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Podcast Episode 1: A Third Way: The Founding of Deans for Impact
Category: Organization
“So many efforts to improve teaching and learning at scale don't get inside the black box of instruction, and I think what the science of learning enabled us to do was to think really deeply about the scientific basis of how the mind works and think about model of the mind, but then able to translate that to like details of teaching and learning.”
-Pete Fishman, Co-Founder, DFI and Senior Partner, NewSchools Venture Fund
“It’s been very gratifying for me to see the leaders who go and continue to try to do great things and support the transformation of the system. I think it comes from the diversity of leadership and of the communities that were served.”
-Benjamin Riley, Founder, DFI, CEO, Cognitive Resonance
"It doesn't matter the type of organization where a teacher is prepared. We want all of those places to be accessible, to be high quality, and to be committed to putting out teachers who are really going to see and lift up and honor kids.”
-Valerie Sakimura, Executive Director, DFI
In Episode 1 of our podcast, Hand in Hand, Place to Place: Transforming Teacher Preparation, DFI Executive Director and co-founder Valerie Sakimura sits down with founder Benjamin Riley and co-founder Pete Fishman to revisit the bold vision that launched Deans for Impact a decade ago. Together, they reflect on the early days of disrupting the status quo in teacher preparation.
Gathering inspiration and input from leaders in the field, they explore how DFI’s founding was rooted in a “third way” approach that continues to be more relevant than ever: one that fused the poetry of storytelling and transformational leadership with the plumbing of systems, structures, and scientifically-informed change.
Listen to the full episode:
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About “Hand in Hand, Place to Place”
How has the field of teacher preparation evolved over the last decade? Where is it headed, and how can stakeholders work together to ensure all pathways into teaching are affordable and high-quality? Hosted by DFI Executive Director Valerie Sakimura, this five-episode podcast series features insights from leaders and educators working collectively towards a future when all students are taught by well-prepared teachers.