In this episode of Hire Ground, hosts Christina Greenberg and Josh Czupryk sit down with JoAnn Gama, founder of GEMS (Gama Education Management Services) and founder of IDEA Public Schools, to dive deep into school leadership, sustainability, and talent retention strategies. Joanne shares practical insights on building resilient educational systems, modeling sustainable leadership, supporting teachers through strong cultures, and creating clear leadership pipelines that keep great educators thriving for the long haul.

In this episode of Hire Ground, host Josh Czupryk sits down with Dr. Daniel Velasco, President and CEO of Ensemble Learning, for a practical, action-oriented conversation on what K-12 leaders can do right now to create welcoming, inclusive school environments where multilingual learners and families feel fully supported and valued. They dive into immediate steps for building trust through family engagement, establishing safe and welcoming spaces, implementing asset-based instructional practices, leveraging data for equitable student support, and hiring leaders with a non-negotiable multilingual mindset. The focus is clear: multilingualism is a powerful asset that strengthens every student and the entire school community when leaders act proactively to foster belonging and success.

In this episode of Hire Ground, hosts Christina Greenberg and Josh Czupryk explore the transformative power of neurodiversity in K12 leadership and hiring. Joined by David Flink, CEO and founder of the Neurodiversity Alliance, they discuss how recognizing and embracing cognitive differences can drive innovation, strengthen problem-solving, and build more effective teams. David shares his 26-year journey advocating for neurodiversity, personal stories from the front lines, and practical strategies for bias-free hiring, accommodations, and inclusive cultures that unlock everyone’s strengths—ultimately benefiting students, staff, and entire systems.