Daniel Sobel: Elevating Inclusive Education with the Rise of the Practitioner
An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast
Release Date: 09/02/2025
An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast
📢 New Podcast and New Season! Elevating Inclusive Education with Daniel Sobel on An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast! 🎧 We are thrilled to share the beginning of season 4 with this episode featuring , an internationally respected voice in inclusion education, and the founder and chair of the International Forum of Inclusion Practitioners. Daniel champions student participation and belonging while tackling systemic issues like teacher training. In this insightful conversation, we dive into two crucial areas: 1. The Power of...
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🎙️ Final Episode of Season 3! 🎧 Don't miss the powerful insights from our conversation with Dr. Jenn Lowery, former Superintendent of Tea Area School District in South Dakota (now the , as we wrap up an incredible Season 3 of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast! 🎉 Dr. Lowery led one of the fastest-growing districts in South Dakota, having grown to over 2000 students today. She shares invaluable lessons on leading through significant growth and challenging times. Here are 2 big takeaways from this inspiring episode: Progress Over Perfection...
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New school year is in full swing for many and is just weeks away for others! As leaders, we often strive for perfection, but what if embracing imperfection is our greatest strength? In this episode of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, we're honored to host Dr. Eric Knost, a former superintendent with 34 years of experience in the education field, including 17 years as a superintendent and deputy superintendent in three different school districts. Eric shares his journey, emphasizing that prioritizing people, honesty, and vulnerability are the true...
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Get ready for an insightful conversation on the latest episode of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast featuring the esteemed Dr. Mark Bedell, Superintendent of Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Mark’s journey and leadership offer powerful lessons on authentic impact, learning from challenges, and leading with humility. Mark is celebrated for leading Kansas City Public Schools to full accreditation status for the first time in over 20 years, a testament to his transformative leadership. But as you'll hear, his most cherished accolades come directly from...
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Dive into the latest episode of "An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast" featuring the incredible , former Superintendent of Enumclaw School District and former Assistant Executive Director for professional learning for the Washington Association of School Administrators. This conversation offers profound insights into what truly drives educational success. Michael’s dedication to student achievement, especially for First Nations/Native students in Enumclaw, led to remarkable results, including 100% graduation rates for students in the cultural program and...
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📢 Encore Episode: A Must-Listen for School Leaders! 🎧 As educators across the country gear up for a new school year, we’re bringing back one of our most powerful conversations featuring Dr. Monique Darrisaw-Akil, Superintendent of the Uniondale School District in New York. 🙌 Dr. Darrisaw Akil led a massive cultural and educational shift in a district that had been facing significant challenges. This episode is full of honest reflections and practical leadership lessons. Here are 3 big takeaways: 🌿 Imperfect Leadership as a Strength Dr. Darrisaw...
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Hello Imperfect Leaders!  It's summer!! And for leaders, that means reflection. And it means planning for the coming year. It is for that reason that this week's episode is an encore episode specifically picked with your upcoming year in mind. INTRO: This week, Matt Hornbeck is my guest. He is the principal of in Baltimore, Maryland. Here are 3 things you won't want to miss in this episode: The Transformative Power of Restorative Practices: Learn how Hampstead Hill has achieved remarkable success in increasing joy, improving attendance, reducing tardies, and...
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The most unexpected thing happened the other day. My car was on the fritz, and to my surprise, the mechanic offered to swing by my house. That alone was generous. He popped the hood, diagnosed the issue, and had it fixed in no time. Now, just when I thought the day couldn’t get any more unusual, he spotted a ukulele sitting on my table. Without missing a beat, he grabbed a guitar from his truck. Minutes later, we were strumming in my driveway - two strangers improvising a melody with no script, no pressure… just music. Of course, my schedule had other plans. But in that moment,...
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This past week has seen many of us in education trying to make sense of what the future holds. It's for that reason, I wanted to bring back my conversation with Dr. Adam Swinyard, Superintendent of Spokane Public Schools and the 2023 Washington State Superintendent of the Year 🏆 Here are 🔑 highlights from this inspiring episode: 💡 Organizational Learning = Higher School Performance Adam’s award-winning research found a clear correlation between principals who engage in organizational learning and better school outcomes. 🏫✨ He urges leaders to avoid quick fixes and instead...
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📢 New Episode Alert! 🎧 We're thrilled to share a powerful new episode of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast! This week, we sit down with two incredible Illinois Superintendents: and . This conversation is packed with wisdom, vulnerability, and practical insights for anyone in leadership! Here are three key themes you won't want to miss: ✨ "Leading for Tomorrow's Schools Today" & The C.H.A.N.G.E. Leadership Framework: Nick and Mike, co-authors of the upcoming book Leading for Tomorrow's Schools Today, dive deep into their...
info_outline📢 New Podcast and New Season!
Elevating Inclusive Education with Daniel Sobel on An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast! 🎧
We are thrilled to share the beginning of season 4 with this episode featuring Daniel Sobel, an internationally respected voice in inclusion education, and the founder and chair of the International Forum of Inclusion Practitioners. Daniel champions student participation and belonging while tackling systemic issues like teacher training.
In this insightful conversation, we dive into two crucial areas:
1. The Power of Teacher Upskilling for Inclusive Classrooms: Daniel emphasizes that upskilling teachers is the number one strategy to meet the diverse needs of all children in the classroom. He highlights that investing just 5% of the cost of traditional interventions into teacher development could achieve a 95% efficacy rate in addressing inclusion issues.
2. The Vision Behind the Inaugural World Inclusion Congress: As the founder and president of the first-ever World Inclusion Congress, Daniel shares his ambitious vision for this global event, taking place October 15th-17th in Kazakhstan. The Congress aims to “set our own agenda” for inclusion, elevating the “rise of the practitioner voice.” It will bring together major international bodies like UNESCO and UNICEF, approximately 50 education ministers, world development banks, and over 5,000 participants from across the globe. The goal is to collaborate, identify challenges, capture best practices, and produce a white paper to be launched at the United Nations in New York.
Join us to gain essential insights for system leaders committed to supporting all children and to learn how we can collectively advance inclusive education worldwide!
Learn more about the World Inclusion Congress: www.ifip.group
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Follow Host Peter Stiepleman on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-stiepleman-76004819a/
Website: https://imperfectleader.com/
YouTube (video of conversation):
https://www.youtube.com/@animperfectleaderleadershi5144/featured
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animperfectleader/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@animperfectleader
Follow Co-host Jamie Almanzán on:
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Superintendent Support Reimagined!
Zach Taylor and I are creating a reflective, virtual Community of Practice designed exclusively for Superintendents and Senior District Leaders. While calling it An Imperfect Leadership Community of Practice makes sense, I keep advocating for Talk Supt 🙂.
Want to learn more? Check out our video here 👇 or visit:
https://imperfectleader.com/imperfect-leadership-community-of-practice/
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An Imperfect Leader is sponsored by Yondr.
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An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action is supported by ILAA, LLC, a firm dedicated to supporting aspiring, new, and established leaders. For more information, please find them at imperfectleader.com.
Music for An Imperfect Leader was written and arranged by Ian Varley.
Sam Falbo created our artwork, a wood-print inspired daruma doll butterfly.