"More Great Seats 4 Kids": A SUNY Charter Schools Institute Podcast
The State University of New York Charter Schools Institute’s More Great Seats 4 Kids podcast is designed for charter school leaders committed to sustaining high-quality schools. This series takes an inside look at the SUNY charter authorization process, highlighting the standards, expectations, and best practices that define successful charter schools across New York State. Through conversations with Institute staff and leaders from SUNY’s highest-performing schools, each episode explores what it takes to launch, operate, and continuously improve a high-quality charter school—so more students across New York have access to great seats.
"More Great Seats 4 Kids": A SUNY Charter Schools Institute Podcast
Latest Episodes
The Hard Work of Change: School Leadership Lessons with Tresha Ward, Prospect Charter Schools
What does it really take to lead bold organizational change — and make it stick?On this episode of More Great Seats 4 Kids, Mike Lesczinski, Director of Strategy and Communications at the SUNY Charter Schools Institute, sits dow...
Growing Teachers from Within: The DREAM Teaching Fellowship
In this episode of the State University of New York (SUNY) Charter Schools Institute’s More Great Seats 4 Kids podcast, the Institute’s Mike Lesczinski is joined by Kalila Hoggard, Chief People Officer at DREAM, and Ana Rader, Director...
Launching a New Charter School with Natalie Lozada, Executive Director, Haven Charter High School
Natalie Lozada, the founding Executive Director of Haven Charter High School, joins the podcast to discuss the STEM-based CTE high school’s launch this past August. Natalie discusses the inspiration behind Haven and how the school built ties wi...
2026 SUNY RFP for New Charter Schools: Updates & Insights with Keegan Prue
Keegan Prue, the SUNY Charter Schools Institute’s Managing Director for Strategy and Communications, joins the podcast to break down the 2026 Request for Proposals (RFP) for new charter schools. He explores the new provisions to this year’s RFP...
How School Leaders Collaborate to Build Strong Public Charter Schools
Dermoth Mattison, founder and Executive Director of South Shore Charter School, and Mark Crusante, founder and Executive Director, Diamond Charter School, join the podcast to discuss how they are working together to overcome challenges and shar...
