Bright Spots Newsletter

Bright Spots is a weekly newsletter from Katie Martin featuring learner-centered inspiration and examples from the field. Each week, subscribers can expect to receive:

A bright spot. Change can be challenging, but it gets easier when we look to one another to see what’s working and what’s possible. Each week, Katie shares a proven practice or example from the field in an effort to make learner-centered practices both visible and actionable.
A resource roundup. Katie features a small selection of articles, blog posts, and other resources that have inspired her and pushed her thinking about learner-centered education, in the hopes that they do the same for you!

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Podcasts

Episode 54: Creating Symmetry: Designing Systems for the Learning We Want

By loading this video, you agree to the privacy policy of Youtube.Always load Youtube videos on this site.Load VideoListen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsWatch on YouTube Episode Summary: In this episode, Katie sits down with Dr. Sarah Fine, an educator, researcher, and author whose work focuses on creating more powerful and humanizing learning experiences…

Blog

What Learners Really Experience: Reflections from the LiftOff Design Sprint

I recently had the opportunity to participate in the LiftOff Design Sprint, where 75 leaders from education, technology, research, philanthropy, and civic sectors came together in Silicon Valley. Over three days, we worked in teams to rapidly prototype 10 innovative learning models designed to help young people build the habits, skills, and mindsets they…

Blog

If No One Was Telling Us What To Do, What Would We Build?

For decades, K-12 educational leaders have worked within a system and structure of someone else’s design. We’ve generally been operating with an “outside-in” policy model where Federal rules, funding, accountability systems, and compliance requirements have shaped what we do and how we think about what is possible. State Departments and local education agencies have…

Podcasts

Episode 48: Reimagining Education—Agency, Innovation, and the Future of Learning (with Mike Yates)

By loading this video, you agree to the privacy policy of Youtube.Always load Youtube videos on this site.Load VideoListen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsWatch on YouTube Episode Summary: Mike Yates—educator, innovator, and leading voice in reimagining the future of learning—joins Katie Martin to share the experiences, convictions, and defining moments that have shaped his…

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Blog

Why Community Schools and Secondary Redesign Belong Together

California has made an unprecedented investment in community schools, which often include four evidence-informed programmatic features that are aligned and integrated into high-quality, rigorous teaching and learning practices and environments: Integrated support services; Family and community engagement; Collaborative leadership and practices for educators and administrators; and Extended learning time and opportunities. Since 2021, the…

Blog

Ambidextrous Leadership: Running the Present While Building the Future

I swing a bat left-handed. I throw right-handed. When I bowl, I try each hand a couple of times and go with whatever feels good that day, which is usually a sign that neither hand is particularly good at bowling. But when I eat, my fork only goes in my left hand. If I…

Press

Learner-Centered Collaborative Selected as a Lead Partner for Next Phase of California’s Secondary School Redesign Pilot Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 21, 2026 Contact: Devin Vodicka & Katie Martin, Co-CEOs Learner-Centered Collaborative press@learnercentered.org Learner-Centered Collaborative Selected as a Lead Partner for Next Phase of California’s Secondary School Redesign Pilot Program SAN DIEGO, CA — Learner-Centered Collaborative (LCC), a national nonprofit education organization, has been selected by California Collaborative for Educational Excellence…