Nick and Marc spend time with Dr. Cynthia Taines, a sociologist, associate professor, and author of The Metropolitan Community: Partnering for Equality Across the Educational Divide. They discuss the many inequities facing our nation's schools and the potential solutions that could bridge existing divisions.

Find Dr. Taines: website, Instagram, Facebook

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Check out Marc's latest book, CAPTIVATE

Click HERE to watch this episode of State of Ed Podcast

In their ongoing FETC series, Nick and Marc sit down with Jeff Piontek, an education leader, author, and international speaker with more than 25 years of experience advancing early literacy, instructional design, and school leadership. Jeff is the former director of instructional and informational technology for the NYCDOE. His work focuses on protecting the human foundations of learning while thoughtfully integrating emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.

Jeff is also the creator of the AI, EI, O, and You framework, a practical model designed to help educators and leaders balance innovation with well-being, oral language development, and human agency.

Find Jeff Piontek: website, X, LinkedIn

Check out Kibeam.

Follow Marc on X, online, TikTok, or YouTube

Check out Marc's latest book, CAPTIVATE

Click HERE to watch this episode of State of Ed Podcast

In their ongoing FETC series, Nick and Marc sit down with Austin Levinson, Director of Learning at MEGAMINDS. They discuss the shifting landscape of edtech and how MegaMinds is leveraging artificial intelligence to create more meaningful learning experiences for students in schools.

Follow Austin Levinson on LinkedIN

See MegaMinds in action.

Follow Marc on X, online, TikTok, or YouTube

Check out Marc's latest book, CAPTIVATE

Click HERE to watch State of Ed Podcast

First-timers at the FETC Annual Conference in Orlando, Nick and Marc got to meet many incredible educators from across the country. In this episode, they sit down with the incomparable Barbara Bray, who gushes about her love of teachers and addresses the importance of remembering your "why."

Get to know Barbara Bray: online, Grow Your Why Podcast, her books

Follow Marc on X, online, TikTok, or YouTube

Check out Marc's new book, CAPTIVATE

Nick turns the tables and interviews Marc about his book, Captivate as well as the message he is sharing with educators across the country as a featured speaker at conferences. They discuss challenges faced by today's school leaders, ways to leverage educational technology in the classroom, and how to effectively mentor new teachers.

Follow Marc on X, online, TikTok, or YouTube

Check out Marc's new book, CAPTIVATE

Marc is joined by author, podcaster, speaker, and instructional technology expert, Alana Winnick. Recorded at the School Administrators Association of New York's Annual Conference, amid the picturesque backdrop of Lake George, Marc and Alana discuss the role of AI in today's classrooms, the challenges of implementation, and the incredible opportunity available to our schools and students in this generative age.

Find Alana Winnick online, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn

Follow Marc on X, online, TikTok, or YouTube

Check out Marc's new book, CAPTIVATE

Marc is joined by author, speaker, and former school superintendent, Dr. Joe Sanfelippo. Recorded at the School Administrators Association of New York's Annual Conference, amid the picturesque backdrop of Lake George, Marc and Joe discuss critical elements of district leadership, how to hire, train, and retain the very best people, and ways to shift culture to ensure that learning environments produce the best possible outcomes.

Find Dr. Sanfelippo online, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook

Follow Marc on X, online, TikTok, or YouTube

Check out Marc's new book, CAPTIVATE

Marc is joined by international consultant, speaker, and New York Times bestselling author, Rosalind Wiseman, whose book Queen Bees & Wannabees inspired the popular film and musical, Mean Girls. They discuss how to foster schools that promote student voice, the differences between respect and dignity, and the challenges facing educators and young people in a social media world.

Find Rosalind Wiseman online, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook

Follow Marc on X, online, TikTok, or YouTube

Check out Marc's latest book, CAPTIVATE