The Out of the Trenches Podcast

Matthew Rhoads, EdD, is an expert and innovator in educational technology and instructional strategy integration within online, blended, and traditional in-person classroom settings. With a special education background, Dr. Rhoads co-taught for many years at the high school level in the areas of English, mathematics, and social sciences. He continues to co-teach regularly while coaching teachers and presenting professional developm...

Walter Cullin Jr. is a dedicated educator, higher education administrator, consultant, and podcast host with a diverse background spanning healthcare administration, teaching, coaching, and leadership roles such as dean and associate principal. He holds a B.S. in Healthcare Administration, an M.A. in Urban Education, and an M.S. in Educational Leadership. Walter champions intrinsic motivation, accountability, and student empowermen...

Dr. Cecelia Gillam is a native of New Orleans who has earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Southeastern Louisiana University of Hammond. Dr. Gillam has been a Science teacher for nineteen years. She has helped write science district curriculum and assessments for Environmental Science. She is an advocate for the National Equity Project by being selected as a board member for the Black Teacher Project. She ...

As president of Kelly® Education, Nicola Soares believes that education is the bedrock of a thriving society and that the talented people who work in our schools, colleges, and universities are crucial to powering the future of learning and unlocking student potential. Nicola has successfully led the expansion of Kelly Education from providing substitute teachers in K-12 schools across the U.S., to providing specialized talent solu...

Dr. Teresa Hill is a speaker, author, and leader whose work focuses on underserved communities and making the system work for every child. She is devoted to eliminating achievement gaps and ending what she terms “failure as a default”. Her motto is “All children can learn . . . Period.” Dr. Hill began her career teaching thirty-one kindergarten students in Peoria, IL, has served as a principal and assistant superintendent, and has ...

Peter Marshall has more than thirty-five years of experience as an educator. He has served as a teacher, school administrator, and system leader in Ontario, working in leadership and staff development as well as opening a new school. He currently serves as a Solution Tree Assessment Center Associate. Wrote Today’s Teachers, Tomorrow’s Leaders: A Guide to Identifying and Developing Future Administrators.

Fi...

Eugene Williams, Jr. received a B.A. in English from Emory University in 1991, and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from The University of Mary Washington in 2007. He is a writer, speaker, educator, and former child actor who has appeared on stage, screen, and television with such celebrities as Ray Charles, Pearl Bailey, and Stephanie Mills. In 1978, he became the first black child in a major, recurring role on the highly acclaim...

Christine is an experienced educator with a wide range of experience in both private and public school settings with a focus in special education. She is passionate about equipping educators with knowledge & confidence to create engaging & welcoming classrooms. She brings her conscientious & ambitious mindset to the Making The Grade team.

Find Christine online: Website: www.makingthegradeproject.com

Instagram/TikTok: @m...

Dr. Valcine Brown is a veteran teacher of high school English Language Arts serving in public education. Dr Brown holds a BA in English Literature, an MFA in Humanities: Creative Writing, an MFA in English Literature, and a PhD in Education: Curriculum and Instruction. Understanding the connection between literacy and economic prosperity, her passion is increasing literacy in adolescents, an often neglected topic. Dr. Brown was bor...

John is a Professor of Education in the College of Education at James Madison University. In 2015, John was awarded the inaugural Sarah Miller Luck Endowed Professorship. In 2021, John was honored with an Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia. Most recently, he was named a Madison Scholar in the College of Education and awarded the Madison Vision Teaching Award.

At James Madison Universit...

Jill Handley & Lara Donnelly are the authors of "What Can I Take Off Your Plate? A Structural—and Sustainable—Approach to Countering Teacher Burnout"

Lara Donnelly, EdD, is a veteran teacher and school counselor in Jefferson County Public Schools (Kentucky). She is an education consultant, speaker, and author supporting schools and administrators with burnout, family engagement, and multilingual learners with trauma and mental ...

Casey Watts is the founder of Casey Watts Coaching & Consulting, LLC, and a Team Leadership Expert. She has over 20 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, adjunct professor, academic coordinator, and district instructional specialist. She is passionate about empowering teams to move beyond silos and transform into cohesive, vision- driven powerhouses. Through strategic guidance and practical tools, Casey helps...

Dr. John Chanaca is the founder of MJChanacapublishing LLC, a family-owned publishing company dedicated to creating heartwarming, educational stories that emphasize positive family values and parenting. He is the author of several children's books, including The Keymaker, Annie's Flutterflies, Color Your Own Story Books, and the Humor & Heart collection, which earned a Silver Medal in the Global Book Awards 2024. Dr. Chanaca ha...

Jessica Haxhi has been the Supervisor of World Languages for New Haven Public Schools in Connecticut since 2013, overseeing 85 teachers of Arabic, ASL, Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Pashto, and Spanish. She also teaches one Japanese class at James Hillhouse High School.

Jessica was President of ACTFL in 2021 and is a past President of the American Association of Teachers of Japanese. She served on the Northeast Council...

As Lead Leader and Co-Founder of Jigsaw Learning, Kurtis has championed the call for collaborative structures in schools to ensure success for all students and enhance the collective efficacy of those dedicated educators working in classrooms. Kurtis works to establish responsive relationships with districts and system level leaders to design collaborative frameworks for educators and develop leadership capacity at all levels. He h...

Starr Sackstein is a recovering perfectionist who is an assessment reforming enthusiast. Starr just started her role as Massachusetts State Coordinator for Educators Rising and is the COO of Mastery Portfolio, an Edtech Startup committed to helping schools move to Standard-Based communication. Additionally, she works with teacher teams to engage students in the learning process, advocate for personal growth, and effectively use stu...

Jennifer Ozgur is an Organizational Development & Change Management Consultant, Professional Development Designer & Facilitator, Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner, Certified Trauma-Informed & Brain-Based Coach, Parenting Programming Creator, Columnist and Author. ​Jennifer has combined her years of classroom experience with evidence-based practices to create informational and transformational experiences that uplift and...

Dr. Jen Mott is a school administrator at one of the largest middle schools in Ohio and a professor at Xavier University in the Educational Administration Graduate program. Outside of serving the students and staff there, she is a professional juggler, stilt-walker, balloon artist and fire performer who merges her passions for entertainment + education through keynote speaking for schools and organizations. Her TEDx Talk on “Juggli...