Be a Lighthouse: Latino Student Success Through Belonging & Better Schools with Edgar Palacios

S5:E39

When education and society feels tense, the leaders who make the biggest difference aren’t the loudest -- they’re the clearest. In this episode, Edgar Palacios shares what it means to build belonging, representation, and opportunity for Latino students and why that work improves outcomes for everyone.

Edgar is the founder of RevED (Revolución Educativa) & is a positive force in Latino education anchored in community leadership.

What we cover (practical takeaways):

🔹Why “being seen and heard” is reciprocal and what belonging really requires

🔹What schools miss when they focus on outcomes but ignore human experience 

🔹Why representation (educators/administrators) matters for student success

🔹How leaders can “be a lighthouse” without losing their grounding

⏱️Timestamps:

00:03 – Edgar’s personal reset: nature, reflection, and leading with presence

06:40 – “Be a lighthouse in the storm”: why voices matter even when it’s risky

12:15 – The real gap: representation & retention (not just recruitment)

18:05 – What schools get wrong: outcomes without humanity

24:10 – “Seen and heard” isn’t a slogan, here's what it requires in real communities Who this episode is for: School leaders, educators, nonprofit founders, civic leaders, and mission-driven business owners who want to lead with clarity without losing their humanity.

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#Education #Latino #Community #Leadership #Belonging

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