Beyond The Syllabus

About Beyond The Syllabus

Personalized learning, student engagement, and the K-12 curriculum decisions behind them. Beyond The Syllabus sits down with the superintendents, curriculum leaders, and district innovators reimagining education from the inside out. Every episode goes inside a real district: what they changed, what it cost them, and what it did for students. Conversations range across personalized learning pathways, whole child education, career pathways, metacognition, AI in the classroom, and building schools where students actually belong. Hosted by Aidan McDowell. New episodes monthly.

Publisher

Aidan McDowell

Category

education · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

11 Aug 2025

Latest episode

2 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

30 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Nov 2026

   Creating Schools Where Every Student Feels Seen, Valued, and Challenged with Dr. Jadon A. Waller

   In this episode of Beyond the Syllabus, host Aidan McDowell sits down with Dr. Jadon A. Waller, Assistant Superintendent of Schools K-8 at Oswego Community Unit School District 308. Dr. Waller shares how her own experiences growing up in a community where she rarely saw educators who looked like her inspired a career centered on student voice, representation, access, and creating environments where every learner feels valued. From building psychological safety and encouraging students to take educational risks to aligning school improvement efforts across a district of more than 17,000 students, Dr. Waller explores what it takes to turn values into sustainable systems. She also discusses Oswego's focus on effective teams, rightful presence, and high-quality instruction, along with why educators need to understand AI rather than avoid it as technology becomes increasingly embedded in students' lives. In this episode, you'll learn: - How Dr. Waller's own school experience inspired her to become an educator - Why representation in teaching and leadership can expand what students see as possible - How authentic relationships create spaces where students feel seen and valued - Why psychological safety is essential for students to take educational risks - How higher expectations and productive struggle can unlock student potential - Why understanding students' cultures and experiences strengthens advocacy - How Oswego is aligning school improvement across more than 17,000 students - The role of effective systems, rightful presence, and high-quality instruction - Why consistent meeting structures can improve district-wide alignment - How leaders can hold the line on long-term change while still reflecting and adapting - Why AI literacy is more effective than simply avoiding emerging technology - How educators can use AI to save time while remaining actively involved in the work Key Moments 00:45 Finding a Purpose in Education 02:59 Learning Across Urban and Suburban Schools 05:44 Why Representation Matters 08:38 Encouraging Students to Take Educational Risks 11:47 Creating Psychological Safety 14:45 Understanding Students Through Their Experiences 19:08 Aligning School Improvement Across the District 21:16 Building Three Foundational Practices 24:34 Holding the Line on Systemic Change 25:32 Using Meeting Structures to Build Alignment 27:49 Reflecting Without Abandoning the Work 30:29 Understanding AI Before Rejecting It 32:23 Using AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement 34:01 Preparing Communities for New Technology Connect with Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjaewaller247 Website: https://www.sd308.org/# Connect with Us Host's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidan-mcdowell Website: https://uniqlearn.co/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uniqlearn If this episode sparked new thinking, please follow, rate, and review Beyond the Syllabus on your favorite podcast platform. It helps us grow and bring more authentic conversations with education leaders your way.

2. 

   30 Oct 2026

   Leading Beyond the Classroom: Building Schools Where People and Innovation Thrive

   In this episode of Beyond the Syllabus, host Aidan McDowell sits down with Dr. Erik Stone, Assistant Superintendent of Operations at Litchfield Elementary School District #79. Dr. Stone shares his unconventional path into education, from serving in the U.S. Marine Corps to discovering his passion for teaching while volunteering with a small group of elementary students learning to read. That experience launched a career spanning teaching, school administration, athletics, and district leadership. Dr. Stone explores why relationships remain the foundation of effective education, whether leading a classroom of 35 students or supporting a district of more than 10,000. He also shares how Litchfield is improving technology, transportation, facilities, staffing, and AI access while challenging teams to continuously raise expectations. Looking ahead, he makes the case for more flexible, collaborative, technology-enabled schools that give students greater voice and prepare them for a rapidly changing world. In this episode, you'll learn: - How volunteering with struggling readers changed Dr. Stone's career trajectory - Why personal relationships are the foundation of student engagement - How his Marine Corps experience influenced his approach to leadership - Why knowing students beyond academics can create lasting impact - How strong culture helped transform the schools Dr. Stone led - Why operational departments play a critical role in student success - How Litchfield created a four-year technology replacement cycle - How the district is creating a safer environment for students to explore AI - Why leaders should challenge teams without losing sight of relationships - How data, measurable goals, and accountability can drive improvement - Why giving employees the right tools can strengthen performance and retention - How student voice, collaboration, technology, and flexibility can shape the future of schools Key Moments 01:17 Discovering a Passion for Education 05:50 Building Relationships with Students 10:40 Moving Into School Leadership 15:02 Leading High-Performing Schools 20:12 Expanding Impact at the District Level 24:11 Modernizing District Technology 27:44 Creating a Safe Environment for AI 30:37 Challenging Teams to Achieve More 35:28 Building a Culture of Possibility 39:50 Setting Ambitious, Measurable Goals 44:05 Improving Operations and Employee Retention 49:12 Leading Through Accountability and Growth 54:21 Reimagining the Future of Schools Connect with Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-stone-ed-d-2861723b Website: https://www.lesd79.org/ Connect with Us Host's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidan-mcdowell Website: https://uniqlearn.co/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uniqlearn If this episode sparked new thinking, please follow, rate, and review Beyond the Syllabus on your favorite podcast platform. It helps us grow and bring more authentic conversations with education leaders your way.

3. 

   28 Oct 2026

   Beyond the AI Ban: Building Responsible, Human-Centered Learning with Colin Davitt

   In this episode of Beyond the Syllabus, host Aidan McDowell sits down with Colin Davitt, Director of Artificial Intelligence and Blended Learning at Lindbergh Schools. Colin shares his unconventional path from struggling as a student and leaving high school for the Marine Corps to becoming an elementary teacher, instructional technology leader, and eventually one of Missouri's early district-level leaders focused specifically on artificial intelligence. Colin explores what responsible AI integration can actually look like inside schools. Through stories of students using AI to explore advanced topics, overcome language barriers, and personalize their learning, he explains why simply banning emerging technology misses an important opportunity. Instead, he makes the case for AI literacy, clear guardrails, student voice, and giving educators the confidence to experiment while preserving the intellectual work students need to learn. In this episode, you'll learn: - How Colin's own struggles as a student shaped his approach to education - Why Lindbergh Schools created dedicated leadership around artificial intelligence - How student-facing AI can unlock learning that previously felt inaccessible - How AI can help multilingual learners overcome language and vocabulary barriers - Why banning AI can create new equity challenges instead of solving them - What schools can learn from the mistakes made during the rise of social media - Why AI literacy should begin long before students reach high school - What educators can learn from students who are skeptical or critical of AI - How a stoplight framework can create clearer expectations for classroom AI use - Why teachers need opportunities to build AI literacy alongside their students - How AI can help educators identify student needs faster without removing human connection - Why the next phase of AI in schools may be teachers building their own solutions to real classroom problems Key Moments 02:10 From Struggling Student to the Marine Corps 07:40 Finding His Way Into Teaching 11:30 Creating an AI Leadership Role 15:15 Giving Teachers a Voice in AI Adoption 17:05 Unlocking Advanced Learning with AI 21:10 Supporting Multilingual Learners 25:25 Why Blanket AI Bans Fall Short 28:15 Teaching AI Literacy Early 30:30 Learning From the Anti-AI Student Coalition 36:00 Building an AI Microcredential for Teachers 39:35 Creating Clear Guardrails for AI Use 42:10 Helping Students Feel Seen and Heard 45:00 Teachers Building Their Own AI Solutions 48:20 Connecting Learning to the Real World Connect with Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colindavitt Website: https://www.lindberghschools.ws/ Connect with Us Host's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidan-mcdowell Website: https://uniqlearn.co/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uniqlearn If this episode sparked new thinking, please follow, rate, and review Beyond the Syllabus on your favorite podcast platform. It helps us grow and bring more authentic conversations with education leaders your way.

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

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