Policy Changes Lives, an ExcelinEd podcast

In this episode of Policy Changes Lives, host Matthew Joseph hops on the mic. Matthew serves as Senior Policy Advisor at ExcelinEd, where he focuses on helping states improve education through the strategic use of resources and funding. This week, we welcome David Mansouri, CEO and President of Tennessee SCORE, to discuss the transformative potential of student-centered education funding.Together, these two will share insights into Tennessee’s journey toward implementing a funding model that

In this episode of Policy Changes Lives, host and ExcelinEd Vice President of Policy Cara Candal chats with North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt to explore teacher recruitment and retention. As schools nationwide grapple with keeping classrooms staffed with qualified educators, Superintendent Truitt shares her insights on the challenges facing North Carolina’s teaching workforce and the innovative strategies she has championed to address these issues. This discussion

In this episode, we are excited to look behind the curtain in Indiana as dedicated folks break ground on the state’s new Career Scholarship Accounts program. CSAs help students cover costs for a range of training and internship experiences as well as the costs associated with completing them, such as supplies and transportation. It's a fascinating program that begins to tackle the challenges many students and schools face while making these work-based learning opportunities a reality.It’s worth

In this episode, host and ExcelinEd’s Senior Policy Director of Education Choice Ben DeGrow welcomes Robyn Bagley, executive director of Utah Education Fits All, to discuss the fascinating journey of Utah's education scholarship account (ESA) program. Robyn is a long-time education advocate and entrepreneur, who has been instrumental in advancing policies that empower families to choose the best educational paths for their children. She shares the story of how Utah’s ESA came to be and the

In this episode of Policy Changes Lives, Dr. Kymyona Burk, ExcelinEd’s senior policy fellow specializing in early literacy checks in withDr. Sara Morrison, who serves as the Executive Director of the Tennessee State Board of Education, about her state’s important work improving students’ reading outcomes. Dr. Morrison’s roots are in the classroom, where she taught high school English and served as the literacy lead teacher. She has spent more than a decade with the State of Tennessee, working to

In the opening episode of the Policy Changes Lives podcast, hosts Cara Candal and Adriana Harrington investigate the impending public school enrollment drop. Our hosts will be joined by special guest Chad Aldeman who will explain the findings from his recent report, "Interactive: In Many Schools, Declines in Student Enrollment Are Here to Stay," published by The 74.Aldeman brings an extensive background in education policy, having worked with organizations such as the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown

Welcome to Policy Changes Lives, ExcelinEd's official podcast! Listen to this trailer to learn more about what we'll bring to your airwaves each week. ​Why should you listen?​You'll learn about the latest trends in K-12 education policy.​You'll hear from policymakers, educators and researchers who are shaping the future of education.​You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at how education policy is made.​You'll be inspired to engage in the K-12 education systems and policy areas that matter to