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What If Every Graduate Left With a Plan? | Dr. Whitney Oakley

Getting Smart Podcast

Release Date: 06/24/2026

Why 'Why Am I Learning This?' Is the Most Important Question in Education | Edson Barton show art Why 'Why Am I Learning This?' Is the Most Important Question in Education | Edson Barton

Getting Smart Podcast

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Mason Pashia sits down with Edson Barton, CEO and co-founder of YouScience, to explore what it truly means to build a credentialing system that delivers value to learners, not just paperwork. Drawing on Utah's landmark House Bill 260, which mandates stackable credentials for all graduates and positions YouScience as the infrastructure powering that vision, Edson and Mason unpack what an end-to-end career readiness ecosystem looks like when it is grounded in science, driven by aptitude, and designed to answer every student's most fundamental...

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Getting Smart Podcast

In this episode of Catching Up, Nate McClennen and Mason Pashia tackle three of the most urgent tensions in modern education. They explore a landmark Penn study revealing that while AI can streamline lesson planning, it may inadvertently erode student intrinsic motivation and engagement. The hosts also dive into the "truancy triangle"—a framework for understanding chronic absenteeism that balances policy and wraparound support with the often-overlooked necessity of designing learning experiences that students genuinely find relevant and worth attending. The conversation extends to the...

info_outline How Can Districts Turn Jobs Into Degrees to Build Stronger Teacher Pipelines? | Joe Ross show art How Can Districts Turn Jobs Into Degrees to Build Stronger Teacher Pipelines? | Joe Ross

Getting Smart Podcast

Reach University is rethinking higher education with a simple but powerful idea: turn jobs into degrees. In this conversation, Joe Ross shares how apprenticeship degrees can help districts grow their own teachers by investing in the talent already in their buildings. From paraeducators to support staff, this model creates affordable pathways into the profession while strengthening local workforce pipelines. The episode explores teacher prep, higher education, lifelong learning, and new pathways that expand opportunity without adding debt. Outline (00:00) Introduction: Joe Ross &...

info_outline Tell Story: Tyson Yunkaporta on Deep Time, Creolization, and Education show art Tell Story: Tyson Yunkaporta on Deep Time, Creolization, and Education

Getting Smart Podcast

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia and Jason Cummins sit down with Tyson Yunkaporta for a thought-provoking conversation on Indigenous knowledge, relational learning, and the role of schools as spaces for dialogue, contradiction, and meaning-making. Together, they explore how language shapes worldview, why Indigenous leadership brings vital governance protocols to education, and how schools can move beyond reinforcing boundaries to becoming places where relationships, complexity, and shared understanding can grow. Outline Links  

info_outline How are theatre education and gamification related? | Gersom de Koning show art How are theatre education and gamification related? | Gersom de Koning

Getting Smart Podcast

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia sits down with Gersom de Koning to explore theater education as a transformative practice. Their conversation examines how drama builds confidence, collaboration, leadership, and transferable skills while also offering a powerful model for gamification, exploration, and learning through productive failure. From arts integration and technical theater to the future of live performance in an AI world, this episode highlights why theater belongs at the center of meaningful learning. Outline Links  

info_outline Transformation Journey: Liberty Public Schools show art Transformation Journey: Liberty Public Schools

Getting Smart Podcast

In this episode of The Getting Smart Podcast with Liberty Public Schools, Rebecca Midles introduces how Liberty Public Schools, located just north of Kansas City and serving about 12,000 students, is reimagining learning through real-world experiences and personalized pathways. The conversation features Julie Moore, Assistant Superintendent for Innovation and Learning, and Sarah Wickham, Director of Real-World Learning, who share the story behind Edge, a microschool embedded within Liberty High School. What began as a vision inspired by the success of EPiC Elementary and shaped by...

info_outline How can Empathy Interviews Change Education for the Better? | Chris McNutt show art How can Empathy Interviews Change Education for the Better? | Chris McNutt

Getting Smart Podcast

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia talks with Chris McNutt of Human Restoration Project about how empathy interviews can help schools move beyond traditional surveys and toward more meaningful, student-centered change. The conversation explores Polaris, a platform designed to gather and analyze qualitative student voice data at scale, and highlights how districts are using these insights to strengthen belonging, improve inclusion, and redesign learning experiences. From student agency and Portrait of a Graduate work to ethical questions around AI and data privacy, this...

info_outline How Do Schools Build Durable Skills? | Michael Crawford Chris Unger show art How Do Schools Build Durable Skills? | Michael Crawford Chris Unger

Getting Smart Podcast

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia is joined by Michael Crawford of America Succeeds and Chris Unger of Northeastern University to explore what it really takes to help young people build durable skills. Drawing on a 16-month study of 12 innovative high schools, they discuss how schools can make skills like collaboration, communication, and critical thinking explicit, visible, and measurable through authentic learning, reflection, advising, and real-world experiences. The conversation highlights the 3-4-3 framework for durable skills...

info_outline What If Every Graduate Left With a Plan? | Dr. Whitney Oakley show art What If Every Graduate Left With a Plan? | Dr. Whitney Oakley

Getting Smart Podcast

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers sits down with Dr. Whitney Oakley, superintendent of Guilford County Schools, to explore the Guilford Guarantee—a bold district commitment that every graduate leaves high school with college credit, an industry-recognized credential, or a meaningful work-based learning experience. The conversation highlights what it takes to build real-world learning at scale, from family and student listening to employer partnerships, advising systems, and cross-sector alignment. Dr. Oakley shares how Guilford County is turning a promise into...

info_outline How Can Classrooms Teach Democracy? | Dr. Douglas Yacek show art How Can Classrooms Teach Democracy? | Dr. Douglas Yacek

Getting Smart Podcast

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In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee Caruthers sits down with Dr. Whitney Oakley, superintendent of Guilford County Schools, to explore the Guilford Guarantee—a bold district commitment that every graduate leaves high school with college credit, an industry-recognized credential, or a meaningful work-based learning experience. The conversation highlights what it takes to build real-world learning at scale, from family and student listening to employer partnerships, advising systems, and cross-sector alignment. Dr. Oakley shares how Guilford County is turning a promise into a sustainable strategy for equity, access, and future-ready pathways for all learners.

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