.png)
The Purple Zone
Welcome to The Purple Zone (formerly Our Kids Our Schools).
Bridging the Gap between Public Policy and Everyday Practice
The Purple Zone explores what it really means to align how we govern, how we educate, and how we show up for our communities.
Hosted by Alexis — a PhD student in public policy and administration, and longtime educator and advocate for kids, communities, and the systems that shape our lives. This podcast connects the dots between policy and practice, without the politics or platitudes.
It’s about naming what often goes unsaid — and making space for a more honest, human approach to systems that impact all of us.
How systems shape our communities, from policy on paper to action in practice. + Thinking Out Loud as a PhD Student
The Purple Zone
Building Community Through Education: Insights from Lewiston Superintendent Lance Hansen
Alexis sat down with Lance Hansen, the Superintendent of the Year, from Lewiston School District #1. Lewiston is a community known for its collaborative spirit, and the school district plays a key role in this dynamic. Recently, Lance and the Vice President of the Lewiston School Board presented to the Senate Education Committee during the Idaho School Boards Association Day on the Hill. In their presentation, Lance shared the unique features of the district and school board, highlighting their commitment to working in collaboration with our community — a vision that drives everything they do.
Lance dives into the strategies that are helping students achieve success, creating spaces for teachers to collaborate, and how they convene committees with their school community to address challenges. Lewiston isn't just known for its academic success, but also for some impressive accolades: the district was recently honored with Teacher of the Year recognition, and one of their schools was the first in Idaho to be nationally recognized as a Professional Learning Community.
Why does Lewiston receive these distinctions? Listen to find out how a strong sense of community and innovative strategies are making Lewiston School District stand out and achieving remarkable success!
Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/
JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page
Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
alexis@ourkidsourschools.com
Find great resources and info on school communities:
https://ourkidsourschools.com/