Innovating Education

About Innovating Education

Welcome to Innovating Education with Dr. Riley Williams, the podcast where we explore the future of education through insightful conversations with administrators, policymakers, and educators. Each episode dives into pressing issues in education reform, upcoming policy changes, and innovative ideas from those shaping the system. Our focus is solution-driven, fostering a positive space for collaborative dialogue that inspires actionable change. Whether you’re a decision-maker, teacher, or simply passionate about education, this podcast offers fresh perspectives and practical insights to help build a brighter future for learners everywhere. Join us as we uncover groundbreaking approaches to teaching, learning, and leading in education.

Publisher

Dr. Riley Williams

Category

education · news · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Feb 2025

Latest episode

10 Nov 2025

Latest episodes

40 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Nov 2025

   Kwame Sarfo Mensa: Building Identity-Affirming Classrooms That Humanize Learning

   What does it really mean to unlearn in education? In this special Thanksgiving episode, we pause for reflection—and reimagination—with Kwame Sarfo Mensa, a veteran educator, global consultant, and author of Learning to Relearn. As founder of Identity Talk Consulting and host of the Identity Talk for Educators Live podcast, Kwame is helping educators across the world interrogate bias, reframe school culture, and humanize learning through equity-centered practice. This episode dives deep into the mindset and methods behind culturally affirming teaching. From personal stories of navigating race, disability, and belonging, to frameworks for self-assessment, intersectional empathy, and critical unlearning—Kwame offers real talk and real strategies. Whether you're a teacher, school leader, or policymaker, you’ll walk away with actionable insights on how to model inclusive leadership, build student trust, and reimagine education as a collective, humanizing practice. 📚 Featured in this episode:– Why educators must “learn to relearn”—and how to start– Concrete unlearning strategies for interrupting bias– The role of cultural humility in building inclusive classrooms– How school leaders can model identity-affirming practice– The power of getting students’ names right—and what it signals Connect with Kwame:📧 kwame@identitytalk4educators.com🌐 www.identitytalk4educators.com🎙 Identity Talk for Educators Live Podcast Proudly supported by the Solvea Learning Group, whose commitment to advancing education makes conversations like this possible. If today’s episode sparked ideas or helped reframe your thinking, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague.

2. 

   3 Nov 2025

   Steven Bollar (aka Stand Tall Steve) Breaks It Down: Just Do This

   Steven Bollar—aka Stand Tall Steve—joins the Innovating Education Podcast to talk about school culture, decision making and the leadership lessons that no one wants to talk about. Steve’s worn every hat: teacher, principal, superintendent, author and national keynote speaker. In this episode, he breaks down why so many school improvement efforts fail—because they’re chasing perfection instead of progress. We dive deep on the five levels of decision-making, how to lead with transparency after mistakes, and why leaders need to stop overcomplicating school culture. Steve’s new book, Just Do This, is front and center. He explains how it's built for educators who don’t have time for theory and just need something that works. This one’s packed with smart insights, practical frameworks, and advice for anyone trying to lead well in complex systems. In this episode, we cover: The five levels of decision-making every leader should know How to avoid “initiative fatigue” and lead with clarity Why culture work isn’t about rewards—it’s about repetition How to use “reduce, not eliminate” as a realistic leadership strategy A sneak peek into Steve’s new book Just Do This—and how it’s helping school leaders take action 🔗 Connect with Steve Bollar: Visit: www.standtallsteve.com Email: steven@standtallsteve.com Explore his podcast: The School Climate and Culture Show with Megan Diede Learn about the Just Do This Boost Camp: a 3-day leadership experience hosted in partnership with Innovative School Summit (details on his site).

3. 

   27 Oct 2025

   The Grammar Guy Bob Safran: Grammar's Ties to Literacy & the Science of Reading

   This episode of the Innovating Education Podcast is a deep dive into a topic most people overlook: grammar. Dr. Riley Williams sits down with Bob Safran—known to many as "The Grammar Guy"—a pioneer in grammar instruction with over fifty years of experience. Bob has built his career around one mission: reestablishing grammar's critical role in literacy. We unpack how the 1985 NCTE resolution sidelined grammar, and why that mistake continues to hault our literacy efforts. Bob’s journey from public school teacher to textbook editor, career school CEO, and founder of EGUMPP—a fully online English Grammar, Usage, Mechanics, and Punctuation Program. Bob breaks down how grammar isn't just rules; it's the key to unlocking comprehension, precision, and clear communication—from the SAT to workplace writing and beyond. He walks us through how EGUMPP—solvable in just 30–40 hours—unpacks language into manageable, self‑graded modules and one‑page “cheat‑sheet summaries” that make sentence mastery accessible to everyone. Whether you lead a school, teach writing, or just believe in the foundations of literacy, this episode will reenergize your appreciation for grammar. ** What You’ll Take Away:** Why grammar deserves a comeback—not as rote drill, but as the building block of clarity How EGUMPP breaks grammar into four self‑paced modules (Grammar, Usage, Mechanics, Punctuation)—complete with videos, automatic feedback, and certification Insight into how grammar, pronunciation, and structure boost reading comprehension and professional communication Where to Connect:Curious to try out EGUMPP for yourself or in your classroom? Head over to egumpp.com to request a free demo.

Who has been a guest on Innovating Education

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Shira Woolf Cohen
• Adam Olenn
• Justyna Bronski
• Dr Darrin Peppard
• Rachel Doty

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 35 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

58

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Innovating Education

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Innovating Education