Implementation Series, Part 2: Why Good Ideas Fail Quietly in Schools with Vidya Sundaram and Elisabeth O'Bryon

Today we're sharing part two of the implementation series from Family Engagement Lab. Co-founders Vidya Sundaram and Elisabeth O'Bryan join us to discuss:

• When schools launch family engagement initiatives, what typically happens over time?
• What does it mean to "fail quietly?"
• What it typically looks like when a strong idea starts to lose momentum in a school system
• The most common (and least visible) reasons these efforts break down
• What do we miss when we treat this as a teacher or family problem instead of a systems problem?

Listen to Implementation Series, Part 1: The Missing Instructional Layer

Learn more about Family Engagement Lab: https://www.familyengagementlab.org

About the guests
Vidya Sundaram is co-founder and CEO of Family Engagement Lab. Over her nearly 20-year career in family engagement, Vidya has managed development, research, and strategy for digital resources used by more than half of US families with school-aged children. Before founding Family Engagement Lab, Vidya led research and insights at GreatSchools, championing a test and learn culture across the organization. Vidya also has an extensive background in software engineering and technology project management to engage diverse partners, and implement and study digital programs. She holds a degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University, a Masters in Public Policy from UCLA and her MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. Vidya is mom to two kids and proud to be part of a lively multigenerational household.​

Elisabeth O'Bryon is co-founder and Chief Impact Officer of Family Engagement Lab. Elisabeth was previously the Director of Research and Evaluation at GreatSchools where she worked to design and implement evaluation projects, with a particular focus on rapid-cycle research approaches. Before GreatSchools, Elisabeth was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence where she contributed to the development and evaluation of school-based social and emotional learning programming for children, teachers, and families. Elisabeth has a doctorate in psychology and experience providing school psychological services to preschool through high school-age students in both English and Spanish. Elisabeth recently co-authored 45 Strategies that Support Young Dual Language Learners, a resource that provides practical, developmentally appropriate strategies for supporting children and families from diverse backgrounds and creating inclusive early childhood classrooms that foster the success of young DLLs. Elisabeth is enjoying the many adventures of parenthood with her husband and sons.

About the host
Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and host of The Authority Podcast. 

• Listen to The Authority at https://authoritypodcast.net
• Learn about more shows at https://bepodcastnetwork.com