this is it's
important to find a way tocontinually gain perspective.
Yeah no-transcript, not in theclassroom every day, so you know
(21:10):
if we're going to speak to it.
It can't just be a stagnant.
When I taught and now every daythat I'm here, it gets farther
ways.
Having these conversations,asking questions, you know,
being curious, but alsointentionally connecting with
educators who are doing the workand learning from them and then
being able to use, channel,channel that experience.
And I think why that'simportant is, again, education
(21:33):
can become and feel very insularand you can feel you know
because you're a fan of the show, you'll, of course, love that I
say this.
You know the four walls in theclassroom, but in the fifth wall
of isolation, and so that'swhen we become more of like
we're teaching history becauseof what we knew in the world
that we grew up in versus wherethe world is now, and there's
been so many transitions thatare happening in this ever
(21:53):
evolving world.
So even just one step of makingthis partnership or reaching
out in some other way can alsobenefit us in so many ways that
we can learn more about our ownpractice and be beneficial to
each other.
Love that, and obviously youcan see that this is how the
podcast magic happened.
We didn't even know we weregoing to talk about partnerships
.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
I had no idea what you were going to talk about.
Don't you always have the lastword?
Are you going to say something?
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Well, obviously I'm going to let you have the second
to last final word.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
It's a special treat.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Don't you know, Only for fans that listen and
participate scott yeah, scott,only today, right now, during
this recording.
Do you want to lead him into it?
Oh yeah, so scott do you have.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
What do you want me to say?
Speaker 1 (22:38):
you're in charge, scott, everyone heard that.
Thank you, it's on therecording, scott, based on this
podcast.
Again, thank you for coming onand spending the time with us,
but really focusing on this ideaof this, this collaborative
nature and partnerships, do youhave any final thoughts or
things that you'd like to throwout there or add that we just
didn't get to cover?
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Yeah, I think bottom line is this isn't just a
Northampton thing.
I think there's a lot of greatdistricts in the region, in
Lehigh Valley where we'restationed, and Pennsylvania
obviously has a lot of greatdistricts.
I think we want to take this asa collaborative approach.
You know you just spoke aminute ago about there's a lot
of competition out there, right.
I mean, districts areundergoing a lot of competition
now too with the structure ofeducation.
(23:20):
I want all of us to succeed, andI think I want other districts
around us to equally understandthe value of partnerships.
And so if there's any way wecan partner just district to
district and share connectionswith each other, I think that's
equally as powerful even morepowerful and impactful.
So I love to see otherdistricts in the region adopt
similar approaches and I think Ican learn a lot from them too.
(23:42):
There's a lot of great thingsthat people do that I've often
seen happen before us, that I'velike just kind of finagled a
little bit differently and gonemy own approach, but all it
takes is that spark of an idea,yeah, and so I want you know,
everybody to know, that equallyimportant are the partnerships
across districts too.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Yeah, you don't have to say anything else.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
No, but Scott asked me to.
He said please.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
With his eyes.
It was all in his eyes.
Yeah, yeah, please With hiseyes.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
It was all in his eyes yeah, yeah, yeah.
It was like I'm drowning here.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Andrew, Can you please?
I'm going to stress out if youdon't have the last word.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
I can't listen to my own episode.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
The thing that stuck with me the most through this
and we talked about so manygreat things here we talked
about perspective, we talkedabout the value of partnerships
and keeping ourselves relevant,but really was in the character
and intentionality of leadership, and I mean leadership at every
level.
So I know for a lot of ourlisteners, they're educators and
they're listening and beinglike, yeah, preach, enter, raise
(24:36):
, all about admin, it is, butwe're also the leaders then in
our classroom.
So it's, it's, it's at everylevel.
And what I want to say is it's,it's easy to manage, but you
have to be intentional to leadand you have to really have that
design and be planned out,which is clearly happening here.
So thank you for your leadershipand for all the work that you
(24:57):
do.
Look for those connections, butalso try to foster those
connections at wherever you areright.
It actually doesn't matterwhere you are in the ladder of
education.
You can inspire from any spotand be a part of part of that.
So, scott, thank you for comingon and for telling me how great
of a host I am before westarted recording.
I know everybody couldn't seethat, but I want them to make
(25:18):
sure that they heard that Nobodysaw anything, because this is
an audio.
All right, nobody heard that.
All right, we're done here you.
pronounce your last name for me host host like toast
okay.
Oh, it's got oasty toasty okayyeah, oasty toasty, go ahead go
ahead I dare you go ahead.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
All right, we're good ready yeah all right back up if
you're gonna yell it.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Welcome back to Change Ed.
Changed Change Ed, the numberone.
Oh, excuse me, I'm so sorry.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
I've seen a podcast or two.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
It's not your first rodeo.
Nope, we are the number onerated educational podcast in the
entire Keystone StateCommonwealth.
It's a common, but it's alsocalled the Keystone State
Commonwealth.
It's a Commonwealth.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
But it's also called the Keystone State, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Keystone State, Commonwealth Pennsylvania.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Isn't that what's on your license plates?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
See, I know some things.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Change that I am your host.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Andrew Kuhn, education consultant from
Montgomery County IntermediateUnit, and here with me is
Patrice Semicek, the montgomerycounty intermediate unit and
still an educational consultant,hasn't changed yet and
everyone's favorite sdf tonymarbito.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Cliu 21 carbon lehigh intermediate unit sdf sdf.
You already said it, so I doyeah, today's guest.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
do we ever really need to clarify that, Like once
in a while?
Maybe like SDF could sound?
Speaker 4 (01:25):
What is SDF Staff Facility?
Oh boy, now even I forgot StaffDevelopment Facilitator.
Okay, I forgot my own title.
No one calls me that.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
No one calls any of us any of this.
I don't have business cardsanymore.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Education Consultant I call myself something else,
that's fine.
You call yourself somethingelse else that's fine you call
yourself something else like astem integration person.
That's fancy.
Specialist sounds way better.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Then you should put just did you just change your
email, so that signature is.
That's what it is now I shouldget on that.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Yeah, just change, it sounds better, I like that our
guest definitely agrees yeah, weclearly have four hosts, uh
andrew is out, I don't thishappens all the time, yet
somehow he weasels his way backin.
Our guest is also a listener ofthe show.
Send me an email.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
There are only one.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yes, thank you for the one lesson.
I'm the guy.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
He's friends with my mom, that's how he got connected
to the show.
Well, your mom stoppedlistening a while ago.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Yeah, but she Facebook blasted it.
So the your mom stoppedlistening a while ago.
Yeah, actually, but sheFacebook blasted it.
So, um, the fan of the show, he, he sent me an email.
Let me know that whenever hehas to do the most awful chores
at his house, that's when helistens.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Wow, that is a solid recommendation.
I'm cleaning toilets, I'mlistening to you.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I mean, you're not lying, yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
I got to dig through the trash for my kid's retainer.
Feels good, put on someChangeEd.
Put on some ChangeEd.
We're there in your worst times.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
At least we're being listened to.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Yeah, so we would like to welcome Scott Ost.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Scott, would you mind introducing yourself to the
ChangeEd Nation please?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Sure, my name is Scott Ost.
I am a curriculum supervisor atNorthampton Area School
District, which also involveslots of other duties as assigned
.
So although I do curriculum,there's lots of other things I
do too, but it's all good.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Now, do you have a floating title, just like Tony?
I mean, do you make things upas on the go?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Okay, yeah, I make it up as we go.
I mean, last week I was aguidance counselor, this week
I'm a STEM specialist, today I'man Uber driver.
I'm driving people around, okay, so TBD.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Yeah, to be determined.
Okay, all right.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Duties as assigned.
Yes, yeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
We know from our conversation interaction that
you've done a lot of work inreally the STEALS realm and
preparing and working withteachers to get them ready, and
what does that look like for youspecifically at the district
level and maybe what are some ofthe highlights that you've had
from that and even somechallenges that you've kind of
(03:54):
encountered that maybe didn'texpect?
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Yeah, it's encompassed a whole host of
things.
Right, you can think of STEMand STEELS as very integrated in
nature.
That's the approach we've takenin our district.
A lot of things have cometogether as of late, kind of
right at the perfect time.
We have a brand new profile ofa graduate that has core
competencies and skills that wehope every student in
Northampton leaves with.
So we've anchored everythingaround that and so Steeles
(04:19):
occurred right around that aswell, and so we've been using
those competencies and skills tomatch up to steals and so
teachers have better buy-in thatway because they see the
connections.
We also have a lot of anchoringaround developing some business
partnerships in the local area.
We've done a lot of networkingwith both local and regional
(04:40):
businesses in any industry youknow, from manufacturing to
healthcare to.
We have connections at theairport and we work in the
biomedical fields.
Down to the other day I was.
I was looking at Google mapsand there's a, there's a spot 10
minutes away from us and theymanufacture scents like what you
smell, candles and for likedifferent things that you use.
(05:01):
So like all those connectionshave kind of come to us right at
the same time and a combinationof those network connections or
those business connections andsteals and our profile of a
graduate have really helped us,launch us into a different
universe.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Nice, I want to lean into this because I really like
where you're going with this.
My question is about yourjourney and from your
perspective, were you preparedand then those things came
together?
Or were you like, let's launchinto this and see what comes?
And you just had an open mind,kind of as a district, and
you're like, oh great, let's,yeah, let's try this, let's try
(05:36):
this.
So which came first, the cartor the horse?
Speaker 2 (05:40):
My journey started as a teacher in science, middle
school teacher, and then Iactually I quit teaching for a
period of time in my career Tolisten, to Change it, of course,
yes.
Well, I had the idea before youdid actually, I just didn't put
it in action.
But I left teaching, went intobusiness for three years and did
some stuff in corporate Americayour typical like big company
(06:02):
sales job.
I was actually one of theseguys out here for a period of
time, so I used to go to thevendor shows and travel around
two states and so I got a senseof how the outside world works
with schools right and and howthey partner together.
And then, you know, myheartstrings were pulling hard
enough and I have a familyhistory of education and there's
(06:26):
a lot of educators in my familyand ultimately it pulled me
back into the classroom.
But what I did leave thatexperience with was a brand new
appreciation for how we reallyhave to break down walls in our
spaces and open ourselves up tothe outside world, because at
the end of the day, our kidsleave our education system and
they go out into the world.
(06:46):
Do we truly know what thoseskills are?
Do we truly know what'sexpected of kids?
Do we truly know what collegeseven want of kids?
And so my journey has taught methat you've got to really.
You got to really buildpartnerships with everyone
around you.
And it goes back to that oldadage, right, it takes a village
to raise a child.
It's totally true.
(07:07):
I mean, without thepartnerships that we have at
other local districts, but alsoin business and in industry,
even nonprofit organizations andorganizations that volunteer, a
lot of volunteer work that goesinto it.
They all contribute to thismadness that we have, and
Steeles has skyrocketed that toa certain degree.
You know it's.
It's, allowed me to say well,because of the new standards, I
(07:30):
now have to look forenvironmental partnerships as
part of the environmentalliteracy standards.
To answer your question, andrew, I mean it, it.
My journey taught me that thatis essential.
It's essential.
Our district didn't you knowthis didn't just happen for for
pure luck.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
You were intentional.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
And we were very intentional with how we do
things and and I want otherdistricts to to learn and grow
too.
I don't think I have all theanswers I want.
I want them to see the value inbreaking down those walls.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
What I'm hearing you say is that you're also modeling
what we would hope for from ourteachers and and then, in turn,
they can model what we wouldhope for for our students as
well.
So you're you're modeling thisshift in in mindset and how
we're going to actually approachscience and how we're going to
do these things.
You know what's interesting forme?
What stood out when you weresaying that is that and you said
(08:21):
it much more eloquently than Ican, and you can't have a job on
this podcast, but uh- it'sreally well-paying.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
So, yeah, I bet it is .
Yeah, yeah, people listen to usat their worst times.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
It's really so amazing I can tell by the room
that you're in.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, um we at least have a door Enjoy a
mint that we the one mint weneed to say the other one for
the next guest.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
So I'm speaking from experience.
We, as educators, think we knowwhat's next.
We think we know.
I was a middle school teacherand I was like I am preparing
you for high school.
Yeah, that's what I told mystudents.
You need this for high schoolHigh school teachers.
This is what you need forcollege College.
You need this for high schoolhigh school teachers.
This is what you need forcollege college.
(09:07):
This is what you need for yourlife, for your career.
And I think you hit the nail onthe head.
That said, we actually don'tknow.
Yeah, not definitively.
The way that we say that and Ithink a lot of that comes from
our own experience but thereality is is that for all of us
in this room, we all had adifferent experience.
So I'm preparing you for whatwas my experience, but there
(09:28):
could be 25 of you in that roomand none of you are going to
walk specifically in my shoes orhave any of the scenarios that
we do.
So being able to broaden thatto say we're preparing you for
the unknown right.
We have some ideas of what thatmight look like.
We have had lots of shows wherewe've talked about AI and the
impact of AI.
We don't really know whatthat's going to look like, right
(09:50):
, and even for science.
We said it often probably me,because I have all these
androisms that we are onediscovery away from rocking our
understanding of everything thatwe've ever known.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
That's a newer one.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
It felt good though.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
It's a newer one.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
It felt like it's been around longer than you made
it sound.
Sorry, it's been around longer.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
It sends the passion behind what you just said.
Yeah, it's very nice, thank you, Scott, You're welcome.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Thank you Actually.
I take that back.
We are hiring if you'reinterested.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Well, but here's what we to need to remember.
Going back to what you weresaying, is industry has been
saying this for a long time.
This is where the whole 21stcentury skills stuff came from
right.
Like we're trying to preparekids for industry without
connecting to industry toactually know what industry
really wants.
Like we think we know becausesome probably professors did a
research study and said here'swhat we think industry really
wants us to know, and now weneed to continue to beef up our
soft skills or we do all thesesurveys and we think one survey
(10:51):
is going to tell us everything.
So the connection that you'remaking to outside partners is a
phenomenal one, I'm sure.
Like you said, sometimes I try.
That was definitely not one.
Sorry, I had to Andrew's moreof the pun guy.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
And fun Pun fun.
Okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
So, but what I think is important is a lot of
educators actually don't doanything outside of education.
Yeah, many of us Correct Neverleft the classroom, literally
never left the classroom.
I'm K-12, then I'mpost-secondary ed, then I'm
straight into a classroom.
So I think that sometimes we doourselves a disservice as
(11:33):
educators by not having outsideperspective.
And that does go back to whatyou were saying, andrew, about a
myopic view and not being ableto really know what's out there.
So I'm sure your district ismassively benefiting from your
two years out.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
We are yeah, it's, it's.
Think of backwards planning.
Right, it's, it's backwardsplanning for us, like the end
result, Like we're going to letyou go out into the world and
see what you can do, but at thesame time, my pitch to industry
is like, listen, like this is awin for you because you get to
see.
You get to see.
I'm going to pull some languagefrom a former podcast episode
that you had, oh dear.
(12:06):
A couple of weeks ago I heardsomething about a braided river.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Oh yeah, he really does listen.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Wow, that's a deep cut.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
A braided river right and so you know, different from
a pipeline right where you'vegot all these ecosystems of
different people and places andorganizations that come together
and they kind of contributetoward the same goal.
So you know, my pitch toindustry is listen, it's a win
for you because we're buildingthat braided river, so to speak.
They know it as a pipeline.
I'm working on that.
I stole the braided river thingbut it's a win for you.
(12:34):
But it's also a win for usbecause I'm more intentional
with, I'm much more purposefulwith how we design instruction
in our classrooms and we canpivot along the way based on
what feedback you're giving us.
So you know, no longer do I nothave the correct amount of data
and feedback that I need toadjust instruction in our
classroom.
Those, those relationships withindustry is massive.
(12:56):
And you spoke a second ago aboutAI.
We're even talking right nowabout our October in service
being scheduled around.
We've we've sent teachers outon field trips to these
different local organizationsand that has helped tremendously
give different perspectiveright, and it was one day.
But everybody came back andsaid you know how impactful and
powerful that was.
And we have an AI leadershipteam right now and next year.
(13:20):
I think we're speaking oftaking those same industry
partners now and doing a reverseand saying now you come to us
and tell us what AI looks likein your industry and how it's
changing your industry, so thatwe can adapt and modify policies
and rules and procedures in ourdistrict around what you're
seeing, but again veryintentional and purposeful,
around how we address districtlevel initiatives, you know yeah
(13:44):
address district levelinitiatives.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
you know, yeah, the other thing that I think is
important too and not once haveyou mentioned, and maybe you do
this, but the important thingfor us when we're considering
partnering with industry people,oftentimes they feel like we're
coming at them, asking them forfunds.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
Like what money do you have?
How can you?
Speaker 3 (14:00):
support us there and what really we need.
Yeah, we all need, you know,money to support stuff, but what
we really need is that actualpartnership where we are
creating that braided river thatyou mentioned.
Thank you again for listening.
You're welcome Braided riverwhere we're not.
It's a mutually beneficialrelationship.
It's not just give me whatevermoney you have or tools you use.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Yeah, there's no ask.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
It's not about that.
It's about how can we help eachother.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
It is, and we as a district, we have to create
various entry points, right?
I mean, every industry hasdifferent pre-apprenticeships,
internships, job shadowing right, Just like I do with kids.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Or even human capital to be able to have a
conversation, right yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
We take the same approach with kids.
Like I've got to meet kidswhere they are.
I, as a supervisor, I have tomeet teachers where they are.
I've got to meet industry wherethey are too.
I can't go into an industrythat has a pre-apprenticeship
program the same way that I cango into another industry and
they don't even know whatpre-apprenticeship means.
So if you're at the base levelof trying to get yourself into a
(14:59):
classroom in front of kids,great.
If you want to come in andvisit, just do a presentation,
wonderful.
You've got a pre-apprenticeshipprogram that I can send kids to
and I can give them high schoolgraduate credit for Perfect.
Yeah.
But like it's all aboutproviding those different
avenues for kids and industry,yeah, depending on where they're
at, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Part of what I was thinking is, as you were sharing
on this, and actually I went toschool to be an educator, I
taught for a year and then Ileft for 12 years and worked in
a nonprofit world and came backand for sure.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Wait, you're not really that good of a listener.
If you've never heard thatstory, I'm just kidding.
I really just edit that out.
Wow, he's been teaching forfive years.
Just kidding.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
It's my second day teaching, but but it really
informed me and gave me adifferent perspective being kind
of out and coming back and hasinformed a lot of the choices
and decisions I make and alsohow I am as an educator.
But what it made me think ofand it's not something that
exists now what would beinteresting is that there are so
many different groups ororganizations that might have a
(16:04):
set way that they believe orsomething that they do, but
they'll say, when you turn acertain age, if you're part of
this group, you need to go outinto the world for two years and
then come back, or don't youchoose?
And so that's just aninteresting component to
consider for educators Like,well, what if you actually did
go do something somewhere else?
Or even if you worked ineducation with a corporation?
(16:24):
That'd be a fascinatingpartnership where it was like go
and you're going to work oncorporate training for two years
and then you join intoeducation.
But I guess what I'm thinkingfor you know most of our
listeners who are like, well, Ican't do it now, I'm already
locked in, I can't do that nowit's it's finding your own path
to gain that additionalperspective, but also getting
into these partnerships, notnecessarily looking for
(16:45):
something that you're going toget, but coming into it with
like a I just like to partner,right, like I don't know what
that looks like, but the thingthat resonates with me is that
we're hearing so often Iactually I don't care where you
are in education the concerns ofcorporate America.
They don't know how tocollaborate, they don't know how
to problem solve, they don'tknow how to do these things.
So then, when it trickles downto us at the education level,
(17:06):
we're like, yeah, all they wantto do is be on their phone.
It's almost like we'revalidating that issue versus
saying that's what I need to do,that's the work, that's the
work that we have to do.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
That's a major shift.
Going back to Steeles orconnecting it to this kind of
teaching, it's a major shift inthe way in which you approach
things.
They don't know how tocollaborate because we stand and
deliver.
They don't know how tocollaborate because we don't
give them projects to do.
They don't know how tocollaborate because we're not
breaking ourselves out of ourmolds and reading a book that
isn't related to education, ifwe're reading something like
(17:37):
that at all.
So to your point, yeah, I thinkwe need to do a better job of
recognizing how our practice andpedagogy needs to shift so that
we're meeting the needs of ourkids where they're at, and then
they can be successful adults inindustry.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Yeah, and as the adult you're modeling to what
that looks like.
So of course, as a teacher, youknow it's scary to kind of
reach out to the outside world.
I mean, I mean, I learned inbusiness how to cold call real
quick.
It's very intimidating and hardto do and it's awkward and
uncomfortable.
But what it did to teach me islisten.
(18:13):
I mean there's, there's humanbeings out there and we can
connect you to one individual inone business who will come into
your classroom and one on oneday.
Right, you're modeling to kidsthat we are.
We are again intentional aboutbringing industry in to teach
you about the jobs and careersand skills, if you will.
I mean, we don't.
Even in middle school, when Itaught, I didn't have them
(18:34):
really even speak about the dayin the life of you know, fill in
the blank, I had them speak tothe kids about collaboration,
communication, critical thinking, problem solving, working in a
group, being dependable, andthat's all we would talk about.
You know is a lot of thebehavioral things and not
necessarily the content.
But but the feedback fromindustry is if you can teach
those, you know those core.
We call them soft skills, right, I think they're.
(18:56):
They're more like power skills.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
It's actually very hard to learn.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
They're very hard to learn and those power skills are
extremely beneficial in anyindustry.
Doesn't matter what you get,you get yourself into, and so
that's been our profile of agraduate.
Of course, and we live andbreathe that.
You know, at least right now,and I think it's provided enough
benefit to us that the staffhas bought in and we want to
continue that.
But that's all it takes.
(19:20):
It just takes one single day,one single person, and you're
modeling how to make thatdifference.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
I would imagine it's a domino effect too, Like once
one teacher sees how successfulit is, they're talking to
another teacher and then theyjust kind of build from there.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
I think it also incentivizes the students, too,
to want to learn.
So if you have someone comingin from outside and this is my
occupation this is why you needto learn this Now I have a
reason to actually pay attentionto this teacher during this
class.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
And it might be something they've never even
thought of.
Like there's so many jobs outthere.
We, we talked to Ricky Arnold,the astronaut that was here at
NSTA, and he was like it takes500 people to get one person
into space and there's like, allright, I could be
over-exaggerating, but it's likea lot of people Cause I don't
ever over-exaggerate but theNever, not through editing you,
sure don't or exaggerate, butthe Never Not through editing
you sure don't.
However, there are so many jobsthat you don't even think about,
(20:14):
like, who is the person that'sdesigning the sleeping bag
that's being stuck to the wallso you don't float all around
the space station?
That's a job.
So that's the idea of evenexposing someone to a job.
I probably would have been in adifferent career if.
I knew there were other thingsPosing someone to a job.
I probably would have been in adifferent career if I knew
there were other things.
I watched CSI so I wanted to gointo forensics and then I
changed my mind when I realizedit was not the place for me.
But that was it.
(20:36):
I would have totally been in avery different pathway if I had
known there were other.
Not that I don't love teaching.
I love teaching, but it's thefamily business.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
One of the big things I'm hearing from this is it's
important to find a way tocontinually gain perspective.
Yeah no-transcript, not in theclassroom every day, so you know
(21:10):
if we're going to speak to it.
It can't just be a stagnant.
When I taught and now every daythat I'm here, it gets farther
ways.
Having these conversations,asking questions, you know,
being curious, but alsointentionally connecting with
educators who are doing the workand learning from them and then
being able to use, channel,channel that experience.
And I think why that'simportant is, again, education
(21:33):
can become and feel very insularand you can feel you know
because you're a fan of the show, you'll, of course, love that I
say this.
You know the four walls in theclassroom, but in the fifth wall
of isolation, and so that'swhen we become more of like
we're teaching history becauseof what we knew in the world
that we grew up in versus wherethe world is now, and there's
been so many transitions thatare happening in this ever
(21:53):
evolving world.
So even just one step of makingthis partnership or reaching
out in some other way can alsobenefit us in so many ways that
we can learn more about our ownpractice and be beneficial to
each other.
Love that, and obviously youcan see that this is how the
podcast magic happened.
We didn't even know we weregoing to talk about partnerships
.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
I had no idea what you were going to talk about.
Don't you always have the lastword?
Are you going to say something?
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Well, obviously I'm going to let you have the second
to last final word.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
It's a special treat.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Don't you know, Only for fans that listen and
participate scott yeah, scott,only today, right now, during
this recording.
Do you want to lead him into it?
Oh yeah, so scott do you have.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
What do you want me to say?
Speaker 1 (22:38):
you're in charge, scott, everyone heard that.
Thank you, it's on therecording, scott, based on this
podcast.
Again, thank you for coming onand spending the time with us,
but really focusing on this ideaof this, this collaborative
nature and partnerships, do youhave any final thoughts or
things that you'd like to throwout there or add that we just
didn't get to cover?
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Yeah, I think bottom line is this isn't just a
Northampton thing.
I think there's a lot of greatdistricts in the region, in
Lehigh Valley where we'restationed, and Pennsylvania
obviously has a lot of greatdistricts.
I think we want to take this asa collaborative approach.
You know you just spoke aminute ago about there's a lot
of competition out there, right.
I mean, districts areundergoing a lot of competition
now too with the structure ofeducation.
(23:20):
I want all of us to succeed, andI think I want other districts
around us to equally understandthe value of partnerships.
And so if there's any way wecan partner just district to
district and share connectionswith each other, I think that's
equally as powerful even morepowerful and impactful.
So I love to see otherdistricts in the region adopt
similar approaches and I think Ican learn a lot from them too.
(23:42):
There's a lot of great thingsthat people do that I've often
seen happen before us, that I'velike just kind of finagled a
little bit differently and gonemy own approach, but all it
takes is that spark of an idea,yeah, and so I want you know,
everybody to know, that equallyimportant are the partnerships
across districts too.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Yeah, you don't have to say anything else.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
No, but Scott asked me to.
He said please.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
With his eyes.
It was all in his eyes.
Yeah, yeah, please With hiseyes.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
It was all in his eyes yeah, yeah, yeah.
It was like I'm drowning here.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Andrew, Can you please?
I'm going to stress out if youdon't have the last word.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
I can't listen to my own episode.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
The thing that stuck with me the most through this
and we talked about so manygreat things here we talked
about perspective, we talkedabout the value of partnerships
and keeping ourselves relevant,but really was in the character
and intentionality of leadership, and I mean leadership at every
level.
So I know for a lot of ourlisteners, they're educators and
they're listening and beinglike, yeah, preach, enter, raise
(24:36):
, all about admin, it is, butwe're also the leaders then in
our classroom.
So it's, it's, it's at everylevel.
And what I want to say is it's,it's easy to manage, but you
have to be intentional to leadand you have to really have that
design and be planned out,which is clearly happening here.
So thank you for your leadershipand for all the work that you
(24:57):
do.
Look for those connections, butalso try to foster those
connections at wherever you areright.
It actually doesn't matterwhere you are in the ladder of
education.
You can inspire from any spotand be a part of part of that.
So, scott, thank you for comingon and for telling me how great
of a host I am before westarted recording.
I know everybody couldn't seethat, but I want them to make
(25:18):
sure that they heard that Nobodysaw anything, because this is
an audio.
All right, nobody heard that.
All right, we're done here you.
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