This week on Solve for X, host Dr. Rick Fernandez sits down with Matt Schiel, a retired Tomball ISD board member and Texas education advocate known for his steady, no-nonsense approach to governance.

From why he first ran for the school board to what changed when COVID turned every decision into a no-win situation, Matt shares what it really looks like to lead through pressure while staying focused on students, staff, and community trust.

Rick and Matt dig into the realities behind superintendent leadership, why consistency matters more than flashy initiatives, and how schools have quietly taken on responsibilities that used to sit at home. They also tackle the voucher conversation in Texas, where the intended use may collide with what actually happens once money hits the system.

If you care about school governance, leadership under scrutiny, and how to simplify the work without losing the mission, this episode is packed with perspective and practical wisdom.

What You’ll Learn

• Why Matt ran for the Tomball ISD board and why he knew he wouldn’t stay forever

• How consistency from school boards can reduce chaos for superintendents and staff

• Why a superintendent role compares to a CEO or city manager and what critics often miss

• The unintended pressure COVID created and what leadership looks like when everyone is angry

• Why schools have become the catch-all for society and how that impacts learning

• The quiet power of parent involvement and why it tends to fade as students get older

• What voucher rollout could mean in practice, including unexpected sports academy models

• Why competition only works if everyone plays by the same rules and standards

• Advice for cabinet-level leaders presenting to boards: credibility, clarity, and no guesswork

  
  

• Why real change requires trust, time, and small wins before big shifts

Episode Timestamps

05:11 Consistent Leadership and Stadium Decision

07:02 Superintendent: A Small City CEO

10:26 School Leadership During Covid

14:56 "Back to Basics for Education"

16:48 Parental Involvement Key to Success

22:46 Education Vouchers and Accessibility

26:03 Maximizing Resources for True Competition

27:06 Homeschooling, Politics, and State Tests

31:56 "Advice for New School Leaders"

35:01 "Assessing Ideas Before Action"

37:30 "Start Small, Plan Long-Term"

39:39 "Unclear Spending Hinders Solutions"

Connect with Us

• Host’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rick-fernandez-40692434/
• Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/powerschool-group
  
  

Special Thanks

To Matt Schiel for sharing a grounded, community-first perspective on school board service, leadership consistency, and the realities districts face when politics and policy collide with day-to-day schooling.

Stay Connected

Follow, like, and subscribe to Solve for X for more stories where curiosity meets collaboration. Until next time—keep asking the right questions, and keep solving for X.

This week, our host Rick Fernandez sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Norton, a relentless leader and CTE workforce expert with a remarkable journey through the heart of Tennessee’s education system.

From her early days as a reading interventionist to leading statewide literacy initiatives and navigating the complexities of district support, Dr. Norton shares how her passion for impact guided every career move, even her recent leap into consulting and her work at the frontier of AI in education. Together, Rick Fernandez and Elizabeth Norton dig deep into the real-world challenges of creating coherence across massive systems, supporting teacher growth in an era of rapid technological change, and reimagining the high school experience for a future shaped by artificial intelligence and evolving workforce needs.

Whether you’re an educator, leader, or just curious about how big ideas become real solutions, this episode will spark a fresh perspective on transformation, continuous improvement, and what it takes to truly solve for X in today’s schools. So grab your coffee, and maybe some hot sauce, and get ready for an insightful journey with Dr. Elizabeth Norton!

What You’ll Learn

• Why coherence, structures, and routines are essential for leading large-scale improvement—and how leaders lose impact when those systems break down

• What it takes to lead continuous improvement effectively, including the role of after-action reviews, leading indicators, and disciplined follow-through

• Why AI literacy is now a leadership responsibility, not just a technology issue—and what district and school leaders need to understand right now

• How AI is poised to reshape teaching, assessment, and professional learning, moving schools toward process-based evaluation and project-based learning

• The emerging impact of AI on CTE pathways and workforce readiness, including which career clusters are most vulnerable to automation

• Why the future of high school depends on reimagining CTE, relevance, and postsecondary pathways, and how systems must evolve to keep students engaged

Episode Timestamps

04:14 "Building Coherence in Education"

07:18 "Building Coherence with Structure"

11:55 Tennessee's Push for AI Literacy

14:18 "AI Leadership for Everyone"

19:40 Rethinking Assessment in AI Era

21:27 "PBL: The Future of Learning"

25:51 AI as Lesson Thought Partner

27:32 AI's Impact on Career Clusters

31:42 "AI as Tool for Teacher Versatility"

33:57 "Challenges in Education Certification"

39:57 "Leadership through Growth and Empowerment"

42:37 "Improving Data Collection for Change"

Connect with Us

• Host’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rick-fernandez-40692434/
• Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/powerschool-group
  
  

Special Thanks

To Elizabeth Norton and the Tennessee Department of Education team for their commitment to helping districts navigate complex challenges with clarity, strategy, and a deep focus on student success.

Stay Connected

Follow, like, and subscribe to Solve for X for more stories where curiosity meets collaboration. Until next time—keep asking the right questions, and keep solving for X.

In this episode of Solve for X, host Dr. Rick Fernandez welcomes Tatiana Ciccarelli, National Solutions Director at Edmentum. A former special education and middle school math teacher from New York City, Tatiana shares how her classroom experience, family conversations about money, and leap into edtech shaped her view of what real college and career readiness should look like for today’s students.

From portraits of a graduate and durable skills to VR-driven trades training and virtual internships, this episode dives into how districts can rethink CTE—not as a track for “some students,” but as life readiness for all. You’ll hear how schools can partner with local businesses, leverage trusted vendors, and use technology to create pathways where students graduate employable, adaptable, and prepared to pivot in a fast-changing economy.

What You’ll Learn

- Why every educator has “the longest CTE experience ever” just by being in schools

- How early conversations about financial literacy, ROI, and student debt can change postsecondary choices

- What “durable skills” (grit, resilience, numeracy, financial literacy) students need to navigate multiple careers

- Ways to use VR, virtual internships, and community partnerships to make trades and pathways relevant

- Why tight budgets make flexible, educator-first partners more important than ever

Episode Timestamps
00:00 Texas hot sauce cold open & welcome to Solve for X
00:30 Meet Tatiana Ciccarelli, National Solutions Director at Edmentum
01:23 From family of educators to special education math teacher in NYC
03:17 Leaving the classroom and discovering transferable skills
07:34 CTE trends, portraits of a graduate, and durable skills
10:10 Rebranding CTE and talking ROI, debt, and “life readiness”
18:12 Virtual internships, VR for trades, and overcoming logistics
25:13 Leveraging business partners and vendors for student pathways
30:42 Who’s the family “CEO” and closing reflections

Connect with Us
Host’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rick-fernandez-40692434/

Special Thanks
To Tatiana Ciccarelli and the Edmentum team for their work advancing CTE, durable skills, and educator-first solutions that help students move confidently from classroom to career.

Stay Connected
Follow, like, and subscribe to Solve for X for more stories where curiosity meets collaboration.

Until next time—keep asking the right questions, and keep solving for X.