Teacher by Teacher with John King

Episode 150 of The Authority is a special one. I’m joined by Dr. John B. King, Jr., the 10th U.S. Secretary of Education. 

John is currently the chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), the nation’s largest comprehensive system of public higher education. Over the course of his career in public education, he has been a high school social studies teacher, a middle school principal, the first African American and Puerto Rican to serve as New York State Education Commissioner, a college professor, and the president and CEO of the Education Trust.

His new book is called Teacher By Teacher: The People Who Change Our Lives.

We discuss:

• John’s inspiring story
• Teachers who treat students as worthy of respect
• The teachers who made an impact and why they still stand out today
• What we miss when schools are discouraged from supporting and developing the whole person
• The meaning of public education – why it’s critical and what we miss when it’s not supported
• The public education discourse - what’s missing or what we get wrong
• Rigor and joy are not mutually exclusive
• Going on “offense” to create relevance in school and address chronic absenteeism
• Reasons for hope in education

You can find Teacher by Teacher wherever you get your books.

About today’s guest

John B. King Jr. served in President Barack Obama’s cabinet as the tenth U.S. Secretary of Education. Over the course of his extensive and influential career in public education, he has been a high school social studies teacher, a middle school principal, the first African American and Puerto Rican to serve as New York State Education Commissioner, a college professor, and the president and CEO of the Education Trust, a national education civil rights organization. King is currently the chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), the nation’s largest comprehensive system of public higher education. Both of King’s parents were career New York City public school educators. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife, an education researcher and former teacher, and his two daughters.

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn