Learning Can’t Wait

From a young man who grew up with a stutter to founding a movement that's empowered thousands of male educators, Curtis Valentine's story reveals how community can transform both individuals and education.

The interview with Nancy Livingston, CEO of the National Summer School Initiative (NSSI), explores how their 5-week summer programs prevent learning loss while simultaneously developing teachers' skills through high-quality curriculum and mentorship from exceptional educators. Livingston emphasizes that summer school programs are cost-effective, scalable interventions that can accelerate student learning while helping teachers improve their instructional practice by providing them with streamlined materials and structured support.

Dr. Iheoma Iruka discusses her work with the National Academies developing a new vision for pre-K curriculum that better serves all children, especially those historically underserved, including Black and Latino children, multilingual learners, children with disabilities, and those living in poverty. The interview highlights the importance of rejecting false dichotomies in early childhood education by integrating play with academics, supporting teachers with proper resources, and creating curriculum that reflects the diversity of children's experiences and backgrounds.

This podcast episode features a conversation between Hayley Spira-Bauer and Nicola "Nikki" Soares, president of Kelly Education. Nikki, who began her career as a social studies teacher before moving into academic publishing and eventually leading Kelly Education, discusses the challenges facing education staffing today. She highlights the teacher shortage crisis, declining enthusiasm for the profession, inadequate compensation, and increasing demands on educators. Nikki advocates for reimagining education systems by making schools community cornerstones, better aligning curriculum with workforce needs, improving teacher compensation, and embracing alternative certification pathways. She explains that Kelly Education supports educators through professional development, mentoring, and recognition programs while using technology to efficiently match qualified teachers with schools. Nikki emphasizes the importance of measuring impact through classroom observations, teacher performance metrics, and fill rates. Despite current challenges, she remains excited about the renewed focus on educational excellence and advises new teachers to be purpose-driven in pursuing this essential profession.

Michelle Culver, founder of the Rhythm Project and former Teach for America leader, discussed how AI is transforming human relationships, particularly for young people. After noticing that conversations about AI focused on work and education but neglected interpersonal connections, Culver launched the Rhythm Project to bridge this gap. The organization conducts research, builds coalitions, and creates educational resources to help youth critically evaluate whether AI technologies serve as "vitamins" (enhancing human connections) or "Vicodin" (addictive replacements for real relationships). Research shows many students experience lower moments of connection in classrooms than elsewhere, highlighting the need to strengthen in-person interactions in educational settings—something educators can directly influence even as technology rapidly evolves.

🔥 25 episodes. Countless takeaways. One unforgettable season. Season 7 of Learning Can’t Wait covered it all— 🎮 Esports 🏫 Absenteeism 💰 Federal funding 🎙️ And a lineup of guests who blew us away.

This is one of those episodes you feel as much as you hear. Shannon Cox’s dream of becoming a fighter pilot was derailed by a stroke in high school—but what followed is a remarkable story of purpose, resilience, and transformational leadership in education. From flying a Blue Angel jet to redesigning how we think about absenteeism, future self-vision, and SEL, Shannon’s work is nothing short of inspiring.

Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Garrison joins host Hayley Spira-Bauer to share how her rural Illinois district is transforming education through career-connected learning and athletics. From skilled trade pathways to building resilience through sports, Dr. Garrison highlights the power of community partnerships, student-centered opportunities, and modeling civility in schools. A must-listen for educators and leaders working to reimagine student success.

In this episode of Learning Can’t Wait, host Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Bryan Hassel and Kendall King of Public Impact to explore how innovative staffing models—like the Opportunity Culture initiative—are transforming schools across the country. They dive into the power of multi-classroom leadership, sustainable funding strategies for foundations and policymakers, and how digital learning can expand the reach of excellent teachers. With compelling research results and a bold vision for scale, Bryan and Kendall share how Public Impact is working to ensure every student has access to high-quality teaching—every year, in every classroom. Whether you're a teacher, policymaker, funder, or advocate, this episode will leave you inspired by what’s possible when we reimagine how schools are staffed and supported.

Join Hayley Spira-Bauer, host of the Learning Can’t Wait podcast, as she sits down with Scott Anderberg, Chief Operating Officer at Moodle, to discuss the future of learning management systems. Scott shares how Moodle is integrating AI while staying true to its open-source philosophy and commitment to equity. From AI-powered tools to small but impactful educator-driven features, Moodle continues to evolve while ensuring accessibility for learners worldwide. This conversation highlights the power of user-driven innovation in education and the importance of curiosity in teaching and learning. Tune in for an engaging discussion on technology, accessibility, and the future of education with one of the leaders shaping the field.