Freshly Brewed Ideas: Education leaders gather for the first 25-26 ‘Grounds for Conversation’

For education leaders looking to connect with others who are passionate about well-being in schools, the second ever Grounds for Conversation offered a much-needed opportunity to support one another in this work.

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Inspiration for these virtual events—the first of which took place in March ‘25— originated from Boston-based Sown To Grow team member and former school administrator, Francisco Castillo-Fierro. Along with his love of coffee, his long-standing commitment to student and educator success provided the perfect foundation to start Grounds for Conversation.

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“I understand the complexities of school leadership,” Castillo-Fierro explained. “There are many highs, but the lows can be tough, so I wanted to create a safe space for admins to share best practices and feel less alone.”

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Below we’ll spill the beans on Grounds for Conversation’s most recent peer-led panel, and share the stories, insights, and practical tips school and district leaders are using to enhance social, emotional, and academic well-being.

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Slow Drip: The gradual development of trust and connection 

The session title tapped into a topic that remains a consistent priority for most administrators: Building Relationships and Teacher Buy-In. Discussion leaders included Kelley Reeves, Dean of Culture at Vox Collegiate (Los Angeles, CA), and Raquel Topete, Principal at August Boeger Middle School (San Jose, CA).

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Reeves, who also spent half a decade as a math teacher, kicked off with the common understanding that helping students feel seen and heard in school is neither a swift or simple task.

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“In the beginning of the year, students are still trying to build relationships with us as individuals,” she said. “They're trying to figure out who we are, how much they can trust us, and sometimes even give a little pushback to see how consistent we're going to be.”

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As someone who struggled to feel accepted as a child in school herself, Reeves explained how vital a check-in / check-out system has been for Vox Collegiate’s educators navigating the process to cultivate connections more smoothly.

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“Sown To Grow is one way to develop a safe community space,” Reeves explained. “Students are able to actually express themselves and some of the real concerns that they're going through. And then, when we reference those communications in person, they're like, ‘Wait, you heard? You actually listened to me.’”

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Along with these heartfelt moments, the data-rich dashboards are strong evidence of the platform's positive outcomes, said Topete, whose school is in its second year of Sown To Grow implementation.

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“We believe we’ve been quite successful in seeing our students really utilize this, and seeing the growth they’ve made, and that they’re reflecting with depth,” Topete explained. “And that’s why this data and the insights are so powerful within our student community.”

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Daily Grind: Proven ways to overcome common challenges and barriers 

Even with all of the benefits of implementing new systems to support the whole-child, most Grounds For Conversation attendees agreed that teacher buy-in is a main pain point.

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According to Topete, who assures teachers that Sown To Grow aligns with their existing MTSS efforts, advocating for initiatives like this must start with the ‘why’. 

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“It should be constantly revisited until that level of empathy becomes part of the community,” she added.

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Getting all staff on board takes time and effort, but with the right leadership and mindset in place, there are a lot of rewards to follow.

“It's definitely something that the whole team has to buy-in to,” Reeves said, “and I am excited to continue the work and support the team in making choices that I believe our students are going to benefit from.”

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☕ 🪴 Interested in joining or leading a future Grounds For Conversation event? (Next date TBD) Email francisco@sowntogrow.com to connect!