On the eve of the NFL draft, what better way to get excited than with a little draft of our own! Rod, Jal, and returning guest, Alisa Berger, take turns "drafting" some of the worst educational innovations of all time. Each person will have an opportunity to defend their pick and then possibly face a little pushback.

Rod and Jal kick-off season three of their podcast with a brief reflection on the alarming trend of school absenteeism in the United States, and then return to an interview with Diana Hess that was recorded this past fall. Their talk with Diana focuses on the importance of encouraging teachers and students to actively engage in conversations surrounding difficult topics and issues.

In our latest episode, Jo Chrona visits Rod and Jal to talk about her book Wayi Wah! and shares how Indigenous knowledge systems can inform our teaching practices and enhance education. The conversation focuses on the tensions involved in trying to dismantle the status quo of inequities and racism that still linger in today's education systems.

With Rod on vacation, Alisa Berger returns as a co-host to help Jal navigate a conversation with Cresta Mcintosh and Jocelyn Fletcher Schuech. They all share connections through the Deeper Learning Dozen project, and their discussion covers both professional and personal revelations about the systems change journey.

"A creative adult is a child who survived." In this episode, James Thompson visits from Sweden and shares his creative journey from amateur ring designer to consulting with some of the most famous luxury brands on the planet. James has a unique approach to creativity, and also happens to be Rod's nephew, so the conversation is plenty fun and a little personal!

Today our guest is from Rod's neck of the woods, as Chris Kennedy joins us from British Columbia to talk about the work he has done as Superintendent of Schools with the West Vancouver School District. Chris is a bit of a rock star in the Canadian educational technology space, and will share how his "culture of yes" has begun to permeate the system.

Rod and Jal talk with Shawn Ginwright about his latest book, "The Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves." In it, Shawn emphasizes the importance of empathy and healing when trying to promote social justice and transformation, and most importantly, that we can't do the work without first gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves.

Members of the Nisga’a School District in Northern British Columbia join our podcast to talk about how traditional indigenous culture blends with the local education system to transform learning for students. The episode features a mix of local language, music, and storytelling that captures the essence of Nisga'a people.

Jal reunites with former students, Landon Mascareñez and Doannie Tran, both graduates of HGSE's Doctor of Education Leadership program (Ed.L.D.), as the two stop by to talk about their upcoming book, The Open System: Redesigning Education and Reigniting Democracy.

Ira Socol and Dr. Pam Moran stop by to talk with Rod and Jal about the who, what, why and how of transformational change in education. They share amazing history, experiences, and anecdotes from their own lives, and the work they have done together in the Virginia public school district.

Special guest host Ron Berger helps Rod flip the script a bit, as Jal becomes this week's featured guest. Ron does an amazing job buttering up Jal before quickly switching to some hard hitting questions that cover everything from Harvard's controversial history to sports team affiliations.

Amanda Datnow and Amelia Peterson stop by to discuss their work on a recent Brookings Report that looks at the building and re-building of education systems around the world. They also share various insights from case studies associated with the report, including work done in Rod's familiar province of British Columbia.

The Dream a Dream Foundation's work in India is truly transforming the education space across the country. Vishal Talreja and Dr. Connie Chung stop by to talk about the amazing stories they collected while writing the book, "When We Thrive, Our World Thrives - Stories of Young People Growing up with Adversity."

Alisa Berger makes her second appearance on the podcast and engages with Rod and Jal in a friendly debate over where the change in school systems should stem from: schools or districts. They discuss what role schools and districts can play, give examples of significant change, and push each other on their theories of change.

Shanna Peeples becomes the first guest to appear for a second time on our show, and she shares her expertise and experience on the topic of politics in education. This timely discussion will examine the landscape of recent political influence in the classroom and the importance of creating spaces for students, teachers, and staff to discuss difficult topics.

Mac and cheese, bourbon, and student agency! In this episode our hosts reflect on their time at a recent Deeper Learning Dozen community of practice convening in Lexington, KY, where they had the chance to sit down with members of the United We Learn Coalition. In lieu of a traditional guest interview, Rod and Jal will play sound bites from the trip and react to what they learned along the way.

In this week's episode, Charles Leadbeater joins the guys to talk about true agency in education and the courage needed to pursue, and ultimately make systematic changes in the system.

Our first guest of season two is Timothy Knowles. He joins Rod and Jal to talk about what shaped his view of education and how lessons from his past inform his current work as President of the Carnegie Foundation.

Free Range Humans is back for a second season, and Rod and Jal kick things off with a friendly Canada vs. United States school reform debate. Our hosts explore how the two countries can learn from one another, and specifically, whether we can apply Canadian reform principles to U.S. systems.

A full year and forty episodes later, the first season of Free Range Humans is in the books. In this special episode, we look back and reflect upon the various themes, highlights, and guests that stood out during season one.

"What are your wonders?" This week Kaleb Rashad brings great energy to the podcast as we discuss what goes into strong learning design. One main idea that permeates throughout the episode - our students need to help drive design and that can be as simple as asking them about their interests and wonders.

"Does this spark joy?" Shanna Peeples visits with Rod and Jal to share her journey from journalist to national teacher of the year, and why joy is such an important element in the classroom.

"We are all building something together." This week Kim Ondrik joins the podcast to share her journey through the education system, starting with her time as a student and continuing through her disruptive founding of Mill Bay Nature School on Vancouver Island.

For more than 50 years, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has worked to advance education for all. Today's guest, Kent McGuire shares insights on the role philanthropy plays in education, and how proper investment can be a powerful tool for transformation.