Learning Can’t Wait

The Learning Can’t Wait Podcast is your view into how changemakers are driving innovation in the field of education. Each week we interview leaders who are challenging the status quo at a time when it is absolutely necessary to rebuild the system for our students. Podcast Powered by Fullmind
Episodes
Episodes



4 days ago
4 days ago
In this episode of the Learning Can’t Wait Podcast, Andy Shean, Chief Learning Officer at Penn Foster Group, shares his personal journey from situational poverty to education leadership and underscores the transformative power of education. Shean describes his work at Penn Foster Group, a radically affordable, direct-to-career institution serving 300,000+ students, and introduces the LADDS model—Learner-centered, Authentic, Differentiated, and Skill-based learning—as a scalable framework for driving completion and equity in online education. He highlights innovations such as generative AI-powered feedback and multimodal learning, all designed to create high-quality, accessible learning for diverse communities. Shean closes by emphasizing the human side of online teaching and the importance of curiosity, belonging, and restlessness in effective education.



Thursday Aug 21, 2025
Design Thinking, Independent Learning, Human‑Centered Education | Dr. Sabba Quidwai
Thursday Aug 21, 2025
Thursday Aug 21, 2025
In this episode of The Learning Can’t Wait Podcast, Dr. Sabba Quidwai, CEO and founder of Designing Schools, shares how her journey from graduating during a recession to becoming a leader in design thinking and educational innovation has shaped her belief in empowering students and educators with the mindsets and skills to adapt in a rapidly evolving, AI‑powered world. She discusses the importance of independent learning, critical thinking, and empathy, debunks the “digital native” myth, and highlights how design thinking equips individuals to navigate ambiguity and shape their own destinies. Drawing from her work with future educators at UC Irvine, she describes shifting students’ skepticism about AI to optimism through hands‑on, reflective experiences—reinforcing that the human element in education is irreplaceable and essential for preparing learners for an uncertain future.



Tuesday Aug 19, 2025
Reflection, Student Voice, Transformational Leadership | Dr. Jeremy Owoh
Tuesday Aug 19, 2025
Tuesday Aug 19, 2025
In this episode of The Learning Can’t Wait Podcast, host Hayley Spira-Bauer speaks with Dr. Jeremy Owoh, Superintendent of Jacksonville North Pulaski School District in Arkansas, about his journey as an educator, the district’s unique history, and his reflective leadership approach. Dr. Owoh shares how the community built a new district from the ground up in 2014, prioritizing student voice, career and college readiness, and removing barriers to learning through innovative programs and new facilities. He discusses his dual role as president of ASCD and ISTE, merging curriculum leadership with educational technology, and his upcoming keynote in Ghana on transformational leadership’s impact on teacher growth and student achievement. Emphasizing reflection, choice, and grace, Dr. Owoh offers advice for new teachers and expresses pride in his district’s progress and global reach.



Thursday Aug 14, 2025
Amy Dujon | Empowerment, Authenticity, Community
Thursday Aug 14, 2025
Thursday Aug 14, 2025
In this lively and candid episode, Hayley Spira-Bauer sits down with Amy Dujon, VP of Education for Community Edu, to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing women in educational leadership. Amy shares her personal journey—highlighting resilience formed from early adversity and her commitment to leading with empathy and radical honesty. Together, they explore the persistent gender gaps in K-12 leadership, the importance of mentorship, building community, and strategies for women to harness their strengths, find support, and step boldly into bigger leadership roles. Amy also unveils the upcoming Leadership Network conference, designed to connect and empower women at all levels of the education sector.



Tuesday Aug 12, 2025
Dr. Neil Gupta | Community Engagement, Leadership, Collaborative Vision
Tuesday Aug 12, 2025
Tuesday Aug 12, 2025
In her podcast interview with Dr. Neil Gupta, Superintendent of Oakwood City Schools, Hayley Spira-Bauer explores Dr. Gupta’s relationship-driven approach to leadership, highlighting his commitment to listening, community engagement, and collaborative vision-building. Together, they discuss how meaningful, lasting change—like developing coordinated STEM initiatives or a district-wide “portrait of a learner”—comes from connecting with all stakeholders, being transparent about decision-making, and ensuring that district strategies reflect the community’s distinctive culture and needs.



Thursday Aug 07, 2025
Dr. Baron Davis | Collaboration, Student Voice. Education Innovation
Thursday Aug 07, 2025
Thursday Aug 07, 2025
Dr. Barron Davis, Senior Advisor at Digital Promise, returns to "The Learning Can't Wait" podcast to share his work building the Collaborative Innovation Studio—a national initiative empowering communities to co-create solutions to persistent educational challenges. He and host Hayley Spira-Bauer discuss authentic partnership, the value of centering student voice, and the power of collaboration and feedback in driving sustainable change for schools.



Monday Aug 04, 2025
Merissa Salder-Holder | EdTech Teacher Voice. AI in Education
Monday Aug 04, 2025
Monday Aug 04, 2025
AI strategist and K-12 innovation consultant Merissa Sadler-Holder joins Hayley Spira-Bauer on "The Learning Can't Wait" podcast to share her journey from French teacher to tech advocate and founder. Merissa discusses how the pandemic and GameStop phenomenon sparked her move into edtech innovation, the empowering parallel between teaching students and guiding AI tools, and her call for educators to reject martyrdom and own their value. Tune in for a candid conversation about embracing change in education and building the future together.



Thursday Jul 31, 2025
Chéla Wallace | STEM Equity, Girls’ Education, Innovation
Thursday Jul 31, 2025
Thursday Jul 31, 2025
Chéla Wallace’s journey from science teacher to school founder is shaped by family adversity, a passion for STEM equity, and a drive to revolutionize girls’ education. Through candid reflection on her career pivots and the mentors who helped along the way, Chéla shares her plans for a new K-8 STEAM school in Greensboro focused on social justice, innovation, and empowering girls of color. Her story underscores the importance of community, high expectations, and embracing both tradition and playful curiosity to transform what is possible in education.

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Hosted by Hayley Spira-Bauer
Triage. Transition. Transformation. These are the three stages of disaster relief and after two years of a global pandemic, our education system has been both triaged and has transitioned…it is high time for transformation.
This transformation is brought to life by Hayley Spira-Bauer. Hayley is a progressive school founder, Teach for America alumni, lifelong educator, and Chief Academic Officer at Fullmind. She is passionate about educational evolution and dedicated to amplifying the voices of teachers and schools nationwide.
Why? Because Learning Can't Wait.