Episode 1. Leadership for Reinventing Schools
In this dynamic conversation, educators and authors Kevin Fahey and Jacy Ippolito along with middle school principal Cathy O’Connell ask us to rethink conventional approaches to school improvement. Our guests draw on the ideas in their book, An Uncommon Theory of School Change, as well as years of experience in the field of education to help us question, rethink, and reinvent the fundamental assumptions upon which our schools are built. Whether it is in our role as school leaders, classroom educators, school staff, or policy makers – they invite each of us to consider what deeper and more transformative change looks like, what’s at stake if we refuse to engage with it, and practical steps to get there together.
You can also listen to The Learning Spring on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, and iHeartRadio.
“If school systems are to meet the challenge of this historic moment, they must articulate a new, rich vision that imbues students with a sense of responsible citizenship, prepares them for the world of work, and helps them develop a healthy sense of self.”
Dr. Kevin Fahey is professor emeritus of educational leadership at the McKeown School of Education at Salem State University in Salem MA. In this role, he prepares school leaders to use the tools of critical friendship, facilitative leadership, and equitable practice to lead student, adult, and organizational learning. He also spent 25 years as a middle school teacher, high school department chair, district curriculum director, and elementary school principal. Kevin has worked nationally as one of the founders of the School Reform Initiative and is a past chair of the SRI board. He is the author of numerous articles and presentations, and co-author of f (TC Press) and An Uncommon Theory of School Change (TC Press).
Jacy Ippolito is a professor of literacy and leadership in the McKeown School of Education at Salem State University (Salem, MA), where he currently co-directs 
Cathy OConnell is in her 12th year as the principal of North Reading Middle School. Prior to working in North Reading, she served as the assistant principal at Parker Middle School in Reading for just under 2 years. Before moving into administration, Cathy worked as a middle-high school social studies teacher for over a decade in Massachusetts and Illinois. Her passion is adolescent learning and she feels strongly that this is a critical developmental age for children and that schools play an incredibly important role in their lives at this time. In addition to her work as a building principal, she also teaches in the Educational Leadership programs at Salem State and UMASS Lowell and supports the administrator practicum programs at both schools.
