8 - What Will We Take With Us?: Metro Nashville Public Schools on Relationship-Building, Family Engagement, and Remote Support During COVID

In The Learning Accelerator's new podcast series, Beyond Brick and Mortar, hear from leaders of established virtual and hybrid learning programs from across the U.S. about what makes their programs a success – and what they had to learn along the way.

In this episode, we chat with Justin Louder,  Associate Vice Provost for e-Learning at Texas Tech University K-12 (TTU K-12), about their long history of service to students who have sought out flexible options for their learning, and how their program operates through a student-centered lens to help learners work flexibly to engage while facing physical and mental health challenges, career obligations, and other obligations, as well as their orientation toward immersive community exploration and engagement in the context of virtual learning.

In The Learning Accelerator's new podcast series, Beyond Brick and Mortar, hear from leaders of established virtual and hybrid learning programs from across the U.S. about what makes their programs a success – and what they had to learn along the way.

In this episode, we chat with Laurie Wolfe, Chief Academic Officer at Gem Prep Online, about their whole-community approach to preparing students for college, career, and beyond, emphasizing unique partnership opportunities, family engagement, flexibility, and supports to help students at every level of their learning journey.

In The Learning Accelerator's new podcast series, Beyond Brick and Mortar, hear from leaders of established virtual and hybrid learning programs from across the U.S. about what makes their programs a success – and what they had to learn along the way.

In this episode, we chat with Jill Rogier, Head of Schools, Digital, and Betsy Fowler, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at ASU Prep Digital, about their approach to student-centered supports, flexibility for educators, and ensuring all of their students have a path to post-secondary education.

In The Learning Accelerator's new podcast series, Beyond Brick and Mortar, hear from leaders of established virtual and hybrid learning programs from across the U.S. about what makes their programs a success – and what they had to learn along the way.

In this episode, we chat with Matt Bowman, founder and CEO at My Tech High, about their innovative model focused on personalizing education to students' individual goals and learning preferences, offering their students flexibility and a tailored approach to education – all at no cost to families.

In The Learning Accelerator's new podcast series, Beyond Brick and Mortar, hear from leaders of established virtual and hybrid learning programs from across the U.S. about what makes their programs a success – and what they had to learn along the way.

In this episode, we chat with Rachel Babcock, Co-Director and Co-Founder of Map Academy, about their holistic and student-centered approach to education, designed to address the unique needs and life circumstances of students as an alternative high school. Their model weaves together collaborative and cooperative learning, student data, support structures, and crucial programs that help them develop their postsecondary and career readiness in order to attend to myriad aspects of their students’ learning experiences. 

In The Learning Accelerator's new podcast series, Beyond Brick and Mortar, hear from leaders of established virtual and hybrid learning programs from across the U.S. about what makes their programs a success – and what they had to learn along the way.

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Steve Kossakoski, CEO at Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (VLACS), about their mastery-based approach, emphasis on meaningful discussion between students and instructors, and advisors who support students throughout their entire virtual learning journey with the school.

In The Learning Accelerator's new podcast series, Beyond Brick and Mortar, hear from leaders of established virtual and hybrid learning programs from across the U.S. about what makes their programs a success – and what they had to learn along the way.

In this episode, we chat with Maxwell Smith, Head of The Forest School Online, about their flexible, student-centered approach to online learning. Employing targeted and relevant curricula, a focus on real-world learning, and a deliberate culture of feedback and stakeholder engagement, The Forest School Online works to provide a holistic learning experience for students across the globe.

In The Learning Accelerator's new podcast series, Beyond Brick and Mortar, hear from leaders of established virtual and hybrid learning programs from across the U.S. about what makes their programs a success – and what they had to learn along the way.

In this first episode, we chat with Megan Palevich, former Head of School at Laurel Springs School about their fully virtual K-12 program that emphasizes personalization and one-to-one work between students and teachers, flexible schedules to accommodate learners whose schedules or needs don't align with traditional seat-time requirements, and a strong community among staff, students, and families.

Correction & Note: In this episode, we refer to Megan Palevich as the Head of School at Laurel Springs School. This interview was conducted when Megan Palevich filled the role of Head of School, although as of early 2023, the current Head of School is Aileen Hawkins. 

On this final episode of What Will We Take With Us?, a series featuring our conversations with education leaders across the United States on how they grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic in K-12 education, we speak with Scott Muri, Superintendent of Ector County Independent School District in Texas, about how leaders worked to make the most of the pandemic to accelerate the implementation of goals that benefitted the entire school community, ranging from expanding connectivity and internet access, to focusing on personalized professional development, to forging stronger, more meaningful connections between schools and student families.

On this episode of What Will We Take With Us?, a series featuring our conversations with education leaders across the United States on how they grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic in K-12 education, we speak with two leaders at Distinctive Schools in Chicago: Mike McCarthy, Executive Director of Student Services, and Stephanie Cardella, Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. They share with us how Distinctive developed a community of care, nimble practices, and targeted instructional strategies to support students in balancing their learning and well-being through a year of uncertainty as schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.