About This Episode
Season 6. Episode 16.
In this episode of Education Insight, we sit down with Dr. Al Solano, founder of the Continuous Learning Institute, to explore a powerful idea: students can’t grow if their teachers stop learning. A former teacher and higher education leader, Dr. Solano helps colleges build systems that keep educators learning, adapting, and staying relevant in a rapidly changing world.
We dive into the real challenges faculty face today, from AI and new technologies to shifting student expectations, mental health needs, and burnout. Dr. Solano shares what “teachers need teachers” really means, why ongoing professional learning is essential, and how embedded coaching and institutional strategy can transform teaching and student success.
If you’ve ever wondered who supports the people who support our students, this conversation reveals the answer and why it matters now more than ever.
Featured Guest
Dr. Al Solano
Founder & Coach at the Continuous Learning Institute
Biography
Dr. Al Solano is the Founder and Lead Coach of the Continuous Learning Institute, where he helps teams and institutions get unstuck and move from planning to meaningful action. His approach is practical, direct, and deeply human—rooted in decades of experience, a strong conviction for follow-through, and a belief that organizations rarely need more planning. What they need is better execution.
For more than twenty years, Dr. Solano has supported colleges, public agencies, nonprofits, and cross-sector collaboratives in cutting through complexity, aligning their teams, and gaining traction on the work that matters most. Whether navigating strategic plans that never leave the PDF stage or meetings that circle without progress, he guides organizations from noise to clarity and from stagnation to momentum.
What sets Dr. Solano’s work apart is his commitment to not only designing what comes next, but ensuring teams have the structure, support, and coaching to actually do it.
His areas of expertise include:
- Coaching executive leaders, middle managers, and faculty teams to strengthen alignment, communication, and performance
- Closing equity gaps through faculty-led inquiry and instructional improvement
- Designing and implementing student journey frameworks that streamline the path to completion
- Facilitating strategic planning and education master planning processes that lead to focused, actionable outcomes
- Providing implementation support for major grants, with an emphasis on sustainability and measurable impact
- Planning and facilitating retreats, summits, and high-stakes convenings that drive engagement and clarity
Dr. Solano’s work has been highlighted by Columbia University’s Community College Research Center (CCRC) for its strong, measurable outcomes. His coaching improves morale, enhances organizational performance, and strengthens student success and equity.
While his expertise is grounded in the often complex and change-resistant world of higher education, his methods are adaptable across sectors. Dr. Solano partners with organizations of all types that are ready to move beyond planning and into intentional, effective implementation.
