The Authority Podcast — Expert Insights and Fresh Ideas for Education Leaders

Dr. Mario Acosta spent 20 years of his educational career as a teacher, instructional coach, assistant principal, academic director, and principal leading schools with diverse profiles. He was named the 2022 Principal of the Year in the state of Texas while he was the principal at Westwood High School, a U.S. News & World Report top-50 campus and member of the High Reliability Schools (HRS) Network.His latest book is The Schools Our Students Deserve: A Comprehensive Framework for Shaping Exceptional School Culture.We discuss:What are the schools our students deserve? Are we asking this question enough?The current state of schools and identifying the gapsOutcomes students deserve…The values to center in a school’s cultureMany schools saw temporary bursts of innovation after the pandemic, but struggled to sustain them. How can leaders build on the urgency of that moment and create lasting change?How does a leader take charge of the culture? Building support from the communityAttracting high-quality educators and retaining them long-termGet The Schools Our Students Deserve from Solution Tree. You can also learn more in this webinar: http://bit.ly/4fXCYWaAbout the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt  We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Ranan Lachman is a transformation expert with a BA in Computer Science and an MBA who has reinvented himself across radically different worlds — jet-fighter co-pilot, management consultant, Wall Street investment banker, and CEO of multiple technology companies.He lives what he teaches, having relocated to four countries across four continents and even circled the globe for a year with his family while managing a startup.Ranan is currently founder and CEO of Better Speech. We discuss his work with Better Speech and his book, Comfort Override: Future-Proof Your Life as AI Flips Your World.Topics include:How AI can help schools address special education goalsPrinciples for implementing AI responsibly in special educationHow can professionals proactively prepare for AI disruption in their industry?Daily practices to develop the adaptability “muscle”Evolving intentionally as an individual and an organizationLearn more about today’s guest:www.comfortoverride.comwww.betterspeech.com About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt  We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

As a Walt Disney Imagineer, Brian helped create the stories and magic for some of the world’s most beloved attractions. Over the past 35 years, he has produced work for a who’s who list of corporations, as well as small entrepreneurial ventures. Now, as a sought-after Innovation Consultant through his practice known as The Brainstorm Institute, he works with both large and small companies to help them gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.Currently, he is a full-time instructor at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College, where he teaches a variety of courses related to themed entertainment, immersive design, event production, and advanced technologies. His book is Creative Cross-Pollination: A Former Imagineer's Take on the Innovation Process.We discuss:Brian’s background as a Walt Disney Imagineer and his work writing for some of the world’s most beloved theme parks — and how this work influenced his approach to educationHis definition of innovationThe 4 techniques of Creative Cross-PollinationHow educators can integrate this technique into their workDriving innovation and creativity in educationEmerging trends in technology (AR/VR, Telematics, Military, etc.)...and how to cross-pollinateBrian’s take on the future of workOrder Creative Cross-Pollination: https://bit.ly/3LESDP0 Learn more about today’s guest:https://www.brainstorm-institute.comwww.ensoeducation.com About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt  We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

James I. Bond is one of America’s leading behavioral management specialists. He joins the show to talk about his book Brain Glue, which was named a 2023 Best Business Book finalist by Publishers Weekly.We discuss:How selling becomes much easier by making your ideas “sticky” The desire to connect with others and make your ideas connectThe science of persuasionUnderstanding the way people learn about ideasThe power of humorAbout the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt  We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Mitch Weathers is an educator, author of the bestselling book, Executive Functions for Every Classroom, and the founder of Organized Binder. He returns to the show to share tips for authors, especially how to launch and promote your book. We talk about:Starting to plan for a book launchKnowing why you want to writeIt doesn’t matter how valuable your book is if nobody knows it existsThe book as a marketing vessel: how does it open doors?Use your network to your advantageWhat makes promoting a book different from promoting your business?How to define successListen to my previous conversation with Mitch on episode 81 of The Authority, Executive Functions for Every Classroom with Mitch Weathers. About today’s guestMitch Weathers is an educator, author of the #1 bestselling book, Executive Functions for Every Classroom, and the founder of Organized Binder. Organized Binder is an MTSS Tier 1 solution that exposes students to the executive functions that promote success. In a world where we must embrace technology, analog interaction and hands-on practice is more important than ever. Studentness, the habits of being a student, are critical in today’s educational landscape and Mitch is among those leading the charge.About the hostRoss Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn I also host Sideline Sessions, a podcast for coaches and parents of student-athletes. The show features conversations with coaches and performance experts in the NFL, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, and more. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Rp0QGt  We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.