Vanessa Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of People at the Pahara Institute at Lone Rock, has spent her career building systems that give young people a fair shot, from District 79 in New York City to a national fellowship designed to keep education leaders in the work longer.
In this episode of The Stronger Podcast, Mike Montoya sits down with Vanessa to talk about what it actually takes to sustain a career in education without burning out. Vanessa grew up in Hartford, Connecticut after her parents moved from Puerto Rico so their kids could have better opportunities. In first grade, her teacher made her stand in the corner and face the wall for answering in Spanish. That experience shaped years of silence before she found her voice and committed her life to expanding opportunity for others.
Vanessa spent seven years leading District 79, the citywide network serving over-age, under-credited students across all five boroughs of New York City. She and her team built referral centers that are still in place today, giving young people and families a way to navigate the system and find a path back to education. From there she moved through roles at Citizens of the World Charter Schools, Newark Public Schools, and NYC Outward Bound Schools before joining Pahara.
Mike and Vanessa dig into how to hire for values and motivation, what happens when values come into tension with the work, and why the next generation of leaders is not buying the grind culture that defined earlier eras of education reform. Vanessa also shares the five priorities her vitality coach gave her: love, movement, sleep, nutrition, and purpose.
Tune in to hear why sustaining in this work requires more than commitment. It requires vitality.
Chapters:
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01:37 Vanessa Rodriguez: from Puerto Rico to Hartford to a career in education
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06:16 Seven years leading District 79: serving over-age, under-credited students across NYC
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10:43 What classroom teaching taught her about leading systems change
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14:33 Hiring for values and motivation: the two questions Vanessa asks in every interview
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17:13 What happens when your values come into tension with the work
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20:04 Pahara Institute at Lone Rock: a fellowship built to sustain education leaders
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29:53 Pahara's application cycle and who should apply
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33:26 Raising a son as a single Latina mom and staying present through basketball
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39:38 If you are a leader or changemaker looking for support, check out
www.geniusdiscovery.org π
40:36 When your kid asks to leave early: Devin's choice to attend boarding school
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44:34 Walking, water, and winding down: the habits that keep her going
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46:17 Love, movement, sleep, nutrition, and purpose: five priorities for vitality
Links:
Learn more about the Pahara fellowship and connect with Vanessa on LinkedIn to follow her work supporting education leaders across the country.
Stay strong.
Episode 24