Kalyan Ali Balaven is a national voice in progressive education, known for centering belonging, moral courage, and whole student education. As Head of School at Dunn School and author of Speaking Truth, Teaching Humanity, Balaven connects his own story with the legacy of Tommie Lindsey, showing why authentic humanity must be at the center of education in the age of A.I.

Tommie Lindsey, legendary speech and debate coach and MacArthur Fellow, is celebrated for transforming forensics into a practice of authentic humanity. His work at James Logan High School is studied in the field of progressive education as a model of whole student education—where voice, dignity, and agency matter as much as content.