Our guest, Mohammed Elmeski, PhD, is a university professor, senior education advisor, researcher, and international development professional with nearly three decades of experience spanning education policy, higher education, schoolimprovement, and system reform. His career has bridged academia, government, research, and international development, with leadership and advisory roles in Morocco, the United States, Africa, the Middle East, and other international contexts.

He has served as a university faculty member, senior researcher,program director, Chief of Party of a USAID-funded higher education partnership, and senior advisor to the Head of Government of Morocco. His research and professional interests include educational leadership, teacher development, social and emotional learning, lifelong learning, belonging, andthe implementation of large-scale education reform. Having worked across diverse educational and development contexts, his work is particularly concerned with how research, policy, and practice can come together to expand educational opportunity, strengthen belonging and equity, and help education systems respond to social change.

Connections:

University of Minnesota

Mohammed V University

Resources:

• African Voices Dialogue
• Educational Policy, Reforms, and Change in the Middle East and North Africa (Book)
• Tibu Africa
• International Congress of School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI)

Greeting: Dr. Larry J. Walker

#EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY#XEListeningTour

Our guest, Eric Scheninger, is founder and CEO of Aspire Change EDU. He works with schools worldwide, helping educators meet and exceed their potential to improve learner outcomes. Aspire Change EDU, a collaborative consultancy, provides personalized support to educational systems. Prior, Eric was a teacher and the award-winning Principal at New Milford High School. Under his leadership, his school became a globally recognized model for innovative practices. Eric oversaw the successful implementation of several sustainable change initiatives that radically transformed the learning culture at his school while increasing achievement.

His work focuses on innovative and practical ways educators can transform teaching, learning, and leadership. Through his work with thousands of schools, Eric has emerged as an innovative leader, best-selling author, and sought-after speaker. His focus is on using research, evidence-based practices, and artificial intelligence (AI) to empower learners and educators.

Sponsor NAESP. National School Leaders Conference–Powered by NAESP is designed for Pre-K–12 principals and assistant principals, featuring high-impact learning tracks, networking, and the newly added "Camp Lead-A-Lot" retreat. Held July 13-15, 2026, Orlando, FL, learn more and register at naespconferenence.org.

Connections:

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

Resources:

Ericsheninger.com

Greeting: Dr. Larry J. Walker

#EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY #XEListeningTour

Our guest, Dr. Scott McLeod, J.D., is a Professor of Educational Leadership. He is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts on P-12 school leadership, deeper learning, technology, and innovation. He is on a mission to make students’ day-to-day learning less boring and more meaningful and relevant. Scott is the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE), the only university center in the U.S. dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators, and is the co-creator of both the wildly popular video series, Did You Know? (Shift Happens), and the 4 Shifts Protocol for lesson and unitredesign.

Scott has worked with hundreds of schools, districts, universities, and other organizations and has received numerous awards, including the 2016 global Award for Outstanding Leadership from the International Society forTechnology in Education (ISTE). Scott blogs about leadership and innovation at Dangerously Irrelevant and is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop facilitator at state, national, and international conferences. Scott also hosts three occasional podcasts, LeaderTalk, Redesigning for Deeper Learning, andCASTLE Conversations.

Scott currently serves as a Distinguished Educator Fellow for PDK International, a Fellow for the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership, and an ISTE+ASCD Community Leader. He also recently served as a Senior Fellow for Getting Smart. Scott has written or edited 4 books and 170 articles and other publications, and is one of the most visible education professors in the United States. In 2025, he received the 2025 Excellence in Teaching Award for the entire University of Colorado Denver campus.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor NAESP. National School Leaders Conference–Powered by NAESP is designed for Pre-K–12 principals and assistant principals, featuring high-impact learning tracks, networking, and the newly added "Camp Lead-A-Lot" retreat. Held July 13-15, 2026, Orlando, FL, learn more and register at naespconferenence.org.

Resources:

• University Council for Educational Administration
• LeaderTalk (Podcast) https://leadertalk.org/
• Redesigning for Deeper Learning (Podcast) https://redesigningfordeeperlearning.org/
• CASTLE Conversations (Podcast) https://castleconversations.transistor.fm/
• Dr. Marvin Lynn—Leading Educator Preparation andJustice through Collaboration and Engagement (EDUP Xcelerated Excellence Episode) https://www.edupxe.com/dr-marvin-lynn-leading-educator-preparation-and-justice-through-collaboration-engagement/

Greeting: Michelle Maslowski

#EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY #DeepLearning #XEListeningTour