Episode 411

full
Published on:

18th Jun 2025

Pizza Day and Attendance - Practical Data Analytics in Schools

Summary: Join C.T. and guest Seth Feldman, Executive Director of Bay Area Technology School (Bay Tech) in Oakland, California, as they explore the transformative leadership and data-driven strategies that have revitalized this 6–12 public charter school. This compelling conversation highlights Dr. Feldman’s journey from international teaching to leading Bay Tech through financial recovery, cultural renewal, and academic innovation.

Key Takeaways:

  • Turnaround Leadership: Dr. Feldman led Bay Tech through a major turnaround, cleaning up finances, revamping curriculum, and restoring the school’s reputation1.
  • Live Data Over “Autopsy Data”: The school uses real-time (“live”) data to make immediate instructional changes, rather than relying on end-of-year test results (“autopsy data”)1.
  • Student-Centered Outcomes: Bay Tech prioritizes assessments and achievements that matter to students, such as AP, SAT, and ACT scores, over state-mandated standardized tests1.
  • Personalized Learning: Assistive technology enables instruction at each student’s level, supporting both remediation and acceleration, and helping students gain multiple years of skill growth in a single year1.
  • High Teacher Retention: Teachers are empowered to innovate and see the direct impact of their work, leading to high retention—even among those eligible for retirement1.
  • Behavior and Culture: The behaviors allowed on campus define the school’s culture; positive, growth-oriented behaviors are modeled and expected from everyone1.
  • Agile Interventions: Creative use of data, such as analyzing bathroom logs, enables rapid, meaningful interventions to support student learning and well-being1.
  • Holistic Support: Bay Tech surrounds its high-needs student population with academic, social-emotional, and career supports, ensuring every student has a pathway to success

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:33 Meet Seth Feldman: The Superman of Education

01:36 Bay Tech: A Community of Excellence

05:13 Challenges and Triumphs at Bay Tech

07:52 The Power of Live Data in Education

19:41 Focusing on Real-World Skills

23:30 Innovative Teaching Approaches

25:45 Personalized Learning with Assistive Technology

26:46 The Impact of Data on Student Engagement

27:31 Addressing Literacy and Math Gaps

34:44 Behavioral Insights from Bathroom Logs

40:56 Implementing Immediate Changes for Improvement


Connect with CT: linkedin.com/in/cheetung

Connect with Seth Feldman: linkedin.com/in/seth-feldman-2356586



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About the Podcast

Principal Office Hours
Real principals. Real talk. No hall passes required.
Finally—a podcast that proves school principals have personalities (and killer insights, too). Every week, join us for candid conversations with K-12 principals who are navigating the beautiful chaos of educational leadership without losing their minds or sense of humor.

Each 40-minute episode features real principals sharing what actually works in school leadership—from handling helicopter parents and budget nightmares to building school culture that doesn't make everyone roll their eyes. Consider this your professional development that doesn't feel like professional development.

Our guests aren't afraid to share their epic fails alongside their victories. They'll tell you about the initiative that spectacularly bombed during assembly, right before revealing how they turned their school's reading scores around. It's educational leadership with the BS filter turned off.

Whether you're currently wearing the principal badge, aspiring to the big chair, or teaching while secretly taking notes on what you'd do differently, Principal Office Hours delivers actionable strategies you can implement faster than a student being sent to detention.

Subscribe now and join the faculty lounge conversation that's too real for the school board meeting. New episodes drop every week. Warning: May cause spontaneous leadership growth and occasional inappropriate laughter during staff meetings.

About your hosts

CheeTung Leong

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Jim Kanichirayil

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Your friendly neighborhood talent strategy nerd is the producer and co-host for The HR Impact Show. He's spent his career in sales and has been typically in startup b2b HRTech and TA-Tech organizations.

He's built high-performance sales teams throughout his career and is passionate about all things employee life cycle and especially employee retention and turnover.