I am thrilled to welcome back sociologist and education thought-leader Dr. Anindya Kundu for a powerful conversation about what it truly takes to lead schools and communities toward meaningful change. You may remember Anindya from our earlier discussions on systemic inequality and student agency. In this return visit, we go deeper into why traditional models of leadership no longer serve our schools — and how we must evolve our approaches to meet the challenges of today's educational landscape.

If you missed part one, check it out here first.

Anindya's new book, Transforming Educational Leadership: Non-Traditional Narratives to Promote Equity in Uncertain Times, offers a compelling roadmap for rethinking leadership in education by elevating the voices and experiences of students, educators, families, and leaders who are leading in new ways. Drawing from narrative research and sociological insight, he challenges the idea that leadership is something done topeople and reframes it as a collective practice.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why educational leadership must move beyond managerial efficiency
• How stories from multiple stakeholders help us understand what real leadership looks like in unsettled times
• How we got to where we are today with the lack of trust in public education

Whether you're an educator, administrator, parent, or advocate, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership and inspire you to engage in the higher-order work of transforming systems, not just coping with them.

I am thrilled to welcome back sociologist and education thought-leader Dr. Anindya Kundu for a powerful conversation about what it truly takes to lead schools and communities toward meaningful change. You may remember Anindya from our earlier discussions on systemic inequality and student agency. In this return visit, we go deeper into why traditional models of leadership no longer serve our schools — and how we must evolve our approaches to meet the challenges of today's educational landscape.

Anindya's new book, Transforming Educational Leadership: Non-Traditional Narratives to Promote Equity in Uncertain Times, offers a compelling roadmap for rethinking leadership in education by elevating the voices and experiences of students, educators, families, and leaders who are leading in new ways. Drawing from narrative research and sociological insight, he challenges the idea that leadership is something done to people and reframes it as a collective practice.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why educational leadership must move beyond managerial efficiency
• How stories from multiple stakeholders help us understand what real leadership looks like in unsettled times
• How we got to where we are today with the lack of trust in public education

Whether you're an educator, administrator, parent, or advocate, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership and inspire you to engage in the higher-order work of transforming systems, not just coping with them.

On this week's Teach Me, Teacher we sit down with Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath — neuroscientist, educator, and author — to dive deep into one of the most urgent debates in education today: the role of technology in schools.

All of the discussion items in this episode are inspired by and directed by Jared's latest book: The Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids' Learning — And How To Help Them Thrive Again — check it out here.

In this powerful conversation, Jared breaks down the myth of educational technology. His new book takes a rigorous, research-grounded view of why digital tools — once hailed as revolutionary — often fail to deliver on their promises and can actually hinder real learning.

Jared and I explore how technology went from a supplemental tool to a central feature of classrooms. Fueled by optimism, investment, and the idea that digital tools automatically mean innovation, schools adopted laptops, tablets, apps, and AI — often without deep evidence that these tools improve learning.

Drawing on decades of cognitive research, Jared explains how digital distraction — from multitasking to constant notifications — can disrupt memory, attention, and deep thinking. These are the very processes that real learningdepends on.

Rather than simply adding more tech, we talked about what happens when schools put teachers, relationships, and focused engagement back at the center of learning. Jared makes the case that most student-facing screens should be phased out — not because technology is inherently bad, but because its dominant role undermines learning outcomes and critical thinking skills

We also cover what better education actually looks like: classrooms where print media, discussion, reflection, and deep practice take priority — and where technology serves only highly specific, evidence-based purposes rather than driving instruction.

As schools grapple with stagnant achievement, reduced attention spans, and rising concerns about student well-being, this episode challenges the assumption that more technology equals better learning. It's time for educators, parents, and policy makers to rethink the role of ed tech — and that starts with honest conversations like this one.

Check out our previous discussion on the podcast here.