The Best of Us

S4/E7: Allie's Rodman's Case for Personalized Professional Learning and Whole Educators

How can districts design professional learning that treats teachers as the adult learners they are? In this episode, Allie Rodman—a former teacher, coach, assistant principal, school board member, and author of two books on professional learning—explains why the field has spent a decade building SEL programs for students but never did the same work for the adults in the building. She shares how sitting on a school board revealed the gap between what districts say they value and what they actually fund, why teacher voice means co-creating from the start rather than asking for input at the end, and what it looks like when over 90% of teachers choose personalized learning—even when it means using their own time.

S4/E6: From Lab Scientist to Learning Designer—How Curiosity and Stories Drive Adult Learning with Nadira Singh

What if the key to better professional learning is asking more questions instead of giving more answers? In this episode, Nadira Singh shares how she uses curiosity, empathy interviews, and a scientist's mindset to help educators across 142 schools learn and grow.

S4/E5: When Students Lead the Change—How Voice and Goals Drive Teacher Retention with Katy Meyers

When Katy Meyers' first-year teacher announced she was leaving education, Katy flipped the question: instead of asking why teachers quit, she researched what makes them stay. The answer—being heard matters more than being fixed—transformed how she leads, and it applies to students too.

S4/E4: Leading with Vulnerability—Why Self-Doubt Makes Better Leaders with Elizabeth Dampf

What if admitting "I'm not sure I'm good enough for this" is actually the most powerful thing a leader can say? Elizabeth Dampf believes that self-doubt isn't a weakness to hide—it's a doorway to better leadership. In this episode, she challenges the myth of the "strong leader" and shares why vulnerability, curiosity, and honest reflection create more effective leaders than projecting certainty ever could.

S4/E3: The Success Triangle — 40 Years of Urban District Leadership with Dr. Michael Hinojosa

Why do most new superintendents feel overwhelmed by board relations, politics, and finance rather than instruction? In this episode of The Best of Us, Dr. Michael Hinojosa shares his Success Triangle framework for balancing stakeholder relationships, how he developed 50 future superintendents while leading six districts over 40 years, and why incrementalism is innovation's worst enemy in urban education.