Public Schools 360

Dr. Jennie Weiner is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Connecticut. Her scholarship focuses on issues of educational leadership and organizational change, including the impact of gender and racial discrimination in educational leadership. She has presented at national and international conferences with her work appearing in over 40 peer-reviewed journals and is the author, with Dr. Isobel Stevenson, of the Strategy Playbook for Educational Leaders. She has also appeared as an expert on issues of women, leadership, and care work for a variety of events and media outlets such as Good Morning America and NPR as well as on a variety of podcasts. She holds an Ed.D. and M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and currently lives with her partner Jeremiah, their 10-year-old twin boys Rufus and Manny, and their dog Junior.

Dr. Aradhana Mudambi is the Director of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Bilingual Education, and World Languages at Windham Public Schools in Connecticut and is an Adjunct Professor of Intercultural Communications at Eastern Connecticut State University.

Angela Pack Zia is Founder and President of the Board of Directors of Think Bilingual Austin, a 501(c)(3) non-profit.  Prior to Think Bilingual Austin, Angela worked as an International Business Development Manager, as a consultant in a number of economic development and corporate social responsibility projects for both private and public entities, and as a volunteer instructor in a variety of ESL and tutoring programs.

The interview was recorded July 2020

Lee Teitel is the founding director of the Reimagining Integration: The Diverse and Equitable Schools (RIDES) Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. RIDES supports schools, districts, and charter organizations in moving beyond desegregation (getting diverse students in their buildings) to become places where all children learn at high levels, feel included, appreciate their own and other cultures, understand racism, and work to dismantle it. The Equity Improvement Cycle that is at the heart of the RIDES Institute builds on over a decade of practical on-the-ground Instructional Rounds improvement work.  Through RIDES and as an individual consultant, Teitel has helped hundreds of teachers, administrators, and students in over 35 schools and districts around the country use the Equity Improvement Cycle to name, own, and address inequities in their schools.

Kareem Farah was awarded the 2018 DC Public Schools Award for Classroom Innovation for his blended, self-paced, mastery-based approach to teaching and learning. Shortly thereafter, he founded The Modern Classrooms Project a nonprofit that trains educators to leverage technology to create blended, self-paced, mastery-based classrooms in which all students, regardless of background, truly learn.

Vik Muktavaram immigrated to the United States from India to attend graduate school he has since made America his home. He discusses his experiences as an immigrant, parent and board member in Westport, CT.

Michael Hernandez came to the United Sates as a young student and attends University of Connecticut and discusses experiences many immigrant families have in the American public schools.

Kayla Iannetta is science educator who thinks about the changing face of science education. She discusses how her practice has evolved teaching st Staples High School in Westport, CT.

TEAM Westport, CT (USA). Chet Ellis, Angela Ji and Daniel Boccardo winners of TEAM Westport 2019 essay contest. All of them were seniors at Staples High School, Westport, CT (USA). The interview was recorded in Summer 2019.

Mr. Mark Mathias- Organizer Maker Faire Westport CT (USA). Mr. Mathias has been a Board of Education member in Westport CT (USA) for 16 years and is a parent and technology entrepreneur. The interview was recorded in Spring 2019.

Alicia Hernandez Strong- Activists/Community Organizer CT (USA). Ms. Strong grew up in New Britain CT (USA) attending public schools and has attended college and is admitted to graduate school at Yale. Ms. Strong continues to advocate for the community and schools in CT (USA). The interview was recorded in Spring 2019