The Making Schools Work Podcast
Join us each week as we talk to different SREB team members and educators across the country to find out the latest in school innovations. From classroom instruction to school leadership, we are going to examine what it is that makes schools work!
The Making Schools Work Podcast
Beyond the Walls: Student Agency and Purpose With Hume-Fogg Academic High School
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What happens when you stop treating the community as a "field trip" destination and start treating it as a classroom? In this special episode, we are joined by Dr. Lisa Bonelli, the assistant principal at Hume-Fogg Academic High School in Nashville, and three of her students: Melanie, Allison and Niamh.
Hume-Fogg is a high-achieving academic magnet, but their secret sauce isn't just test scores—it’s purpose. We explore how they bridge the gap between rigorous academics and real-world relevance by getting students out of their seats and into the world.
Key Discussion Points
- The "Beyond the Walls" Philosophy: How Hume-Fogg uses its downtown Nashville location to turn the city into a living laboratory.
- Student Voice & Agency: Hearing directly from Melanie, Allison and Niamh on what it feels like when your personal passions are reflected in the curriculum.
- The "Professional Hug" of Support: How leadership can empower teachers to take instructional risks without fear of logistical failure.
- Interdisciplinary Learning: Breaking down the silos between subjects to show students how the world actually works.
Featured Guest
Dr. Lisa Bonelli is a veteran educator and leader at Hume-Fogg Academic High School. She will be a featured presenter at the 2026 Making Schools Work Conference in Nashville, where she will dive deeper into strategies for student ownership.
Melanie, Niahm and Allison are students at Hume-Fogg Academic High School and are all members of the media team, to which Bonelli is the advisor.
The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce.
Follow Us on Social: