"More Great Seats 4 Kids": A SUNY Charter Schools Institute Podcast

The State University of New York Charter Schools Institute’s More Great Seats 4 Kids podcast is designed for charter school leaders committed to sustaining high-quality schools. This series takes an inside look at the SUNY charter authorization process, highlighting the standards, expectations, and best practices that define successful charter schools across New York State. Through conversations with Institute staff and leaders from SUNY’s highest-performing schools, each episode explores what it takes to launch, operate, and continuously improve a high-quality charter school—so more students across New York have access to great seats.

"More Great Seats 4 Kids": A SUNY Charter Schools Institute Podcast is a education podcast hosted by SUNY Charter Schools Institute, with 16 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

SUNY Charter Schools Institute hosts "More Great Seats 4 Kids": A SUNY Charter Schools Institute Podcast, a education show with 16 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #4

  The Hard Work of Change: School Leadership Lessons with Tresha Ward, Prospect Charter Schools

  May 8, 202640 minS4

  <p>What does it really take to lead bold organizational change — and make it stick?</p><p>On this episode of More Great Seats 4 Kids, Mike Lesczinski, Director of Strategy and Communications at the SUNY Charter Schools Institute, sits down with Tresha Ward, Chief Executive Officer of Prospect Charter Schools, for a conversation about leadership, equity, talent, and school transformation.</p><p>Since stepping into the CEO role in 2021, Tresha has led a major effort to redesign systems and structures to create equity for both students and staff. She shares how Prospect Schools rethought staffing models, strengthened leadership development, improved co...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #3

  Growing Teachers from Within: The DREAM Teaching Fellowship

  Mar 25, 202621 minS4

  <p>In this episode of the State University of New York (SUNY) Charter Schools Institute’s More Great Seats 4 Kids podcast, the Institute’s Mike Lesczinski is joined by Kalila Hoggard, Chief People Officer at DREAM, and Ana Rader, Director of Seasonal and Fellowship Recruitment at DREAM, for a conversation on building sustainable teacher pipelines from within school communities. They discuss the origins and growth of the DREAM Teaching Fellowship, why DREAM prioritizes alumni and community members as future educators, and how the fellowship supports both teacher development and long-term student success. The episode explores recruitment, retention, mentorship, and professional grow...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #2

  Launching a New Charter School with Natalie Lozada, Executive Director, Haven Charter High School

  Jan 13, 202627 minS4

  <p>Natalie Lozada, the founding Executive Director of Haven Charter High School, joins the podcast to discuss the STEM-based CTE high school’s launch this past August. Natalie discusses the inspiration behind Haven and how the school built ties within the local Bronx community and successfully navigated initial challenges and the pre-opening process. </p><p>Support the show</p>

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #1

  2026 SUNY RFP for New Charter Schools: Updates & Insights with Keegan Prue

  Dec 9, 202521 minS4

  <p>Keegan Prue, the SUNY Charter Schools Institute’s Managing Director for Strategy and Communications, joins the podcast to break down the 2026 Request for Proposals (RFP) for new charter schools. He explores the new provisions to this year’s RFP, explains the rationale behind the updates, and offers insights into the proposal review process. Keegan also shares practical advice for applicants looking to position themselves for success. </p><p>Support the show</p>

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #2

  How School Leaders Collaborate to Build Strong Public Charter Schools

  Mar 3, 202542 minS3

  <p>Dermoth Mattison, founder and Executive Director of South Shore Charter School, and Mark Crusante, founder and Executive Director, Diamond Charter School, join the podcast to discuss how they are working together to overcome challenges and share insights and best practices to create a strong foundation for future success for both of their Long Island public charter schools.  </p><p>Support the show</p>

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on "More Great Seats 4 Kids": A SUNY Charter Schools Institute Podcast. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.