Former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona sits down with PTHV Executive Director Andrea Prejean for one of the most direct conversations we've had on this podcast. Cardona, who grew up as a first-generation, English-learning student in Meriden, Connecticut, and went on to advise the President on education for 65 million students, talks candidly about what's at stake for public schools right now, and why authentic family engagement is not a nice-to-have. He makes a sharp distinction between political performance around "parents' rights" and the policies that actually protect families. He talks about what it meant to take new teachers into his community on a school bus, moving through poor neighborhoods and wealthy ones, and urging educators to see children in their whole context. And he answers PTHV's signature question — what are your hopes and dreams? — for the future of American public education. Dr. Miguel Cardona served as the 12th U.S. Secretary of Education under President Biden and previously worked as a fourth-grade teacher, principal, and Connecticut’s first Latino Commissioner of Education. He now leads Cardona Solutions, a consulting firm focused on equity and family engagement, and teaches at Harvard’s Kennedy School and the Yale School of Management.

In this special National Family Engagement Month episode, PTHV Executive Director Andrea Prejean sits down with family engagement pioneer Anne T. Henderson for a conversation spanning four decades of advocacy, research, and transformation in education. Anne authored the first evidence review on parent involvement in 1981 and has guided the field through multiple cycles of federal policy—from Reagan's block grants to today's dramatic funding cuts. Andrea and Anne explore how family engagement has evolved from transactional, compliance-driven approaches to relational, trust-centered school cultures. They discuss the current crisis in chronic absenteeism, teacher retention challenges, and why authentic relationships—built through practices like Parent Teacher Home Visits—remain a powerful tool for creating schools where everyone thrives.

Are we truly preparing future teachers to build meaningful partnerships with families? In this powerful episode, experts Tim Finklea from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and Jenna Porter from California State University Sacramento dive deep into the critical challenges facing teacher preparation programs. They explore why family engagement matters, how it impacts student success, and what innovative approaches can transform how we train educators. With teacher shortages growing and student needs becoming more complex, this conversation offers crucial insights into reimagining education through strong home-school connections. Learn how we can support teachers in becoming true partners with families and create more inclusive, supportive learning environments. Whether you’re an educator, policymaker, or advocate, this conversation will inspire you to rethink what’s possible when schools and families work together for student success.