Finding Common Ground in Education
A REALISTIC GUIDE TO FINDING COMMON GROUND IN EDUCATION BETWEEN ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS In today’s world, it is becoming difficult to make any significant change at the national and state levels. We are constantly facing experts whose job it is to hijack agendas and movements of change. Therefore, the only way to make real and actual change is in our school communities. This progressive format shares a down-to-earth approach that both authors feel is being sidestepped in communities all over the country. It is our hope that this podcast will help facilitate tough conversations and bring the focus back to what is most important for both sides to understand in order for public education-The students. This content is a collection of conversations, research, debates, and discussions between two childhood friends who grew up together in Youngstown, Ohio. As graduates of the class of 1989 from Austintown Fitch High School, they parted ways with the goal to meet again soon to teach and coach together in the same school district. Even though life prevented them from working in the same brick and mortar building for the last 25 years, technology made them successful long-distance colleagues. As their career paths pushed them in different directions, they found themselves on opposite sides of the current educational model. One a school district superintendent in California and the other a Union president in Ohio. Not only would their positions put them on opposite sides of the education debates, so would the politics of the states they resided in over the last two decades as California primarily falling on the left side of the political spectrum and Ohio standing firmly on the right side of the aisle.
Listen on:
Episodes
May 17, 2026
May 17, 2026
21 min
In this episode, Dave and Dean help Nadia prepare for an upcoming interview. The purpose of the podcast is to help her see questions from both the administrative and teacher perspectives.
Nov 17, 2025
Nov 17, 2025
19 min
In this podcast, Dave and Dean reinforce the process of celebrating staff members who have done great things in their careers and how we’ve celebrated their accomplishments. This episode reinforces the path to finding common ground must be paved with celebrating the opposite side of the aisle.
Nov 7, 2025
Nov 7, 2025
17 min
This podcast is the second in a two-part series covering our recent online course titled Administrative Leadership 101: Foundations for New Assistant Principals. Dave and Dean summarize the last two classes : Prioritizing the daily chaos and planning for the year.
Oct 19, 2025
Oct 19, 2025
18 min
This is the first podcast of a two-part series covering our recent online course titled Administrative Leadership 101: Foundations for New Assistant Principals. Dave and Dean summarize the first two classes in our fall course-Building trust and Cultivating a positive school climate.
Aug 21, 2025
Aug 21, 2025
24 min
The first podcast of the third season starts with Dave and Dean discussing the start of the 2025-26 school year and then revisits the importance of the 1000 hours of instruction. The gang then covers the importance of creating measurable short term and long term goals for the school year.
Jun 7, 2025
Jun 7, 2025
21 min
In this episode we welcome back Jamie Necochea to share about her journey through special education as an educator and a parent.
Jun 7, 2025
Jun 7, 2025
16 min
In this episode we welcome Jamie Necochea, current administrator and former special education teacher from California. Mrs. Necochea was a parent in Dr. Farkas’s school district and has several great things to share about her journey through special education as an educator and a parent.
May 19, 2025
May 19, 2025
16 min
In the final episode with Dr. David Mullane, we discuss current controversial topics in education and some possible solutions to overcome them.
May 7, 2025
May 7, 2025
17 min
In this episode, Dave and Dean continue their discussion about why people are leaving education and the constant uphill battles fought in the trenches.
May 7, 2025
May 7, 2025
16 min
In this episode, we welcome our first guest, Dr. David Mullane. A former teacher and administrator who left education after two decades. We are excited to start bringing in guests who can help us bring teachers and administrators closer together to help our students.