Welcome back as we continue our special series on literacy, presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental. To hear more from this series, you can revisit our September episodes from National Literacy Month.

Today’s guest, Dr. Norene Bunt, is an author and former teacher, principal, curriculum coordinator, school improvement strategist, and superintendent. She is an expert on best practices in literacy instruction and integrating the science of reading effectively and efficiently to support high levels of learning for all students.

Her book is called Solving the Literacy Puzzle: Practical Strategies for Integrating the Science of Reading Into Classroom Instruction.

We discuss:

• How the U.S. is performing in the area of reading proficiency
• What factors are impacting students' reading proficiency?
• This book consolidates decades of research on effective literacy instruction. It can feel overwhelming to teachers. What are some of the key things to understand?
• Removing other barriers to using evidence-based practices.
• Science of reading: some of the common practices teachers might not realize are consistent with the science of reading
• Practices to eliminate
• The roles of whole-group, small-group, and independent work

Find Solving the Literacy Puzzle from Solution Tree or wherever you get your books.

Visit https://bepodcast.network to learn about all our shows.

Visit www.rif.org to learn about Reading Is Fundamental.

About today’s guest

Dr. Norene A. Bunt is an author and former teacher, principal, curriculum coordinator, school improvement strategist, and superintendent. She is an expert on best practices in literacy instruction and integrating the science of reading effectively and efficiently to support high levels of learning for all students. Dr. Bunt has more than 15 years of teaching experience and 17 years serving in leadership roles in schools with widely diverse populations of students. Her expertise has been developed through these professional experiences, as well as through action research, classroom observations, and extensive reviews of current research.

About the host

Ross 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 Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn

Kyle Wagner is the founder and Learning Experience Designer for Transform Educational Consulting Limited, an organization that empowers forward thinking schools and educators to create globally, socially and emotionally aware citizens through project-based experiences and 12 shifts for student-centered environments.

In this episode, we chat about Kyle’s book, Where Is the Teacher? The 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments.

Our discussion covers:

• The hard truths about student-centered learning environments
• The role of the teacher in today's classroom
• Leadership's role in building this culture: How do they accelerate the shifts?
• What kind of things need to be in place for the transformation to student-centered learning to take place?
• 12 shifts framework
• Who designs learning? What is the role of content?
• Evaluation vs. motivation

Find Where Is The Teacher? from Routledge or wherever you get your books. Read the introduction and order the book at www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher or take the 12 Shifts Scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard.

About today’s guest

Kyle Wagner is the founder and [Co] Learning Experience Designer for Transform Educational Consulting Limited, an organization that empowers forward thinking schools and educators to create globally, socially and emotionally aware citizens through project-based experiences and 12 shifts for student-centred environments. Kyle fell in love with project-based learning as a teacher at High Tech High, where he witnessed students publish best-selling books, create their own social enterprises, and even influence policy change through real- world projects. He has taken this passion global, founding micro-schools, authoring 2 books, and helping over 1,000 educators develop 1000 + transformative learning experiences and the student-centered environments to support them.

A published author, his two books ‘Power of Simple, and ‘Where is The Teacher: The 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments’ feature captivating stories, practical case studies, and simple strategies from student-centered classrooms and schools around the world around how to move from teacher-led to student-centered environments and experiences. Get in touch with him at kylewagner@transformschool.com.

About the host

Ross 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 Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn

Rhonda J. Roos, PhD is an educational consultant coaching principals, district leaders, and administrative teams in the complex and ever-challenging work of leading schools.

She is a former assistant superintendent in New Albany, Indiana where she led curricular improvement, aligning those efforts with the district’s progress in becoming a professional learning community.

Rhonda joins the show to discuss her book, The Deliberate and Courageous Principal: Ten Leadership Actions and Skills to Create High-Achieving Schools.

The episode covers:

• What Rhonda found to be the most difficult part of being a principal
• The difference between Essential Leadership Actions and Essential Leadership Skills
• How to establish a vision focused on learning
• Clarifying the essential work for educators
• Take Action (Instead of Being Busy)
• How to build relationships
• Favorite strategy to lean into the positive
• Where do most leaders miss the mark in working with their staffs?

Find The Deliberate and Courageous Principal from Solution Tree or wherever you get your books.

About today’s guest

Rhonda J. Roos, PhD is an educational consultant coaching principals, district leaders, and administrative teams in the complex and ever-challenging work of leading schools. She is a former assistant superintendent in New Albany, Indiana where she led curricular improvement, aligning those efforts with the district’s progress in becoming a professional learning community. Rhonda has been an educator since 1983 serving as a guidance counselor, English teacher, middle school principal, and district administrator. She has taught graduate courses on leadership at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, Indiana and Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky.

Rhonda served on the leadership team of the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute and is a regular keynote speaker. Honors include the 2010 Indiana Middle School Principal of the Year, 2011 Solution Tree “Redefining Excellence District Award” and the 2015 Indiana University Southeast Educator of the Year.

About the host

Ross 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 Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn