Learning Can’t Wait
The Learning Can’t Wait Podcast is your view into how changemakers are driving innovation in the field of education. Each week we interview leaders who are challenging the status quo at a time when it is absolutely necessary to rebuild the system for our students. Podcast Powered by Fullmind
Episodes
On this Learning Can’t Wait podcast episode, host Hayley Spira-Bauer speaks with Teach For America CEO Aneesh Sohoni about how his parents’ immigrant journey shaped his belief in educational opportunity and how teaching revealed both his students’ potential and the systemic barriers they faced. Aneesh explains that Teach For America’s impact extends far beyond two years in the classroom, creating a 72,000-me...
In this special crossover episode of Learning Can't Wait and ETS's Praxis Journeys, Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Vinay Ganti, Head of Partnerships and District Solutions at ETS, to discuss his unconventional journey into education, the challenges facing K-12 schools, and the future of teacher recruitment and retention. Vinay shares how his experiences in higher education, edtech, and innovation shaped his passion for education...
In this episode of Learning Can't Wait, Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Rose Else-Mitchell, Executive Director of the Science of Reading Center at SUNY, to discuss the evolving Science of Reading movement, the importance of bridging the gap between research and classroom practice, and how educators can evaluate the effectiveness of instructional materials and professional learning. Rose shares insights from her journey as an educ...
In this episode of Learning Can't Wait, Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with retired education leader and author Wendell Sumter to discuss his new book, Dirt Road Destiny. Drawing from his upbringing in rural South Carolina and his 36-year career in education, Wendell shares how family, mentors, adversity, and resilience shaped his leadership journey. He reflects on pivotal experiences, including being told he was "not college materia...
In this episode of Learning Can't Wait, Hayley Spira-Bauer is joined by Alex Meis, Vice President of Attendance Strategy at ParentSquare, and Dr. Anny Iacono, Director of Student Services and Special Education at Nuview. Together, they explore the growing challenge of chronic absenteeism and explain why improving attendance is fundamentally about building relationships rather than enforcing compliance. The discussion highlights how...
In this episode of Learning Can’t Wait, Dr. Brenda Lewis, Superintendent of Fridley Public Schools, shares her leadership journey from paraeducator to superintendent and discusses the challenges her district faced during ICE Metro Surge. She explains how immigration enforcement activities on and around school property disrupted student attendance, created fear among families, and threatened students' access to their constitut...
In Season 12 Episode 2, Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Rachael Tutwiler Fortune, President of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, for an inspiring conversation about community-driven change, future readiness, and the power of believing in young people. Drawing from her personal journey as a young mother who benefited from mentors who invested in her potential, Rachael shares how Jacksonville has dramatically improved graduat...
In Season 12 Episode 1, Hayley Spira-Bauer kicks off the new season with Dr. Denise Reading, CEO and Founder of Future Plans, in a powerful conversation on eradicating poverty through education and workforce alignment. Drawing from her upbringing in rural Arkansas, Dr. Reading shares how systemic bias and lack of access—not lack of talent—hold individuals back. She discusses Future Plans’ five-step model for helpi...
And that’s a wrap on Season 11 of the Learning Can’t Wait Podcast, a season filled with bold ideas, inspiring leaders, and meaningful conversations shaping the future of education.
From leadership and workforce sustainability to teacher well-being and student-centered innovation, this season brought together voices across education to challenge the status quo and reimagine what learning can and should look like.
Each e...In Season 11 Episode 18, Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Dr. Kip Glazer, Silicon Valley principal and author of Ready to Lead with AI, to explore how school leaders can navigate rapid technological change while staying grounded in human-centered learning. Drawing from her unconventional journey into education and leadership, Dr. Glazer emphasizes that in an era of AI disruption, principals must model curiosity, innovation, and ri...
In Season 11 Episode 17, Hayley Spira-Bauer speaks with Dr. David Lawrence, Superintendent of Dayton Public Schools, about leading with visibility, urgency, and innovation to drive real system change. Drawing from his journey from teacher to superintendent, Dr. Lawrence highlights how hands-on leadership, real-time decision-making, and a shift from static strategic plans to dynamic “academic action plans” have improved ...
In Season 11 Episode 14, Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Deborah Kenny, CEO and Founder of Harlem Village Academies, to explore what it truly means to educate a child beyond test scores. Drawing from decades of leadership and her new book The Well-Educated Child, Deborah shares a refined philosophy centered on quality thinking, student agency, and ethical purpose. She reflects on her journey building HVA, the importance of cultiv...
In Season 11 Episode 13, Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with John White, CEO of Great Minds and former Louisiana State Superintendent, for a candid conversation on leadership, systems change, and the role of curriculum in driving student outcomes. Drawing from his experience leading post-Katrina education reform in Louisiana, John discusses how crisis can catalyze improvement, the importance of local autonomy through charter systems,...
In Season 11 Episode 12, Hayley Spira‑Bauer speaks with Dana Ainsworth, founder of Tomorrow House, about reframing student behavior through the lens of nervous system regulation rather than discipline or motivation. Drawing from her own lived experience, teaching background, and research in trauma, polyvagal theory, and education policy, Dana explains how adverse childhood experiences, outdated school structures, and rapid technolo...
In Season 11 Episode 10 of Learning Can’t Wait, Hayley Spira‑Bauer is joined by Alicia Meyers, an early childhood educator and children’s book author, for a rich conversation about teaching, literacy, and neurodiversity. Alicia shares her journey as a lifelong teacher, her experiences teaching in urban classrooms in Washington, D.C., and how the COVID era inspired her to begin writing. She discusses her newest picture b...
In Season 11 Episode 9, Hayley Spira‑Bauer welcomes Frances Messano, CEO of New Schools Venture Fund, for a wide‑ranging and deeply personal conversation about equity, choice, and courage in education. Frances reflects on growing up in a working‑class immigrant family in Coney Island, how access and luck shaped her own trajectory, and why she has dedicated her career to making opportunity less dependent on chance. She explains New ...
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