Build Momentum for Education - K-12 Superintendent Series
Watch for episodes every other Thursday on Spotify, iTunes, or whatever platform you listen. We look forward to exploring thought leadership in education on this season of Build Momentum!
Build Momentum for Education - K-12 Superintendent Series
S04E01 - K-12 to Career: How Community Colleges are Accelerating Workforce Development | Chad Bolser, Katie Lash
In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by a new co-host, Chad Bolser, a Chancellor from Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana. In previous roles, he served as vice president of Strategic Operations-Southern Campuses and Chancellor at the Richmond Campus. Chad was the athletic director at Richmond Community Schools for six years and the head coach for boys basketball for 10 years. We also bid farewell to Dr. Katie Lash as she embarks on a new chapter of her career as Ivy Tech’s Vice President for K-14 and Strategic Initiatives.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What news do you have to tell us, Katie? (02:12)
- Who is Chad Bolser? (03:51)
- How do community colleges (including Ivy Tech) impact their local areas? (05:25)
- How are K-12 educators expanding their role in preparing students for the workforce? (07:38)
- How are community colleges adapting to these changes? (10:14)
- What takeaways do you have from national conferences you attend? (11:33)
- How does thought leadership play a role in elevating Ivy Tech’s reputation and influence at the state and national level? (14:30)
- How does Katie’s new role (from K-12 to K-14) illustrate community colleges’ strategies? (19:36)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Katie’s new career path (02:17)
- All about Chad Bolser (04:10)
- The growth of community colleges like Ivy Tech (05:45)
- Chad’s insights regarding K-12 and the workforce (08:00)
- Community colleges’ adaptation to AI (10:38)
- The evolution of community colleges nationally (11:52)
- The influence of Ivy Tech through thought leadership and education (15:25)
- Katie’s transition from K-12 to K-14 (20:36)
Quotes:
“One of the reasons that I like the term community college—as opposed to two-year or, when we leave off the community portion of that and just say college to try to stay in the higher education lane—is because we are the connectors of the community. And I think one of the reasons that we're having this moment when lots of folks are talking about how we can be integrators is because we're connectors. We connect to employer partners.”
“It doesn't matter whether it's an elementary student, a middle school student, or high school student, if you ask them about knowledge, rarely are they turning to the curriculum that they've been presented with. They're turning to their devices, they're turning to AI, they're turning to all of the options that they have. We shouldn't be surprised that they're also learning how to do a lot of things that we would have gone to classes for—and they're doing it in 15-minute increments on the internet. That's not a bad thing. That's a wonderful thing.”
“Accessibility has always been the core of what community college’s two-year experience has been for the educational system.”
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Hello and welcome to Build Momentum, a Podcast where we explore thought leadership and education. I'm Sarah Williamson, the founder of SWPR group.
Chad Bolser:And I'm Chad Bolser, Chancellor at Ivy Tech Community College in Richmond, Indiana. This season, we will launch a series exploring global workforce development in K 12 school districts and the leaders who are bringing this work to life.
Sarah Williamson:We hear from CTE directors, superintendents and thought leaders on the topic of workforce development, how it shifted throughout the last several years, who is employing strategies that are making an impact and how they're sharing those stories with the broader education community. We explore how to leverage key partners, your constituents and the media to authentically impact your organization and the leaders who champion them. We can't wait to get started. So let's dive in. Welcome back to Build Momentum. Thank you all for sticking with us. As we took a bit of a break to plan out season four, we have some exciting announcements to share and some big news for someone in all of our lives.
Katie Lash:All right. Well, on today's episode, we have a very special guest Chad Bolser who is the Chancellor for Ivy Tech Richmond. Welcome to the show, Chad. But I guess the big news is that we're now colleagues.
Sarah Williamson:Oh,
Chad Bolser:that's right. That's huge. Thank you for the welcome to the show. And I absolutely love the fact that we have figured out a way to work in the same institution.
Katie Lash:I'm very excited. Yes. So Ivy Tech, if you're not familiar on the call is the Nation's largest singularly accredited Community College. And so I didn't realize until a few years ago, like how rare that is across the nation. So if your reach Sarah reaches a bunch of people in other states, they probably don't understand that concept. But I thought it was normal. Because I'm, you know, for me
Chad Bolser:It is an unusual situation across the country. And it does frame some of the conversations that we have and the language that we use in this state. It's different than around the country. And I think that it has its advantages and disadvantages, but we certainly like it.
Sarah Williamson:Do you have other news to share Katie? Some sad news for us in Build Momentum.
Katie Lash:Well I to share also with this news, I am going to I guess roll off as Sarah's co-host for now. And so just especially as I transition to this new role, and but we've had some really fun times and really great people. So yeah, I guess is that the news? You were looking for me to say.
Sarah Williamson:That is. We're gonna miss you a ton Katie on the show, but tell us so you shared you're going to Ivy Tech, we talk a little bit more about your new role and what you're going to be up to?
Katie Lash:Yeah so my new title is Vice President for K 14 and strategic initiatives. That's a lot of words. But in short, it is a work out of the systems office. So working with all of the campuses across the state, really on all of Ivy Tech's efforts as it pertains to our school district partners across the state. So I'm really translating a lot of probably things that we've talked about on other episodes, but no, again, work that I've done with school districts, my entire career, except through the lens of how Ivy Tech Impacts all of that work.
Sarah Williamson:That is so exciting. Well, we're thrilled to hear more about it. And we want to keep you coming back to the show here and there to share what you're learning and how this is unique or new or different, or how you're seeing some of the same trends. So you're gonna come back, we just don't know when.
Katie Lash:Yes, well it has like this really, this was only purely coincidental that I have this role at Ivy Tech. But I do know that Sarah, you have been wanting to meet people in the higher ed space. So yes, it just lended itself. Coincidentally, nicely, I guess but
Sarah Williamson:why is that, Katie? How's that? Yeah.
Katie Lash:So I'm thrilled to pass the baton to my friend and colleague, Chad Bolser, who you just heard speak, and he's going to step in as Co-host for season four. So excited for his perspective, he has a lot more experience in higher ed. So Chad, tell us more about you, actually. Yeah, Chad's like the perfect combo because he has more experience in higher ed, but he also has K 12 experience.
Chad Bolser:Yeah. So I think that thanks for passing the baton and allowing me to be a part of all of this, I think over the course of the last few months, my getting to know the work that you've done here on the ground. And I think it's going to translate great into the state but my background is really not much different than yours. I was a K 12 person. I taught in the classroom public education for 10 years. I also coached a little bit so I was a basketball coach and then moved into the administrative ranks for six years. And after that I had an opportunity to come to the local Richmond campus with Ivy Tech. That was a stretch to be honest with you. I didn't think that I had tangible higher ed experience but that ended up working out great and so I've been here for nine years. I've been in the role of the Chancellor, I have also been in a role of a vice president at the system's office. But I'm back on to a campus in the role of Chancellor, there are 19 of us across the state, which is a little bit different. And we all report up through a single president. And so I think the work that we do in the community college space translates really nice for folks who have had experience in the K 12. I think, to be able to speak that language is so important.
Sarah Williamson:I totally agree. Yeah, we're excited. And I'm really thrilled this season Chad to kind of dive into how community colleges are impacting our communities. But also, it seems like they're just really having their time in the sun right now. How have you seen this evolve throughout your years with Ivy Tech? And what do you think has really led to that renewed interest in the community college?
Chad Bolser:Well, I think there are a couple things. And it's not much different than what we're doing now on a podcast or the transition of technology post the pandemic, which is we're in a different time and a different landscape in terms of our workforce development, and the community college. And I think one of the reasons that I like the term Community College as opposed to two year or you know, when we leave off the community portion of that just say college to try to stay in the in the higher education lane is because we are the connectors of the community. And I think one of the reasons that we're having this kind of moment when lots of folks are talking about how we can be integrators because we're connectors, we connect to employer partners. If a certain sector wants to grow and expand, we are often the place that folks will learn to grow that workforce opportunity that pipeline. If an area wants to increase the amount of credentials that their students get beyond high school, they often look to the community college. If we're talking about all kinds of access points and switching credentials to shorter term, quicker learning innovation in that education space, we're often that place where folks turn. And so it is not surprising as we navigate a really interesting time with technology and workforce and the grand change that we're going through. It's an exciting time. It's a little bit of a scary time. But it is a place in which the connectors of the community often are called on probably more than we've ever been certainly in my nine years here, but I think probably in the last 20 years, instead of us calling on folks, we're being called to really make the changes that are necessary.
Katie Lash:Which leads to the perfect segue into my question. And I guess you can teach me about my role in this answer. No, but we know that K 12 is asked to be more intentional in their role to expand the workforce population to prepare students for the future, this new future, right. So how I know you're gonna have good examples, share how you're seeing this through K 12, and employer partnerships, and even the apprenticeship program.
Chad Bolser:Yeah, so I don't think this is it. I don't think this is necessarily revolutionary. Like I think a lot of folks looking at the education system say, boy, this is a really unique time. I don't think that that's necessarily true. I think it's just been heightened because an expanding marketplace has driven the need for workers and its need for credentials, folks are asking a question about the value of college. They're asking questions about, you know, debt after college, their student loans, and what is that worth and how much they're going to make in their career beyond high school. So again, going back to that connectivity of community college space, I think there's all kinds of examples, we see it locally, where a county is saying out loud, we want to relook, reimagine how our high school graduates are prepared and what they will take away from their experience that can lead directly into employment within that counties area, its economic development, its business expansion and retention. It is the things that local communities need to not just survive, but to thrive during this time. And we're utilizing technology, we're utilizing all the things that were gathered and developed in the pandemic post pandemic in order to make those connections easier and easier. So I think there are multiple examples all over the country about just really looking at and the episodes in season three, you heard a lot of those things that would come out where folks are just saying, Are we sure we want this particular product, a high school diploma as the ultimate goal for high schools? Isn't there something else we can offer? And that's where I think folks like you, Katie are going to be you know, driving some of that in a nationwide sort of platform as a statewide system and we're going to be challenged to not stay status quo, it just we're just not going to be allowed to do that. Because if we don't figure some of those issues out, somebody's going to and whoever does that is going to be the leader in the future of education.
Katie Lash:I think I know, it's your question next, Sarah. But I want to add in like, I think also what's so interesting, you're so right Chad, that, like, whoever solves those problems is going to lead. And I think that community colleges have the ability to be more nimble than larger institutions. And so again, I'm generalizing in that statement. But I think that as a huge strength that, you know, adapting to the needs of the moment is literally what we do, right?
Chad Bolser:Well, we're gonna have to push the envelope in that all you have to do is talk to folks who are in K 12 system. It doesn't matter whether it's an elementary student, a middle school student, high school student, if you ask them about knowledge, rarely, are they turning to the curriculum that they've been presented with, they're turning to their devices, they're turning to AI, they're turning to all of the options that they have. Well, we shouldn't be surprised that they're also learning how to do a lot of things that we would have went to classes for, and they're doing it in 15 minute increments on the internet. Well that's not a bad thing. That's a wonderful thing. And we shouldn't be fearful that we should be pushing forward in that space to make it a better experience for the students we're going to have. Because we're not getting new students. These folks are coming along. And it's exciting time.
Sarah Williamson:Yeah, I'm not. No Chad. I'm curious. I know you because Ivy Tech has such a great profile on a national scale. I'm curious what you're hearing and seeing when you attend national conferences, what you're seeing with other national community colleges, how how things are evolving any emerging trends beyond what you've already shared?
Chad Bolser:Yeah So I think the biggest trend for us is to re-look at what we see as the student population. So there was a period of time in which and rightfully so historically, as we were trying to gain credibility in the higher education space to ensure that we were pointing our students were academic students driving towards an Associate's that ultimately would lead to a bachelor's degree. I think, what is clear now is that our work expands literally, from the K 12 system. And I think you could make an argument that goes down into the middle schools now in terms of information about careers and college readiness, all the way up through the adult incumbent worker is being trained, who's coming back in who's maybe looking for a different career, all of those folks now, they've always been our students. But I think we have narrowly looked at success and failure based upon that traditional academic student. And so what you're seeing now is resources and programs and initiatives that are based around that middle school to incumbent worker continuum. And we are, and we're saying out loud, that all of those students are, are valuable and worth our time in terms of counting them as students, counting their credentials, making sure that we are putting our resources behind them supporting them in the same way, and not just looking at the traditional, you know, sort of college experience. I think that's the first thing. And what that lends itself to then is to open it up to our employer partners, and really allow them really allow the sectors to drive what our students should be learning in their experience and whether that short term training, whether that's a micro credential, whether it's the traditional credential, there's all kinds of places play. And as you know, Katie, that in your job, you'll see the production of credentials prior to students leaving the high school experience the traditional high school experience, I think it's going to be the expectation, not the outlier. And I think in within those, you're going to see work based experiences being driven over and over and over as the support mechanism to ensure that those credentials mean something.
Katie Lash:Well absolutely like any, again, things we've learned through other projects like launch and whatnot, like any and it really does have some great policy in place to kind of have heard people reference it is like, what's the lever and lever being? You know, there's goal statements like we can recite that the goal is 60% of students will graduate with a credential before leaving high school, that there are financial, there's financial systems in place to incentivize rewarding credentials still in in high school. So I don't think that's true everywhere. But maybe that answer is yet. Right. I think that's definitely, definitely a trend nationally. But we do have some of that infrastructure in place. But my next question is this podcast is thought leadership and education. So it's funny that we talked about this a little bit yesterday, I'm curious how you've seen thought leadership play a role in the elevated reputation and influence that Ivy Tech has on the state and national level?
Chad Bolser:Well, I think anytime that you can push forward from an institution standpoint, the stated willingness, and I think, an imperative to ensure that you are thinking through the future of education as one of the stated goals. So in our newest strategic plan, you'll see the idea of teaching and learning as one of our stated goals. And that sounds like something you'd say, well, that, you know, that doesn't seem tremendously a high priority, or a revolutionary idea. But in the higher education space, the idea that stating, teaching and learning what takes place, how are our students learning? What are they doing? Are we being innovative enough to really attract the next group of students? Is that going to be the appropriate way to look at our classroom experience? I think this is the sort of thought leadership that happens in our space, in Ivy Tech, and nationwide that really pushes that forward. And so I think you have seen people who have come up with whether it's Chris Lowry, at the Commission for Higher Education, or Katie Jenner, as our Secretary of Education, they all have Ivy Tech experience. And as you look at that are certainly our presidents who else is a thought leader in how we approach community college education and how we are integrated within that total experience. And I think you see that not just I think it elevates the conversation, because it needs to, it isn't just about getting the next student in and the next class of folks to come through it is elevating it about how it becomes an integrated part of the really the ecosystem of your service area, the workforce development, economic development, all of that that takes place. It is a central part of that. But it can't happen if all you're doing is just doing business as usual. And I think you've seen that through Ivy Tech really play a part in our growth and expansion over the last few years.
Katie Lash:Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And I have a vision, even though I haven't met all of the people that I work with yet, but I have the idea that Ivy Tech will serve as a thought leader like the RLR K 14 people, every campus has a K 14 Director, that's valid, I guess, to know, and they've been engaged with our school districts for years, but really positioning ourselves as for the school districts as a place to get support and help and like, yeah, sure, we'd love to have that drive, you know, correlation to enrollment, perhaps. But at the same time, like it's really part of a much larger ecosystem. And Ivy Tech is the convener of a much larger economic, like Chad said, economic development engine, that we can just be supportive of all students, no matter what student, I mean, if they're enrolled or not. We can be supportive and like those, it's helping superintendents and helping principals and counselors, inaudible, they can set up systems to help all students reach their goals, no matter what those goals might be. And that's again, that's I think, the beauty of like the stackability of credentials, the so many aspirations in so many different projects to be able to see students be able to have those transferable skills and document those transferable skills. Yeah, I just think that it's an exciting time.
Chad Bolser:I think just to build just a little bit on what Katie just said, the idea of accessibility has always been the core of what community college in the two year experience has been for the educational system accessibility. And really, this is accessibility in a lot of different ways. It's just expanding, and it's not being it's not being relegated to a small, small subset and saying, Oh, well, we want to make sure we're accessible to you know, these groups. When Katie says a pathway for all that's a pretty broad and big goal. And yet we know that that's really our mission, and has been our mission that hasn't changed. And I think it's really exciting to think about how this is really transforming our educational system. Katie, I have a question for you.
Katie Lash:Oh,
Chad Bolser:This is my first this is the inaugural question from this role. So I think my nerves are pretty high at this point with that knowledge that this is the first one so I couldn't mess it up. But as you see your role Katie changing from the service center that connected a lot of different K 12 Folks, to now in the K 14 and statewide strategies face how do those things translate into some of the really important work that's going to go on this in the state?
Katie Lash:Oh yeah, that's a great question. So maybe I have transferable skills. I just couldn't document them. Well, without a stackable credential? No.
Chad Bolser:Do you know what you need is a digital wallet, that would give you a badge so we could identify those transferable skills. Sarah, you're thinking, what are they talking about? But this was the conversation we were having two weeks ago about how cool that would be. So more to come on that more.
Katie Lash:So more to come. Definitely goals there. But yeah, I think that it's an interesting, obviously, follow that path, you know, teacher principal than the service center was, like, a blessing that I didn't see coming, I guess, right. But I think that there are a lot of parallels from that role. And even the more that I've now, few days in, right, I can see that parallel that galvanizing and inspiring, I guess, was really what I was doing at the service center, right, trying to get districts bringing them new and innovative ideas, I wasn't necessarily the person that to implement them, right. I was just the person to bring ideas. And again, right, quite frankly, a thought leadership to all of the superintendents in that pocket. And hopefully, sometimes we work together on things, but they also were autonomous and served the Pacific school community. And so I think there's a lot of parallels to that with Ivy Tech too, right? Like translating that to the statewide scale, like systems office exists as a convener. But every campus has a unique set of circumstances and a unique, you know, employer partnerships that they serve, and again, different sets of conditions. So I think that there was almost an uncanny parallel in that sense, because although I certainly have a lot to learn about the higher ed system, and lots of the ways in which that functions I think I had, because there has been such demand in the K 12 space for this dual credit, dual enrollment. I mean, this has been going on for a while, right? So I'd found myself pretty active in some of these circles from being on the school perspective. I think also, knowing a lot of this external stakeholders that keep popping back up a lot of the people, you know, the Department of Ed, CHP, a lot of the same people, because this is just such a coordinated effort. A lot of the interagency collaboration are the same people that I've been working with before. So again, now looking at it with a different set of glasses, but I also think that perspectives really healthy because sometimes again, I'm like, that's not what the school's said type of thing in my mind, right. So like, things that we were like, yeah, we've really communicated that out really effective. I watched that happen with a department so often, too, like, I know, they do a fantastic job of communicating these initiatives. But then I'll hear a school say that they didn't know. And that's no one's fault. Because I know, as communicated, I know, the school has access to that information, like, really, like, where did that break down? And I mean, that's a problem with obviously, all large systems all change making efforts. But I think that that's an interesting place to be right as again, convener, bringing information, kind of both ways. Right? And I don't know, that's all very exciting. I feel like a lot of that is what I was doing at the service center. But taking this to like a statewide scale is really exciting, and translating those experiences and relationships. I mean, isn't it all about relationships? So I mean, I need those superintendents to still call me and say, like, Katie, this is my problem. And, and we connect them to their campus, and maybe they're very connected. But there are people out there that still aren't. So how can we help?
Sarah Williamson:Awesome well, great job on your first question, Chad. Katie, we're gonna miss you so much on this show, but we're so happy for you and your new role. You're really just taking off. Next thing we know you're going to be leading education for the state of Indiana, who knows who knows, Katie, what's next for you? But we will have you back on the show. Through regular intervals. We'll see when we can make that work. But best of luck. Thank you for all your efforts throughout the past season three, we're gonna miss you.
Katie Lash:It's a lot of fun meeting a lot of great people, people that by the way, I've reached out to a couple of times already. So if we get on season three, expect a call.
Sarah Williamson:I know. That's for me. And Chad, I'm so excited to have you as my co-pilot and moving forward. We're gonna have a blast. I can already tell.
Chad Bolser:Yeah, I think it's a great learning experience, isn't it? I mean, and these conversations are so cool to have and so I'm excited to be with you and spend some time learning along the way about all the great things that are going on in education around the country.
Sarah Williamson:Okay, more soon as we dive into season four. Thanks, everyone. Have a great week.
Chad Bolser:Thanks for joining us for the build momentum podcast today. If you enjoyed listening We would love to hear your feedback, and would be grateful if you would leave us a review.
Sarah Williamson:This helps us to share these powerful stories with even more people. If you liked what you heard, we would be honored if you could share this episode with someone in your network. We look forward to seeing you next time on build momentum.