How do we move beyond the limits of a single test score to truly see the brilliance and potential of every child? In this riveting episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner is joined by two extraordinary education leaders who bring over six decades of combined insight to answer that very question.

Dr. Mark King, Vice President of Education at Arts for Learning Maryland and author of The Middle School Master, joins Melinda Cook, Head of Assessment Strategies at Riverside Insights, to reimagine what it means to educate and evaluate the whole learner. With a fierce devotion to equity, they dismantle outdated models that narrowly define success, instead championing structures that are developmentally responsive, cognitively rich, and rooted in relationships.

From rethinking the master schedule to unlock deeper learning, to providing teachers with purpose-driven professional development, to using multiple measures of data that recognize each student's unique capacity—Dr. King and Ms. Cook offer a framework for systemic transformation. Their stories and strategies illuminate what’s possible when schools value students not just for their output but for their complexity, strengths, and promise.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

1. Why arts integration, engagement, and differentiation are essential to middle school success
2. How multiple measures of data reveal student potential—not just proficiency
3. Why professional development must evolve to align with Generation Alpha & Beta learners
4. How shifting from a deficit lens to an asset-based mindset changes lives
5. Why erroneous placement in special education is an equity issue—and what to do about it
6. How accountability should be redefined as growth-centered and relational, not punitive

Dr. Conner, as ever, guides the discussion with both urgency and humanity, highlighting how leaders must build agile, high-performing systems that honor students’ lived experiences, cultural assets, and future readiness. This episode is a call to see students as whole—as gifted, as creative, and as capable of extraordinary success.

Subscribe and share to continue driving the future of education for all.

What if we looked at failure not as a flaw—but as fuel for innovation? In this inspiring episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner sits down with Roxanna Villaseñor, former superintendent and CEO of Universal Leadership and Associates, to explore what it truly means to lead with intention and hope in an uncertain and rapidly evolving educational landscape.

With a career spanning the classroom, central office, and systems-level leadership, Roxanna brings a rare blend of instructional depth and strategic foresight to the conversation. Together, she and Dr. Conner dig into the necessary cultural and mindset shifts leaders must embrace to meet the needs of Generation Alpha and Generation Beta—students coming of age in a world defined by diversity, digital access, and deep disruption.

From redefining failure as innovation to aligning technology with wisdom, Roxanna challenges us to ask: Are we bold enough to design systems that truly reflect the strengths and needs of today’s learners? She shares powerful insights on multilingual education, universal design for learning, mental health as a non-negotiable, and the importance of honoring voices that have historically been overlooked.

What You’ll Learn:

1. Bold Leadership Mindsets: Why Gen Z and Alpha demand new models rooted in hope, empowerment, and social responsibility.
2. Data + Humanity: How to use timely data to reflect values, not just measure outcomes—and why AI can become a surprising ally.
3. Failure as Feedback: Why organizations must reframe failure as a path to innovation, growth, and resiliency.
4. Global Citizenship: Why preparing students for the future requires SEL, environmental literacy, and real-world collaboration.
5. Systems with Soul: Practical shifts in scheduling, MTSS, and leadership development that center students and families at every step.

In a time when education is too often driven by politics or fear of change, this conversation reminds us of what’s possible when leaders make equal opportunity their compass and excellence their standard. Dr. Conner and Roxanna invite us to rise up, think bigger, and reimagine what thriving can look like for every student—especially in a world that won’t wait.

Subscribe and share to continue driving the future of education for all.

What happens when a school district refuses to operate in silos—and instead imagines an ecosystem that truly wraps around every learner, every family, and every community member? In this inspiring episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner sits down with visionary educator and community leader Jody Bloyer, Deputy Superintendent of Racine Unified School District in Wisconsin.

A former teacher and principal, Jody brings a deep commitment to equity, innovation, and the power of collective care. Under her leadership, Racine has become a model for integrated, community-driven education systems. From launching community connector teams and restorative practices alongside law enforcement, to building pathways that connect classroom learning to real-world careers, Jody is designing a student experience rooted in relevance, belonging, and joy.

Together, Dr. Conner and Jody explore what it means to lead with both urgency and grace in a rapidly evolving educational landscape—especially post-COVID, where Generation Alpha students are entering schools with radically different learner profiles, social-emotional needs, and expectations for how learning happens.

You’ll learn:

•  Bold strategies to shift from siloed services to layered systems of support
• Why social-emotional learning is academic learning—and must be treated as such
• What “safe in the try” means for creating cultures of experimentation and risk-taking in schools
• How to better align instruction to match Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s learner attributes
• The power of authentic community partnerships that hold students at the center
• Why 22nd-century education demands a redefinition of both success and school itself

At the heart of this episode is a challenge to disrupt convention—while staying grounded in collective purpose. From grace and belief to commitment and joy, Jody reminds us what’s possible when educators truly embrace innovation as a communal act of love and progress.

Subscribe and share to continue driving the future of education for all.