Entrepreneur. Inventor. Author. Leader.
Based in Oakland, CA, currently solving problems in education and technology.
Intro
I am attracted to hard problems. Like re-inventing mathematics’ 10,000 year-old interface. Or launching a city’s first public Montessori school. And figuring out why my tongue turned black while living in Madagascar (hint: you don’t need to live in Madagascar to experience this!).
I’m an expert inquirer who asks better questions to define better problems. You could also describe me as a rapid prototyper, capable of uncovering solutions traditional thinkers never see. Regarding communication, I’ve found success through never seeking to be right, but rather to understand and be understood. I’m also an unshakable leader comfortable working across difference in varied workplaces in the first or fourth world. One more thing : need a creative problem solver? When I put all of those other skills together, I love collaborating to do that, too.
Key Skills
Product/Project Management
Innovation Processes Implementation
Creative, Collaborative Problem Solving
Strategic Planning
Budgeting & Fundraising
Resource Allocation
Communication: Written, Verbal, Visual (in Spanish, too)
Information Design
Root Cause Analysis
Persistence
Patience
Grace Under Pressure
Organizations Co-Founded
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As CEO, I’ve led BrainQuake to winning three prestigious U.S. Department of Education Small Business Innovation Research Awards, securing a rare education technology umbrella patent for our product, and adoption in 1,000+ schools around the world. www.brainquake.com
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I’ve been early at a number of for-profits, including boot-strapped plays and blue chip venture-funded companies, and none of them compare to the challenge of starting a public school. Every possible card is stacked against you, but through undying persistence, I and my co-founding team eventually succeeded in opening our doors in 2012. In my capacity as Founding Board Chair, I raised $650K from donors and competitive grants and supported the school’s successful re-authorization. To this day, UMCS is still the only public Montessori school available to Oakland, and its surroundings, families. www.urbanmontessori.org
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An offshoot of my more general education consulting company, The Daily SEL Leader builds on the brand my co-founder and I created via Corwin Press’ publication of our critically-acclaimed book of the same name. My colleague and I design custom content, from webinars to multi-day courses to leadership development coaching for adults looking to improve the competencies and skills essential to outstanding leadership in any sector. www.dailysel.com
Education
I’m nothing if not persistent. I taught for three years with Teach For America in deep East Oakland, picking up bullet casings from the playground before school. In Madagascar, I survived an escaped boa constrictor in my classroom and an outbreak of Bubonic Plague that upended a long-planned multi-day field trip. I’ve co-founded and led three organizations. Rolled up my sleeves, stayed up all night to pour the coffee, allocate the resources, support the clients, and design new product features. Whatever it took, and whether I was leading one person or 100.
I’m named as an inventor on the umbrella patent BrainQuake obtained for our entire middle school mathematics platform and have authored one book (so far) on leadership skills development. You can also find below a number of op-eds, articles, peer-reviewed journal papers, and podcast appearances that showcase my various communication styles and strengths.
An Oakland resident for nearly 25 years, I’m always happy to re-visit any of the 25+ countries I’ve visited or any of the 50 states.
Middlebury College
BA, Philosopy
BA, Spanish
Stanford University
MA, Education
Selected Writing & Podcasts
Peer-Reviewed Journals
Bailey, J.A. and Weiner, R. (2022). Interpreting social-emotional learning: How school leaders make sense of SEL skills for themselves and others. School Leadership Review, Vol. 16 (2), Article 4. https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/slr/vol16/iss2/4
Bailey, J.A. & Weiner, R.B. (2022, Spring). Are Schools Deliberately Developmental for Adult SEL? Journal of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, 6 (1). https://go.southernct.edu/jelps/#issues
Atienza et al., 2018. Game-Based Learning with Direct Representations of Mathematics. Proceedings of the 2018 Connected Learning Summit.
Books
Bailey, J.A. & Weiner, R. (2021). The Daily SEL Leader: A Guided Journal. Corwin Press.
Articles
Bailey, J.A. & Weiner, R. (2022, July). How School Leaders Can Rebalance Teachers’ Job Demands. www.edutopia.com.
Bailey, J.A. & Weiner, R. (2021, October). Lead with Social and Emotional Support. The Learning Professional.
Bailey, J.A. & Weiner, R. (2021, November). Stress Reduction for the Selfless. Invited feature for the NAESP Principal Magazine.
Weiner, R (2019, November). Messy, Moral Questions for Education Innovation. www.edsurge.com.
Weiner, R (2019, April). We Need To Humanize Education More Than We Need to Personalize Learning. www.edsurge.com.
Devlin, K. & Weiner, R (2016, June). How To Do Adaptive Learning Right. www.edsurge.com.
Podcast Appearances
“Leading SEL by Modeling It” on Leaders Coaching Leaders with Peter DeWitt, 3.2.2021.
“Randy Weiner and James Bailey on The Daily SEL Leader” on Getting Smart, 6.9.2021.
“Grow Your Leadership in Just Five Minutes a Day” on The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast with Daniel Bauer, 1.27.2022.