Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity 352: Navigating the Challenges Facing U.S. Public Education
Dr. Vitale has been a faculty member at Concordia University since 2007, contributing to the development of their Ed.D. Program. Her dedication to education has earned her prestigious recognitions, including the Western Riverside County Association of School Managers Superintendent of the Year and the Urban Leadership Alumni Achievement Award from Claremont Graduate University. Notably, she was honored with the Lighthouse Award by the San Diego County Office of Education for her commitment to equity and inclusivity. Actively engaged in educational leadership beyond her district, Dr. Vitale serves on the Governing Boards for AASA. She also served on the governing board for the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), where she played a pivotal role in organizing the Lead with Pride Summit, focusing on LGBTQ+ inclusivity in schools.
Why This Episode MattersThis episode matters because it illuminates various challenges facing public education in the United States, including the:
• push for patriotic-structured U.S. History lessons
• de-emphasis/elimination of DEI and the restrictions of gender definitions
• continued move toward the privatization of schools
• escalation of gun violence
• dislike in some political circles of social-emotional learning programs and
• low morale among teachers and administrators
ReferencedCASEL website: https://casel.org/
Human Rights Campaign: https://www.hrc.org/
About JeffJeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. "Quetico" (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the "Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity" podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.