Corey Ryan, MBA, CPC

🚂 Some of my favorite dad moments have come with these train tracks.

Are you taking time to create with your kids?

We started with the tracks but now we’ve moved to creating a train video. 📹

My parents transformed the room in their house where I played ping pong and poker as a teenager into a toddler’s paradise.

We are expressing gratitude and spending time with extended family this week. Happy Thanksgiving 🦃 from the Ryan

Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go … or something like that. 🦃

This aspiring cowboy got to open presents yesterday because of all the craziness and schedules on his actual 2nd birthday tomorrow. But check out this adorable present. He rides it like a bustin' bronco.

Where a family sends their children to school is a deeply personal and thoughtful decision.

I’m working with a district that needs to thinking about school sizes and attendance zoning. When framing questions with constituents around school sizes, everyone defaults to “we prefer small schools.”

I get it. I benefit from a small neighborhood school where this little guy gets to walk with big brother every day. But I’ve also seen really well run large elementary schools that offer SO MANY more programs and services than my son’s school. The challenge is that if your experience in a large school has not been stellar, you’re going to defer to personal experience.

These are complex discussions and decisions, which is why front loads our strategy work with robust community engagement. Because when planning happens with people and not at people, it creates less friction and more support.

Taking time to lead focus groups has been an enlightening part of my job at because it connects me with all levels of educators, and it helps frame my thinking around topics.

Recently, I asked a group of teachers the following question: “How do students know they are being successful?”

This district had an impressive array of systems where the schools and district recognize students with awards, including various recognitions for character, acknowledging students for growth, and even pockets where schools focus on recognizing students who typically don’t receive recognition. It was all thoughtful and meaningful.

But I kept thinking back to a tour I did of schools in an Education Elements client from a few years ago, where we supported a multi-year shift in instructional practices pushing student ownership. I saw students as young as pre-K set learning goals and track their progress. They then had student-led conferences with parents in these schools. I was BLOWN away. When kids as young as five can own their learning, and know how and why they are being successful, that’s a lifelong skill.

I love this work EE does around goal setting with school districts because I think it’s truly transformational.

Sharing a photo from for this week.

Seeing school staff, parents, volunteers, fans, community leaders, band, drill, cheer, football, athletic trainers, and our scoreboard crew all come together Friday nights for high school football was special.

I guess the two gentlemen in this picture are special too, + Arturo Lomeli.

I pulled this quote from a book I’m reading by Amy Edmondson about the right kind of failure, creating the conditions where we learn from failure and avoiding the wrong kind of failure. She used this quote from President Teddy Roosevelt that I wanted to share for

“The only (person) who fails at anything is the (person) who doesn’t do anything.”

Complacency can feel comforting in the present but your future self wants you to try. So grab Monday by the horns and give it a go!

Just a boy sitting on dad’s shoulders looking and mooing at some cows. 🐄

What once was a post became a in person today post. Loved seeing these two former coworkers together and jealous that they get to lead together. Ultimately, happy they reconnected because someone needs to keep Dr. Smith in line…

I once worked with a superintendent who challenged our senior leadership team with a thought-provoking question: do students really need a reading class? This question aimed to spark discussions on student ownership of learning and innovative models integrating reading skills into specialized content areas driven by students’ interests.

Does this make sense? Maybe you need an example from popular culture. Imagine stepping onto platform 9 1/2 and boarding the Hogwarts Express for a moment...

🚨 Nerd Alert 🚨

While at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, students engage in rigorous courses like Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Transfiguration. Surprisingly, there’s no math, science, or reading classes. So, how did these students tackle complex challenges like defeating dark lords and giant snakes?

I like to think that Hogwarts teachers, supported by mentor teachers, were highly skilled subject matter experts. Additionally, the use of high-quality supplemental materials ensured that lessons like Snape’s potions classes not only involved project-based learning but also covered essential math and reading standards.

At Education Elements, we assist schools in designing innovative instructional models and developing top-notch supplemental materials to enhance learning environments. Whether co-creating resources or conducting audits to identify gaps, our team collaborates with districts to create tailored supplemental materials. This includes lessons, projects, assessments, and more, aligning subjects like Care for Magical Creatures with academic standards.

Our work at EE in this area is expanding, and I’m particularly thrilled about it. Providing better resources saves teachers time, enhances students’ learning experiences, and offers a level of local control that big companies can’t match. It’s truly magical to witness the impact of these initiatives!