Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

In this episode, Sue Doyle talks about her path through education. She started as a classroom teacher at Pier Elementary, moved into school leadership and became Executive Director of CESA 1. She describes the mentors who shaped her, including Jerry Sullivan, and the experiences that prepared her to lead. Sue explains her leadership philosophy, why she builds teams with people who think differently and challenge her, and why mentoring the next generation of education leaders matters. She ends with what she wishes more people understood about being an educator, and who she is most grateful to.

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

In this conversation, veteran educator and consultant Don Smith traces his path from the classroom to school leadership to his work today with First Educational Resources. Don unpacks why relationships and collective efficacy sit at the heart of school improvement, what makes PLCs and collaborative time actually move student outcomes, and what stays the same when supporting schools across the country. He shares the teacher who most changed his life as a student, how schools can create more of those life-changing relationships for every kid, and what he wishes more people understood about educators who look resistant. He closes with a heartfelt reflection on gratitude and the people who shaped his journey.

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

Deputy Superintendent Jenn Gennerman joins us to talk about the leadership philosophy behind one of Waukesha's most ambitious eras of district-wide improvement. Jenn traces her path from special education into system-level leadership, and explains how that background shapes the way she thinks about curricular alignment, data access, and the connective tissue between special and general education. We dig into the mindset of continuous improvement; where it came from, how she's built it into the district's operating rhythm, and why communication is the single most underrated lever in moving a school system forward. Along the way, Jenn shares the mentors and pivotal moments that shaped her, what actually makes large-scale change stick, and what she wishes more people understood about the daily work of educators.