Mike Gonzalez, Mike Marrone, & Mike Felton | Lessons in Leadership

This podcast episode features three educational leaders—Mike Felton, superintendent of St. George Municipal School Unit; Michael Marrone, president of Liguori Academy; and Mike Gonzalez, executive director of the Rural School Innovation Zone—who connected through the Yaas Prize, an education award recognizing innovative and community-rooted work. Each shares their unique backgrounds and passion for transforming education through hands-on, career-technical education (CTE) that begins as early as elementary school and integrates community partnerships. They emphasize the importance of flexible, trauma-informed teaching, strong community connections, and breaking down traditional silos between academic and vocational pathways to provide students with meaningful, dignified career options. Their collective work focuses on sustaining and revitalizing their diverse communities—from rural Maine to urban Philadelphia and South Texas—by preparing students for workforce success while nurturing local economic resilience. The conversation closes with advice for new teachers to be consistent, connected, and deeply invested in their students and communities.