In this episode of the Innovating Together podcast, host Bridget Burns welcomes Dr. Carole Basile, Dean of Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton College of Teaching and Learning Innovation. Together, they dive deep into education innovation, structural change in teacher preparation, and the bold reimagining of the K–12 and higher education workforce.
Dr. Basile’s fresh approach centers on a groundbreaking premise: the average student or teacher no longer exists, so why are our systems still designed for “average”? Instead of tweaking curriculum or offering surface-level professional development, her team is working to completely redesign school structures based on variance, strengths-based staffing, and collaborative educator teams. She explains how the outdated “one teacher, one classroom” model is being replaced by dynamic, team-based configurations that align with the unique strengths of educators and the individual needs of students.
Key insights from this episode:
Personalized learning requires a shift in structure, not just content
Workforce development in education is about strategic team design, not just hiring
AI and technology are tools to empower educators and personalize education, not replace them
Teacher satisfaction, retention, and student success increase in structurally innovative models
True innovation starts with permission to change and the courage to move with the willing
Dr. Basile also shares the real impact of this model, now implemented in over 150 schools across 17 states, reaching more than 27,000 students, and how it’s transforming both student outcomes and educator morale.
“When we build teams around real expertise, everyone wins—students and teachers alike.”
If this episode sparked a new vision for your institution or school system, share it with a colleague, and visit Mainstay.com to explore research-backed retention tools that are shaping the future of student engagement.
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This week's episode is sponsored by Mainstay, a student retention and engagement tool where you can increase student and staff engagement with the only platform consistently proven to boost engagement, retention, and wellbeing. To learn more about Mainstay, click here.
