In Leader to Leader, host Darryl Cobb, President of the Charter School Growth Fund, sits down with exceptional school leaders from the charter school community, unpacking not only their successes, but also the profound personal stories that compel them to lead. The conversations aim to surface actionable insights and highlight what it takes to build a great school. Whether you're an educator, a leader, or someone passionate about the transformative power of education, there's something here for you. Listen to discover what makes these leaders tick and the wisdom they've gained.
What Worked 30 Years Ago Won’t Work Today: Sehba Ali on Reinventing KIPP Texas
In Season 3, Episode 1 of Leader to Leader, Darryl Cobb, President of the Charter School Growth Fund, sits down with Sehba Ali, CEO of KIPP Texas Public Schools, a network of 47 schools serving nearly 30,000 students across Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
Sehba reflects on growing up as the child of immigrants, the sacrifices her parents made to prioritize education, and how watching her mother teach helped shape her belief that schools should be places of community, belonging, and opportunity. She shares how a planned two-year stint in the classroom became a 25-year career with KIPP, taking her from teacher and school founder to leading one of the largest charter school networks in the country.
Sehba also takes listeners inside the evolution of KIPP Texas, from merging four regional organizations into one network to confronting post-pandemic academic challenges and launching a transformation region for eight struggling schools. In their first year, those schools achieved gains nearly 3 times those of the rest of KIPP Texas, drastically improving performance in one year.
29 Jul 2026
From Panama to the Bronx: Yeime Valle on Leading with Clarity, Character, and Community
In this special summer 2026 episode of Leader to Leader, Darryl Cobb, President of the Charter School Growth Fund, sits down with Yeime Valle, CEO and Executive Director of Brilla Public Charter Schools, a network of eight schools serving approximately 2,500 students across the Bronx.
Yeime reflects on immigrating from Panama, growing up without her mother and father present, and how her own experiences as a student shaped her belief that educators must understand the whole child, not only the behavior they see in the classroom. She shares her unconventional path from business and school operations to becoming Brilla’s first Black woman CEO, and why her journey helps students and families see what may also be possible for them.
From home visits and family partnerships to Brilla’s unapologetic focus on literacy and character formation, Yeime explains how clarity helped the network increase the percentage of students reading at grade level. She also discusses representation, leading through difficult decisions, blocking out external noise, and keeping the focus on the child directly in front of you.
15 Apr 2026
Big People and Little People: Tori Jackson Hines on Building a Culture of Excellence and Motherhood
Join Darryl Cobb, President of the Charter School Growth Fund, for the final episode of Leader to Leader Season 2, as he sits down with Tori Jackson Hines, the founder of Atlanta’s Resurgence Hall. They explore how a school that consistently ranks in the top 2% of all Georgia schools, even outperforming the state's most affluent communities, is actually a "human development organization" at its core. During their conversation, Hines reveals the personal mission behind her "unapologetic" focus on literacy and her rejection of the "talent desert" myth by hiring for heart over technical mastery. She also shares the remarkable story of how she championed a culture where women can thrive as both elite leaders and mothers. Hines leaves listeners with a powerful look at what happens when an organization is built on the belief that there is no more important work than developing both "big people and little people,” prioritizing both the students and the adults in the building.
4 Mar 2026
Win the Minutes: How Carlos Gonzalez Built a Title I School in Miami That Beats the Odds
Join Darryl Cobb, President of the Charter School Growth Fund, as he sits down with Carlos Gonzalez, former Director of Schools at HIVE Preparatory, to explore how a “win every minute” mindset helped turn a bold vision into sustained results for students. From growing up in Little Havana to stepping into education after a career detour, and then launching a charter school with just days to spare during the recession – Carlos shares the founding story behind HIVE Preparatory and the leadership lessons that shaped its culture during his tenure. He breaks down what it looked like to protect teachers, build a school where adults and students showed up with purpose, and create an environment where rigorous instruction and strong relationships reinforced each other. Carlos also reflects on spreading the HIVE approach beyond one campus, partnering with Beacon College Prep and helping accelerate outcomes, while keeping the focus on what mattered most: great teaching, every day, in every classroom.
21 Jan 2026
Julie Jackson on Leading With Joy, Rigor, and Relentless Purpose
Darryl Cobb interviews Julie Jackson, Co-CEO of Uncommon Schools, who reflects on Uncommon's growth and shares how joy and rigor drive student achievement and teacher excellence.
17 Dec 2025
The Best Kept Secret: Isabel Garcia on 60 Years of Serving Farmworker Families
Darryl Cobb interviews Isabel Garcia, who shares her journey from a child of farmworkers to Executive Director, discussing how opportunity shapes leadership and sustains growth in underserved communities.
10 Dec 2025
Building Schools That Serve: Insights From Dr. Adriana Tamez
Darryl Cobb interviews Dr. Adriana Tamez, who shares insights on building and sustaining successful public schools while emphasizing community-centered leadership and educational opportunities for diverse communities.
12 Nov 2025
Leading with Purpose: Jamar McKneely on Inspiring the Next Generation in New Orleans
Darryl Cobb interviews Jamar McKneely, who discusses building a high-performing charter network in New Orleans by leading with purpose and investing in the next generation of leaders.
15 Oct 2025
Building a Culture of Excellence: Roblin Webb on Leadership and Liberation
Roblin Webb, Founder and CEO of Freedom Preparatory Charter Schools, discusses building a culture of excellence and leading with the belief that education is liberation in an interview with Darryl Cobb.
24 Sept 2025
Big System, Bigger Purpose: Inside Pablo Villavicencio’s Charter Leadership Playbook
Darryl Cobb interviews Pablo Cesar Villavicencio, who shares his leadership journey and reflects on how his experiences shape his belief in public education's power to transform lives.
10 Sept 2025
Old School, New Rules: Peter Anderson on Building Culture That Lasts
Darryl Cobb interviews Peter Anderson, Head of Schools at Washington Latin Public Charter Schools, about building a lasting culture through classical education, community, and academic excellence.
18 Jun 2025
Lessons in Leadership: Nella Garcia Urban’s Path from the Classroom to the C-Suite
CEO Nella Garcia Urban recounts her path from the Texas-Mexico border to leading DSST, highlighting the impact of her upbringing and experiences on her leadership in education, in an interview with Darryl Cobb.
14 May 2025
From Kindergarten to Cap and Gown: Greg White on Building a College-Going Culture Early
What does it mean to be a college prep school… in kindergarten?
On this episode of Leader to Leader, Darryl Cobb sits down with Greg White, CEO of LEARN Charter School Network, for a rich conversation about early ambition, sustained results, and why he believes every student deserves to out-grind the odds. From his roots in Baltimore and South Carolina to his work today across Illinois and D.C., Greg shares how his life has been shaped by generations of educational advocacy—and how he now pays it forward as a leader.
With 11 schools and nearly 2,800 alumni tracked through high school and college, LEARN Charter is proving that rigorous academics, joyful culture, and deep community ties can (and must) start early. You’ll hear about their "college prep elementary" model, wraparound support for military families, and the hard lessons Greg has learned in leadership over 17 years at the helm.
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a long-lasting, values-driven school from the ground up, this is the episode for you.
16 Apr 2025
5,000 Signatures, Three Schools, One Vision: Elsie Urueta Pollock’s Education Blueprint for Tulsa, OK
In the heart of East Tulsa, how do you build a school that carries your mother’s dreams, your community’s story, and your passionate fight for education in every classroom?
On this episode of Leader to Leader, Darryl Cobb sits down with Elsie Urueta Pollock, founder and CEO of Tulsa Honor Academy, to talk about how her journey from immigrant student to school founder is reshaping education in Oklahoma. Born in Ciudad Juárez and raised in East Tulsa, Elsie shares how her mother’s advocacy planted the seeds for a school built on family, trust, and high expectations.
From knocking on doors to collect thousands of signatures to launching the only Ballet Folklórico class offered in an Oklahoma school, Elsie has turned her community’s hopes into real, tangible results. Tulsa Honor now serves over 1,300 students across three campuses, with plans to expand into elementary grades, and 97% of their graduates are heading to four-year colleges.
Tune in for a powerful conversation about family, faith, and what it takes to build something lasting, especially when you’re the first to do it.
19 Mar 2025
The Future of High School: Oliver Sicat’s Blueprint for Success
High school is about more than just test scores.
On this episode of Leader to Leader, Darryl Cobb sits down with Oliver Sicat, CEO of Ednovate Charter Schools, to talk about his journey from first-generation college student to leading one of the most innovative charter school networks in California.
Oliver shares how his own struggles with the college admissions process shaped his belief that schools must do more than prepare students for exams—they must prepare them for life. At Ednovate, that means a Whole Child Report Card that measures intellectual curiosity, self-awareness, empathy, and purpose, alongside academic achievement.
From founding UIC College Prep in Chicago to serving in the cabinet of Chicago Public Schools to building a thriving charter network of high schools in Los Angeles, Oliver has spent his career pushing for a new definition of success.
Tune in to hear how Ednovate is rethinking education, why AI could be a game-changer for schools, and what it really takes to create multi-generational change for high school students.
19 Feb 2025
Building a School From Scratch: Amanda Johnson’s Mission to Transform Rural Education
What does it take to start a charter school from the ground up—without a charter law in place?
On this episode of Leader to Leader, Darryl Cobb sits down with Amanda Johnson, Executive Director of Clarksdale Collegiate, to explore her journey from Teach for America to founding a high-performing K-8 charter school in rural Mississippi.
Amanda shares the challenges of launching a school in the Delta, the impact of literacy-focused instruction, and her vision for expanding to high school. From securing transportation and food service to recruiting local teachers and creating STEM opportunities, Amanda is proving that great schools can thrive anywhere.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation about leadership, persistence, and what it truly means to build opportunity for Black and Brown students in rural communities.
15 Jan 2025
How the 2008 Recession Changed Everything: Constance Jones' Path to Charter School Leadership
Join Darryl Cobb, president of the Charter School Growth Fund, in the inaugural episode of the 'Leader to Leader' podcast series, featuring Constance Jones, former CEO of the Noble Network of Charter Schools. Hear about Constance's personal journey, the challenges she faced, and her dedication to empowering over 12,000 students across 17 campuses in Chicago. Discover what fuels her leadership and the innovative approaches Noble employs, from college prep programs to supportive social-emotional learning environments. This episode dives deep into the successes and struggles of leading one of the most impactful charter school networks in the country, offering invaluable insights for educators, leaders, and anyone passionate about education.
8 Jan 2025
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Who has been a guest on Leader to Leader with Darryl Cobb
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Julie Jackson
Isabel Garcia
Dr Adriana Tamez
Jamar McKneely
Roblin Webb
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
9 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
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