Spotlight 4 Success | "Esports, Python, And AI" | LACUE 2025

1/7/2026

A hallway chat at LACUE 2025 turns into a masterclass on making technology serve learning, not the other way around. We sit down with Louisiana educator Anthony Swallor, who teaches math and physics, runs Python courses, coaches esports, and keeps the school tech humming—proof that small campuses can deliver big outcomes with the right strategy. Website: spotlight4success.com

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Spotlight 4 Success | "Punnett Squares Walked So Mitosis Could Run" | LACUE 2025

1/5/2026

What if state test prep didn’t feel like test prep at all? We sit down at LACUE in New Orleans with tech facilitator and veteran biology teacher Christina Verberne to unpack a simple, repeatable system that turns anxiety into confidence and practice into real learning. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "We Came For Beignets, Stayed For Score Gains" | LACUE 2025

12/29/2025

A school doesn’t climb a letter grade by accident. We sit down with Richwood Middle’s Errika McBride to unpack how intentional coaching, aligned resources, and purposeful technology helped move the needle on state assessments—and why the work continues after the first big win. Errika’s philosophy is crisp: grow teachers to grow students. She describes what daily support looks like in classrooms, how to keep goals visible without creating burnout, and the simple systems that turn strategies into habits students can feel. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Robotics, CTE, And Real Gains" | LACUE 2025

12/22/2025

What turns a struggling school into a rising one? We sat down with Richwood Middle School educator Roderick Hannibal at LACUE in New Orleans to unpack a practical blueprint: combine structured study, hands-on robotics, and clear career pathways so students see where their effort leads. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Books, Beasts, And Borrowed Time" | SCLA 2025

12/3/2025

Curious how a zoo brings the wild into your local library? We sat down with Andrea Robichaud, education specialist at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, at the South Carolina Library Association to share how summer reading themes transform into lively, hands-on programs for families. From last year’s exploration of color—how animals signal, hide, and communicate, and how keepers use color to organize care—to this year’s Unearthing a Story, we connect fossils and ancient creatures to the behaviors of modern animals kids can see today. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Libraries Beyond Books" | SCLA 2025

12/3/2025

Think a library is just shelves and a reference desk? Spend a few minutes with us and librarian Jenny Lao from Richland Library Northeast, and watch that picture shift. Recorded at the South Carolina Library Association gathering in Columbia, our conversation dives into how thoughtful programming and equity-focused leadership can turn a branch into a true community hub. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Charleston Libraries Rebuilt" | SCLA 2025

12/2/2025

Big change doesn’t happen by accident. We sit down with Charleston County Public Library’s chief deputy director to unpack a county-wide transformation powered by a $108.5 million referendum, deep community trust, and a clear operational backbone. From five new branches and system-wide renovations to a main library redesign now underway, you’ll hear how a large system keeps policies aligned across eighteen locations while still meeting neighborhood needs. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "What Happens When Children Choose Their Own Books" | SCLA 2025

12/2/2025

A gym full of kids, a stack of fresh books, and a mascot who can turn a story into a celebration—this is how reading becomes a lifelong habit. We sit down with Margaret Jackson of Cocky’s Reading Express to explore how a joyful, high-energy model brings literacy to Title I schools across all 46 South Carolina counties, powered by the University of South Carolina’s iSchool. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Story Walks That Get Kids Reading" | SCLA 2025

12/2/2025

Imagine a picture book unfolding along a sunny park path, each page waiting around the next bend. That’s the magic behind story walk signs, and we sit down with Meghan Beehler from Lark Signs to explore how this simple idea turns movement into motivation for young readers and their families. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "STEM For Every Student" | SCLA 2025

12/1/2025

The future of work isn’t waiting, and neither are we. From a bustling floor at the South Carolina Library Association Conference, we sit down with Collin Robinson, executive director at 21st Century Ed, to unpack a simple idea with big ambition: bring STEM to every learner early, often, and everywhere. You’ll hear how a community-first approach that links school districts, public libraries, local businesses, and universities can turn curiosity into skills that match real jobs shaped by automation and AI. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "How A New Librarian Builds Community Through Open Mic Programs" | SCLA 2025

12/1/2025

Ever wondered how a simple open mic can change the feel of a library? We sit down with Brittany Smith from Richland Library Sand Hills—freshly launched into her graduate studies at the University of South Carolina—to explore how handing the microphone to neighbors turns a quiet room into a vibrant community stage. From poetry and storytelling to music and student showcases, Brittany walks us through the practical steps any library can take to host a safe, inclusive, and wildly engaging open mic. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "A Student’s First Look At Librarianship" | SCLA 2025

11/24/2025

Ever wonder how a career in libraries begins? We’re on the floor at the South Carolina Library Association conference in Columbia talking with USC student Bobbi Elmore about the moment a middle school volunteer shift became a calling and how that spark now guides her path through the Master of Library Science. It’s a short, lively conversation that puts heart and practicality side by side: what the MLS really covers, why conferences matter, and how to turn curiosity into a plan you can act on. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Coding Starts Young" | OKSTE 2025

11/20/2025

Ever wonder how a six-year-old learns to think like a programmer? We sit down with Barbie Day of Pratt Elementary to explore what early computer science looks like when it’s playful, structured, and genuinely empowering. From color-matching commands to first steps in debugging, Barbie shares a classroom approach that builds problem-solving skills long before students write their first line of text-based code. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "How A Smart Board Sparked A Career In EdTech" | OKSTE 2025

11/12/2025

A single smart board changed everything. That first taste of interactive teaching sent Jill White from a third grade classroom toward a master’s in educational technology and, ultimately, into the role of technology director for Porter Consolidated. We sit with Jill at the OKSTE conference in Tulsa to unpack how she bridges instruction, infrastructure, and daily classroom needs—without drowning teachers in complexity. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Middle Years Matter" | NCMLE 2025

10/23/2025

Middle school isn’t the hallway between “cute” and “chaos”—it’s the proving ground where students decide who they’re becoming. We sit down with Anna Crooke, a veteran educator and board member for the North Carolina Middle Level Educators, to unpack why the middle years carry outsized impact and how a conference like NCMLE fuels real classroom change. From her roots in a family of teachers to roles spanning classroom, coaching, principalship, and district leadership, Anna shares a candid look at what works when adolescents are testing limits, seeking belonging, and building habits that last. Website: spotlight4success.com

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