Coffee with a Geek Interview with Jim Manly
Channel: Andrew Wheelock
Date: 23/10/2021

Great edtech interviews and commentary over a good cup of coffee... Coffee optional.

It's a huge honor and a pleasure to interview a longtime friend Jim Manly, the Superintendent of Kipp NYC.  Jim and I grew up together in Fredonia New York, and after high school we went our separate ways.  Both of us took a circuitous route to education.  This is a great way to connect across the miles! 

Jim was featured in the 2010 movie, The Lottery when he was a Principal for a Success Academy Charter school in NYC.  I'll ask him about his journey through education, his lessons learned over the years through his experiences and background, and we may even chat about "The good old days" of our youth!.

A little about Jim and his background:  Jim Manly serves as Superintendent of KIPP NYC, a network public charter schools (18 schools as of summer 2021) in New York City. Jim came to KIPP NYC in 2015 with 30 years of experience in K-12 education. He previously worked with the national KIPP Foundation as the Senior Director of Instructional Leadership with KIPP Co-Founder, Dave Levin. From 2007 to 2014, Jim was the Founding Principal of Success Academy Harlem 2 Elementary, which became the top performing school, public or private, in Harlem District 5. He has an additional ten years of leadership experience as Principal of Manhattan Charter School, Assistant Director of Teaneck Community Charter School, and Executive Director of Teach for America in Washington, DC. Before entering educational leadership, Jim was a New York City public school teacher, earning Teacher of the Year in 1998 at M.S. 321X. Jim earned his B.A. in English from Union College and his Masters of Public Policy from The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard"

Really enjoyed catching up with Jim and keeping track of his successes and vision for the future. 

Questions for Jim:
1.  What is your favorite Blend of Coffee?
Ans.  1:17
2.  How did your family influence you and your educational journey? 
ans. 5:22
3.  Tell me the lessons you learned from the Documentary "The Lottery" which you were featured in and what changes have happened since that movie?
ans.  20:53
4.  Is the Charter model that was part of Success Academy something that can be replicated?
ans. 25:20
5.  You and I went to Fredonia Central Schools.  Lessons learned from your students days there?
ans.  26:15
6. Thoughts on Educational Technology?  
ans.  27:13

Speed Geek Questions
ans.  33:39