The Crisis in Education Podcast · 2025-12-12 · 43 min
Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of the Crisis in Education Podcast , Dr. Paul “Paulie” Gavoni sits down with Bonnie and Thomas Liotta , founders of Creating Champions For Life , for an unfiltered conversation about behavior, safety, and the cost of getting it wrong. The discussion centers on a reality educators and parents can no longer ignore: when systems rely on reactive, punishment-based approaches, everyone loses - students, families, and staff. Drawing from decades of experience and thousands of transformed families, the Liottas challenge conventional behavior management practices and offer a proactive, skills-based alternative grounded in prevention, regulation, and human dignity. Together, Paulie, Bonnie, and Thomas unpack why restraint-driven cultures persist, how fear and misinformation shape decision-making, and what happens when adults are trained to teach life skills instead of managing crises. The conversation connects behavior science, parenting, education, and leadership through one unifying question: What would change if we focused on building capacity instead of controlling behavior?
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