What if professional learning actually counted twice—toward your graduate degree and your district’s biggest challenges? We sit down with Dr. Mike Dishman, dean at the University of West Georgia, to unpack a practical blueprint for educator growth, retention, and real results. From SummerGale’s community heartbeat to the nuts and bolts of a redesigned doctorate, this conversation focuses on what moves the needle for Georgia’s schools.

Dr. Dishman explains why West Georgia now treats the EDS as the first half of a doctorate, cutting needless hours and cost, and how a professional capstone replaces the traditional dissertation with a thousand-hour, team-based project that tackles problems of practice. Think VR efficacy studies, policy-aligned analysis, and solutions districts can deploy immediately. It’s rigor with relevance—grounded in data and built for working educators.

We also dive into Georgia’s Best—Building Educator Success Together—a partnership model born after the state’s burnout report. Here’s the math districts can’t ignore: replacing a single teacher costs $14,000 to $28,000. Redirecting that spend can fund 2–4 graduate degrees, lock in top talent for five years, and align learning to high-need areas like special education and instructional technology. Programs run in cohorts, use local policy and data, and are often taught by the district’s own top practitioners, so coursework doubles as targeted professional development.

Along the way, we talk culture—why Family Fun Night matters to educator families—and the deeper loyalty that comes from being seen and invested in. Big district or small, urban or rural, the model scales because it starts with listening: define workforce needs, credit prior learning, and design programs that fit the work. If you care about educator retention, practical leadership development, and degrees without debt bloat, you’ll find a roadmap here.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review to help more educators and leaders find it.