GAEL UnscriptED

Georgia Association of Educational Leaders
  • 5.0 (3)
  • EDUCATION

GAEL UnscriptED, the podcast that goes beyond the headlines and handbooks to bring you unfiltered insights from Georgia’s top educational leaders, innovators, and changemakers. Hosted by Ben Wiggins, Executive Director of GAEL, this show dives deep into the challenges, opportunities, and unexpected twists that shape education today. From leadership strategies to policy discussions—and everything in between—GAEL UnscriptED is your go-to source for candid conversations that make an impact. No scripts. No fluff. Just real talk from those leading the way in Georgia’s schools.

  1. 4D AGO

    GAEL UnscriptED S2:E4 | From Safety To Instruction: How Kloud-12 Transforms K-12 Teaching

    What if the same video that protects teachers also helps them teach better? We sit down with Kloud-12’s Brent Coleman and Kelly Martinez to unpack how classroom cameras and a modern intercom can turn daily practice into measurable growth while closing safety gaps that keep leaders up at night. Brent connects a decade in sports with a decade in schools to make a crisp point: film is how professionals improve. Kelly brings the classroom lens—how video reframed a student’s behavior and changed her support plan—showing why reflection beats guesswork. We get practical about adoption. Teachers set schedules, control recordings, and choose who can view—backed by transparent district policy that draws a hard line between coaching and evaluation. That clarity builds trust and speeds buy-in when paired with an easy workflow that drops videos straight into Google Drive or OneDrive. For leaders, the payoff lands on both pillars that matter most: safety and instruction. Real stories highlight the stakes, from resolving medical uncertainty during a seizure to disproving false accusations and streamlining discipline with facts instead of hearsay. Then we broaden the frame with Kloud-12’s More Voice Unity, an IP-based bells, paging, and intercom system built for K-12. Integrated with Syntegix, a crisis alert can surface the right classroom feed to responders and record office audio for post-event analysis, turning drills and incidents into data that improves the next response. We also explore scalable instructional wins: building libraries of best-practice lessons, supporting ESOL when staff are out, and sharing expertise across campuses. Because Kloud-12 designs and owns its hardware and software, districts get nimble updates, health checks that catch failures, and support led by former educators—plus a realistic timeline of roughly 90 days from purchase to live. If every coach uses film to win, schools can use it to learn. Subscribe, share with a colleague who cares about safety and PD, and leave a review telling us how your district would use classroom video to lift teaching and protect staff.

    40 min

  2. JAN 26

    GAEL UnscriptED: S2:E3 | TRS Part #2: Retirement Math That Actually Matters

    Ready to turn career choices into retirement confidence? We sat down with Georgia’s Teacher Retirement System leadership to decode the rules that matter most: how promotions interact with anti-spiking safeguards, why your highest 24 months drive your benefit, and when a June paycheck might outweigh an earlier COLA. We walk through clean, real-world scenarios so you can compare April 1, June 1, and July 1 retirements without guesswork—and understand the trade-offs. We also dive into the workforce challenge facing Georgia schools and the role TRS plays as both a recruitment magnet and a retention anchor. You’ll hear what an independent audit found about return-to-work programs, how new bills could expand opportunities without harming the fund, and what the average retiree’s path looks like before stepping back into the classroom. If you’ve wondered about the “25 years” headline, we set the record straight: eligibility to return is not a shortcut to full retirement. Two constants rise to the top: COLAs and security. Georgia’s long record of cost-of-living adjustments—prefunded through member contributions—helps retirees keep pace with inflation while driving billions into local economies. Just as important is protecting what you’ve earned. Only about half of members have current beneficiary information, and that gap has real consequences. We cover the quick fixes: log in annually, update beneficiaries, and turn on multi-factor authentication. Along the way, you’ll hear stories of leadership, community impact, and why professional networks like GAEL shape better decisions over an entire career. If this conversation helped you plan your next step, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review telling us the one question you still want answered. Your feedback shapes future episodes.

    51 min

  3. JAN 19

    GAEL UnscriptED S2:E2 | TRS Part #1: How Georgia's TRS Powers Educator Retirement Security

    A bus route to the boardroom isn’t a cliché here—it’s the real path two former superintendents took before stepping into leadership at Georgia’s Teacher Retirement System. We open with their unexpected journeys, the mentors who nudged them forward, and the idea that leadership is transferable when anchored in service, data, and relationships. From there, we get practical: how culture, strategic planning, and succession design can transform a solid agency into a standout one with sub–5 percent turnover and a staff that sees its work as a mission. We also dig into what members care about most: access and security. You’ll hear the story behind TRS’s video counseling and the Macon office—human-centered changes that saved educators hours on the road and made retirement counseling more equitable statewide. Then we zoom out to the numbers: a roughly $125 billion fund, a funding ratio that ranks among the strongest, and a seasoned team managing most investments in-house. Governance matters too, from the investment committee’s discipline to joint management sessions that sharpen oversight. If you’re a teacher, principal, or district leader wondering when to engage with TRS, we map out a clear timeline: learn early, revisit mid-career, and sit for pre-retirement counseling within five years of your target date. And on the perennial question—retire at year 30, 33, or keep going to 40—we frame the tradeoffs with both math and meaning. Love the work and see rising impact? Staying can lift your final average salary and multiplier. Ready for a second act? Drawing your pension while launching a new career can be a powerful combination. Ready to plan smarter and lead with clarity? Follow the show, share this conversation with a colleague who’s weighing their next step, and leave a review with your top retirement question—we may feature it in a future episode.

    37 min

  4. JAN 12

    GAEL UnscriptED S2:E1 | Build Networks & Lead with Confidence

    Start the new year with a clean slate and a smarter plan for leading your school. We kick off season two by inviting members to share their best campus ideas on the show and by laying out concrete support you can plug in right away. From statewide cohorts to targeted coaching and a literacy series that finally gives writing the airtime it deserves, the focus is practical help that saves hours and moves student learning. We explain how our February needs assessment guides next year’s professional learning, then dig into two pillars: the Aspiring Principals Academy and the New Principal Institute. Splitting cohorts north and south opened access across the state, while new leaders in years one through four get a durable network plus face time with voices from the Department of Education, PSC, and GOSA. That mix of peer support and agency insight turns policy into practice and makes it easier to navigate certification, accountability, and reporting with confidence. Leadership coaching takes center stage next. Our one‑day training with three short follow‑ups walks you through a full coaching cycle focused on adult growth, not compliance. You’ll build listening and questioning skills, practice in a safe setting, and leave with tools you can use with APs, teacher leaders, and teams. We also share time management tactics principals can start tomorrow: time blocking for morning presence and classroom visits, reverse time blocking to reveal hidden patterns, and email sprints that stop constant inbox checking. Round it out with our spring literacy webinar series on writing, plus a weekly Capitol update that keeps you ready to advocate on funding and policy. Ready to lead with more clarity and less chaos? Subscribe for season two, share this episode with a colleague who needs these tools, and leave a quick review so more school leaders can find us.

    19 min

  5. 12/22/2025

    Season Finale: Big Thanks & Big Things Coming at Winter GAEL

    Ready for a clear look at what leaders need next? We close the fall season with Cindy Flesher and a practical preview of Winter GAEL, our three-day gathering in Athens that puts member voice at the center. From the first survey response to the final agenda, every session is built to solve problems you face right now—recruiting talent, leading change, raising student outcomes, and reclaiming time. We dig into four focused strands that make the conference easy to navigate and hard to forget. Building the bench shares how districts grow great educators and future leaders with real systems, not slogans. Leading forward highlights innovation, agility, and strategic change, with examples you can adapt. Driving student outcomes brings proven leadership moves you can use on Monday. Reclaiming time explores practical tools, including AI, to reduce friction and keep attention on what matters most. You’ll also hear why we expanded breakouts in response to your feedback, how we selected 39 sessions from a record 88 proposals, and what materials will be available afterward. Keynotes bring depth and humanity. Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis focuses on resilience and moving forward after crisis. Joe Sanfelippo, former national superintendent of the year, shares how to champion people and culture. Brandon Fleming, author of Miseducated and a Harvard debate coach, offers a powerful story of second chances and high expectations. We also preview live Q&A opportunities with the presenters from our popular finance webinar series, plus anticipated updates from state leaders and the Department of Education. If you’re new, we’ve got your back. We talk through how to make the most of affiliate meetings, hallway conversations, and the Sunday reception to build a network that actually helps when the job gets tough. Registration is open, and hotel rooms at the Hyatt and the new Marriott near the Classic Center go fast—book early to stay close. Subscribe, share with a colleague who needs this community, and leave a quick review to help more Georgia leaders find us.

    14 min

  6. 12/15/2025

    How A Statewide Program Turns Teens Into Community Leaders: Part #2

    If leadership is a muscle, this conversation is the workout plan. We sit down with the team from UGA’s Fanning Institute to unpack Youth Lead Georgia—a statewide program that starts with a three‑day kickoff in Athens and expands into a year of hands‑on learning, industry immersion, and post‑secondary exploration. From team building and self‑awareness to a multi‑day bus tour across Georgia, we trace how students grow from curious participants into confident contributors who can read a room, read a community, and take action. What makes this model stand out is its intentional mix of access and relevance. Selection hinges on short‑answer reflections, not GPAs, opening the door to students with emerging potential. Each session pairs leadership skills with local context: visits to technical colleges and universities, insights from the military, and on‑site industry experiences that reveal the jobs powering Georgia’s economy. The Phoenix Air visit in Cartersville—a company that transported Ebola patients and handled a high‑profile repatriation—shows students that global impact can start right here at home. We also get practical. Hear how Oconee County High School tailored modules, shifted to student‑led group interviews, and balanced grade levels to keep momentum strong. Learn how districts around the state adapt schedules to avoid class conflicts, run leadership councils that span middle and high school, and even introduce K‑5 students to age‑appropriate leadership. The Youth Lead Georgia Summit takes it further by inviting representation from all 159 counties, elevating youth voices on the issues they face today and turning those insights into direction for schools and communities. Ready to bring this to your campus or district? Connect with UGA Fanning on LinkedIn and social at @UGAFanning, and reach out to Lauren and Jason via the UGA Fanning website to set up a Zoom. If this conversation sparked ideas, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review so more educators and community leaders can find it.

    26 min

  7. 12/08/2025

    Inside UGA Fanning’s Blueprint For Youth Leadership That Works: Part #1

    Want proof that high school leadership doesn’t have to be performative or reserved for a select few? We sit down with the team at UGA’s JW Fanning Institute for Leadership Development to unpack a model that helps teens lead right now—no jargon, no fluff, just practical skills and real opportunities. From the pressures students feel about college and careers to the confidence they gain through strengths-based coaching, we trace how a research-backed framework turns anxiety into agency. We walk through Youth Lead Georgia, a competitive, zero-cost statewide cohort fueled by philanthropic support, complete with four immersive retreats and a summer bus tour. You’ll hear how the companion summer summit widens access, inviting at least one student from every Georgia county to explore leadership, college pathways, technical education, the military, and the workforce—without prescribing a single “right” future. Then we dive into the school-based Youth Leadership in Action curriculum, a flexible K–12 program that moves students through mastery of self, mastery of relationships, and mastery of action. Think community mapping, conflict skills, and team problem-solving that culminate in student-led projects with measurable impact. Oconee County High School joins to share how they customized the modules, shifted to peer-led applications and interviews, and saw students ask for encore sessions to push their legacy work further. The thread through it all is facilitation that centers student voice: educators can bring Fanning in to lead, or get trained to run the program themselves. If you care about student belonging, behavior, and achievement—and you want a blueprint that works in both rural and metro districts—this conversation is your roadmap. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a quick review to help more Georgia schools discover pathways that turn student pressure into purpose.

    26 min

  8. 12/01/2025

    Part 2: Danny Kofke: Building Long-Term Wealth on a Teaching Career

    Think a teacher salary can’t build real wealth? We invite Danny Kafke back to show how educators can pair the Georgia TRS pension with smart, low-fee savings and the right insurance to create stability that rivals seven-figure portfolios. We start with the simple math of the pension—2% per service year—then connect it to a practical plan that protects your family, fights inertia, and keeps more of every dollar you invest. Danny explains why protection comes first. Life insurance and long-term disability aren’t just line items; they’re the shield that keeps a lifetime of saving from unraveling after one bad break. From there, we dig into catch-up strategies for mid-career teachers who finally have room to save: how much to contribute, where to trim, and how to let automation do the heavy lifting. We tackle the myth that higher income fixes everything, and show how overspending can sink doctors and superstars just as easily as it derails teachers. The conversation turns to the Southern Education Retirement Consortium (SERC) and its impact on districts—especially smaller ones. By consolidating into a single-vendor model with transparent oversight, SERC slashes plan fees that quietly erode balances. The result: tens of thousands saved per educator over time, higher participation via auto-enrollment, and more money staying in local communities to build generational wealth. Danny’s personal story anchors it all, reminding us that the greatest return on money is freedom to be present for the people we love. If you’re a superintendent, HR leader, or educator looking for clarity, this one’s a roadmap: pensions, protection, automation, and lower fees. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review with one question you want answered about your retirement plan—what should we dig into next?

    30 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

GAEL UnscriptED, the podcast that goes beyond the headlines and handbooks to bring you unfiltered insights from Georgia’s top educational leaders, innovators, and changemakers. Hosted by Ben Wiggins, Executive Director of GAEL, this show dives deep into the challenges, opportunities, and unexpected twists that shape education today. From leadership strategies to policy discussions—and everything in between—GAEL UnscriptED is your go-to source for candid conversations that make an impact. No scripts. No fluff. Just real talk from those leading the way in Georgia’s schools.

Information

  • Creator
    Georgia Association of Educational Leaders
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 GAEL UnscriptED
  • Show Website
    GAEL UnscriptED