EDUcation Unscripted & Xplored, co-hosted by University of Iowa College of Education professors Kari Vogelgesang and Mark McDermott, is a research- and reality-backed podcast for anyone passionate about harnessing the power of education for positive change.
Unlike most education podcasts that stick to classroom strategy or faculty development, we bring together teacher preparation, K–12 systems, and wellness to ask the hard questions about what actually drives meaningful change for people and systems.
Our goal is to explore the hopes, tensions, and trends shaping the field today and to offer listeners honest, evidence-based conversations that help them think differently about the work. Join us as we help schools better serve students, families, and communities—and empower those same communities to support schools in return.
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As schools begin a new year, students and educators are searching for connection, identity, and community. In this episode, Kari and Mark explore the importance of “third spaces” beyond home and school and why libraries, youth organizations, and community gathering places may matter more than ever for student mental health, belonging, and civic engagement. Views expressed are the co-hosts' own and not those of the University of Iowa or its College of Education.
24 Apr 2026
Systems & Leadership: Building Policies That Promote Educator Wellness
What if educator wellness wasn't a side initiative, but the design principle at the center of every school policy, schedule, and leadership decision? In this episode, Kari and Mark sit down with Courtney Cook, PK-12 principal at Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School to explore what it really looks like to build systems that support the humans doing the hardest work in education. From rethinking dress codes and meeting structures to knowing when to abort a well-intentioned initiative, Courtney sha...
16 Apr 2026
Rural Realities: Attracting and Supporting Educators in Small Communities
This episode spotlights the unique strengths and struggles of rural schools, from limited resources and geographic isolation to the shifting landscape of state-level influence on local decision-making. West Burlington Independent School District superintendent Jason Wester joins Kari and Mark to unpack the realities of shrinking candidate pools, innovative strategies districts are using to attract and retain great educators, and how the expansion of career and technical pathways is redefining...
31 Mar 2026
Everyday Counts: Tackling Chronic Absenteeism Through Connection and Care
Chronic absenteeism has surged since the pandemic, and the numbers tell only part of the story. In this episode of EDUcation Unscripted & Xplored, Kari and Mark dig into what's really driving students away from school and what it takes to bring them back. From transportation barriers and mental health challenges to school climates where students don't feel safe or seen, the root causes are complex, deeply human, and often hidden behind a simple count of missed days. From data and em...
2 Mar 2026
Teacher Preparation: Developing the Next Generation of Sustainable, Healthy Educators
One bee. Thirty kids. One very real math standards test. Mark's unforgettable first-grade classroom story opens a window into what teachers actually navigate every day and why preparing the next generation of educators for that reality is so critically important. Kari and Mark sit down with Elliott Johnson, Associate Professor of Education at Luther College, to unpack the state of teacher preparation programs, what we are getting right, and how to amplify the true complexity of a profession t...
30 Jan 2026
Literacy as a Wellness Predictor: How Reading Skills Shape Lifelong Outcomes
What if literacy isn’t just an academic benchmark — but a powerful predictor of student wellbeing, identity, and opportunity? In this episode of Education Unscripted & Xplored, co-hosts Dr. Kari Vogelgesang and Dr. Mark McDermott are joined by Dr. Leah Zimmermann from the Iowa Reading Research Center to explore how reading proficiency shapes far more than classroom performance. Together, they unpack the ripple effects of reading difficulties on confidence, school avoidance, mental health,...
7 Jan 2026
Why We’re Going Off-Script: Who We Are and Why This Matters
In the very first episode of EDUcation Unscripted & Xplored, co-hosts Dr. Kari Vogelgesang and Dr. Mark McDermott invite you into an honest, unfiltered dialogue about the complex and ever-changing world of PK–12 education. Kari and Mark share their journeys from growing up in education-focused families, to teaching in PK–12 classrooms, to shaping teacher preparation today. Along the way, they talk candidly about lessons learned (including a silent-bus-ride-gone-wrong story you won’t...
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
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