Rod and Jal are joined by Dr. Michele Shannon, the Executive Director of the Deeper Learning Districts. Dr. Shannon shares her extensive experience and insights into creating educational environments that foster deep learning and equity. She discusses her journey from being a student in New York City's public school system to becoming a leader in educational reform.
Michele Shannon is the Executive Director of the Deeper Learning Districts. Previously, she was a National Designer and Facilitator for the Leadership Academy, where she built the capacity of educational leaders through leadership training to confront inequities & create conditions for students to thrive. She also served as Chief of Schools for Boston Public Schools, where she led a team of eight Instructional Superintendents focused on eliminating the opportunity and achievement gaps in the system. A product of New York City public schools, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Baruch College, a Master of Social Work from Hunter College, and a Doctorate in Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Highlights from her conversation with Rod and Jal include: opening banter on the recent success of the Boston Celtics; Michele attempting to cover her entire biography in Jal's "3-minute" challenge; how her background as a student, teacher and now administrator shaped her view of what education should be; comparing characteristics of traditional education to what Michele describes as "deeper learning;" why it is so important for students to build relationships with adults in their school setting; how to integrate social-emotional learning in a way that works; how to better build K-12 systems so no student leaves feeling unprepared for whatever comes next; the importance of strong leadership and modeling - highlighting both the successes and failures of the system for everyone to see; how equity can be better built into all aspects of education including teacher preparation and training; and a wonderful example of a district that has applied elements of equity and deeper learning that gives us all hope for the future!
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