Innovative Leadership in Education with Dr. Sarah Stone
Better Learning Podcast
Jeff Kubiak sits down with Dr. Sara Stone, Superintendent of Albany Unified School District in California’s East Bay, to discuss what it takes to lead meaningful change while building trust with a school community. With 32 years in education, Sara reflects on her journey from classroom teacher to superintendent and the lessons she has learned about leadership, collaboration, and putting students first. The conversation explores Albany Unified’s $63.8 million Measure L bond, which passed with 72% voter approval, and how the district is approaching facility upgrades, wildfire resilience,...
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The Role of Community Engagement in School Redesign with Dr. Robert Hunt
Better Learning Podcast
Matt Rogers sits down with Dr. Robert Hunt, Superintendent of Upper Arlington Schools, to explore his experience leading major school facility projects and the district’s current $273 million bond initiative for two new middle schools and an early childhood building. Dr. Hunt shares lessons from 16 years as a superintendent, including renovating a 100-year-old historic building in Chagrin Falls, navigating a major facilities referendum in Illinois, and now leading Upper Arlington through a process built around extensive community engagement. The conversation dives into how the district...
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What Community Members Get Wrong About School Construction with Dr. George Hummer
Better Learning Podcast
Kevin Stoller sits down with Dr. George Hummer, Superintendent of Frederick County Public Schools, to explore his journey from special education aide to school district leader, and the district's ongoing effort to build its fourth high school. Dr. Hummer shares how his mother's career as a special education teacher and his own experience working with students with disabilities shaped his empathy-driven leadership style. The conversation dives deep into the mechanics of planning new school construction — including the critical difference between "design capacity" and "program capacity," how...
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Leading Districts with Emotional Intelligence with Dr. Adam Swinyard
Better Learning Podcast
Dr. Adam Swinyard, Superintendent of Spokane Public Schools and 2023 Washington Superintendent of the Year, joins the Jeff Kubiak to discuss leading one of Washington's largest districts through a rapidly shifting information and mental health landscape. Adam shares how Spokane centers everything on relationships, why transparency and "doors and windows" communication have replaced the old top-down model, and how the district's Engage in Real Life initiative and revised cell phone policy are tackling the youth mental health crisis. He also reflects candidly on lessons learned since becoming...
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Reshaping How We View School Campuses with Dr. Sharon Bradley
Better Learning Podcast
Dr. Sharon Bradley, founder of Bradley Site Design and a landscape architect with four decades of experience, joins Matt Rogers to explore how school campuses can become powerful teaching tools rather than just backdrops. Sharon shares how her childhood in the English countryside shaped her belief in "environment as teacher," and explains her curriculum integration model — mapping specific lesson units directly onto campus features like whisper walls, bioretention gardens, and stormwater "raindrop journeys." She also discusses how early collaboration between landscape architects, building...
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Making Career Education Visible with Mark Shephard
Better Learning Podcast
Mark Shepard, K-12 Advisor at BVH Architecture, joins Carla Cummins to share his unusual path from industrial tech teacher to school superintendent to architectural firm advisor. Drawing on his experience leading a transformative CTE center project in Fremont, Nebraska, Mark discusses how listening to local industry and students — not just assumptions from educators — reshaped a district's approach to career and technical education. He dives into the design choices that put CTE on display rather than hidden away, the partnerships with local businesses that created real jobs for students,...
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Facilities Leadership in a Fast-Growing District with Matt Wark
Better Learning Podcast
Matt Wark, Chief Facilities Officer for Forsyth County Schools, joins Katie Jubenville to share his unconventional path from a struggling student written off by his own guidance counselor to leading facilities for one of Georgia's fastest-growing, top-performing school districts. Matt discusses how his personal journey through teaching, administration, and district leadership shapes his "houses, not buildings" philosophy of facilities management, and dives into how Forsyth balances explosive growth with maintenance, community trust, and cost. He also shares his perspective as president of the...
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Making Every Dollar Count with Jennifer Gibb
Better Learning Podcast
In this episode, Jeff Kubiak talks with Jennifer Gibb, Vice President of Business Development at Van Pelt Construction Services, about turning school bond measures into real buildings. With 20+ years spanning district facilities leadership, bond program management, and consulting, Jen shares how districts navigate tight budgets, layered funding sources, and community skepticism to deliver modern learning environments. The conversation dives into strategic bond planning, the real story behind fast-tracked construction after a razor-thin bond vote, balancing capital projects against general fund...
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Turning Campuses into Learning Tools with Orin Williams
Better Learning Podcast
Jeff Kubiak sits down with Orin Williams, Assistant Superintendent of Facilities, Planning, and Development at Riverside Unified School District, to unpack a 33-year career in school facilities planning. Orin traces his path from architecture school at Cal Poly Pomona through private practice into public education facilities, sharing how his design background shapes his advocacy for thoughtful, human-centered school environments. The conversation covers turning aging campuses into cohesive learning spaces, building community trust around bond projects, balancing tight budgets against big...
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Inside Rock Hill's $336M Vision for Safer, Smarter Schools with Andrew Jones
Better Learning Podcast
In this episode, Matt Rogers sits down with Andrew Jones, Executive Director for Safety and Emergency Management at Rock Hill School District (South Carolina), to explore how safety and design intersect in modern school construction. Andrew shares his winding path from youth ministry to law enforcement, teaching, and school administration before landing in his current role. The conversation dives deep into the district's new Sunset Park Elementary School project — a $336 million, 10-year facilities initiative — covering CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design), hardwired...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Better Learning Podcast, host Mark Barga sits down with Dr. Tim Matlack (superintendent), Ken Bonkoski (director of facilities), and Phil Leinbach (architect, EM Architects) to tell the story of Antietam School District's response to a catastrophic flash flood on July 9, 2023 — and how a small, resource-limited district turned disaster into opportunity.
Episode Takeaways:
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Crisis demands rapid, creative pivoting. When floodwaters destroyed 110,000 sq. ft. of educational space housing grades 7-12 and the district office — with FEMA providing zero financial assistance — the team had to improvise immediately. Students were relocated to a church, a neighboring elementary building, and eventually modular units, all while school opened on time that fall.
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Institutional trust is the foundation of effective school construction. With a decades-long relationship between the district and EM Architects, the team could move fast without losing alignment. Phil's advice: don't discard your architect like swapping doctors — that institutional knowledge of budgets, building history, and community context is irreplaceable.
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Flood-resilient design is possible, not just theoretical. The new Stony Creek Elementary is being built eight feet above the breach point of the 2023 flood, with solid creek-facing walls, storm water infrastructure, and a simplified rectangular footprint — giving the community genuine confidence without making promises nobody can guarantee.
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A strong school culture is built on shared purpose, not just shared hardship. Staff, neighboring districts (Exeter SD), community volunteers, and the National Guard all rallied around the district. Tim credits the faculty's family-like culture — which predates the flood — as the reason the district bent but didn't break.
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Flexibility is the greatest ability in school design and leadership. Phil's maxim: "Be like Gumby — bend, don't break." Ken's approach: don't get overwhelmed by the mountain in front of you; prioritize logistically, stay calm (mostly), own your mistakes, and keep moving. Tim's anchor: shared values around student outcomes are what let a team push through frustration and disagreement.
About Dr. Tim Matlack:
It was a singular honor for Dr. Timothy A. Matlack to rejoin the Mounts community in the role of Superintendent. From 2007-2022, he was fortunate enough to serve in a number of roles within the Antietam School District.
For ten years, Dr. Matlack taught at the Middle-Senior High School in the Language Arts Department. For the next five years, he was given the opportunity to be an Assistant Principal K-12, Athletic Director and Curriculum Supervisor. In that time, he came to understand Antietam for the unique, supportive and tenacious community that it is.
From 2022-2024, while he was the Director of Teaching and Learning at Tulpehocken Area School District, he thought often of Antietam and leapt at the opportunity to return as the Superintendent.
About Ken Bonkoski:
Ken Bonkoski is a facilities and maintenance professional based in Reading, Pennsylvania, known for his dedicated service in public education. He serves as the Facilities Manager for the Antietam School District, where he oversees building operations and ensures a safe, functional environment for students and staff.
In addition to his work in education, Bonkoski is the owner of KB Construction, a company he founded in 1996. Through decades of hands-on experience, he has built a reputation for quality craftsmanship, reliability, and attention to detail across a wide range of construction and maintenance projects.
Bonkoski gained wider recognition after being selected as a 2026 Pennsylvania RISE (Recognizing Inspiring School Employees) Award honoree, a distinction that highlights non-teaching school staff who make exceptional contributions to their communities.
Colleagues and community members praise his strong work ethic and commitment. He is known for going beyond his standard responsibilities—often arriving early and staying late—to keep school facilities running smoothly and to support both students and staff.
About Phil Leinbach:
Philip began his career at AEM Architects in 1991 as a graduate architect and received his PA registration in 1994. He joined ownership of the firm in 2000 and ascended to President in 2012.
Philip’s background is in construction having worked for the family construction company prior to attending college. For over 35 years, his architectural philosophy has centered around the concept that the greatest design is worthless if it cannot be constructed effectively and efficiently by the skilled contractors in the local marketplace. He is a hands-on professional focused on creating programmatic and operational value for his clients and providing responsive construction administration that is critical to the success of all projects.
Episode 334 of the Better Learning Podcast
For more information on our partners:
Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) - https://www.a4le.org/
Education Leaders' Organization - https://www.ed-leaders.org/
Second Class Foundation - https://secondclassfoundation.org/
EDmarket - https://www.edmarket.org/
Catapult @ Penn GSE - https://catapult.gse.upenn.edu/
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