The Out of the Trenches Podcast

Chris Roberts is the Founder of the Classical Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit building free, competitive math fluency tools for K–12 students. He holds a master's degree in mathematics education, spent years directing award-winning Texas bands, authored How to Make First Chair, and brings more than 30 years of software development experience to the classroom problem he couldn't stop thinking about. That problem: students failing algebra not because of algebra, but because they never

Michael T. Brown, LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) has been empowering individuals, families, businesses and communities with tremendous success, for over 25 years. Michael serves as the Principal of Browns’ Leadership Consulting, which provides counseling support to individuals and families; consulting services to organizations and businesses. Michael also served as a national trainer for the Why Try, LLC; one of the nation’s leading resilience education programs that specializes in studen

Mohammed Ajoulou Rahmouni is a French-Moroccan social entrepreneur and CEO of the NGO “Soyons Le Changement.” He is dedicated to helping young people from underserved backgrounds find their path and build a brighter future. After studying advanced mathematics, Mohammed shifted his focus to youth empowerment and founded his organization at just 22 years old. What began in Bordeaux has grown into an impactful initiative supporting thousands of young people across Europe and Africa. Recognized in

Shemaiah Reed is the executive host of I Am Refocused Radio, a flagship media platform recognized for elevating high-impact conversations with CEOs, industry leaders, innovators, and cultural influencers. As a media executive, producer, and creative strategist, he delivers purpose-driven dialogue that informs, inspires, and empowers audiences across demographics. Since its founding in 2017, I Am Refocused Radio has evolved into a respected global platform, producing more than 1,000 interviews a

Liam Pace is an English language coach, communication trainer, and content creator based in Milan, Italy. With a background in language education and professional communication, he works with individuals and organisations to help non-native English speakers communicate with greater confidence and impact. Alongside his coaching work, Liam co-hosts and produces the Beyond Fluency Podcast and YouTube channel, where he explores the intersection of language learning, personal development, and effecti

Priten is the author of AI & The Future of Education (Wiley, 2023) and the forthcoming book Ethical Ed Tech (Wiley, 2026). He is a visiting researcher at the Harvard Department of Philosophy focusing on developing philosophically grounded, practical approaches to teaching critical, ethical reasoning at scale. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Harvard College and an M.Ed. in Education Policy & Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. More about the book is at www.ethicaledtech.

Shan Jorgenson-Adam has been an educator for over 30 years working in a variety of educational roles (teacher, school administrator, director, assistant and deputy superintendent) in both British Columbia and Alberta. Shan has lead a research project on leadership development and co-authored numerous articles on leadership. Shan’s experience in leadership inspired her to co-author the book ““You’re A Principal Now! What’s Next” Shan has led literacy, inclusion, school culture, community engageme

Nathaniel Hansford has taught every grade from preK to 12th, in places as diverse as South Korea, the United Kingdom, the subarctic of Quebec, and Ontario, Canada. In 2022, he won the Literacy Leader of the Year award from the Ontario International Dyslexia Association. He has taught for 14 years. Nathaniel has written hundreds of articles on the science of teaching. He is most interested in using meta-analysis research to help teachers implement methodologies that have been proven to work. He

Joe Reed is the founder of Pulse; a student support platform built for K-12 school leaders who are tired of reacting to problems they could have seen coming. His background is in social impact and community development. He spent years working with under-resourced communities and kept running into the same wall: by the time anyone had a clear picture of what was actually happening with the people they were serving, it was already a crisis. Pulse is built on a simple conviction: educators should b

Derek Cantrell is the Principal at Alleghany High School in western VA. He recently released a book called Better Together, which shares the journey of bringing two long-time rival high schools together to unify the community and build one school culture. It also highlights many of the leadership lessons they learned along the way. Find Derek online: LinkedIn, X @derekcantrell

Emily Kircher-Morris M.Ed., LPC, is the author of Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today's Classroom, Raising Twice-Exceptional Children, and Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools. Emily hosts the Neurodiversity Podcast, which explores parenting, counseling techniques, and best practices for enriching the lives of neurodivergent people. Emily has taught in gifted classrooms and is now in private practice as a licensed professional counselor. Find Emily on FB, LinkedIn, IG: www.facebook.com/E

Mitch Weisburgh helps people understand why conversations blow up and what actually works to stop that from happening. After decades of work in education, leadership development, and conflict resolution, he noticed a pattern, smart, well-intentioned people keep using approaches that make disagreement worse. His work focuses on the brain science behind conflict and the practical skills that help people stay calm, ask better questions, and move conversations forward without damaging relationships.

Rich Czyz is an author, educator, and speaker. He started his career as a fifth grade teacher, has served as a Basic Skills teacher, instructional coach, elementary supervisor and Director of Curriculum & Instruction. Rich is currently the Proud Principal of the Yardville Elementary School in NJ and Co-Founder of FourOClockFaculty.com, as well as author of several books including The Four O’Clock Faculty, The Secret Sauce, and his newest book, Autopilot, came out in Oct. Rich is passionate about

Dr. Niki Elliott is a clinical professor and director of the Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity at the University of San Diego. Dr. Elliott is a leading voice in neurodiversity and trauma-informed education, and she has trained thousands of educators and parents worldwide to better support children with learning differences, mental health diagnoses, trauma histories, and behavioral challenges. Her trainings consistently lead to measurable improvements in school climate, reductions in

Repeat guest Kurtis Hewson is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, author and professional learning facilitator. In addition to being an award-winning teacher, vice-principal, and principal, he has also served as faculty at the post-secondary level. He is the co-founder of Jigsaw Learning, a co-author of the text Collaborative Response: Three Foundational Components That Transform How We Respond to the Needs of Learners (Corwin, 2022), and currently works with districts and schools nationally

Dr. Lindsay Whorton is proud to be a founding member of The Holdsworth Center. She helped design the Center’s programming and has served as president since 2019. She is the author of “A New School Leadership Architecture,” which calls for a fundamental redesign of how leadership roles are structured and practiced in schools, offering a bold new blueprint to make jobs sustainable and give teachers the coaching and support they need so that students thrive. Under Lindsay’s leadership, Holdsworth h

Jeanette Mihalchik is a National Board Certified Elementary General Music Specialist with over 2 decades of experience teaching general music, choir, and music ensembles from PreK to 8th grade. She is a certified music educator and has a Master of Science in Elementary Education with a Specialization in Literacy and has her Orff Certification. Jeanette has spent her career studying and growing as a music teacher. She studied Arts Integration at The Kennedy Center through their CETA program and

Paris Woods is an award-winning education leader and bestselling author of The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom. Her recently published book, The Student’s Guide to Financial Freedom, speaks directly to a growing concern across K–12 and higher education: how students’ financial instability undermines retention and long-term success. Dr. Woods has held senior leadership roles across multiple education nonprofits, including College Beyond, where, as Co-Founder and Executive Director, she ad

Repeat guest Craig Randall is the developer and author of Trust-Based Observations, an Amazon number one best seller in five countries. Craig has spent the last 30 plus years in education working as a counselor, coach, teacher, and principal. Craig spends the majority of his time training school leaders in Trust-Based Observations (TBO), building mastery, and transforming the world of teacher observations to a model of trust and support that fosters growth mindsets, cultures of trust, and create

Dr. Robb Kelly provides mentorship and guidance to aspiring entrepreneurs. He invests & encourages others to invest in startup ventures. He devotes countless hours sharing his expertise through conferences and workshops, utilizing others who've also overcome the challenges associated with lifestyle changes, habit formation, childhood traumas, startup obstacles, etc. He has created educational programs on business fundamentals. He also fosters a culture of innovation and responsible risk-taking.

Tim Shanahan is distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He served as the director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools, is the former president of the International Literacy Association, and served on the advisory board of the National Institute for Literacy under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. In 2007, he was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame & is a former first-grade teacher. He is the author of the recently published book Leveled Readi