Beneath the Water | Podcast Guru

Details

Beneath the Water is a leadership podcast hosted by Diane Doersch, a longtime education technology leader, former district technology executive, and community builder who is now in her "rewirement." In each episode, Diane sits down with education technology leaders for the kind of conversation we do not hear often enough. These are not polished success stories or quick leadership tips. They are honest conversations about what is happening beneath the surface: the moments that shaped her guests, the challenges they had to work through, the lessons they carry, and the parts of leadership that are not always visible from the outside. This podcast is for leaders who want to feel seen in their work and reminded that they are not alone.

Recent Episodes

Asking "What If?" with Suzan Brandt

Send us Fan Mail Suzan Brandt, CTO of Mountain Brook Schools, has lived her life with curiosity - and that's reflected in her teaching, her CTO-ing, her conference planning, and her TedEd organizing. Diane and Suzan sit down to talk about Suzan's journey to becoming CTO, taking up the mantle from former podcast guest Donna Williamson. And during the pandemic, nonetheless! They reminisce about their meeting through the "savvy sisters," and they connect over their love of employing a "meeting c...

49 MIN

Embracing the Mess with Berj Akian

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Beneath the Water, Diane sits down with Berj Akian, founder and CEO of ClassLink, to break down the experiences that shaped his journey— being lovingly nudged from the biochemistry program in college into the accounting program, then journeying from venture capital into education technology. We learn about how a chance conversation at an arts fair opened the doors to working with schools and their technology. The successful career that followed grew by payi...

35 MIN

Becoming the Techie Principal with Dr. Kip Glazer

Send us Fan Mail Diane and Dr. Kip Glazer chat about their quick friendship through Linking Leaders, falling into teaching and loving it, and making the big switch to the administrative side. She shares how her challenges have propelled her to new places, and how none of these things are really challenges compared to her first years in the US, learning a new language and making a life for herself. If you, dear listener, come away with anything, let it be this: Dr. Kip Glazer is getting things...

40 MIN

Opening Doors with Jamie Saponaro

Send us Fan Mail Jamie Saponaro is one of the best when it comes to building environments for collaboration and community. She's the author of the new book "Transforming Classrooms: Building a Culture of Collaboration." Jamie and Diane discuss how volunteering can be a stepping stone to getting great jobs, and they highlight Jamie's rise through the ranks from classroom teacher to where she is now. Finding your passions, failing forward, and taking risks are all part of Jamie's secret sauce. ...

45 MIN

Interoperability with Dr. Tim Clark

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Tim Clark started as a classroom teacher and ended up shaping interoperability at a global level. What stood out most was this: every move he made was still grounded in the classroom: English teacher, Techie teacher, District leader, Global connector. Dr. Tim Clark never stopped seeing himself as a teacher, even when his title changed. That’s why his work lands. He doesn’t talk about systems like a solution provider. He talks about them like someone who has lived the prob...

39 MIN