Connecting Solutions Across Research, Practice, And Technology with Jean-Claude Brizard

In this episode of the More Than a Test podcast, Jean-Claude Brizard talks about the impact of technology in the education system and the importance of engaging parents as equal partners in tech efforts. Jean-Claude is a former educator and school superintendent. He is now the President and CEO of Digital Promise. Digital Promise shapes the future of learning and advances equitable education systems by bringing together solutions across research, practice, and technology.

Listen in to learn the importance of making research usable and actionable for the educator when creating learning technology. You will also learn the importance of building a network to help you progress in your career and offer support when needed.

What You Will Discover:
• 00:00 Episode Begins
• 01:19 Brizard on how Digital Promise is bringing together research, technology, and practitioners.
• 02:03 Engaging parents as equal partners is important for your tech product’s success.
• 03:55 The places to find parents and engage with them as equal partners in your efforts.
• 05:03 How Digital Promise is connecting research to practice and practice to informed research.
• 06:32 The importance of making research usable and actionable for the educator.
• 09:45 The things that excite Brizard about Digital Promise and its impact on young people.
• 12:50 Why tech should be an enabler in the learning process, not a leader.
• 14:31 Brizard on when education became his passion and how he rose up the ladder in the system.
• 17:07 Hard work and a reliable network are important to help you progress in your career.
• 19:14 He discusses when he was a principal and the impact of the technology available then.
• 20:54 How being a school principal can prepare one to become a successful superintendent.
• 23:27 How to avoid malicious compliance by building excitement around a piece of software.
• 25:32 The importance of tech leadership at the district and school level to ensure coherence.
• 27:06 The difference between being a school superintendent and a CEO of a non-profit.
• 29:20 Brizard shares the “sandwich” story and how it impacted his teaching career.
• 32:26 Some rapid-fire questions with Jean-Claude!

Connect with Jean-Claude:

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About More Than a Test
Our goal is to take a hard look at the shortcomings in literacy education and tech while still finding a sense of hope in what's possible in education through learning and technology.

Our guests include non-profit leaders, tech CEOs, state and district leadership, research leaders from top institutions, and a few teachers with stories that might bring you to tears.

About Amira Learning
Amira is the world’s first intelligent reading assistant that provides personalized tutoring to students at school, after school, or at home. Students working with Amira experience significant improvements in their reading fluency.

About your Host, Laura Glaab
Laura Glaab is a VP of Strategy at Amira Learning. She is a lifetime educator following behind educator parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.

She's worked as a teacher and leader in public, private, and charter schools in places as far as India and as close to home as Boulder, Colorado. She holds degrees from Stanford, the University of Wyoming, and Kellogg School of Management.

She thinks everyone should read Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw and the entire Piggie and Elephant Collection by Mo Willems.

Connect with Laura

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