Learning Can’t Wait
The Learning Can’t Wait Podcast is your view into how changemakers are driving innovation in the field of education. Each week we interview leaders who are challenging the status quo at a time when it is absolutely necessary to rebuild the system for our students. Podcast Powered by Fullmind
Episodes
Dacia Toll recounts her journey from aspiring civil rights lawyer to founding the Achievement First charter school network, driven by a passion for equity and impact in education. She explains how her experience scaling high-performing schools led to co-founding CourseMojo, an edtech company focused on embedding AI-powered, curriculum-aligned teaching assistants to support differentiated learning and teacher ...
Diego Arambula, Vice President for Educational Transformation at the Carnegie Foundation, shares how his upbringing in Fresno and his parents’ commitment to community improvement shaped his mission to transform education so that both students and teachers feel engaged, supported, and prepared for real-world challenges. He critiques the outdated architecture of schools—especially the reliance on the Carnegie Unit—and calls for a sys...
In the episode, Jen dives into the urgent challenges facing schools-like the national teacher and leadership shortage-and shares her vision for transforming education through community, storytelling, and actionable innovation. She emphasizes the need to change the narrative around teaching, celebrate its impact, and ensure that professional learning translates into real classroom change.
Use these in...
From a young man who grew up with a stutter to founding a movement that's empowered thousands of male educators, Curtis Valentine's story reveals how community can transform both individuals and education.
The interview with Nancy Livingston, CEO of the National Summer School Initiative (NSSI), explores how their 5-week summer programs prevent learning loss while simultaneously developing teachers' skills through high-quality curriculum and mentorship from exceptional educators. Livingston emphasizes that summer school programs are cost-effective, scalable interventions that can accelerate student learning while helping teachers impr...
Dr. Iheoma Iruka discusses her work with the National Academies developing a new vision for pre-K curriculum that better serves all children, especially those historically underserved, including Black and Latino children, multilingual learners, children with disabilities, and those living in poverty. The interview highlights the importance of rejecting false dichotomies in early childhood education by integrating play with academic...
This podcast episode features a conversation between Hayley Spira-Bauer and Nicola "Nikki" Soares, president of Kelly Education. Nikki, who began her career as a social studies teacher before moving into academic publishing and eventually leading Kelly Education, discusses the challenges facing education staffing today. She highlights the teacher shortage crisis, declining enthusiasm for the profession, inadequate compensation, and...
Michelle Culver, founder of the Rhythm Project and former Teach for America leader, discussed how AI is transforming human relationships, particularly for young people. After noticing that conversations about AI focused on work and education but neglected interpersonal connections, Culver launched the Rhythm Project to bridge this gap. The organization conducts research, builds coalitions, and creates educational resources to help ...
🔥 25 episodes. Countless takeaways. One unforgettable season. Season 7 of Learning Can’t Wait covered it all— 🎮 Esports 🏫 Absenteeism 💰 Federal funding 🎙️ And a lineup of guests who blew us away.
This is one of those episodes you feel as much as you hear. Shannon Cox’s dream of becoming a fighter pilot was derailed by a stroke in high school—but what followed is a remarkable story of purpose, resilience, and transformational leadership in education. From flying a Blue Angel jet to redesigning how we think about absenteeism, future self-vision, and SEL, Shannon’s work is nothing short of inspiring.
Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Garrison joins host Hayley Spira-Bauer to share how her rural Illinois district is transforming education through career-connected learning and athletics. From skilled trade pathways to building resilience through sports, Dr. Garrison highlights the power of community partnerships, student-centered opportunities, and modeling civility in schools. A must-listen for educators and leaders working to reimagi...
In this episode of Learning Can’t Wait, host Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Bryan Hassel and Kendall King of Public Impact to explore how innovative staffing models—like the Opportunity Culture initiative—are transforming schools across the country. They dive into the power of multi-classroom leadership, sustainable funding strategies for foundations and policymakers, and how digital learning can expand the reach of excellent te...
Join Hayley Spira-Bauer, host of the Learning Can’t Wait podcast, as she sits down with Scott Anderberg, Chief Operating Officer at Moodle, to discuss the future of learning management systems. Scott shares how Moodle is integrating AI while staying true to its open-source philosophy and commitment to equity. From AI-powered tools to small but impactful educator-driven features, Moodle continues to evolve while ensuring accessibili...
In this episode of Learning Can’t Wait, we sit down with Mary Jo Fairhead, Founder and Director of Onward Learning, to explore the unique strengths of rural education and the importance of redefining student success. Mary Jo shares how small, tight-knit communities foster deep collaboration and resourcefulness, creating learning environments where students can thrive at their own pace. She challenges the overreliance on standardize...
In this impactful episode of The Learning Can’t Wait Podcast, host Hayley Spira-Bauer speaks with education thought leader Jeff Livingston about the urgent challenges shaping the future of learning. From the looming threat to the E-Rate program, which ensures broadband access for schools and libraries, to the broader funding uncertainties that could reshape K-12 education, Jeff offers a passionate and thought-provoking perspective ...
What happens if schools lose access to critical funding for internet and network infrastructure? In this timely episode of Learning Can’t Wait, host Hayley Spira-Bauer is joined by Jodie Buenning, a communications and policy expert, to break down what the E-Rate program is, why it’s vital to public education, and what’s at stake as a Supreme Court case looms that could reshape how E-Rate funds are used.
Jodie shares a historical lo...
Superintendent PJ Caposey returns to The Learning Can't Wait podcast for a fast-paced, eye-opening mini series episode about the complex—and often misunderstood—realities of school funding. In this episode, PJ and host Hayley Spira-Bauer dive into how districts are creatively generating revenue, the lasting impacts (and limitations) of ESSER spending, and what really delivered ROI during the pandemic.
PJ also sounds the alarm on a ...
In this funding mini series episode of Learning Can’t Wait, Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Rita Ferrandino—founder of Arc Capital Development, education investor, and innovation consultant at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. Rita shares her insights on how research, funding, and innovation intersect in today’s EdTech landscape. From navigating federal grants to building meaningful university partner...
In this episode of Learning Can’t Wait, host Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Peter Relan, chairman of MathGPT, to explore how AI-powered tools are transforming math education. Peter discusses how AI can alleviate the burden on educators by automating course management, generating assignments and quizzes, and providing Socratic-style tutoring that encourages critical thinking—without giving away answers.
They also dive into the br...
In this episode of Learning Can’t Wait, host Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Louise Baigelman, Founder and CEO of Storyshares, to explore how educators can engage struggling readers through high-interest, age-appropriate content. Louise shares how Story Shares collaborates with teachers at every stage of content development, using direct classroom feedback to refine their literacy resources. She highlights the importance of choic...
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