Leader to Leader with Darryl Cobb
Leader to Leader with Darryl Cobb
Podcast Description
In Leader to Leader, host Darryl Cobb, President of the Charter School Growth Fund, sits down with exceptional school leaders from the charter school community, unpacking not only their successes, but also the profound personal stories that compel them to lead. The conversations aim to surface actionable insights and highlight what it takes to build a great school. Whether you're an educator, a leader, or someone passionate about the transformative power of education, there's something here for you. Listen to discover what makes these leaders tick and the wisdom they've gained.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast centers on themes such as educational leadership, charter school management, and community impact, with episodes exploring various challenges and successes encountered in the charter school sector. For instance, the episode featuring Amanda Johnson discusses launching a charter school in a rural area, while the inaugural episode with Constance Jones examines the transformative effects of the 2008 recession on charter education.
In Leader to Leader, host Darryl Cobb, President of the Charter School Growth Fund, sits down with exceptional school leaders from the charter school community, unpacking not only their successes, but also the profound personal stories that compel them to lead. The conversations aim to surface actionable insights and highlight what it takes to build a great school. Whether you’re an educator, a leader, or someone passionate about the transformative power of education, there’s something here for you. Listen to discover what makes these leaders tick and the wisdom they’ve gained.
How do early life experiences shape the kind of leader you become in education?
On this episode of Leader to Leader, Darryl Cobb sits down with Nella Garcia Urban, CEO of DSST (formerly known as the Denver School of Science and Technology), to explore her remarkable journey from a chalkboard-wielding kid on the Texas-Mexico border to the leader of Colorado’s largest charter school network.
Nella shares how growing up in the Rio Grande Valley shaped her hunger for educational opportunity, how a detour through law school ultimately led her to YES Prep, and how 20+ years of experience—from teaching dance and reading to helping launch one of the first district-charter partnerships in Texas—prepared her for this moment.
Now at DSST, she’s championing access to high-quality STEM education for 7,500+ students in Denver and Aurora, especially those historically left out of such opportunities. With fierce love for her community and Latino culture, deep reverence for her ancestors, and a bold vision for the future, Nella is redefining what leadership looks like in public education.
Tune in for a rich conversation about identity, STEM access, listening as leadership, and why “El que es gallo, en cualquier gallinero canta.” A true rooster crows in any chicken coop.
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