The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast | The #1 Downloaded School Leadership Show

Dr. Nick Polyak on Unlearning Your Way to Educational Innovation

04 Jun 2025

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The Ruckus Report Quick take: Award-winning Superintendent Dr. Nick Polyak reveals why the most innovative school leaders aren't just adding new programs—they're actively tearing down outdated practices to make room for transformational student experiences. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Dr. Nick Polyak is the proud superintendent of the award-winning Leyden Community High School District 212. He earned his undergraduate degree from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, his Masters from Governors State University, and his Ed.D. from Loyola University Chicago. Nick has been a classroom teacher and coach, a building and district level administrator, a School Board member, and a superintendent in both central Illinois and suburban Chicago. Nick earned an IASA School of Advanced Leadership Fellowship and he also graduated from the AASA National Superintendent Certification Program. He teaches for both the Illinois and National Aspiring Superintendent Academies and has co-authored four books on school leadership. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Dr. Nick Polyak challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: Unlearning Debunked Educational Practices What's broken: Clinging to disproven theories like multiple learning styles while adding endless new initiatives The shift: Actively identifying and discarding outdated knowledge to make room for evidence-based practices Impact: Teachers empowered with current, relevant pedagogical approaches instead of layering old myths with new methods Key Insight #2: Reimagining School Structure Through Innovation Incubators What's broken: Traditional 45-minute siloed classes with bell schedules that fragment learning The shift: Creating teacher-led innovation teams who design interdisciplinary, problem-based learning experiences like CoLab Impact: Freshmen spending four periods daily in meaningful, community-connected learning that earns honors credit Key Insight #3: Transforming Exclusion into Belonging Through Bilingual Programming What's broken: Theater programs that don't reflect the school's 70% Latinx population The shift: Creating Teatro Leyden with dual English/Spanish casts, treating language as an asset Impact: Doubled theater participation and families who previously couldn't access school arts now fill auditoriums Quotable Ruckus "We as human beings are really good at learning new things. We're really bad at unlearning things that are no longer true or no longer relevant to make room for new things." – Dr. Nick Polyak Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Identify one "sacred cow" practice in your school and research whether it's still educationally sound This Month: Create an innovation incubator team of teachers from different disciplines to dream big about student experience This Semester: Audit your programs to see if they reflect your student demographics—then redesign what doesn't Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: here 🔗 Follow Dr. Nick Polyak: LinkedIn 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement: The Ruckus Maker Club Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here.. Today's RUCKUScast in Partnership with: IXL: Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more:here Expressability K12: Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It's time to break free. With Expressability K12 Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time sucking tasks. Visit Expressability K12 to learn how: here ODP Business Solutions: STEAM programs failing before they start? Most schools botch STEAM implementation because they're missing 3 critical elements. Here's the wild part: it's not about fancy tech or massive budgets. ODP Business Solutions® has researched many successful programs to identify what actually works (and what's just burning cash). Learn the blueprint: here Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?

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3ª PARTE | 17 DIC 2025 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

01 Jan 1970

El Partidazo de COPE

13:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

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13:00H | 20 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

01 Jan 1970

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12:00H | 20 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

01 Jan 1970

Fin de Semana

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The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast | The #1 Downloaded School Leadership Show

Dr. Nick Polyak on Unlearning Your Way to Educational Innovation

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

Other recent transcribed episodes

3ª PARTE | 17 DIC 2025 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

13:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

12:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

10:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

13:00H | 20 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

12:00H | 20 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

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