Helping every child learn to read is one of the biggest challenges facing schools today. In this episode, we sit down with Matt Pasternack, founder and CEO of Once and the first employee at Clever, to discuss a different approach to early literacy.

Matt shares why he believes instructional assistants are one of the most underused resources in education, how schools can provide effective one-on-one reading support without hiring additional teachers, and what school leaders should look for when evaluating new edtech products. We also discuss why so many education tools fail to scale, what meaningful research actually looks like, and how schools can make better decisions when investing in literacy programs.

Whether you're a teacher, principal, district leader, or instructional coach, this conversation offers practical ideas for improving reading outcomes and building stronger literacy systems.

About Matt Pasternack

Matt Pasternack is the founder and CEO of Once, an early literacy company helping schools improve reading outcomes through one-on-one instruction. Before founding Once, Matt was the first employee at Clever, where he helped grow the company into one of the most widely used education technology platforms in the United States. He began his career as a middle school English teacher through Teach For America and has spent his career building tools that help schools better support students and educators.

Try Once here: http://tryonce.com/

Recess is often treated as a break from learning, but what if it's actually one of the most important parts of the school day?

In this episode, we sit down with Lauren McNamara, founder of Schoolyards for Thought, to explore how recess, play, and schoolyard design influence belonging, behavior, mental health, and academic success. We discuss why so many schoolyards fail to meet students' needs, what schools can do to create spaces where every child feels connected, and why investing in play may have a bigger impact than many traditional interventions.

If you're a teacher, school leader, or parent, this conversation will challenge the way you think about recess and why it deserves a much bigger place in the conversation about improving schools.

About Lauren McNamara, Ph.D.

Lauren McNamara, Ph.D., is the founder of Schoolyards for Thought and Recess Project Canada. A learning scientist and researcher, her work focuses on the connection between play, belonging, school climate, and student well-being. Through her research and partnerships with schools across North America, she has helped reshape how educators think about recess, advocating for school environments that promote inclusion, social connection, and learning. Lauren's work has influenced school policy, playground design, and conversations about the role of play in education around the world.

In this episode, we sit down with high school chemistry teacher and education writer Marcie Samayoa to explore one of the most overlooked conversations in education today: how we teach science. Marcie challenges the idea that students should be expected to discover complex concepts on their own before they have the foundational knowledge needed to succeed.

Drawing from her experience teaching in a Title I school, Marcie shares how she uses explicit instruction, retrieval practice, literacy strategies, and carefully structured routines to help students build confidence and master challenging content. We also discuss the role of inquiry-based learning, student behavior, classroom technology, and what science educators can learn from elementary teachers.

Whether you're a teacher, coach, administrator, or education leader, this conversation offers practical insights into helping students develop the knowledge and skills they need to thrive.

About Marcie Samayoa

Marcie Samayoa is a high school chemistry teacher, education writer, and author of the Substack Scientists in the Making. Her work focuses on applying cognitive science, explicit instruction, retrieval practice, and evidence-based teaching methods to science education.

Teaching in a Title I school in Los Angeles, Marcie is known for challenging conventional approaches to science instruction and advocating for strong foundations in knowledge, literacy, and mathematics before students are asked to engage in higher-order thinking and inquiry. Through her writing and professional learning contributions, she helps educators bridge research and classroom practice to improve student learning and confidence.

You can find her writing at Scientists in the Making and connect with her through her education publications and social media channels.