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Need More Help?Podcast Series
The “What I Want to Know” Podcast
Education is undergoing a dramatic shift, creating an opportunity to transform how we serve learners of all ages. Kevin P. Chavous turns to innovators across education, workforce development, and more to ask: “How can we do better?”
LATEST EPISODE
OCTOBER 22,2025
EP. 187: Ahmoni Jones on Representation and the Role of Black Male Teachers in Education
In this episode, Kevin P. Chavous talks with Ahmoni Jones, a seventh-grade math teacher at Soulsville Charter School in Memphis, who’s part of that 1%. Jones grew up in a predominantly Black district, surrounded by teachers who looked like him—but never by a Black man at the front of the room. Now he’s changing that story.
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Mental Health
Episode 153
How can we incorporate mindfulness into the classroom?
A conversation with Linda Ryden
Episode 122
What role do parents play in promoting mental health?
A conversation with Anne Brown
Episode 85
How can we support students’ emotional and mental wellness?
A conversation with Mike Veny
Episode 84
How can schools support students struggling with addiction?
A conversation with Tony Hoffman
Episode 51
What is our schools’ role in promoting mental health?
A conversation with Alison Malmon
Episode 4
Are we prepared to pay the mental health bill for our nation’s students?
A conversation with Esther Wojcicki and Dr. Tammy Pawloski
Health & Safety
Episode 142
How should we talk to our kids about social media?
A conversation with Linda Charmaraman
Episode 135
How can we help students feel safe at school?
A conversation with Kristi Krings
Episode 123
How can sex education keep our children safe?
A conversation with Christine Soyong Harley
Episode 88
How can we keep students out of the criminal justice system?
A conversation with Tony Lowden
Episode 77
How can schools bridge the nutrition gap for students?
A conversation with Curt Ellis
Episode 72
How can we protect kids against cyberbullying?
A conversation with Dr. Jay Greene
Episode 71
How can police best serve and protect schools?
A conversation with Dr. Justin Patchin
Episode 63
How do schools protect their sensitive data from cyberattacks?
A conversation with Doug Levin
Episode 48
What can we do to break the school-to-prison pipeline?
A conversation with Jonathan Cabrera
Episode 21
How can schools and families better address bullying?
A conversation with Conway Brooks and his daughter Dorthy
Episode 20
What can we do to ensure all children feel safe at school?
A conversation with Julie Hertzog
College & Career
Episode 178
How to Help Your Teen Choose the Right Career Path
A conversation with Allison Danielsen
Episode 170
From Housing Instability to College Success: K12 Alum Alanna Vickers Shares Her Story
A conversation with Alanna Vickers
Episode 167
Preparing Gen Z for Online School and Future Careers
A conversation with Laura Massey
Episode 164
How K12 Online School Shaped Alexa Curtis’ Entrepreneurial Success
A conversation with Alexa Curtis
Episode 141
How can we best support the future workforce?
A conversation with Dr. Kathleen St. Louis Caliento
Episode 127
Can job training programs better prepare our students for the future?
A conversation with Chuck Goodrich
Episode 114
Could a skilled trade career be a better path for more students?
A conversation with Brian Hughes
Episode 110
How can we best prepare students for college?
A conversation with Mitch Daniels
Episode 67
What is the future of standardized testing for college admissions?
A conversation with David Coleman
Episode 66
How can we reform education to better prepare students for the future?
A conversation with Dr. Bill Daggett
Episode 64
What are the benefits of dual enrollment, and how can schools implement it?
A conversation with Douglas Rodriguez
Episode 43
How can we better prepare students for college and careers?
A conversation with John Thrasher
Episode 35
Can apprenticeships solve the manufacturing skills gap?
A conversation with Tony Davis
Episode 11
How can we prepare students for the careers of the future?
A conversation with Stedman Graham and Jeff Selingo
Episode 8
How can we develop the next generation of problem solvers?
A conversation with John Hunter and Jaime Casap
Episode 7
How do employers value skills vs. degrees?
A conversation with Cheryl DeSantis and Marc Morial
Episode 3
Does the United States economy still have room for students’ dreams?
A conversation with Heather McGowan and Karl Rectanus
Teachers
Episode 156
How can we combat the shortage of special education teachers?
A conversation with Kimber Wilkerson
Episode 131
How can teachers maintain their passion for the profession?
A conversation with Rebecka Peterson
Episode 129
Can apprenticeship programs alleviate teacher shortages?
A conversation with David Donaldson
Episode 113
How can we better train and support our teachers?
A conversation with Kevin Bross
Episode 81
How can we better resource teachers and their students?
A conversation with Alix Guerrier
Episode 59
Are we doing enough to support our teachers?
A conversation with Elisa Villanueva Beard
Episode 50
Is it time to rethink teacher training and certification?
A conversation with Dave Saba
Episode 2
Has the pandemic changed skill requirements of our nation’s teachers?
A conversation with Dr. Rick Hess and Talia Milgrom
Curriculum
Episode 163
Back to School 2024: Empowering Students Through Storytelling, Mindfulness, Science, and Future Skills
A conversation with Dr. Sherri Wilson, Linda Ryden, Dr. Kathleen St. Louis Caliento, and Jesse Byrd
Episode 162
How your teen can join the medical field?
A conversation with Dr. Sherri Wilson
Episode 158
Can summer learning programs combat the summer slide?
A conversation with Aaron Dworkin
Episode 157
How can we ensure all students have access to effective tutoring?
A conversation with Dr. Susanna Loeb
Episode 130
How can we better support gifted students?
A conversation with Dr. Brian Housand
Episode 128
Why is history still important and needed today?
A conversation with Jessica Lander
Episode 96
Can games like Dungeons & Dragons encourage student engagement?
A conversation with Stefan McNinch
Episode 74
How can innovative models get students excited about learning?
A conversation with Dr. Buddy Berry
Episode 46
What should schools teach about climate science?
A conversation with Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd
Episode 44
Should K–12 assessment change with online and hybrid learning?
A conversation with Dr. Malbert Smith
Episode 32
How do we improve the financial literacy of our youth?
A conversation with Tanya Van Court
Episode 24
What do preschoolers need from their teachers and schools?
A conversation with Kai-lee Berke
Episode 22
Is early childhood education a springboard for academic success?
A conversation with Dr. Michael Troy
Episode 1
How do we encourage engaging learning environments?
A conversation with Sugata Mitra and Rachael Mann
Parents & Families
Episode 179
The Tax Bill That Could Change American Education With John Schilling
A conversation with John Schilling
Episode 177
How to Build IEPs That Truly Support Every Student
A conversation with Jenny Kendall
Episode 173
How Online Education Empowers Students to Balance Academics and Passions
A conversation with Joseph Guth
Episode 138
What is the state of the school choice movement?
A conversation with Andrew Campanella
Episode 137
Should we rethink the college admissions process?
A conversation with Melanie Heath
Episode 118
Is homeschooling the right fit for your child?
A conversation with Onnikah Randolph
Episode 117
How can parents make the right choice for their child’s education?
A conversation with Jon Deane
Episode 116
How can we empower parents to find the best education for their children?
A conversation with Shree Recasner
Episode 86
Why is parent autonomy over school choice important?
A conversation with Kayla Svedin
Episode 75
What role should parents play in shaping K12 education?
A conversation with Robert Pondiscio
Episode 73
What is the role of parent choice in school quality?
A conversation with Dr. Jay Greene
Episode 54
How can schools better support military families?
A conversation with Jennifer Thompson
Episode 53
What impact is parent empowerment having on our schools?
A conversation with Jason Riley
Episode 34
What’s next for the school choice movement?
A conversation with Dr. Howard Fuller
Episode 17
How can parents be empowered to make their voices heard?
A conversation with Colleen Dippel
Education & Technology
Episode 182
What It Takes to Run One of America’s Largest Virtual Schools
A conversation with Kris Stewart
Episode 174
How Virtual Tutoring Is Making Education More Accessible
A conversation with Jennifer Moore
Episode 150
Should video games be used as tools for learning?
A conversation with Stanley Pierre-Louis
Episode 108
How can social media get students excited about learning?
A conversation with Sara Day
Episode 107
How can we equip kids for the world of artificial intelligence?
A conversation with Jason Hurd
Episode 90
How can technology bring arts and culture to the classroom?
A conversation with Suhair Khan
Episode 28
What role does e-sports play in our schools?
A conversation with Dr. Robert Rippee
STEM
Episode 149
How can we encourage young girls to take an interest in science?
A conversation with Melissa Alderete
Episode 101
How can we train and retain America’s STEM educators?
A conversation with Cindy Marten and Talia Milgrom-Elcott
Episode 99
How can we encourage a love of math in students?
A conversation with Laura Overdeck
Episode 57
How can we expose more students to careers in data science?
A conversation with Robert Clayton
Episode 27
How can we get more kids interested in computer science?
A conversation with Jackie Smalls
Community
Episode 187
Ahmoni Jones on Representation and the Role of Black Male Teachers in Education
A conversation with Ahmoni Jones
Episode 186
How Community and School Choice Transformed Denisha Merriweather’s Life
A conversation with Denisha Merriweather
Episode 185
Shaka Mitchell on How Federal Legislation Could Transform Education
A conversation with Shaka Mitchell
Episode 184
From Prison to PhD: David Heiber’s Fight to Change Urban Schools and Inspire Hope
A conversation with David Heiber
Episode 160
How can sports help kids heal, grow, and thrive?
A conversation with Megan Bartlett
Episode 112
How can we equip kids to thrive in an ever-changing world?
A conversation with Anya Kamenetz
Episode 98
How can we encourage students to engage in constructive political discourse?
A conversation with Manu Meel
Episode 97
How can we encourage students to be civically engaged?
A conversation with Mandy Zhang
Episode 82
How can we do a better job of keeping kids in school?
A conversation with Dr. Debra Duardo
Episode 78
How can we prevent brain drain in communities?
A conversation with Majora Carter
Episode 60
How have the last two years impacted social and emotional learning?
A conversation with Dr. Aaliyah A. Samuel
Episode 45
How can we help students be more civic minded and socially conscious?
A conversation with Wes Moore
Episode 41
How do wraparound services impact at-risk youth?
A conversation with Dr. Heather Clawson
Episode 12
How can we build stronger school communities?
A conversation with Shantelle Wright and Andrew Hart
Episode 10
What can celebrity philanthropists teach us about education?
A conversation with Jalen Rose and Ted Dintersmith
Reading & Literacy
Episode 147
Why does representation matter in children’s literature?
A conversation with Alliah Agostini
Episode 144
How can books introduce kids to tough topics?
A conversation with Jelani Memory
Episode 95
How can school leaders’ development influence reading outcomes and student success?
A conversation with Erica Beal
Episode 94
How can comic books and visual media help kids enjoy reading?
A conversation with Ryan North
Episode 93
Can poetry help inspire a love of reading in students?
A conversation with Ada Limón
Episode 92
How can we close the reading gap in schools?
A conversation with David Kilpatrick
Episode 79
How can we be smarter about teaching students to read?
A conversation with Dr. Maria Murray
Episode 68
The controversy over books: what do parents and schools think?
A conversation with Jennifer Pippin, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, and Martha Hickson
Episode 52
What is the role of the library in the digital age?
A conversation with Tracie Hall
Episode 29
How has young adult literature evolved over the years?
A conversation with Dr. James Blasingame
Episode 6
What does literacy education look like in a modern society?
A conversation with Earl Martin Phalen and Dr. Maryanne Wolf
Education Innovation
Episode 172
National School Choice Week Special – Top Experts on Finding the Right School
A conversation with Andrew Campanella, Kayla Svedin, Jon Deane, Shree Recasner, and Robert Pondiscio
Episode 169
The Future of Learning: AI, Online Classrooms, and Education’s Next Era
A conversation with Michelle Rhee
Episode 168
Transforming American Schools – Michelle Rhee’s Vision for Education Reform
A conversation with Michelle Rhee
Episode 148
What is the role of philanthropy in education?
A conversation with Hanna Skandera
Episode 125
What are the makings of America’s best schools?
A conversation with Janine Yass and Jeanne Allen
Episode 100
How do we reshape education in the United States?
A conversation with David Banks
Episode 76
What should the school of the future look like?
A conversation with Michael Horn
Episode 69
What will the sustainable school of the future look like?
A conversation with Anisa Heming
Episode 87
How can project-based learning transform our public schools?
A conversation with Trish Millines Dziko
Episode 49
What should the modern school district look like?
A conversation with Dr. Ann Chavez
Episode 39
What can America’s schools learn from other countries?
A conversation with Pasi Sahlberg
Episode 36
Is personalized learning the future of education?
A conversation with Tom Rooney
Episode 13
How can we drive meaningful change in our school systems?
A conversation with Sonja Santelises and Shari Camhi
Education & Policy
Episode 183
Corey DeAngelis on Building Political Momentum for School Choice
A conversation with Corey DeAngelis
Episode 159
How can charter schools create opportunities for students?
A conversation with Cheryl Stahle
Episode 105
What is the role of federal policy in education?
A conversation with Bobby Scott
Episode 47
Are student voices being heard by boards of education?
A conversation with Hana O’Looney, Raymond Adderly, and Zachary Patterson
Episode 37
How should schools be spending a windfall of federal aid?
A conversation with Dr. Marguerite Roza
Episode 15
How can school districts support undocumented students?
A conversation with Monica Goldson
Episode 14
How can we overcome partisan politics to support undocumented students?
A conversation with Senator Tom Daschle
Episode 9
How has the pandemic changed the politics of education?
A conversation with Ann Davis Duplessis and Andy Rotherham
Meet Your Host
Kevin P. Chavous is a noted education reform leader with a well-chronicled track record of empowering families with education choice. Kevin is dedicated to driving change for learners of all ages, backgrounds, and circumstances. As senior advisor to the CEO, Kevin leads initiatives to expand the company’s career learning offerings and increase access to the services Stride provides across the U.S.
Featured Resources
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