#33 Guest: Dr. Maria Navarro and Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises on Kids in the System you Lead

#33 Guest: Dr. Maria Navarro and Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises on Kids in the System you Lead

What does it really look like to lead a school district when your own children are learning inside that same system? In this episode of "𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏", I’m joined by two extraordinary Maryland leaders: Dr. Maria Navarro, Superintendent of Charles County Public Schools, and Dr. Sonja Brookins-Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools. Together, we explore a side of educational leadership that rarely gets discussed: what it means to serve as both a superintendent and a parent within the same system. A few moments that stood out: - The “fishbowl” effect of leading in public while your children experience the system up close. - The honest, real-time insight children can offer about what is working and what needs attention. - The balance between being a district leader, being a parent, and knowing when to step in. - The reminder that educators, counselors, coaches, and school communities show up for children with deep care every day. At its heart, this conversation is about leadership, family, and the people who make public education work. Whether you are a parent, educator, school system leader, or someone who simply cares about the schools where children learn and grow, this episode offers a thoughtful look at what it takes to lead complex systems with purpose, humility, and care. And if you’d like to take a deeper dive into their previous podcast appearances, where we explore their work and accomplishments in greater detail, listen to episode #19 with Dr. Navarro and episode #6 with Dr. Brookins-Santelises. Listen here: https://buff.ly/bKWk70p [https://buff.ly/bKWk70p]

#32 Blog: How Does Your District Stack Up on the Blueprint?

Maryland's $3.8B education bet had no scorecard — so we built one. 24 districts. 43 indicators. 685+ documents. The bright spots might surprise you. Maryland's first official Blueprint evaluation publishes in December 2026. The earliest quantitative data comes a year later. But the Governor and legislature need to make major policy and funding decisions in the 2027 session — before the evidence is in. The Education Trust Fund (casino revenues) runs out in FY2028. **MarylandBlueprint.com [http://MarylandBlueprint.com] reads every district's Blueprint implementation, scores it against a consistent rubric, and surfaces the bright spots — with source citations.** Some highlights from the May 1, 2026 analysis: Pillar 2 — NBC Teacher Pipeline Is a Statewide Flywheel Baltimore County grew from 4 to 122 NBCTs (2,950%). Prince George's from 7 to 157 (2,143%). Newly certified NBCTs are being deployed as cohort coaches, creating a self-reinforcing talent pipeline. P2 is the only pillar where 9 districts already Exceed. Pillar 4 — Community Schools Are Moving Both Attendance and Academics Carroll County's community schools posted +24.1pp ELA and +26.9pp math gains in a single year. Somerset cut chronic absenteeism by 22.6pp while designating 100% of schools as community schools. District Bright Spots: * Montgomery County (76.8%) — The only district with zero pillars below "Meets." Most balanced profile statewide. * Allegany County (74.4%, 4th overall) — A small rural district outperforming Howard, Baltimore County, and Baltimore City. * Garrett County (69.6%) — All five pillars at "Meets." 100% of middle schoolers completing career assessments. Unlimited dual enrollment. Built for district leaders. Essential for everyone tracking Blueprint implementation — legislators, advocates, educators, journalists, and researchers. Register for the demo and launch on May 21st at 12noon EST: https://tidycal.com/tomdewire/blueprint-bright-spots-whats-working-across-marylands-24-districts [https://tidycal.com/tomdewire/blueprint-bright-spots-whats-working-across-marylands-24-districts]

#31 Guest: Delaware Department of Labor Leadership Academy 2026 Keynote Excerpt

One of the biggest challenges I see across systems is the gap between a strong plan and real results. In this episode of Implement Change in Education, I share an excerpt from a talk I gave at the Delaware Department of Labor’s Leadership Academy, a month-long development opportunity for promising managers of people and projects. Through two powerful stories - one from healthcare and one from child nutrition work in Vietnam. I explore what it takes to move from strategy to execution. I break down two different implementation challenges: * When we know the goal and the evidence-based moves, but execution is the barrier * When we do not yet know the answer and need to find the bright spots already working in the field This episode focuses on making change practical. Whether you are leading literacy improvement, strengthening workforce systems, improving access to benefits, or trying to move a complex organization toward better outcomes, the same question applies: How do we make it easier for people to do the right thing? If you are leading change, managing teams, or trying to close the gap between planning and results, this episode is worth a listen. Show Note Links: * University of Delaware Institute for Public Administration [https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/biden-school/research-public-service/ipa/] * How to Implement Just About Anything by Tom DeWire [https://www.amazon.com/How-Implement-just-about-Anything/dp/B0FYK5YVPK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=37UIQLKM2W5GL&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZR2YBsC_GY29efOgNTtGNQ.C8-fDj7QzEL0TrVJ5tXPzd_i6KUXUZCs8QZpAyTDPPc&dib_tag=se&keywords=How+to+Implement+Just+About+Anything+by+Tom+DeWire&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1777312422&s=books&sprefix=how+to+implement+just+about+anything+by+tom+dewire%2Cstripbooks%2C190&sr=1-1] * Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath & Dan Heath [https://www.amazon.com/Switch-Change-Things-When-Hard/dp/0385528752]

#30 Blog: With Tighter Budgets, How Might Schools Navigate Strategy for SY2627?

With tighter budgets, what do you actually protect? Across the country, school and district leaders are facing tough choices for SY26–27 - shrinking funds, rising costs, and real pressure to cut. But the biggest risk isn’t the budget itself; it’s losing what’s already working. In our latest blog post and podcast episode, we explore a simple but critical question: How do you protect hard-won student gains when resources shrink? It comes down to three moves: • Anchor decisions in research • Assess implementation health • Align your budget to your strategy, not the other way around Because one misaligned budget cycle can undo years of progress. Link to blog post [https://edscalellc.com/tighter-budgets-school-strategy-sy26-27/]

#29 Guest: Superintendent of Howard County Public Schools - William J. Barnes

One of the clearest takeaways from my conversation with William Barnes, Superintendent of Howard County Public Schools: “We’re not going to claim greatness until we’re great for all of our students.” Superintendent Barnes leads one of Maryland’s most well-regarded districts, but what stood out most was his honesty about the students the system has not yet served well and his urgency around changing that. In this episode of Implement. Change in Education, we talk about what it really looks like to implement Blueprint Pillar 4 in a high-performing district: aligning funding to student need, expanding special education supports, navigating redistricting, and treating the budget as a strategic tool for equity. If you are thinking about resource allocation, equity, or change leadership, this one is worth a listen.  Show Note Links: - Howard County Public School System [https://www.hcpss.org/]