GAEL UnscriptED
GAEL UnscriptED, the podcast that goes beyond the headlines and handbooks to bring you unfiltered insights from Georgia’s top educational leaders, innovators, and changemakers. Hosted by Ben Wiggins, Executive Director of GAEL, this show dives deep into the challenges, opportunities, and unexpected twists that shape education today.
From leadership strategies to policy discussions—and everything in between—GAEL UnscriptED is your go-to source for candid conversations that make an impact. No scripts. No fluff. Just real talk from those leading the way in Georgia’s schools.
Episodes
31 episodes
GAEL UnscriptED S2:E11 | Schools Can Use AI Without Letting Cheating Win with Trek Ai
Students are already using AI for school, whether we approve it or not and that reality is forcing district leaders to make choices fast. We sit down with Erin Burchik of Trek AI and Brent Coleman of GET to get honest about what’s happening in ...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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33:50
GAEL Unscripted S2:E10 | Cancel School? The Forecast says "You're Facebook Famous"! Part #2 with Mitch Young
Ever wonder what really drives a snow day decision? We pull back the curtain with Superintendent Dr. Mitch Young to map the real playbook behind closures and delays—from scanning multiple forecast models to walking buildings at dawn and keeping...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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31:13
GAEL UnscriptED S2:E9 | Leading Schools Starts With Trust with Mitch Young
What does it take to lead 43 schools without losing the soul of each community? We brought in Superintendent Mitch Young of Forsyth County Schools to pull back the curtain on a playbook that trades micromanagement for trust, and slogans for a s...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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35:14
GAEL UnscriptED S2:E8 | How Georgia 4-H Helps Kids Become Beyond Ready For Work And Life
What happens when a trusted school partner meets a statewide youth movement with real pathways to growth? We sit down with Georgia 4-H leaders Melanie Biersmith and Mandy Marable, plus alumna Alyssa Haag, to trace how classroom access, summer c...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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30:52
GAEL UnscriptED S2:E7 | Teach in the Peach
Georgia wants teaching to be a first‑choice career, not a fallback—and we brought in the right guide to show how. We sit down with Selena Blakenship, veteran teacher, beloved principal, district HR leader, and now the voice behind Teach in the ...
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29:51
GAEL UnscriptED S2:E6 | How Executive Coaching Transforms Georgia’s School Leaders
Leadership feels different when someone is asking the right questions instead of handing you quick fixes. We sit down with co-directors Kerensa Wing and Rickey Edmond to unpack how executive coaching is reshaping growth for Georgia’s school lea...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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25:46
GAEL UnscriptED S2:E5 | How Ag Education Changes Lives with Rachel Kinsual, Georgia TOTY
What happens when a teacher treats a classroom like a launchpad? We sit down with Georgia’s Teacher of the Year to explore how agriculture education, FFA, and work-based learning give students real skills, real mentors, and real chances to lead...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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35:08
GAEL UnscriptED S2:E4 | From Safety To Instruction: How Kloud-12 Transforms K-12 Teaching
What if the same video that protects teachers also helps them teach better? We sit down with Kloud-12’s Brent Coleman and Kelly Martinez to unpack how classroom cameras and a modern intercom can turn daily practice into measurable growth while ...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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40:22
GAEL UnscriptED: S2:E3 | TRS Part #2: Retirement Math That Actually Matters
Ready to turn career choices into retirement confidence? We sat down with Georgia’s Teacher Retirement System leadership to decode the rules that matter most: how promotions interact with anti-spiking safeguards, why your highest 24 months driv...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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50:51
GAEL UnscriptED S2:E2 | TRS Part #1: How Georgia's TRS Powers Educator Retirement Security
A bus route to the boardroom isn’t a cliché here—it’s the real path two former superintendents took before stepping into leadership at Georgia’s Teacher Retirement System. We open with their unexpected journeys, the mentors who nudged them forw...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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36:31
GAEL UnscriptED S2:E1 | Build Networks & Lead with Confidence
Start the new year with a clean slate and a smarter plan for leading your school. We kick off season two by inviting members to share their best campus ideas on the show and by laying out concrete support you can plug in right away. From statew...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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18:53
Season Finale: Big Thanks & Big Things Coming at Winter GAEL
Ready for a clear look at what leaders need next? We close the fall season with Cindy Flesher and a practical preview of Winter GAEL, our three-day gathering in Athens that puts member voice at the center. From the first survey response to the ...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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14:24
How A Statewide Program Turns Teens Into Community Leaders: Part #2
If leadership is a muscle, this conversation is the workout plan. We sit down with the team from UGA’s Fanning Institute to unpack Youth Lead Georgia—a statewide program that starts with a three‑day kickoff in Athens and expands into a year of ...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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25:56
Inside UGA Fanning’s Blueprint For Youth Leadership That Works: Part #1
Want proof that high school leadership doesn’t have to be performative or reserved for a select few? We sit down with the team at UGA’s JW Fanning Institute for Leadership Development to unpack a model that helps teens lead right now—no jargon,...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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26:27
Part 2: Danny Kofke: Building Long-Term Wealth on a Teaching Career
Think a teacher salary can’t build real wealth? We invite Danny Kafke back to show how educators can pair the Georgia TRS pension with smart, low-fee savings and the right insurance to create stability that rivals seven-figure portfolios. We st...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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29:43
Danny Kofke: Your First Steps to Financial Confidence as an Educator
What if a 42K salary could still build a rich, secure life? We sit down with longtime educator and author Danny Kofke to map out the practical money moves that help teachers thrive today and retire strong tomorrow. Danny’s story starts in the c...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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30:21
Networks Beat Chaos: How Community Strengthens K-12 HR
A deepfake with a boss’s voice. A viral post that turns a school into a headline. A teacher’s split-second decision in a chaotic classroom. We dive into the real frontiers of K-12 HR and the practical systems that keep leaders steady when every...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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24:32
Your EDS Called; It Wants A Doctorate
What if professional learning actually counted twice—toward your graduate degree and your district’s biggest challenges? We sit down with Dr. Mike Dishman, dean at the University of West Georgia, to unpack a practical blueprint for educator gro...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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26:12
What Every Leader Should Know About Special Education
What if one well-intended schedule change quietly cut thousands from your special education funding? We sit down with G CASE leaders Mary Kay Berry and Demita James to unpack the real-world moves that keep students supported, teams aligned, and...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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30:19
Do you love them enough? Building Great Schools
What actually changes a school—policies on paper or people in the building? We sit down with Jay Floyd to map the moments that matter, from his first days as a biology teacher and coach to leading large high schools and a district. Jay is candi...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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39:16
Celebrating 50 Years of PAGE: Supporting Georgia’s Educators
The most effective help often comes from people who know your world firsthand. Craig Harper, executive director of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE), joins us to share how a Georgia-grown, educator-led association support...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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22:10
Women in Leadership with Cindy Flesher and Gina Linder
The hardest part of school leadership isn’t the schedule or the spreadsheets—it’s standing in front of people you care about and making calls that keep kids first, even when you don’t have every answer. We sit down with two seasoned leaders—one...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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41:07
Inside the 2025 GAEL Legal Issues Conference with Cory Kirby of PKKN
Attorney Cory Kirby pulls back the curtain on the most pressing legal challenges facing Georgia's schools today in this engaging and informative conversation. With 25 years of experience representing school districts, Kirby shares why the upcom...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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17:24
School Safety & Alyssa’s Law: How CENTEGIX CrisisAlert™ Protects Students
The landscape of school safety has transformed dramatically in recent years, with technology now playing a pivotal role in protecting our most vulnerable populations. In this powerful episode of GAEL UnscriptED, host Ben Wiggins sits down with ...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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31:33
Beyond Paperwork: The Human Side of School HR
What does it take to build a world-class human resources department that truly supports educators and school leaders? In this illuminating conversation, Monica Batiste draws from her remarkable 32-year journey through education to reveal the in...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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35:04