From her rough and tumble childhood along the rugged Maine coast to teaching Siberian Yupik students on an Alaskan island 35 miles from Russia, author and education expert Michelle Finn’s path through life has been unconventional. Join us as we explore her fascinating journey to become an educator, and the impact her work in competency-based, personalized learning systems has made on education.    Learn more about Michelle Finn: https://www.marzanoresources.com/michelle-finn.html  Buy Michelle’s books:  https://www.marzanoresources.com/scheduling-for-personalized-competenc ..read more

Dr. Cameron Rains doesn’t shy away from digging in to investigate instructional practices that will raise levels of learning for all students. This passion for improving systems and structures to better serve students and teachers defined his former career as an educator and drives his daily work as executive vice president of Solution Tree.  Join Jeff Jones in a candid conversation with Dr. Rains. As they traverse a range of topics, it becomes clear that every professional path chosen by Dr. Rains was done so with the intention of sharing what works with educators everywhere.  &nbs ..read more

Decades ago, educator Bob Eaker began communicating with his fellow teachers and realized there needed to be a mechanism for changing teachers in order to change schools. Collaborating with PLC at Work® originator Rick DuFour, Bob took the principles of the PLC into his own community–and from there, saw dramatic results.  Listen in as Solution Tree CEO Jeff Jones sits down with Bob to discuss those early days of putting the PLC into practice, and how the passion for teaching that began all those years ago has never waned ..read more

Decades ago, educator Bob Eaker began communicating with his fellow teachers and realized there needed to be a mechanism for changing teachers in order to change schools. Collaborating with PLC at Work® originator Rick DuFour, Bob took the principles of the PLC into his own community–and from there, saw dramatic results.  Listen in as Solution Tree CEO Jeff Jones sits down with Bob to discuss those early days of putting the PLC into practice, and how the passion for teaching that began all those years ago has never waned ..read more

Claudia Wheatley, author liaison and content specialist for Solution Tree, has experienced the life and culture of people everywhere from the inner city to the farms of Indiana. As a young teacher, Claudia learned the value of education, but was also willing to take risks to ensure student success went beyond just the subject matter. From there, she learned her talents lay in resource development.  During her prestigious career at Solution Tree, Claudia has overseen the production of thousands of resources used by educators across the country. Whether she is nurturing our newest associate ..read more

Former teacher, school administrator, and district-level leader Tom Schimmer has always felt a drive to impact people—although not always as an educator. As a lifelong sports fan, he first dreamed of coaching. It was only after he began teaching that he developed a passion for the work and embarked on a career in education that has spanned more than 30 years and taken him to 19 different countries. Tune in to hear how Tom went from Boise State punter to one of the top experts in education. He chats about growing up in Vancouver, his love of baseball and sitcoms, and why “Schimmering it” is the ..read more

Deeply rooted in the culture of Buffalo, New York, William “Bill” M. Ferriter has always felt a need to share his passion for community with the students he teaches. As a young teacher, he took that passion to North Carolina, where he began his career with third-grade students. He then made his way through different grades before finally becoming an eighth-grade science teacher—a position he still holds today.  A prolific writer and speaker, Bill is passionate about crafting compelling content. Through his writing, he serves as a mentor for budding educators. Bill has published eight book ..read more

From Illinois High School Principal of the Year to one of three National Principal of the Year finalists, Jack Baldermann has been a passionate educational leader for more than 30 years. Born and raised in Chicago, he learned the value of collaboration and hard work from a young age, lessons that he carries with him to this day as principal of Westmont High School and a Solution Tree PLC at Work® expert.  Follow his journey from high school basketball benchwarmer to principal of one of the highest-performing PLCs around the globe. Listen as he shares his love of sports and music, what lif ..read more

Solution Tree CEO Jeff Jones welcomes listeners to Season 2 of podcast interviews with some of the most gifted authors and presenters in the field of education ..read more

Captivating audiences everywhere with his charisma, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more vibrant speaker and educator than Dr. Luis Cruz. Teacher, principal, writer, presenter... Luis has donned many titles over the years, but none compare to the one he holds now: cultural champion. Embracing his Latino heritage and diverse upbringing, Luis has pursued his passion for equity, making it his mission to ensure students of color, low-income students, and particularly ELLs succeed.  Listen to the story of how Luis went from playing in the parking lots of Pico-Union in Los Angeles to leading ..read more