Talking Out of School

What K-12 Leaders Can Learn from Alternative Delivery Construction Projects

Over the years, Director of Purchasing Gary Kerbow has been tasked with daunting construction projects when helping Hurst Euless Bedford ISD expand.
Once, the board of trustees needed a recently acquired building up and running as quickly as possible, but copper thieves had looted the entire infrastructure, requiring extensive rewiring. Another time, Gary had to determine the full scope of repairs when creating offices for new management staff in an existing warehouse space.
Most construction veterans would consider these requests near impossible, and they would be if Gary didn’t have certain procedures and tools in place. In this podcast, Gary will speak about the lessons he’s learned from these and other projects at a number of school districts in North Texas.
Key Takeaways: 
What superintendents need to know when assigning similar time-sensitive tasks 
Best practices for vetting vendors to ensure difficult projects are completed on time 
When procurement directors need to reconsider where and how they procure critical parts 
How staffing levels and needs impact renovation/construction projects 
How to streamline construction projects through collaboration and communication 
Ways to innovate the scope of work for all contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers 
Speakers
Gary Kerbow, Director of Purchasing, Hurst Euless Bedford ISD
817-399-2036
garykerbow@hebisd.edu
 
Will Leisure, Account Manager, Gordian
w.leisure@gordian.com
817-964-7441
 
RESOURCES
K12 Contact: K12Team@gordian.com
https://www.gordian.com/solutions/industry/k-12/

Episode 34: AI meets inclusion at FETC 2025

On the latest episode of District Administration's Talking Out of School podcastI, FETC featured speaker Kimberly Zajac share ideas for using the efficiencies of artificial intelligence to make instruction ever more inclusive.

EPISODE 33: How to choose the right edtech for your district

Today, we're joined by Francie Alexander, senior vice president of efficacy and consulting research at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), to discuss the pressures placed on edtech companies to produce results in school districts around the country. She also shares her advice for those in charge of selecting edtech tools for their districts and how to choose the most effective product.

EPISODE 32: What is a small language model?

You’ve probably heard about AI's large language models. But what is a "small language model" and why might this fine-tuned version of artificial intelligence work better in K12? 

EPISODE 31: Regaining connection with conflict resolution

An incendiary presidential election, compounded by social media and cable news, is pushing us further away. But as superintendents and community leaders, we can bridge the gap, Katy Anthes says.

EPISODE 30: How to create inclusive philanthropy models

In this episode, we're by Sasha Rabkin, the chief of program strategy and innovation for the Advanced Education Research and Development Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing research and development in K12 education.
Today’s discussion is on philanthropy and its role in K12 education initiatives and how leaders can implement more inclusive models of philanthropy while utilizing equity-focused research and development to inform these discussions.

EPISODE 29: Media Literacy Matters More than Ever

Can school district leaders afford not to make media literacy a pillar of their instructional programs? Teaching the subject effectively is key to graduating students who are productive citizens, Superintendent Shari Camhi, says.

EPISODE 28: Getting students and faculty 'excited' for STEM education

Jeremy Anderson walks us through how the National Math and Science Initiative is connecting districts with state and federal programs to close opportunity gaps and increase college access through advanced STEM education. 

Simplifying Purchasing: How Spring Grove Area School District is Empowering Educators

Many districts are challenged by outdated, costly and inefficient processes when it comes to the purchasing and procurement of instructional resources, which can frustrate teachers and staff and create significant waste.
In this podcast, the recently retired superintendent of the Spring Grove Area School District (Penn.) will discuss how the district found ways to better support teachers and staff with the educational resources they needed, which had a direct impact on student academic outcomes, while reducing costs and improving visibility and efficiency.
Speakers:
Dr. George Ioannidis
Superintendent (Retired)
Spring Grove Area School District (Penn.)
Brett Tuson
Director of Education
Amazon Business
business.amazon.com/education

EPISODE 27: How charter schools can improve special education

Lauren Morando Rhim, executive director of the Center for Learner Equity, details her organization’s pivotal two-year study of how charter schools support students with disabilities.