What if we looked at failure not as a flaw—but as fuel for innovation? In this inspiring episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner sits down with Roxanna Villaseñor, former superintendent and CEO of Universal Leadership and Associates, to explore what it truly means to lead with intention and hope in an uncertain and rapidly evolving educational landscape.

With a career spanning the classroom, central office, and systems-level leadership, Roxanna brings a rare blend of instructional depth and strategic foresight to the conversation. Together, she and Dr. Conner dig into the necessary cultural and mindset shifts leaders must embrace to meet the needs of Generation Alpha and Generation Beta—students coming of age in a world defined by diversity, digital access, and deep disruption.

From redefining failure as innovation to aligning technology with wisdom, Roxanna challenges us to ask: Are we bold enough to design systems that truly reflect the strengths and needs of today’s learners? She shares powerful insights on multilingual education, universal design for learning, mental health as a non-negotiable, and the importance of honoring voices that have historically been overlooked.

What You’ll Learn:

1. Bold Leadership Mindsets: Why Gen Z and Alpha demand new models rooted in hope, empowerment, and social responsibility.
2. Data + Humanity: How to use timely data to reflect values, not just measure outcomes—and why AI can become a surprising ally.
3. Failure as Feedback: Why organizations must reframe failure as a path to innovation, growth, and resiliency.
4. Global Citizenship: Why preparing students for the future requires SEL, environmental literacy, and real-world collaboration.
5. Systems with Soul: Practical shifts in scheduling, MTSS, and leadership development that center students and families at every step.

In a time when education is too often driven by politics or fear of change, this conversation reminds us of what’s possible when leaders make equal opportunity their compass and excellence their standard. Dr. Conner and Roxanna invite us to rise up, think bigger, and reimagine what thriving can look like for every student—especially in a world that won’t wait.

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What happens when a school district refuses to operate in silos—and instead imagines an ecosystem that truly wraps around every learner, every family, and every community member? In this inspiring episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner sits down with visionary educator and community leader Jody Bloyer, Deputy Superintendent of Racine Unified School District in Wisconsin.

A former teacher and principal, Jody brings a deep commitment to equity, innovation, and the power of collective care. Under her leadership, Racine has become a model for integrated, community-driven education systems. From launching community connector teams and restorative practices alongside law enforcement, to building pathways that connect classroom learning to real-world careers, Jody is designing a student experience rooted in relevance, belonging, and joy.

Together, Dr. Conner and Jody explore what it means to lead with both urgency and grace in a rapidly evolving educational landscape—especially post-COVID, where Generation Alpha students are entering schools with radically different learner profiles, social-emotional needs, and expectations for how learning happens.

You’ll learn:

•  Bold strategies to shift from siloed services to layered systems of support
• Why social-emotional learning is academic learning—and must be treated as such
• What “safe in the try” means for creating cultures of experimentation and risk-taking in schools
• How to better align instruction to match Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s learner attributes
• The power of authentic community partnerships that hold students at the center
• Why 22nd-century education demands a redefinition of both success and school itself

At the heart of this episode is a challenge to disrupt convention—while staying grounded in collective purpose. From grace and belief to commitment and joy, Jody reminds us what’s possible when educators truly embrace innovation as a communal act of love and progress.

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What happens when educational leadership is grounded in the wisdom of community, driven by emotion as much as intellect, and unflinchingly committed to equity? This week on Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael Conner sits down with Dr. Brenda Garcia Castro—assistant principal at Century Community Charter School in Inglewood, California, and adjunct professor at Pepperdine University—for a deeply human and intellectually rigorous conversation that bridges systemic transformation with personal journey.

A proud bilingual leader, researcher, immigrant mother, and rising scholar with both an EdD and a PhD in progress, Dr. Garcia Castro offers a visionary blueprint for what it means to lead from love, data, and intentionality all at once. Her groundbreaking conceptual model, the Optimal Partnership for Thriving Integration, reframes how schools engage immigrant families—not as passive recipients of services but as empowered, trusted, and essential collaborators in education.

Together, she and Dr. Conner explore how schools can evolve their culture—not just structurally but emotionally—to build durable ecosystems of access, trust, and healing for students and their families. At the center of this journey: authenticity, radical listening, and a commitment to meeting families exactly where they are, while preparing all students, especially Generation Alpha and Beta, for an unknown but exciting future shaped by AI and workforce transformation.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

•  Bold leadership means leaning into discomfort to serve a greater purpose.
•  Support for families is system design—not an afterthought.
•  Immigrant families want access, growth, and connection—so how are we listening?
• Trust and relationships are the real curriculum of school leadership.
•  Culture isn’t declared—it’s co-constructed through presence and modeling.
• AI + workforce prep begins by demystifying tech and amplifying student voice.

Dr. Brenda Garcia Castro reminds us: the future of equitable education is personal, purposeful, and possible—when we meet it with heart and rigor. This episode is a stirring reminder that education systems can, and must, be designed for all to thrive. It’s time to redefine success not just by test scores, but by the depth of belonging, access, and opportunity each child experiences.

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