Episodes

Send a text Two decades of conference halls, classroom breakthroughs, and late-night planning come to life as we sit down with Ranay Lozala of Rapides Parish at LACUE 2025 in New Orleans. From board service to district leadership in data and analytics, Renee shares how a statewide conference becomes more than sessions and swag—it becomes a pipeline of ideas, tools, and guardrails that shape learning on Monday morning. Website: spotlight4success.com

Send a text Step onto the LACUE floor in New Orleans with us and meet Jacqueline Edwards, a computer science instructor from East Baton Rouge who turns high school classrooms into launchpads for software careers. Jacqueline shares how her students earn dual enrollment credit through Baton Rouge Community College, graduate with Python and JavaScript certifications, and walk away with 27 credit hours toward an applied associate degree in software development. It’s a clear, practical pathway: real ...

Send us a text Say yes first, figure it out together—that’s the spirit of this conversation with Tracy Phillips from Washington Parish, recorded live at LACUE 2025 in New Orleans. Tracy has taught nearly everything from fourth grade English to biology and civics, and she shares how a single decision to attend a tech-forward conference reshaped her planning, assessment, and classroom culture. Website: spotlight4success.com

Send us a text Bright lights, fresh ideas, and real classroom wins—our trip to LACUE in New Orleans brought all three together. We sat down with fifth grade science teacher Brayondra Allen from Ferriday Upper Elementary to talk about what truly moves the needle for student learning: clear standards alignment, a smart resource mix, and the joy of those “aha” moments when a concept clicks. From the first minutes, her focus is practical and purposeful—learn more to be more for her students. Websit...

Send us a text The buzz of a great education conference can change a school year. From the floor of LACUE in New Orleans, we sit down with Gladys from St. Landry Parish to explore how curiosity about AI, beginner-friendly Canva workflows, and trusted practice materials can turn everyday lessons into steady student growth. She brings 15 years in the classroom to the table, sharing why those eureka moments still guide every decision and how thoughtful prompts help students discover ideas for thems...

Send us a text The best conference takeaway is the one you can use on Monday. That’s exactly what we set out to capture in this conversation with Shayla Pandja, the English instructional coordinator for St. Landry Parish, recorded live at LACUE in New Orleans. We dig into the real work of supporting high school teachers: choosing a core curriculum that builds knowledge and skills, layering on targeted practice that mirrors assessments, and making sure every classroom can actually access the tool...

Send us a text What happens when a first-year teacher pairs AI with a lesson on kindness—and sees her fifth graders raise their voices with empathy? We sit down with Bethany Collette from Concordia Parish to explore a classroom model that treats technology as a tool and human connection as the goal. From generating relatable reading passages to crafting quick exit tickets, Bethany shows how simple AI workflows free up time for deeper discussion, small-group coaching, and the kind of peer feedbac...

Send us a text What if your next conference trip rewired how your district learns? Sitting with instructional coordinator Samantha David at LACUE New Orleans 2025, we trace a path from librarian roots to a role that multiplies impact by teaching teachers, curating practical tools, and building the kind of network that turns ideas into adoption. Samantha brings a clear-eyed view of professional development: it has to be usable on Monday, aligned to standards, and respectful of teachers’ time, or ...