Send us a text A hallway chat at LACUE 2025 turns into a masterclass on making technology serve learning, not the other way around. We sit down with Louisiana educator Anthony Swallor, who teaches math and physics, runs Python courses, coaches esports, and keeps the school tech humming—proof that small campuses can deliver big outcomes with the right strategy. Website: spotlight4success.com

Send us a text What if state test prep didn’t feel like test prep at all? We sit down at LACUE in New Orleans with tech facilitator and veteran biology teacher Christina Verberne to unpack a simple, repeatable system that turns anxiety into confidence and practice into real learning. Website: spotlight4success.com

Send us a text Errika McBride gives her testimonial about her experience with ABC products. Website: spotlight4success.com

Send us a text A school doesn’t climb a letter grade by accident. We sit down with Richwood Middle’s Errika McBride to unpack how intentional coaching, aligned resources, and purposeful technology helped move the needle on state assessments—and why the work continues after the first big win. Errika’s philosophy is crisp: grow teachers to grow students. She describes what daily support looks like in classrooms, how to keep goals visible without creating burnout, and the simple systems that tur...

Send us a text What turns a struggling school into a rising one? We sat down with Richwood Middle School educator Roderick Hannibal at LACUE in New Orleans to unpack a practical blueprint: combine structured study, hands-on robotics, and clear career pathways so students see where their effort leads. Website: spotlight4success.com

Send us a text Curious how a zoo brings the wild into your local library? We sat down with Andrea Robichaud, education specialist at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, at the South Carolina Library Association to share how summer reading themes transform into lively, hands-on programs for families. From last year’s exploration of color—how animals signal, hide, and communicate, and how keepers use color to organize care—to this year’s Unearthing a Story, we connect fossils and ancient creatures to th...

Send us a text Think a library is just shelves and a reference desk? Spend a few minutes with us and librarian Jenny Lao from Richland Library Northeast, and watch that picture shift. Recorded at the South Carolina Library Association gathering in Columbia, our conversation dives into how thoughtful programming and equity-focused leadership can turn a branch into a true community hub. Website: spotlight4success.com

Send us a text A gym full of kids, a stack of fresh books, and a mascot who can turn a story into a celebration—this is how reading becomes a lifelong habit. We sit down with Margaret Jackson of Cocky’s Reading Express to explore how a joyful, high-energy model brings literacy to Title I schools across all 46 South Carolina counties, powered by the University of South Carolina’s iSchool. Website: spotlight4success.com

Send us a text Big change doesn’t happen by accident. We sit down with Charleston County Public Library’s chief deputy director to unpack a county-wide transformation powered by a $108.5 million referendum, deep community trust, and a clear operational backbone. From five new branches and system-wide renovations to a main library redesign now underway, you’ll hear how a large system keeps policies aligned across eighteen locations while still meeting neighborhood needs. Website: spotlight4suc...

Send us a text Imagine a picture book unfolding along a sunny park path, each page waiting around the next bend. That’s the magic behind story walk signs, and we sit down with Meghan Beehler from Lark Signs to explore how this simple idea turns movement into motivation for young readers and their families. Website: spotlight4success.com

Send us a text Ever wondered how a simple open mic can change the feel of a library? We sit down with Brittany Smith from Richland Library Sand Hills—freshly launched into her graduate studies at the University of South Carolina—to explore how handing the microphone to neighbors turns a quiet room into a vibrant community stage. From poetry and storytelling to music and student showcases, Brittany walks us through the practical steps any library can take to host a safe, inclusive, and wildly ...

Send us a text The future of work isn’t waiting, and neither are we. From a bustling floor at the South Carolina Library Association Conference, we sit down with Collin Robinson, executive director at 21st Century Ed, to unpack a simple idea with big ambition: bring STEM to every learner early, often, and everywhere. You’ll hear how a community-first approach that links school districts, public libraries, local businesses, and universities can turn curiosity into skills that match real jobs s...

Send us a text A busy conference hallway can spark the best ideas, and our conversation with Tiffany Williams proves it. As the Children’s Services Manager at the Heard St. Andrews Library in the Charleston area, Tiffany has built a practical approach to child wellbeing that fits right between storytime and stacks. She walks us through Wellness in the Stacks, a program suite that uses kids’ yoga, simple cooking classes, and even World Labyrinth Day to teach mindfulness, self-regulation, and c...

Send us a text Ever wonder how a career in libraries begins? We’re on the floor at the South Carolina Library Association conference in Columbia talking with USC student Bobbi Elmore about the moment a middle school volunteer shift became a calling and how that spark now guides her path through the Master of Library Science. It’s a short, lively conversation that puts heart and practicality side by side: what the MLS really covers, why conferences matter, and how to turn curiosity into a plan...

Send us a text Ever wonder how a six-year-old learns to think like a programmer? We sit down with Barbie Day of Pratt Elementary to explore what early computer science looks like when it’s playful, structured, and genuinely empowering. From color-matching commands to first steps in debugging, Barbie shares a classroom approach that builds problem-solving skills long before students write their first line of text-based code. Website: spotlight4success.com

Send us a text A single smart board changed everything. That first taste of interactive teaching sent Jill White from a third grade classroom toward a master’s in educational technology and, ultimately, into the role of technology director for Porter Consolidated. We sit with Jill at the OKSTE conference in Tulsa to unpack how she bridges instruction, infrastructure, and daily classroom needs—without drowning teachers in complexity. Website: spotlight4success.com

Send us a text Kari Damron gives her testimonial about her experience with ABC products. Website: spotlight4success.com

Send us a text The energy of OKSTE buzzes in the background as we sit down with fifth grade ELA teacher Kari Damron from Sayre Elementary, and the conversation goes straight to the heart of classroom life. Kari paints a vivid picture of a pivotal year where kids step toward middle school, and ELA becomes the spine that supports both academic skills and character. She shares how a dependable “purple book” from American Book Company keeps standards clear, practice focused, and remediation surgi...

Send us a text What if the best classroom is just down the road? We sit with Rebecca Barefoot from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to reveal how a million-dollar Field Trip Fund is sending students to museums, aquariums, state parks, historic sites, and the zoo—with an application that’s simple, fast, and designed for real school schedules. Website: spotlight4success.com

Send us a text Middle school isn’t the hallway between “cute” and “chaos”—it’s the proving ground where students decide who they’re becoming. We sit down with Anna Crooke, a veteran educator and board member for the North Carolina Middle Level Educators, to unpack why the middle years carry outsized impact and how a conference like NCMLE fuels real classroom change. From her roots in a family of teachers to roles spanning classroom, coaching, principalship, and district leadership, Anna share...