🔥 What does it mean to lead from the middle? 🔥 How can we empower students and build student agency in 2024? 🔥 How can we build systems of continuous improvement in our schools? Join me for this conversation with education leader DANELLE ALMARAZ as she shares her insights on these and other questions. About This Guest: With a focus on continuous improvement, Danelle equips leaders with the tools and mindset needed to enact lasting change by leading from the middle. Leadership development programs at InnovateED are designed to instill a culture of collaboration, innovation, and growth, empowering educators at all levels to lead with purpose and vision. Connect with Danelle  on LinkedIn, on X @AlmarazDanelle,  on Instagram @dalmaraz007,   and at https://innovateed.com/. Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast. In This Conversation: 0:28 - Who is Danelle Almaraz? 1:40 - A story of a reprimand from school administrators 5:07 - Danelle describes the vision for schools at InnovateEd 6:21 - Why is it important to lead from the middle in our schools? 10:03 - How students can empower students and build student agency 11:53 - Danelle's work with schools in Africa  13:31 - Spirals of inquiry in professional development 14:58 - A school that is getting it right: Park City, Utah 16:23 - A passion outside of professional learning: Math 17:15 - A productivity hack: collecting MVPs - Most Valuable Points 20:24 - An edtech tool that Danelle is loving: Perplexity.AI21:38 - Book recommendations: Schools on the Move, Leading the Whole Teacher 22:40 - Inspiring Danelle on social media: Catlin Tucker, Katie Novak 23:41 - Guest suggestions: Hakeem Subair, Kyle Wagner 24:10 - What Danelle's watching for fun: the Dodgers! 24:51 - How to connect with Danelle and InnovateEd online Mentioned in this episode: Allen Westover, Christopher Steinhauser, Allyson Apsey, Catlin Tucker, Katie Novak, Kyle Wagner, Hakeem Subair  Connect with Me: On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire) On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/) On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire) On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/ Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/. Song Track Credit Tropic Fuse by French Fuse GO! by Neffex *All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teachersonfire/support