Shows / Unfiltered Education
Unfiltered Education
By Educators. For Educators.
Public education is facing new challenges, and it is time for honest conversations about what school districts are up against.
Unfiltered Education is hosted by Brian J. Stephens, CEO and founder of Caissa K12, an organization that helps public school districts strengthen enrollment, recruitment, retention and family engagement.
Through candid conversations with superintendents, policymakers and education leaders, the podcast explores the biggest issues affecting…
Episodes
- Unfiltered Education
When Did it Become Taboo to Support Public Schools?
Did you like this episode? Why has supporting free public education, once considered the bed-rock of American democracy, suddenly become taboo? Brian isn't…
- Unfiltered Education
Danny Bauer: Why Great School Leaders Walk Away
Did you like this episode? Why are schools struggling to keep great educators and attract the next generation of talent? Brian sits down with Danny Bauer…
- Unfiltered Education
Why Being Too Polite is Ruining Your Reputation
Did you like this episode? Smart professionals often fall into the trap of telling people what they want to hear to avoid immediate conflict. It's a natural…
- Unfiltered Education
Dr. Jerry Hollingsworth: Building Community Trust
Did you like this episode? Public schools are competing for families, but the bigger battle may be trust. Dr. Jerry Hollingsworth, Superintendent of Eagle…
- Unfiltered Education
Why Teachers Need to Think Like Entrepreneurs
Did you like this episode? Teachers are already doing what entrepreneurs do every day: managing people, solving problems, adapting on the fly, and making…
- Unfiltered Education
Inside Caissa K12: The Communication Training We Give Our Own Team
Did you like this episode? This week, we’re taking you behind the scenes at Caissa K12 for a real professional development session with our team. No polished…
- Unfiltered Education
How To Spot a Data Con Artist
Did you like this episode? Bad data doesn’t always look bad. It can come wrapped in convincing numbers, polished headlines, and surveys designed to get a…
- Unfiltered Education
Two Separate School Systems
Did you like this episode? Brian Stephens breaks down a new federal school choice program taking effect in 2027 and what it could mean for public schools. He…
- Unfiltered Education
Amity Schuyler: The Untapped Power of Education Foundations
Did you like this episode? In this episode, Brian sits down with Amity Schuyler, President & CEO of the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, to explore…
- Unfiltered Education
Will 27 Million Students Leave Public Schools?
Did you like this episode? As districts welcome students back for a new school year, one question matters more than ever: How do you protect enrollment in an…
- Unfiltered Education
Have Public Schools Had Their Chance?
Did you like this episode? Brian challenges the common claim that public schools have "had their chance" and failed by putting today's debate into historical…
- Unfiltered Education
Why Are Satisfied Families Still Leaving?
Did you like this episode? In this special Q&A episode of Public Education Unfiltered, Brian answers listener questions about school choice, enrollment, and…
- Unfiltered Education
Hartford's Superintendent on Leading Through Budget Challenges
Did you like this episode? What does it take to earn the largest funding increase in your district's history? Hartford Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Andraé…
- Unfiltered Education
2026 Texas School Choice Survey Webinar
Did you like this episode? Are Texas Parents Really Satisfied With Their Schools? In our newly released 2026 Texas Parent Survey, parents share what matters…
- Unfiltered Education
The Most Dangerous Phrase in Leadership
Did you like this episode? "That's the way we've always done it." It sounds harmless, but it may be the biggest barrier to growth. In this episode, Brian…
- Unfiltered Education
The Private School Myth
Did you like this episode? In this episode, Brian explores what the research actually says about private school outcomes, why family background plays such a…
- Unfiltered Education
Inside Florida's School Choice Revolution
Did you like this episode? After examining Texas school vouchers, Brian turns his attention to Florida, the state at the center of the school choice movement…
- Unfiltered Education
Why We (Falsely) Believe Private Schools Are Better
Did you like this episode? Many Americans believe private schools are inherently better than public schools, but is that belief actually supported by evidence?…
- Unfiltered Education
2026 Florida School Choice Survey Webinar
Did you like this episode? Are Florida Parents Really Satisfied With Their Schools? The answer may surprise you. In our newly released 2026 Florida Parent…
- Unfiltered Education
Trust In The Age Of AI
Did you like this episode? AI can make communication faster, more frequent, and more efficient, but trust is still built between people. Schools that rely too…
- Unfiltered Education
The Rise of No Child Left Behind
Did you like this episode? This episode introduces major school reforms and focuses on the origins of No Child Left Behind. It explains how persistent…
- Unfiltered Education
The 7 Ways You’re Failing at Conflict (And How to Fix It)
Did you like this episode? Are you reacting or thinking? Most people default to fight-or-flight responses that escalate conflict instead of solving it. This…
- Unfiltered Education
The Truth About Texas School Vouchers
Did you like this episode? This episode explores the school choice movement, with a focus on Texas’s new universal voucher program. It explains key education…
- Unfiltered Education
Stop Guessing What People Want to Hear, Just Say the Right Thing Pt. 2
Did you like this episode? In Part 2 of this conversation, Brian dives deeper into one of the most common communication mistakes: telling people what they want…
- Unfiltered Education
Stop Guessing What People Want to Hear, Just Say the Right Thing Pt. 1
Did you like this episode? This episode explores the real psychology behind effective communication, especially in high-emotion situations. When someone is…
- Unfiltered Education
Does Mayor Matt Mahan Really Care About Public Schools?
Did you like this episode? San Jose Unified has voted to close five elementary schools after a 20% drop in enrollment. 5 schools closed. 6,000 students gone…
- Unfiltered Education
Whose Side Is The School Board On?
Did you like this episode? In this episode, Brian breaks down a fundamental question: Whose Side Is The School Board Really On? School board members are…
- Unfiltered Education
What is Your Competition Doing to Recruit Your Students?
Did you like this episode? Public education is now a competitive landscape, districts are no longer the default. With the rise of school choice, charters, and…
- Unfiltered Education
Discipline in Schools, What's Missing Today
Did you like this episode? In this episode, we discuss what effective discipline actually looks like, how it connects to student success, and why a lack of…
- Unfiltered Education
If You Don’t Tell Your Story, Someone Else Will | Featuring Dr. Virginia Snodgrass Rangel
Did you like this episode? In this episode, Brian speaks with Dr. Virginia Snodgrass Rangel of the University of Houston about why school districts must tell…
- Unfiltered Education
What Students Actually Need From Adults
Did you like this episode? Schools play an important role in setting expectations and addressing real world consequences, parents must support that work by…
- Unfiltered Education
Dealing with Families, What Has Changed?
Did you like this episode? Parent behaviors are reshaping the teacher family relationship. Archetypes like the helicopter and lawnmower parent directly affect…
- Unfiltered Education
School Choice or School Coercion?
Did you like this episode? This episode explores how the dominant framework of school choice can reward advantage instead of fulfilling the public promise to…
- Unfiltered Education
When Lawyers Get Paid and Classrooms Don’t
Did you like this episode? What if part of your child’s school budget never made it to the classroom? A single lawsuit over a student’s IEP shines a light on a…
- Unfiltered Education
The Homogeneity Trap: Why One Bad School Story Makes Us Judge Them All
Did you like this episode? Brian breaks down the “homogeneity effect”, our brain’s tendency to lump everyone in a group together. One teacher messes up, one…
- Unfiltered Education
Is Student Recruitment a Misuse of Taxpayer Dollars?
Did you like this episode? This episode addresses a question that public school district leaders are asking nationwide. Should public schools spend money to…
- Unfiltered Education
WEBINAR: Results of National Parent Poll
Did you like this episode? This episode is a recording of Caissa K12’s National Parent Poll results webinar, which is a part of our annual research to assess…
- Unfiltered Education
How A Country Shrinks
Did you like this episode? Countries rarely fall with a crash; they shrink by decisions that feel “reasonable.” We tell a real, policy-based story from Iran…
- Unfiltered Education
Data Security in Light of Powerschool Ruling
Did you like this episode? When a college freshman breached PowerSchool’s network using stolen employee credentials, data from more than 60 million students…
- Unfiltered Education
How School Vouchers Destroy The Social Contract (PART 2)
Did you like this episode? Advocating for traditional public schools and their role in society may now get you labeled an “extremist.” In this second part of…
- Unfiltered Education
How School Vouchers Destroy the Social Contract
Did you like this episode? What happens to our society when we stop seeing public education as a shared responsibility? In this episode, we unpack what role…
- Unfiltered Education
The False Front of School Choice: How to Reframe the Debate
Did you like this episode? The school choice debate isn’t about opposing options. It’s about demanding fairness. Real choice requires real facts…
- Unfiltered Education
Real Questions from Public School Leaders, Answered
Did you like this episode? In this special “Stump the Chump” episode, Caissa K12 Director of Client Relations Rashai Holmes puts Brian Stephens in the hot seat…
- Unfiltered Education
Are School Vouchers Constitutional? (Part 2: State Law Explained)
Did you like this episode? Federal law may open the door, but state constitutions decide who gets to walk through it. In Part 2, we look at how different…
- Unfiltered Education
Are School Vouchers Constitutional? (Part 1: Federal Law Explained)
Did you like this episode? Education choice is often framed as a political debate, but what does the law really say? In this first episode of a two-part series…
- Unfiltered Education
Inverting the Future: What Could Destroy Public Schools
Did you like this episode? Most conversations about public education focus on how to improve it. In this episode, we flip the question through a process called…
- Unfiltered Education
Navigating the Competition: How Public Schools in Newark Stay Ahead
Did you like this episode? With school choice here to stay, public school districts must evolve to embrace the reality of competition. Rochanda Jackson…
- Unfiltered Education
Addressing Comments on Caissa K12's New York Times Feature
Did you like this episode? Following Caissa K12’s recent feature in The New York Times, Brian sits down to directly respond to some of the reactions and…
- Unfiltered Education
A Future Without Public Education
Did you like this episode? What happens when a society turns its back on public education? In this episode, we look at education’s past and present to uncover…
- Unfiltered Education
The History That’s Shaping Tomorrow’s Schools
Did you like this episode? What can the history of public education teach us about its future? Across centuries and civilizations, public education has always…
- Unfiltered Education
Public Schools Must Choose To Compete
Did you like this episode? The future of public education depends on our willingness to face reality: traditional public schools are in a competition, whether…
- Unfiltered Education
What School Choice Means in Florida: Lessons for District Leaders Nationwide
Did you like this episode? School choice legislation aims to create competition, but how can it be fair when public schools play by different rules? Scott…
- Unfiltered Education
Navigating The Intersection of AI & Education
Did you like this episode? AI’s relevancy has increased drastically in recent years, but is it education’s cornerstone or its crutch? This episode explores the…
- Unfiltered Education
How Public Schools Took On The Statehouse
Did you like this episode? Public education supporters across the nation have watched one community’s battle against unfair state legislation, a battle led by…
- Unfiltered Education
Why Public School Districts Are Suing Social Media Companies
Did you like this episode? Across the country, public school districts are taking tech giants like Meta and TikTok to court, blaming them for a mental health…
- Unfiltered Education
Should Public School Districts Outsource?
Did you like this episode? As more public schools face budget shortfalls, many districts are considering outsourcing school services to cut costs, but is it…
- Unfiltered Education
What Every Public School Leader Needs to Know About DEI
Did you like this episode? The Department of Education's decision to eliminate DEI initiatives will have lasting effects on public school districts. This…
- Unfiltered Education
The Impact of Immigration Policies on Student Attendance
Did you like this episode? This episode examines how immigration enforcement and recent ICE raids are impacting public school attendance and dismantling safe…
- Unfiltered Education
MSCS Board Member Tamarques Porter on District Success
Did you like this episode? This episode features a candid conversation with Memphis-Shelby County Schools board member Tamarques Porter, who shares his…
- Unfiltered Education
Can Public Schools Display The Ten Commandments?
Did you like this episode? This episode dives into the legal and legislative battle over religious displays in U.S. public school classrooms. We unpack why the…