With retirement looming on the horizon and a successful decade-plus tenure at leading non-profit, NEFE, I wanted to get Ted Beck on the podcast to reflect on his experience as a leader in the field. There is so much we can learn from his perspectives on curriculum, teacher PD, research and innovation. He shared his insights on the major achievements as well as the opportunities that lie ahead in the field. Ted’s legacy of creating opportunities for collaboration, instilling a sense of curiosity, and building a great culture at NEFE will live on as he sails (literally) into the Connecticut sunsets. Thanks to Ted for his many contributions! 

Details:

• 0:00–1:09 Introduction
• 1:10–2:52 Ted’s next enterprise: building his own boat
• 2:53–6:42 Handing over the CEO reins
• 6:43–11:33 Flashback to 2005 when he first started
• 11:34–15:54 Using data to backup hypotheses
• 15:55–21:46 How the financial community came together
• 21:47–24:54 The future of teacher professional development
• 24:55–25:20 A word from NGPF
• 25:21–30:17 The main impediments to implementing personal finance courses
• 30:18–34:19 Building a community of optimists is the key to success
• 34:20–39:32 Financial literacy across the globe
• 39:33–47:11 How NEFE elevated their platform on social media
• 47:12–50:12 Ted’s lasting legacy: collaboration, curiosity, culture
• 50:13–53:03 What motivated him to get involved
• 53:04–56:51 NEFE’s next ventures
• 56:52–57:54 Conclusion

Resources mentioned during podcast:

• NEFE’s Cash Course
• NEFE research on teacher confidence
• Jump$tart Financial Foundations for Educators Program
• Carly Urban research: Impact of State Mandated Financial Education (NGPF podcast guest)
• PISA study: 2012 and 2015 studies
• Ted Beck interviews:
  • The Talk with Mom and Dad

QUOTES:

• “There really wasn’t a good, turn-key program [for college students] out there, so we started to build that… that’s called Cash Course.”
• “I tell people that I have the best job in the world. I get to go to work everyday and figure out the best way to give stuff away that can help not only the teaching community, but really the whole U.S. economy. How do we move the bar higher so that people are able to make better decisions?”
• “The more support efforts we can build for teachers and recognize their importance in what they bring to the party, which is usually not very well recognized, the higher probability that this is going to make a difference.”

About the Authors

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

Danielle Bautista

Danielle is a native of Southern California and a recent graduate from the University of Maine, where she braved the frigid winters—a feat in and of itself—and earned her Bachelor's degree in International Affairs. She has a passion for working with non-profit organizations and serving populations in underprivileged communities. When Danielle isn't writing NGPF blog posts, spearheading various outreach projects, or managing contests and flash surveys, you can find her doing some sort of outdoor activity, learning a new hobby, or cracking what she thinks are witty puns!