Jon and Nick discuss the recent article featuring a student who was "ditched" on prom night by his supposed friends. The next day, a group of real friends who knew what happened held a "Fake Prom" to turn a negative into a positive. 

The Rock Star Principals wrap up their school year discussing authentic learning, Capstones, Awards Ceremonies, the 4 Cs, and moving away from a focus on standardized testing and things that simply don't matter.

The Rock Star Principals continue with another Edu-Awesome interview in Episode 112! Today, Jon and Nick welcome the Downingtown Area School District Superintendent and Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators President, Dr. Em Lonardi! Their interview keys in on the importance of principals, longevity in a Central Office role, focusing the vision of a school district, and more!

"Dr. Lonardi has been Superintendent of the Downingtown Area School District since July, 2017.  Before that, she led the West York School District for 19 years. She served two years as West York’s Assistant Superintendent and was Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Camp Hill School District for four years.  In 1988, Dr. Lonardi was named Assistant Principal of the Camp Hill PA Jr./Sr. High School having taught Health/Physical Education in the Camp Hill Jr./Sr. High School upon her graduation from West Chester University. 

Dr. Lonardi received her Ph.D. from Penn State University in Educational Administration.  She received her M.S. in Human Performance/Motor Control from Indiana University.  She taught graduate classes at York College of Pennsylvania and at the Harrisburg Campus for Penn State University and is a frequent presenter on educational issues.  

Dr. Lonardi was the 2014 recipient of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA) “Superintendent of the Year” award.  The award, based primarily on innovative leadership and academic achievement, is selected yearly by the membership. Dr. Lonardi also serves as the president for PASA and is on the PASA Governing Board for the American Association of School Administrators."

Today, the Rock Star Principals are proud to welcome one of our Edu-Heroes to the podcast. Ted Dintersmith is one of America's leaders in innovation, entrepreneurship, and education.

Ted's professional experience includes two decades in venture capital, including being ranked by Business 2.0 as the top-performing U.S. venture capitalist for 1995-1999. From 1981 to 1987, he ran a business at Analog Devices that helped enable the digital revolution. In the public sector, he was a staff analyst in 1976-78 for the U.S. House of Representatives, and was appointed in 2012 by President Obama to represent the U.S. at the United Nations General Assembly. Ted earned a Ph.D. in Engineering from Stanford University and a B.A. from the College of William and Mary, with High Honors in Physics and English.

Ted has become one of America's leading advocates for education policies that foster creativity, innovation, motivation, and purpose. He knows what skills are valuable in a world of innovation, and how we can transform our schools to prepare kids for their futures. His contributions span film, books, philanthropy, and the hard work of going all across America. He's funded and executive produced acclaimed education documentaries, including Most Likely To Succeed, (Sundance, AFI, and Tribeca). With co-author Tony Wagner, he wrote Most Likely To Succeed: Preparing Our Kids for the Innovation Era. During the 2015/16 school year, he went to all fifty U.S. states, meeting with governors, legislators, educators, parents, and students, and encouraging communities to work collectively to re-imagine school and its purpose. Learn more about his work from his website, http://www.edu21c.com, or by following him on Twitter @dintersmith. Buy his new book here: What Schools Could Be and Most Likely to Succeed

Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy this thought provoking and rebellious episode of RSP!

• Jon and Nick discuss an article from the New York Times that explores some colleges that are cutting tuition prices and eliminating majors that aren't viable for careers any longer.
• A Word from Our Fake Sponsor: The Cobra Kai Series on YouTube RED.
• "Homework Therapists" are an actual thing. Seriously. Jon and Nick break it all down.

• In episode 109, Nick and Jon take the pulse of the nation after the horrific school shooting in Florida last week. Listen to two principals share their feelings on the news coverage, polarizing political debates, practical solutions, social media, and more.
• After listening, dig into our archive and re-listen to episode 21 from 2013 where RSP interview Israeli Counter-Terrorism Expert, Alon Stivi. It was a very special school safety episode.
  • Click Here to Listen to Episode 21