Sweat The Technique

The Branch Media brings you a special presentation of The Citizen Stewart Show - a podcast about education in America. This week, host Chris “Citizen” Stewart interviewed two of his favorite education luminaries.First up: President Obama’s Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan:Five Ways We Can Put Aside Partisan Politics And Think Big On Education (Washington Times, 10/18/21)Study Shows Parents Overestimate Their Student’s Academic Progress (PBS, 4/16/23)We Know How To Prevent Gun Violence. Now We Need To Scale It. (Stanford Social Innovation Review, 7/14/22)Next: Stacey Shells Harvey from The Branch’s Sweat the Technique podcast:New Bill Would Eliminate Retention Under Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee (Ohio Capital Journal, 3/22/23)Third Grade Retention - What Does The Research Say About Retaining Students In Third Grade For Not Being Able To Read At Grade Level? (Regional Education Laboratory Program, 10/1/19)

Ravi sits down with Jessica Lahey, author of The GIft of Failure for an illuminating conversation about parenting. From homework to report cards, social dynamics, and sports - Jessica’s advice will help parents step back and embrace their children’s setbacks along with their successes.

Ravi interviews co-host Ryan Hill about his experience as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of KIPP New Jersey and Miami. Ryan shares how the organization went from one school in New Jersey in 2002, where he was the founding principal, to 23 schools in New Jersey and Florida that now serve nearly 10,000 students. Ravi and Ryan discuss what they've learned from running schools, how leaders can build systems that support structure and creativity, and why a strong culture is critical to successful schools and organizations.

Doug sits down with two coaches who use video to elevate the performance of their athletes.  Luke Gromer is the host of The Cutting Edge Coaching Podcast as well as a teacher and coach, working primarily with young athletes. And Darren Lewis is the director of Codex Analysis, and has worked primarily with professional rugby players.

Scott Young, author of Ultralearning, discusses how to master hard skills quickly. Topics include learning computer science outside of school, finding time for learning while parenting, the importance of directness in learning, the strengths and weaknesses of apprenticeship, effective learning strategies like project-based learning and deliberate practice, and the importance of constant learning in the changing landscape.

Doug interviews Dr. Ilya V. Buynevich, Professor of Geology at Temple University. Ilya grew up in Soviet-era Ukraine and harbors an informed skepticism about his students’ enthusiasm for certain aspects of socialism.Take a listen for his thoughts on the benefits of meritocracy in education, and read more in his piece here.

Ryan sits down with Christine Choi, a founding member of Teach for America, former Head of Communications for Virgin Galactic, and current partner at M13.Christine is a life-long learner with vast experience across an array of startups and global brands. She offers lessons on how to build teams, manage crises and make big moves - all while staying humble, kind and community-focused.

Stacey sits down with Sehreen Noor Ali, co-founder of Sleuth, a startup that gives parents better directions on early childhood health. Sehreen offers lessons to help parents navigate healthcare and advocate for their children. 

Hosts Doug Lemov and Stacey Shells Harvey discuss the lessons they’ve learned from running schools, and how they’ve applied them to their roles as parents. This is an illuminating and heartfelt conversation from two experts, colleagues and friends.

Ravi and Doug interview Cody Royle, a coach of coaches from professional Rugby to leaders in the corporate world.Cody offers insightful lessons about how great coaches operate. For example: theatrical halftime speeches in movies are not the real thing - great coaches simply offer specific, effective instructions for how to succeed in the moment.