Keystone Education Radio

Today’s PTA: A leading child advocacy organization Dec 14, 2021

Beyond the known monthly meetings and bake sales, today’s Parent Teacher Association or PTA is a leading child advocacy organization comprised of millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders all devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. The national organization goes back more than 120 years and on this episode of Keystone Education Radio, host Annette Stevenson talks with the president of the Pennsylvania PTA, Marie Merkel about the organization’s role in engaging families in their children’s education and how the organization has evolved and remained relevant over more than a century.

Episode sponsor: CM Regent Insurance Company

Skip to: 01:40 What role do you see the PTA playing in the modern-day education of students?

“Pennsylvania PTA will always play an important role in what is best in the health, safety and education of all children.”

Skip to: 02:23 How has the group remained relevant and how has it adapted over history?

“Throughout the years, PTA has been key in many important developments that improve the health, safety and education and welfare of our children.”

Skip to: 03:09 Has there been any significant changes in the organization during your time as a member?

Skip to: 03:26 How does the organization connect to the community of parents and guardians? And how do you go about growing your membership?

Skip to: 04:06 What role do you see the PTA taking in the diversity, equity and inclusion dialogue that is taking place in schools across the country right now?

“[National PTA has] a very strong diversity, equity and inclusion program and statement on that in our family engagement programs and other programs throughout the schools.”

Skip to: 04:44 How does Pennsylvania PTA strive to make the organization a place for everyone and make everyone feel welcome?

“From the time you become a PTA member, it’s important to make sure everybody feels welcome . . . Everybody has something they can bring to the table . . . People can do things and they don’t realize that they can do it.”

“And you can be involved, even if you’re a working parent.”

Skip to: 05:42 Tell me a little bit about some of the advocacy work that the PTA becomes involved in.

“The biggest thing is for equal and fair funding for all of our students. Whether it be in regular education, special education, all kinds of programs.”

“PTA is constantly learning more and more, what can be done to help with the advocacy.”

Skip to: 06:44 The Pennsylvania PTA takes its lead again from the national level, is that correct?

“Right. And we do get to meet with our legislators from across the state . . . we have been very lucky to meet with the senators in Pennsylvania.”

Skip to: 07:09 Beyond the monthly meetings that everybody thinks of when they think about PTA involvement, what are some of the programs that the organization offers for parents to be connected?

“One of the biggest programs is the Reflections program. It’s the national arts and education program and there are six different categories in arts. Every year, there is a theme chosen, and it’s chosen by a child and voted on.”

“It’s something different and they use their imaginations and it’s all their own.”

Q: What role do you see the PTA playing in the modern-day education of students?

A: Well, PTA is not an educational entity. We have a mission statement, which we follow. And that mission statement is “to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.” And so, that being said, Pennsylvania PTA will always play an important role in what is best in the health, safety and education of all children.

Q: How has the group, it’s been around for a very long time, a history of more than 120 years. How has the group remained relevant and how has it adapted over history?

A: PTA began many years ago with a few women that wanted to make a difference in the lives of children. And throughout the years, PTA has been key in many important developments that improve the health, safety and education and welfare of our children, such as the school breakfast program and lunch programs, safe schools, parent involvement in education, air quality in schools, public school library programs. And that’s just to name a few. We have many position statements and resolutions on different things in education.

Q: It’s probably way broader than people may realize. Has there been any significant changes in the organization during your time as a member?

A: I have just become more aware of how the advocacy part of PTA is evolving. And getting involved with the legislators and things like that, speaking up for children.

Q: How does the organization connect to the community of parents and guardians? And how do you go about growing your membership?

A: Every year, PTAs have their membership drives in the beginning of the year. And encouraging parents to become part of the PTA so that they can get involved in their children’s education and activity in school.

They have a membership drive. They tell them all kinds of activities that there is going to be, and they encourage every parent to become a member, so they can help not only the financial part, but also help physically throughout the year with the children.

Q: Now, what role do you see the PTA taking in the diversity, equity and inclusion dialogue that is taking place in schools across the country right now?

A: Pennsylvania PTA takes its lead from National PTA. And there’s constant position statements. They have a very strong diversity, equity and inclusion program and statement on that in our family engagement programs and other programs throughout the schools. They talk about the critical race theory and anything else that may be involved in the schools and how we should handle it.

Q: And how does Pennsylvania PTA strive to make the organization a place for everyone and make everyone feel welcome?

A: I can speak from experience on that. It’s from the time you become a PTA member, it’s important to make sure everybody feels welcome. I’ve had parents, “well, I can’t come to meetings because of this, that, some reason.” But you always say there’s something that everybody can do. Everybody has something they can bring to the table. Whether it be making phone calls. Now it’s sending texts.

Baking of when there’s the bake sales, things like that. People can do things and they don’t realize that they can do it. And you just offer some of the little things and people like to do that. And you can be involved, even if you’re a working parent. All my children’s career, I was a full-time working parent.

Q: Okay, great. Now, you mentioned the advocacy work. Tell me, if you would, a little bit about some of the advocacy work that the PTA becomes involved in.

A: Basically, the biggest thing is for equal and fair funding for all of our students. Whether it be in regular education, special education, all kinds of programs. Broadband with the computers, especially now in the last couple of years, with all the virtual learning and things like that. Also, to keep our schools safe, keeping them healthy. The air quality, the testing. Now, more with the vaccines, things like that.

PTA is constantly learning more and more, what can be done to help with the advocacy. Every year we have a national legislative conference and National PTA chooses a couple of key issues and we meet with the leaders and discuss that with them.

Q: And so then the Pennsylvania PTA takes its lead again from the national level. Is that correct?

A: Right. Right. And we do get to meet with our legislators from across the state. And I mean, especially when we do meet, we have been very lucky to meet with the senators in Pennsylvania, which is great. And then are some of our representatives.

Q: Beyond the monthly meetings that everybody thinks of when they think about PTA involvement, what are some of the programs that the organization offers for parents to be connected? And I know you said there is little and big things that parents and guardians can contribute. Is there any kind of formal programs or committees that are available?

A: There is. One of the biggest programs is the Reflections program. It’s the national arts and education program and there are six different categories in arts. Every year, there is a theme chosen and it’s chosen by a child and voted on. And then everyone can participate in one or more art categories, visual arts, photography, literature, music, dance, or film production.

And there’s guidelines. And they submit some type of art. And it’s judged first against children in their own school. Then in their own maybe county. Then they progress. They go to the state level. And then at the state level, then the top winners go to the national level.

We were very lucky in Pennsylvania. We had a couple of national winners last year. And it’s not only for children in regular education, but we have a special artist category. They are all honored at their different levels with different programs, different celebrations. So they get recognized and it’s really, it’s a great program for the kids.

It’s something different and they use their imaginations and it’s all their own. And it’s not necessarily done in schools. Some schools do it, some don’t.

Q: And so that’s a program that probably requires quite a lot of volunteer support, I would imagine.

A: It does. To get the artworks collected, make sure the forms are filled out correctly. Then you have to have judging. So it is. And to watch the children’s faces when they get their little participation ribbons or a trophy or whatever, they are just…

Q: Thrilled. I’m sure.

A: Yeah. It really, it’s a wonderful thing. Last year when we had our virtual ceremony at the end of the year, one of the winners was in India. And we got on at, was it some… Two o’clock in the morning when he was in India so he could get his award virtually.

Q: Oh, that’s awesome.

A: Yeah. The dedication was there.

Q: Yeah. It’s a worldwide program then?

A: Yes. It is.

Q: Wow. That sounds really exciting. What a fantastic program.

A: It is. And there’s been other programs, but that’s probably the longest running one and the biggest one. The PTA one.

Marie Merkel

Marie Merkel lives in Scranton and is the mother of three adult children. She is a retired special education teacher of 35 years within the North Pocono School District. Marie is an adjunct professor in the Academic Development Department at Lackawanna College as well as a behavioral consultant and mobile therapist for Youth Advocate. Marie’s experience in PTA spans over 20 years from local level experience through and including previous Board of Managers experience. Marie’s PTA experience began at Charles Sumner Elementary School when her oldest son entered Pre-K and has spread through a variety of PTA roles to today where she serves as Pennsylvania PTA president. Marie enjoys being part of the State Board of Managers and working with local units whenever they call for advice.

Pennsylvania PTA
National PTA
Reflections Program

The post Today’s PTA: A leading child advocacy organization appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Community Relations & Communication: A talk with PSBA’s president-elect David Hein** Nov 30, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Building strong community relationships and advocating positive, constructive dialogue is a critical task for school boards, albeit a challenging one in today’s climate of strong opinions and hot button issues. On this episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, hear from PSBA’s president-elect and Parkland School District’s board president David Hein on his district’s drive to continuously learn, grow and communicate effectively, and what he calls failing forward.
Skip to: 01:23 What role does the public or the community members play with the work of the board? How do those fit together?
“Having that parent view of and perspective of what’s going on in the schools really helps to inform us if there’s something that needs to be addressed, that we need to maybe bring to the administration to look into.”

Skip to: 02:16 So how does a board individually and collectively build, maintain and strengthen the relationship with their community?

“Respectfully listening and paying attention to every speaker, taking notes and then working with the administration to have somebody get back to the person on their concern, whether it’s collectively or individually to get back to them, to clarify any misunderstandings or just work through an issue.”

Skip to: 03:57 How do you, as a board, work to address the challenges, or is there a way at all to preempt challenges with community members?

“I think the way to address it is to be prepared for that. Have the information readily available. Work with the administration because really ours is the governance, not the management role from a board.”

Skip to: 05:35 Do you have any examples or highlights of what you would consider to be successful situations or maybe successful exchanges that have occurred in working with your community or with a school board working with their community?

“The collaboration and wanting to hear from a board and a district perspective, wanting to hear the different opinions and different perspectives, so we can grow if we’re doing some something that’s, I don’t want to say wrong, but that just needs to be adjusted and incorporating different ideas.”

“Whatever the topic is, are we perfect as a school district, any school district or a board? No, there’s always room to grow and learn, and that’s part of it. And that’s part of teaching the students too, that it’s okay to make mistakes and fail forward and grow as an organization, a community, a board.”

Q: I’m going to talk about the relationship between community members and the school board. So let’s first define what role does the public or the community members play with the work of the board? How do those fit together?

A: I think the public voice is definitely very important for us as school board members to have. They bring the balance really, a lot of it from the parent perspective of what they’re seeing their children are doing and what’s going on in schools. A lot of school board members may not have children left in schools. They’ve grown up and moved on. So having that parent view of and perspective of what’s going on in the schools really helps to inform us if there’s something that needs to be addressed, that we need to maybe bring to the administration to look into.

Q: So how does a board individually and collectively build, maintain and strengthen the relationship with their community? How should they go about doing that or how do you go about doing that?

A: I think part of that is the agenda items at every board meeting, where parents and the community have the opportunity to come and address the board, either for comments on agenda items, or later in the meeting, comments on non-agenda items, where they bring their concerns to us for the items that we’re going to address and hopefully approve in the meeting, if they have concerns or need more clarification or just bringing us concerns on items of any topic really. Having that voice and bringing that to us is definitely one way to build a relationship. I think that is not a dialogue, it’s just a comment, the time for the community to come to us, but respectfully listening and paying attention to every speaker, taking notes and then working with the administration to have somebody get back to the person on their concern, whether it’s collectively or individually to get back to them, to clarify any misunderstandings or just work through an issue.

Q: There’s a lot of challenging topics. Certainly, there is now. And there can be challenging topics at any time. But how do you, as a board, work to address the challenges, or is there a way at all to preempt challenges with community members?

A: I agree, there are a lot of hot topics right now, but it also goes to anything from turf fields to redistricting to full-day kindergarten or whatever the topic of the day is. Knowing what the issues are that are coming up that the parents are concerned about, whether you’re hearing about it from trips to the grocery store or emails or whatever, knowing that people are going to be coming to the meetings to talk about it. I think the way to address it is to be prepared for that. Have the information readily available. Work with the administration because really ours is the governance, not the management role from a board. But to work with the administration to really have them prepared for what you’re hearing and what you feel is going come up at a meeting to be able to answer the concerns of the parents and the public.

Q: So it’s that ear to the ground approach and lots of listening, so that you can have those answers ready, or hopefully be able to address what’s being presented then.

A: Yeah, 100%. Yes. It’s just really preparation and knowing the audience, knowing what’s going on in your district.

Q: Do you have any examples from your own district or even some that you’ve heard about in other districts maybe, examples or highlights of what you would consider to be successful situations or maybe successful exchanges that have occurred in working with your community or with a school board working with their community? Any kind of successful outcomes that you can think of?

A: Two really come to mind off the top. One was a concern that a parent brought to the board as a representative of a youth recreation sports league, where there was going to be some fees charged to these organizations to come in to open houses and things like that to try to get registrations and all that and drum up support for their organizations. That was taken back by the administration, looked into, and then these organizations were invited in to have a meeting and an understanding of what was happening. And it was resolved where the fees weren’t going to be charged for these organizations. So, the collaboration of maybe, and not everybody knowing that these are going on, but then the collaboration to work to resolve it in a timely manner, as well as a manner that everyone is happy with.

Q: It sounds like that might be something that wouldn’t have been on your radar as a board without it being brought to your attention in that way.

A: Correct. There are definitely things like that that fall behind the scenes, that we don’t get into. Again, it’s the management piece where the district is running the day-to-day operations. So, we were very appreciative that that person came forward to us and brought their concerns to the board.

The other example that I can think of is around diversity, equity and inclusion. We have long standing work in the district to support that, not just recently with all the current events, but trying to really refresh that and bring that forward and have more people involved with that. We have a community committee of the diversity, equity and inclusion committee in our district, and some parents are coming forward and wanting to understand more about that and get involved with that because of not knowing what is involved with that, with CRT out there being closely associated by some people, mistakenly that way on DEI. So inviting especially one or two parents who have been coming to the board to come and be a part of that committee, not new committee, but that standing committee and get more information.

So it’s working that way. Again, the collaboration and wanting to hear from a board and a district perspective, wanting to hear the different opinions and different perspectives, so we can grow if we’re doing some something that’s, I don’t want to say wrong, but that just needs to be adjusted and incorporating different ideas. So, things like that I think are really successes and help our district and any district grow stronger.

Q: That’s great. Those are great examples. And as you pointed out, it’s not always a matter of a right or wrong situation, but more so, and maybe it’s evolving, developing something, that requires a new look or a new perspective lens on it.

A: Yes, absolutely. Whatever the topic is, are we perfect as a school district, any school district or a board? No, there’s always room to grow and learn, and that’s part of it. And that’s part of teaching the students too, that it’s okay to make mistakes and fail forward and grow as an organization, a community, a board. So, yes. Yeah, I absolutely agree.

Q: Yeah, I love that, fail forward. That’s a great term for that, really applied to any aspect of life really.

A: Truly.

Q: Yeah, absolutely.

David J. Hein

David J. Hein is starting his third term on the Parkland School Board and currently serves as its president. He has held the position of vice president, is a member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee and also has served in various capacities on the Personnel and Finance and the Academics, Arts and Athletics committees. Additionally, he is chair of the joint operating committee of the Lehigh Career and Technical Institute (LCTI), where has served as vice chair and treasurer as well as on several committees. Hein is the president of the 2022 PSBA Governing Board and served as president-elect in 2021. He also is PSBA’s representative on the School Safety and Security Committee under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, and the PSBA liaison to the Parkland School Board.

The post Community Relations & Communication: A talk with PSBA’s president-elect David Hein appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Thomas Arnett, senior research fellow for the Clayton Christensen Institute — **Disruptive Innovation – Turning challenges into positive changes** Nov 16, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Disruption is viewed almost always as a negative variable. The Christensen Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, has been studying disruptive innovation throughout the pandemic and how to incorporate technology into the classrooms, creating more student-centered learning opportunities and individualized instruction. Learn more about the Institute’s research and what the report’s author Tom Arnett has to say about their findings in this *Keystone Education Radio* conversation with host Annette Stevenson.

**In this episode, you will learn:**

What disruptive innovation is and why it matters in education

How technology can be embraced in classrooms, now and post-pandemic

Where to go to access the complete *Carpe Diem: Convert Pandemic Struggles into Student-Centered Learning* report

Skip to: 01:14 Could you give a brief overview of the Christensen Institute and your role within the organization?

“After teaching for a while, I came to the realization that I could keep trying to get better as a teacher, and that’s, I think, valuable work, or I can start to try and be a part of coming up with new models and approaches to education that make education more student centered…but also make it easier for teachers, for educators, to better meet the needs of their individual students.”

Skip to: 03:50 How was the research conducted for the Carpe Diem report?

“When the pandemic started back in 2020, we’d been studying online learning in education for close to a decade…And then when the pandemic hit and, almost all schools were doing some kind of online learning overnight, we thought it’d be really interesting to get snapshots of what does this actually look like? How are schools using online learning resources in response to the pandemic? Where are they seeing opportunities? Where are they seeing challenges?”

Skip to: 06:50 Why is student-centered learning important and is it more important now that we are cognizant of the effects of the pandemic?

“How do we help education transform from kind of the mass education system we have where students are all kind of moving the same, to a system that is mass education when it makes sense but can also individualize better to help students with different needs.”

“It’s really about how do we create new models of education that help teachers serve those different students’ needs so that all students can be successful and fulfill their potential. And I think that’s especially important now, given that the pandemic has just widened a lot of the disparities that have been around for a long time. A lot of the equity issues.”

“I don’t think we can solve those issues by just trying to give students, you know, the same one size fits all approach. We really need to find ways to identify what does each student need. How do we meet them where they’re at, both academically and socially and emotionally, and then help them progress from where they’re at toward their goals and toward helping them fulfill their individual potential.”

Skip to: 10:54 What can be learned from the report in terms of creating student-centered spaces in classrooms?

“Using the time that you would use normally for class where you’re on that video call, less for how do I cover my material and more for how do I check in with my students? How do I find out what they’re struggling with, find out what they need, and then give them the targeted support, the targeted interventions they need, really spend more time on the relationship building and the social emotional check-ins.”

“I often think of it as it’s not replacing yourself with technology, but it’s offloading some of the just foundational content coverage and foundational assessment and feedback to online tools so that you as a teacher can do more of the things that technology absolutely cannot do, the relationship building and the personal feedback, the orchestrating deeper learning experiences like discussions and projects, coaching students through projects.”

Skip to: 13:38 Explain what Disruptive Innovation means and what place it has in K-12 public education?

“I don’t think online learning on its own is interesting, but really the new instructional student-centered models that online learning enables have these same patterns of being the kind of innovations that we’d call disruptive innovations. And so we look at what does it take for these new innovations to really scale and provide their benefits more broadly within the education system that we have right now.”

Skip to: 16:52 What other research subjects does the Christensen Institute focus on and study?

“They look at opportunity gaps and how so many of a student’s opportunities come from who they know in their family, in their community, and how do we help expand students’ networks so they have more access to opportunities.”

Skip to: 18:09 Where can listeners go to learn more about the Carpe Diem report, the Christensen Institute and the concept of Disruptive Innovation?

Q: So would you mind starting by giving us a brief overview of the Christensen Institute and then your role within the organization?

A: Yeah, absolutely. So the Christensen Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that was founded by Clayton Christensen, who was a professor at Harvard studying innovation across a whole bunch of different sectors and founded our Institute, basically with the intent of using some of the theories he developed for how innovation impacts different sectors and looking at some of the challenges in areas like education, healthcare, global prosperity and global development, to try and understand how can we use these theories to help inform innovation and help it happen with more predictable success and see the progress that we wanted to see with these social sector areas and institutions.

My role… I’m on the, as you mentioned, on the K-12 education side of our work, and I’ve been here for eight years now, and I guess I’ll… To describe my role, I’ll give a little bit of background. So coming out of my undergrad degree, I started off my career as a middle school math teacher in Kansas City, Missouri, and felt deeply committed to the work, but really struggled with the challenge of meeting all the needs of my different students.

I had, you know, students ranging from kids that were homeless and kids that had a lot of trauma at home, to kids that were highly supported and, you know, they were just at different places academically, at different places with their social and emotional needs and I really struggled with how do I, how do I even know what all these students need? And then even beyond that, how do I actually, you know, differentiate to their needs?

And so after teaching for a while, I came to the realization that I could, you know, keep trying to get better as a teacher, and that’s, I think, valuable work, or I can start to try and be a part of coming up with new models and approaches to education that make education more student centered, and I think will talk about that later, but also make it easier for teachers, for educators, to better meet the needs of their individual students.

And so I left teaching, actually went to graduate school there in Pennsylvania, and while I was in graduate school, came across the research of the Clayton Christensen Institute and found it really compelling as offering powerful theories for change for how do we take some of the innovations that I could see kind of in niches and in the periphery of the education system, what would it take to make those more accessible and more mainstream? And so I found my wife here and I’ve been here for the last eight years.

Q: Interesting transition. So the report, Carpe Diem, how was the research conducted for this report?

A: So, this report is really our latest output in a series that we’re doing in conjunction with some survey work. So when the pandemic started back in 2020, we’d been studying online learning in education for close to a decade before the pandemic hit. And then when the pandemic hit and, you know, almost all schools were doing some kind of online learning overnight, we thought, you know, it’d be really interesting to get snapshots of what does this actually look like? How are schools using online learning resources in response to the pandemic? Where are they seeing opportunities? Where are they seeing challenges? And so we conducted last year, two surveys: one in the fall, one in the spring. We’ve got another round coming out this fall and this spring. And the report, Carpe Diem, was a report we released in August that looks at our spring 2021 data and tries to paint a picture of what did pandemic instruction look like during that first full year of the pandemic, the first full school year of the pandemic?

And I guess largely I’ll say what we saw was that there was a lot of variety in terms of teachers that some teachers that taught mostly in person, some teachers taught in hybrid settings where it was some students in person, some remote, and some teachers that were teaching fully remotely. It was kind of a mixed bag, but those that taught in a hybrid setting and in the remote setting, by and large the dominant approach was to have students log into a video call and trying to take the model of conventional classroom instruction and replicate it over those calls.

And in our free response to that survey, we saw that was a real struggle for a lot of teachers. They just found that, you know, teaching kids over the internet, that just, I’ve used the analogy that’s like, it’s like trying to eat pudding with chopstick or like trying to make a jigsaw puzzle wearing gardening gloves. Like you can do it, but the medium just really constrained a lot of the things that they were used to doing and then to make it even harder, those that were in those hybrid settings, it was like you’re trying to do two different mediums at once and it was just a real challenge.

But amidst that general kind of theme, there were also some interesting outliers of educators that said, I actually got to know my students better and meeting their needs became easier. And in many ways, those were teachers that were using online learning for some of the purposes that we documented well before the pandemic that were less about how do we provide continuity of learning when we can’t go into school buildings, and more about how do we make this instruction more individualized to students’ needs. And so we the report tries to highlight kind of both of those, those themes that we saw in our data.

Q: Okay, interesting and interesting that you began this research well before the pandemic was even a thing, you know. So, why is student-centered learning important and is it more important now that we are cognizant of the effects of the pandemic? It sounds like you may have had your focus on that previously but talk a little bit about that if you would, student centered-learning and the importance of that.

A: Well, to really illustrate that, I like to think of an analogy of the conventional way we do education that we’ve done education for the last hundred years is a mass education approach.

And it’s evolved. I think there’s fault in some people in the field say, you know, there’s nothing that’s changed. Education has actually changed a lot in 100 years, but some of the core features of how we do education haven’t changed. You know, for all students in a given district or different school, the calendar starts on the same day, it ends on the same day. They all come to school at the same time, they all move through the content at the same pace.

Usually it’s, you know, one teacher with 25 to 30 students, they’re all doing more or less the same activities and that, like, it served us well as a society. It’s what made public education affordable on the public dollar. It’s what, you know, brought education from where it was 100 years ago to where most kids didn’t even get an eighth-grade education to now the kind of system we have today. But it’s also a system that isn’t very adaptive to individual needs.

And so I think of it as being kind of like, you know, railroads also emerged during that time of the last century. And if you think about railroad travel, you know, it was far better than crossing the United States on foot or on horseback or in the back of a bouncy carriage or stagecoach. But, you know, to ride on a train, you had to show at the train depot, you had to follow the schedule, the train, you know, the railroad company set, you had to go through the connecting stops that the railroad company provided, and so if you lived far from a train depot, or you needed to travel on something that didn’t fit the rail company schedule, rail just didn’t adapt to your needs very well.

Well, fast forward, and in the early 20th century, we saw the development of the automobile and automobiles don’t completely replace trains, there’s definitely settings where we still use trains at the primary mode. But automobiles provided much more flexibility to where, you know, think about it today, if you live in a mountainous area, you can get a four-wheel drive vehicle that’ll handle that terrain. If you live in a city, you can get a commuter car that helps you navigate narrow streets and doesn’t, you know, consume a lot of fuel. And so there’s different types of vehicles for different needs. You know, you can travel on your own schedule, you can get a vehicle that’s comfortable to you.

And so it, it just enabled a lot more of an individualized type of approach to transportation. And I think if student-centered learning is really being the analogy of how do we help education transform from kind of the mass education system we have where students are all kind of moving the same, to a system that is mass education when it makes sense but can also individualize better to help students with different needs.

So one more quick story, I think of when I was teaching, you know, I mentioned I had that spectrum of students, it’s really about how do we create new models of education that help teachers serve those different students’ needs so that all students can be successful and fulfill their potential. And I think that’s especially important now, given that the pandemic has just widened a lot of the disparities that have been around for a long time. A lot of the equity issues.

And so I don’t think we can solve those issues by just trying to give students, you know, the same one size fits all approach. We really need to find ways to identify what does each student need. How do we meet them where they’re at, both academically and socially and emotionally, and then help them progress from where they’re at toward, you know, their goals and toward helping them fulfill their individual potential.

Q: And so taking that, you know, what you learn about the needs that a student might have different from another student, what can be learned from the report in terms of creating student-centered spaces in classrooms once those needs and differences are identified?

A: Yeah, well, I will say in the report, most of our insights on that topic come from free responses from a few teachers and follow up interviews we did with a few teachers. But like I mentioned earlier, there were those few outliers that seemed to have a very different experience last year. And a lot of what seemed to be working for them was using online resources to kind of shift their role as a teacher.

So to, to give some concrete for instances, these were teachers who often realized, you know, trying to engage my students over a video call, especially when many of them have their cameras off and it feels like I’m just teaching to a void is really tricky. But what they would do often is take some of the resources that now exist for developing online learning materials, whether that’s, you know, recording yourself, teaching your lesson and posting it online, or develop taking your slides and developing them into a little like self-directed mini lesson with quizzes embedded in it, the students can move through online, posting those to the internet as assignments, and then using the time that you would use normally for class where you’re on that video call, less for how do I cover my material and more for how do I check in with my students? How do I find out what they’re struggling with, find out what they need, and then give them the targeted support, the targeted interventions they need, you know, really spend more time on the relationship building and the social emotional check-ins.

And it was teachers that kind of leverage the online tools in that way. I often think of it as it’s not replacing yourself with technology, but it’s offloading some of the just foundational content coverage and foundational assessment and feedback to online tools so that you as a teacher can do more of the things that technology absolutely cannot do, you know, the relationship building and the personal feedback, the orchestrating deeper learning experiences like discussions and projects, coaching students through projects. That’s really kind of the shift we saw both with these kind of outlier teachers in our survey data, but also with, again, we’d been studying this from before the pandemic teachers before COVID, that had really used online tools effectively. We’d seen this happening with them as well.

Q: OK. So disruption is obviously something that we don’t typically think of as being a positive attribute or trait of a classroom environment, but explain if you would, what disruptive innovation means and what place it has in K-12 education.

A: So that term, it’s a really tricky term for us because it has so many negative connotations in education. But it actually is a term that predates our work in education. As I mentioned, Clayton Christensen, our founder, he studied innovation across a whole bunch of other sectors, everything from automobiles to computers to healthcare. And in that research, he saw this phenomenon where new innovations would emerge and they wouldn’t be out of the gate better than the existing solutions out there, the mainstream solutions that were commonly used. But they offered these other benefits. They were often more affordable, or they were more user-friendly or they were available in more context and more circumstances. And because of these other benefits, these new, what looked like crummy innovations, were actually game changing and life changing for people who couldn’t access the mainstream solutions that were out there.

But then what happened over time is that as these new crummy looking innovations emerge and serve these people that are left out of the existing ecosystem of solutions, they improve over time until they start to get traction as mainstream solutions. And that shift in technologies is what he termed “disruptive innovation.” And so I guess to give some examples, you know, personal computers, when they first emerged were really crummy devices compared to the mainframes and the terminal computers and minicomputers that the large corporations and research institutions were using.

But personal computers made it so that for the first time, individuals and households could afford to buy a computer and you didn’t have to have a whole room to set the computer up in, you could set it up on a desktop. And so they made computing accessible to many more people and then improved over time until desktop computers kind of became the norm for most computer uses, even in corporate settings or in, you know, research settings and universities.

Similar things have happened in retail, you know, think of early days of Amazon or early days of Netflix, how much they’ve evolved since then. And so that phenomenon that’s core to our research, really what we look at is how can, what kind of innovations like that are emerging in education.

Now, the dynamics of how disruption plays out in education is often quite different from those sectors, because, you know, education is a publicly funded public good. It’s not something that’s just provided in a purely market setting.

But we still see the same phenomena of solutions like online learning and really, I don’t think online learning on its own is interesting, but really the new instructional student-centered models that online learning enables have these same patterns of being the kind of innovations that we’d call disruptive innovations. And so we look at what does it take for these new innovations to really scale and provide their benefits more broadly within the education system that we have right now.

Q: What other research subjects does the Christensen Institute focus on and study?

A: A lot of, like I mentioned my works primarily in K-12 education. I have colleagues that have done some work in higher education, other colleagues that have looked at students access to networks and social capital, and they often talk about the difference between, you know, we’ve often talk about achievement gaps in education. They look at opportunity gaps and how so many of a student’s opportunities come from who they know in their family, in their community, and how do we help expand students’ networks so they have more access to opportunities.

And then kind of beyond the more education-related spaces, healthcare, global development, one of my colleagues is looking at, you know, what does it take for countries that have historically, you know, just had much higher poverty than the United States, what does it take for them to progress and become the kind of countries where more people have access to quality healthcare, quality education, and many of the, you know, the benefits that we all take for granted here in the United States.

Q: Sounds like an interesting organization, honestly. And I’d like to look for more, you know, research when you guys release it. Where can listeners go to learn more about the report that we discussed, the Institute and the concept of disruptive innovation?

A: All of our research is publicly available. We’re a grant funded organization and everything we produce is available on our website. It’s www dot Christensen Institute. And I’ll spell that C-H-R-I-S-T-E-N-S-E-N institute.org. You can find all of it there on our website, or if you’re interested in the latest stuff that’s coming out, you can follow us on Twitter. ChristensenInst is our Twitter handle. I’m available on Twitter as well as Arnett Tom, @ArnettTom.

Thomas Arnett, senior research fellow

Thomas Arnett is a senior research fellow for the Clayton Christensen Institute. His work focuses on using the Theory of Disruptive Innovation to study innovative instructional models and their potential to scale student-centered learning in K–12 education. He also studies demand for innovative resources and practices across the K–12 education system using the Jobs to Be Done Theory. Thomas began his work in education as a middle school math teacher in Kansas City Public Schools through Teach For America and as an Education Pioneers fellow with the Achievement First Public Charter Schools. He has also served as an elected trustee and board president for the Morgan Hill Unified School District in Morgan Hill, California, and currently serves as a member of the board of Compass Charter Schools in California. Thomas received a BS in Economics from Brigham Young University and an MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.
The Clayton Christensen Institute
Carpe Diem: Convert Pandemic Struggles into Student-Centered Learning (report)
The post Disruptive Innovation – Turning challenges into positive changes appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Creativity through Curiosity and Celebrating Mister Rogers’ Legacy** Nov 02, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Mister Rogers was a learning scientist, and his approach with children was certainly ahead of his time. Today, learning scientists are focusing on the same things Mister Rogers taught children through the lens of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” — things like developing curiosity, finding creative solutions, communication skills, collaboration, and self-acceptance, how to be a good friend and a loving person. These are the tools now scientifically proven to be essential to children’s success and well-being, and they are up to 10 times more accurate at predicting a child’s success than a test score or grades. In a new book highlighting these findings, authors Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski are reintroducing Mister Rogers and his teachings to today’s children, parents and educators, sharing with a new generation the power of curiosity through creativity. The authors discuss their book, essential learning tools and more with host Annette Stevenson on this episode of *Keystone Education Radio.*

**In this episode, you’ll discover:**

What learning scientists are working on and why their work is important to today’s learners

What are the essential tools for a child’s learning and success

Why creativity is essential and how it relates to the joy in our lives

Skip to: 01:32 What prompted you to write a book based on Mister Rogers’ lessons? Why Fred Rogers?

“Increasingly, [learning scientists are] talking about things like, how do we make sure kids feel safe? How do we make sure kids feel like they belong to a community that cares about them? How do we make sure that kids feel that they are loved and capable of loving? When learning scientists speak today, they sound a lot like Mister Rogers and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” And once we realized that we realized we had a book on our hands and we realized that what Fred was doing starting in 1968, in many ways, learning sciences is just catching up to him now.”

Skip to: 05:02 In your book, you describe tools for learning, and they’re described as essential. Can you tell us a little bit about what the tools for learning are?

“In the book we break them down as curiosity, creativity, communication, collaboration, learning, and growing, which is a sort of umbrella term for things like growth mindset and connection, which is of course what we remember Rogers for most, which is the power of human relationships.”

“They have been shown to benefit everything from academic outcomes to mental health, to even physical health and children’s overall well-being. They cost almost nothing to develop. And they hinge on the very things that we think, and that Rogers thought make life worth living, which are self-acceptance, close and loving relationships and a deep regard for our neighbors.”

Skip to: 07:49 How can curiosity be incited in oneself or others, or is it something that’s built into all of us?

“What we need to do is to tap into that curiosity that we have as young kids and the ways in which we ask questions and the ways that we dance and sing and explore. What is it that we can do to maintain that sensibility?”

“Creating a space, an atmosphere for learning where kids feel like they belong, where they matter, where they feel respected, where they feel like they’re safe, both psychologically and physically. It’s those grounding elements that are absolutely critical and essential for the moments that we then begin to be curious about what’s possible and start to wonder about, ‘What happens if I put these two numbers together? What happens if I take apart this toy and look what’s inside?’ One can’t be curious absent the grounding effect that a teacher or an educator creates in creating that safe, respecting environment where you say, ‘I belong and I want to learn.’”

Skip to: 09:48 Tell us a little bit about what was tracked [in the study by Dr. George Land] and what does that mean, tracking that creativity from childhood through to adulthood?

“Creativity is something that’s inherent to all of us, as we saw in those 98% of 5-year-olds. But as we get older and as we get more self-conscious, and as our peers start to give up their creative pursuits, they put down their paint brushes and they give up their musical instruments. A lot of us have a string of creative pursuits that we’ve abandoned over the course of our lives, we learn to become less creative. We learn to become less expressive, less open to new ways of thinking.”

“These characters showed kids that they don’t have to give up their creative pursuits. And in fact, the creative pursuits can enrich our lives and they can make life better for the people around us.”

Skip to: 14:25 Your book is for educators and school leaders, or is it for everyone in many walks of life?

“We wrote this book particularly mindful of the role of parents, families and caregivers, and then our educators, the teachers, the librarians, the afterschool directors. Anyone who works in what we would describe as the caring profession, where they are responsible for the wellbeing and instruction of children, whether that’s at home or in a school.”

Skip to: 16:10 Where can listeners find access to the book and/or any additional resources or contact with you?

“We would love to hear from your listeners, any questions, comments, stories about Fred —almost everybody has one — they can reach us at whenyouwonder.org.”

Q: So your book, I’ve already said the title, When You Wonder, You’re Learning, and it’s based on Mister Rogers’ enduring lessons, what prompted you to write a book based on Mister Rogers and why Fred Rogers?

**A (Gregg):** Well, first and foremost, it’s a book about learning and it’s a book that stems from nearly 15 years of work here in southwestern Pennsylvania. For 15 years, schools, museums, libraries and all of the educators who work in these and other learning spaces have been coming together under something called Remake Learning, which is this amazing network of educators in and out of school, pre-K through higher ed thinking about what is relevant, what is engaging, what is equitable in support of young people and the learning experiences that we’re trying to create for them. I mentioned this because very early on, we started talking about Fred Rogers and it’s easier in 2021 than in 2007 to articulate this. But we talk about the Fred method and the ways in which these educators involved in Remake Learning take advantage of what Fred Rogers did. And we can think about Fred’s work in a simple formula: whole child plus learning sciences equals the Fred method. That is, like Fred Rogers, these educators are grounded in child development theory and practice, understand what’s developmentally appropriate for children and youth.

And they’re also learning from what we’re learning about learning itself from places right here in our backyard, like Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, but also campuses of higher education and research institutes across this country. And I mentioned the learning sciences because for me and Ryan, this was our big aha, that is seeing Fred Rogers as a learning scientist, not just as that childhood hero of ours, not just as some convenient story to talk about education and learning, but really understanding Fred Rogers and his work as someone who was a learning scientist, a learning engineer, someone who was deliberate and intentional about what it is that he did with his program. And that’s what we’re finding among educators all across southwestern Pennsylvania, who are involved in Remake Learning.

**A (Ryan):** One of the things that struck us early on was just how far ahead of his time Fred Rogers was. If you talk to some of the leading learning scientists today, many of them are working right here in Pittsburgh at places like Pitt and Carnegie Mellon. If you read the research papers, if you go to their conferences, which we’ve been doing a lot of over the past few years, they talk a lot like Fred does.

It’s interesting. They don’t necessarily sound like scientists at first. They don’t talk about charts and graphs, they don’t talk about things that are being measured. Increasingly, they’re talking about things like, how do we make sure kids feel safe? How do we make sure kids feel like they belong to a community that cares about them? How do we make sure that kids feel that they are loved and capable of loving? When learning scientists speak today, they sound a lot like Mister Rogers and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” And once we realized that we realized we had a book on our hands and we realized that what Fred was doing starting in 1968, in many ways, learning sciences is just catching up to him now.

Q: You’re absolutely right. So far ahead of his time. There’s so much more to what he offered, I think then maybe what was on face value to television personality as beloved as that was. So in your book, you describe tools for learning, and they’re described as essential. Can you tell us a little bit about what the tools for learning are?

**A (Ryan):** Sure. So it’s probably most helpful to start with why these tools matter and I’ll get into briefly what they are. So just to give you an example, a couple of years ago, Google was trying to figure out what makes a good boss. For a long time, they had just assumed that the people who know the most stuff should be promoted. If you can write computer code in your sleep, then you’re automatically going to be a good boss. Google being Google decided to validate that and they did this massive analysis of their own teams. They studied performance evaluations and employee surveys and exit interviews. And what they found was that content is important. There’s no way around it. If you’re going to work at Google, if you’re going to be a boss, you have to be a great programmer. But among the things they found that mattered most, content expertise ranked almost last. The more important things, the things Googlers wanted to see in their bosses, were things like communication.

There were things like curiosity. Can you come up with creative solutions to problems? Do you care about your colleagues and their wellbeing? They wanted all these very human qualities that Fred spent so many decades teaching in “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” And these are what he called his tools for learning. In the book we break them down as curiosity, creativity, communication, collaboration, learning, and growing, which is a sort of umbrella term for things like growth mindset and connection, which is of course what we remember Rogers for most, which is the power of human relationships.

All of these tools have been shown not only at Google, but in just about every aspect of life to be essential to children’s success. They are up to 10 times more predictive of children’s long-term success and test scores. They have been shown to benefit everything from academic outcomes to mental health, to even physical health and children’s overall well-being. They cost almost nothing to develop. And they hinge on the very things that we think, and that Rogers thought make life worth living, which are self-acceptance, close and loving relationships and a deep regard for our neighbors. So again, this is Rogers being ahead of his time, but things he focused on in the Neighborhood are now scientifically proven to be essential to children’s success. And at places like Google, they are the most essential things you can have to succeed.

Q: So we always feel like there’s individuals in the world that are more or less curious with curiosity being kind of an inherent part of them or not as much. So how can curiosity be incited in oneself or others or is it something that’s built into all of us?

**A (Gregg):** Well, you just said it and it’s built into each of us. It’s not something that some people have and some people don’t. Rather, it’s a learned behavior that we lose our curiosity and we lose our creativity. So what we need to do is to tap into that curiosity that we have as young kids and the ways in which we ask questions and the ways that we dance and sing and explore. What is it that we can do to maintain that sensibility? And as Fred Rogers would say, “A great atmosphere for learning that supports that sort of curiosity.” So what is it that a teacher does in a classroom or librarian does in a library space? Well, so much of it goes back to what Ryan was just saying about creating a human and humane environment. Creating a space, an atmosphere for learning where kids feel like they belong, where they matter, where they feel respected, where they feel like they’re safe, both psychologically and physically.

It’s those grounding elements that are absolutely critical and essential for the moments that we then begin to be curious about what’s possible and start to wonder about, “What happens if I put these two numbers together? What happens if I take apart this toy and look what’s inside?” One can’t be curious absent the grounding effect that a teacher or an educator creates in creating that safe, respecting environment where you say, “I belong and I want to learn.”

A: So you kind of touched upon creativity as well and I want to lead into that because I feel like curiosity and creativity are very intertwined. But creativity as well, I feel like there’s a kind of a label that’s placed on some individuals, “This is a creative individual. This is not so much a creative individual.” So in your book, you highlight a study that was conducted by Dr. George Land that tested for and tracked creativity in children beginning with 1,000 5-year-olds. Tell us a little bit about what was tracked and what does that mean, tracking that creativity from childhood through to adulthood?

**A (Ryan):** Yeah, this is a really interesting study. So in 1968, Dr. George Land tested the creativity of 1,000 5-year-olds using a test that he had developed for NASA of all places. What he found was that 98% of those 5-year-olds scored so high on Dr. Land’s tests. They qualified as creative geniuses. We know that kids come up with strange and sometimes ingenious solutions to problems, they paint pictures and then make up stories and songs. They’re inherently creative. Anyone who’s spent time around a 5-year-old tends to see this pretty quickly. But George Land, he discovered something else. He tested that same group of 5-year-olds every five years. And when he found was that at 10 years old, the share of creative geniuses fell from 98% to 30%. And when they turned 15, it fell from 30% to 12%. And by the time they were adults, the share of creative geniuses had fallen from 98% to 2%.

And what Land and his team concluded was, as Gregg alluded to earlier that non-creative behavior is learned, that creativity is something that’s inherent to all of us, as we saw in those 98% of 5-year-olds. But as we get older and as we get more self-conscious, and as our peers start to give up their creative pursuits, they put down their paint brushes and they give up their musical instruments. A lot of us have a string of creative pursuits that we’ve abandoned over the course of our lives, we learn to become less creative. We learn to become less expressive, less open to new ways of thinking. Rogers in “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” really tried to counteract those non-creative behaviors, those learned non-creative behaviors. The way he did so really started with adults. One of the most important things you learned from his mentor, Margaret McFarland, who was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, was the Quaker philosophy that attitudes are caught not taught.

So Rogers really modeled creativity. In almost any episode, you can find him doing things that adults might consider childish. Fred sits down and he draws pictures of butterflies and houses and rainbows. And he cuts things out of construction paper, and he builds things out of popsicle sticks, and he plays with puppets and he makes up songs. He does all these things that children do, but as he sits there doing them, he shows kids that what he’s doing brings him joy. The creativity doesn’t have to be just for kids.

And it wasn’t just Fred. He brought countless creative adults into the Neighborhood. Sometimes those were creative professionals, people like Wynton Marsalis and Yo-Yo Ma and Julia Child, but often they were just every day people. If you remember the program, Officer François Clemmons was the Neighborhood police officer, but also the Neighborhood opera singer. Handyman Negri was the Neighborhood’s fix-it guy, but he was also the Neighborhood guitarist. All these guest stars and all these characters showed kids that they don’t have to give up their creative pursuits. And in fact, the creative pursuits can enrich our lives and they can make life better for the people around us.

**A (Gregg):** There’s a great example from Margaret McFarland, whom Ryan just mentioned as having worked with Fred Rogers and this connects right back to the learning sciences. Margaret McFarland was a premier child development psychologist of the 20th century and worked with Erik Erikson and Benjamin Spock among others to create the Arsenal Children’s Family Center here in the Pittsburgh region, and on one occasion brought a world renowned sculpturist to Arsenal.

And the sculpturist said, “What do you want me to do? And what is it that you want me to just show kids?” And her peer instruction to him was, “I just want the kids to see you loving the clay in front of them.” And to me, that’s just a perfect moment of Margaret conveying to another educator, in this case an artist, that idea that attitudes are caught and how it is that we do simple things, reframe what we do to convey that joy and love of learning, which kids, young people, adults need to see continuously.

Q: So your book, is it for educators and school leaders, or is it for everyone in many walks of life?

**A (Gregg):** Well, the joyful thing is that a lot of people say, “I’m glad as a human being that I read this book. There’s something so instructive and affirming and uplifting about Fred Rogers’ blueprints for life.” That said, we wrote this book particularly mindful of the role of parents, families and caregivers, and then our educators, the teachers, the librarians, the afterschool directors. Anyone who works in what we would describe as the caring profession, where they are responsible for the wellbeing and instruction of children, whether that’s at home or in a school.

**A (Ryan):** I would add to that, Annette. We used to say, “We think anybody who knows and loves Fred Rogers will love this book.” And we certainly hope that’s the case. What we’ve been finding as, the book has been out since April, and it is slowly making its way around the world. And what we’ve been finding and hearing from folks in other countries where “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” is not known, where Fred is not a cultural icon, that this book is resonating even for them and I think that speaks to the timelessness and the universality of what Fred was teaching, the deep humanity of what Fred was teaching. So we hope that yes, parents, educators, caregivers; yes, fans of Fred Rogers. But as Gregg said, hopefully any human being will find something in what Fred taught.

Q: I would think that’s probably true. I’ve worked in creative services a long time in my career, and I definitely found some great takeaways out of it myself. So it is a great read. I read the book and it’s really great. So where can listeners find access to the book and/or any additional resources or contact with you? How can that be found?

**A (Ryan):** Sure. So they can find the book wherever they buy their books. We always recommend going to your local independent bookstore. But of course, you can find it online. And if you go to whenyouwonder.org, you’ll find a list of places to buy it. You’ll find a contact form where you can reach us. We would love to hear from your listeners, any questions, comments, stories about Fred —almost everybody has one — they can reach us at whenyouwonder.org.

Gregg Behr

Gregg Behr is a father, children’s advocate and director for the Grable Foundation, whose work is inspired by his hero, Fred Rogers. For more than a decade, he has helped lead Remake Learning – a network of educators, scientists, artists and makers he founded in 2007 – to international renown. Formed in Rogers’ real-life neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Remake Learning has turned heads everywhere from Forbes to the World Economic Forum for its efforts to ignite children’s curiosity, encourage creativity, and foster justice and belonging in schools, libraries, museums and more. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and also Duke University, Gregg holds honorary degrees from Carlow University and Saint Vincent College. He is an advisor to the Brookings Institution and the Fred Rogers Center, and has been cited by Barack Obama, Richard Branson and the Disruptor Foundation as an innovator and thought leader.

Ryan Rydzewski

Ryan Rydzewski is a writer whose science and education reporting has garnered several awards and fellowships. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, he taught elementary school in south Louisiana before earning a Master of Fine Arts in nonfiction writing from Chatham University. As a freelancer, his magazine stories focus on everything from schools to space travel to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and his poems and other pieces appear in several journals. A native of Erie, PA, Ryan lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, Jacqueline.
Remake Learning
When You Wonder, You’re Learning
The post Creativity through Curiosity and Celebrating Mister Rogers’ Legacy appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Empowering Students Through Mentor Relationships** Oct 19, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Discover the work being done in Philadelphia schools between the Office of School Safety (OSS) and its students, particularly young black males, through its Leaders Encouraging Achievement and Development, or LEAD, mentoring program. On this episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, host Annette Stevenson speaks with OSS chief safety officer Kevin Bethel on the merits of this program and the benefits the district, the mentors and the mentees are gaining.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

The innovative approach Philadelphia School District is taking to pairing school safety officers with young mentees

How and why the district and the Office of School Safety have plans to expand this program and find methods to capture its effectiveness

How mentoring can develop empathy in both the mentee and the mentor

Skip to: 01:11 What objectives were initially identified in the development and evolution of the program since it was launched?

“And so how can we kind of build beyond, as has historically been in the space, strictly focused on safety around people coming and going, and some of the negative activities, but what are the positive things around safety, where we can really engage young people early upstream and really develop those relationships that will impact them for the rest of their lives.”

Skip to: 02:22 To date, how many students and officers are involved?

“We have a number of individuals who are stepping up, want to play in that role and be mentors. So we’re excited about building this program even further.”

Skip to: 02:50 I imagine that [virtual component] may have been even more essential during these past months where folks were isolated. I imagine that might’ve even been more critical, that connection?

“You know and your audience knows that I think what people learn from the pandemic is how critical school is to our children. Anybody had any questions before that, all of that should be dismissed.”

“I’m really proud of the men and women who were involved in that virtual space. Because they kept it going through the supports of the strategic planning team, the principals, and those at the schools, we were able to keep it going and it was really exciting to see that happen.”

Skip to: 03:56 Are there short-term and long-term markers of success that will represent the program’s overall effectiveness?

“We are looking at, as we continue to build out the program, how do we bring in some of the research, because we kind of know mentoring works. There’s plenty of research in the spheres that tell you that it does, but we do want to make sure that the program is living to the efficacy of what it was developed to do.”

Skip to: 05:33 Does the experience of being a mentor and having that interaction with the students, does that also impact the school safety officers and how they carry out their role?

“I think sometimes we fail to realize, sometimes we get caught in this place where we lose our empathy and we kind of get very robotic and particularly in a safety space or even a law enforcement-centric space, the way you deal with the trauma, just lock it all out. And I think as an organization that’s changed its culture and really changing how it manages our young people in this space from an adolescent development approach and a trauma informed approach. When you get in a room and start to listen to kids and they talk about the issues they deal with every day and they humanized the process, it really can help that officer and those men and women in the field start to understand.”

“We’ve seen our men and women and our officers really talk about the positive experience they’re getting from working with the young people and how they feel so empowered and so grateful to be in the position to do what they’re doing.”

Skip to: 07:45 As part of the expanded program, there is a similar mentoring model for female students. Does that differ in any way from the program created for males or is it generally, the concepts are the same?

“Some of my women stepped up and said, ‘well, what about us?’ And so, as a result, we pivoted and said we would not turn away one of our school safety officers and our women who wanted to be in that space.”

Skip to: 09:15 Would you highlight what the mentor training includes? What is that newly envisioned role of the Office of School Safety? What does that look like?

“I tell folks these children are used to somebody coming into their life and then leaving. And then we come in and we play mentor for an hour, and then we leave. Well, it’s bigger than that… And so making sure that everyone understands that there’s a process to mentoring and you just don’t throw it up on the board and check a box.”

“And so this really fits neatly into our goal to really build relationships with our young people, respect them. And we’ve adopted a model around being procedurally just, and so that is all about being fair with our young people. They are our constituents; they are who we serve. And so the better we do that with all of these tools that I outlined … , we will be a better organization because we’ve set the tone for us here as an organization.”

Skip to: 12:23 Are there any future initiatives that are on the horizon for the program?

“Help us identify those kids that we know are going to need some help when they come to school. Let them know that there’s someone in the building who cares about them and wants to make sure that they assimilate well. And as part of that we’ll also be able to connect to the services that are available as they do their re-entry into the system.”

“We’re really, really looking for ways to connect our folks with our kids. And we think that mentoring is one of the key ways to do that.”

Q: So let’s start by, if you would, let us know what objectives were initially identified in the development and evolution of the program since it was launched?

A: Yeah, I think your lead out was accurate, what the strategic planning had put together, but the objective for us as an office and partnering with them is really to take our Office of School Safety and our men and women, particularly our men, our African-American men, and really start to connect them with our kids in our system. We are going through a process of revisiting our work in the Office of School Safety and really saying, how can we as Dr. Hite said relationships, touching kids in a positive way. And so how can we kind of build beyond just, as has historically been in the space, strictly focused on safety around people coming and going, and some of the negative activities, but what are the positive things around safety, where we can really engage young people early upstream and really develop those relationships that will impact them for the rest of their lives. So we really see that relationship building with those young people as an opportunity for us to really see our work and really support us as we continue to… Our evolution is really being more restorative based in our work.

Q: Okay. And to date, how many students and officers are involved?

A: So we have around 11 mentors currently and around 40 students, which we were glad to be able to continue to do virtually. And as we move into the next school year, we will be expanding that work. We have a number of individuals who are stepping up, want to play in that role and be mentors. So we’re excited about building this program even further.

Q: Great. And you mentioned the virtual component. I imagine that may have been even more essential during these recent, past 15, 18 months where folks were isolated. I imagine that might’ve even been more critical, that connection?

A: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. You know and your audience knows that I think what people learn from the pandemic is how critical school is to our children. Anybody had any questions before that, all of that should be dismissed. Everyone recognized that a child coming into a school around positive adults and a learning environment, a safe environment, thrive. And so we felt it was important to continue to, even though it was challenging. I won’t say it was easy. But to continue to work in that virtual space to give the young people in our place, their outlet to still talk about the issues they have. And I’m really proud of the men and women who were involved in that virtual space. Because they kept it going through the supports of the strategic planning team, the principals, and those at the schools, we were able to keep it going and it was really exciting to see that happen.

Q: That’s great. Are there short-term and long-term markers of success that will represent the program’s overall effectiveness?

A: Yeah. As you know, it’s a program that’s still evolving. I mean, obviously the short-term success and expectations that relationship building with a young person, that positive impact and those are pretty much immediate, right. You know at the point of contact when you’re mentoring young people, whether you’re being effective or not and when they were coming back. Right. When they were coming back for more and you can see them lighting up. In one case we featured one of our mentors and one of our mentees and the excitement, both the child and his parents had about the support they were getting from the officers. Those are immediate. We are looking at, as we continue to build out the program, how do we bring in some of the research, because we kind of know mentoring works. There’s plenty of research in the spheres that tell you that it does, but we do want to make sure that the program is living to the efficacy of what it was developed to do.

And so we are looking at what are the long-term opportunities to do further evaluation, interviewing the young people long-term even longitudinally, what did they look like two years from now, or three years now? And whether that mentoring did in fact have the impact that we hoped to do. So we’re looking for those opportunities to continue to review our program and to make sure we’re really servicing the kids, and the parents, and the community in the way we intended to do.

Q: And so we’ve talked about the impact to the youth, and we know that youth mentoring has a profound, or has the potential for profound impact on the youth, but does the experience of being a mentor and having that interaction with the students, does that also impact the school safety officers and how they carry out their role?

A: Yeah, absolutely. I think sometimes we fail to realize, sometimes we get caught in this place where we lose our empathy and we kind of get very robotic and particularly in a safety space or even a law enforcement-centric space, the way you deal with the trauma, just lock it all out. And I think as an organization that’s changed its culture and really changing how it manages our young people in this space from an adolescent development approach and a trauma informed approach. When you get in a room and start to listen to kids and they talk about the issues they deal with every day and they humanized the process, it really can help that officer and those men and women in the field start to understand, wow, I didn’t know Kevin was living in a foster home. And I didn’t know Kevin came from that kind of situation.

Guess what? I was like that when I was a kid. And so I think engaging young people in that way really, really changes how you view them. And really, really can do a significant change in the officers in that space as how they view our young people. And so we see that as an extreme benefit, particularly as we change our culture. And we’ve seen that. I mean, we’ve seen our men and women and our officers really talk about the positive experience they’re getting from working with the young people and how they feel so empowered and so grateful to be in the position to do what they’re doing.

And so, as much as they’re getting the benefit from it we, as an organization are getting 10 times the benefit of really, really being able to engage our young people, particularly our young African-American boys who are sort of struggling in particularly a lot of our challenge communities and having that man that they could talk to where many of them come from a single parent home and don’t have it, is a great opportunity. And we’re embracing it. And my men and women could not be more proud of what they’re doing in this space.

Q: That’s great. And you mentioned your men and women, and so that kind of leads into my next question. As part of the expanded program, there is a similar mentoring model for female students. Does that differ in any way from the program created for males or is it generally, the concepts are the same?

A: Yeah. The concepts are the same. I mean, it’s going to be an evolution, right? It was something that came out of the blue ironically during our preparing with the LEAD and obviously it was really focused on black male leadership. Some of my women stepped up and said, well, what about us? And so, as a result, we pivoted and said we would not turn away one of our school safety officers and our women who wanted to be in that space. And so it’s constructed the same way, but obviously different issues with our young ladies. But I think it also raised an understanding for us that though we focus on our, oftentimes our black males, we can’t forget about our young girls. And so that’ll probably take another stream and we’ll build out upon that. But we’re also excited about the opportunity to be able to put our school safety officers who are women into the space with young girls to also give them a place where they can have an outlet and build that collaboration with them as well.

Q: Okay. So I understand that all of the 325 school safety officers have received the mandatory mentor training that’s part of the Office of School Safety’s efforts to re-envision the role within the buildings. And so with that in mind, understanding that they’ve all received this training, would you highlight what the mentor training includes? And then maybe second to that, what is that newly envisioned role of the Office of School Safety? What does that look like?

A: Yeah, yeah. So part of it, I mean, the mentoring process is really, we’re working with MENTOR IR, MENTOR Independence Region, a national organization that provides mentoring. And most of the training is really based in evidence-based development approach. How to deal with interactions with young people, practicing the listening skills that are necessary to engage a young person and kind of how the work and establish the boundaries and around what that process looks like. And because I think what oftentimes we think about mentoring, but you can hurt a child. I tell folks these children are used to somebody coming into their life and then leaving. And then we come in and we play mentor for an hour, and then we leave. Well, it’s bigger than that. Right.

And so making sure that everyone understands that there’s a process to mentoring and you just don’t throw it up on the board and check a box. It really has to be, because you hurt a child and that’s the last thing we want to do. And so that mentoring really good sets us as an organization, really leaning forward into that space. So everyone understands, what does it mean? Before you touch that child, understand what that looks like. As we move into our Office of School Safety, part of what our evolution is, we’ve created a strategic plan, really rooted in five pillars, but one of the core pillars is really restorative practices. And in those restorative practices, so in addition to the mentoring, we’re training our men and women on restorative circles. So they’ve been trained.

So we have a large quorum and many of our mentors are also been trained in being able to do restorative circles. All of that with the purposes… We come into our school setting, particularly this school year, when we couple that with our youth courts, we have a very large-scale diversion program and training that we’re going to be giving them to really understand adolescent development. And understand the trauma that our kids come from and into the school. That we are prepared as an organization to really work with our young people to keep them safe and to deal with the issues that manifested in a normal adolescent development scenario. And that they’re prepared, fully prepared to be able to deal with that child in that setting and have the tools and things necessary that they have at their disposal to be able to address that.

And so this really fits neatly into our goal to really build relationships with our young people, respect them. And we’ve adopted a model around being procedurally just, and so that is all about being fair with our young people. They are our constituents; they are who we serve. And so the better we do that with all of these tools that I outlined and many others, we will be a better organization because we’ve set the tone for us here as an organization. And we want to be the best school safety agency in America. And to do that, we have to make some significant shifts on how we deal with our kids in a school setting.

Q: It sounds like your well on your way to that goal of being the best and the most effective. And you’ve talked kind of about the evolution of the program. Are there any future initiatives that are on the horizon for the program?

A: Part of what we’re going to do, the LEAD program is really, really obviously a very structured program, but we also, as we build that out, we also didn’t want to minimize the opportunity for other officers who are in their schools who want to mentor. And so part of what we’re going to do is as we continue to build out the LEAD program, we’re also going to give opportunities for our men and women to conduct mentoring in our schools, in schools that are not part of collectively, in the LEAD program. I mean, we’re doing something very unique. One of the things we identified is we have a number of young people come back from placement who oftentimes are struggling. And particularly in some of our neighborhood schools, we’ll get a large group of kids in a specific school and collectively together, they struggle.

And so we’re also identifying now working with our Office of Support Services to work with those kids, using our mentors, using our restorative circles, to bring them in when they come into the school setting. Create a space for them to voice their needs. Help us identify those kids that we know are going to need some help when they come to school. Let them know that there’s someone in the building who cares about them and wants to make sure that they assimilate well. And as part of that we’ll also be able to connect to the services that are available as they do their re-entry into the system. We have a large program, but oftentimes there’s a disconnect because we’re dealing with them every day and they don’t see them like that. And so having those connecting and filling that gap when they’re struggling or when they have some needs and them knowing that, hey, guess what?

I can go to the school safety officer because Kevin Bethel is one of our mentees and he’s in our restorative circle. And we can talk about what I need. We think that may be an advantage, both for the child to help them come back into the system and also help for us to deal with the safety issues. And some of the things that often manifest themselves because they’re struggling, then their behavior will manifest in a different way, and we think that’ll help us. So we’re really excited about the opportunity with that collaboration with our Office of Student Supports to bring that into our work. And so we’re really, really looking for ways to connect our folks with our kids. And we think that mentoring is one of the key ways to do that.

Kevin J. Bethel

Kevin J. Bethel is a former Deputy Police Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department, the 4th largest police department in the nation. As Deputy Commissioner he was in charge of Patrol Operations for the entire city. He also served as Founder and Executive Director of the Law Enforcement Juvenile Justice Institute. Kevin’s commitment and passion for reforming the Juvenile Justice System remains an ongoing priority.

In his role at the District, Kevin guides our continuing efforts to create and maintain safe, supportive, and caring environments in which our students can achieve at the highest levels. He is charged with implementing school safety best practices District-wide; revising standards, job descriptions, and recruitment practices for school police and other safety sensitive positions; partnering with the Office of Student Support Services to integrate social and emotional learning and student advocacy into safety initiatives; standardizing the security screening implementation to promote positive school culture; and forging meaningful partnerships with community, city and union stakeholders.

Kevin holds a Master of Science in Public Safety Management from St. Joseph’s University and is a graduate of the FBI’s National Executive Institute.
School District of Philadelphia Office of School Safety
School District of Philadelphia Office of Strategic Partnerships
The post Empowering Students Through Mentor Relationships appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**The Effects of Nature and its Role in Social-Emotional Learning** Oct 05, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

A growing body of research reveals tangible and measurable social and emotional benefits for students and teachers when nature-based lessons and spending time outdoors are incorporated in students’ studies. In this episode of Keystone Education Radio, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Shannon Fredebaugh-Siller, the Community Engagement Programs Manager at Heritage Conservancy, on the programs her organization is offering to students in that region and how everyone across the commonwealth, from students, school leaders, teachers and parents, can benefit from more time in nature.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

The value of incorporating nature in today’s educational settings

How nature helps improve social connections and self-reflection

Activities that parents, teachers and others can use in their day-to-day schedules to use nature as a tool for social-emotional learning

Skip to: 00:52 Tell us about the Heritage Conservancy and the work that you do in your role?

“For the last 60 plus years, we have assisted in the protection of over 15,500 acres of open space, forest areas, wetlands, and other critical habitat, as well as protecting historic buildings.”

Skip to: 01:38 What about the pilot program that you began with Bristol Township and the district of Philadelphia? What is that all about? How were you inspired to bring that to the schools?

“We started to hear things from the students, just their amazement of being outside and then comments from the teachers about the changes they saw in how their students were responding to the programs and the activities while they were outside.”

Skip to: 04:46 What aspects of social-emotional learning are the kids gaining from participating in this program?

“There’s something about conversation surrounding nature, time outside, things we like and don’t like about outside or nature that really open up those doors for social connection and other types of self-reflection.”

Skip to: 07:58 Are there any plans to expand this program?

“Can we work to provide information or simple activities for families to be able to continue the benefits at home?”

Skip to: 08:38 What are some of the ways that our listeners, whether parents, educators, or other school leaders can begin to incorporate nature as a tool for social-emotional learning?

“Something as simple as stepping outside and closing your eyes for a moment to listen to the breeze move the leaves around can offer kind of that moment of like reset that you might need.”

Q: First off, would you tell us a little bit about the Heritage Conservancy and the work that you do in your role?

A: Yeah, you covered some of it in your introduction, but Heritage Conservancy is a non-profit and we’re based in southeast Pennsylvania with our core mission being to preserve and protect natural areas and historic places. So this means that for the last 60 plus years, we have assisted in the protection of over 15,500 acres of open space, forest areas, wetlands, and other critical habitat, as well as protecting historic buildings.

Q: That’s a lot to cover. That’s a lot to be mindful of.

A: It sure is.

Q: And so what about the pilot program that you began with Bristol Township and the district of Philadelphia? What is that all about? And then maybe how were you inspired to bring that to the schools?

A: Yeah, so for our work, a lot of what we’ve done in the last five or six years has really tied into my work as the community engagement programs manager, really connecting people with those places that we’re protecting. And a lot of this program, the buildup was a long time in the making when we first acquired the Croydon Woods Nature Preserve, which is an 80-acre forested property directly next to Keystone Elementary School, which is part of the Bristol Township School District. So through conversations with teachers and administrators, we started co-creating some programs to get the teachers and the students to utilize the forest and for us to work on providing field trips for the students.

And then just through those field trips, we started to hear things from the students, just their amazement of being outside and then comments from the teachers about the changes they saw in how their students were responding to the programs and the activities while they were outside. And with those conversations, it just evolved that we started to come up with some thoughts on ways to support the students and their needs. And there’s so much research now out about all of that social and emotional connection with nature and the health benefits that it just kind of evolved from there. And this year was a great time to try and pilot it amid everything that’s been going on.

**HOST:** So in preparation for the podcast, we decided to do some quick research for ourselves, and there is a lot of work behind this topic. It’s not just a trend or a nice thought, but there is real scientific backing on the power of nature as support for our emotional wellbeing. Just Google “SEL” or “nature” and you will find dozens of scholarly articles that tout the power of nature in developing social and emotional skills, and the programs doing that work can be found across the country and the world over.

Take Pennsylvania state parks for example. In 2014, the state had already designated four state parks as environmental education centers, conducting in-depth programming for students and other visitors. In 2017, 23 environmental education centers in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey formed a new alliance to create opportunities for students and learners to explore and engage in nature through hands-on activities. And each year, we are seeing more programs pop up all over the place. Now, back to the conversation with Shannon.

Q: So we hear a lot these days in different ways about social-emotional learning. What aspects of social-emotional learning are the kids gaining from participating in this program?

A: The research out about all the mental, physical, and emotional benefits about connecting with nature, it’s just the body of evidence is growing and it’s not just for students. It’s for people of all ages. And even views of nature out a classroom window or pictures of nature or videos can have all sorts of positive and calming effects. So each of the activities that we incorporate for the teachers to utilize has a nature component, whether it’s a visual or actually getting outside. And then it’s also got that social and emotional element. So some of them include social awareness or self-awareness, self-management. And there’s something about conversation surrounding nature, time outside, things we like and don’t like about outside or nature that really open up those doors for social connection and other types of self-reflection.

Q: You mentioned the view out the window. I think it’s interesting how it’s evolved over the years. I think the view out the window used to be seen as a distraction for students. And of course, I’m going back some years, but I think that used to be seen in a slightly different way. And now, as you mentioned, not just students, but adults. I think we, as adults, we can recognize the benefit of having a window as we work, having that view to the outdoors and natural light. So certainly, stands to reason, all that you’re saying, as far as the benefits.

**HOST:** We were intrigued by the notion that in the past, windows with views were considered a disturbance or a challenge to keep students’ attention. But today that old way of thinking is better left in the past. Many leaders in SEL are encouraging teachers to bring their students outdoors, and for good reason. Research has shown a link between engaging in pro-environmental activities and positive behavior.

We know that engaging with nature does helps us engage with our senses. It supports a healthy self-image, and at the very least, it gets us off our screens. But beyond that, connecting to the world around us give us an opportunity to understand our role and impact in the natural world. Service activities give students a real-world understanding of concepts such as recycling, conservation and environmental stewardship.

Plus, we are seeing emerging research that highlights the potential impact of COVID-19 on learning loss. The challenges of the pandemic have brought student mental wellbeing to the forefront, with children displaying increases in depression, anxiety and stress. COVID has only made the need for nature-based SEL even more evident and the results that much more precious to those who practice it.

Q: Are there any plans to expand this program?

A: So our first step after last year is to improve upon what we’ve already created based on teacher input. And then our next school is to start to work with additional teachers and possibly other school districts in this upcoming year. And we’d like to incorporate more family resources as well. So can we work to provide information or simple activities for families to be able to continue the benefits at home?

Q: And so our listeners are across the state, so they may not be able to easily visit or access one of your properties, but what are some of the ways that our listeners, whether parents, educators, or other school leaders can begin to incorporate nature as a tool for social-emotional learning? Do you have suggestions in that?

A: So the first thing to remember is that nature is literally everywhere. So I would encourage people to think about what they can find in their own yard, on their city block, a local park around their school yard. So start there, right where you’re living, where your school is at. Something as simple as stepping outside and closing your eyes for a moment to listen to the breeze move the leaves around can offer kind of that moment of like reset that you might need.

And then with the internet there’s of course so many great virtual tours of beautiful places across the country. We have a few virtual tours for our Quakertown Swamp, Croydon Woods and Bristol Marsh Nature Preserves. And then also on our website, we have a whole new series that was developed in the last year called Our At Home With Nature Series. And there are a variety of free resources that are videos, activities. Some of them tie in very well with certain state curriculum items, but they also offer some great views and sounds of nature. The mindfulness moment with water, I have heard is very peaceful. And some people have said they would like to use it to help them go to sleep in the evenings.

Q: Yes. That white noise, that kind of quiet white noise.

A: Right. Right.

Q: And so those can be found on your website, you said?

A: They sure can.

**HOST:** We wanted our listeners to know a little more about the resources available through Heritage Conservancy, so we checked them out ourselves. There are more than 20 activities and videos to explore. Be sure to check them out in your home or in your classroom. You can find the link to all of them in the resources tab on this episode’s landing page. We would love to know what you think about it. Which ones are your favorites or which ones do you have on your schedule to try? Connect with us by commenting on our social media posts!

Shannon Fredebaugh-Siller

Shannon Fredebaugh-Siller works to connect people of all ages to the natural and historic wonders on Heritage Conservancy’s preserved properties. She develops innovative cross-curriculum educational programs in partnership with local schools and works to provide moments of awe in nature for individuals, partner organizations, and students through community programming. Collaborating with communities and across regional watershed-wide initiatives, Shannon helps to connect the local work that Heritage Conservancy does to broader environmental initiatives. Shannon holds a B.A. in Zoology and Environmental Studies from Ohio Wesleyan University and an M.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Shannon has worked on research projects ranging from wildlife behavior and habitat use to species diversity in biofuel agricultural systems and many more.
Heritage Conservancy
At Home with Nature Resources
The post The Effects of Nature and its Role in Social-Emotional Learning appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Donna Beegle KER — **Building Inclusive, Poverty-Informed School Communities** Sep 21, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

As a person who grew up in migrant labor poverty herself, Dr. Donna Beegle holds firsthand knowledge of just how inequitable school can be for children coming from poor households. Through leading her organization Communication Across Barriers, Dr. Beegle has spent her career helping others understand how those living in poverty experience life differently. In the classroom, understanding poverty helps shatter myths and stereotypes, and this knowledge is key to creating a more equitable learning experience for all students. On this episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Dr. Beegle about her passion and commitment to breaking the poverty cycle.
Skip to: 00:53 What is your background that led you to the point of co-founding Communication Across Barriers?

“So when you can empower educators with an understanding of these different lived experiences, they hear their students differently, and they hear the families differently rather than projecting this one idea of poverty.”

“It turned me into a research addict. Every single thing I do is research-based. I’ve studied the history of poverty, United States of America, and I learned that most people haven’t. I learned we graduate people to be teachers, social workers, psychiatrists, probation officers, school board members, elected officials, and they’ve never had the history of poverty in this country. So, there’s with the best of intentions, people working to address those impacts of poverty, but not always understanding it.”

Skip to: 07:26 What are some of the stereotypes or biases that come into the picture and how do these stereotypes hinder progress?

“When people know the facts, they then want to align and really fight the poverty, not the students and families who live in it.”

Skip to: 14:43 If you were to identify some of the most damaging impacts of poverty on youth, what would that be?

“Educators who understand that what kids know when they get to our doors, isn’t all they can know . . . When the information is meaningful and purposeful and we use evidence-based best practices of teaching and learning and we engage our entire community, we can shatter those statistics that a student born into poverty today is less likely to get an education than they were in 40s.”

Skip to: 15:54 How does understanding poverty as a society and an educational system help to reverse this and flip this around?

“We have to start shifting our paradigm to how will we make the learning happen. Not how will the students and families be ready for us, but how can we get ready for the students and families living in their cars, living in storage sheds, campers, doubled up, tripled.”

Skip to: 19:57 How can we build responsive, inclusive communities that work for all?

“What works is when we build the relationships, we create a platform for the entire community to get poverty informed and aligned with a shared understanding and shared language.”

“Any barrier that can be removed, absolutely should. If it’s not in my hands to do it, whatever my role is, I need to be able to go, ‘Okay, well, who can?’ Who gets a paycheck to resolve this particular issue? And where are they? Who are they? And call them up and use our titles to get through the system.”

“You have a faulty definition of poverty at the federal level, and then you have subconscious misunderstandings about what the impacts of generational, the intersections of poverty and race, the intersections of the working class who are very, very different from generational poverty. Very, very different from immigrant poverty. But, if we’re aware of that, as educators, as school board members, we can take that into considerations and make our efforts closer aligned with where the students and families are rather than where we want them to be.”

Q: And so if you could start by giving us a little bit of background, your background, which led you to the point of co-founding Communication Across Barriers.

A: Well, that is something that I bring to the work to break poverty barriers to education that is unique. I was born into generations of migrant labor poverty. So generational poverty, what that really means is there’s a high level of struggle with literacy. A lot of my family members can’t read and write. If they sign a paper, they’re going to sign with a X for their name or they’re not going to do it. Some of them would be maybe functionally literate but if you put a newspaper in front of them, they wouldn’t be able to read it. That would be me at age 26. So I grew up in a world where everybody worked hard but it was migrant labor work. So we were always working in the morning to hopefully get up enough for a potato chip sandwich, and then in the evening to get some dinner and gas to get back to the field again the next day. I have five brothers also born into the deepest poverty.

I am the only family member who has not been incarcerated. I tell people it’s not because I didn’t break the law but we have to understand that, that context of poverty doesn’t always allow you to be good. People are doing what they see possible from their experiences and exposure. So I dropped out of school at 15 and got married. That was absolutely normal. I thought everybody did that. I met my ex husband at 12 and I don’t know if this would surprise you but he also came from generations of migrant labor poverty and his family lived exactly like mine. So one of the key lessons I really emphasize is that the isolation of poverty perpetuates it. Who do middle class people spend time with? Who did middle-class people sit down to dinner with? So all through school, I didn’t know the words my teachers would use.

They would talk about things and I’d be like, “What does that word mean?” And my teachers with the very best of intentions, “you need to go look it up in a dictionary.” “You need to be responsible, independent learner. I will not enable you.” So I would go to the dictionary and there would be five more words that I had no idea what they meant. Nobody in my environment to even begin to say, “What does this word mean?” And learning theory, my doctorate is educational leadership. Learning theory says a human can’t learn the meaning of a word unless they have meaningful dialogue with somebody who can contextualize that word and give them meaningful examples they can relate to. So for me, it wasn’t only the examples or the words. It was also the examples. So the teachers, when they would explain things would use, middle-class lived experiences.

Everybody knows this. Everybody’s been here and it’s like, yeah, no, I haven’t. One of the ways I help people remember this is I was training attorneys in Arizona. One of my books is Breaking Poverty Barriers to Equal Justice. So I was in Arizona, I’m walking out after a training, attorney’s walking beside me, hot, hot, hot. She said, “Oh my gosh, this feels like a spa.” At the very same minute, I said, “Wow, this feels like a laundromat.” We use examples that we are exposed to. So as teachers are using examples from their lived experiences, you’ve got kids in poverty going, “Yeah, I don’t know that. I’ve never heard of that,” or “That’s not how I would say it.” So when I work with teachers, we help them to really make sure that they’re communicating effectively. My master’s is communication and I studied communicating more effectively across poverty, race, gender and generational barriers, because meanings are in people.

When I told a teacher at 15, “I’m quitting school.” She said, “Don’t quit school because you’re going to want a job.” Well, what’s the meaning of a job to a teacher? What’s the meaning of a job to a migrant labor worker? She thinks she’s giving me an incentive, a motivator. That’s going to really get me going. But to me, a job meant you work hard. You don’t get treated with respect. You don’t move up. You still get evicted. You still go hungry. So I looked at her at 15 and said, “I don’t want a job.” And how does a middle-class person respond to that? Probably like my teacher did. “You’re lazy. You’re not motivated, and you’re not going to go anywhere in life with that little attitude.” So, often there’s such a breakdown in communication. There’s a difficulty in building the relationships.

So that really led to the work that I did all the way through the doctoral program for my doctoral research. I interviewed people from generations of poverty, which is the deepest, and there are many types of poverty. Most people don’t know this. This is straight out of my research. Generational working class, immigrant situational intersections of poverty and race mixed class. There’s so many different lived experiences. So when you can empower educators with an understanding of these different lived experiences, they hear their students differently, and they hear the families differently rather than projecting this one idea of poverty, “Oh, well, everybody’s been poor.” So if you imagine you have students from generational poverty, working class poverty, immigrant poverty in the classroom, we’re taking one approach to address the barriers. You can see how we’re going to really seriously miss some.

So that work really led me. It turned me into a research addict. Every single thing I do is research-based. I’ve studied the history of poverty, United States of America, and I learned that most people haven’t. I learned we graduate people to be teachers, social workers, psychiatrists, probation officers, school board members, elected officials, and they’ve never had the history of poverty in this country. So, there’s with the best of intentions, people working to address those impacts of poverty, but not always understanding it. This is my 30th year. I’ve worked all 50 states and multiple countries. I’ve never advertised it. Always word of mouth. People will bring me in to train attorneys and the educators will hear about us they’ll train the educators and then they’ll hear about it, and I’ll train the social workers until you get a poverty informed community going so that no matter what door our children and families walk through, they’re treated with dignity and respect and we’re able to communicate and meet them where they are not where we want them to be, and that’s really when you build that, we start to see lives changed.

Q: You talked about sort of that relate-ability gap, giving examples from life, and the student or the peer not understanding based on their own life experiences. That kind of leads me into my next question. Relative to those who live in poverty, and you touched upon this a little bit, what are some of the stereotypes or biases that come into the picture and how do these stereotypes hinder progress?

A: Well, I mentioned that we graduate people from college to be educators, to be school board members, to be engineers without the history of poverty, United States of America. So we leave the media as the number one teacher. So what most people know about poverty, it’s going to be, “Well, they get rich by having welfare. They don’t want to work. They want welfare.” In 1986, my welfare check for me, my daughter Jennifer was six, my son Daniel was two. My 15 year old cousin didn’t have a place to go, she was with me. My marriage had ended and my ex-husband who couldn’t read and write after seven years at high poverty schools, he went to live in a car that we had bought at an auction for 25 bucks. I go apply for welfare and they said, “Well, we’ll give you $408 to take care of you and your three kids, but we won’t help the 15-year-old cousin because she’s not yours.”

This is happening all across the United States where those subsistence amounts are stretched even farther than we even know. So my rent at that time in a neighborhood called Felony Flats in Portland, Oregon, and I lived in 17 houses in 20 years there, my rent was $395. So I had $408, that left me with $13, and they gave me $150 in food stamps. So when I got an eviction notice, because I’d pay the rent one month, utilities the next month, my welfare workers said, “Well, if you have any eviction notice, you’re now mandated to money management classes.” 23 states have passed legislation saying that you have a newborn baby our state will not help you. So there’s this belief that people have children to get welfare, and the states who still will help if you have a baby, while you’re on TANF welfare [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families], the national average you get is $60 a month to take care of your baby.

According to HUD, there’s not one town in America where a person earning minimum wage, a person on disability, which is right about $750 a month, or a person on subsistence TANF welfare, and I told you, 1986 was my welfare check was $408. The average welfare check today, nationally is $478. We’re talking about 1986, $70 to 2021. Welfare does vary slightly by state. So in my state, we’re one of the more generous states. If you’re a family of three, you get $506 a month to live on. So knowing the facts about poverty helps us to suspend that judgment. In my book, See Poverty … Be the Difference, there’s a quote in there, that’s on the walls of the new Portland State School of Social Work building, which they named community classrooms in my honor. I tell people that’s really weird, I went to the ribbon cutting for that, and this professor said, “Oh, you’re Dr. Donna Beegle. I’ve been teaching the Donna Beegle community classrooms and I thought you were a dead person.”

Okay. Very weird. I am proud. They let my cousin who had no K-12 education, grew up with my aunt Linda, my mom’s sister who can’t read at all, lived in a car most of her life. She’s my graphic designer. So if you go to my website, Communication Across Barriers, you will see Wanda’s magic all over there. Every book, everything, that’s Wanda. She took quotes out of See Poverty, and she put them on the walls of the new School of Social Work building. So when you walk in, it says, “Believe people can make it out of poverty. If you don’t. They probably won’t.” It says, “If you’re judging, you cannot connect. If you cannot connect, you cannot communicate, and if you cannot communicate, how will we educate?” So to suspend judgment we’ve got to gain poverty competencies and get poverty informed. So those are a couple big ones.

Another big one is, well, they have Nike’s and they can’t afford food. So someone will do a home visit and they get there and “Man, they’ve got big screen TV. They’re watching cable. They’ve got painted nails. They’re smoking cigarettes and wearing Nikes,” and people will say, “I don’t want to help them.” And this is again, more of our ignorance. Oprah Winfrey said on her show, “I would rather help children in Africa than children in America.” And she said that because she interviewed kids in Africa and she said, “What do you want?” And they said, “Uniforms to go to school.” She interviewed kids in America. She said, “What do you want?” And they said, “X-Box, PlayStation, Nikes” all that. Because what Oprah Winfrey missed, and what most people miss is that United States is a consumerism society. Paulo Freire says every society teaches its people, “What does it take to belong?” So if a kid walks into school with the right shoes or the right cell phone, what happens? “Ooh, ah,” they get noticed.

Maslow who taught us about human development says, “To be noticed is to belong.” And he put belonging right up there with our need to eat. It’s about belonging. The last one I’ll touch on is just that, when I go into school social work curriculum, I work with colleges around the country. When I go look in the curriculum for poverty, I almost never ever find poverty. What I find is drug addiction, child abuse, domestic violence, mental health, child sex abuse, no conversation about the housing affordability crisis in the United States, the childcare crisis in the United States. Before the pandemic you had middle-class people leaving their jobs because a year of quality preschool or childcare was equivalent to one year of college.

So we have middle-class people leaving, and what about our parents that get a $1.50 an hour to pay for childcare? How are the children? So we have a childcare crisis. We have a transportation crisis. We don’t have transportation systems to get where we need to be when we need to be there. So you drive illegally. I drove illegally for 14 years because instead of addressing the root cause, what we do is we just put on a law that says, “Don’t drive, unless you have car insurance.” So you’re making choices between rent and food. All that law did was fill our courtrooms with people with suspended license and create a tow truck industry. It did not solve the root causes, the structural causes. So childcare crisis, preventative health crisis. In my family, emergency rooms were our doctors. I’m getting ready to train Portland Adventist, all doctors, nurses, urgent care, ER, folks, everybody within the hospital because they haven’t had the history of poverty or poverty 101 either. So when someone comes in with seven teeth saying “ain’t” every other word, do you think they get the same care as someone with insurance? No, they don’t.

Our biases live in our subconscious mind. We’re not even conscious we hold them. Teachers are not even conscious of how they make decisions of “I’m going to invest in this student, but not this one.” So what we do in our poverty informed trainings is we raise those biases to consciousness so we can shatter them with backs, with evidence-based best practices. When people know the facts, they then want to align and really fight the poverty, not the students and families who live in it.

Q: You’ve alluded to some of this already. But if you were to identify some of the most damaging impacts of poverty on youth, what would that be?

A: Well, poverty steals hope and confidence. If you read my bio, it doesn’t start with GED at 26, it starts with confidence. Poverty teaches you, “You don’t know anything. And what you do know isn’t valuable.” That hope is the wings for grabbing an education. Teachers, educators who believe that learning is fixed. You don’t do well with kids in poverty or kids with special needs. Educators who understand that what kids know when they get to our doors, isn’t all they can know. I did tell you, I went from GED at 26 to doctorate in just 10 years. When the information is meaningful and purposeful and we use evidence-based best practices of teaching and learning and we engage our entire community, we can shatter those statistics that a student born into poverty today is less likely to get an education than they were in 40s.

Q: So again, this is something you’ve kind of covered in some of your other questions, but how does educating and understanding poverty, which is your objective and your organization’s objective. How does understanding poverty as a society and an educational system help to reverse this and flip this around?

A: Well, education of course is key to shattering the myths and stereotypes, and really getting that subconscious bias to our consciousness to say, you know I’ve had teachers say, “I didn’t tell that student I didn’t want them in my classroom. I didn’t tell him I think their mom’s a meth addict.” And I’m like, “You don’t have to,” because communication theory says, “You cannot, not communicate.” You’re always communicating. So they feel it. You feel it if you’re not wanted. You feel it if someone doesn’t think you can learn. Without that connection… Humans don’t take information from people they see as other. If you start looking at our policies, I studied policy for a year. Policies are supposed to serve. Policies that punish or exclude, they’re actually called bad policy. So we have to think through what are we doing in our school systems that exclude or send messages that you’re not wanted.

I worked with one school district. I did a poverty competency assessment, which is a model that I developed where we look at policy. We look at professional development levels of teachers with the 10 poverty competencies that I teach. We look at strength of community partnership because, in fact, educators can’t do it alone. We need didn’t have a full resource backpack and know who we can call particularly by first name. We look at the curriculum. Is it relevant? Are they going to be able to see it as personable? Because if you’ve studied the history of poverty, the most common metaphor used is war. Because when humans don’t have their fundamental needs met, they’re in survival mode. So now imagine that I take you to the middle of a war zone in Syria, or many of the many wars that are going on around the world.

If I’m a kid in school, let’s say this kid gets to school. I mean, what are my words going to be to that kid? “You’re late? Where’s your homework?” So I’m working with this school and I’m training the teachers, and the teacher said, “You got to help me with this 10 year old kid.” She said, “I’ve tried everything.” And I said, “Okay, well, what have you tried?” She said, “I took away recess. He doesn’t get extracurricular activities. I don’t allow him any athletics, and he’s still late every single day, and he won’t do his homework.” And I said, “Well, what do you call homework when you don’t have a home?” I’ve literally asked thousands of school board members, superintendents. I mean, typically I speak to 90,000 people a year, professionals, pre-pandemic, “Is homework an effective teaching and learning strategy for kids who live in the crisis of poverty.”

I’ve yet to hear one professional say, “Yeah, it’s working.” In fact, we have studies that show schools that give homework schools that don’t, no difference in test scores. For many of our kids in poverty, the only learning that is going to happen is going to be in a building where there’s lights and heat and adults who know that material, who aren’t in crisis. We have to start shifting our paradigm to how will we make the learning happen. Not how will the students and families be ready for us, but how can we get ready for the students and families living in their cars, living in storage sheds, campers, doubled up, tripled. We saw a lot of that over the pandemic. So are we ready for them? And will those gaps that they have be equated to their IQ, or can we reframe it and use strengths perspective, which says believe in the unknown potential, meet the students where they are, and then get them where they need to be. Raise your expectations. Expect every one of those students to go to college.

There’s work to be done on increasing those numbers of students going on to college, and it has to be broken down in some really important ways. I would encourage everyone to start this poverty competency journey by reading my book, See Poverty … Be the Difference. People say it’s a page turner and they can’t put it down. It’s got story, it’s got best practice. It shatters the myths. We’ve got some great tools for doing that at Communication Across Barriers.

Q: So lastly, how can we build responsive, inclusive communities that work for all?

A: Typically when people are addressing poverty barriers in our schools or any system, it’s typically what’s called a silo approach. So we’re like putting out the fires. This is what we can do. We don’t do the housing. We don’t do the food. We don’t do the… And so what happens is we do what we can in our schools, and then we send the kids out into the war zone of poverty. That doesn’t work. What works is when we build the relationships, we create a platform for the entire community to get poverty informed and aligned with a shared understanding and shared language so that it becomes what one of my books is called If Not Me, Then Who? … Because what we are right now is “It’s not my job.” In my opinion, the second a school board member, a teacher, a principal, a social worker, a police officer says “Breaking poverty barrier’s not my job,” you’re not doing your job. It doesn’t mean you have to go do everything for people, but you certainly have to do it with them, or connect them to the right person who can.

So we have what’s called the Opportunity Community Model. We’re in communities around the country. We did our first virtual opportunity community, where we help schools or community action. We have an anchor organization and they typically will be the host, and we will come in and spend a year really building their platform to have a poverty informed community, to engage students and families in ways you’ve never have, to get them on a path. I spend six hours with parents in poverty and really worked to remove the shame, rebuild the hope, to reduce the isolation, by connecting them to people who’ve benefitted from education, and then connect them to that poverty informed community so that we know, “Okay, well here I can help you with your math.” And, “Here’s someone who can help your family with some housing,” or some medical medicine or whatever barrier is in your way.

Any barrier that can be removed, absolutely should. If it’s not in my hands to do it, whatever my role is, I need to be able to go, “Okay, well, who can?” Who gets a paycheck to resolve this particular issue? And where are they? Who are they? And call them up and use our titles to get through the system and say, “Hey, I got a family struggling with this. What can you do? And who do you know?” Because we know, in fact, it’s a world of who you know. People get a lot farther when they know somebody, and it’s also a world of titles. In the middle-class world, titles are magic. Yet, when you’re in poverty, you can’t even get a real person to speak to half the time.

When I became Dr. Beegle, I could do this. “This is Dr. Beagle. I’d like the supervisor.” It was like magic. I got follow through, got calls back. It was action taken. When I was just Donna, I couldn’t get a person. So what I teach is use your titles as school board members, as educators, as leaders. Use your titles to navigate those systems and educate the folks in those systems. We do these really intensive two-day poverty immersion institutes, and we also certify people to be Beegle poverty coaches for their organizations. We have thousands and thousands of embedded Beegle poverty coaches around the country. Amarillo College president is a Beegle certified poverty coach. They have 100 Beegle coaches on their campus. They are shattering records, because nationally, if a kid from poverty makes it to college, only 11% leave with a degree or certificate. It’s 3% if they’re foster care. So their first year they sent 11 people, different levels of the organization to get certified as Beegle poverty coaches.

And our Beegle coaches, they learn how to do what I do. They will do those poverty competency education pieces, workshops, brown bags, look at policy through the eyes of the students and families impacted by generational, working class, work to strengthen those community partnerships, be able to take a look at the curriculum, what’s on the walls. Often people don’t pay attention, but our schools with high poverty, they often have a deficit negative language like, “No.” “Don’t.” “Stop.” I mean, you get two blocks away. Whereas you go to privileged schools, and you’ll see a lot of, “Welcome.” “Dare to dream.” “Be all you could be.” So we have to even go that level, but getting Beegle coaches in at different levels, we have a K-12 system in Washington state, Evergreen. They went from being at the bottom in the state of Washington. All of their principals are Beegle certified poverty coaches, their superintendent, their school board members got trained. I trained their K-12 staff. They aren’t all certified Beegle coaches, but they all got training.

With the ongoing training embedded in the school system, now that work can continue because poverty, like racism, is just simply not a one-time training. We have to embed it within our systems, and that empowers us as schools then to include our community partners and say, “Hey, have you thought about it this way?” Or, “Did you know, there are different lived experiences of poverty?” “Have you heard this evidence-based best practice for teaching children who live in the war zone of poverty?” So you have that power right within your system, and that’s just life-changing. It definitely creates a climate where students come to that campus, where parents come to that campus, and feel like it’s not the teacher’s school or the principal’s school, but it’s our school.

Q: You highlighted the different types of poverty, and even that just as the kind of fundamental overview of it. Even that I think is sort of earth shattering to anyone who hasn’t really studied or been aware or read about the topic of poverty. I think it’s just seen as a general poverty, as a label.

A: Even the federal government, they have a faulty federal poverty guideline. They say, “If you’re a family of four, you need about $26,000 a year to make it.” Well, that number, the economic formula used to create that number of what families need in 2021 is based on cost of living in the 1960s. The economist developed this formula, so it doesn’t include childcare, transportation, or healthcare. So economic policy institutes say if you would add those things in, family of four would actually need about $50,000 and that wouldn’t get them a trip to Hawaii. So you got a lot of kids in our system, they make between $25,000 and $50,000, they don’t qualify for free lunch or Pell grants or some of the supports that we know they’re not getting anywhere else. So you have a faulty definition of poverty at the federal level, and then you have subconscious misunderstandings about what the impacts of generational, the intersections of poverty and race, the intersections of the working class who are very, very different from generational poverty. Very, very different from immigrant poverty.

But, if we’re aware of that, as educators, as school board members, we can take that into considerations and make our efforts closer aligned with where the students and families are rather than where we want them to be.

Dr. Donna Beegle, co-founder and president of Communication Across Barriers

Dr. Donna Beegle is the co-founder and president of Communication Across Barriers, which provides resources and trainings that aim to improve communication and relationships across poverty barriers. Dr. Beegle grew up in generational migrant-labor poverty and left school at age 15 to get married and start a family. At age 25, she found herself with two children, no husband, little education and few marketable job skills. Within 10 short years, she got her GED and advanced through to a doctoral degree in educational leadership. All these experiences provide Beegle with an authentic voice with which to speak, write and train across the nation to break the iron cage of poverty.
Communication Across Barriers
The post Building Inclusive, Poverty-Informed School Communities appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Bully Prevention: Teaching Students to be Upstanders** Sep 07, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

While statistics of bullying in schools may be alarming, organizations such as Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA) in Bucks County are working to prevent occurrences by teaching students of all ages strategies to fend off bullies and how to intervene when they see it occurring. On this episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Grace Wheeler, NOVA’s director of education and prevention on the organization’s efforts on this front.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

How and why bullying patterns can change as students get older

The importance of creating a climate of support and empathy and teaching problem solving skills in schools

What it means to be an upstander and how students can become one

Skip to: 01:07 How prevalent is bullying in schools, specifically in Pennsylvania?

“Of these high schoolers as well, we know about 8% of these students said that they miss at least one day of school per month because they did not feel safe in their school or on their school property.”

Skip to: 02:13 I think that most people think it’s more significant of an issue at the middle or high school level. Is this accurate?

“I always like to frame it as it’s not more or less significant, but just it looks different depending on the grade level of the student.”

Skip to: 03:22

“What I think really comes at the foundation of bullying prevention is being intentional and taking bullying seriously. It is not an experience that every third grader just has to endure as a part of a typical childhood. It is something that is preventable. And certainly, when we don’t take bullying seriously, we’re really taking away the power and the voice of victims who are experiencing bullying.”

“Upstander intervention can be really impactful, and upstanders are often that piece of the puzzle that has the potential for that positive change.”

Skip to: 06:13 We’re hearing growing concerns this year over potential mask bullying. What advice would you offer to school leaders to address this possible scenario?

“We as adults can be thinking about the tone that we are setting and the expectations that we have of students, and certainly being mindful of the behavior and language that we are modeling.”

Skip to: 08:00 What kind of work does your organization do with school districts? How do you work with the school districts to help in this area?

“It’s an Encourage Upstanders program, and it’s where we work with high school students and we prepare them, we train them to be peer educators in the younger grades of the elementary schools in their districts. They then are the presenters that go into our elementary schools, work with those younger students and talk about upstander behavior.”

Skip to: 09:52 Is there any data or maybe anecdotal success stories that tell you that the preventative training is having an impact?

“Our responses coming out of the post-testing is that 100% of the students were able to identify at least two strategies for supporting classmates who are being cyberbullied, and also to identify two appropriate responses if they were being cyberbullied. Those two responses is really at the core of what we’re looking to do with our programs. When we got that data, we were just really excited to have had that impact.”

Skip to: 11:04 Is there somewhere [districts] can go or look to find an appropriate organization that they might be able to work with?

Q: How prevalent is bullying in schools, specifically in Pennsylvania?

A: Just as you were saying there in your introduction, about one in five students are bullied nationally in any given school year. We find that the CDCs youth risk behavior survey is a really great resource for looking at data that’s specific to states.

For example, 2019 is the latest publication for this report that we have. In 2019, about 14% of high schoolers reported being electronically bullied, and about 19% of them being bullied on a school property. Of these high schoolers as well, we know about 8% of these students said that they miss at least one day of school per month because they did not feel safe in their school or on their school property. It’s really important for us to know the statistics of Pennsylvania and also to just keep that aligned with what we know about national averages and knowing that these statistics are actually fairly similar to what we see as national averages as well.

Q: I think that most people think it’s more significant of an issue at the middle or high school level. Is this accurate?

A: It’s not necessarily a question of more significant or worse, it’s different. When we think about bullying behavior at the elementary school level, we’re often looking at bullying behavior that’s physical bullying, social bullying, verbal bullying.

At the middle school and high school levels is where we start to see that introduction more to cyberbullying. It’s a question of the evidence of bullying isn’t often quite as present in an elementary school. If we’re talking about a bully, who’s bullying a student on the playground, there’s a likelihood that a staff member of that school is not present to witness the bullying.

Whereas cyberbullying has a much larger audience and there’s often the ability to provide evidence or proof. We can show that Instagram post, we can show that text. I always like to frame it as it’s not more or less significant, but just it looks different depending on the grade level of the student.

Q: What are the most powerful ways that school leaders, educators, and parents can teach even the youngest of learners why we shouldn’t bully, and then also how to prevent bullying?

A: Certainly, we can first have this understanding of root causes of bullying behavior, and they fall into some larger categories. We can think about power and control, the pure attention that a student might be receiving, inadequate or ineffective supervision, bias issues, and looking at the overall culture of acceptance of bullying within a school climate.

What I think really comes at the foundation of bullying prevention is being intentional and taking bullying seriously. It is not an experience that every third grader just has to endure as a part of a typical childhood. It is something that is preventable. And certainly, when we don’t take bullying seriously, we’re really taking away the power and the voice of victims who are experiencing bullying.

In terms of prevention, we like to focus on social and emotional learning. Are we delivering programs that are building in emotional regulation and empathy building, and perspective taking? Are we working through some activities that offer social problem solving?

One of the things we really focus on is thinking about the role of a bystander. In bullying situations, about 80% of the time, a bystander, at least one if not multiple bystanders, are present in witnessing that bullying. We know that when children are bullied, if they are defended or supported by those bystanders, they are less likely then to feel anxious and depressed.

What we actually like to do is turn it on its head a little bit and we call those who are bystanders who do take action, we call them upstanders. We know that when upstanders intervene in bullying situations, about 57% of the time that bullying behavior is going to stop within 10 seconds. Upstander intervention can be really impactful, and upstanders are often that piece of the puzzle that has the potential for that positive change.

I think another piece of that puzzle when we think about bullying prevention, going back to something I said earlier, which is are we creating a culture in a given school or any district where bullying is not accepted, and certainly not the norm so that students are not giving an audience to those that are using that bullying behavior?

Q: That’s really important and teachable moments at all age levels, really. We’re hearing growing concerns this year over potential mask bullying, whether students choose to wear masks, not wear masks, obviously absent of mandates. What advice would you offer to school leaders to address this possible scenario just to head that off before it begins occurring?

A: Yeah. I think it goes back to what we talked about in setting that intention and taking this seriously. We as adults can be thinking about the tone that we are setting and the expectations that we have of students, and certainly being mindful of the behavior and language that we are modeling. Certainly, no surprise that children are watching and listening to us, so our behavior, our language is vitally important.

This also, I think, comes to that point of school climate. What are the signals and the enforcement that we are giving? What kind of classroom management are we using within our smaller spheres of students to be, again, mindful and vigilant of masking bullying?

I think it also has the potential to really present students with a real-life example to talk through a bullying situation. It’s a real-world example of practicing their social and emotional skills and empathy and compassion.

But I think really at the end of the day, what we can project for students is that bullying in any form is not acceptable. We can handle any form of bullying, whether it’s something new and specific to the time we live in now or those typical forms of bullying that we’re familiar with, our prevention, our responses, they’re similar.

Q: What kind of work does your organization do with school districts? How do you work with the school districts to help in this area?

A: At NOVA we have a prevention education department, and our bullying prevention programs are the cornerstone of the programming that we offer. We offer parent programs. One of our most frequently requested parent programs would be Navigating Cyberbullying. We hold classroom presentations that start in those lower elementary ages that go all the way on up your high school, and certainly the content, the messaging is going to change and evolve as we’re working with students of the older grades.

We also have a program at NOVA that we’re particularly enthused about because it’s a primary prevention strategy. It’s an Encourage Upstanders program, and it’s where we work with high school students and we prepare them, we train them to be peer educators in the younger grades of the elementary schools in their districts. They then are the presenters that go into our elementary schools, work with those younger students and talk about upstander behavior. Really just the power that that method holds when it’s coming from that older student, the impact is really tremendous.

A lot of this is all supported by our No Bullying Run which we hold every year, and it’s a really great event where our community comes together. It’s a really powerful message, a powerful day that is that stand against bullying in our communities.

Q: Great, so whole community support. I love the program that involves the older students, because what a different conversation that is, older student to younger student rather than adult to student.

A: Absolutely.

Q: Is there any data or maybe anecdotal success stories that tell you that the preventative training is having an impact? Is there anything in that area that you can share?

A: Sure. Typically, our best practice when we’re working with students is to use an evaluation tool. Typically, that’s going to look like pre- and post-testing.

This particular year we presented virtually. Typically, we’re in person. But virtually this year, our responses coming out of the post-testing is that 100% of the students were able to identify at least two strategies for supporting classmates who are being cyberbullied, and also to identify two appropriate responses if they were being cyberbullied. Those two responses is really at the core of what we’re looking to do with our programs. When we got that data, we were just really excited to have had that impact.

We know that our schools call us back year after year. We’re often that call that they make when something has happened, there’s a new situation and they need some additional support. We find ourselves really fortunate to be that resource for our school districts in the county.

Q: And that brings me to the area that you serve, which is Bucks County. I’m wondering if there are districts that are located in other regions across the state, is there somewhere they can go or look to find an appropriate organization that they might be able to work with?

A: Sure. Well, NOVA is what’s called the Victim Services Agency, so I certainly would recommend that school districts identify if they have a Victim Services Agency in their county, and then what their prevention programs look like.

Outside of that, a couple of really great resources, the Pennsylvania Department of Education has a page with just a host of different resources, slides, programs. It’s really a significant, I think, resource for our schools. Stopbullying.gov is another really great resource, and of course, this number that we often use with our students in schools is the Bullying Prevention Consultation Hotline that we have in this state as well. A lot of these resources I just listed may be able to help school districts find who are their local resources when it comes to bullying prevention.

Grace Wheeler, Director of Education and Prevention at Network of Victim Assistance

Grace Wheeler is the Director of Education and Prevention at Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA), where Grace provides leadership for prevention and training programs to children, youth, community members and professionals. Grace leads the education and prevention team with the strategic development and implementation of prevention and training goals and strategies. Grace has an M.A. in international peace and conflict resolution from Arcadia University and is a certified mediator in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and certified facilitator in multiple pieces of training including Stewards of Children, Safe Touches, and Healing and Rebuilding Our Communities. Grace has worked in conflict zones around the world including Rwanda, Northern Ireland and Sierra Leone. Grace is an avid hiker and can be found in the mountains of her home state, New York, in her spare time. Grace can be reached at grace@novabucks.org.
NOVA
Pennsylvania Office of Victim Services
Pennsylvania Department of Education Bullying Prevention
Stopbullying.gov
Bullying Prevention Consultation Hotline: 1-866-716-0424
The post Bully Prevention: Teaching Students to be Upstanders appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Pursuing Passion and Optimism as a Foundation for Equity and Inclusion** Aug 24, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Kimberly Reed has spent her career inspiring and guiding some of the most influential business leaders in implementing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and practices. Listen in on this *Keystone Education Radio* conservation, as host Annette Stevenson discusses with Kim her remarkable journey to establish her organization, her advice for establishing DEI policy in schools, and what drives her tenacious pursuit of optimism.

**In this episode, you’ll discover:**

How passion can shape your career path

Fundamentals of tackling subjects such as diversity, equity and inclusion in educational settings

Why embracing optimism in your darkest moments changes your response to these situations and builds resilience

Skip to: 00:45 What is your background and what led you to where you are now?

“The theme of that was people. And working with people, advocating for people, being a champion for our community.”

Skip to: 04:36 What was the biggest catalyst for Reed Development Group? What did you set out to achieve when you started your organization?

“I had a great mentor, sponsor, and I also had a wonderful boss who saw the talent in me and who believed in me, and who was a champion of my success. I’ll never forget those important ingredients or those two people.”

“But for me, when they said that, ‘Kim, go follow your passion,’ I got on the plane that evening and I thought about what my passion is. What is it? I thought it was diversity and working for a global organization, making an excellent salary, and I will get on the cover of Black Enterprise Magazine, or Forbes Woman, at the time that I was reading, and I would ride off into the sunset. Continue to work and ride off into the sunset into retirement. Well, that didn’t happen. I followed my passion. I called them when I got back the next morning, and I said, ‘I am going to see what else is out there for me.’”

“Our projects are sometimes short, our projects are sometimes long, but at the end of the day, what we do is develop people. We develop leaders and we develop organizations, to ensure that they are innovative and that diversity is in the DNA of the organization.”

Skip to: 09:52 When you’re consulting, where do you advise or what do you advise as the starting point? What’s some of the groundwork that must be laid?

“Encourage school boards to embrace the importance of teacher and school leader diversity. What does your board look like? Is it a replication of the communities you serve? That’s important.”

“We’ve got to start in the right direction. We have to use the data. We have to engage the school boards. We have to look at recruitment. We have to look at work conditions. And lastly, it has to be about support.”

Skip to: 18:19 What does your book title, “Optimists Always Win” mean to you?

“What I want the book, what I want readers to know, that this book, is that it encourages readers to road test their optimism skills, eliminate discouragement and create new a set of positive habits.”

“Learn how to really just embrace and take your inner strength, stand tall, and use your power to power through life with grace, confidence and resilience, because these difficulties and struggles are unavoidable in our lives, but a person has complete control over how you respond to a situation.”

Skip to: 22:35 How do you advise people that they can generate optimism?

“Gratitude is the rocket fuel to our resilience.”

Q: So Kim, would you start by telling us about you, a little bit about you and your background and what led you to where you are now?

A: Sure, sure, sure. So my name is Kimberly Reed, and I am a new best-selling author.

Q: Awesome.

A: Yes, and I’ll talk about that in a moment, but where I started is in corporate. I had the blessing to work with some of the most influential companies in the world, and I had such a great ride on my corporate journey. I had the opportunity to work with some of the best and brightest people on the planet. No question about that. I started off in recruitment, talent management.

So if I hit the rewind button even further, I thought I was going to be an attorney. I saw Johnnie Cochran… I’m dating myself, but I saw Johnnie Cochran, the whole OJ trial, and I was in college at the time and I said, “wow.” I always wanted to be a teacher on the college level, but I also wanted to be Oprah, in the sense of, I love people. So I wanted to be a talk show host. Then I wanted to be an anchor woman on the 11 o’clock news.

The theme of that was people. And working with people, advocating for people, being a champion for our community. And I still did that. I did that. How I did that was all of my corporate experiences in recruitment, talent management and diversity brought me to this very moment. So I had to learn the business. I was in professional services, for example. I worked for a company that you might know called PWC and Deloitte. I worked in these large companies, global entities, and I was able to learn about the business aspect of diversity and understanding back then it was just diversity, and inclusion wasn’t a part of the equation. Nor belonging, nor equity, or equality.

So I was focusing on diversity, and ensuring in tech at the time, because one of the practices I was in was tech, and the tech practice that we diversify; that we had more women and people of color in that space. So I fell in love with diversity, and going back to the ingredients of what brought me here is the champion, the advocate.

And my passion to ensure that women and people of color have a seat at the corporate table, because I know what that table feels like. I also know that a lot of mentees that I have on college campuses, they aspire to be those people. To be those people at the table, whether it is educational administrator, or whether it is a corporate executive like myself. So it was a kaleidoscope of experiences that brought me to this very moment. I am currently, my day job, is a diversity, equality and inclusion executive and strategist. So I have the blessing to work with still the world’s most influential organizations, some that I worked for previously, to ensure that they are not only hiring, because we know hiring is important, retention is important, but their culture is diversity ready. So in that there’s a sense of belonging also in that culture that permeates your employees.

Q: Yeah, absolutely. You touched upon what your day job is now, so talk a little bit about what the biggest catalyst was for founding Reed Development Group. Was there a single big moment, or was it cumulative? What did you set out to achieve when you started your organization?

A: Sure. I got laid off.

Q: Well, that is a catalyst.

A: That was the catalyst. So it’s funny Annette, I will tell you, when I tell the story sometimes of my background, or how sometimes where we weave optimism into our lives, etc., people always wait for me to say this big moment of that, I came to entrepreneurship. It was a default. I thank God that I have an entrepreneur spirit. I just didn’t know it was within me. Because… I will never forget, the short story; it was Deloitte, was my last corporate job, and I worked on the national practice. I reported directly to the chief diversity officer of Deloitte Global. One of my mentors was one of a few highest-ranking partners of color in the entire firm.

So I had great air cover. I had a great mentor, sponsor, and I also had a wonderful boss who saw the talent in me and who believed in me, and who was a champion of my success. I’ll never forget those important ingredients or those two people. So I was working in Philadelphia, but both of my bosses, well one of my bosses, the chief diversity officer, was in Houston.

And I flew down to Houston because she wanted to meet; no problem, that wasn’t out of the norm. And so when I met with her, then the partner who I told you about, who was a mentor of mine, was also there. And they said, Kim, we know that you love what you do. We are leaving the firm. I’m like, what? What do you mean you’re leaving the firm? Who’s going to be my air cover? Who’s going to be my advocate? Who’s going help me get work done?

Because sometimes in organizations, you have some people that fully don’t believe in the cause. And when you have executives or when you have people at that level to help you navigate the culture, your job is that much easier.

So needless to say, we ate dinner, we had this conversation, they told me they were leaving. They said, but Kim, we know that we see you as a professional speaker. You always are doing great sessions for the firm. We understand, we know your passion for diversity, etc., and the list went on. We can have another role for you in the firm because the Global Diversity Team was disassembling. There was a lot of re-org happening, etc. We just didn’t know where the chips were going to fall at that moment.

So for them, as the mentors they were and great boss that they were, they were protecting me, because we just didn’t know where that fallout was going to be. They said, “Kim, you could stay with the firm and we’ll find you a role; no biggie. But go follow your passion.”

And I thought this was my passion! But entrepreneurship is the hardest job I ever loved, and I have no ceiling. Meaning when you work inside, and there’s nothing wrong with working internally, because I tell my students all the time, you want to diversify your experience. Go work for a global company, travel, go work in education, go do what you want to do to make an impact in other people’s lives and simultaneously make an impact in yours.

But for me, when they said that, “Kim, go follow your passion,” I got on the plane that evening and I thought about what my passion is. What is it? I thought it was diversity and working for a global organization, making an excellent salary, and I will get on the cover of Black Enterprise Magazine, or Forbes Woman, at the time that I was reading, and I would ride off into the sunset. Continue to work and ride off into the sunset into retirement.

Well, that didn’t happen. I followed my passion. I called them when I got back the next morning, and I said, “I am going to see what else is out there for me.”

And on October 20, it will be actually 14 years this year, I started Reed Consulting Group, and then the name changed later to Development. And you might say, why did you do that? Well, consultants go in an organization, they come out. We go in, we do the work, we come out.

But diversity is a little different, because we tend to be a part of the fabric of the organization. Our projects are sometimes short, our projects are sometimes long, but at the end of the day, what we do is develop people. We develop leaders and we develop organizations, to ensure that they are innovative and that diversity is in the DNA of the organization. That’s how I got to where I am now, and the impacts to the world that I hope that I make.

Q: That’s an amazing journey there. So some of the subjects that you talked about that you help incorporate into the DNA of an organization, tackling subjects like diversity, equity, inclusion, all of this can seem overwhelming for leaders of organizations, or leaders of school districts who are setting about to do some work in this area. So when you’re consulting, let’s say with an educational entity, where do you advise, or what do you advise as the starting point? What’s some of the groundwork that must be laid?

A: Sure. I always recommend… There is a form of a playbook, this D-E-I-B [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging], because some entities use belonging, playbook. And what I would say specifically to educators, and school district leaders, staff, teachers, who are interested in improving and walking in the evolution of diversity, equity, equality, and inclusion, I would recommend there are a few steps that you take.

One, is that you encourage school boards to embrace the importance of teacher and school leader diversity. What does your board look like? Is it a replication of the communities you serve? That’s important. You have to encourage school boards, and we have to signal them to ensure that they are understanding the importance. We are seeing that play out in Florida right now.

Also, step two I would say, is to collect and use data to examine school district recruitment, interviews and hiring practices. And that’s internal, so let’s talk about external. In your student population, let’s look at the data of how many students are in a challenged socioeconomic environment. That’s a part of diversity. There are over 10 dimensions of diversity and socioeconomic is one of them. So are we looking at the demographics of our kids? Because every student has a different need.

Think about learning for a moment, Annette. A lot of times we have to modify our teaching, because I teach on the college level. We have to modify our teaching style, energy, etc., for the adult learner, because adult learners learn differently; visual, for example. Well let’s go back to children. There is a different learning style and a different, I would say, set of issues that students, for example, in the urban communities, face before they hit the school doors every morning. So we have to understand what our students, the kaleidoscope in the demographic of our students that we’re teaching, that we’re working with, in addition to the administrative stuff. Back what I just discussed; school district recruitment, interviewing, hiring practices.

I’m reading a lot now about diversity because of what is happening in Florida. It prompted me to read into some of the horrific depictions, videos that we’ve seen. And I understand parents, I understand both sides. But not to get into mask versus not mask, but this is talking about diversity, but that is an element of diversity, so you can’t ignore that.

Vaccinated versus unvaccinated. Some people who have religious beliefs of why they’re not vaccinated. They’re a part of this kaleidoscope of diverse people, and diversity in our re-made nation. Virtual learning. We developed, my team, we partner with the state of Delaware, and this is our second cycle; second year, if you will. And we developed an internship program and what the essential, without going into the weeds of what the program is, but it is a program that is for high school students in Wilmington. Most come from very humble beginnings. And so because it’s virtual, we have different issues than perhaps students that have access to Wi-Fi. Something so simple, but so powerful.

Our students, some of them have to be on video. Why? Two reasons. One, because of their background. Sometimes students are on video or off video, and some are off video because of their environments. We have to understand that. Sometimes students just don’t want to be on video; we got that, we got that small pool. But depending on the student, the groups, and the demographics of students that you’re working with, we have to understand that there are different challenges, and one is Wi-Fi. Something that you and I may take for granted, or people that are listening to this podcast. It’s like, what? We have Wi-Fi. I have cable. That’s why I have Wi-Fi.

But there’s still families that don’t, so the students have to figure out a way to be on a Zoom, or to attend their internships virtually. And that was eye opening for me, because I did not think about Wi-Fi, to be honest with you, for anybody.

So I had to check myself. So it goes to my third step… Well point, I should say. We have to think about how we improve a working environment for educators of color in our students, because not all students of color come from humble beginnings. We have to understand that kaleidoscope of thinking.

And I would say the fourth, is you have to question and change recruitment practices to identify qualified teachers of color. In Philadelphia we see a great diversity. I’m proud of Philadelphia’s school district, Dr. Hite. We have a great diversity of teachers. But you see in some areas, you see more Caucasian teachers. Especially in urban areas. I meant the kids that I’ve just talked to you about, these excellent, wonderful kids I talk about, that is a scenario.

And so the other step, I think we’re on four perhaps; invest in mentorship and career ladders for current and inspiring teachers, schools and district leaders. Let’s go back to what the premise of these steps processes, and I’m asking for my reaction to your question, is you have to start with this playbook.

And also an assessment. I didn’t jump into why diversity is important; no, that’s not it. There has to be… The bright spots across the state are school districts working hard to create diverse, equitable and inclusive environments for educators and students alike.

But we also are reminded that virtual and state level policy changes and investments that need to support a more diverse educator workforce, and also demographics of students that I just described, and there has to be powerful and practical steps that each school district and their leaders take right now in their local communities. And that is what I mean by this playbook.

We’ve got to start in the right direction. We have to use the data. We have to engage the school boards. We have to look at recruitment. We have to look at work conditions. And lastly, it has to be about support.

Q: So there’s a systematic approach for it to be successful, really, it sounds like?

A: No question, because organizations that successfully embody diversity, equity, equality and inclusion, they demonstrate the values at all levels, including with their governance bodies. School boards play a vital role in establishing diverse environments.

Q: Absolutely.

A: Right? And making clear to district and school leaders that a strong and diverse workforce is paramount.

Q: So you have a new book out, you mentioned best-selling author; congratulations on that.

A: Thank you.

Q: Your new book is titled Optimists Always Win. So expound on what that title means to you. Give us a few highlights of what that means.

A: Of course. So it’s funny, I get excited about diversity in my book, and family and all that great stuff, but I really get fired up on a Friday afternoon because Optimists Always Win was three years in the making. And it is a book about my battle with breast cancer. The devastating loss of my mom. And I just want to offer people some life lessons on overcoming dark days, because I hit rock bottom, Annette, when my mom died. She was my best friend, my air. I wanted this book to represent the journey, her legacy, and not in this order, and in blessing other people, hence why 100% of the proceeds go to two cancer charities. One, it goes to a research hospital here in the city of Philadelphia for breast cancer care and patient care. The other portion goes to the American Cancer Society, Philadelphia Hope Lodge. The Philadelphia Hope Lodge, like many nonprofits, have suffered during the global pandemic, but they are a very important part of our community because this is where families get to stay when their loved one is going through horrific treatment, or going over hospice, or dealing with a terminal illness.

They come out on the other side winning. And so it’s so important that I did that for the life of the book. The book has so many entities, and so many ancillaries, and I’ll bring it in closer. We launched a YouTube channel called Optimists Always Win. Named after the book, it’s a new, comprehensive exploration of the power of optimism. So what I want the book, what I want readers to know, that this book, is that it encourages readers to road test their optimism skills, eliminate discouragement and create new a set of positive habits. So in the YouTube channel, it’s short videos that will explore themes from each chapter of the book, and that will challenge participants to be optimistic every day. And two, to keep everyone on track, each video is a dose of optimism and practical tips for leveraging these discouragement eliminators, which I consider the most important technique for successfully adopting an optimistic mindset.

See Annette, people are looking at 2020… some, right, are looking at this as just the fifth quarter of 2021. We’ve been through a lot. It doesn’t have to be the case. And the key really is how you are going through this journey. How are you walking through this global pandemic, and all the stuff that we’ve had to experience? Vaccinations, all of this, is adopting a positive mindset. This is why I created the YouTube channel, really to push people out of this fear gear, and challenge them to be more optimistic, and show them how a positive attitude can really just alter your life in a big way in just mere weeks.

Finally, this book offers heartfelt and inspirational stories from me. Advice and tools to help you not just confront life’s worst moments, rock bottom, but learn how to really just embrace and take your inner strength, stand tall, and use your power to power through life with grace, confidence and resilience, because these difficulties and struggles are unavoidable in our lives, but a person has complete control over how you respond to a situation.

Q: Yeah, I was going to ask you. During these… you touched upon the times that we’re in right now, and the times that we continue to plow our way through with this global pandemic, and now this variant strain, and people are struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I think. I was going to ask you, how do you advise people that they can generate optimism? You’ve touched upon that already some, and it sounds like folks need to jump on your YouTube channel and grab a copy of your book and you’ve got some great tips in there; not just tips, but strategies and inspirations for doing just that. Finding optimism where it seems to be lacking.

A: No doubt. Absolutely. One thing I will say is be grateful. Gratitude is the rocket fuel to our resilience. So it’s so worth it to think about gratitude, to decide who you’re going to be and always remember that gratitude is the rocket fuel to our resilience. And that’s in one of the chapters. Faith by the speed of light, gratitude. We talk about great things, we talk about hard things, and we also talk about the bowl of sugar because there’s nothing wrong with that.

Kimberly S. Reed, M.Ed., CDP

Kimberly S. Reed, M.Ed., CDP, is an award-winning international speaker, author, corporate trainer and diversity, equality and inclusion executive, as well as a nationally recognized thought leader, expert, strategist and advisor to some of the world’s most influential organizations in global professional services, health care, financial services, consumer products and pharmaceutical industries. With more than 20 years of human resources, talent acquisition, and diversity and inclusion experience, she is a seasoned leader in transforming organizations into high-performing enterprises and challenging leaders to live without limits.
Reed Development Group
Optimists Always Win YouTube Channel
The post Pursuing Passion and Optimism as a Foundation for Equity and Inclusion appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**School Boards 101: Educating Your Community** Aug 09, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Helping local communities better understand the role and authority of school boards will support a collaborative and effective relationship between elected school officials and their constituency. This episode is intended to be shared broadly to inform community members who are involved and interested in public education. With school board meetings addressing heated topics and local elections occurring this November, this topic couldn’t be more timely. Take a listen and feel free to share the link with your communities. Host Annette Stevenson speaks with PSBA’s director of member services, Shane Pagnotti.
Skip to: 01:33 How are school boards formed and who can run for school board?

“Board members who have longevity in the role tend to benefit from the stability with new members bringing fresh ideas, innovative ideas to the board, and it’s best to have a balance of experienced and new school directors on the board.”

Skip to: 02:51 Are school board directors paid or given a stipend for this elected position?

“School directors receive no compensation for their work, even though the position can require them to dedicate many, many hours to it.”

Skip to: 03:27 Does the superintendent have the ability to vote as school board directors do?

Skip to: 04:23 What are some of the areas of the school district operation that a school board is responsible for?

“The school board governs the school district and ensures the district is run well rather than running the district. The day-to-day operations of the school district is the superintendent’s job.”

Skip to: 05:16 Who are school boards accountable to?

Skip to: 05:44 Is there a governing agency that oversees the work of school boards?

Skip to: 06:00 What are some things that the public might not know about school board service or school board authority?

“These decisions on raising property tax are typically made in consultation with the superintendent and business manager.”

Skip to: 07:01 Do school boards have authority over individual hirings or staffing decisions?

Skip to: 07:38 What do you think some of the biggest challenges school board directors in Pennsylvania are facing right now?

Skip to: 08:37 How can community members effectively connect with their school board or voice their opinions?

“One way for community members to be familiar with school board decisions, especially if they’re interested in running in the upcoming election, they would want to review the district’s website for current and updated information, review the agendas and the minutes from past meetings. Become familiar with district policies.”

Skip to: 09:34 With the November elections around the corner, what does this mean for school boards with certain seats open and others that may be uncontended? How does PSBA support this transition?

“It’s important that new school directors are onboarded properly because after all, when a new school board member comes on, it feels like you’re jumping on a moving train. So, you have to know what has happened in the past and where the district is going.”

Q: Let’s start with some basic information if we could. How are school boards formed and who can run for school board?

A: Great. So, a school board is a nine-member legislative body of citizens. They’re called school directors, and they’ve been elected by fellow citizens who serve as the governing body of each public school district. So, in Pennsylvania, school directors, they serve four-year terms. There is no limit on the number of terms a director can be reelected, and every other year, roughly half of the school board seats are up for election. So, this gives the community the opportunity to select new directors or to reelect the incumbents. So, board members who have longevity in the role tend to benefit from the stability with new members bringing fresh ideas, innovative ideas to the board, and it’s best to have a balance of experienced and new school directors on the board.

Now to run for school board, there’s minimum requirements. Citizens must be 18 years or older, be a resident of the school district for a year, in good moral character and they cannot be employed by the school district during their term or hold any other elected office position simultaneously.

Q: Now, you’ve described very well how they’re elected. Are school board directors paid or given a stipend for this elected position?

A: School directors receive no compensation for their work, even though the position can require them to dedicate many, many hours to it. However, various expenses incurred such as mileage, parking and tolls, they are reimbursable, but overall, it’s completely voluntary.

Q: That’s a significant volunteer contribution, I would say.

A: Absolutely.

Q: So, the nine school board directors and the superintendent — that forms the leadership team of 10. Does the superintendent have the ability to vote as the school board directors do?

A: So, the elected school board with the superintendent, they do form the team of 10, which is the leadership of the school district. By law the superintendent is the tenth member of the board and has the right to speak on all matters before the board but does not have the voting capability.

Q: So, it’s those nine elected school officials that have the voting capability?

A: Yes. And the team of 10 has roles and responsibilities that make it an effective team to ensure that all students in the district receive a high-quality education. Lastly, there’s no individual authority as one member of the board. It’s done as a collective body, as a whole, a team of 10.

Q: Although there are leadership positions on the board, but they operate as a collective is what you’re saying.

A: Yes.

Q: What are some of the areas of the school district operation that a school board is responsible for?

A: So, the school board governs the school district and ensures the district is run well rather than running the district. The day-to-day operations of the school district is the superintendent’s job. So overall the school board, they have a 30,000-foot level of the district while the administration is at ground level. So, they enact policies to implement goals, hire professionals to accomplish those goals and allocate resources to reach those goals. Boards are responsible for recruitment and evaluation of the superintendent, and they’re responsible stewards over the district’s finances and policies. So, a few other responsibilities in that, they approve items such as the school calendar, curriculum and textbooks.

Q: Who our school boards accountable to?

A: There are certain means for holding boards accountable. The community holds the school boards accountable. The state and federal government holds districts accountable and that’s through their auditing. Auditors are hired by the school district to examine finances on an annual basis. In addition, the Department of Auditor General conducts audits of this school district on a three-year rotation. And they are also shared with the district.

Q: And is there a governing agency that oversees the work of school boards?

A: Not per se, other than the Department of Education. And they’re also held accountable for student achievement, standardized tests and graduation rates.

Q: And what are some things that the public might not know about school board service or school board authority, what they have authority over? Do you think there’s anything kind of surprising in there that the public may not be aware of?

A: Yes. School boards have the authority to raise property tax. Each year they vote on a levy tax for the next fiscal year, following the approved budget of the district. The board approves the budget that determines the anticipated revenue. The school board also must collect enough revenue to balance the projected expenses in the budget. So balanced budget is required by Pennsylvania law. These decisions on raising property tax are typically made in consultation with the superintendent and business manager. The school boards are required to pass their budget no later than June 30.

Q: You talked a bit about the sort of difference between the role and responsibility of the superintendent or administration of the school administrator level and the school board. Do school boards have authority over individual hirings or staffing decisions? Is that part of what the school board directors become directly involved in?

A: The school board’s only person that they would hire is the superintendent. They are in charge of hiring the superintendent and assistant superintendent.

Q: Okay. But not teachers, not educators and not office staff, things like that?

A: Correct. And they don’t evaluate those individuals’ performance either. It’s strictly just superintendent and/or assistant superintendent.

Q: What do you think some of the biggest challenges school board directors in Pennsylvania are facing right now? We know that this has been an extremely unique and highly challenging year. So, can you think of some of the biggest challenges that are going on right now?

A: Right now, Annette, the big things that districts are faced with is online learning capabilities for their district, learning loss due to COVID-19, teacher shortage, especially with teachers with specialty certificates and also substitute teachers we’re finding is very challenging right now to staff their districts. And lastly, the migration of students to cyber and charter schools.

Q: That’s a big one. Yeah. That’s a big one. So, we know that the community members elect the school board directors and that relationship between community and school board is very important because the school boards are serving the community. How can community members effectively connect with their school board or voice their opinions, let’s say, on an agenda item or just other issues? Is there a way that they can effectively be connecting with school boards, their school board?

A: If a citizen wants to contact the school board member and discuss certain topics, their email address is usually on the district’s website. The citizen can contact the board member. Also, if you see board members out in public, and that is an opportunity to talk about different issues that the individual might be interested in learning more about. But one way for community members to be familiar with school board decisions, especially if they’re interested in running in the upcoming election, they would want to review the district’s website for current and updated information, review the agendas and the minutes from past meetings. Become familiar with district policies.

Q: With the November elections around the corner, what does this mean for school boards with certain seats open and others that may be un-contended or not? How does PSPA support this transition? So, let’s first talk about what does that transition mean for the school boards and then is there a way that PSPA helps this transition?

A: It means that school boards majorities can shift. And it’s important that new school directors are onboarded properly because after all, when a new school board member comes on, it feels like you’re jumping on a moving train. So, you have to know what has happened in the past and where the district is going. And PSBA, as the first approved provider of the required school director training, we have numerous online courses. We have a Start Strong program as well, and we offer various workshops that would go over comprehensive planning, facilities management, superintendent evaluations, just to name a few.

Q: So just to kind of clarify that point. While school board officials are citizens, they are the everyday citizen of a community. And so, what you had just highlighted is there is some required training that takes place as well as probably a myriad of optional training that a school director can take part in to prepare themselves for the role.

A: Yes. And PSBA is offering onsite, live training across 10 different locations across Pennsylvania for these new school directors that will be appointed in November or elected in November and start in December. And also, there’s required training for reelected or directors.

Shane Pagnotti, director of member services

Shane Pagnotti is the director of member services at PSBA. Prior to joining PSBA, he worked in higher education administration. Shane holds a Master of Business Administration from Misericordia University and is a graduate of Leadership Wilkes-Barre Core and Advanced Leadership Certificate programs. Shane is also a coach and the president of his local little baseball program.
Required School Director Training through PSBA
Start Strong
PSBA’s How to Run for School Board and other related resources
The post School Boards 101: Educating Your Community appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Feeding PA: On a Mission to Help Our Neighbors in Need Jul 27, 2021

With over 53,000 farms in Pennsylvania, it is hard to imagine that anyone may be dealing with food scarcity in their household. Yet over 1.5 million Pennsylvanians were facing hunger prior to COVID-19, and that number soared to well over 5 million at the start of the pandemic. Here to help, Feeding PA is one of several organizations across the commonwealth that make up the charitable food network, and its leaders and volunteers are working hard to ensure that no one is going hungry in the state. On today’s episode of Keystone Education Radio, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Jane Clements, chief executive officer of Feeding PA, on the programs and partnerships the organization has with farmers, schools and even county fairs to support those in need.

Skip to: 00:52 Can you give us an overview of the hunger and food scarcity issues that exist in Pennsylvania?

“In just the first three months of the pandemic, our food bank saw 5.5 million people come through needing additional resources.”

“What we saw in the beginning was people like that, they don’t look at the charitable food network as something they need. The face of hunger wasn’t them. So you saw people hoping this was temporary, but flying through their savings. So the challenge or the objective for us really became to get the word out to people that this is for you. We are here for anyone who is temporarily unemployed and beyond.”

Skip to: 03:13 Are there any programs that you’re aware of in existence that tie local growers to the organizations that can help get the food to those in need?

“There’s 53,000 farms in Pennsylvania. I often say for anyone to be struggling with food is outrageous. Not only that, a lot of that food can end up going to waste, and this is such a great win-win for us and agriculture.”

Skip to: 04:37 What does the data tell us about the correlation between hunger and student performance?

“The statistics tell us there are more behavioral issues, there are more trips to the nurse and there are more absentees. So we’ve really worked with a lot of the schools, the Department of Education and USDA to really promote the fact that every child should be able to have access to nutritious food, especially during the critical time when they’re at school.”

Skip to: 05:32 In addition to Hunger Action Month, what are some of the other programs of your organization that might impact K-12 students and their families?

“We do a lot of advocacy work with the federal legislators and state legislators, but throughout the year, the things that we do, our food banks definitely partner with school districts. We have afterschool feeding programs that some of our food banks sponsor.”

“Through the waiver we got for non-congregate feeding sites, as we call it, a child is able to take that home and it reduces food waste. We often find that they are sometimes sharing with their siblings as well. But it also sometimes it’s just a lot more comfortable for families.”

Skip to: 07:31 Are there other ways that COVID has, and the circumstances surrounding the past 15 months, other impacts to the work of your organization?

“We are fortunate to be part of the Feeding America Network. It really was quite a time in history, I think for everybody. I’m really proud of the work we were well to accomplish.”

Skip to: 09:22 Where can listeners find out more information or what are some ways they can help and support this cause?

Q: So can you start by giving us an overview of the hunger and food scarcity issues that exist here in Pennsylvania?

A: Sure. So hunger has been a long-time issue, unfortunately, in Pennsylvania. Prior to COVID-19, we had about 1.5 million Pennsylvanians facing hunger. People kind of cycle in and out of poverty based on what’s going on in their lives. That’s why COVID-19 was such a big issue for our food banks, because in just about less than a month, 1.9 million Pennsylvanians had filed for unemployment and we were seeing this new constituency of people who had never needed the charitable food network before in their lives. So when I talk about people and about 2 million coming in and out of our pantries over a year, in just the first three months of the pandemic, our food bank saw 5.5 million people come through needing additional resources.

Q: These were individuals that perhaps had no experience with this support system before, as you mentioned.

A: Absolutely. I mean, and I talk about this a lot, I always use this example, I had a friend who was a hairstylist and her husband owns a gym. Now overnight, the two of them had a great salary together, and now their mortgage is still coming, insurance bills are still coming, the car payments, all of that, but they have zero income. So what we saw in the beginning was people like that, they don’t look at the charitable food network as something they need. The face of hunger wasn’t them. So you saw people hoping this was temporary, but flying through their savings. So the challenge or the objective for us really became to get the word out to people that this is for you. We are here for anyone who is temporarily unemployed and beyond.

So I think that was probably one of the more interesting things for us to see. It was hard. I went to a drive-in distribution last May and I told people so many times nobody wants to be in that line. I’ll tell you 100%, nobody wants to be in that situation. We even saw people handing out a dollar or two from their window saying like, “I’ve never done this before. I’m just unemployed right now. But I promise I’ll be giving back to the food banks when I get back on my feet.”

Q: Yeah. Really challenging and unique situation. So agriculture’s obviously a leading industry in Pennsylvania. Are there any programs that you’re aware of in existence that tie local growers to the organizations that can help get the food to those in need?

A: Yes, absolutely. Actually, Feeding Pennsylvania administers one of the main programs. It’s called the Pennsylvania Ag Surplus System, better known PASS. It is a state allocated program through the Department of Agriculture, and then we subcontract with our food banks and the money is to acquire surplus product from Pennsylvania farmers and processors. So we’ve done anything from working with dairy farms to take surplus milk and process it into cheese or yogurt or other dairy products. We work with egg producers. Sometimes we have to pay as little as 15 cents a dozen just to pay for the cartons for surplus eggs. We’ve paid farmers to get surplus B-grade apples out of the orchard.

Actually, we’re working with state fairs now, some of the county fairs, excuse me, on working with the 4-H livestock sales to be able to allow people to donate an animal and we can use the money to process that into family size packaging. So yeah, you talk about agriculture. There’s 53,000 farms in Pennsylvania. I often say for anyone to be struggling with food is outrageous. Not only that, a lot of that food can end up going to waste, and this is such a great win-win for us and agriculture.

Q: So what does the data tell us about the correlation between hunger and student performance?

A: Well, I often, when I talk about this, I say, “I know I don’t perform well when I’m hungry.” So you can imagine a child who is growing and trying to learn and focus on their school work and then beyond even doing sports, and if they don’t have the proper nutrition they need, the statistics tell us there are more behavioral issues, there are more trips to the nurse and there are more absentees. So we’ve really worked with a lot of the schools, the Department of Education and USDA to really promote the fact that every child should be able to have access to nutritious food, especially during the critical time when they’re at school.

Q: Absolutely. During their learning time and daytime hours when they’re so active, you know?

A: Yes.

Q: I mentioned Hunger Action Month. So in addition to Hunger Action Month, what are some of the other programs of your organization that might impact K through 12 students and their families?

A: Sure. So, I mean, Hunger Action Month is really just a time for the charitable food network to take a moment and really shine a light on the issue of hunger. We do a lot of different events. We do a lot of advocacy work with the federal legislators and state legislators, but throughout the year, the things that we do, our food banks definitely partner with school districts. We have afterschool feeding programs that some of our food bank sponsor. Most recently prior to COVID, we’re doing school pantries. So some schools actually designate a classroom to become a school pantry, therefore being able to serve not only families at the school, but people in the community at certain hours.

We’ve been able to work with our federal and state legislators to advocate for the waivers that came through this year as part of COVID, which allowed more people to receive more free and reduced school lunch and breakfast. But also for afterschool feeding programs, it used to be the rule that if a child came to an afterschool feeding program, our summer feeding program, they had to receive their meal. They had to everything in the meal. If they didn’t finish, you had to throw it out. You could not take it with you and you had to eat it there. So through the waiver we got for non-congregate feeding sites, as we call it, a child is able to take that home and it reduces food waste. We often find that they are sometimes sharing with their siblings as well. But it also sometimes it’s just a lot more comfortable for families.

Especially in the rural parts of Pennsylvania when it’s hard to get somewhere to pick up a meal every day when you had something like COVID where schools were closed, the waiver allowed them to take multiple meals home. So they were only dragging the kids in the car one day a week to pick up their meals rather than every single day.

Q: That makes so much sense. So you mentioned the numbers of families that were in need of support due to COVID. Are there other ways that COVID has, and the circumstances surrounding the past 15 months, other impacts to the work of your organization?

A: Absolutely. So typically, when you went into a pantry prior to COVID, it was kind of like a shopping situation. We call it the choice model. So you’d walk around and grab what you needed. Really, COVID made all of that a challenge when you were trying to do social distancing and there was a lot of misinformation about whether or not touching something could spread the virus. So we shifted to a boxed model, which was an enormous change to what we did and having to even work with our volunteers on the social distancing aspect and the disinfecting of even creating those boxes. But a lot of our food banks are still doing this boxed model. It allowed for what you saw on television, Pittsburgh Food Bank was pretty famous for this, you allowed families to do a drive-through non-touch distribution. You popped your trunk. We put the box of food in.

USDA actually started taking on that role as well and did some of the Farmers [to] Families food boxes. In Feeding Pennsylvania, we got even extra money through the Cares Program, and we were able to create our own boxes with Pennsylvania agricultural products as well. So yes, it was definitely a challenge. It was a challenge in our own workforce in a lot of ways. I mean, we all have families. I have two children and everybody is trying to balance how they’re going to continue to provide the services we provide while also trying to balance our personal lives. But overall, we have a really strong network. We are fortunate to be part of the Feeding America Network. It really was quite a time in history, I think for everybody. I’m really proud of the work we were well to accomplish.

Q: Much needed service and support that you all were providing as well as the national level.

A: Yes.

Q: So listeners to the podcast, where can they find out more information or what are some ways that they can help and support this cause?

A: Sure. So our website is feedingpa.org where you can learn about all of our members, and then also a lot of our other programs. One of the programs I love is our Healthy Pantry Initiative. We actually have a registered dietician on staff and nutrition educators that are working with pantries on helping families kind of understand a little bit more about nutrition and how it supports you. During COVID, we actually did some kid-related, children-related recipes and little activities that you could do when you have your children at home and you’re like, “Well, what are we going to do together?” using products that you would receive in a food pantry. But I mean, I certainly am not someone that goes to a food pantry, but I found myself even having fun going on there and taking a look at it. So feedingpa.org is where you can find out more.

Jane Clements, CEO of Feeding Pennsylvania

Jane Clements is the Chief Executive Officer at Feeding Pennsylvania. She was appointed Executive Director in June of 2015. Serving as a statewide voice on hunger issues, Jane spends her time advocating for policies that support hungry families on both the state and federal levels. Under her leadership, Feeding Pennsylvania has launched a number of new initiatives, including Fill a Glass with Hope ®, the nation’s first statewide charitable fresh milk distribution program, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative (MARC), a produce cooperative that distributes 30 million pounds of produce annually to 25 food banks in the Mid-Atlantic region; and the Healthy Pantry Initiative, a new program in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Health that will incentivize pantries to increase healthy food and beverages for the people they serve.

In her role, Jane serves on the state’s Mass Care Feeding Task Force through the PA Department of Human Resources and oversees a Disaster Response Committee, responding to both in and out of state disasters. In 2017, Jane was appointed by the PA Secretary of Agriculture to serve on the Emergency Food Assistance Advisory Council and is active in Governor Wolf’s Food Security Partnership.

Prior to joining Feeding Pennsylvania, Jane served as the Annual Giving and Fundraising Event Officer for The Guthrie Clinic, a nonprofit integrated health system located in north central Pennsylvania and Upstate New York. In this capacity, Jane was responsible for all aspects of the organization’s major fundraising events and internal annual giving campaigns. Before that, Jane worked for Chesapeake Energy, a major producer of natural gas in the United States, as a manager in corporate development, overseeing all community relations, outreach, and education in Chesapeake’s northeastern Pennsylvania operating area.

Feeding Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Agriculture Surplus System (PASS)

The post Feeding PA: On a Mission to Help Our Neighbors in Need appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Language Differences: Harnessing Virtual Tools for Literacy** Jul 13, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

When teaching a class full of students with diverse backgrounds, multiple home languages and varying literacy levels, the challenge for teachers is finding the best way to reach each student. Danielle Murray, a school-based teacher leader at Gilbert Spruance Elementary School in Philadelphia, specializes in coaching teachers to make sure students have the supports they need to build a strong literacy foundation, whether they are learning in school or from home. On today’s episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Murray on scaffolding literacy instruction using adaptive online programs for English learners, and the remarkable growth and achievement these programs are bringing to students’ thinking and reading abilities.
Skip to: 00:54 What is your role within the district and what has your experience been like teaching English language learners?

“My main parts of my job are coaching teachers to make sure that students have the supports that they need to be able to build a strong literacy foundation, whether they are learning from at school and at home.”

Skip to: 02:39 Was it that early experience that you mentioned that led you to become a proponent of virtual instruction for students learning English?

“Being able to provide them with those adaptive online programs that are giving them that immediate feedback, instead of that pencil and paper activity, it’s more engaging for the students. They’re getting that immediate feedback and they can be metacognitive about their thinking, about their reading.”

Skip to: 05:22 What are some of the challenges of teaching in the virtual space?

“How do we make sure that we’re meeting the social and emotional needs of our students? … They come with these different life experiences. And if we don’t hold them up, or at least recognize the struggles that they’ve been through, then they’re not going to be socially and emotionally ready to be able to learn within our classroom environment.”

Skip to: 08:19 What virtual technology solutions have been or are being implemented to teach English as a new language?

“As they’re listening to the teacher who is speaking in English, they’re actually being able to read what the teacher is saying in their native language, so kind of like bridge that gap.”

Skip to: 10:00 Are there advantages to educational technology over print resources for English language learners

“If we take anything out of this pandemic in our educational society, it should be that if we go back into our classrooms next year and we teach the same way that we were teaching pre-pandemic, then we’re doing our kids and we’re doing education such a disservice.”

Skip to: 12:12 How do you target instruction to meet the needs of each student in a virtual environment?

“So it’s just not taking that data … It shouldn’t just be collected and sit somewhere. I have to do something with it, I have to constantly be looking at it and looking at the student. But also, more importantly, is the student needs to know that data. What does it mean? What am I doing when I’m working or I’m engaging with these adaptive online programs? And then how is my teacher using that to make sure that I’m making significant progress towards reaching my goals?”

“It’s real-time, right? It can tell me right then and there, if they’re thinking right or if their thinking is not right. And then as a teacher, I can kind step back and take a snapshot.”

Skip to: 14:51 Was there anything that you found that was surprising about teaching English learners during the pandemic?

“We can say that even though we were in this virtual environment, with all the supports that we provided and put in place for our students, they still grew almost the full academic year with learning, in literacy, by being able to support them with these adaptive online programs.”

Skip to: 15:47 How do you suspect students learning English will transition back to the classroom full-time in the fall? What role will virtual technology play to support the kids?

“We’re going to have to figure out how we continue to use all these tools with our students who are coming back in person.”

Q: So could you start by telling us a bit about your role within the district and then perhaps sharing some background about your experience teaching English language learners?

A: Absolutely. So currently I’m a school-based teacher leader at Gilbert Spruance Elementary School. And I focus mainly on literacy curriculum from K to eight. So my main parts of my job are coaching teachers to make sure that students have the supports that they need to be able to build a strong literacy foundation, whether they are learning from at school and at home. So throughout my 20 years at the school district of Philadelphia, I started as a teacher. I moved into a specialized position as a reading specialist, and I’m finally finished up as a school-based literacy lead. So I’ve supported the English language learners in many ways. When I first started with the school district, I taught at a bilingual school. And so our students were fluent in both English and in Spanish. So it was just one main language that we had as a secondary support for our students who were learning English.

And so supporting those students would be about bringing in background knowledge. And then as I moved into Spruance Elementary School where our students speak 31 different languages, wow, what a shift that was, really. Because it wasn’t just Spanish that we could support. And our students came from all over the world, not just the central America location. And so, being able to adapt to those students and making sure that how we scaffold our instruction and how we differentiated it for the varied levels of learners, was really going to help those students to excel in their growth, not only in their foundational skills, but learning the English language — the print language, the spoken language, and the written language as well.

Q: And so was it that early experience that you mentioned, before Spruance Gilbert, that led you to become a proponent of virtual instruction for students learning English? Where did that come about?

A: So as a leader at Gilbert Spruance Elementary School, looking at, we have a motto of “Every Kid, Every Day, in Every Class.” And with a third of our students that are English language learners, we had to do something different than we had been doing in the past. So we shifted into this blended learning practice. And we got accepted for a blended learning grant and our students in six to eight, we were one to two with technology. So, wow, that was awesome. And then, so we brought in some adaptive programs to help support the instruction. So students were split, and they rotated around three separate groups to make sure that each student got what they needed. So it was teacher-led instruction, it was independent activities, and then it was an adaptive online-based program. And so, making sure that each student was getting what they needed in this virtual world, before we went to the pandemic piece, right?

So, how do we make sure, as a teacher and as an educator, that I can provide all the students in my room with this instruction? So as a teacher, I’m working with a small group of students, or maybe even a third of the class. Now, what are the rest of the students doing? Being able to provide them with those adaptive online programs that are giving them that immediate feedback, instead of that pencil and paper activity, it’s more engaging for the students. They’re getting that immediate feedback and they can be metacognitive about their thinking, about their reading.

So they can change their answers, they can switch their thinking a little bit. So that’s kind of where we shifted into this virtual instruction for students and making sure that it wasn’t just all pencil and paper, and that we tried to move our students into 21st century learning skills.

Q: And you touched upon this, mentioning that this was prior to COVID and the world going virtual and remote.

A: Yeah, so we had a head start, right? So we had at least somewhere to begin. So if we didn’t know where to begin, we could at least start with using our adaptive programs to help to meet our students’ needs, because our students knew about the programs, they knew how to navigate. And so if we weren’t doing anything, at least we knew in the beginning of the pandemic that our students were having access to this. And we were showing growth, using this blended learning type of model. And then the pandemic comes along and it just throws us into it. And so, if teachers were a little bit reluctant to it, they had no choice but to adapt this style now, based on the learning situation of the last year and a half.

Q: Yeah, absolutely. What are some of the challenges, if there are any, that you’d want to highlight, of teaching in the virtual space?

A: Wow, so there were so many challenges. So our first challenge that we actually had to face was access. Does everybody have equal access to technology? Does every student have a Chromebook? And so, the district worked really hard to make sure in the beginning that each student had access to technology and had access to Chromebooks. And then once we had that computer in the student’s hand, well, do they have access to reliable Wi-Fi? Do they know how to access those hotspots? So, it did take a little bit of time for everybody to navigate, and then making sure that we have all students. How do we make sure that all of our students are showing up every day? And then the next thing was the English language proficiency of our students. So our students really ranged from non-English speakers to completely proficient students.

And so for our non-English speakers, it was not only, how do I navigate the regular school, but now how am I supposed to navigate these lessons when I’m unable to understand the spoken language that the teacher is telling me? In the real school space, at least we could be hand over hand, or we could be modeling and we could showing.

So it took some time for kids to be able to A, log on to the Google Meet. B, be able to share their screen. Some of these technical glitches, that was really hard at first for our students. And then as we continued to move forward, and some of the other difficult challenges were the changes, and so now we were all virtual and then we went to hybrid instruction.

And so we went through a period of about three or four months where we were constantly changing schedules. Okay, this is our schedule for this week, this is our schedule for that week. So the predictability pattern of what kids are used to in the classroom, they didn’t really have. So one of the things that, and then at the end with the state requirements of having their kids take the PSSA testing. There’s a lot of instructional time that was spent on giving the state testing and not instructing our students, is what they really needed. So that was one of the important cases.

And then one of the other challenges, yeah, the last thing, it was just like, how do we make sure that we’re meeting the social and emotional needs of our students? So our students come to us, especially our English language learners, they come to us, but do we think about all the experiences and possible trauma that they’ve had in coming to this country? Or to making their journey into this education? Have they had any formal schooling from where they came from? Was schooling a top priority in the country that they had come from before, or were they just trying to survive? So trying to realize that all of our kids come, so A, they come with different language abilities, and then B, they come with these different life experiences. And if we don’t hold them up, or at least recognize the struggles that they’ve been through, then they’re not going to be socially and emotionally ready to be able to learn within our classroom environment.

Q: You touched upon a couple of names of technology solutions, but I’m going to ask anyway if there’s others? What virtual technology solutions have been or are being implemented to teach English as a new language?

A: So one of the greatest programs that we use is Achieve 3000 with literacy boost, and that helps us with sentence stems. And it also helps the teacher informing our small group instruction and being able to offer each student the same ideas about texts but giving it to them at different levels. We use the Google platform, so Google Meet, Google Classroom, Google Docs, Google Slides, and also the Google Translate became a huge feature for our students.

So one of the things that our students learned how to do, all on their own, surprisingly, was they learned how to turn on the closed captioning within the Google Meets. And then they changed their caption into their own language. So that as they’re listening to the teacher who is speaking in English, they’re actually being able to read what the teacher is saying in their native language, so kind of like bridge that gap. Our kids also, we use i-Ready, SMART Learning Suite online, Jamboard, Desmos, and then Lexia Core5 and PowerUp. So, we were not short on the technology that we had used within this virtual environment, but all of these pieces, not all of them, but some of these pieces we had used pre-virtual environment as well.

Q: Yeah, so that’s good. You had some foundational elements at least. Now, I think you touched upon this earlier, the difference, but maybe there’s more to go into, are there advantages to educational technology over print resources for English language learners?

A: So let’s think about it. This isn’t going away. So if we take anything out of this pandemic in our educational society, it should be that if we go back into our classrooms next year and we teach the same way that we were teaching pre-pandemic, then we’re doing our kids and we’re doing education such a disservice. But let’s think about it. So being able to differentiate our instruction for our students. So how do we do that? We do that by meeting with our kids in small groups, and then these adaptive programs do it without even thinking.

So we take A, the Achieve 3000 takes a text and it breaks it down into multiple levels. And then the kids are getting real-time feedback about their thinking. So it tells them, “Hey, your thinking is right, or no, your thinking’s not right, let’s try that again.” And then if they still don’t get the answer right, then on the third try, it’ll give them the right answer and the reasoning behind it, versus pencil and paper. Okay, I’m going to do my assignment, I’m going to fill in my answers, I’m going to turn it into the teacher. And then maybe a week or two later, she’s going to give me my responses back. But my brain is just like, not even on that. I don’t even remember what I read two weeks ago, let alone where my thinking was when I was trying to answer those questions. So that real-time feedback is great for our kids, as well as our students being able to take the online text and being able to convert it into their language. So this works more for your students who are proficient in both languages.

So there might be a bit of text that they’re not sure of. So they copy it and they paste it into the Google Translate, so that they can read it in their own language. So it’s bridging that gap between academic vocabulary, because they know what it means in their own language. Or if they’re looking for a word or a phrase in their language, they can then convert it back and forth. So, just having those non-pencil and paper activities for students to do and to become engaged in is really going to help accelerate our kids’ growth.

Q: So, next I’m going to ask you about the stages here of targeted instruction and then measurement and monitoring. So let’s start with the targeted instruction. How do you target instruction to meet the needs of each student in a virtual environment?

A: So we’ll start, because it’s not a one size fits all. What’s going to work for one child is not going to work for another child. So we just look at each kid and we assess, we design a program, and then we monitor along the way. So we decide which program is going to work for our students. If our students are still learning the English language and they still need a ton of help around the foundational skills, then they use the Core5 and the PowerUp pathway. Because a lot of there is words study, sentence structure, grammatical. So they’re trying to figure out and navigate the ways of the English language. But our students who are more proficient in the English language and have a foundation of the way that the sentence structure works, they have some phonics, the phonemic awareness and they have a decent foundation of high-frequency words, then they will use the Achieve 3000 program.

And that allows them to then focus on the academic improvement, instead of the foundational literacy piece. So, that’s just where we start. And then we look at it. How are they doing, how are they improving? We look at it monthly, right? So has their Lexile improved? Has their reading level improved? And then once their reading level improves, how are they handling that? Are they able to handle that with proficiency, or do they have to drop back down again? So it’s just not taking that data as a … It shouldn’t just be collected and sit somewhere. I have to do something with it, I have to constantly be looking at it and looking at the student. But also, more importantly, is the student needs to know that data. What does it mean? What am I doing when I’m working or I’m engaging with these adaptive online programs? And then how is my teacher using that to make sure that I’m making significant progress towards reaching my goals?

Q: And that’s that ongoing monitoring, like you said, that’s required, I guess, for adapting and targeting even more effectively.

A: Yeah, and it’s real-time, right? It can tell me right then and there, if they’re thinking right or if their thinking is not right. And then as a teacher, I can kind step back and take a snapshot and say, “Okay, these four kids just, they’re really not progressing. I’m going to conference with them and I’m going to meet with them one-on-one.” And sometimes that conferencing is, “Hey, I was just being lazy” or it could be, “I’m really just not getting it. Do you think we could spend some extra time?” And then we make sure that we see those students in that small group to make sure that all of our students are growing. And to find out, what’s that difficulty? And some students, it just could be that there’s too much noise happening at home, or that their technology is not stable and their Wi-Fi wasn’t stable, so that we just continue to move from those things.

Q: And was there anything that you found that was surprising about teaching English learners during the pandemic?

A: Wow, they are just so adaptive, right? So they just continue to learn so many things. And then some of the things that we learned was that our students, they grew. Our student population, they really grew. If we looked at their Lexile over time…so we’ve been using these programs for quite some time and over some years. And the school year ending in 2019, we had a overall of 89 Lexile points for our student growth. But in 2021, we had 92 points of Lexile growth. So, that’s about a year’s growth. So we can say that even though we were in this virtual environment, with all the supports that we provided and put in place for our students, they still grew almost the full academic year with learning, in literacy, by being able to support them with these adaptive online programs.

Q: Wow. So how do you suspect students learning English will transition, going back to the classroom full-time in the fall as most, or all, will be? What role will virtual technology play to support the kids?

A: So we’re going to have to figure out how we continue to use all these tools with our students who are coming back in person. So how do we continue to be able to allow our students, A, to have all their computers out and open at the same time? How do we allow them to use all of the features that Google Meet has given us in this virtual environment, to be able to translate the language back and forth, and just to be able to make things more accessible for our students? So we see that by going back to, once we plan on going in, to one-to-one technology. And then making sure that when we group our students, we’re grouping our students by their language proficiency abilities and their academic abilities as well. And just giving them that continued support that they need in the classroom setting. Whether that be in a whole group setting with all of the other students as well, or in a small group pull-out, to continue to give those intensive supports so that their English language proficiency catches up to their non-English language learner peers.

Q: Okay. Well, I know this is just a snapshot of the work, but I appreciate you joining us on the podcast to highlight the program. It sounds like a great model, in a really large and diverse school district that could be looked at and applied to other school districts of varying sizes and populations. So I appreciate you being with us and sharing this, Danielle.

A: Thank you so much. And it’s not an overnight fix, right? So it’s taken quite some time. And so we’ve seen improvement in our students and in their literacy achievement over three years. So it’s like thinking about banking, it’s that compound interest. So we want to invest in our students early on, so that we can compound the amount of reading that they can do. And the more and more they’re able to do, the higher and higher their achievement is.

Q: That’s a good note, so that, as you say, the districts that might be embarking on some such approach, to think of it as, not overnight. It’s going to take some building.

A: Yes, absolutely. And we’ve seen absolute improvement with our students. So we went from, in our first year implementation, our average beginning Lexile score was in the 300s. And then in our third year of implementation, our average Lexile score at the end of the year was 679, so almost 700. So that’s like four reading levels of where our average students, they started at in the beginning and then they ended three years later. So it’s just awesome growth. And it’s that growth over time.

Q: Rewarding, I’m sure to see, for those of you who are heavily invested in it.

A: And I couldn’t do it without the strength of our teachers, the dedication of our administration at my school for allowing to see my vision or allowing to see it work in a different light. And I have a great team of other school-based teacher leaders that work with me, as well as our administration. And we couldn’t do it without our teachers and our students.

Danielle Murray, M.Ed.

Danielle Murray, M.Ed.; National Board Certification EMLRLA: School Based Teacher Leader of Literacy at Spruance Elementary School, School District of Philadelphia. The development of literacy is a continued process for both students and teachers. I currently support teachers and students to grow in the field of literacy. The most impactful growth comes when we reflect on our strengths and weakness and become vulnerable to learn from others.
Article in Achieve 3000
Gilbert Spruance School
The post Language Differences: Harnessing Virtual Tools for Literacy appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Opening the Door to Curiosity: Learning in the Garden** Jun 29, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Sometimes, hands-on learning is just what children need – whether it is to give them opportunity for self-direction, a break from the structure of the classroom, or in the case of the endeavors of The Edible Classroom in Lancaster County, PA, a chance at exposure to the growing process that sometimes results in a newfound enjoyment of eating their vegetables. On today’s episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, host Annette Stevenson speaks with the non-profit’s founders Grace Julian and Beth Horst on their group’s mission to get kids out of the classroom and into the dirt.
Skip to: 00:49 What is Edible Classroom and how did it get started?

“We just knew the benefits of it and so, hence the Edible Classroom came to be formed.”

Skip to: 02:14 What are the ways that you might work with a school district and K through 12 aged students?

“We always incorporate the state standards and we’re very fortunate to be able to do that in a way that happens very organically, because everything that we do is really covered by a state standard.”

“The beauty of it is a garden can cover so many different bases and there’s so many opportunities for a variety of programs so we kind of have a little bit of everything.”

Skip to: 04:45 How does involving children in gardening improve self-esteem?

“And as children are in a controlled environment, many times where they are scheduled to do things, the outdoor environment allows freedom of exploration, freedom of observation, that culminates just good mental health as they’re able to self-direct.”

Skip to: 06:07 Is there a correlation between K-12 students being involved in such a program and then actually on the science achievement side?

“We can see the learning take place in the garden through the students’ hands-on application of a topic that they heard about and now they’re actually seeing in real life.”

Skip to: 09:29 What are some of the Edible Classroom’s biggest impacts or accomplishments?

“We are giving the children the opportunity to participate in the garden and we find across the board that their investment in the process will not guarantee that they like everything, but it will open the door to curiosity, to maybe trying what it is that they’ve been tending and watering.”

“We see the impacts all the time and just, those are very meaningful to us and what we do and reinforcing that what we’re doing is really good for these kids.”

Skip to: 12:37 If a school district is interested in working with you to get a program started, how do they begin?

“We love to meet with schools to try to facilitate whatever it is they want to do.”

Skip to: 13:46 If parents want to begin gardening with their children at home, do you have any suggestions for how to begin that in sort of a manageable way?

“Rather than head straight into a full-size garden, I think starting small will guarantee your success.”

Skip to: 15:24 What is your favorite thing to plant and grow?

“I love to plant and grow tomatoes and I always plant too many.”

“I love … gardening simply and picking something straight from the vine and popping it in your mouth is a very simple way to eat. And I appreciate that in our very busy lifestyles.”

Q: So let’s start by, if you wouldn’t mind telling us a bit about Edible Classroom and how you got started.

**A (Grace):** We’re a nonprofit organization and we exist to teach children where real food comes from. We partner with schools and communities in the area to develop learning gardens where the students can see and touch and feel, smell, taste, whole foods.

**A (Beth):** Yeah. So we got started, Grace and I had both independently started school gardens at our children’s elementary schools and served as the volunteer garden coordinators there. So we were able to see a garden start to finish from the ground up, which was incredibly important and influential in what we did later. But as we got through the process and saw not only the value of it, but also how much work it took, we realized that this could be more than just a volunteer position. And in fact, we started to research and found many organizations across the country, nonprofit garden organizations that we thought, “Okay, we need to bring this to Lancaster in a more formalized way.” And we just knew the benefits of it and so, hence the Edible Classroom came to be formed.

Q: Great. In what year did Edible Classroom formally begin?

**A (Grace):** That’ll be 2017, in the spring of that year.

Q: Great. What are the ways that you might work with a school district and K through 12 aged students?

**A (Grace):** Right. Many of our schools look at the school garden as an onsite field trip for seed to harvest activities, as well as that refreshing brain break from the inside the classroom to the outside the classroom for students to explore and observe what’s happening in nature.

**A (Beth):** And so we provide regular garden education sometimes during the school day and we always try to… Well, we always incorporate the state standards and we’re very fortunate to be able to do that in a way that happens very organically, because everything that we do is really covered by a state standard, whether it be science. Even starting with a seed packet, when you look at the seed packet and we’re teaching the children to read the seed packet for the planting depth, for the days to harvest, and calculating that. The nutritional value of the vegetables covers a food science standard so we’re integrating the science, the math, the nutrition. We do a lot of literature-based reading, read alouds with the children. And there are just… Everything that we do is really just covered in the state standards without us having to really work to get it in there. It naturally fits, so we work in that way.

**A (Grace):** And most of our programs culminate with the eating element, thus the Edible Classroom is our name and that’s something that all children enjoy.

Q: Absolutely. It’s a motivator, even if they don’t, at the beginning understand that they might be interested in the other aspects of it.

**A (Beth):** Right. And we also offer garden camps, afterschool garden clubs, and then a variety of programs that are customized to really whatever a school wants or to whether another organization, an outside organization might want. So we do a variety of programs and we always have those similar elements, that’s the aiding component is huge and the educational piece comes with the territory. As we’re talking about gardening, the kids are learning without even knowing they’re learning. So, really the beauty of it is a garden can cover so many different bases and there’s so many opportunities for a variety of programs so we kind of have a little bit of everything.

Q: Neat. So, I think on your website, I read a bit about self-esteem, right. And so how does involving children in gardening improve self-esteem? How does it relate to that?

**A (Beth):** Right. Well, there’s definitely research that shows that gardening and outdoor education promote self-esteem. I was just actually looking at a book that I had read a long time ago by Richard Louv called Last Child In The Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. And he speaks to the way nature impacts just our emotional health and our emotional wellbeing by connecting us to the world around us. And as children are in a controlled environment, many times where they are scheduled to do things, the outdoor environment allows freedom of exploration, freedom of observation, that culminates just good mental health as they’re able to self-direct. And we all know, and I think people are coming to realize even more so, the mind-body connection. And so any wellness activity, anything that is good for our body health-wise is going to be good for our emotional and our mental health. And so we see it with the kids in the garden. We see when they make connections, how kids that may not normally love to learn by reading in a book or writing, make the connection by growing something, nurturing something and gaining confidence through doing that.

Q: And also, let’s talk about the science achievement scores. Is there a correlation between K through 12 students being involved in such a program and then actually on the science achievement side?

**A (Beth):** Yes. There are documented research studies that show a correlation between higher science achievement and learning in a garden or having the garden as a teaching tool. And so it’s actually one of the goals of ours to measure even more so, as we can, being relatively new and then with COVID taking some things out of the loop. We’re really working to see how we can better measure what we’re doing. And so, as we are having these opportunities to repeat with schools and spend more time within the schools, we hope to evaluate that for ourselves. But we do know that when kids are learning hands-on, they’re going to retain it so much better than if they’re just listening to it in a traditional classroom. And both of them are important and work hand in hand. So, we can see the learning take place in the garden through the students’ hands-on application of a topic that they heard about and now they’re actually seeing in real life.

**A (Grace):** Many of our teachers that we work with comment how appreciative they are of, say, they just finished a lesson on seed germination and here we are out in the garden, watering our little seedlings that just germinated from the last week when they were out planting. And so, it’s a really nice layering of the education they’re receiving in the classroom.

Q: And so we’ve talked about sort of the academic piece to some degree and the self-esteem piece. And then there is clearly a health benefit for the long term. This broader understanding of healthful foods that may or may not be something that’s being taught in every home, so it’s hopefully bringing that information into a child’s life for the long term, just from having that experience.

**A (Beth):** I have to just say this morning, in one of our programs, we harvested lettuce and spinach and carrots and beets from the garden and we made salads and it was 23 children that came to this community garden space. And every single one of them tried the salad and seemed to enjoy it. Everybody finished their salad. We didn’t make them huge. And we were able to then connect and say, “Okay. Did it taste a little bit better because it was fresh from the garden?” And then we also were able to talk about the nutritional value of the things that we eat. And we talked about things that are good to eat all the time and things that maybe you want to reserve to some of the time so that the kids…

I said, “Try to keep moving things into the things that I should eat all the time, fresh fruits and vegetables. And some of the things that you might really enjoy, the sodas or the McDonald’s or whatever, try to move those into the some of the time.” And so we were able to talk about the nutritional benefits and good fuel for our bodies that help us feel better. And they were very responsive to that. It was really neat.

Q: A nice way to introduce those vegetables that some kids are not as fond of. And so, since you began in 2017, what are some of the Edible Classroom’s biggest impacts or accomplishments, if you have any that you can identify?

**A( Grace):** Spring boarding off what Beth just said, I think some of our biggest impacts are evidenced in the conversations we have with children right out there in the school garden. Marley is a little fourth grader that last year said, “My mom’s going to be so surprised. I liked everything here and I never eat vegetables at home.” And so here we are giving the children the opportunity to participate in the garden and we find across the board that their investment in the process will not guarantee that they like everything, but it will open the door to curiosity, to maybe trying what it is that they’ve been tending and watering. We’ve been harvesting broccoli because tis the season here in our school garden and a little girl just this week said, “I like it this time.” She had tried broccoli before on other occasions, didn’t like it, but this time after we planted it, watered it, read a book about it, she was more inclined to try it and she ended up being the last to try it at the tasting table, because she was anxious to try more.

Q: That’s pretty funny. I mean, first of all, the freshness, as you’ve mentioned before the freshness, I don’t think that can be beat. And then having her hands on the actual process of growing, I’m sure had some incentive there.

**A (Beth):** That’s on the individual level, we see the impacts all the time and just, those are very meaningful to us and what we do and reinforcing that what we’re doing is really good for these kids. We knew it already, but just hearing that, but on a broader scale, when we look at the amount of produce we harvested last year over the summer and fall, almost 900 pounds of produce, 854 pounds. And we’ve harvested more than that in the past too. So, that is food that we are sending home with kids to their families, for them to enjoy. We’ve been able to share it with food banks. We’ve been able to share it with apartment complexes. We’ve been able to partner with other organizations to help meet that need as well. And we were able to offer an outdoor classroom in the fall during COVID for parents who were looking for something when their kids weren’t in school.

Some kids were in school for two days and were out for three, so we offered an outdoor classroom so that they could have a meaningful place to go and could still do their schoolwork. We facilitated that, but then had the garden component as well. So, those are ways that we feel have been so beneficial to build our community too. It goes beyond, we have the micro level that Grace shared and it just kind of fingers out into the community with the families and then the broader organizations and businesses that might be interested in what we’re doing.

Q: And so, that brings me kind of to my next question. If a school district is interested in working with you to get a program started, how do they begin? Where should they go?

**A (Beth):** Well, on our website, there’s a contact form. They can look at WWW.THEEDIBLECLASSROOM.ORG, and there’s a contact form on there and our information is on there as well to reach out. And we love to meet with schools to try to facilitate whatever it is they want to do. We know that many schools want to get started and aren’t sure how, and it was actually a catalyst for why we started an organization because many schools want to do this and don’t have the time because they have so many responsibilities. So, we are able to come in and direct the conversation to do what they want to do and partner with them if they’d like our help, or if they’d like to go it alone, we can help facilitate that depending on their volunteer base. Or we can do a combination of the two and really customize to what they would like. So, it all starts at that first meeting and just hearing their vision and then putting the pieces together for them.

Q: Okay. And you mentioned that there are summer camp programs, things like that. And then at home, if parents want to begin gardening with their children at home, do you have any suggestions for how to begin that in sort of a manageable way? And the reason I say manageable is if there’s a family that doesn’t already have a garden begun, how can they get started and kind of what’s the ideal month to begin? Do you have any suggestions in that area?

**A (Grace):** Yeah. We think starting small is always a good thing to do. So your family could pick a favorite vegetable to grow this year. It’s not too late now. This is a good time too. You’re in the beginning of summer to start these warm season crops. Pick your favorite and either start it from seed or purchase a plant at a local nursery. And if you don’t have a place on your property where you can grow in the ground, you can easily start some crops in a container on a sunny patio or a porch.

Q: That sounds simple enough.

**A (Grace):** Yeah. Rather than head straight into a full-size garden, I think starting small will guarantee your success. And you mentioned the best time to plant here. At the Farmer’s Almanac and my grandmother would always say after Mother’s Day is the best time to start these warm season crops. But I know I personally was out in the middle of February planting my peas just because I like to experiment. And that’s traditionally a little bit early to plant your peas, but mid to end of February, we can start planting some of those early cool season crops, like your leafy greens and lettuces.

Q: Okay. I didn’t realize that. And so in your own gardens, just out of curiosity, what is your favorite thing to plant and grow, if each of you would answer that?

**A (Beth):** I love to plant and grow tomatoes and I always plant too many. And you would think after years of doing this that I would stop planting so many, but I just can’t help it. So, we love to make fresh salsa, so having the tomatoes for fresh salsa and fresh tomato soup and fresh tomato sauce. So, the tomatoes are so versatile that way and it’s something that everybody in our family loves the fresh salsa, so that’s a winner. And everybody likes tomato sauce too, so the tomatoes are a win-win and they yield a lot for a long period of time. And they’re not too terribly labor-intensive to harvest where peas and beans are. So, they’re nice vegetable all the way around. They’re actually a fruit, but…

Q: Yeah. And so how about you, Grace? What do you like to plant and grow?

**A (Grace):** I definitely go back to this mid-February planting of peas because at the end of winter I am ready to get out and dig in the dirt. So, sugar snap peas are my favorite. They never make it into the kitchen. We eat handfuls straight in the garden and enjoy them that way. I love things… I love simply… gardening simply and picking something straight from the vine and popping it in your mouth is a very simple way to eat. And I appreciate that in our very busy lifestyles.

Q: Yeah, absolutely. That’s great.

Grace Julian

Grace’s love for gardening, dedication to teaching, and enthusiasm to work collaboratively have culminated in the foundation of The Edible Classroom. With education from Penn State Extension’s Master Gardener program and Longwood Gardens, she enjoys bringing science to life in the garden. Years serving as an Envirothon Coach and a Camp Director solidified her joyful education philosophy. Creatively engaging the minds and hands of students as co-founder of The Edible Classroom is her passion. Grace’s gardening adventures have taken her across Lancaster County, allowing her to “dig in the dirt” with children, senior citizens, and all ages in between. Grace lives in Washington Borough with her family.

Beth Horst

As cofounder of The Edible Classroom, Beth believes that fostering curiosity in the garden and sharing new food experiences are opportunities that all children should enjoy. Her own journey into school gardens began almost ten years ago when her children were in elementary school. After several years as a middle school teacher, her focus shifted from the walls of the traditional classroom to the experiential world of the garden classroom. Working with young people, collaborating with the community, growing food, and spending time outdoors continue to bring her great joy. Beth resides in Conestoga with her husband, Mike, their three children, and their dog.
Edible classroom
The post Opening the Door to Curiosity: Learning in the Garden appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Opening the Door to Curiosity: Learning in the Garden** Jun 29, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Sometimes, hands-on learning is just what children need – whether it is to give them opportunity for self-direction, a break from the structure of the classroom, or in the case of the endeavors of The Edible Classroom in Lancaster County, PA, a chance at exposure to the growing process that sometimes results in a newfound enjoyment of eating their vegetables. On today’s episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, host Annette Stevenson speaks with the non-profit’s founders Grace Julian and Beth Horst on their group’s mission to get kids out of the classroom and into the dirt.
Skip to: 00:49 What is Edible Classroom and how did it get started?

“We just knew the benefits of it and so, hence the Edible Classroom came to be formed.”

Skip to: 02:14 What are the ways that you might work with a school district and K through 12 aged students?

“We always incorporate the state standards and we’re very fortunate to be able to do that in a way that happens very organically, because everything that we do is really covered by a state standard.”

“The beauty of it is a garden can cover so many different bases and there’s so many opportunities for a variety of programs so we kind of have a little bit of everything.”

Skip to: 04:45 How does involving children in gardening improve self-esteem?

“And as children are in a controlled environment, many times where they are scheduled to do things, the outdoor environment allows freedom of exploration, freedom of observation, that culminates just good mental health as they’re able to self-direct.”

Skip to: 06:07 Is there a correlation between K-12 students being involved in such a program and then actually on the science achievement side?

“We can see the learning take place in the garden through the students’ hands-on application of a topic that they heard about and now they’re actually seeing in real life.”

Skip to: 09:29 What are some of the Edible Classroom’s biggest impacts or accomplishments?

“We are giving the children the opportunity to participate in the garden and we find across the board that their investment in the process will not guarantee that they like everything, but it will open the door to curiosity, to maybe trying what it is that they’ve been tending and watering.”

“We see the impacts all the time and just, those are very meaningful to us and what we do and reinforcing that what we’re doing is really good for these kids.”

Skip to: 12:37 If a school district is interested in working with you to get a program started, how do they begin?

“We love to meet with schools to try to facilitate whatever it is they want to do.”

Skip to: 13:46 If parents want to begin gardening with their children at home, do you have any suggestions for how to begin that in sort of a manageable way?

“Rather than head straight into a full-size garden, I think starting small will guarantee your success.”

Skip to: 15:24 What is your favorite thing to plant and grow?

“I love to plant and grow tomatoes and I always plant too many.”

“I love … gardening simply and picking something straight from the vine and popping it in your mouth is a very simple way to eat. And I appreciate that in our very busy lifestyles.”

Q: So let’s start by, if you wouldn’t mind telling us a bit about Edible Classroom and how you got started.

**A (Grace):** We’re a nonprofit organization and we exist to teach children where real food comes from. We partner with schools and communities in the area to develop learning gardens where the students can see and touch and feel, smell, taste, whole foods.

**A (Beth):** Yeah. So we got started, Grace and I had both independently started school gardens at our children’s elementary schools and served as the volunteer garden coordinators there. So we were able to see a garden start to finish from the ground up, which was incredibly important and influential in what we did later. But as we got through the process and saw not only the value of it, but also how much work it took, we realized that this could be more than just a volunteer position. And in fact, we started to research and found many organizations across the country, nonprofit garden organizations that we thought, “Okay, we need to bring this to Lancaster in a more formalized way.” And we just knew the benefits of it and so, hence the Edible Classroom came to be formed.

Q: Great. In what year did Edible Classroom formally begin?

**A (Grace):** That’ll be 2017, in the spring of that year.

Q: Great. What are the ways that you might work with a school district and K through 12 aged students?

**A (Grace):** Right. Many of our schools look at the school garden as an onsite field trip for seed to harvest activities, as well as that refreshing brain break from the inside the classroom to the outside the classroom for students to explore and observe what’s happening in nature.

**A (Beth):** And so we provide regular garden education sometimes during the school day and we always try to… Well, we always incorporate the state standards and we’re very fortunate to be able to do that in a way that happens very organically, because everything that we do is really covered by a state standard, whether it be science. Even starting with a seed packet, when you look at the seed packet and we’re teaching the children to read the seed packet for the planting depth, for the days to harvest, and calculating that. The nutritional value of the vegetables covers a food science standard so we’re integrating the science, the math, the nutrition. We do a lot of literature-based reading, read alouds with the children. And there are just… Everything that we do is really just covered in the state standards without us having to really work to get it in there. It naturally fits, so we work in that way.

**A (Grace):** And most of our programs culminate with the eating element, thus the Edible Classroom is our name and that’s something that all children enjoy.

Q: Absolutely. It’s a motivator, even if they don’t, at the beginning understand that they might be interested in the other aspects of it.

**A (Beth):** Right. And we also offer garden camps, afterschool garden clubs, and then a variety of programs that are customized to really whatever a school wants or to whether another organization, an outside organization might want. So we do a variety of programs and we always have those similar elements, that’s the aiding component is huge and the educational piece comes with the territory. As we’re talking about gardening, the kids are learning without even knowing they’re learning. So, really the beauty of it is a garden can cover so many different bases and there’s so many opportunities for a variety of programs so we kind of have a little bit of everything.

Q: Neat. So, I think on your website, I read a bit about self-esteem, right. And so how does involving children in gardening improve self-esteem? How does it relate to that?

**A (Beth):** Right. Well, there’s definitely research that shows that gardening and outdoor education promote self-esteem. I was just actually looking at a book that I had read a long time ago by Richard Louv called Last Child In The Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. And he speaks to the way nature impacts just our emotional health and our emotional wellbeing by connecting us to the world around us. And as children are in a controlled environment, many times where they are scheduled to do things, the outdoor environment allows freedom of exploration, freedom of observation, that culminates just good mental health as they’re able to self-direct. And we all know, and I think people are coming to realize even more so, the mind-body connection. And so any wellness activity, anything that is good for our body health-wise is going to be good for our emotional and our mental health. And so we see it with the kids in the garden. We see when they make connections, how kids that may not normally love to learn by reading in a book or writing, make the connection by growing something, nurturing something and gaining confidence through doing that.

Q: And also, let’s talk about the science achievement scores. Is there a correlation between K through 12 students being involved in such a program and then actually on the science achievement side?

**A (Beth):** Yes. There are documented research studies that show a correlation between higher science achievement and learning in a garden or having the garden as a teaching tool. And so it’s actually one of the goals of ours to measure even more so, as we can, being relatively new and then with COVID taking some things out of the loop. We’re really working to see how we can better measure what we’re doing. And so, as we are having these opportunities to repeat with schools and spend more time within the schools, we hope to evaluate that for ourselves. But we do know that when kids are learning hands-on, they’re going to retain it so much better than if they’re just listening to it in a traditional classroom. And both of them are important and work hand in hand. So, we can see the learning take place in the garden through the students’ hands-on application of a topic that they heard about and now they’re actually seeing in real life.

**A (Grace):** Many of our teachers that we work with comment how appreciative they are of, say, they just finished a lesson on seed germination and here we are out in the garden, watering our little seedlings that just germinated from the last week when they were out planting. And so, it’s a really nice layering of the education they’re receiving in the classroom.

Q: And so we’ve talked about sort of the academic piece to some degree and the self-esteem piece. And then there is clearly a health benefit for the long term. This broader understanding of healthful foods that may or may not be something that’s being taught in every home, so it’s hopefully bringing that information into a child’s life for the long term, just from having that experience.

**A (Beth):** I have to just say this morning, in one of our programs, we harvested lettuce and spinach and carrots and beets from the garden and we made salads and it was 23 children that came to this community garden space. And every single one of them tried the salad and seemed to enjoy it. Everybody finished their salad. We didn’t make them huge. And we were able to then connect and say, “Okay. Did it taste a little bit better because it was fresh from the garden?” And then we also were able to talk about the nutritional value of the things that we eat. And we talked about things that are good to eat all the time and things that maybe you want to reserve to some of the time so that the kids…

I said, “Try to keep moving things into the things that I should eat all the time, fresh fruits and vegetables. And some of the things that you might really enjoy, the sodas or the McDonald’s or whatever, try to move those into the some of the time.” And so we were able to talk about the nutritional benefits and good fuel for our bodies that help us feel better. And they were very responsive to that. It was really neat.

Q: A nice way to introduce those vegetables that some kids are not as fond of. And so, since you began in 2017, what are some of the Edible Classroom’s biggest impacts or accomplishments, if you have any that you can identify?

**A( Grace):** Spring boarding off what Beth just said, I think some of our biggest impacts are evidenced in the conversations we have with children right out there in the school garden. Marley is a little fourth grader that last year said, “My mom’s going to be so surprised. I liked everything here and I never eat vegetables at home.” And so here we are giving the children the opportunity to participate in the garden and we find across the board that their investment in the process will not guarantee that they like everything, but it will open the door to curiosity, to maybe trying what it is that they’ve been tending and watering. We’ve been harvesting broccoli because tis the season here in our school garden and a little girl just this week said, “I like it this time.” She had tried broccoli before on other occasions, didn’t like it, but this time after we planted it, watered it, read a book about it, she was more inclined to try it and she ended up being the last to try it at the tasting table, because she was anxious to try more.

Q: That’s pretty funny. I mean, first of all, the freshness, as you’ve mentioned before the freshness, I don’t think that can be beat. And then having her hands on the actual process of growing, I’m sure had some incentive there.

**A (Beth):** That’s on the individual level, we see the impacts all the time and just, those are very meaningful to us and what we do and reinforcing that what we’re doing is really good for these kids. We knew it already, but just hearing that, but on a broader scale, when we look at the amount of produce we harvested last year over the summer and fall, almost 900 pounds of produce, 854 pounds. And we’ve harvested more than that in the past too. So, that is food that we are sending home with kids to their families, for them to enjoy. We’ve been able to share it with food banks. We’ve been able to share it with apartment complexes. We’ve been able to partner with other organizations to help meet that need as well. And we were able to offer an outdoor classroom in the fall during COVID for parents who were looking for something when their kids weren’t in school.

Some kids were in school for two days and were out for three, so we offered an outdoor classroom so that they could have a meaningful place to go and could still do their schoolwork. We facilitated that, but then had the garden component as well. So, those are ways that we feel have been so beneficial to build our community too. It goes beyond, we have the micro level that Grace shared and it just kind of fingers out into the community with the families and then the broader organizations and businesses that might be interested in what we’re doing.

Q: And so, that brings me kind of to my next question. If a school district is interested in working with you to get a program started, how do they begin? Where should they go?

**A (Beth):** Well, on our website, there’s a contact form. They can look at WWW.THEEDIBLECLASSROOM.ORG, and there’s a contact form on there and our information is on there as well to reach out. And we love to meet with schools to try to facilitate whatever it is they want to do. We know that many schools want to get started and aren’t sure how, and it was actually a catalyst for why we started an organization because many schools want to do this and don’t have the time because they have so many responsibilities. So, we are able to come in and direct the conversation to do what they want to do and partner with them if they’d like our help, or if they’d like to go it alone, we can help facilitate that depending on their volunteer base. Or we can do a combination of the two and really customize to what they would like. So, it all starts at that first meeting and just hearing their vision and then putting the pieces together for them.

Q: Okay. And you mentioned that there are summer camp programs, things like that. And then at home, if parents want to begin gardening with their children at home, do you have any suggestions for how to begin that in sort of a manageable way? And the reason I say manageable is if there’s a family that doesn’t already have a garden begun, how can they get started and kind of what’s the ideal month to begin? Do you have any suggestions in that area?

**A (Grace):** Yeah. We think starting small is always a good thing to do. So your family could pick a favorite vegetable to grow this year. It’s not too late now. This is a good time too. You’re in the beginning of summer to start these warm season crops. Pick your favorite and either start it from seed or purchase a plant at a local nursery. And if you don’t have a place on your property where you can grow in the ground, you can easily start some crops in a container on a sunny patio or a porch.

Q: That sounds simple enough.

**A (Grace):** Yeah. Rather than head straight into a full-size garden, I think starting small will guarantee your success. And you mentioned the best time to plant here. At the Farmer’s Almanac and my grandmother would always say after Mother’s Day is the best time to start these warm season crops. But I know I personally was out in the middle of February planting my peas just because I like to experiment. And that’s traditionally a little bit early to plant your peas, but mid to end of February, we can start planting some of those early cool season crops, like your leafy greens and lettuces.

Q: Okay. I didn’t realize that. And so in your own gardens, just out of curiosity, what is your favorite thing to plant and grow, if each of you would answer that?

**A (Beth):** I love to plant and grow tomatoes and I always plant too many. And you would think after years of doing this that I would stop planting so many, but I just can’t help it. So, we love to make fresh salsa, so having the tomatoes for fresh salsa and fresh tomato soup and fresh tomato sauce. So, the tomatoes are so versatile that way and it’s something that everybody in our family loves the fresh salsa, so that’s a winner. And everybody likes tomato sauce too, so the tomatoes are a win-win and they yield a lot for a long period of time. And they’re not too terribly labor-intensive to harvest where peas and beans are. So, they’re nice vegetable all the way around. They’re actually a fruit, but…

Q: Yeah. And so how about you, Grace? What do you like to plant and grow?

**A (Grace):** I definitely go back to this mid-February planting of peas because at the end of winter I am ready to get out and dig in the dirt. So, sugar snap peas are my favorite. They never make it into the kitchen. We eat handfuls straight in the garden and enjoy them that way. I love things… I love simply… gardening simply and picking something straight from the vine and popping it in your mouth is a very simple way to eat. And I appreciate that in our very busy lifestyles.

Q: Yeah, absolutely. That’s great.

Grace Julian

Grace’s love for gardening, dedication to teaching, and enthusiasm to work collaboratively have culminated in the foundation of The Edible Classroom. With education from Penn State Extension’s Master Gardener program and Longwood Gardens, she enjoys bringing science to life in the garden. Years serving as an Envirothon Coach and a Camp Director solidified her joyful education philosophy. Creatively engaging the minds and hands of students as co-founder of The Edible Classroom is her passion. Grace’s gardening adventures have taken her across Lancaster County, allowing her to “dig in the dirt” with children, senior citizens, and all ages in between. Grace lives in Washington Borough with her family.

Beth Horst

As cofounder of The Edible Classroom, Beth believes that fostering curiosity in the garden and sharing new food experiences are opportunities that all children should enjoy. Her own journey into school gardens began almost ten years ago when her children were in elementary school. After several years as a middle school teacher, her focus shifted from the walls of the traditional classroom to the experiential world of the garden classroom. Working with young people, collaborating with the community, growing food, and spending time outdoors continue to bring her great joy. Beth resides in Conestoga with her husband, Mike, their three children, and their dog.
Edible classroom
The post Opening the Door to Curiosity: Learning in the Garden appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**The Inseparable Tie Between Board Culture and Effectiveness** Jun 15, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Simply put, board culture defines how a group of leaders interact and how they get their work done. But how is culture established, and who is responsible for maintaining a healthy environment? Learn more about what it takes to operate a board effectively, efficiently and productively, and why leadership is the responsibility of seasoned board members and newcomers alike. In this episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, host Annette Stevenson speaks with two PSBA colleagues, Chief Legal Officer Stuart Knade and Senior Training Manager Will Smeltzer, about board culture, reorganization, and what to do when your board is facing a challenge.
Skip to: 01:05 What is board culture?

“When we think about board culture, we’re really thinking of team culture.”

Skip to: 01:36 What’s the significance or impact of a school board’s culture on the overall school district?

“One of the most important responsibilities of a school board is to ensure that the public has trust in their ability to provide the best education for students.”

Skip to: 03:24 Who is responsible for keeping a pulse of the board’s culture and then addressing the issues as they arise?

“I would say it’s everyone’s responsibility. Every member of the board’s responsibility to keep a pulse on the board’s culture.”

Skip to: 04:16 How does [PSBA’s Principles for Governance and Leadership] support a board in their work and their culture?

“Nobody has to start from scratch, building their board culture. You have this foundation that starts you off in a big head start.”

Skip to: 07:55 What is the importance of establishing onboarding procedures and orientation for new members of the board?

“We have to really consider our approach to welcoming and assimilating new members to the team because it has a huge impact on our culture. And it has a huge impact on our productivity and how successful we can be in supporting the district and providing the best education for all students.”

“On September 27th, 2021, we are having our Start Strong onboarding event where every attending district will receive PSBA’s onboarding manual, the first year at-a-glance, some team building activities and some other supporting materials.”

Skip to: 12:01 What is Robert’s Rules of Order and how do it fit into board culture?

“I often say that the most important decision when you are deciding who’s going to be your board president . . . isn’t really which faction of the board they align with, what their personal philosophies are. But can they chair a good meeting? And do they have the courage to really protect, to be a defender of board culture and proper decorum?”

Skip to: 15:03 How does school board reorganization and board culture fit together?

“In the context of board organization, it’s also important to remember that you may elect a president annually but empowering that board president to do what needs to be done, both for the benefit of the board’s culture, the benefit of the board getting its work done, for the benefit of the district, that needs to be continuous.”

Skip to: 17:10 In terms of board culture, all members are leaders. Tell us what is meant by that.

“We consider all members a leader in keeping a pulse on the board’s culture and making sure that it’s a healthy, productive, successful, effective culture, ultimately for the success of the school district.”

Q: Well, can you start by describing what is board culture? Define that term, if you would, please.

**A (Will):** Sure. So when we think about board culture, we’re really thinking of team culture. And the common saying is culture is simply how we get things done. It’s really how the board operates. So in regards to a board culture, we’re really looking at is the board effective? Is the board productive? Is the board successful in meeting the responsibilities within its position in the district and supporting the district?

Q: So Will, what’s the significance or impact of a school board’s culture on the overall school district?

**A (Will):** Right. So a school board is part of the district’s leadership team of 10. It’s the nine locally elected directors and the superintendent working together as the team of 10. And when you think of culture, we often hear that culture starts at the top. Culture starts with leadership. There’s a great quote from the National School Boards Association. It comes from their Key Work of School Boards Guidebook and it says, “School district leadership needs to pay attention to the culture it exhibits and exemplifies because this culture permeates the classrooms directly affecting teaching.”

So when we think about when a school board meets at a public meeting, the way in which they interact, the way in which they operate, the way in which they get things done has a real impact on the district — not only the board, the administration, the district staff, but the student’s learning and also the public’s trust and the board’s ability to get the work done. And that’s really important when we think about culture.

One of the most important responsibilities of a school board is to ensure that the public has trust in their ability to provide the best education, or supporting the district in providing the best education for students. And when we have an ineffective culture and an unhealthy culture, it typically can lead to the erosion of the public’s trust, which then makes the board’s job that much more difficult. And then you’ll see that there’s people from the community that actively want to join the board because they think they can do a more effective job.

**A (Stuart):** And dysfunction on a board, which happens when you don’t have a healthy culture or a productive culture, radiates downward into the administration and the district staff. And so those effects have an impact far beyond just the public’s perception.

Q: Yeah. Broad reaching impacts, it sounds like from what you’ve described. Who is responsible for keeping a pulse of the board’s culture and then addressing, or at least helping to address the issues as they arise?

**A (Will):** So as we think of a school board as a team of 10, I would say it’s everyone’s responsibility. Every member of the board’s responsibility to keep a pulse on the board’s culture. And then in regards to whose responsibility is to address issues as they arise, the leader of the board is the board president. So it is their responsibility to, again, make sure that issues are addressed when we’re thinking of a healthy, productive culture.

We can’t sweep things under the rug and act like they don’t exist and they’re not there. So it’s really important for the board presidents to take that leadership role when there are issues in the way in which the board operates and works together to address it. But the first part of the question, everyone on the board, it’s their responsibility to keep a pulse of the board’s culture.

Q: Yeah. Great. That’s good information. So, PSBA has something called PSBA’s Principles for Governance and Leadership. How does that support a board in their work and their culture?

**A (Will):** Right. So the Principles for Governance and Leadership, we have seven principles with 31 associated actions. And it’s really a framework, a guide for effective, successful, productive school boards across Pennsylvania. And we really use this as the framework for our culture. I know Stuart had mentioned as we were talking, preparing for this podcast, that really the principles are the foundation of the board’s culture.

And when we talk about issues arising as the board president, if you have to have a conversation with a director about an action, something they did, point it back to the principles. That’s really your guide, your framework, for successful school boards.

**A (Stuart):** And to tie it into what we talked about a moment ago, everybody is responsible for helping to maintain and establish board culture. And using the Principles for Governance and Leadership as a foundation, give each member of the board something to point to to say, “Hey, we need to stick to these particular aspects of how our culture should operate. These are things we’ve agreed should guide us in our work and make us more successful.”

So when there are deviations, anybody should speak up but primarily, the board president’s the first. And the members need to hold the board president accountable for doing that job, for doing that job effectively.

**A (Will):** And I would like to add that we encourage boards across Pennsylvania to adopt the principles as part of their policy. To check to see if a board has adopted it as part of their policy would be the 011 policy within their local board procedures, their 000 section. Not to get too specific, but adopt the principles as part of policy.

And then also any district or board that’s a member of PSBA can annually take our board self-assessment, which is centered around the principles. So, you take the board self-assessment survey. Each member of the board takes the survey, you get your results. And then you can have a conversation around what are our strengths and meeting of the principles and where are our areas for improvement and meeting what’s outlined in the principles.

**A (Stuart):** So nobody has to start from scratch, building their board culture. You have this foundation that starts you off in a big head start.

Q: Right. And that sort of annual confirmation or readoption is kind of making sure that boards keep it really front of mind as they operate. Is that correct?

**A (Stuart):** Well I would say it’s even more than that. The self-assessment process is not just talking about the principles in the abstract. It’s a process by which the board self-examines and says, “Are we doing this? Do we have work to do to make sure we’re doing this the way it should be done?”

Q: Making sure it’s put into practice.

**A (Stuart):** Exactly.

**A (Will):** I was going to say is what we recommend is after they take the survey, they get their board self-assessment results. And again, outlining where their strengths and their areas for improvement and then coming together and setting some board goals around how a board operates based on the survey feedback.

Let’s say, there’s a principle known as communicate clearly. If the board scored low in that category, they could have a discussion and create some goals around how they can more effectively communicate clearly as a team with the administration, with the school community, and so on. So, board self-assessment centered around the principles is a great service that PSBA provides. And again, every member of district of PSBA can take it annually.

Q: Great. Good to know. So each of the nine elected school board directors holds their seats for a term of four years, barring special circumstances. And with the superintendent of each district, that makes a team of 10. The team of 10 is changing regularly, cyclically. What is the importance of establishing onboarding procedures and orientation for new members of the board? And how about also mentoring programs? How does that fit in?

**A (Will):** I’ll start with pointing back to board policy. If following PSBA’s numbering policy system, the 004 membership policy should outline orientation, new member orientation. Who is responsible typically is the superintendent and the board president and also the information they are responsible for providing. Reviewing that policy and thinking about all of the information a new director has to learn when they join the team of 10, simply put, more needs done.

So we recommend starting with orientation, but then considering a comprehensive onboarding process. What I mean by that is start with orientation, but don’t end with orientation. Once someone’s seated after the organization meeting in December, have your initial new member orientation. But then have a three-month check-in, have a six-month check-in, a nine-month check-in, a 12-month check-in.

We recommend that because if you consider how people learn, if I come to the board and I don’t know much about education, I don’t know much about the school board and the new member orientation, you tell me everything. Well, a lot of that information is in one ear, out the other. But after a three-month check-in and I’ve had experience in two or three board meetings, and then we review some information from orientation, but then maybe you add some more information, I can better grapple with it and grasp it and understand it because I have that experience.

And then we made it a six-month check-in. Again, I have more experience to review previous information, but then to take in more information. So as I think about the team changing so often, we have to really consider our approach to welcoming and assimilating new members to the team because it has a huge impact on our culture. And it has a huge impact on our productivity and how successful we can be in supporting the district and providing the best education for all students.

**A (Stuart):** And in my mind, a good onboarding program will also include what I like to call learning plan so that for each new member of the board, they are introduced and introduced to where many of the places they can learn more about the business of the school district, and the business of the board, the functions of the board, including all of the training programs that we have available from PSBA publications and other resources, as well as those that may exist at the local level.

And if each new member of the board has a roadmap for saying, “Here’s what my goals are for learning over the next three months, six months or a year,” that will also contribute greatly to the success of that onboarding program.

**A (Will):** And I will add that in 2019 PSBA created what’s called the new school director onboarding manual. And within that manual, we also created what’s known as the first year at-a-glance. And that at-a-glance is really a new director, a new member learning plan. So it outlines what should be covered at orientation, who’s responsible for covering which information, typically superintendent or board president. But then again, at each check-in, it identifies what information could be covered again as we think of providing information in increments, rather than all at once.

I do want to plug that we are holding that event again this year. So on September 27th, 2021, we are having our Start Strong onboarding event where every attending district will receive PSBA’s onboarding manual, the first year at-a-glance, some team building activities and some other supporting materials. But as I go back to saying that what’s outlined in board policy simply isn’t enough, as the organization or the Association for School Boards in Pennsylvania, we have created materials to assist, to improve, to help in your approach to onboarding new directors.

So again, September 27th, 2021, we’re holding our event where everyone’s going to receive the onboarding manual, first year at-a-glance, team building activities. And again, some other supporting materials as well.

Q: Great. Thank you. So, switching gears a little bit. Stuart, I’m going to turn this one to you. What is Robert’s Rules of Order and how does this fit into board culture?

**A (Stuart):** Well, Robert’s Rules of Order are not the only system of parliamentary procedure rules that boards can adopt. It’s certainly the most widely known and probably the most widely adopted. But the bottom line to any system of rules of parliamentary procedure really boils down to ensuring that the board is focused on one issue at a time and only one voice at a time is speaking. That’s really, basically what it’s all about.

And they’re designed to allow the board to accomplish the business before it effectively and in a manner that is clear what happened so that things operate, you get your business to the board done. That’s the purpose of those. But they also have very important impacts on board culture because embedded in Robert’s Rules or any other system of parliamentary procedure, certain rules of decorum, certain dos, and don’ts about treating each other with respect and courtesy.

And we list in the publication that PSBA published a number of years ago, The Essentials of Parliamentary Procedure- A Survival Guide for Pennsylvania School Directors. We list in there what we believe to be essential functions of a chairperson on the board. And those include setting and enforcing a tone of civility, courtesy and common purpose as well as other things. Maintaining decorum, calling inappropriate behavior out of order when it happens, quickly responding to lapses.

In any organization, there are sometimes lapses where you depart from the usual standards of conduct. It can happen in the heat of a moment, but it’s really critical that the chairperson and the other members holding each other and the chair accountable quickly move to correct those lapses. And Robert’s Rules or any system of parliamentary procedure gives the chairperson the tools to do that.

And so, I often say that the most important decision when you are deciding who’s going to be your board president and who chairs most of your meetings and the board vice president who steps in when the board president isn’t there to chair a meeting, isn’t really which faction of the board they align with, what their personal philosophies are. But can they chair a good meeting? And do they have the courage to really protect, to be a defender of board culture and proper decorum?

**A (Will):** And I just want to add to that fantastic overview from Stuart that there’s a lot of guidance on the books and board policy. So I never want to let an opportunity go where I can direct some attention to where this information is that. So in your 006 meetings policy or in a board 006 meetings policy, they’ll have which parliamentary procedure they follow. Typically, it’s Robert’s Rules of Order, Stuart said, but there’s others as well. So as again, you’re looking for the guidance either you’re on the board or you’re member of the public, these board policies are open or available to the public as well. So again, 006 outlines the guidance around public school board meetings.

Q: That’s good to note. I’m glad you mentioned that that is available publicly as well. And so, there’s something called school board reorganization and you’ve already touched upon the leadership of the board, but how does school board reorganization and board culture… What’s the interaction there?

**A (Stuart):** Well, the most important thing that happens every year for board organization, frequently referred to as reorganization, is election of the president and vice president of the board. And so when I talked a moment ago about what are the most important characteristics you should be looking for in those people are ones are not necessarily how they feel about any particular issue or who they align with on the board. Because really, the ultimate powers of the board president are somewhat limited and few.

Sometimes the board allows the powers of the board president to expand greatly because it’s just been that way or they allow it to happen. But in essence, the most important attributes that you want is somebody who knows how to run a good meeting, familiar with the applicable rules of procedure, and who has the courage to do what needs to be done when it comes time to protect the board’s culture, protect the decorum of the meetings and to correct lapses quickly and politely and gently.

**A (Will):** And if I could add, a lot of us have this fear of conflict. And when we’re working on a team, there’s going to be conflict. We can approach it and we can approach it in a way that’s healthy. So, it’s known as healthy conflict. So there’s ways in which we can have these conversations. When you’re a board president addressing issues, they don’t have to be fearful. I mean, there’s a strategic way of addressing this that, again, we can engage in healthy conflict as a team because that’s going to help us ultimately move forward and be more productive.

**A (Stuart):** I think in the context of board organization, it’s also important to remember that you may elect a president annually but empowering that board president to do what needs to be done, both for the benefit of the board’s culture, the benefit of the board getting its work done, for the benefit of the district, that needs to be continuous. Board members need to, throughout the course of the year, empower their chairperson to take care of the stuff that nobody should really disagree about.

Q: So in terms of board culture, we’ve kind of talked about the makeup of the board and the leadership. But in terms of board culture, all members are actually leaders. Tell us what is meant by that.

**A (Will):** So I’ll start and I’ll just go back to the quote that I shared at the beginning. “School district leadership needs to pay attention to the culture it exhibits and exemplifies because this culture permeates the classrooms directly affecting teaching. Every school director is in a leadership role. Every school director is part of the district leadership team of 10.”

So again, the way in which you approach the work, you work with your colleagues, the way you approach your work at board meetings. It all impacts not only the board’s culture, but the culture of the district. So again, as we consider all members are a leader in keeping a pulse on the board’s culture and making sure that it’s a healthy, productive, successful, effective culture, ultimately for the success of the school district.

Q: Yeah. Everybody’s got responsibility there then.

**A (Stuart):** Absolutely.

**A (Will):** And I just want to clarify, I mentioned this onboarding program that’s going to be held on September 27th, 2021. That program is for anyone who is in a leadership role, be it superintendent, board president, vice-president, who’s now considering how they’re going to welcome and assimilate new members after they’re elected in November. This event is for those who are in the leadership role, putting together their onboarding materials, their approach, their plan. It’s not necessarily for those who were recently elected again, it’s to prepare for the elections and the onboarding process.

Q: Good. Good clarification. And it will be interesting to see the outcomes of the November election. I know there’s a lot of discussion around that right now.

**A (Will):** I just want to plug again, as we think about onboarding, really consider what you want your new directors to say about the process once they join the team. We want them to feel valued. We want them to feel welcomed. We want them to feel like they are part of the team when they join. So again, as we’re talking about onboarding and culture, really think of your approach as you get ready for your team to change. Your culture doesn’t have to change, but the team dynamics will. So we have to think of how we welcome and assimilate new members to our team. And Annette, I promise I’m done.

**A (Stuart):** I just want to add one other thing about the principles for governance and leadership. It’s a great foundation. You don’t have to start from scratch. But boards should also understand as they’re looking at those and as they’re holding each other accountable to them, as they’re doing their board self-assessment. If there is something about the way the board did principles as written don’t come across with the same degree of understanding that the board would like, they’re not rigid. That boards are encouraged to customize them in a way that works well for them and better reinforces their board’s culture.

Q: That’s good to know. That it’s not expected to be a cookie cutter approach.

Stuart Knade, Esq. and Will Smeltzer

Stuart Knade is PSBA’s Chief Legal Officer and Will Smeltzer is a senior training manager at PSBA.
Principles for Governance and Leadership
Essentials of Parliamentary Procedure
**Start Strong: Onboarding New School Directors Event**
In June, PSBA will open registration to the 2021 Start Strong: Onboarding New School Directors pre-conference event. **Please hold the date for Monday, September 27 to attend.** Watch PSBA communications for Start Strong registration information. Each district who registers for this event will receive a copy of PSBA’s Onboarding Manual both in binder form and digitally. Additional resources such as a leadership guide and the First-Year-At-A-Glance onboarding calendar will be provided to each Start Strong attendee. For those who cannot attend this event but still would like access to the PSBA copyrighted manual and materials, please reach out to PSBA’s Education and Training team to schedule a consultation. We anticipate the revised and improved manual will be ready by midsummer 2021. Contact edandtraining@psba.org for more information!
The post The Inseparable Tie Between Board Culture and Effectiveness appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Treating Recyclables as a Commodity: Understanding the Value of Recycling** Jun 01, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Did you know there are more than 66,000 direct jobs associated with recycling in Pennsylvania? Recycling in Pennsylvania means business — it means jobs for our neighbors, friends and relatives, and over $22 billion annually in economic gains that are contributed to the gross state product. Recycling is an integral part of our Pennsylvania economy. Meet a few leaders behind the commonwealth’s recycling industry in this episode of *Keystone Education Radio*. Host Annette Stevenson speaks with Jennifer Summers and Shelly Dreese of Professional Recyclers of PA (PROP), along with Larry Holley, Division Chief of Waste Minimization and Planning for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). They discuss how PROP and DEP serve residents, school leaders and recyclers across the state, as well as the environmental and financial impacts of recycling.
Skip to: 01:10 What does the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP) do, and for whom?

“Professionals in this role need both technical knowledge and basically the art of diplomacy.”

Skip to: 03:12 In what ways do you educate the communities on the work that you do?

Skip to: 04:51 So what should the residents of Pennsylvania know about recycling in Pennsylvania?

“The important thing that all residents know about recycling is it is as you stated particular to your local area, and they need to become educated on how to manage those materials in their area.”

“It’s an integral part of our Pennsylvania economy and environmental protection. For example, with regards to the economy, there are in excess of 66,000 direct jobs associated with recycling in the commonwealth.”

Skip to: 07:45 What do you see as the biggest challenges in the current recycling chain or services in PA and what can be done to improve those areas?

“People don’t think about what they put in the bin all the time, and then they many times increase the cost of recycling.”

Skip to: 10:04 How can educators, parents and school leaders use your programs to teach students the importance of recycling? Are there in-school initiatives that PROP works on for the PA public schools?

“Our goal is to provide best practices to the districts and the decision-makers, give them recommendations on how to manage the recyclables and organics and share the successes of those schools.”

“County recycling coordinators they have access to both great classroom training activities that they themselves can come into the school and do a hands-on activity, kind of give the teacher a break for an hour and let somebody else come in and do a class.”

Skip to: 12:27 PROP worked with the PA Department of Environmental Protection earlier this year to sponsor a poster and a video contest for students. How did that initiative go?

Skip to: 13:40 The DEP, did they get involved in joint partnerships like this, such as the poster and video contest to educate Pennsylvania’s youth? Is there any other kind of initiatives that are in that space?

Skip to: 15:22 Are there other PROP in-school initiatives?

Skip to: 15:50 What are some of the challenges that school leaders might face when trying to incorporate large-scale recycling programs in their schools?

“The success of your program shouldn’t be based on minimizing cost or a recycling rate. It should be based on how you better manage your materials.”

Skip to: 19:31 Where can listeners get more informed and find answers to their questions?

“The county recycling coordinators can come out and do an assessment. That’s actually a free resource, so make sure to take advantage of that.”

Q: What does the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania do, and for whom?

**A (Jennifer):** Basically the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania is an association of over 360 individuals and businesses representing both public and private sectors. Our members are involved in the management of residential and commercial recycling programs throughout Pennsylvania. For example, we have members who work for Republic Waste Management, Penn Waste, solid waste authorities, cities, townships, Newman Paperboard, Westchester University, the DEP, just to name a few. As you can see, there was quite a good representation. I’ll just clarify and say that while each of these individuals is enthusiastic about environmental protection, it’s actually their job. That’s why the professional recyclers, as opposed to the hobby recyclers.

Q: That makes sense, Jennifer.

**A (Jennifer):** Yeah, there’s sometimes a distinction there. Our members host a number of projects. Their primary responsibility is to work with residences, commercial entities, haulers and vendors to make sure that material that has been designated for recycling is collected cleanly, efficiently and is marketable on the other end. As you can guess, professionals in this role need both technical knowledge and basically the art of diplomacy. They have to be able to work with everybody and negotiate different situations. So PROP provides a network of industry professionals that can help the beginner and the long-time professional to develop and improve their knowledge and to basically sustain a successful recycling program in their region.

Q: Okay. This is a statewide organization. In what ways do you educate the communities on the work that you do?

**A (Shelly):** PROP answers any questions that come into the PROP office via phone and email, and we also work closely to assist our county and municipal coordinators if they receive a question from their community that maybe needs a little bit more or further clarification, and maybe they don’t have the exact answer to it. That’s pretty much what PROP does to educate the professionals so that the professionals can then go educate their community.

**A (Jennifer):** Just in addition to what Shelly pointed out, PROP runs a nationally recognized certification program. Basically what we do is we train the county and municipal coordinators on how to carry out their specific responsibilities. For example, they cover everything from contracting to understanding recycling economics, markets, data management, grant applications, education practices for when they are trying to educate the residents, zero waste programs, special collection events. So as you can see, there is quite a host of responsibilities that our folks are involved in.

Basically PROP is in a support and resource role. We provide specialized education for the county and municipal recycling coordinators, and then the county and municipal professionals in turn educate the community.

Q: Okay, that makes sense. There’s a lot of intricacies to recycling it seems. For example, the different types of plastics, some of which are recyclable and some are not, and additional challenges, the recyclability varies from location to location. So what should the residents of Pennsylvania know about recycling in Pennsylvania?

**A (Larry):** The important thing that all residents know about recycling is it is as you stated particular to your local area, and they need to become educated on how to manage those materials in their area. One of the things that we worked towards moving is moving towards more uniformity for recycling at work, home and at play. And as we continue to grow the program, we expect that it will become more uniform and make it easier.

Also, things that Pennsylvania residents need to know about recycling is it’s an integral part of our Pennsylvania economy and environmental protection. For example, with regards to the economy, there are in excess of 66,000 direct jobs associated with recycling in the commonwealth. A lot of people don’t know that. It’s pretty safe to say that you have a relative or you know somebody that works in the recycling industry. So that’s very important. The amount of economic gains that are contributed to the gross state product, are in excess of $22 billion annually, which is very important for people to know. They need to know that their recycling means business, it means jobs for their neighbors, their friends and their relatives.

From an environmental standpoint, they also need to know that it helps fight the environmental challenges we’re facing with regards to greenhouse gas emissions, reducing those directly improving and impacting climate change. Importantly, it saves nearly 300 million BTUs of energy each year by using recycled content. Those are some of the important environmental factors that they need to know.

As they look to optimize their material, it’s very important that they only recycle what’s part of their program. They clean and dry before they put it in the bin. They also secure their bin at the curb. By doing those things, making sure those items are free of food and liquids, it creates a good product that will be recycled and come back to them in the form of a new product.

Q: So what you just described has to do with the optimal reuse of discarded items. That’s sort of the optimal scenario then.

**A (Larry):** Yeah, that’s correct. Preparing it, so you lessen the amount of work needed to prepare it to go into a new product. By removing those foods and liquids, you help the process along.

Q: That’s I think so important to know and to note just that little step of rinsing and cleaning out the items ahead of time, that can help the process. I think that’s so important for the public to know. What do you see as the biggest challenges in the current recycling chain or services in PA and what can be done to improve those areas?

**A (Larry):** One of the biggest challenges is people want to recycle, the emergence of single stream recycling tech collection, which encourages people to put a bunch of things in the bin. With that said, people don’t think about what they put in the bin all the time, and then they many times increase the cost of recycling. The number of single stream facilities to process those materials that are collected single stream, is limited. There might be 15 to 17 facilities in the commonwealth, and we need to continue to expand that infrastructure so as we strive to collect more, it works.

And of course, as noted, plastics are a particular challenge because people want lighter packaging. Packaging is not being designed for recyclability; it’s being designed to provide security from retail associations and to catch the eye of consumers. So one of the things that we need to do is start to look towards designing plastics to be recycled. You don’t need one million and one colors in your plastic. You don’t need all these different shapes and sizes of plastic. You most certainly don’t need unnecessary packaging. So I think as we move to get plastic under control, that will be a big plus.

When you look at the other materials, they’re readily recyclable. There’s certain challenges with glass. The thing to note about glass is we’re not generating more than we were a couple of years ago, we’re not generating less. We’ve kind of come to that equilibrium where once we master managing the amount of recycled glass we collect, we’re there.

Q: So plastic is kind of a leading challenge it sounds like.

**A (Larry):** Yeah, plastic is a huge challenge. Others would say glass, but the big thing with glass is that you collect it properly and manage it properly. I would say overall with recyclables that we collect, treat them as a commodity, not a waste. You have to treat them very differently than you treat your trash, and if everybody does that, we’re headed in the right direction.

Q: Okay. So bringing it into school space, how can educators, parents and school leaders use your programs to teach students the importance of recycling? Are there in-school initiatives that PROP works on for the PA public schools?

**A (Jennifer):** I will start by answering that PROP is currently doing a school recycling study. We’ve sent a survey to all public schools in Pennsylvania. And through that survey, we are gathering information on what recycling looks like right now in each school. We know that there is going to be model programs, and we know that there will be schools that need some help. Basically by completing this survey, that will help us get a better idea of what schools need. In the end we’ll recognize the model programs and reach out with assistance to those that need it. Through that, our goal is to provide best practices to the districts and the decision-makers, give them recommendations on how to manage the recyclables and organics and share the successes of those schools. As part of this initiative in the classroom, we did conduct a poster and video contest for the kids. We’re looking forward to seeing what some of those admissions look like.

But more specific to your question, county recycling coordinators they have access to both great classroom training activities that they themselves can come into the school and do a hands-on activity, kind of give the teacher a break for an hour and let somebody else come in and do a class. There’s also curriculum available specific to recycling. As far as accessing that, the first thing to do would be to search for Pennsylvania county recycling coordinators and the DEP webpage, where all of those contact information is listed will come up. At the same time, if you need help reaching out to your coordinator or getting connected to the right people, the PROP office can help get you there as well.

Q: Great. Now you mentioned the poster contest. Let’s hear a little bit more about that. PROP worked with, I understand the PA Department of Environmental Protection earlier this year to sponsor a poster and a video contest for students. How did that go? How did that initiative go?

**A (Shelly):** We did have a poster and video contest for the students. The poster contest was to demonstrate the environmental benefits of recycling and the video contest was for them to demonstrate which items can be recycled and how. We hope that students understand the benefits that they can gain from recycling, such as the environmental benefits and the economic benefits. We also hope that they learned how to recycle items properly. We did get a pretty decent quantity of the poster contest entries. We got a few, I would say probably about anywhere between five and 10, of the video contest entries. We are in the process of getting those available for our panel of judges to look at and make the selections on who the winners are. We have not done that yet, but they will be posted once we select the winners and then the winners will be notified as well.

Q: That’s great. Larry, the DEP, did they get involved in joint partnerships like this, such as the poster and video contest to educate Pennsylvania’s youth? Is there any other kind of initiatives that are in that space?

**A (Larry):** We work with PROP and our partners, the county coordinators, throughout the year to provide education. We have regional DEP coordinators in 60 key regions of the state. There are three in Pittsburgh, two in the Philadelphia area, and one in the other regions of the commonwealth. Those DEP coordinators engage in recycling education activities through schools and organizations all the time.

We also are working with our partners at the Recycling Market Center in Middletown, which is a statewide nonprofit that is geared towards developing markets and ensuring that Pennsylvania recycled content goes into Pennsylvania products when possible. We’re looking to do some STEM education with them to make sure that the STEM students know about the careers available and opportunities that exist in the recycling and waste management fields. So that’s another partner who we work with.

I would say far and away, we’ve had a longstanding relationship with PROP for well in excess of 25 years. And through that partnership, we’re able to touch all the counties in one way or another.

Q: Great. So there’s a number of layers there. The career part kind of caught my attention. That’s interesting. How about PROP? Are there other PROP in-school initiatives or anything you want to call attention to?

**A (Shelly):** I wouldn’t say there’s any other in school initiatives that PROP does. However, PROP is the state recycling association where the county and municipal recycling professionals get their certification. So we just promote the education of our professionals so that they can go out and assist.

Q: What are some of the challenges that school leaders might face when trying to incorporate large-scale recycling programs in their schools? Are there any kind of challenges they should be looking at and looking at how to solve?

**A (Larry):** Yes. First and foremost, they need to look at the contractual arrangements to manage their waste and recycling. They cannot depend on the waste hauler to provide them instantly the solution they want. Many times the waste hauler is connected to the waste disposal facility, and their primary mission is to collect trash and do business.

One thing that schools need to think about is how many bins do you have outside your school. When are they getting full? And by further implementing my recycling program, how can I reduce the amount of material that goes in there and the number of times those need to be dumped? Those might seem overly simple, but many school administrators don’t have experience or don’t get into the nuts and bolts of negotiating those contracts. There’s savings to be had there, and there’s also creating an understanding of recycling and the economic environmental benefits associated with it.

To follow up on that, one of the challenges that large schools have, and even some small ones, are training of the facilities staff and making the change towards recycling more and how to properly manage that material. It’s not something you just start doing if you haven’t been doing it. We talked earlier about how to prepare it. Well, when you’re preparing it to be collected, you want to make sure you’re not cross-contaminating. For example, schools generate large amounts of cardboard. You don’t want to put the cardboard in with your other recyclables. You want to keep it separate. Cardboard has inherent value and a pretty stable value and can be managed locally.

The other thing that schools should do is look at their local businesses, their local recyclers, and see how they can be engaged and not just depend solely on the waste hauler, because in fact depending on where you’re located, how much you’re generating, some of the local recyclers will come and pick up your cardboard and pay you depending on how much you’re generating and when it’s picked up. But if you don’t get to that fundamental contracting, and understand what you have, i.e. don’t treat it as a waste, you could be out in the cold a little bit.

With that, I would say on top of all that is establishing realistic metrics for the success of your program. The success of your program shouldn’t be based on minimizing cost or a recycling rate. It should be based on how you better manage your materials, which if you do better manage it, will result in cost savings, the amount of material that you diverted from disposal, which is an environmental benefit that the school can take, and can calculate the greenhouse gas reductions and individual energy savings that they’ve accounted for. And to have an accounting system that tells them what they’ve collected with regards to the recycling program. I think those are some key takeaways I would give to school districts who are implementing a program or who want to improve their existing program.

Q: That’s great. Great guidance. Thank you. Where can listeners get more informed, find answers to their questions? Is there any particular websites you’d want to direct folks to?

**A (Jennifer):** There are a wealth of resources out there. First and foremost, your county coordinator or your municipal recycling coordinator. That should always be your first stop because they will know the resources in that exact location. In fact, to Larry’s point about working with the school districts, the county recycling coordinators can come out and do an assessment. That’s actually a free resource, so make sure to take advantage of that.

Listeners can find great resources on the Pennsylvania DEP website under recycling and waste reduction. The Pennsylvania Recycling Market Center has good information on markets and the economics of recycling. In fact, there are many webinars and actually virtual conferences that are readily available now that folks don’t have to pay for travel and airfare and hotel on top of that. There might be a registration fee, but it’s easily accessible. For example, the National Recycling Coalition would be a good place to go. Certainly the proprecycles.org. In fact, we have under our school recycling study menu, there is an on-demand webinar that gives an overview of a couple of points we’ve talked about here today.

Larry, I really like your mindset of treat recyclable material like a commodity, not waste. For me, I was like, “Oh, that’s a great way to think about things, because if you treat it like waste, you’re not going to do it right.” It is a commodity, so treat it like that.
Jennifer Summers is the Executive Director for the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania. Shelley Dreese serves as the Grant Program Manager for the Professional Recyclers of
Shelly Dreese

Jennifer Summers

Pennsylvania, and Larry Holley is the Division Chief of Waste Minimization and Planning for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP)
Pennsylvania School Recycling Study
PROP Kids Resources
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Recycling and Waste Reduction
Pennsylvania county recycling coordinators
The Pennsylvania Recycling Market Center
National Recycling Coalition
The post Treating Recyclables as a Commodity: Understanding the Value of Recycling appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Treating Recyclables as a Commodity: Understanding the Value of Recycling** Jun 01, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Did you know there are more than 66,000 direct jobs associated with recycling in Pennsylvania? Recycling in Pennsylvania means business — it means jobs for our neighbors, friends and relatives, and over $22 billion annually in economic gains that are contributed to the gross state product. Recycling is an integral part of our Pennsylvania economy. Meet a few leaders behind the commonwealth’s recycling industry in this episode of *Keystone Education Radio*. Host Annette Stevenson speaks with Jennifer Summers and Shelly Dreese of Professional Recyclers of PA (PROP), along with Larry Holley, Division Chief of Waste Minimization and Planning for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). They discuss how PROP and DEP serve residents, school leaders and recyclers across the state, as well as the environmental and financial impacts of recycling.
Skip to: 01:10 What does the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP) do, and for whom?

“Professionals in this role need both technical knowledge and basically the art of diplomacy.”

Skip to: 03:12 In what ways do you educate the communities on the work that you do?

Skip to: 04:51 So what should the residents of Pennsylvania know about recycling in Pennsylvania?

“The important thing that all residents know about recycling is it is as you stated particular to your local area, and they need to become educated on how to manage those materials in their area.”

“It’s an integral part of our Pennsylvania economy and environmental protection. For example, with regards to the economy, there are in excess of 66,000 direct jobs associated with recycling in the commonwealth.”

Skip to: 07:45 What do you see as the biggest challenges in the current recycling chain or services in PA and what can be done to improve those areas?

“People don’t think about what they put in the bin all the time, and then they many times increase the cost of recycling.”

Skip to: 10:04 How can educators, parents and school leaders use your programs to teach students the importance of recycling? Are there in-school initiatives that PROP works on for the PA public schools?

“Our goal is to provide best practices to the districts and the decision-makers, give them recommendations on how to manage the recyclables and organics and share the successes of those schools.”

“County recycling coordinators they have access to both great classroom training activities that they themselves can come into the school and do a hands-on activity, kind of give the teacher a break for an hour and let somebody else come in and do a class.”

Skip to: 12:27 PROP worked with the PA Department of Environmental Protection earlier this year to sponsor a poster and a video contest for students. How did that initiative go?

Skip to: 13:40 The DEP, did they get involved in joint partnerships like this, such as the poster and video contest to educate Pennsylvania’s youth? Is there any other kind of initiatives that are in that space?

Skip to: 15:22 Are there other PROP in-school initiatives?

Skip to: 15:50 What are some of the challenges that school leaders might face when trying to incorporate large-scale recycling programs in their schools?

“The success of your program shouldn’t be based on minimizing cost or a recycling rate. It should be based on how you better manage your materials.”

Skip to: 19:31 Where can listeners get more informed and find answers to their questions?

“The county recycling coordinators can come out and do an assessment. That’s actually a free resource, so make sure to take advantage of that.”

Q: What does the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania do, and for whom?

**A (Jennifer):** Basically the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania is an association of over 360 individuals and businesses representing both public and private sectors. Our members are involved in the management of residential and commercial recycling programs throughout Pennsylvania. For example, we have members who work for Republic Waste Management, Penn Waste, solid waste authorities, cities, townships, Newman Paperboard, Westchester University, the DEP, just to name a few. As you can see, there was quite a good representation. I’ll just clarify and say that while each of these individuals is enthusiastic about environmental protection, it’s actually their job. That’s why the professional recyclers, as opposed to the hobby recyclers.

Q: That makes sense, Jennifer.

**A (Jennifer):** Yeah, there’s sometimes a distinction there. Our members host a number of projects. Their primary responsibility is to work with residences, commercial entities, haulers and vendors to make sure that material that has been designated for recycling is collected cleanly, efficiently and is marketable on the other end. As you can guess, professionals in this role need both technical knowledge and basically the art of diplomacy. They have to be able to work with everybody and negotiate different situations. So PROP provides a network of industry professionals that can help the beginner and the long-time professional to develop and improve their knowledge and to basically sustain a successful recycling program in their region.

Q: Okay. This is a statewide organization. In what ways do you educate the communities on the work that you do?

**A (Shelly):** PROP answers any questions that come into the PROP office via phone and email, and we also work closely to assist our county and municipal coordinators if they receive a question from their community that maybe needs a little bit more or further clarification, and maybe they don’t have the exact answer to it. That’s pretty much what PROP does to educate the professionals so that the professionals can then go educate their community.

**A (Jennifer):** Just in addition to what Shelly pointed out, PROP runs a nationally recognized certification program. Basically what we do is we train the county and municipal coordinators on how to carry out their specific responsibilities. For example, they cover everything from contracting to understanding recycling economics, markets, data management, grant applications, education practices for when they are trying to educate the residents, zero waste programs, special collection events. So as you can see, there is quite a host of responsibilities that our folks are involved in.

Basically PROP is in a support and resource role. We provide specialized education for the county and municipal recycling coordinators, and then the county and municipal professionals in turn educate the community.

Q: Okay, that makes sense. There’s a lot of intricacies to recycling it seems. For example, the different types of plastics, some of which are recyclable and some are not, and additional challenges, the recyclability varies from location to location. So what should the residents of Pennsylvania know about recycling in Pennsylvania?

**A (Larry):** The important thing that all residents know about recycling is it is as you stated particular to your local area, and they need to become educated on how to manage those materials in their area. One of the things that we worked towards moving is moving towards more uniformity for recycling at work, home and at play. And as we continue to grow the program, we expect that it will become more uniform and make it easier.

Also, things that Pennsylvania residents need to know about recycling is it’s an integral part of our Pennsylvania economy and environmental protection. For example, with regards to the economy, there are in excess of 66,000 direct jobs associated with recycling in the commonwealth. A lot of people don’t know that. It’s pretty safe to say that you have a relative or you know somebody that works in the recycling industry. So that’s very important. The amount of economic gains that are contributed to the gross state product, are in excess of $22 billion annually, which is very important for people to know. They need to know that their recycling means business, it means jobs for their neighbors, their friends and their relatives.

From an environmental standpoint, they also need to know that it helps fight the environmental challenges we’re facing with regards to greenhouse gas emissions, reducing those directly improving and impacting climate change. Importantly, it saves nearly 300 million BTUs of energy each year by using recycled content. Those are some of the important environmental factors that they need to know.

As they look to optimize their material, it’s very important that they only recycle what’s part of their program. They clean and dry before they put it in the bin. They also secure their bin at the curb. By doing those things, making sure those items are free of food and liquids, it creates a good product that will be recycled and come back to them in the form of a new product.

Q: So what you just described has to do with the optimal reuse of discarded items. That’s sort of the optimal scenario then.

**A (Larry):** Yeah, that’s correct. Preparing it, so you lessen the amount of work needed to prepare it to go into a new product. By removing those foods and liquids, you help the process along.

Q: That’s I think so important to know and to note just that little step of rinsing and cleaning out the items ahead of time, that can help the process. I think that’s so important for the public to know. What do you see as the biggest challenges in the current recycling chain or services in PA and what can be done to improve those areas?

**A (Larry):** One of the biggest challenges is people want to recycle, the emergence of single stream recycling tech collection, which encourages people to put a bunch of things in the bin. With that said, people don’t think about what they put in the bin all the time, and then they many times increase the cost of recycling. The number of single stream facilities to process those materials that are collected single stream, is limited. There might be 15 to 17 facilities in the commonwealth, and we need to continue to expand that infrastructure so as we strive to collect more, it works.

And of course, as noted, plastics are a particular challenge because people want lighter packaging. Packaging is not being designed for recyclability; it’s being designed to provide security from retail associations and to catch the eye of consumers. So one of the things that we need to do is start to look towards designing plastics to be recycled. You don’t need one million and one colors in your plastic. You don’t need all these different shapes and sizes of plastic. You most certainly don’t need unnecessary packaging. So I think as we move to get plastic under control, that will be a big plus.

When you look at the other materials, they’re readily recyclable. There’s certain challenges with glass. The thing to note about glass is we’re not generating more than we were a couple of years ago, we’re not generating less. We’ve kind of come to that equilibrium where once we master managing the amount of recycled glass we collect, we’re there.

Q: So plastic is kind of a leading challenge it sounds like.

**A (Larry):** Yeah, plastic is a huge challenge. Others would say glass, but the big thing with glass is that you collect it properly and manage it properly. I would say overall with recyclables that we collect, treat them as a commodity, not a waste. You have to treat them very differently than you treat your trash, and if everybody does that, we’re headed in the right direction.

Q: Okay. So bringing it into school space, how can educators, parents and school leaders use your programs to teach students the importance of recycling? Are there in-school initiatives that PROP works on for the PA public schools?

**A (Jennifer):** I will start by answering that PROP is currently doing a school recycling study. We’ve sent a survey to all public schools in Pennsylvania. And through that survey, we are gathering information on what recycling looks like right now in each school. We know that there is going to be model programs, and we know that there will be schools that need some help. Basically by completing this survey, that will help us get a better idea of what schools need. In the end we’ll recognize the model programs and reach out with assistance to those that need it. Through that, our goal is to provide best practices to the districts and the decision-makers, give them recommendations on how to manage the recyclables and organics and share the successes of those schools. As part of this initiative in the classroom, we did conduct a poster and video contest for the kids. We’re looking forward to seeing what some of those admissions look like.

But more specific to your question, county recycling coordinators they have access to both great classroom training activities that they themselves can come into the school and do a hands-on activity, kind of give the teacher a break for an hour and let somebody else come in and do a class. There’s also curriculum available specific to recycling. As far as accessing that, the first thing to do would be to search for Pennsylvania county recycling coordinators and the DEP webpage, where all of those contact information is listed will come up. At the same time, if you need help reaching out to your coordinator or getting connected to the right people, the PROP office can help get you there as well.

Q: Great. Now you mentioned the poster contest. Let’s hear a little bit more about that. PROP worked with, I understand the PA Department of Environmental Protection earlier this year to sponsor a poster and a video contest for students. How did that go? How did that initiative go?

**A (Shelly):** We did have a poster and video contest for the students. The poster contest was to demonstrate the environmental benefits of recycling and the video contest was for them to demonstrate which items can be recycled and how. We hope that students understand the benefits that they can gain from recycling, such as the environmental benefits and the economic benefits. We also hope that they learned how to recycle items properly. We did get a pretty decent quantity of the poster contest entries. We got a few, I would say probably about anywhere between five and 10, of the video contest entries. We are in the process of getting those available for our panel of judges to look at and make the selections on who the winners are. We have not done that yet, but they will be posted once we select the winners and then the winners will be notified as well.

Q: That’s great. Larry, the DEP, did they get involved in joint partnerships like this, such as the poster and video contest to educate Pennsylvania’s youth? Is there any other kind of initiatives that are in that space?

**A (Larry):** We work with PROP and our partners, the county coordinators, throughout the year to provide education. We have regional DEP coordinators in 60 key regions of the state. There are three in Pittsburgh, two in the Philadelphia area, and one in the other regions of the commonwealth. Those DEP coordinators engage in recycling education activities through schools and organizations all the time.

We also are working with our partners at the Recycling Market Center in Middletown, which is a statewide nonprofit that is geared towards developing markets and ensuring that Pennsylvania recycled content goes into Pennsylvania products when possible. We’re looking to do some STEM education with them to make sure that the STEM students know about the careers available and opportunities that exist in the recycling and waste management fields. So that’s another partner who we work with.

I would say far and away, we’ve had a longstanding relationship with PROP for well in excess of 25 years. And through that partnership, we’re able to touch all the counties in one way or another.

Q: Great. So there’s a number of layers there. The career part kind of caught my attention. That’s interesting. How about PROP? Are there other PROP in-school initiatives or anything you want to call attention to?

**A (Shelly):** I wouldn’t say there’s any other in school initiatives that PROP does. However, PROP is the state recycling association where the county and municipal recycling professionals get their certification. So we just promote the education of our professionals so that they can go out and assist.

Q: What are some of the challenges that school leaders might face when trying to incorporate large-scale recycling programs in their schools? Are there any kind of challenges they should be looking at and looking at how to solve?

**A (Larry):** Yes. First and foremost, they need to look at the contractual arrangements to manage their waste and recycling. They cannot depend on the waste hauler to provide them instantly the solution they want. Many times the waste hauler is connected to the waste disposal facility, and their primary mission is to collect trash and do business.

One thing that schools need to think about is how many bins do you have outside your school. When are they getting full? And by further implementing my recycling program, how can I reduce the amount of material that goes in there and the number of times those need to be dumped? Those might seem overly simple, but many school administrators don’t have experience or don’t get into the nuts and bolts of negotiating those contracts. There’s savings to be had there, and there’s also creating an understanding of recycling and the economic environmental benefits associated with it.

To follow up on that, one of the challenges that large schools have, and even some small ones, are training of the facilities staff and making the change towards recycling more and how to properly manage that material. It’s not something you just start doing if you haven’t been doing it. We talked earlier about how to prepare it. Well, when you’re preparing it to be collected, you want to make sure you’re not cross-contaminating. For example, schools generate large amounts of cardboard. You don’t want to put the cardboard in with your other recyclables. You want to keep it separate. Cardboard has inherent value and a pretty stable value and can be managed locally.

The other thing that schools should do is look at their local businesses, their local recyclers, and see how they can be engaged and not just depend solely on the waste hauler, because in fact depending on where you’re located, how much you’re generating, some of the local recyclers will come and pick up your cardboard and pay you depending on how much you’re generating and when it’s picked up. But if you don’t get to that fundamental contracting, and understand what you have, i.e. don’t treat it as a waste, you could be out in the cold a little bit.

With that, I would say on top of all that is establishing realistic metrics for the success of your program. The success of your program shouldn’t be based on minimizing cost or a recycling rate. It should be based on how you better manage your materials, which if you do better manage it, will result in cost savings, the amount of material that you diverted from disposal, which is an environmental benefit that the school can take, and can calculate the greenhouse gas reductions and individual energy savings that they’ve accounted for. And to have an accounting system that tells them what they’ve collected with regards to the recycling program. I think those are some key takeaways I would give to school districts who are implementing a program or who want to improve their existing program.

Q: That’s great. Great guidance. Thank you. Where can listeners get more informed, find answers to their questions? Is there any particular websites you’d want to direct folks to?

**A (Jennifer):** There are a wealth of resources out there. First and foremost, your county coordinator or your municipal recycling coordinator. That should always be your first stop because they will know the resources in that exact location. In fact, to Larry’s point about working with the school districts, the county recycling coordinators can come out and do an assessment. That’s actually a free resource, so make sure to take advantage of that.

Listeners can find great resources on the Pennsylvania DEP website under recycling and waste reduction. The Pennsylvania Recycling Market Center has good information on markets and the economics of recycling. In fact, there are many webinars and actually virtual conferences that are readily available now that folks don’t have to pay for travel and airfare and hotel on top of that. There might be a registration fee, but it’s easily accessible. For example, the National Recycling Coalition would be a good place to go. Certainly the proprecycles.org. In fact, we have under our school recycling study menu, there is an on-demand webinar that gives an overview of a couple of points we’ve talked about here today.

Larry, I really like your mindset of treat recyclable material like a commodity, not waste. For me, I was like, “Oh, that’s a great way to think about things, because if you treat it like waste, you’re not going to do it right.” It is a commodity, so treat it like that.
Jennifer Summers is the Executive Director for the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania. Shelley Dreese serves as the Grant Program Manager for the Professional Recyclers of
Shelly Dreese

Jennifer Summers

Pennsylvania, and Larry Holley is the Division Chief of Waste Minimization and Planning for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP)
Pennsylvania School Recycling Study
PROP Kids Resources
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Recycling and Waste Reduction
Pennsylvania county recycling coordinators
The Pennsylvania Recycling Market Center
National Recycling Coalition
The post Treating Recyclables as a Commodity: Understanding the Value of Recycling appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

PSBA Charter School Task Force: Developing a Plan to Level the Playing Field May 18, 2021

Meet the leaders behind PSBA’s Charter School Task Force and the Keystone Center for Charter Change at PSBA in this episode of Keystone Education Radio. Learn more about the efforts underway to reform the Pennsylvania charter school law and the push for more transparency and accountability, in pursuit of the highest standards in public education.

Skip to: 01:07 Can you tell us about the work that the task force did to study charter school reform?

“It was really a great group of people with broad interests and backgrounds and experiences, with schools and with charter schools . . . We all have different experiences and perspectives, and so we wanted to broaden all of our understanding.”

Skip to: 03:46 Did the task force get any feedback or input from members of the charter school community?

“We did feel it was important for members of the charter school community to be involved and that we got their perspective as well. And we realize, charter schools are here to stay, and online and hybrid instruction can be a really good instructional delivery and so on, but at the same time, we would like to see a little bit more of a level playing field for everyone.”

Skip to: 07:07 As the task force was going about its work, was there anything that stood out to you or anything that sort of surprised you about the state of affairs with charter schools?

“One of the profound things that I took away was just how important this issue and how passionate people are about this issue across the entire state of Pennsylvania.”

Skip to: 10:41 When can we expect that the report will be released and what are some of the recommendations that are going to be included in that?

“If we can get with better transparency and a little more accountability and reconciliation, I think that’ll be a big move in the right direction.”

Skip to: 14:56 Can you explain the purpose of the Keystone Center for Charter Change?

Skip to: 15:26 Where can listeners turn to learn more or join the charter reform efforts of the Keystone Center for Charter Change?

Skip to: 18:43 Do you see anything significant that’s changed with respect to charter schools recently?

“I’ve been following this issue closely for 20 years and I think there’s more momentum now than ever before.”

Q: Edie, Al, as co-chairs of the task force, can you tell us about the work that the task force did to study this issue?

A (Edie): Sure. As you said, we began at the end of 2019 and we set out…we had a grand plan about outreach meetings across the state and lots of speakers coming in to speak to us. And then, the pandemic put the kibosh on a lot of that kind of stuff. And then, everybody was struggling to just get school back in session, so we really didn’t get started for almost a year after that. And in that time, I had a different co-chair and then he had to step down and then Al came along and helped us start things back up again. So, we got to start it really in December of 2020, doing mostly Zoom meetings. The composition of the task force was about 20 people, about 12 board members and a number of superintendents, five or six superintendents and administrators, a couple of attorneys who turned out to just be so useful, just with so much information. I learned a lot from them.

So, it was really a great group of people with broad interests and backgrounds and experiences, with schools and with charter schools. As I said, our listening tour was canceled, but we did some seminars for our information to help inform the task force. We had one from Alison Peterson who’s a lawyer who works mostly in Philadelphia area in charter school law and was actually a member of the task force. And she gave us a long, detailed, in-depth webinar on charter school funding. I learned so much from Allie. And then, we also had a webinar from Dr. Maurice Flurie, who was the president and CEO of Commonwealth Charter Academy, because we all felt that it was important to bring in the voice of the charter schools.

Q: You went about learning the subject matter very comprehensively before setting about doing the work.

A (Edie): We did. I think we wanted to enter this in a well-informed kind of way. And it was important to the task force to hear both sides of that. I think many of the school board members on the task force have charter schools in their districts and we all have different experiences and perspectives, and so we wanted to broaden all of our understanding.

Q: That makes a ton of sense.

A (Edie): Yeah. Yeah.

Q: Having both perspectives, hugely important. It’s not a one-sided issue clearly.

A (Edie): Absolutely. Absolutely.

Q: Did the task force get any feedback or input from members of the charter school community? And you mentioned the one participant of the discussions, was there any other participation? And again, talk a little bit about why that was important to include that perspective.

A (Edie): Al, would you like to give your perspective?

A (Al): Sure. I’d like to back up a little bit though, just to share a little bit, being a practitioner and a superintendent in Pennsylvania, of two different schools for 10 years. My last 10 years before starting my encore career at McDaniel College as a professor, but then also being a vice president of the school board here in Gettysburg. Part of my biggest motivation was, and what I had realized through very firsthand experiences in my school districts, was that we as public schools and again, charter schools are public schools as well, but in the traditional school system, I think we do a pretty good job of holding our stakeholders, especially our students and our parents, accountable for attendance issues, behavioral issues, academic issues and so on. I still believe, and maybe, hopefully I’m on the right track, is that public schools are still the great equalizer. And I just think there’s a strong appreciation for it, even if some of our students aren’t mature enough to realize it at the time, that in the long run, those things are pretty important.

The other thing that was really evident to me, seeing it firsthand, when some of our students, many of our students that would end up returning back to our school system, that were in the cyber, especially the cyber charter school, is that it really required a high degree of remediation and academic assistance to those students because of the lost learning that we were seeing across the board. And again, I don’t want to personally generalize there, but I would just say in general, that was definitely problematic for us. And I realize, our friends in the legislature in Harrisburg are trying to do the right things for their constituents and so on. And I do think it’s a flawed way of thinking, that creating this competition or the funding source, leaving our per pupil expenditure, a much higher amount than what the charter school is actually realizing how much that hurts our local schools.

Just here in Gettysburg alone, where I’m on the board, we’re bleeding about $4 million a year, and we see that rising. So, that was a big part of my motivation to be involved. And I realize, that’s more in line with the first question and so on. But again, I would agree wholeheartedly with Edie, that we did feel it was important for members of the charter school community to be involved and that we got their perspective as well. And we realize, charter schools are here to stay, and online and hybrid instruction can be a really good instructional delivery and so on, but at the same time, we would like to see a little bit more of a level playing field for everyone.

Q: Yeah. That’s great. That’s great insight. And hopefully your perspective was heard by the charter school participants as well. Hopefully it was an ability for them hear the perspective from the public school districts, as well. As the task force was going about its work, was there anything that stood out to you or anything that surprised you about the state of affairs with charter schools?

A (Edie): Well, definitely that the devil is in the details. I think as a board member as you begin, you start to read about it, and it can be a little bit maddening, as you go through the authorization process or just go through your budget every year and watch a significant amount of money being spent on charter schools and it’s out of your hands. But with the task force, we really got into a lot of those details and the solutions are not simple. It’s not an ideal situation and the solutions are not simple. I mean, I think that’s something that stood out for me is that you think, “We should get rid of the charters,” but it’s just not that easy.

So in fact, and perhaps this is back up in question number one again, but the goals of the task force … Well, we had a number of goals that were our chart of work if you will. But we agreed at the beginning, at the outset, that charter schools are a part of the Pennsylvania landscape, education landscape. And what we needed to find as a task force, were reasonable solutions that would be feasible and palatable to the Pennsylvania legislature. It’s all well and good to get your ire all up about charter schools, but we need to change the law, and that requires us to come into the table, willing to examine the details and do the work.

And I think that we had a great group for that. We got into a lot of the details and sometimes we got off on tangents too, but thanks to the PSBA folks who kept us moving forward. One other goal really, was to find not only reasonable solutions, but if you will, bite-sized chunks, so that they could be individual pieces that could be negotiated and adapted, and that could be worked through with the legislature to try and reach solutions. So, that was an important part of it, was to break things down into different pieces that could be negotiated and agreed upon and adopted finally. So, that was an important part of our goals.

Q: Al, anything that stood out or surprised you through the course of the work?

A (Al): Yeah. I’m not sure if it surprised me or not, but one of the profound things that I took away was just how important this issue and how passionate people are about this issue across the entire state of Pennsylvania. And that we really, here in Adams County, we are not alone. This is a statewide issue where we really need to see some reform and get some relief. That really stood out, just how passionate people were. And as Edie referred to, the devil is in the details, we got into a lot of detail. So, our thought was, trying to keep it as simple as possible and bring forward some recommendations that we thought had a reasonable chance with our friends in Harrisburg, that they would consider those things. And again, our people from PSBA, they’ve been on top of this issue and they’ve been very, very helpful and leading and guiding us through this process, and we’re very appreciative of their help.

Q: So, that brings me to the outcome of your work and that’s the report. So, let’s find out from you, when can we expect that the report will be released and what are some of the recommendations that are going to be included in that?

A (Edie): Sure, the report was compiled based on our work by our folks at PSBA, and we’ve been working on it over the last few weeks. And my understanding is that within the next week or two, that report should be finalized and should be released to the public. So, that’s excellent.

Q: Great.

A (Edie): It’s May now, and I know that the state is working on its budget. We were aiming for March because of the legislative session, but it’s May, and we’re getting the work done, and we’re doing our best. As I said, we were looking for discrete units, if you will, of items that could be worked on with the legislature, that could be adapted into law. So, there are eight recommendations. The first couple, I think are ones that many people who follow charter school law at all and legislation and charter school issues are aware of. For example, applying a tiered special education funding system for charter schools, that will, as Al said, level the playing field with regard to special education. School districts spend a lot more money on special education than charter schools do.

A second recommendation is to apply a statewide tuition rate to students enrolled in cyber charter schools. Since that is a more evenly distributed kind of education, it should be evenly funded as well. There are a couple of recommendations that we made with regard to transparency, because as we know, all of our school districts have to abide by the Sunshine Law and reporting to the state, and that playing field is not level either. So, we made a couple of recommendations along those lines. And then, there are some, as I said, devil in the details kind of things about how monies are actually directed to school districts or to the charter schools, and how they reconcile that at the end of the year. And those are boring, but important details, that we have parsed out and are making recommendations along those lines.

Q: Great. Anything to add to that, Al? Any recommendation, highlights, that stand out for you?

A (Al): Yeah, maybe just a few things. I think Edie really did a nice job summarizing those things. But in general, just ensuring greater transparency, I think is really important. And looking at the accounting requirements and the reconciliation process in the relationship and partnership between our traditional public schools and the charter schools and so on, I think is important. When I read some of the information regarding fund balances of charter schools and especially these cyber charter schools, I’m not sure why they need a large savings account when they’re not dealing with facilities and those kind of resources, and so on, and that’s really concerning.

Sometimes you look at some of these salaries of the CEOs in the charter school world, and it does make you wonder profoundly, what is going on here? And so on. And that these taxpayer monies, that are leaving our traditional school systems, that most of our parents probably aren’t aware where monies are being spent on advertising and marketing and promotion and things like that, that we historically have not done in the traditional public schools.

And so, in general, I think, Edie did a real nice job explaining that, but again, I would hit on that special education issue. Some of our districts are paying $24, $30,000 per student and we really need to look at what is the actual cost of the program that they are receiving across the board there? And I do think it’s somewhat of a flawed system. And again, if we can get with better transparency and a little more accountability and reconciliation, I think that’ll be a big move in the right direction.

Q: Great. Well, I can’t wait to read it. So, this past March, PSBA created the Keystone Center for Charter Change. Larry Feinberg is the director of the center and is with us. Larry, you’ve been quiet so far, so I’m going to jump over to you now. Can you explain a little bit about the purpose of the center?

A (Larry): Sure. The purpose of this center is to build support and accompanying political will for the development and enactment of legislation that would provide regulatory and funding changes to Pennsylvania’s 23-year-old charter school law. I guess, the shorter answer to that question is the purpose of the center is to try and help push charter reform across the finish line.

Q: Okay. And so, anyone listening that might be interested in either learning more or becoming part of the effort, where can they turn for that information?

A (Larry): I have a special deal for you today. We have five items in response to that question.

Q: Wow. Okay.

A (Larry): Number one, they can visit our website, which is pacharterchange.org. And there’s a great deal of information and reference material regarding the charter issue. The second thing they can do while they’re on that website, is they can sign up for our daily PA Charter Change Roundup. Every morning, I survey the news statewide and some of the national news that applies to both charters and cyber charters and collate that. And along with the folks at PSBA, we package it up and send an email out to a few thousand people. So, if you’re not on that list, I’d recommended it. That will keep you up-to-date with the latest information and latest news, but also the latest research reports and latest developments. You can also circulate that to your board colleagues.

The third item would be if your school district has not already done so, please consider passing a resolution, a board resolution in support of charter change. We’re pretty darn close to 400 out of the 500 school districts passing those resolutions. It’s a great way to keep the public informed and to help keep your legislators informed. You can find information about resolutions on the PA Charter Change website. You can see which districts have already passed resolutions. You can download a sample template, and if your board passes a new resolution, you can upload an executed resolution back to PSBA.

The fourth item is you could encourage your legislators to co-sponsor. There’s a bill in the House and a bill in the Senate. The House bill is House Bill 272. The Senate bill is Senate Bill 27. The most significant provisions in both of those bills are a flat rate cyber tuition statewide, and applying the three-tiered special ed formula that districts live with, to charter schools in general.

The fifth and the last item that folks could consider is writing a letter to the editor or doing an op-ed on this issue and how it impacts your district, your taxpayers, your students. So, those are all things that we would heartily encourage. If folks are looking for any assistance in those endeavors, and if they reach out to me on the PA Charter Change website, contact information is out there, I’d be happy to help in any way.

Q: Great. Okay. You mentioned letter to the editor, that would be in their local markets or any of their media contacts, just to get that message out there to their community. So Larry, you’ve been working on this issue a long time. I mean, the issue has been around for a while and you’ve been working on it for some time, through your role on your school board. And do you see anything significant that’s changed with respect to charter schools recently? Or do you see anything … It sure feels like there is change coming, but what kind of changes have you seen or would you predict?

A (Larry): Well, just a little bit of context and frame this a bit: one of the things I want to make clear is that PSBA supports choice as long as the accountability and transparency that our regular public schools are subject to, applies to the charters. The other item is that we’d like to see that tuition be in line with actual costs, because it’s tax dollars. And as school board directors, we actually have to put our hands in our neighbor’s pockets to raise that money, charter operators do not. I’ve been following this issue closely for 20 years and I think there’s more momentum now than ever before. In terms of a reason for that, I think for most of those 20 years, the Philadelphia school district was the most impacted by the charter law, because that’s where most of the brick-and-mortar charters are.

The cyber tuition, the cyber charters have impacted all 500 districts for some time, but with the COVID pandemic, that has really exacerbated the impact of cyber charters to all 500 districts. And this time of year, all our districts are going through their annual budget exercise. So, it’s becoming painfully clear in every article you read about a board discussion on budgets, cyber charter tuition has been mentioned, and I think that’s a lot of the impetus. I think the legislators are hearing it from enough folks, often enough, that they’re starting to understand what that impact actually is. I’m hoping if we can just keep the pressure up. If folks can go back to that previous question that had the five responses, and just go through that list, and pass it along to their colleagues and to other public ed stakeholders, I’m hoping that we may actually see some movement this year.

Q: And you mentioned that 400, or nearly 400 out of 500 districts have adopted the resolution and just to be clear, and they can find that language on the website, I know, but those resolutions pertain to the reform that you’ve all been talking about. And it’s not about removing choice, and it’s not about eliminating charters. It’s about introducing reform that is much needed.

A (Larry): Absolutely.

Q: Well, thank you all for the work that you have done on this effort, and we will be looking forward to releasing that report very shortly here, in the next couple of weeks, as you mentioned, Edie. So, that will be really interesting to find out what you all came up with. So, I want to thank you for talking a bit with us today on Keystone Education Radio. Thanks, all of you, for making the time.

A (Al): Thank you. Thank you.

A (Larry): Thanks for having us.

Q: Absolutely.

A (Edie): Thanks for having us.

Q: Absolutely.

Edie Gallagher and Al Moyer

Edie Gallagher and Al Moyer are the co-chairs of the PSBA Charter School Task Force. Ms. Gallagher also serves as the board president for the School District of Lancaster. Mr. Moyer is the board vice president at the Gettysburg Area School District.

Larry Feinberg

Larry Feinberg is the Director of the Keystone Center for Charter Change at PSBA and also serves as board president for the School District of Haverford Township.

Keystone Center for Charter Change at PSBA
PSBA Charter School Reform Resources
Charter School Task Force Report: Recommendations for meaningful charter school reform

The post PSBA Charter School Task Force: Developing a Plan to Level the Playing Field appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Why It’s Important to Talk About Suicide – Prevention Among Students** May 04, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

The past year has exacerbated already heartbreaking statistics on cases of youth anxiety, depression and suicide. Yet only a fraction of the adolescents experiencing these mental health concerns are receiving the appropriate health interventions. While it may not be easy to talk about, suicide prevention is an important topic and one that needs a place among school leaders’ conversations. *Keystone Education Radio* host Annette Stevenson speaks with Dr. Julia Szarko, a school psychologist in Pennsylvania and the recipient of the School Psychologist of the Year Award for 2021, on how school leaders can educate themselves, staff and students on the necessity of suicide prevention training in their schools.
Skip to: 00:59 Give us a picture of the mental health challenges facing students today, and why there is a need to be talking about suicide prevention.

“The statistics show that one out of five adolescents experiences some type of behavioral and/or social, emotional concern that merits a need for mental and behavioral health interventions.”

Skip to: 03:15 How do you address concerns from school leaders, parents, even teachers who may not be comfortable with the topic?

“Any of us can provide that help, not just mental health experts, anyone can reach out and help.”

Skip to: 06:29 What are the steps that school leaders can take to understand what might cause someone to take their own life and how to look for those risk factors and warning signs?

“That’s so important to train our youth because they’re the first line, often, of hearing the warning signs, when it’s another student.”

Skip to: 11:06 What is Schoolwide Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports?

“When you utilize a framework of school-wide positive behavior interventions and support, it also increases your school climate. It increases your students’ success in their behaviors”

Skip to: 13:50 What can listeners do to educate themselves if they haven’t had access to this information [on suicide prevention training], where can they go looking?

“Part of our training that’s crucial and important is that all of us are trained in risk assessment, and specifically, suicide risk assessment.”

Skip to: 17:05 How can school leaders advocate for appropriate and equitable access to school-based mental health professionals?

“I think in order to address these needs, that we still see day-to-day, it’s going to take that commitment to make that investment in the school-based mental health personnel and the frameworks.”

Skip to: 21:26 What are some everyday practices that listeners can incorporate into their day to support their own mental wellbeing?

“Understand there’s no shame in seeking out mental health help for yourselves…I think if we can reduce the stigma and say, “If I had bronchitis, guess what? I go to the doctor and I get help for it.” And it’s the same thing. If you’re feeling depressed or anxious, it’s okay to go get that help.”

Q: I’m going to jump right in, and if you would give us an overview of the mental health challenges. It’s a topic that’s right on the radar always, but particularly during this COVID pandemic. Give us a picture of the mental health challenges facing students today, and why there is a need to be talking about suicide prevention.

A: Sure. And thank you again to your organization for raising awareness for this topic as well. It is a critical need across the country for students and adults, just the needs of our mental health needs and the struggles that people are going through. And especially with the COVID crisis, we certainly have mental health concerns and needs. So I will say for years we have been seeing a steady increase in anxiety, depression and suicide in our nation’s youth. And the statistics show that one out of five adolescents experiences some type of behavioral and/or social, emotional concern that merits a need for mental and behavioral health interventions.

Why this topic is so important is because the majority of these adolescents do not receive mental or behavioral health services. And it is recognized only about 20% receive such support and services. And the vast majority of those are receiving those services in schools.

So it was a very large scope problem, one in five, but very few are receiving the support they need. And just to highlight some of our Pennsylvania data from our Pennsylvania youth survey, we do see over the last six years, there’s approximately, from our 6th to 12th grade youth, about 16.5% are reporting they seriously considered suicide. It’s a lot of students, when you think about how many students are across our state. And close to 10% over the last six years every year have attempted. So we really need to keep this topic at the forefront and talk about that. This is a need, it is a real need out there.

Q: It leads into what I’m going to ask next. It’s not an easy topic and perhaps it’s one that most people may just not want to think about, or may shy away from, but you can’t avoid talking about it if you want to prevent it is what I’m hearing. How do you address concerns from school leaders, parents, even teachers who may not simply be comfortable with the topic, how do you address that?

A: Absolutely. Well, first I think that validating that, yes, it’s an uncomfortable topic, but at the topic that can save lives. And I think it’s very important to address the myths around suicide and the myths around talking about suicide that we know about. So, if you don’t mind, I’ll run you through some of the myths and the facts behind it.

I mean, there is a myth that if a student is really intent on trying to die by suicide, that there is nothing that anybody can do to stop them. And the fact is suicide is preventable. And that youth or that teen that is expressing those suicide ideations, honestly, it’s more about wanting the pain to end. We call it psychache. They’re experiencing such a heavy psychache that they want that pain to end. And in their minds, often, death is the only way out. So if we can speak to them and address it and give them options for getting help to end that psychache, we can absolutely prevent it.

Another myth, another big one that addresses your question specifically is if we talk about suicide, we might give students the idea to kill themselves. This is such a myth. Research actually says the opposite that when we do talk about suicide, whether talking directly with the student, it does not put ideas in their head about suicide. It actually lessens the anxiety, especially when we talk about concerns. The key is talking in a non-judgmental way. Not placing judgment on if they’re thinking about suicide, but more of asking, “Are you okay? Or recognize it. “You seem really down. Are you having thoughts of suicide?” This just, again, validates the person’s feelings and opens that door to the conversation or opportunities to support them. They don’t feel alone then. And that may get them to the intervention they need. So it’s validating feelings and being a bridge for that person to get to the help for what they’re feeling.

Another myth is that those people who are talking about suicide are just looking for attention. This is not true. Most do give warning signs. That’s the thing. Most people give warning signs that they are contemplating suicide. So even if they are seeking attention, we need to get them help. They need help. They’re showing us they need help. And any of us can provide that help, not just mental health experts, anyone can reach out and help.

Finally, I would say, in Pennsylvania, Act 71 passed several years back and it mandates that educators are trained in suicide prevention. So, we certainly should be having these conversations, and to help educators be prepared because it’s uncomfortable, but at least it gives the tools of, “What do I do? What do I look for? What do I do?”

Q: Those are all great points. And those are certainly things that I’ve seen out there. The myths that you highlighted, I think that’s really important to break that apart. And especially that last one that you said about seeking attention, right? So if someone is seeking attention for that reason, I mean, isn’t that even all the more reason, really, to give them attention, right?

A: Exactly.

Q: I mean, that seems like that to me, but not being a mental health expert myself, obviously. What are the steps that school leaders can take to understand what might cause someone to take their own life and how to look for those risk factors and warning signs? You talked about most do give warning signs. And so, talk through, first of all, maybe just an understanding of what might cause a student to think that way, and then how we can spot those signs.

A: Sure. So there’s two categories. One’s the risk factors and then the other is the warning signs. Risk factors are different things that might be happening in a student’s life or different characteristics of a student that would put them at higher risk statistically for possibly attempting or dying by suicide. It doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen. It just puts them at risk. Warning signs are the signs out there that, “Yes, we need to act immediately. There is high probability that something could be happening. The student’s in danger.”

The risk factors that… And I think this helps educators and school leaders understand who are the groups of students we really need to look out for, especially, and try to put protective pieces and factors in place for them. So for instance, there’s higher risk factors for gender, age, race, and geography. So some examples, males are at higher risk. Ages, middle-aged males, White, Caucasian, are actually our highest risk population, but then also geography and certain areas of the country there’s higher risk. And actually, there’s a correlation between access to firearms and higher risk for suicide and the suicide rates in a state.

Another big risk factor is our LGBTQ youth are at much higher risk and not because of the LGBTQ part of things, but the bullying, rejection or lack of support that comes with being a youth that is part of that population. And that whole piece of making sure that they are safe is so important. Another big risk factor is having a psychiatric disorder or a mental illness, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, all those things put you at higher risk for suicide. And then there’s also addiction. And then, previous aggression or low self-esteem, low concept, all of these things put your risk.

Then there’s other risk factors: trauma, high pressure expectations that we see in some of our higher performing, high-intense academic settings, also exposure to suicide. There’s contagion effects that we need to be watching for, that’s a risk. And of course, students that are isolated or have a lack of connectedness. That is huge to watch out for. And family dysfunctions and other risk factors.

So, the warning signs, what we find is about them 50% to 75% of individuals give some warning of their intention to die by suicide or attempt suicide. So the warning signs, really things to look out for is big behavior changes or big life changes. So behavior changes, more anger and agitation, hostility, irritability that’s out of character. Youth that appear depressed, hopeless, expressing hopelessness, withdrawing from their social connections, withdrawing from their activities. Also warning signs where students or children are expressing doubt in reasons for living, feeling like they would be better off dead, feeling like a burden, if they are sharing these things.

And then, certainly, drug and alcohol use puts them at higher risk. If any child should express a plan of how to die by suicide, that is a huge warning factor. And then, definitely, if they have access or are seeking access to medication and firearms or other weaponry, very, very crucial, if they’re expressing that interest. Those would be the warning signs.

If anyone hears any of that. If a student… A teacher that’s where to reach out, to actively just listen to the student and then connect, offer the care, offer validation and connect them to support, or the individual that can then access the support. And the school-based mental health personnel would be the first stop in the building.

Q: And these are some of the things that the training includes, correct?

A: Yes, exactly. Training on warning signs and then training on what to do. And there’s trainings for the adult educators that’s so important to train our youth because they’re the first line, often, of hearing the warning signs, when it’s another student. And giving them the tools, one breaking down the stigma of you’re actually helping and caring for your friend. You’re not, I think this is an old-fashioned word, but narcing on your friend or telling on your friend, but you could potentially be saving their life. And then giving them the tools, or the steps of, “What do I do next?” And connecting them to an adult.

Q: So you advocate for school-wide positive behavior intervention and supports. Tell us about that.

A: School-wide positive behavior intervention supports, it’s a framework, really, around teaching behavior, social skills in a school setting, but also addressing behavior and social skills in a school setting. A framework that is based on behavior research that shows us how to effectively increase positive behaviors and social interactions, and decrease the negative behaviors. So a couple decades ago, we were in much more of an exclusionary, disciplinary practices. And what we found is these did not necessarily change behavior. And it set up a lot of our at-risk youth to a lot towards that school to prison pipeline is what we’re seeing. So what we’ve done is, there’s been a lot of research behind putting around a framework that increases just the knowledge and instruction around. Thinking of social skills instruction, just how we do reading.

We teach explicitly students how to read. We also need to teach, a lot of times, students how to interact, and how to respond, and how to behave in the school. So it’s a lot of taking a broad-based approach of making sure you have a social, emotional, behavioral curriculum that we utilize. And then also getting data on how are students displaying their social and behavior skills? And then being able to, under a multi-tiered systems of support framework, this all fits in. So it’s looking at our data around who are our kids that are not at risk? Who are kids a little bit at risk? Who are a lot at risk? And then raising that level of intensity of intervention around different social skills or behavior needs that students might have. All of the system and framework. I mean, I could spend another hour talking about this, but really the purpose behind it and why I advocate for it is it is such a preventive method. When you utilize a framework of school-wide positive behavior interventions and support, it also increases your school climate. It increases your students’ success in their behaviors. And especially those students who struggle in that area. It increases the connectedness with adults. All of these things prevent bullying, therefore preventing students from suicide, or harm, or depression, or anxiety. It helps to reduce all of those outcomes that we have in a school setting that has a more difficult school climate. So it’s that link between the connectedness and relationships, and the positive morale and a building, the effect that can have on the adults and the students, and really help the mental health of all of those within that setting.

Q: We’ve already talked a bit about the role that the training plays, right? For staff and students, but what if that training is not available or our listeners don’t fall into that category that would be receiving that training? What can listeners do to educate themselves if they haven’t had access to this information, where can they go looking?

A: That’s a great question. There are a lot of really good resources out there, and I’ll highlight a couple of them. As far as some sites, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration site has a lot of information about preventing suicide and suicide intervention. We also have, from NASP, on the National Association of School Psychologists, there’s plenty of resources around suicide prevention and intervention. Also, just mental health, in general, school-based mental health services. And NASP also provides for school districts the PREPaRE training. The acronym PREPaRE is a training course, and it addresses all areas of crisis prevention and intervention, and suicide is certainly within that, the training modules. And it is really probably the best model out there as far as crisis training and prevention and planning for schools. So, that’s through NASP.

Also, I would say, as far as our LGBTQ population, the Trevor Project is a wonderful resource online. It actually is a place where students can receive direct help if they are in crisis. There’s a connection point for them there with people that can help them. And then there’s all sorts of resources as well. For schools or school personnel, I’m going to highlight one book in particular. And it’s one of my very close colleagues, Dr. Terri A. Erbacher is one of the primary authors along with Jonathan Singer and Scott Poland. Scott Poland is one of our leading experts in the country on suicide prevention intervention. And the book is simply called Suicide in Schools.

I mean, it is my main resource of information for where we’ve been developing our intervention and prevention modules. This one’s really good especially for school personnel, but the training within, as a school mental health personnel. So a school psychologist, school counselor, a school social worker, and our school nurses also help with this. Part of our training that’s crucial and important is that all of us are trained in risk assessment, and specifically, suicide risk assessment.

We are the ones that can be in the buildings to determine at what risk level is the student. Is this a student that is at an immediate crisis, or is this a student that is more of a suicidal ideation perhaps, or something that we can address? Not an immediate, we need to have the student go to the hospital, but then also in there is training on suicide progress monitoring. Again, we progress-monitor everything, but having data, and much more of making sure that we are tapping in and checking in with the student regarding their suicidality, any ideations, and so that we can intervene.

Because we also know one of the risk factors is if the student has previously attempted, there is a much higher probability that they will attempt again. So it’s very important for us to have build those relationships and connections that we can monitor their progress and actually directly ask them about their thoughts related to suicide or their plans, so that if they become in crisis again, we can get it addressed and save them.

Q: That makes sense. So the ratio of students to school psychologists is quite high and some districts do not have a psychologist on staff, actually. So, how can school leaders advocate for appropriate and equitable access to school-based mental health professionals?

A: I’m so glad you asked this question. And this certainly is an issue that hits close to home for so many of us as school psychologists. It is true. Our recommended ratio is 1:500 students. And the average, one study that was just recently completed by Ackland et al. in 2019, found that across the nation, we’re averaging about one to 1,500 to 2,000 students per school psychologist. In Pennsylvania, the Association of School Psychologists, Pennsylvania, recently we did some research and found it’s about 1:1,200 plus students in Pennsylvania. So it’s still very high. And what the research also found, Ackland et el, they found the higher the ratio, the less likely that school psychologist is delivering mental and behavioral health services. There tend to be more just sticking to doing evaluations to determine if children are in need of special education services.

Whereas in our roles as school psychologists, we are certainly and recognized through the Affordable Care Act and the Every Student Succeeds Act, we’re explicitly referenced as mental and behavioral health providers. We have the capability of providing intervention and counseling, and broad intervention services across the building. Again, related to that school-wide positive behavior intervention support, helping to consult and design those kinds of frameworks and programs, and monitor the data, and help develop interventions. We are those professionals trained to do those roles.

So yes, it is crucial that we advocate and try to increase the number of school psychologists in the field and in the buildings, so that students have better access to the mental health services. As I said in the beginning, they’re having a hard time accessing them. If we are there, there’s more of a chance that they will be able to access them. I thought of this, a couple of things, one, I think it’s clarifying, and I think raising understanding of the role of school psychologists, that we are not just people that give tests, that we do have the mental and behavioral health background.

And that within the hiring process in school districts, to make sure that their job descriptions of school psychologists align with the certification guidelines that Pennsylvania now has because we’d recently had them updated through NASP to match the NASP practice model, which is a broad model, including our school mental health capabilities and service deliveries. The other thing I think is just sharing the stories. And we have stories from both ends, unfortunately. And we have stories of students who didn’t have access, and there’s tragic outcomes from students that didn’t have access to the mental health services that they needed.

We also have students that have had access and lives have been saved. And I can speak from my own experience. I have certainly intervened several times for students that were in crisis and were contemplating and had a plan. And because I was able to be involved, we were able to get them to a safe place. I think sharing those stories of the importance of having school psychologists, school counselors, school social workers in an accessible to address these needs.

And I understand, trust me, I’ve been doing this almost 25 years now. I know it’s really tough to make those budget decisions for districts. And I completely empathize with that and understand that. I think in order to address these needs, that we still see day-to-day, it’s going to take that commitment to make that investment in the school-based mental health personnel and the frameworks. The MTSS frameworks, the school-wide positive behavior intervention supports frameworks, so that we can prevent the issues. And then also then be able to address the issues to make sure that we are meeting the mental health and social and emotional developmental needs of our students in Pennsylvania.

Q: And so, you mentioned a few ratios, I heard 1:1,200, 1:1,500. Say again, what is the more ideal scenario? One to what number?

A: The National Association of School Psychologists recommends one school psychologist to 500 students.

Q: I just wanted to remind everybody of that. Well, that’s quite a vast gap difference there. What are some everyday practices that listeners can incorporate into their day to support their own mental wellbeing? Whether it be student educators, whomever.

A: Another great question. I think first off, it’s important to recognize the phenomenon of secondary trauma. It’s a relatively new concept that is being discussed. That is for those of us, or a lot of us teachers and educators, we work with students who have been through trauma or experienced trauma, or when traumatizing events come up or situations, or even micro traumas, we take that on as adults that are interacting or caring and we carry a secondary trauma.

So I think it’s important for us to recognize that, that it does exist and happens. And to find those ways that you are able to balance and support yourselves. So I think the importance of, and I go back to again, because it matters for adults too, finding those personal connections. Even if one person that you can trust and connect with to support each other and to share out what you’re feeling, what you’re experiencing to problem solve together and having that validation of, “You know what? This is hard stuff that we have to deal with.” Just having that understanding is huge.

I’m also a big proponent of the mind-body connection. I think this is a lot of where the self-care… We’ve had a lot of talk about self-care lately too. We’re school psychologists. We’re loving this movement as well, but really importance of being okay with taking care of ourselves in order to take care of others. It’s the airplane analogy. We need the oxygen mask first before we can give it to the other people. So really making sure that we’re taking care of our own sleep nutrition, exercise, or interest activities, mindfulness practice, whatever it might be that helps us to calm, to find that healthy balance within our lives.

And then I think the other thing is to recognize and seek professional help when you need it. And understand there’s no shame in seeking out mental health help for yourselves. Personally, I think it takes more courage to get help than to not. It’s okay. I think if we can reduce the stigma and say, “If I had bronchitis, guess what? I go to the doctor and I get help for it.” And it’s the same thing. If you’re feeling depressed or anxious, it’s okay to go get that help. It’s something that you need and to seek that out if needed.

Q: And certainly, this is a time where the school community is impacted by a lot of stress in this past year. And as you mentioned, the educators themselves, as they’re looking to support and serve the students, need to kind of focus on taking care of themselves as well.

A: Absolutely. I think that’s what stood out to me the most. I mean, I work in two elementary buildings, I’ve never seen teachers work harder or pour more of themselves. And they’re the hardest working people I’ve seen before COVID, and even more so now. And I think, I know for myself, I just wanted my office to be a place… It’s certainly a place where kids come that need help or if I’m working with kids, but it’s also a place where adults know they can come if they need an ear or a six-foot distance shoulder, it’s there. We have to do that for each other.

Q: For sure. I do want to thank you so much for joining us on this episode. I know that there is so much more that we could talk about, but we will include resources with the podcast post so that folks can go looking for additional information in the places that you referenced. So, thank you so much. And also, congratulations again on your acknowledgement. That’s wonderful news, so congratulations, but thank you, Dr. Szarko for joining us.

A: Oh, you’re very, very welcome. I will end with the other important resource and hopefully, everyone will get this ingrained in their brains, but there’s now two lifelines so that people can call the National Suicide Prevention lifeline 1-800-273-TALK. That’s 1-800-273-TALK, or text “help” to 741741.

Thank you again for bringing this topic to light and the importance of it. And I encourage all of your listeners to access the resources. And then, I’ll just leave you with, even just the smallest act of kindness can make a huge difference in someone’s life. So find those ways every day to just drop an act of kindness to even just a stranger. It makes a difference.

Q: Important to remember, and you might not even have any sense of the impact it could make before or after doing it.

A: Exactly.

Julia E. Szarko, PhD, NCSP

Photo credit: Robyn Graham Photography

Julia E. Szarko, PhD, NCSP, is currently a school psychologist in the Central Bucks School District in Doylestown, PA. Julia completed an MS and PhD in School Psychology from The Pennsylvania State University in 1996 and 2000, respectively. She has a background in testing performance and behaviors of children with autism and related developmental disabilities, and she has extensive experience in student and system level intervention and support.

Julia has served on the Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania (ASPP) legislative board since 2007, including positions of Legislative Chair, President, Secretary, and organizer for the association’s annual conventions. Her most recent work includes being actively involved in updating the PA State Certification as well as the evaluation rubric to mirror the 2020 NASPPractice Model. Additionally, on behalf of ASPP, she represented school psychologists’ expertise in school safety and mental health, serving on Pennsylvania Governor Wolf’s School Safety Task Force and working with State Senator Jay Costa’s office in supporting language for SB 997, legislation outlining ratios for school mental health professionals. At the national level, Julia routinely participates in “Hill Day” in Washington, DC as an ASPP representative. Julia also facilitated the development of a Pennsylvania school psychologist “Hill Day” in conjunction with PSEA that took place in June 2019. Julia has also been actively involved in the collaborative drafting of legislative bills to address the school psychologist shortage and, most recently, the federal Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act of 2019.

In addition to her effectiveness as an advocate, Julia has received awards and honors in recognition of her dedication, service, and advocacy on behalf of students, families, and the profession of school psychology. She was named Pennsylvania School Psychologist of the Year in 2019. Additionally, in 2011, the National Association of Social Workers in Pennsylvania named her the Colleague of the Year, attesting to her strength as a collaborator.

Julia was selected as the National Association of School Psychologists 2021 School Psychologist of the Year for her commitment to the profession through her advocacy work addressing not only the needs of the children, families, and schools she works with, but for also working on improving systems to better schools and the profession.
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
NASP suicide prevention resources
NASP PREPaRE Training
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The Trevor Project
National Suicide Prevention lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK or text “help” to 741741
The post Why It’s Important to Talk About Suicide – Prevention Among Students appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Environmentalism and Human Health – How they relate** Apr 20, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

On this episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, host Annette Stevenson speaks with return guest Kira Heeschen, EarthDay.org’s senior education manager, on the work the organization is doing in its 51st year of advocating for the earth. What has the past year’s shutdown done for the earth and how to be involved in environmental protection efforts.
Skip to: 01:12 Can you tell us about some of initiatives for Earth Day 2021?
Skip to: 03:45 In what ways is the Earth Day Organization involved with President Biden’s Leaders Climate Summit?

“We see that as a clear acknowledgement of really the power of Earth Day globally.”

Skip to: 06:50 With respect to the last year where people have been staying home far more due to the COVID-19 pandemic, how has the health of the earth and its climate been impacted?

“…there’s been some really incredible takeaways from the COVID crisis that we can take into environmentalism as we move forward. I think the first thing is we saw in really, really dramatic and tragic fashion how intricately connected human health is with environmental health.”

“We’re at increased risk of having these things like pandemics and the way that we’re treating our environment is really connected to how healthy us as humans can be.”

“The great thing about it is that we don’t have to shut down the world to fight climate change. There are so many ways that we can adapt and evolve our systems to both protect human health and protect our precious habitats and also really improve our economies and slow down climate change.”

Skip to: 12:26 What, if anything, has changed or been impacted in the past year since we talked to you last?

“Something that’s been happening for a long time is that the environmental movement as a whole, I think, has really transformed since last Earth Day in terms of its relationship with racial justice.”

Skip to: 14:58 What are some ways that school leaders and educators can help Pennsylvania students and their families increase their climate and environmental literacy?

“We do want our students to become sustainably-minded entrepreneurs and parents and voters and teachers. We want them in whatever career path they take to have sustainability skills and knowledge.”

Skip to: 20:51 What is the Global Earth Challenge and does that fit into the K-12 curriculum?

“In Earth Challenge, there are a ton of cross-cutting concepts that teachers can use in the classroom, like bringing civics and writing into a follow-up activity.”

Skip to: 23:44 Where can listeners find more information about these initiatives and the resources that you’ve mentioned?

Q: This year, Earth Day is celebrating 51 years with three days of climate action. Can you tell us about some of the initiatives for Earth Day 2021 that’s coming up on April 22nd?

A: Yes, absolutely. Well, I just want to say thanks for having me on again. It was so awesome to be on last year and so much has changed in the last year, but we do have so many exciting things happening this year. So our theme for this year is Restore Our Earth, and so our main priority this year is to really look at all of Earth’s natural processes and to think about how we rely on them, what services they provide us to keep our environment healthy. We rely on a lot of ecosystem services like carbon regulation, flood management, water filtration, air purification, pollination, the list goes on and on. We really want to think this year about how we rely on them and how we’ve impacted them. So this year, our priority is to think about all of these things and to look at ways to restore all of these processes to continue to work effectively and efficiently, both for the benefit of humans and for all of the other species we share the earth with.

Our first and foremost look is to look at all of the natural systems we have and to think about how to best restore them. So thinking about building up habitats that we’ve impacted, protecting all of the species that exist in those habitats, and then also looking at things like emerging green technologies and what technological innovations we can utilize to help protect the earth and thinking about innovative ways we can restore all of the Earth’s ecosystems. So all of these things this year are being covered in our Earth Day Live webinars series, where you can tune in to listen about ways that we’re addressing a lot of these issues and how you can take action with us. We also have a ton of toolkits where you can learn more about these issues and discover ways to be involved, both in the scientific process and in civic action process, which is Earth Day’s really tried and true legacy.

Then we’re also hosting our classic Earth Day event map, where you can find things around you that you can attend, register your own events on our map to really help us demonstrate the collective action taking place this year. All of those events are both virtual and in-person, so some places around the world have gotten to a place that they can celebrate in person, but of course, if it’s not safe, we definitely want to encourage you to tune in virtually when you can. Then we also have a resource online where you can find 51 actions to take right now to help the planet. So all of these things are in line with our Restore Our Earth theme.

Q: Sounds awesome, and huge. So President Biden is holding a leaders climate summit that day. In what ways is the Earth Day organization involved with the summit?

A: Yeah. Great question. So the Biden administration has always been very clear that reestablishing the United States as a member and even a leader in the fight against climate change was a priority for them. So while we’re not actually involved in organizing this event, we’re really thrilled that they decided to host it on Earth Day. We see that as a clear acknowledgement of really the power of Earth Day globally. Some people think that Earth Day is a U.S. specific event, but Earth Day is commemorated in over 192 countries and we’ve seen that on social media and through a lot of our partner networks. So we think that this event will be a critical steppingstone for the U.S. to rejoin the world in combating the climate crisis. It’s also going to serve as an important precursor to a lot of the big decisions that are going to be made in November at the COP26.

So this is a really big meeting of global leaders that are going to come together in November to make big decisions about the next steps in fighting climate change. Every country will reevaluate their commitments to lowering their emissions and meeting our 1.5 temperature increase goals that we have. So on our end, some of the things that we are hosting is that we are partnering with some really incredible organizations to host three parallel summits that are taking place on April 20th and 21st, ahead of Biden’s summit. So these summits are going to focus primarily on climate literacy, environmental justice, and then one is being hosted by a just incredible group of youth leaders who are going to talk about the youth movement and addressing climate change. So we’re developing a couple of avenues to bring a lot of the demands and concerns raised from these three parallel summits to the attention of all the leaders at the Biden summit and hope for some bold commitments from them as well.

Q: Wow, okay. That sounds pretty powerful and you pointed out something that I had not thought about at this moment, which is that Earth Day is global. It’s a global initiative. I think you’re right. I think many think of it as an American effort or initiative.

A: Definitely. Yeah. One thing I almost forgot, which would have been crazy, was we are also hosting our own multi-hour live digital event on April 22nd on Earth Day that will have a lot of climate leaders, celebrities, musicians, some elected officials, but from the U.S. and from all over the world. So this is going to be a really powerful event where we talk about a lot of these issues in a cross-sectoral way. So really talking about how every sector of society needs to be involved, and the schedule events for our live event has not been released yet. So I’m going to be careful not to spill any beans, but definitely stay tuned to the press release and the announcement of that schedule of events coming soon.

Q: Great. We will stay tuned. So with respect to the last year where people around the world have been staying home far more due to the COVID-19 pandemic health and mitigation efforts, can you tell us how the health of the earth and its climate have been impacted?

A: Yeah, absolutely. That’s a really great question. I think it’s been really fascinating to see the conversations and the media coverage around how the earth changed, especially when lockdown really first started, when the world first shuttered to a halt. We saw animals coming into areas that they hadn’t been seen before in a long time. We saw air quality improving in a lot of major cities. I heard stories about children, young children, who were seeing a fully blue sky for the first time in their life, which is incredible. The general consensus was that the earth was healing without humans going about their day-to-day business. As hopeful as a lot of these changes were, the reality is is that humans are a part of the environment and we are a natural creature on this earth and unfortunately the way that we’re living currently is not beneficial to the earth.

So to see us all disappear temporarily and the earth heal is both hopeful but also disappointing and maybe motivating in that we really need to figure out ways to both continue to go about all of those day-to-day things that we need to do, but also do it in a way that’s not harmful to the earth. So I like to say we need to find ways that we can do our lives in harmony and not in harm to the earth. So as well, I think we’re also seeing that we’re in this climate crisis because of hundreds of years of industrialization and boundless levels of carbon emissions, and even though the past year has been a significant dip in emissions, it’s really not going to have as big of an impact on climate change as we would have liked because relatively the past year has been a short-term experience despite it definitely feeling not short-term. It’s felt like a couple of decades.

But, relatively, it is a short period of time. So it has not necessarily had huge impacts on the current health of the planet, but I think there’s been some really incredible takeaways from the COVID crisis that we can take into environmentalism as we move forward. I think the first thing is we saw in really, really dramatic and tragic fashion how intricately connected human health is with environmental health. Zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that jump from animals to humans or humans to animals, our of being exposed to them as much higher when we do things like destroy habitats and force animals into closer proximity to humans. Or when we hold exotic animals in captivity for food or for fur trading. So we’re at increased risk of having these things like pandemics and the way that we’re treating our environment is really connected to how healthy us as humans can be.

The pandemic also really reaffirmed how vulnerable communities around the world really bear the brunt of the burden of global issues like pandemics and like climate change. We’ve seen really clearly all over the world that people living in the areas with the poorest air quality and the least access to high quality health care are also at the greatest risk for the most severe COVID cases, and that goes the same for climate change. The people who are going to experience the most significant impacts of climate change are also going to be the people who are least resilient to bounce back from them and the least capable of protecting themselves from that. So I think it’s really important as we move forward with all of the decisions we make about human health and environmental health is that we have to make sure we’re serving the most vulnerable.

I’ll also add that I think the most hopeful thing we’ve learned from COVID is that the world is capable of taking really dramatic, wide-sweeping, global collaborative action to address a global crisis. With this really, really tragic and terrible disease that we’ve been experiencing, we’ve seen countries around the world taking action and people around the world taking action to protect each other. I think that’s something that we need to bring the same gusto and urgency into the climate fight, but the great thing about it is that we don’t have to shut down the world to fight climate change. There are so many ways that we can adapt and evolve our systems to both protect human health and protect our precious habitats and also really improve our economies and slow down climate change. So it’s really exciting because there’s so many opportunities for growth and for development while also accomplishing these really important pieces of protecting health and protecting the environment.

Q: It’s such an interesting perspective because you’re right, the media really addressed the whole shift of people staying home as sort of this huge impact, which maybe temporarily might’ve been to some degree, but calling attention to the sustaining of it and really creating a difference in ongoing practices rather than just looking at this temporary snapshot of time, I think that’s hugely important about part of what you pointed out there. So we’ve talked about the last year and what that entailed, and we did actually talk to you last year when you were having your 50th anniversary. So what, if anything, has changed or been impacted since we talked to you last, going beyond what we just highlighted about the whole COVID circumstance?

A: I think in every aspect of life so much has changed in the last year. I think it might’ve been last week last year that I left my office for the last time. Did leave some snacks in my drawer so I hope those got dealt with. But last year was crazy because we had spent … Really we had a five-year plan for our 50th anniversary that we had about three weeks to completely transform. So we had our national mall event and we had the classic in-person Earth Day events that we love so much, which are the festivals and the cleanups and the teach-ins and all of these great things. We had to adapt really, really quickly to get all of that stuff to a digital platform. I think our audience has also had to adapt really quickly and it was stressful, but we were still able to digitally engage with millions of people, which was incredible.

So I think this year is a little bit different in that we’ve had some more time to plan for this specific circumstance. I think our audiences feel more practiced and more comfortable with this kind of science and education and activism virtually. Then I think another thing that’s changed is that many parts of the world are really beginning to be able to have these in-person events safely again. So I think that’s really exciting to see. We’re seeing this light at the end of the tunnel, which is really fantastic.

I think another thing that’s really changed since last year and it’s something that’s been happening for a long time is that the environmental movement as a whole, I think, has really transformed since last Earth Day in terms of its relationship with racial justice. So much has happened around racial justice this year and there’s always been people in the environmental movement that have been strong advocates for this and have been doing this work. But I think as the environmental movement as a whole has not always done this well, and I think everything that’s happened in the past year has really caused organizations and the movement as a whole to really reflect on how we’ve fallen short on these topics and including marginalized voices and amplifying them. I think there’s still a lot of work to be done on that front, but I think this past year has been a great stepping point for us to continue to improve on that and to do better.

Q: Awesome. The theme of events this year is Restore Our Earth, as you mentioned before. What are some ways that school leaders and educators can help Pennsylvania students and their families increase their climate and environmental literacy?

A: So we have five pillars for Restore Our Earth and there are tons of resources and toolkits on our website to engage in all of our topics. So the first one is regenerative agriculture, and regenerative agriculture is a holistic land management practice that uses the power of Earth’s natural systems like photosynthesis and carbon capture and soil and plants as a way to improve outcomes in terms of climate change, but also to really improve crop resilience and nutrient density to make sure that our food is really high in nutrients and that we’re creating enough food to feed the planet.

So we’re promoting a lot of techniques to support farmers in their work to renew the land and to really enhance their soil productivity and yield to build more sustainable food practices and feeding the world, but also to address some of the resilience issues that agriculture faces. Like we’ve seen in the past couple of years, the Midwest has been really impacted by climate change-related flood instances that have really damaged agriculture. So building these more sustainable practices actually increases resilience to a lot of these issues as well. Benefits like reducing erosion and reducing water pollution are also amazing.

The next pillar we have our cleanups. Cleanups are our quintessential Earth Day event, the thing that everybody loves to do and it’s really one of our most immediate forms of restoration. You can really go outside and connect with nature and really come face to face with some of the waste problems our society faces, and you can take immediate action to clean it up and see parts of your community be transformed. But something we really want to see with cleanups is using these experiences to drive change. So as we’re out there cleaning up this trash, identifying where that waste is coming from, identifying those sources and then taking action to close them.

So it could be an issue like a local shopping center parking area doesn’t have appropriate receptacles and so trash isn’t being thrown away or recyclables aren’t being disposed of properly and it’s ending up washing out into a local park perhaps. Or it could be more of an educational issue, like people just don’t understand the impacts of throwing their litter on the ground, and so it takes some sort of community action to teach people about those impacts and help them change that behavior. Or it could be a more large-scale infrastructural issue, like a municipal waste structure that doesn’t adequately manage the waste being produced in the community and what kind of steps can we take to take a broader scale action to better the infrastructure on these waste and plastic issue?

So while we want to be careful that we’re not recommending that you get in big groups doing cleanups just yet, you can go to our website and actually log any type of cleanup that you do. So that could be an individual cleanup, it could be a socially-distanced group cleanup. We also have plogging that you can register, which is, if you haven’t heard of plogging is taking a jog while picking up trash. It’s a very cool new practice I think came out of somewhere in Europe. But it’s a great form of exercise and a great way to clean up your community.

Q: It’s two-fold, right.

A: Yes, exactly. You got to get both benefits. Another one of our pillars is reforestation. So rebuilding those forested habitats that just serve so many amazing services to both our ecological health, but also social health. There’s so many communities around the world that depend on forests for their livelihood. So we are working hard on building up tree cover around the world. We have a project called the Canopy Project where you can donate $1 to plant one tree and we work with on-the-ground partners to identify locations where tree plantings will be both effective ecologically and benefit those local communities. Then we have our citizen science program, which we’ll talk a little bit more about later, but that is our citizen science program, where we mobilize people to collect data and help researchers better understand the health of our environment. So we have ways that you can collect data on insects and pollinators, plastic pollution, air quality and food security.

Then our last pillar is climate literacy, which is what I work on here at Earth Day, and this is a campaign to really bring forward education as a key component in the fight against climate change. So really making sure that students are graduating with climate literacy and being climate literate so that they can tackle these decisions and issues in their everyday lives. That’s not to say that every student will graduate to be an environmental scientist or every student will become a Greta that we see on the news, but we do want our students to become sustainably-minded entrepreneurs and parents and voters and teachers. We want them in whatever career path they take to have sustainability skills and knowledge.

So all of these topics are very exciting for this year and we have tons of resources online that you can use for things in the classroom, also things to do at home and both resources that will help build your scientific understanding and help understand the science of a lot of these concepts, but also how to take civic action and how to build your suite of skills to take action in your community.

Q: Cool. Maybe some of what you’ve touched upon leads into this, but what is the Global Earth Challenge and does that fit into the K through 12 curriculum space?

A: Yes, absolutely. So Global Earth Challenge is our citizen science platform that I mentioned before that we built with the Wilson Center, which is a think tank in DC and the United States state department. So it’s an incredible collaboration that has built this app and online platform that really empowers everyday citizens, including students of all ages to collect data that will help scientists better understand the health of our planet. So we have four research questions, which are, what is the extent of plastic pollution, how does air quality vary locally, how are insect populations changing and how is my food supply sustainable? So users can go into the app and take photos around their environment. It could be around their school yard. It could be at home. It could be anywhere in their community and actually take pictures of what they’re seeing of plastic pollution and of the sky and of insects and pollinators that they see out there, and it actually collects data that helps scientists know more about these questions.

So the app actually takes that learning experience one step further because we don’t just want to collect the data and have it go off and not really know what it means or what to do with it. So we have built into the app a lot of different ways for you to collect a piece of data, submit a photo, and then to be fed more information about what it means. So what does your air quality mean if it’s high or if it’s low, and then what can you do? There’s civic action components built into the app that teaches you how you can take action on those issues. Here at Earth Day, we are huge advocates for environmental education, including every topic, because it really does. And in Earth Challenge, there are a ton of cross-cutting concepts that teachers can use in the classroom, like bringing civics and writing into a follow-up activity.

So students can use this app in science and have it be part of a data collection lesson or a lesson about plastic pollution or air quality, but then teachers can take it into that cross-cutting element of writing a persuasive letter to an elected official or writing essays to submit to a local newspaper, creating art pieces out of plastic pollution that they collected while taking pictures. They can also apply some of their data math skills into tracking things like their bee sightings or plastic pollution that they find and graphing them. I’ve also seen classes take this opportunity as a way to create a PSA video or even a podcast about the issue. So there’s tons of ways to be really flexible with the app, to use the app as a data collection experience, but then to extend it into a lot of different learning opportunities.

Q: It sounds like so much that can be done to just create awareness and also be involved in it. So let’s direct folks where to go. Where can listeners find more information about these initiatives and the resources that you’ve mentioned?

A: Absolutely. So you can go to earthday.org to register all of your events on our map. You can check out our Earth Day 2021 page to learn about all of our campaigns and how you can get involved. Then I would also love your listeners to check out our education resource library, which is where we host all of our tools and resources to use at school and at home.

Kira Heeschen

Kira Heeschen is the Senior Education Manager at EARTHDAY.ORG. While attending college to become a high school earth science teacher, Kira spent a summer working with the Youth Conservation Corps leading a team of young women in conservation projects in various Virginia State Parks. This is where Kira first discovered her love for teaching outside of the classroom where she can build connections to nature and empower others to protect it. After graduating from James Madison University, Kira went on to earn her Master’s of Science in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England where she focused her studies on environmental education and climate change communication. Since then, Kira has worked as a science communicator for the Denali National Park, coordinated a climate solutions conference, and worked as a naturalist guide for classroom field trips. In her role at EARTHDAY.ORG, Kira creates resources for teachers and students to engage in environmental topics and coordinates a campaign to advance climate education initiatives all over the world.
Earth Day website
Earth Day 2021 page
Wilson Center
Global Earth Challenge app
Education resource library
The post Environmentalism and Human Health – How they relate appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Exploring the World of STEM and Robotics at National Robotics Week** Apr 06, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Robots are part of our everyday life, but do kids realize the range of options in careers they could have related to robotics and other STEM subjects? With an increase in the need for qualified candidates to fill jobs in STEM fields, educating today’s students and getting them interested in science, engineering and mathematics is now more important than ever. iRobot is doing just that by introducing kids of all ages to the robotics field through a week of events around the country designed to get them excited and inspired, introducing them to the possibilities. On today’s episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Lisa Freed, iRobot’s STEM Program Manager, about National Robotics Week, held every year in April. Skip to: 01:02 What is National Robotics Week and how did it get started?
“We want to inspire students. We want to inspire kids. We want to let people see the excitement of robotics.”

Skip to: 02:03 Would you tell us a little bit about what you do for iRobot and what led you to become an engineer?

“I really enjoyed sharing my passion for engineering and seeing if we could get kids excited about the STEM fields and particularly women and underserved groups who weren’t as exposed.”

Skip to: 04:04 Why is it important that STEM concepts are included in today’s curriculum and educational opportunities?

“So it’s really important for all of us to let every child get exposed to that, to make sure they all get to see the excitement of being in some STEM field.”

Skip to: 06:12 How can education leaders help students to be successful in learning STEM skills?

“I think bringing in speakers to the classroom who bring it alive is really important and sharing those experiences and letting them see where they will use tech and then making them aware of the tech around themselves.”

Skip to: 07:32 How does National Robotics Week help introduce students to STEM and the career possibilities?

Skip to: 08:51 Are there specific activities parents can do at home and where should they go looking for those activities that they might incorporate?

“Getting a student inspired with STEM can be very, very easy with little experiments at home.”

Skip to: 10:07 How can students and school districts get involved in National Robotics Week this year?

“This is all very exciting for us, but when you see a kid hold a robot, and a kid can actually drive a robot at one of these expos, there’s nothing quite like it.”

Skip to: 11:21 Do you have any favorite events, activities or things you have seen occur as part National Robotics Week in the past?

Q: So why don’t we start by hearing about National Robotics Week? How did it get its start? And what’s it all about?

A: So back in 2009, iRobot and a group of other companies and educational institutions decided that it was worthwhile to bring attention to robotics. It was a rising industry and we knew that it was a great way to engage students in the fields of STEM. So they actually approached Congress. We got a bill through Congress to authorize National Robotics Week, and we held the first one in April, 2010.

The impetus behind it is twofold. We want to inspire students. We want to inspire kids. We want to let people see the excitement of robotics. But when you do that, and you bring all these robotics, expos, and exhibits and companies together, you start showing the strength of the industry. When you see how across the United States, we just have so much happening in robotics, that’s when it gets super exciting.

Q: I bet. So about your background, would you tell us a little bit about what you do for iRobot and what led you to become an engineer?

A: Sure. So I am a civil engineer by training and education. I worked in engineering for about seven or eight years doing design work. My dad was a civil engineer. It looked exciting from the time I was growing up, he would involve me in projects, and I knew that it was something that I would enjoy. Then fast forward, I found myself on both sides of the table, of not only design, but was using more of the permitting and land use side, making sure projects could get built, but all throughout that, I was doing engineering outreach.

I really enjoyed sharing my passion for engineering and seeing if we could get kids excited about the STEM fields and particularly women and underserved groups who weren’t as exposed. So luckily I got the job at iRobot to run our STEM program. We’re one of the few companies with dedicated staff in education and in STEM. And as part of that, we manage, founded, and organize National Robotics Week.

Q: Exciting. And that was during your time there?

A: I came in when it was about two or three years old. I picked it up from there. We grew the program when I came in, it was about 25 events around the country. When we were last able to have actual events with actual people, we were around over 350 events in all 50 states.

Q: Wow, so it really does go beyond one event, or one single big event. It sounds widespread.

A: It does. It’s very grassroots, iRobot is the cheerleader. We’re organizing it, we’re getting things on the website, we’re doing a lot of the PR around it, the social media, but the events themselves are at the grassroots level. In some ways, that makes it a lot more genuine because it means everybody can participate and events could be anywhere. That really spreads that exposure.

Q: Cool and so you were exposed to the concept of engineering at home, but why is it important that STEM concepts are included in today’s curriculum and educational opportunities?

A: You’re absolutely right. I was fortunate I had a dad who was a civil engineer. I knew what engineering was. I had gotten to experience it. It was funny, back a number of years ago, a few of my female friends got together who were engineers and we all asked, “Well, why, how did you get here?” And everybody had a parent or a close relative that was an engineer.

Yeah, we can’t count on that. That’s not a good way to educate students. So it’s really important for all of us to let every child get exposed to that, to make sure they all get to see the excitement of being in some STEM field. That’s a lot of what we do at iRobot, is we bring that out into the schools, into educational groups. We visit Girl Scouts, we visit Boy Scouts. We’re really trying to show students where they could be in the STEM fields and the variety of careers. Robotics Week is doing the same thing because a student who can attend an event, and events are everywhere, they’re able to talk to those people and they’re able to see, “Oh, there’s a piece of this puzzle that makes a robot that I might enjoy.”

Q: Yeah, and you mentioned the variety of careers. I’m sure that, based on the age of the student, there may be a very narrow scope of what they may understand to be the kind of job or career that a STEM education could potentially lead to.

A: They don’t know. What we really want to make sure is they see the opportunities they may have. They don’t know when they’re in third grade that we have graphic artists at iRobot and we have finance people, and lawyers, and accountants, as well as the engineers, as well as people whose job it is to reverse engineer and take stuff apart.

Q: Cool. That’s a cool one. That’s a cool one for younger kids to find out about, when you think about some of the toys, LEGOs and some of the fantastic toys like that, that’s interesting. How can education leaders help students to be successful in learning STEM skills? We talked about it being brought into the schools. So at the education leadership level, like the school leadership level, how can they facilitate and help students have that opportunity?

A: I think engendering that real world experience. Everybody hears the student who asks, “Well, why do I have to learn algebra?” Or, “When am I ever going to use this?” I think bringing in speakers to the classroom who bring it alive is really important and sharing those experiences and letting them see where they will use tech and then making them aware of the tech around themselves. I think you can do that in the home, you can do it in the classroom, but so many students have a smartphone. It’s a piece of their lives, but do they think of it as a piece of technology? And they probably don’t. They take it for granted that when you tap the screen, something happens, but when you tap the screen, not only something happens on your phone, but something happens in your house, or a light turns on. So if you can start talking about that with students, that that isn’t just magic, that people made that happen, it becomes more real for them. I think that’s critical.

Q: Yeah. So applications and examples in the home, even, and in the schools. Yeah, that makes sense. So you’ve talked a little bit about the goings on of National Robotics Week, but how does it exactly help introduce students to STEM and the career possibilities? What goes on that connects the students to that?

A: Sure, so we’ve got events everywhere and particularly this year. We’ve changed it around because everything has to be virtual and we’re saying, “You know what? Anybody can participate.” Participation for us could be go home and watch a video about robots, or read a book, or somehow take something apart. When you start doing that, now we’re getting everybody more aware. So National Robotics Week is really about spreading that awareness and then letting them see the variety of robots. That’s the other piece is that you ask the average student, what’s a robot look like? And they start describing something with two arms and a metal head, and it’s got a square box and it marches. Then we show them something like Roomba, which is a round thing that sits on your floor and is a robot and they start to broaden their horizons on what could be a robot.

Q: So you mentioned parents at home and how they can even just be talking about the technology that exists within the space of the home. Are there specific activities they can do? Or where should they go looking for those kinds of activities that they might incorporate?

A: We’ve shared a lot of activities on the National Robotics Week website. If you go under our resources, we have posted all whole bunch of videos and books, actual hands-on activities they can do. Then we link actually over to a couple other websites, including the iRobot education website, that again has more activities. Some of them are really simple. Getting a student inspired with STEM can be very, very easy with little experiments at home. As I mentioned, take something apart. When you give a kid a screwdriver and you allow them to explore, you’ll see magic happen. We do that in classrooms, we bring robots out and we let them take them apart and to know what’s inside and to see all the pieces, and just the act of being able to use tools is incredibly important for students. Think about going through school, when did they actually hand you a screwdriver?

Q: Yeah. Probably not unless you’re embarking on a CTC path or something like that.

A: And that’s a tool, you need that tool set, literally, to survive.

Q: Absolutely, absolutely. So how can students and school districts get involved in National Robotics Week this year?

A: So head on over to our website, nationalroboticsweek.org, check out some of our resources, see what looks exciting. See if there’s an activity that you want to run. We have virtual coding, all sorts of things. Again, make it as simple as you need to. If it’s about having the students write a short essay, what robot would you design? What problem would you solve with a robot? Maybe it’s coding something. Maybe it’s watching a video. We have a few videos posted there and then let us know.

Key to us, is fill out the form on the website and let us know that you’re participating so that we know where everybody’s seeing robots. It was a little bit easier in the past when we had actual in-person events, but we still want to know.

Q: Yeah. Hopefully next year you might get back to in-person or more in-person.

A: I hope so. That’s part of the challenge. This is all very exciting for us, but when you see a kid hold a robot, and a kid can actually drive a robot at one of these expos, there’s nothing quite like it. When we can get back to that, that’ll be even more exciting.

Q: For sure. Do you have any favorite events, or activities or anything, any of your favorites that you’ve seen occur as part of National Robotics Week in the past?

A: It’s interesting. When you go to pick your favorite event, a lot of times it’s the results that happened after. You get the email that was like, “I went to this thing and it was so cool.” But I really love the smaller events when we’ve had kids who participated for instance, in FIRST LEGO robotics. So they built a LEGO robot, but then they take it to the library to show it off. Here you’ve got seven-, eight-year olds talking about their robot in front of a group of people, that is just so much fun. We’ve had events that have over 10,000 people. We’ve had events with three people. I like the ones where it’s a self-initiative. So taking it to the library. We had another FIRST robotics team go to the local mall and show off their robot. Again, it just normalizes robotics, which has been really, really exciting for us.

Q: Yeah. It’s really twofold, they’re learning presentation skills even in the thick of it, talking about something that they’re excited about, that’s great.

A: You can’t do engineering without drawing it and without presenting it. So it really wraps together all the skills.

Q: Cool. Thank you so much for joining us on this episode, Lisa. I appreciate it and we’re excited to see everything that goes on and you mentioned that feedback that you’re asking for. So it’ll be interesting I’m sure, to see where are folks doing this. Where are they participating? So it begins the second week of April, is that correct?

A: Second week of April, we use both weekends. The form is super easy. Just tell us, “I’m reading a book at home” or, “I’m going to watch a video tonight” and that’s all we need to hear.

Q: And the website again is?

A: nationalroboticsweek.org

Lisa Freed

Lisa Freed is the STEM Program Manager at iRobot.

Lisa manages iRobot’s STEM initiative, focused on engaging students in STEM education across grade levels and demographics. By visiting classrooms, bringing students to iRobot and providing job shadow experiences, the program inspires students in robotics and STEM fields. On average, 50% of iRobot’s employees participate in the STEM program, reaching over 60,000 students. iRobot is also the founder and lead organizer for National Robotics Week, which hosts over 300 events in all 50 states annually. Lisa has been working in STEM outreach for over 25 years including 10 years as the New England Regional Coordinator for the National Engineers Week Future City Competition. She is a registered Professional Engineer and LEED Accredited Professional.

Lisa holds a Civil Engineering degree from Union College and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from Harvard University. Lisa was the recipient of the 2015 WEPAN Women in Engineering Champion Award recognizing an individual employee in industry for their volunteer contributions to STEM education and in 2017 was named a Woman Worth Watching in STEM by Profiles in Diversity Journal. Outside of her professional life, Lisa has a son who is a recent elementary education graduate from Endicott College, and enjoys paddling her Stand Up Paddleboard or training her Bernese Mountain Dog.

National Robotics Week

iRobot Education

The post Exploring the World of STEM and Robotics at National Robotics Week appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Future Farmers of America in Pennsylvania’s Schools: Teaching the Value and Impact of Agricultural Education** Mar 23, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Agriculture is big business in Pennsylvania. Not only does it have an enormous economic impact, but human lifestyle depends on not only sustaining but expanding the agricultural industries. Yet not every school district in the commonwealth incorporates agricultural education in its curriculum. On today’s episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Oley Valley Future Farmers of America advisor Kacey Rice and the Pennsylvania Future Farmers of America current state secretary Jessica Herr and learns just why teaching younger generations and getting them interested in agriculture is so vital economically and from a sustainability standpoint. Oley Valley’s FFA programs are also highlighted on SuccessStartsHere.org. Read the stories here and here. Skip to: 01:26 Would you start by telling us a little about the agricultural classes being taught in Oley Valley?
“Agriculture is such a wide and broad field that encompasses so many facets that ag education has something for everyone.”

Skip to: 03:58 What I wanted to know a little bit more about from that story is the hydroponics garden and what the students are doing with the produce, as well as the newly initiated, you mentioned the vet tech classes, so how does that all fit together?

“It definitely gets put to good use and then the students get that learning experience as well.”

Skip to: 06:48 Can you talk about the three-tiered education model that FFA embodies?

“And so all three of those play off of each other to give students a well-rounded background that’s going to prepare them for future careers in the industry.”

“We really like to talk about this leadership development for students . . . which is what I think makes FFA and agricultural education as a whole is so unique, and we’re preparing our students for life after high school.”

Skip to: 09:56 What do you see as the benefits of implementing agricultural curriculum in public school education?

“And by having ag education, we’re preparing students to enter into that career field. Agriculture is the number one industry in Pennsylvania, in the United States and truly in the world, because it supplies us, every single one of us as a human being, with our basic needs.”

“So again, thinking from an economic impact standpoint, agriculture is huge, and we need students to be entering into this type of careers so that we can supply the food, the fiber, the fuel resources, whatever it might be for our growing population.”

“Agriculture is going to be at the forefront of continuing the lifestyle that we have here in the United States and across the globe.”

Skip to: 12:19 How would a school district go about implementing FFA curriculum in their schools? What suggestions would you have?

“Reach out to other schools that have ag education. Our ag teachers are also a great resource. We will help other districts and share what we’re doing.”

Skip to: 13:58 Are there any K-12 initiatives that PA FFA offers prior to that age frame?

Skip to: 16:26 What were some of your experiences with FFA during your time in high school?

“I think I never truly understood the importance of the agricultural industry until I got to high school and I had experience in FFA, and really my eyes were opened to what that looks like.”

“And I love this industry, the agricultural industry, because of the community that I found within it. And so this year as a state officer, I really had the opportunity to be that community for other members.”

Skip to: 18:23 What are your duties as the state FFA secretary?

“We’re also advocates for the agricultural industry.”

Skip to: 20:26 You’ve mentioned National Ag Day which I understand is March 23rd. Can you explain a little bit about this recognized day, and what our listeners might take away from being part of the observation of that day?

“National Ag Day is devoted to increasing public awareness on the vital role that agriculture plays in our world. So, we’re celebrating the agricultural industry that many of us get to call home, as well as celebrating our farmers and modern-day agriculturalists, whether they’re on the farm in production agriculture, or just somehow connected in some outside way.”

Skip to: 21:52 How can students and school leaders get involved? What is there to be involved in on that day?

“There really is truly something for everybody, and it is so important at the economic level to get people involved in agriculture in the future.”

Q: So, Kacey, would you start by telling us a little about the agricultural classes being taught in Oley Valley schools?

**A (Kacey):** Yeah. We have one of five ag education programs in Berks County, and probably one of a few hundred in the State of Pennsylvania. It is not something that is at every school district, so that’s kind of a unique thing to point out that not all schools do have ag education programs like ours, but we have a kind of wide variety of courses that try to cover all that is ag education and in the field of agriculture. So, we have some full-year courses that span from the start of school in September through the end in June. And that includes Advanced Animal Science, Plant Science and Horticulture, Food Science and Technology, an Agricultural Engineering course, Agro-Environmental Sciences and Advanced Placement Environmental Science course, as well as an Animal and Plant Biotechnology course.

And then in addition to that, we have a few semester-long courses that we offer as well. One in ag business, one called FFA Leadership, another Ag Genetics, and then new as of the 2020-2021 school year, we added a Veterinary Technician A and a Veterinary Technician B course. Between all of those, I am not the only one that does all of that. I have another ag education teacher here. His name is Mr. Jeremy Deysher. So, between the two of us, we cover all of that curriculum for our students in our program. We teach about 100 students out of our district, which is around . . . student body population in the high school is around 500. So, we see a decent portion of the students in our high school. And one thing I almost forgot was we also have an eighth-grade course at our middle school where we do a trimester-based kind of intro to ag sciences as a feeder to our high school program.

Q: It sounds like a lot. You mentioned that you work with another teacher, but even for two teachers, that sounds like a really wide range of classes under that overarching umbrella of agriculture. That’s amazing.

**A (Kacey):** And that’s the point as well, though. Agriculture is such a wide and broad field that encompasses so many facets that ag education has something for everyone and is some of the significance of teaching this to the younger generation to get them interested in careers in this industry, because there’s so many opportunities.

Q: So, your story caught our attention. You submitted it to us for the Success Starts Here website, or someone within your district did. And what I wanted to know a little bit more about from that story is the hydroponics garden and what the students are doing with the produce, as well as the newly initiated, you mentioned the vet tech classes, so how does that all fit together?

**A (Kacey):** I’ll give you some of the history in how we got some of this stuff started. In 2011, which is actually when I started teaching here at the Oley Valley School District, was the year of 2011-2012, we got a grant from the National FFA, Learning by Doing Grant to start implementing some raised bed gardening. And we have that outside of our ag education classrooms here. So, we started on that. And then a couple of years later in 2013, we got a $10,000 grant from Monsanto, and we use that to start aquaponics, and aquaponics is a combination of both hydroponics and aquaculture.

So we started raising tilapia and growing lettuce and different vegetables in the grow bed in that kind of sustainable system. And from that, then we continued to expand. The Pennsylvania Department of Education does some Supplemental Equipment Grants for vocational education programs. So we were able to then start more hydroponics, and we added in what’s called an NFT or Nutrient Film Technique type of hydroponic system. We also got a vertical hydroponic system that we used for tomatoes, because they can grow essentially as tall as they can, or as high as the building can let them grow that you can support.

And then a few years later, I think it was about 2016, it’s about four or five years now that we’ve had what we call our grow room. So, we took one of the extra rooms, I guess you could say, in our building and we kind of put all of our hydroponics, aquaponics things in there, and so now we have a nice place to have the students get that hands-on education through those types of systems, things that they would be working with in the agricultural industry or potential careers someday.

And the produce that we get from that, so I was mentioning tomatoes and lettuce and herbs are most that we try to send to the cafeteria, including the stuff from the raised bed gardens, where it started it all. But the raised beds gardens, obviously most of that happens starting here in the spring and over the summer. So, during the summer months we keep everything going as well. We get some students to come in, volunteer their time over the summer, and a lot of the produce over the summer gets donated to the local food pantry here in Oley.

So if the school district doesn’t have a use for it at that point in time, like if it was right before the holiday break, again, we try to give it to the food pantry. So, it definitely gets put to good use and then the students get that learning experience as well.

Q: That’s awesome. Truly a farm-to-table experience right within your own school district. That’s really interesting, and super cool. So, you may have kind of touched upon this in explaining the different stages, but can you talk about the three-tiered education model that FFA embodies?

**A (Kacey):** Yeah. And FFA is really one of the tiers of what we consider ag education. And so we have the classroom instruction that obviously is kind of the traditional school setting, but we’re teaching those agricultural courses that I mentioned earlier. Then you also have the FFA, which is considered an intracurricular organization, because it really does build upon what they’re learning in the classroom. And then the third tier is what’s called SAE, which stands for a Supervised Agricultural Experience. So again, they’re taking what they’re learning in the classroom and then having some sort of project or experience-based activity outside of the classroom. So, that might be in the form of a placement where they actually get a job or an internship with a career related to their interests, or if the kid’s taking plant science this year, they might go work for a greenhouse, or something to that effect.

They could also do entrepreneurship-based projects if they have say poultry at home that they can raise or the ability to raise some animals, they could do those types of projects as well to gain experience, potentially to a future vet or animal science-related career. And so all three of those play off of each other to give students a well-rounded background that’s going to prepare them for future careers in the industry. The FFA, one of the other key components I feel that is crucial with that piece is the leadership skills that they learn in the FFA organization. And I can maybe let Jessica jump in here to touch base a little bit on that FFA tier and talk about all that that organization really provides and how it builds off of those other two.

**A (Jessica):** I’d love to talk a little bit about that. So, I’ve been involved in FFA for the past five years, and I can truly attest to the fact that those leadership skills that are learned throughout the organization are really valuable. Students have the opportunity to compete in what we call career or leadership development events, which is just one opportunity for students to gain public speaking skills, better understand how to work on a team or the dedication of practicing and preparing for these contests, where students can compete at the regional, state and potentially national level within these contests. And along with that, Mrs. Rice had mentioned these SAE projects.

So, we really like to talk about this leadership development for students, and because it’s an intracurricular organization, other clubs at the school don’t have the opportunity to really get these leadership opportunities for students in this organization like FFA as well as in the classroom, which is what I think makes FFA and agricultural education as a whole is so unique, and we’re preparing our students for life after high school, whether that’s a job within the agricultural industry, production ag on the farm or off the farm, or just some other job that they’re interested in, which I think is really cool and really special that our organization is unique in that sense. And we’re really preparing our students for the future.

Q: That’s great to hear from the student perspective. So, I’ll direct this one back to you, Kacey. What do you see as, and then we’ll get to your perspective on it too, Jessica, but what do you see as the benefits of implementing agricultural curriculum in public school education? You talked a little bit earlier about showing students that broad range of opportunities and the experiences, anything beyond that, that you didn’t already touch upon?

**A (Kacey):** I think the biggest thing is just talking about the economic impact that agriculture has as a whole. And by having ag education, we’re preparing students to enter into that career field. Agriculture is the number one industry in Pennsylvania, in the United States and truly in the world, because it supplies us, every single one of us as a human being, with our basic needs. I have a couple of statistics that I like to share about the economic impact in that there are 63,163 farms in Pennsylvania. We have over 7.8 billion acres of farmland, and Pennsylvania is one of the top states for farmland preservation as well in the country, with the average farm size being about 124 acres. The market value of all of our agricultural products sold is over about $5 billion worth of product.

So again, thinking from an economic impact standpoint, agriculture is huge, and we need students to be entering into this type of careers so that we can supply the food, the fiber, the fuel resources, whatever it might be for our growing population. And thinking of that in terms from a global standpoint as well, we’re at about like 7.7, roughly, billion people, anticipated 10 billion people, agriculture is going to be at the forefront of continuing the lifestyle that we have here in the United States and across the globe. The United States supplies almost half of the world’s corn supply. So, some of those types of things are important to think about when we think about the benefits of ag education. I truly believe that ag education should be involved in every school district in the country and in the state of Pennsylvania, but obviously that’s not the case. But having those ag education programs, the ones we do really help to support that industry for our future.

Q: Yeah. Those are some pretty substantial numbers, the data points that you referenced. It really does put it in perspective, this sort of foundational profession and operational system that happens in support of all of society, really. How would a school district go about…you talked about the catalyst in your programs, how would a school district go about implementing FFA curriculum in their schools? What suggestions would you have?

**A (Kacey):** Well, and first of all, because of it, we go back to the three-tier model here that we follow. In order to start FFA, you actually need to start the ag education program and you need to have a certified instructor, someone who has their degree in ag in extension education like myself, and get that ag education program started. And then once you have that, you can go about starting an FFA chapter in kind of building those three tiers of your ag education. And the National FFA, depending on where you’re located, is a great resource. They do have some information on their website as far as how to start a chapter and whatnot. As far as Pennsylvania, we have our excellent state advisor to the FFA students like Jessica, Mr. Michael Brammer, he’s an excellent resource. If a school district is looking to start, he will come out to the school, he’ll talk to the school, board members, administrators and help them along that path.

And then the other thing I always say is reach out to other schools that have ag education. Our ag teachers are also a great resource. We will help other districts and share what we’re doing. I know Oley Valley, we’ve done a couple tours for other school districts. Most of the time, I feel like they’re tourists for other ag teachers, just to see when they’re going through remodeling processes, what could we do at our school that we’re not doing currently. But we also did a tour for the secretary of ag, Russell Redding and those types of individuals, so they can see what’s actually happening in the classroom, and then hopefully help support that from the legislative standpoint.

Q: So, are there any K-12 initiatives? I think you mentioned in your district that you start at the eighth grade point, and so are there any K-12 initiatives that PA FFA offers prior to that age frame?

**A (Kacey):** As far as true initiatives, I would say, I don’t know of anything, but we often offer a lot of opportunities for our younger students. At Oley Valley, actually, coming up next week is Ag Literacy Week where we will go down to our elementary school, and we will read a story to our kindergarten, first and second graders that relates to food production and understanding where their food comes from, and do an activity with them. We’ve also got our elementary school involved with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau that has a mobile ag lab, so they were coming out this week because our elementary school really does a lot in March, because of National Ag Day which we’re going to talk about later.

So, I think our current ag programs do a lot within their districts for the elementary and middle school levels to teach those younger students. There are also a lot of great resources out there. So, if there isn’t an ag program at the school already, there’s curriculum from the National Ag in the Classroom. They have a website full of resources, it’s all K-12. Like I said, the Farm Bureau has their mobile ag lab and they also have a lot of other educator resources on their website. There’s a neat program out there Discover Dairy that has a lot of elementary and middle school resources. And they started this a few years ago where they do an Adopt a Cow program where an elementary school classroom can adopt a cow, and they get somewhat monthly or so updates, pictures, stories, they do video conferencing. So, that’s a neat experience to get them exposed to the dairy industry.

So, there are a lot of resources out there. I think one of the things that ag education maybe needs to work on is making sure that districts that don’t have those ag education programs know that these resources are out there for them to utilize. Another great example is also the Penn State Extension. There are a lot of great educators. That extension office is known for some of their embryology projects where they’ll hatch out chicks in the elementary school and expose them to that sort of ag experience as well. So, there are programs and curriculum out there for educators to use K-12.

Q: And that would be a way that schools that don’t have a formal program incorporated yet, that’s the way educators can still be bringing that into the educational space?

**A (Kacey):** Yes, absolutely.

Q: Great. So Jessica, let’s talk to you about what were your experiences being involved? You talked a little bit earlier about some of the benefits, but what were some of your experiences with FFA during your time in high school? How did you become interested in being part of that, or interested in agriculture, or just interested in the program?

**A (Jessica):** Sure. So, FFA has been a huge part of my life and my family’s life for many, many years. I grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on a small dairy, poultry and crop farm. So, my love for agriculture truly runs deep, and I have deep roots in Lancaster County and Lancaster County agriculture as a whole. But I think I never truly understood the importance of the agricultural industry until I got to high school and I had experience in FFA, and really my eyes were opened to what that looks like. But something cool about me is that my first day in an ag class in high school, my first day as an FFA member was also my older sister’s first day as the ag teacher at my local high school. So, some of my fondest memories from being an FFA member is celebrating those little victories, or experiencing these really cool, exciting things within the organization alongside my older sister, as well as both of my parents have really been involved in our chapter for many years in our county fair as well.

So, my life has been surrounded by agriculture and by mentors and people who have consistently encouraged me to go further in the organization. And I loved FFA because I was constantly encouraged by people, but I was also given a platform to give back to those people who gave so much to me. And I love this industry, the agricultural industry, because of the community that I found within it. And so this year as a state officer, I really had the opportunity to be that community for other members, even though it looks a little bit different and sometimes it has to be over Zoom, but I’ve loved how my story has been surrounded by some really special people, and I hope to do that this year of service as a state officer as well.

Q: And so you’re mentioning your position, what are your duties as the state FFA secretary?

**A (Jessica):** Sure. So, I serve on a team of seven students where we defer college and careers for a year to serve the nearly 13,000 Pennsylvania FFA members across the state. So, we stay pretty busy and of course this year, like everyone else has looked quite different because of COVID-19, but we still found ways to serve as a mentor and a resource to our members, which is really our main job this year. So, we do this by facilitating leadership workshops, whether that’s in-person in the classroom if we have that opportunity or over Zoom, where we’re Zooming into classes, talking with students about topics in agriculture, as well as leadership, communication and team building. We’re also supporting these students throughout their FFA career, so like I mentioned, being a resource, answering questions that these students may have, encouraging them to pursue future career goals or different opportunities in the industry, as well as FFA as a whole.

And alongside that, we’re also advocates for the agricultural industry. So, this year we develop and maintain working relationships with agribusiness professionals, Pennsylvania FFA sponsors, and government officials to share the story of not only American agriculture, but agriculture right here in Pennsylvania, and not all of my teammates have a story like mine, where they come right off the farm and their family has been involved in FFA, so they have that unique perspective of either being involved in urban agriculture or not really understanding agriculture until they got to high school. And so, the opportunity to share that story and get to talk to other people about their own view on the industry has been really cool, and to get to share my experiences and hear about other people’s as well, makes our life pretty busy, but also really fulfilling to get to learn more about other people.

Q: Oh, that’s sounds like a full-time endeavor for this time that you’re performing this role. It really sounds like a full-time gig.

**A (Jessica):** A little bit. Yeah.

Q: Yeah. That’s great. It’s exciting-sounding. So, you’ve mentioned National Ag Day which I understand is March 23rd. Can you explain a little bit about this recognized day, and what our listeners might take away from being part of the observation of that day, and this is for either of you?

**A (Jessica):** I can get us started off, Kacey. So, National Ag Day is devoted to increasing public awareness on the vital role that agriculture plays in our world. So, we’re celebrating the agricultural industry that many of us get to call home, as well as celebrating our farmers and modern-day agriculturalists, whether they’re on the farm in production agriculture, or just somehow connected in some outside way. So, a few things that I’ll be doing to celebrate National Ag Day is taking a look at some of the webinars that you can find at agday.org, as well as I have the opportunity to participate in some legislative visits, along with one of my other teammates and some other agricultural representatives from Penn State University, and other state representatives from across the country, students that are my age. We’re just starting a conversation with legislators about agriculture and youth organizations, and why it’s so important and how they can take a role in celebrating National Ag Day alongside with us.

Q: And so you’re going to be speaking with state legislators on that day, is that right?

**A (Jessica):** Yes, I will.

Q: That’s pretty exciting. That’s what the full-time advocate, lobbyist do, so you’re already performing that work, which is great. And maybe Kacey, this one’s for you. How can students and school leaders get involved? What is there to be involved in on that day?

**A (Kacey):** Honestly, a lot of it is just kind of along the lines of what Jessica said, really celebrating the industry. So, the high school webinars classes, we try to share with students on that day, recognize it, really promote it amongst our students that they should be reaching out to the community, thanking their local farmers, connecting with them. And one opportunity that we have locally for Oley Valley School District in Berks County, there’s an organization called BARN, stands for Berks Ag Resource Network, and they do an ag day video contest. So, our students are currently preparing for that. It’s for grades 3-12, they can develop a video, submit it, and it’s obviously a contest that they’re hopefully trying to win the different prizes, and it’s sponsored by friends for Senator Judy Schwank and our [county] commissioner, Christian Leinbach.

So, they have been tremendous supporters at the legislative level for ag education and ag in general, but from an elementary standpoint or middle school, anyone again that doesn’t have an ag education program, it’s a great day to just maybe do ag lesson or bring up some ag trivia in the classroom, so that students become more aware of all that is agriculture, because like we mentioned before, there’s so many things that make up ag. We have such a wide variety of aspects that are involved in the industry, and there really is truly something for everybody, and it is so important at the economic level to get people involved in agriculture in the future. So, that’s what we’re doing here at Oley, just celebrating that day and participating in that video contest. But there’s lots of things that other people can be doing like I said, at the school level.

Q: Great. Well, I do want to thank you for sharing your story with us first on Success Starts Here. We love to get those great stories on the website there to share them out more broadly, but also thank you for joining me on this podcast to tell us a little more detail around this program. Thanks so much.

**A (Kacey):** And thank you for having us. It was a pleasure.

Q: Absolutely.

**A (Jessica):** Thank you so much.

Q: Thank you, Jessica. And good luck in your role. This is exciting for you, I’m sure.

**A (Jessica):** Yes, it is. Thank you.

Kacey Rice

Kacey Rice is an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Oley Valley School District. She also serves as the president of the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators within the Pennsylvania Future Farmers of America.

Jessica Herr

Jessica Herr is the current State FFA Secretary for Pennsylvania. She is a 2020 graduate of Lampeter Strasburg High School.
Success Starts Here: FFA program gives back to the community
Success Starts Here: Oley Valley adds vet tech courses
PA FFA
National FFA
National Agriculture in the Classroom
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
Discover Dairy
Penn State Extension
National Ag Day website
Berks Agricultural Resource Network
The post Future Farmers of America in Pennsylvania’s Schools: Teaching the Value and Impact of Agricultural Education appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Future Farmers of America in Pennsylvania’s Schools: Teaching the Value and Impact of Agricultural Education** Mar 23, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Agriculture is big business in Pennsylvania. Not only does it have an enormous economic impact, but human lifestyle depends on not only sustaining but expanding the agricultural industries. Yet not every school district in the commonwealth incorporates agricultural education in its curriculum. On today’s episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Oley Valley Future Farmers of America advisor Kacey Rice and the Pennsylvania Future Farmers of America current state secretary Jessica Herr and learns just why teaching younger generations and getting them interested in agriculture is so vital economically and from a sustainability standpoint. Oley Valley’s FFA programs are also highlighted on SuccessStartsHere.org. Read the stories here and here. Skip to: 01:26 Would you start by telling us a little about the agricultural classes being taught in Oley Valley?
“Agriculture is such a wide and broad field that encompasses so many facets that ag education has something for everyone.”

Skip to: 03:58 What I wanted to know a little bit more about from that story is the hydroponics garden and what the students are doing with the produce, as well as the newly initiated, you mentioned the vet tech classes, so how does that all fit together?

“It definitely gets put to good use and then the students get that learning experience as well.”

Skip to: 06:48 Can you talk about the three-tiered education model that FFA embodies?

“And so all three of those play off of each other to give students a well-rounded background that’s going to prepare them for future careers in the industry.”

“We really like to talk about this leadership development for students . . . which is what I think makes FFA and agricultural education as a whole is so unique, and we’re preparing our students for life after high school.”

Skip to: 09:56 What do you see as the benefits of implementing agricultural curriculum in public school education?

“And by having ag education, we’re preparing students to enter into that career field. Agriculture is the number one industry in Pennsylvania, in the United States and truly in the world, because it supplies us, every single one of us as a human being, with our basic needs.”

“So again, thinking from an economic impact standpoint, agriculture is huge, and we need students to be entering into this type of careers so that we can supply the food, the fiber, the fuel resources, whatever it might be for our growing population.”

“Agriculture is going to be at the forefront of continuing the lifestyle that we have here in the United States and across the globe.”

Skip to: 12:19 How would a school district go about implementing FFA curriculum in their schools? What suggestions would you have?

“Reach out to other schools that have ag education. Our ag teachers are also a great resource. We will help other districts and share what we’re doing.”

Skip to: 13:58 Are there any K-12 initiatives that PA FFA offers prior to that age frame?

Skip to: 16:26 What were some of your experiences with FFA during your time in high school?

“I think I never truly understood the importance of the agricultural industry until I got to high school and I had experience in FFA, and really my eyes were opened to what that looks like.”

“And I love this industry, the agricultural industry, because of the community that I found within it. And so this year as a state officer, I really had the opportunity to be that community for other members.”

Skip to: 18:23 What are your duties as the state FFA secretary?

“We’re also advocates for the agricultural industry.”

Skip to: 20:26 You’ve mentioned National Ag Day which I understand is March 23rd. Can you explain a little bit about this recognized day, and what our listeners might take away from being part of the observation of that day?

“National Ag Day is devoted to increasing public awareness on the vital role that agriculture plays in our world. So, we’re celebrating the agricultural industry that many of us get to call home, as well as celebrating our farmers and modern-day agriculturalists, whether they’re on the farm in production agriculture, or just somehow connected in some outside way.”

Skip to: 21:52 How can students and school leaders get involved? What is there to be involved in on that day?

“There really is truly something for everybody, and it is so important at the economic level to get people involved in agriculture in the future.”

Q: So, Kacey, would you start by telling us a little about the agricultural classes being taught in Oley Valley schools?

**A (Kacey):** Yeah. We have one of five ag education programs in Berks County, and probably one of a few hundred in the State of Pennsylvania. It is not something that is at every school district, so that’s kind of a unique thing to point out that not all schools do have ag education programs like ours, but we have a kind of wide variety of courses that try to cover all that is ag education and in the field of agriculture. So, we have some full-year courses that span from the start of school in September through the end in June. And that includes Advanced Animal Science, Plant Science and Horticulture, Food Science and Technology, an Agricultural Engineering course, Agro-Environmental Sciences and Advanced Placement Environmental Science course, as well as an Animal and Plant Biotechnology course.

And then in addition to that, we have a few semester-long courses that we offer as well. One in ag business, one called FFA Leadership, another Ag Genetics, and then new as of the 2020-2021 school year, we added a Veterinary Technician A and a Veterinary Technician B course. Between all of those, I am not the only one that does all of that. I have another ag education teacher here. His name is Mr. Jeremy Deysher. So, between the two of us, we cover all of that curriculum for our students in our program. We teach about 100 students out of our district, which is around . . . student body population in the high school is around 500. So, we see a decent portion of the students in our high school. And one thing I almost forgot was we also have an eighth-grade course at our middle school where we do a trimester-based kind of intro to ag sciences as a feeder to our high school program.

Q: It sounds like a lot. You mentioned that you work with another teacher, but even for two teachers, that sounds like a really wide range of classes under that overarching umbrella of agriculture. That’s amazing.

**A (Kacey):** And that’s the point as well, though. Agriculture is such a wide and broad field that encompasses so many facets that ag education has something for everyone and is some of the significance of teaching this to the younger generation to get them interested in careers in this industry, because there’s so many opportunities.

Q: So, your story caught our attention. You submitted it to us for the Success Starts Here website, or someone within your district did. And what I wanted to know a little bit more about from that story is the hydroponics garden and what the students are doing with the produce, as well as the newly initiated, you mentioned the vet tech classes, so how does that all fit together?

**A (Kacey):** I’ll give you some of the history in how we got some of this stuff started. In 2011, which is actually when I started teaching here at the Oley Valley School District, was the year of 2011-2012, we got a grant from the National FFA, Learning by Doing Grant to start implementing some raised bed gardening. And we have that outside of our ag education classrooms here. So, we started on that. And then a couple of years later in 2013, we got a $10,000 grant from Monsanto, and we use that to start aquaponics, and aquaponics is a combination of both hydroponics and aquaculture.

So we started raising tilapia and growing lettuce and different vegetables in the grow bed in that kind of sustainable system. And from that, then we continued to expand. The Pennsylvania Department of Education does some Supplemental Equipment Grants for vocational education programs. So we were able to then start more hydroponics, and we added in what’s called an NFT or Nutrient Film Technique type of hydroponic system. We also got a vertical hydroponic system that we used for tomatoes, because they can grow essentially as tall as they can, or as high as the building can let them grow that you can support.

And then a few years later, I think it was about 2016, it’s about four or five years now that we’ve had what we call our grow room. So, we took one of the extra rooms, I guess you could say, in our building and we kind of put all of our hydroponics, aquaponics things in there, and so now we have a nice place to have the students get that hands-on education through those types of systems, things that they would be working with in the agricultural industry or potential careers someday.

And the produce that we get from that, so I was mentioning tomatoes and lettuce and herbs are most that we try to send to the cafeteria, including the stuff from the raised bed gardens, where it started it all. But the raised beds gardens, obviously most of that happens starting here in the spring and over the summer. So, during the summer months we keep everything going as well. We get some students to come in, volunteer their time over the summer, and a lot of the produce over the summer gets donated to the local food pantry here in Oley.

So if the school district doesn’t have a use for it at that point in time, like if it was right before the holiday break, again, we try to give it to the food pantry. So, it definitely gets put to good use and then the students get that learning experience as well.

Q: That’s awesome. Truly a farm-to-table experience right within your own school district. That’s really interesting, and super cool. So, you may have kind of touched upon this in explaining the different stages, but can you talk about the three-tiered education model that FFA embodies?

**A (Kacey):** Yeah. And FFA is really one of the tiers of what we consider ag education. And so we have the classroom instruction that obviously is kind of the traditional school setting, but we’re teaching those agricultural courses that I mentioned earlier. Then you also have the FFA, which is considered an intracurricular organization, because it really does build upon what they’re learning in the classroom. And then the third tier is what’s called SAE, which stands for a Supervised Agricultural Experience. So again, they’re taking what they’re learning in the classroom and then having some sort of project or experience-based activity outside of the classroom. So, that might be in the form of a placement where they actually get a job or an internship with a career related to their interests, or if the kid’s taking plant science this year, they might go work for a greenhouse, or something to that effect.

They could also do entrepreneurship-based projects if they have say poultry at home that they can raise or the ability to raise some animals, they could do those types of projects as well to gain experience, potentially to a future vet or animal science-related career. And so all three of those play off of each other to give students a well-rounded background that’s going to prepare them for future careers in the industry. The FFA, one of the other key components I feel that is crucial with that piece is the leadership skills that they learn in the FFA organization. And I can maybe let Jessica jump in here to touch base a little bit on that FFA tier and talk about all that that organization really provides and how it builds off of those other two.

**A (Jessica):** I’d love to talk a little bit about that. So, I’ve been involved in FFA for the past five years, and I can truly attest to the fact that those leadership skills that are learned throughout the organization are really valuable. Students have the opportunity to compete in what we call career or leadership development events, which is just one opportunity for students to gain public speaking skills, better understand how to work on a team or the dedication of practicing and preparing for these contests, where students can compete at the regional, state and potentially national level within these contests. And along with that, Mrs. Rice had mentioned these SAE projects.

So, we really like to talk about this leadership development for students, and because it’s an intracurricular organization, other clubs at the school don’t have the opportunity to really get these leadership opportunities for students in this organization like FFA as well as in the classroom, which is what I think makes FFA and agricultural education as a whole is so unique, and we’re preparing our students for life after high school, whether that’s a job within the agricultural industry, production ag on the farm or off the farm, or just some other job that they’re interested in, which I think is really cool and really special that our organization is unique in that sense. And we’re really preparing our students for the future.

Q: That’s great to hear from the student perspective. So, I’ll direct this one back to you, Kacey. What do you see as, and then we’ll get to your perspective on it too, Jessica, but what do you see as the benefits of implementing agricultural curriculum in public school education? You talked a little bit earlier about showing students that broad range of opportunities and the experiences, anything beyond that, that you didn’t already touch upon?

**A (Kacey):** I think the biggest thing is just talking about the economic impact that agriculture has as a whole. And by having ag education, we’re preparing students to enter into that career field. Agriculture is the number one industry in Pennsylvania, in the United States and truly in the world, because it supplies us, every single one of us as a human being, with our basic needs. I have a couple of statistics that I like to share about the economic impact in that there are 63,163 farms in Pennsylvania. We have over 7.8 billion acres of farmland, and Pennsylvania is one of the top states for farmland preservation as well in the country, with the average farm size being about 124 acres. The market value of all of our agricultural products sold is over about $5 billion worth of product.

So again, thinking from an economic impact standpoint, agriculture is huge, and we need students to be entering into this type of careers so that we can supply the food, the fiber, the fuel resources, whatever it might be for our growing population. And thinking of that in terms from a global standpoint as well, we’re at about like 7.7, roughly, billion people, anticipated 10 billion people, agriculture is going to be at the forefront of continuing the lifestyle that we have here in the United States and across the globe. The United States supplies almost half of the world’s corn supply. So, some of those types of things are important to think about when we think about the benefits of ag education. I truly believe that ag education should be involved in every school district in the country and in the state of Pennsylvania, but obviously that’s not the case. But having those ag education programs, the ones we do really help to support that industry for our future.

Q: Yeah. Those are some pretty substantial numbers, the data points that you referenced. It really does put it in perspective, this sort of foundational profession and operational system that happens in support of all of society, really. How would a school district go about…you talked about the catalyst in your programs, how would a school district go about implementing FFA curriculum in their schools? What suggestions would you have?

**A (Kacey):** Well, and first of all, because of it, we go back to the three-tier model here that we follow. In order to start FFA, you actually need to start the ag education program and you need to have a certified instructor, someone who has their degree in ag in extension education like myself, and get that ag education program started. And then once you have that, you can go about starting an FFA chapter in kind of building those three tiers of your ag education. And the National FFA, depending on where you’re located, is a great resource. They do have some information on their website as far as how to start a chapter and whatnot. As far as Pennsylvania, we have our excellent state advisor to the FFA students like Jessica, Mr. Michael Brammer, he’s an excellent resource. If a school district is looking to start, he will come out to the school, he’ll talk to the school, board members, administrators and help them along that path.

And then the other thing I always say is reach out to other schools that have ag education. Our ag teachers are also a great resource. We will help other districts and share what we’re doing. I know Oley Valley, we’ve done a couple tours for other school districts. Most of the time, I feel like they’re tourists for other ag teachers, just to see when they’re going through remodeling processes, what could we do at our school that we’re not doing currently. But we also did a tour for the secretary of ag, Russell Redding and those types of individuals, so they can see what’s actually happening in the classroom, and then hopefully help support that from the legislative standpoint.

Q: So, are there any K-12 initiatives? I think you mentioned in your district that you start at the eighth grade point, and so are there any K-12 initiatives that PA FFA offers prior to that age frame?

**A (Kacey):** As far as true initiatives, I would say, I don’t know of anything, but we often offer a lot of opportunities for our younger students. At Oley Valley, actually, coming up next week is Ag Literacy Week where we will go down to our elementary school, and we will read a story to our kindergarten, first and second graders that relates to food production and understanding where their food comes from, and do an activity with them. We’ve also got our elementary school involved with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau that has a mobile ag lab, so they were coming out this week because our elementary school really does a lot in March, because of National Ag Day which we’re going to talk about later.

So, I think our current ag programs do a lot within their districts for the elementary and middle school levels to teach those younger students. There are also a lot of great resources out there. So, if there isn’t an ag program at the school already, there’s curriculum from the National Ag in the Classroom. They have a website full of resources, it’s all K-12. Like I said, the Farm Bureau has their mobile ag lab and they also have a lot of other educator resources on their website. There’s a neat program out there Discover Dairy that has a lot of elementary and middle school resources. And they started this a few years ago where they do an Adopt a Cow program where an elementary school classroom can adopt a cow, and they get somewhat monthly or so updates, pictures, stories, they do video conferencing. So, that’s a neat experience to get them exposed to the dairy industry.

So, there are a lot of resources out there. I think one of the things that ag education maybe needs to work on is making sure that districts that don’t have those ag education programs know that these resources are out there for them to utilize. Another great example is also the Penn State Extension. There are a lot of great educators. That extension office is known for some of their embryology projects where they’ll hatch out chicks in the elementary school and expose them to that sort of ag experience as well. So, there are programs and curriculum out there for educators to use K-12.

Q: And that would be a way that schools that don’t have a formal program incorporated yet, that’s the way educators can still be bringing that into the educational space?

**A (Kacey):** Yes, absolutely.

Q: Great. So Jessica, let’s talk to you about what were your experiences being involved? You talked a little bit earlier about some of the benefits, but what were some of your experiences with FFA during your time in high school? How did you become interested in being part of that, or interested in agriculture, or just interested in the program?

**A (Jessica):** Sure. So, FFA has been a huge part of my life and my family’s life for many, many years. I grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on a small dairy, poultry and crop farm. So, my love for agriculture truly runs deep, and I have deep roots in Lancaster County and Lancaster County agriculture as a whole. But I think I never truly understood the importance of the agricultural industry until I got to high school and I had experience in FFA, and really my eyes were opened to what that looks like. But something cool about me is that my first day in an ag class in high school, my first day as an FFA member was also my older sister’s first day as the ag teacher at my local high school. So, some of my fondest memories from being an FFA member is celebrating those little victories, or experiencing these really cool, exciting things within the organization alongside my older sister, as well as both of my parents have really been involved in our chapter for many years in our county fair as well.

So, my life has been surrounded by agriculture and by mentors and people who have consistently encouraged me to go further in the organization. And I loved FFA because I was constantly encouraged by people, but I was also given a platform to give back to those people who gave so much to me. And I love this industry, the agricultural industry, because of the community that I found within it. And so this year as a state officer, I really had the opportunity to be that community for other members, even though it looks a little bit different and sometimes it has to be over Zoom, but I’ve loved how my story has been surrounded by some really special people, and I hope to do that this year of service as a state officer as well.

Q: And so you’re mentioning your position, what are your duties as the state FFA secretary?

**A (Jessica):** Sure. So, I serve on a team of seven students where we defer college and careers for a year to serve the nearly 13,000 Pennsylvania FFA members across the state. So, we stay pretty busy and of course this year, like everyone else has looked quite different because of COVID-19, but we still found ways to serve as a mentor and a resource to our members, which is really our main job this year. So, we do this by facilitating leadership workshops, whether that’s in-person in the classroom if we have that opportunity or over Zoom, where we’re Zooming into classes, talking with students about topics in agriculture, as well as leadership, communication and team building. We’re also supporting these students throughout their FFA career, so like I mentioned, being a resource, answering questions that these students may have, encouraging them to pursue future career goals or different opportunities in the industry, as well as FFA as a whole.

And alongside that, we’re also advocates for the agricultural industry. So, this year we develop and maintain working relationships with agribusiness professionals, Pennsylvania FFA sponsors, and government officials to share the story of not only American agriculture, but agriculture right here in Pennsylvania, and not all of my teammates have a story like mine, where they come right off the farm and their family has been involved in FFA, so they have that unique perspective of either being involved in urban agriculture or not really understanding agriculture until they got to high school. And so, the opportunity to share that story and get to talk to other people about their own view on the industry has been really cool, and to get to share my experiences and hear about other people’s as well, makes our life pretty busy, but also really fulfilling to get to learn more about other people.

Q: Oh, that’s sounds like a full-time endeavor for this time that you’re performing this role. It really sounds like a full-time gig.

**A (Jessica):** A little bit. Yeah.

Q: Yeah. That’s great. It’s exciting-sounding. So, you’ve mentioned National Ag Day which I understand is March 23rd. Can you explain a little bit about this recognized day, and what our listeners might take away from being part of the observation of that day, and this is for either of you?

**A (Jessica):** I can get us started off, Kacey. So, National Ag Day is devoted to increasing public awareness on the vital role that agriculture plays in our world. So, we’re celebrating the agricultural industry that many of us get to call home, as well as celebrating our farmers and modern-day agriculturalists, whether they’re on the farm in production agriculture, or just somehow connected in some outside way. So, a few things that I’ll be doing to celebrate National Ag Day is taking a look at some of the webinars that you can find at agday.org, as well as I have the opportunity to participate in some legislative visits, along with one of my other teammates and some other agricultural representatives from Penn State University, and other state representatives from across the country, students that are my age. We’re just starting a conversation with legislators about agriculture and youth organizations, and why it’s so important and how they can take a role in celebrating National Ag Day alongside with us.

Q: And so you’re going to be speaking with state legislators on that day, is that right?

**A (Jessica):** Yes, I will.

Q: That’s pretty exciting. That’s what the full-time advocate, lobbyist do, so you’re already performing that work, which is great. And maybe Kacey, this one’s for you. How can students and school leaders get involved? What is there to be involved in on that day?

**A (Kacey):** Honestly, a lot of it is just kind of along the lines of what Jessica said, really celebrating the industry. So, the high school webinars classes, we try to share with students on that day, recognize it, really promote it amongst our students that they should be reaching out to the community, thanking their local farmers, connecting with them. And one opportunity that we have locally for Oley Valley School District in Berks County, there’s an organization called BARN, stands for Berks Ag Resource Network, and they do an ag day video contest. So, our students are currently preparing for that. It’s for grades 3-12, they can develop a video, submit it, and it’s obviously a contest that they’re hopefully trying to win the different prizes, and it’s sponsored by friends for Senator Judy Schwank and our [county] commissioner, Christian Leinbach.

So, they have been tremendous supporters at the legislative level for ag education and ag in general, but from an elementary standpoint or middle school, anyone again that doesn’t have an ag education program, it’s a great day to just maybe do ag lesson or bring up some ag trivia in the classroom, so that students become more aware of all that is agriculture, because like we mentioned before, there’s so many things that make up ag. We have such a wide variety of aspects that are involved in the industry, and there really is truly something for everybody, and it is so important at the economic level to get people involved in agriculture in the future. So, that’s what we’re doing here at Oley, just celebrating that day and participating in that video contest. But there’s lots of things that other people can be doing like I said, at the school level.

Q: Great. Well, I do want to thank you for sharing your story with us first on Success Starts Here. We love to get those great stories on the website there to share them out more broadly, but also thank you for joining me on this podcast to tell us a little more detail around this program. Thanks so much.

**A (Kacey):** And thank you for having us. It was a pleasure.

Q: Absolutely.

**A (Jessica):** Thank you so much.

Q: Thank you, Jessica. And good luck in your role. This is exciting for you, I’m sure.

**A (Jessica):** Yes, it is. Thank you.

Kacey Rice

Kacey Rice is an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Oley Valley School District. She also serves as the president of the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators within the Pennsylvania Future Farmers of America.

Jessica Herr

Jessica Herr is the current State FFA Secretary for Pennsylvania. She is a 2020 graduate of Lampeter Strasburg High School.
Success Starts Here: FFA program gives back to the community
Success Starts Here: Oley Valley adds vet tech courses
PA FFA
National FFA
National Agriculture in the Classroom
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
Discover Dairy
Penn State Extension
National Ag Day website
Berks Agricultural Resource Network
The post Future Farmers of America in Pennsylvania’s Schools: Teaching the Value and Impact of Agricultural Education appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**The How and Why of Listening Effectively** Mar 09, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Listening through screen conversations, in-person and even amidst disagreements—why is it so important to really listen? *Keystone Education Radio* host Annette Stevenson speaks with author Kate Murphy, who discusses her book “You’re Not Listening – What You’re Missing and Why it Matters” and offers tips on honing the art of listening for today’s socially-distant communications and for always.
Skip to: 00:49 How did you become interested in writing about the topic and interpersonal skill of listening?

“Why did people have so few people in their lives that they felt they could tell things to? And why it was seen as a shameful thing to ask someone, or too much to ask, to have someone listen?”

Skip to: 02:50 What lessons does your book offer to today’s educators and students?

“The most effective educators and any speaker are the ones that know their audience, the ones that know their students; and that requires listening.”

Skip to: 04:48 How would you recommend that we address the impact that this extended experience in front of screens has impacted the kids and how we can help them be better listeners or to continue developing their listening skills?

“But I do think when you’re really trying to connect with someone, particularly a student, maybe somebody who’s struggling, or maybe just at the end of the lesson turn off the cameras and let me hear from you, how are you feeling? Let them connect with you just vocally, verbally, tonally.”

Skip to: 11:01 Would you explain the importance of listening to others who you may not agree with, and also how you overcome that natural reaction?

“Because if you engage higher order thinking, which is what listening is, it’s really trying to understand how that person formed that opinion, how you formed your opinion, and really trying to get to an idea of how they came up with that. Why are they holding firm to that? And that whole process tamps down the amygdala. It makes you less reactive.”

“Once you find out how someone formed an opinion, you may ultimately not agree with their opinion, but you get ideas of where you can find points of commonality, where you can reach a consensus, how you can cooperate.”

Skip to: 14:46 How can acknowledging biases or those preformed assumptions help us to listen more effectively and subsequently increase our understanding of the other person?

“Everybody’s interesting if you ask the right question. And so that’s really a key to being a good listener is to really keep your mind open and know this person knows something I don’t and I want to find out what it is. And that’s also the fun of it. That’s what makes life really worth living. We’re here to connect with one another. We’re here to discover one another. That’s how we cooperate. That’s how we’ve advanced as a species to really listen and find points of agreement and to really develop each other’s ideas, and to learn and grow from one another.”

Skip to: 17:51 All that you’ve covered in your book is certainly applicable prior to COVID and after COVID, and takes on sort of a different shape and form during these past 11 months.

“I think survivors of the pandemic will be more aware of the value of close relationships, and as you say, connection. And listening is the best and really the only way to develop and sustain our connections in both good times and bad.”

Q: Can you tell me first a little about your background and how you became interested in writing about the topic and the interpersonal skill of listening?

A: Well, I’m a long-time journalist, so I’ve always been interested in listening just because that’s really what I see as fundamental to the work that I do. And on top of that, I live in the same world that everyone else does, where I’ve kind of noticed that listening is becoming something of a lost art, and I wanted to find out why that was.

And also, just as a journalist, I was noticing increasingly during interviews that people would start telling me very intimate details about their lives and problems that they were having, things wholly unrelated to the interview, and this was happening with such regularity. And I’m talking about pretty breathtaking disclosures. These were people who were very accomplished, had a vast network of friends and family and colleagues; and I wondered why they were telling me.

And at the end of the conversation, they would always say, “Thank you so much for listening.” And almost with the same breath they would say, “I’m so sorry,” as if they had asked too much of me and that they weren’t supposed to have someone listen, that it was too much of a chore to ask someone to listen to them.

And that really made me want to investigate this a little bit more. Why did people have so few people in their lives that they felt they could tell things to? And also, why it was seen as a shameful thing to ask someone, or too much to ask, to have someone listen? That was really the genesis of it. And yeah, and boy, what a rabbit hole led me down. Quite a bit there.

Q: Yeah, I imagine. Interesting that people saw that as like a big ask, a big request. In your book, you write about listening being a foundation to communication and learning. What lessons does your book offer to today’s educators and students?

A: Oh, wow. Well, every chapter looks at a different aspect of listening and it gives anecdotes, but also just practical tips on how to be a better listener. And teaching as much as someone is standing before a classroom and trying to impart knowledge, and of course, wanting the students to listen to them, they also need to listen to the student to really figure out where they are, what their level of understanding is, what’s going to get them excited, what motivates them.

Really, the most effective speakers, the most effective people who speak to audiences, whether it’s a comedian or a politician, a salesman, and an educator, that the most effective educators and any speaker are the ones that know their audience, the ones that know their students; and that requires listening. And so I think it’s really critical, and not only between the student and the educator but also with their colleagues, with their administrators and crucially also with parents, and really finding out where people are. And that way you can, you can absolutely be better able to impart whatever knowledge, whatever it is that you want the other person to retain.

Q: Absolutely a good point, which I think most writers hopefully home in on knowing your audience, but what a kind of salient point with that. You also talk about technology and specifically our dependency on it, our heavy use of technology, social media, our use of digital communications, and how this has caused us to be not as effective or even not as good at listening. With this kind of past year of virtual existence that many have been doing, and certainly the students have been doing virtual learning in many instances, and we’re all spending more time in front of screens, how would you recommend that we address the impact that this experience, this extended experience in front of screens has impacted the kids and how we can help them be better listeners, or to continue developing their listening skills?

A: That is so hard. I actually wrote a story recently for the New York Times about how Zoom is really terrible for listening because it’s distorted. The whole nature of video platforms is there are stutters, stops. It’s not like having a normal conversation. Pupils are not having eye contact with you. They’re looking somewhere on their screen but not in your eyes. That you can’t see the little subtle changes in expression because of the smoothing over in the technology to preserve bandwidth.

And as a result, the brain, just the primitive part of your brain, is always looking to mirror the other person, where you almost do the same expressions that they do. And when you’re missing all of that information, and they’re very subtle subconscious things that you pick up on when you are having an in-person conversation that are totally missing, and not only missing they’re distorted in a video chat; and as a result, that’s why it’s so tiring and exhausting because your brain is almost on overtime thinking, “What’s going on here? This isn’t right. This isn’t right.” So you’re always trying to overcome that hurdle.

And also just by virtue of where the screen is, where the camera is on your laptop, you could be looking down, you could be looking up, and by virtue of that, it signals your brain that person’s haughty, that person’s dejected, that person’s angry, this person sad. It’s not conscious, but it is something that you’re trying to overcome.

And don’t get me wrong, I mean, video’s great, particularly I would think in the teaching context when you need to show something, when you’re showing a problem, you’re trying to work out or you’re trying to show something visually, I think that’s very helpful. But in terms of really trying to connect with a student or see where the student is, it’s actually better to turn off the camera and really just listen and pay attention to the tonality of the voice. And there’s also something about just being in the person’s ear, particularly if they’re wearing headphones, where there’s a little bit more of an intimacy to it.

By virtue, it’s better to have no visual cues than distorted visual cues. And so if you really want to touch base or check-in with a student, it probably is better not to have them looking at you in that distorted circumstance and you looking at them in that distorted circumstance. To just talk with them, hear each other’s breathing, have that conversation. That I guess would be my first recommendation.

And the other is just to be cognizant of that, that that is something, that that’s a hurdle making all of this more difficult. And this is why you’re so tired at the end of the day. Not that teaching is an incredibly exhausting and absorbing profession without the video, but I think this is asking you all to go above and beyond because it is exhausting. It’s causing a literal brain cramp when you’re doing this.

I think just having that awareness, that it is a distortion and it is something that you have to overcome and it’s also something your students are having to overcome. You look weird to them. You do. Just like they look weird to you. We’re getting used to it so we’re not really acknowledging it anymore.

But just one of the things I found in my book that I thought was absolutely fascinating is that we all have color signatures and that’s the tone of our face. We have all of these blood vessels in our face that have these slightly different variations when we’re talking that match different emotions. And it doesn’t matter what your skin color is, it doesn’t matter about ethnicity or anything. It’s a slight gradation of change in the coloration of people’s faces that matches. You’ve got one color for aggravation and one for joy and one for confusion. You are reading that all the time when you’re talking to somebody. They did these wonderful studies where they showed people pictures with neutral faces, but changed the coloration, gave it a particular emotional color signature and people could, I mean, just nail it every time. What do you think this person’s emotion is?

So back to the video, that colorations all messed up. And so you’re missing so much data and also you’re getting distorted data just by how you have the coloration on your screen. So again, it’s just to be really cognizant of all these subconscious things that are happening to you and to the kids. I’m so sympathetic for what you all are trying to do. It’s just, it’s valiant. But I do think when you’re really trying to connect with someone, particularly a student, maybe somebody who’s struggling, or maybe just at the end of the lesson turn off the cameras and let me hear from you, so how are you feeling? Let them connect with you just vocally, verbally, tonally.

Q: That’s all very interesting and applicable to classroom scenarios, but way beyond that. Meeting scenarios, our school board officials when they are meeting, professional realm, it’s really applicable across the board. I think it makes everyone have to work a little harder with the verbalization since the kind of facial cues are not as present or as accurate maybe is the right way to say that.

A: Maybe also just have the camera focused on whatever you’re teaching. I don’t know if you’re actually showing, if you’re writing or typing or how you’re showing doing lessons, or even like you say, if you’re having a meeting with somebody to have the visuals in the video but not necessarily have it on your face.

Q: Interesting. So you also touch in your book on civil discourse and how difficult it is for most people to listen to opposing viewpoints. And so would you explain the importance of listening to others who you may not agree with and you might know you don’t agree with them, but the importance of that? But then also, how you overcome that sort of natural reaction, the difficulty of that?

A: Well, it really is a primal reaction. When you engage with somebody or are presented with somebody who has very different views, holds a different belief, opinions, your brain reacts as if it’s being chased by a bear. They’ve done studies, FMRIs where they have people that have very strong beliefs and they actually challenged those beliefs and see what their brains do. And the fight or flight, really absolutely intense fear parts of the brain, get activated. It’s the area called the amygdala.

It’s primal and it makes sense in evolutionary terms. Because if you didn’t agree with your people in your tribe, you risk being cast out, and so it’s very alarming and we still have that primitive reaction. And that’s why people get in these horrible fights about things, whether it’s political or it could be something as simple as what is the best sci-fi franchise, Star Wars or Star Trek? That actually ended in an assault and battery charge where people get… Well, I mean, it is. It’s almost that primal reaction of road rage, where someone cuts you off and just how could I have gotten that upset? It’s the same thing. That is what’s happening to us.

Now, as far as overcoming that, it is listening. Because if you engage higher order thinking, which is what listening is, it’s really trying to understand how that person formed that opinion, how you formed your opinion, and really trying to get to an idea of how they came up with that. Why are they holding firm to that? And that whole process tamps down the amygdala. It makes you less reactive.

And once you do that, you may end up not agreeing with the person, but you will have a better understanding. And after all, we’re only as firm in our convictions as when they’re challenged and when we’re exposed to lots of different ideas. And it’s always best to enter into these conversations as, how could I be wrong, instead of how are they wrong, listening for ways to poke holes in their arguments, but listen for ways that maybe your argument has a flaw in it, which is hard to do and takes some courage. And that’s part of the art of listening is really being open to that and realizing that things aren’t necessarily black and white, and the other person isn’t necessarily evil and you’re not necessarily totally righteous. But that’s the only way you learn.

And also once you find out how someone formed an opinion, you may ultimately not agree with their opinion, but you get ideas of where you can find points of commonality, where you can reach a consensus, how you can cooperate. And that’s really the beauty of listening. It firms up your own beliefs and it also leaves you open to figuring out where your beliefs may be flawed and vice versa with the other person, but also finding where’s that ground where we can meet in the middle?

Q: It’s so important, so important on so many different levels. So one of your chapters is titled “I Know What You’re Going To Say,” and you discuss how assumptions can shut down active listening. And I think anybody self-reflecting can find a moment where they’ve done that or many moments where they’ve done that. How can acknowledging biases or those preformed assumptions help us to listen more effectively, and obviously, subsequently increase our understanding of the other person? Can you talk a little bit about the assumptions that we make?

A: I feel very fortunate being a journalist because you find out so often, or I have found so often, that what I thought the story was going to be about once I listened to people, oh, it wasn’t about that at all. It really wasn’t. Now, I could have held firm to what I thought the story was about and go on ahead and looked for supporting evidence for that, but boy, it would be a terrible story because the real story is so much more interesting than you could possibly imagine.

And it is part of the human condition. It is how our brains work. Our brains are prediction machines, and that’s how we get through the day and that’s how our primitive cells stayed alive. When you predicted where the tiger was going to be, then you lived to see another day. So we’re primed to make those assumptions.

I hope no one listening thinks that my book is a wag your finger and everybody, we all do this. This is what we all do. That’s really why it’s an art to being a good listener; being able to realize, I’m making an assumption, and how you stop that is truly ask questions. To first, be humble enough to know you don’t know everything. And just because somebody else similar to this person feels this way, doesn’t mean this person does, and everybody is unique and everybody has a story. And everybody has an interesting story that is so much more complicated and so much more interesting than you possibly can imagine.

And I can guarantee you, after interviewing people for so many years, everybody’s interesting if you ask the right question. And so that’s really a key to being a good listener is to really keep your mind open and know this person knows something I don’t and I want to find out what it is. You’re almost like the Sherlock Holmes in the conversation. What’s the interesting thing I can find out? What’s going to overturn my assumptions? How am I going to be surprised?

And that’s also the fun of it. That’s what makes life really worth living. We’re here to connect with one another. We’re here to discover one another. That’s how we cooperate. That’s how we’ve advanced as a species to really listen and find points of agreement and to really develop each other’s ideas, and to learn and grow from one another.

Q: Totally true. And you mentioned we’re here to connect with one another and I think that topic of connectivity has just become so apparent and prominent this past year while we’ve been unable to connect in person in most instances, but still needing that connectivity, that ability to connect, even not being able to be in the same room with one another. So I think all that you’ve covered in your book, which is certainly applicable prior to COVID and after COVID and takes on sort of a different shape and form during these past 11 months, I would say.

A: Oh, I think you are really very much on point about that. Because I never would have imagined when I wrote the book that…of course, no one imagined that this would happen. But if months of home confinement have taught us anything, all this social distancing, it’s how much we long for the company of others. All of this has made the point of my book or underscored it in a way that I never thought possible. I mean, texting and Zoom are poor substitutes for being present, physically and emotionally.

And countless readers of the book have emailed me to say that having to maintain physical distance from other people has made them more aware of their emotional distance. And they said that reading the book has helped them to listen better and become closer to, not only to those people within their quarantine bubbles or pods but also to more distant friends and family whom they’re now making a point of really touching base with and calling regularly.

And also the other thing is, I don’t know what your experience is, but my experience certainly during the pandemic, it’s resurrected the tradition to listening to people’s stories around a campfire or on front porches. When I say campfires, you know when people put those little outdoor fireplaces. I was sitting in front of one just this weekend in somebody’s driveway.

And in that way, I’m very hopeful because people become more covetous of the things that they’re denied. And just as people survived the Depression later tended to be more acutely aware of the value of a dollar, I think survivors of the pandemic will be more aware of the value of close relationships, and as you say, connection. And listening is the best and really the only way to develop and sustain our connections in both good times and bad.

Q: It will be truly interesting to see how everybody comes out of this in so many different ways, but I think you couldn’t be more right about the coveting what we are not able to have right now. So I’m very curious to see how we kind of evolve as a society coming out of all of this.

A: Yeah. I mean, if there’s one good thing that will come out of this, I think that would be it. And an awareness.

Kate Murphy

Kate Murphy is a Houston, Texas–based journalist who has written for the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Agence France-Presse, and Texas Monthly. Her eclectic and widely shared pieces have explored an extraordinary range of topics including health, technology, science, design, art, aviation, business, finance, fashion, dining, travel, and real estate.

Kate is known for her fresh and accessible way of explaining complex subjects, particularly the science behind human interactions, helping readers understand why people behave the way they do. She also holds a commercial pilot’s license, which she puts to good use when called upon to report from remote locations.
https://www.journalistkatemurphy.com/
https://celadonbooks.com/
March/April 2021 Bulletin book review (page 7)
The post The How and Why of Listening Effectively appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Conferencing from afar: NSBA’s 2021 Online Experience connects leaders from across the country Feb 23, 2021

In this episode of Keystone Education Radio, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Erina Gilmore, marketing director at the National School Boards Association, about the upcoming NSBA 2021 Online Experience. Erina shares with listeners what attendees can expect at this year’s fully virtual conference including exciting keynotes, diverse topics and digital networking opportunities.

Skip to: 00:57 What are some of the ways that you’ve found, or maybe already implemented to make your events and this upcoming event, more engaging and interactive?

“Another engagement opportunity is the mindfulness area. During breaks, attendees can meditate and do yoga.”

Skip to: 02:01 Attendees will be able to choose from 64 concurrent sessions across nine tracks. How do the topics and tracks fit into this year’s theme for the event?

“This event is all about the attendee experience, and providing new ideas, inspirations and the tools needed for our attendees to drive their district forward.”

Skip to: 02:44 What else is new from NSBA in this conference or any of your other upcoming professional development opportunities?

“And this is more than just a saving’s opportunity. It’s an opportunity for team building and cross-functional learning.”

Skip to: 03:30 With respect to your event, how do the virtual networking and discussion sessions work? Do they allow for the kinds of exchanges that attendees would typically like to have if the event were in person?

Skip to: 04:16 Any sneak peeks you can give us into any of the keynotes, or the speakers, or the topics, anything attendees can look forward to?

“And we are really excited that Leslie Odom Jr. will be performing a couple songs for us.”

Skip to: 06:05 Can you describe to our members in Pennsylvania who may not have attended the NSBA event before, what they stand to gain from joining in a national conference event?

“. . . school district leadership teams, business officials and staff from around the country can receive the insight and training to address current trends and the instructional needs of students, and to explore solutions that improve the efficiency of district operations on a national level.”

Skip to: 06:59 What do you recommend for those interested in attending? Where should they start? Do they need to pre-select tracks and sessions? And if so, how do you suggest the best way is to go about doing that?

” . . . access the platform in advance, set up your profile and create a customized agenda.”

Q: While virtual events have obviously become far more commonplace and frequent in this past year than ever before, what are some of the ways that you’ve found, or maybe already implemented to make your events and this upcoming event, more engaging and interactive?

A: Online fatigue has already set in for many of us. We chose an event platform that allows attendees to participate in networking sessions, set up meetings with other attendees and chat with peers doing concurrent sessions. Another engagement opportunity is the mindfulness area. During breaks, attendees can meditate and do yoga. And although the conference content will be available on demand for 90 days after the event, we encourage registrants to attend the event live and treat it as an in-person event. Block your calendar, do not approach this as a webinar. And make sure you set time aside to participate and really connect with your colleagues.

Q: Those are all good tactics. You’re absolutely right. Treat it not like a webinar, but like you’re literally at a live event. Sounds like good advice. Attendees will be able to choose from 64 concurrent sessions across nine tracks. How do the topics and tracks fit into this year’s theme for the event?

A: This event is all about the attendee experience, and providing new ideas, inspirations and the tools needed for our attendees to drive their district forward. This year’s programming reflects topics education leaders have identified as vital to their work. From educational equity, to new board member training and school board and superintendent relations. To business operations and school safety. There’s relevant content for every district team member.

Q: That sounds really like some good foundational learning for this year and really going forward. What else is new from NSBA in this conference or any of your other upcoming professional development opportunities?

A: For the first time, we are offering district team pricing for the annual conference. Districts can save up to 50% off registration. For the traditional in-person cost of attendance, districts can register a full team of nine people. And this is more than just a saving’s opportunity. It’s an opportunity for team building and cross-functional learning. We really hope districts take advantage of bringing their entire board, their superintendent, business official and other members of their team.

Q: Connectivity in the virtual space has certainly been a topic that everyone’s been talking about. How does it differ from in-person? With respect to your event, how do the virtual networking and discussion sessions work? Do they allow for the kinds of exchanges that attendees would typically like to have if the event were in person?

A: Absolutely. Attendees can participate in Mindshare and Mingle. That is an opportunity to make new connections and share insights and experiences about what you have learned over the past year. These discussions will take place in regional networking rooms. And then we also have conversation starter, is another virtual networking opportunity. Attendees are encouraged to network in these small group meetups and share their perspectives on trending topics.

Q: It sounds like it’s coming as close to that in-person interaction as possible, which I’m sure attendees will really appreciate. Any sneak peeks you can give us into any of the keynotes, or the speakers, or the topics, anything attendees can look forward to?

A: We currently have Leslie Odom Jr, Tony and Grammy award winning artist and headline performer in the original cast of Broadway’s Hamilton. And we have Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage and founder of GoodThink, Incorporated as our keynotes this year. And we are really excited that Leslie Odom Jr. will be performing a couple songs for us. In addition, we also have several equity counsel signature speakers. They include Princeton University professor and author Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Sonia Nazario, actor and arts and education advocate Tony Plana, and adolescent health expert Steven Soroka. And this year, everyone can attend the equity council sessions at no charge.

These sessions are usually fee-based and limited to equity council members. For more information about these impactful and aspiring speakers, you can read the American School Board Journal, special conference preview, which is available online now. And just to note, ASBJ [American School Board Journal] is celebrating its 130th anniversary, making it the longest running education publication in the nation. So be sure to visit our website and check out the latest issue.

Q: That sounds like a lot of years of issues of that publication. So that sounds like you have a fantastic lineup, honestly. Really, really some great stuff packed into those days. PSBA and NSBA have obviously had a long-standing partnership. Can you describe to our members in Pennsylvania who may not have attended the NSBA event before, what they stand to gain from joining in a national conference event? What do they stand to gain and benefit that’s maybe different than a state level event?

A: Each year, NSBA hosts the largest networking conference for school board leaders worldwide. NSBA’s annual conference is one of the few, if not only places, school district leadership teams, business officials and staff from around the country can receive the insight and training to address current trends and the instructional needs of students, and to explore solutions that improve the efficiency of district operations on a national level.

Q: It’s that broader connectivity across states that they’re going to be able to experience. Sounds great. What do you recommend for those interested in attending? Where should they start? Do they need to pre-select tracks and sessions? And if so, how do you suggest the best way is to go about doing that?

A: The event platform will be available one week prior to conference. We recommend registering early so that you can access the platform in advance, set up your profile and create a customized agenda. In the meantime, you can visit nsba.org/nsba2021 to view the Schedule-at-a-Glance, sessions descriptions or to download the brochure. The early bird saving registration deadline ends February 26th, so register now to save.

Erina Gilmore, marketing director of NSBA

Erina Gilmore serves as the marketing director of NSBA, where she is responsible for building integrated campaigns for revenue-generating products, services and events. She develops strategies to maximize effectiveness and enhance visibility and engagement.

The post Conferencing from afar: NSBA’s 2021 Online Experience connects leaders from across the country appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Empowered Educators: Immersing Students in Subjects** Feb 09, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Meet Joe Welch, a middle school history teacher from the Pittsburgh area whose creative and adaptive methods are not only energizing his students but taking colleagues from running-on-empty to feeling inspired. *Keystone Education Radio* host Annette Stevenson speaks with Joe to learn how this educator is using experiential education to equalize, engage and cause students to ask, “Why?”
Skip to: 00:57 Can you first start by telling us a little bit about your career in teaching?

“If I had to quickly summarize, it’s been really just a career that I’ve looked forward to continue growing and will do so in the future.”

Skip to: 02:12 Can you tell us a little bit about the attention you’re getting for some of the creative ways to fill your classrooms empty seats while students are learning from home?

“Not only did it lead to that historical conversation, it was also another pathway, as I said earlier, to get students to smile in a time that had a lot of uncertainty.”

Skip to: 05:41 Do you see a difference in teaching the curriculum this way over years past or would this just fall into the category of that, each year looking for a new way to teach and that year over year evolution?

“And I tell students, it’s not what you know it’s what you can do with what you know. How can you communicate your thoughts to maybe somebody that doesn’t agree with you, to somebody that doesn’t understand you?”

Skip to: 07:29 What are some other ways that you’ve changed your approach to instruction throughout this year of remote teaching?

“I think many teachers, our gas levels are sometimes around E. But it became this way to refill ourselves.”

Skip to: 10:38 In what ways have you made connections with fellow teachers during this pandemic and particularly around some of these inventive approaches that you’ve been using?

“When we come out of this post-COVID world, we’re going to hit the ground running. And I don’t really mean that with teacher speak, I really do mean that we can come out of this with an opportunity to take these positives and move forward.”

Skip to: 13:36 Is there anything that you think you definitely want to hang on to and incorporate even going forward when things resume normalcy?

“…equity is now such a piece that has come to the forefront when I am delivering whatever type of lesson it is.”

Q: Can you first start by telling us a little bit about your career in teaching?

A: Absolutely. It’s hard to believe how fast time does fly. I always still consider myself a young teacher but I’m in my 14th year of teaching here in North Hills, so I’m now middle of the pack if I had to put that out there. But really, I’ve spent my entire career teaching social studies here at North Hills Middle School. Actually, we started off as a junior high so we’ve seen that evolution from the junior high experience to the middle school. I don’t want to call it a movement but the reawakening of the middle school experience.

And throughout my entire career, I’ve really been blessed to have supportive administration, supportive school boards, really supportive colleagues that have put me in positions to continue to grow and continue to learn and not just learn from my colleagues but also to be able to give back and participate in trainings and developments, not just in-house in district but also seeking out colleagues from all around Pennsylvania and really all throughout the United States and the world. So if I had to quickly summarize, it’s been really just a career that I’ve looked forward to continue growing and will do so in the future.

Q: That’s great. Obviously you said you’ve been teaching for 14 years but this school year has been anything but traditional, but it seems that you view it as a motivating factor to change things up. Can you tell us a little bit about the attention you’re getting for some of the creative ways to fill your classrooms empty seats while students are learning from home?

A: Oh, certainly, this year is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. And I think in many ways it’s a cliché but in many ways obviously it’s true, and it’s been stated time and time again. And I know myself and my colleagues every year, we’re looking to change things up. How can we improve? And this year’s really no different, it’s just coming in with that mindset of how can we spur more student conversations? How can we do things a little bit better than last year? How can we be more equitable than last year? And so, walking into this school year, looking around it really from a physical standpoint — obviously with physical distancing and social distancing and having to have kids spread out — I knew that I was not going to have my full classes in and that’s why I had the idea really thinking about, “Well, how can I make students want to smile? How can we make them physically feel like this is a… I don’t want to say a normal classroom, but a normal classroom experiences as much as possible.”

But also, I open my class every school year with a simple question, as a history teacher, I ask them, “What does American history look like to you?” And I ask students at the start of the year, “Can you draw this? Draw what you think American history is.” And that always leads to some great conversations about what is and what isn’t American history or how we think of it. And I thought that by putting some craftsmanship together here and putting some cardboard cutouts and some images of American icons.

For that matter people that they don’t know who it is that’s sitting next to them in my seats, it would accomplish multiple things more so than just the physical standpoint of, “Hey, there’s somebody in my seat, so I can’t sit here. Who’s Frederick D? Why is he sitting next to me? I know Abraham Lincoln, he must be this popular guy but do they have some relationship?” And it really has spurred that conversation in my classroom throughout the entire year. I did this back in August, “Okay, why are these people significant? Don’t just accept that American history is only George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, what about all of these other people? And then who else can we add to this conversation?” So it’s really been a gift, that they call it a gift that keeps on giving, it really has been a contributing factor throughout the year.

Q: So you’ve physically got these historical characters sitting there and what a great, prompter of discussion.

A: Admittedly, when the students first came in the first week of school, I think they were a little bit puzzled, “What is going on here?” Because they may have seen it at sporting events. But I did have a little fun as well. I had some different administrators and different staff members from around the district. So not only did it lead to that historical conversation, it was also another pathway, as I said earlier, to get students to smile in a time that had a lot of uncertainty.

Q: Yeah, absolutely. That’s for sure needed. So you’ve talked a bit about the students’ reaction when they first came into classroom and the types of conversation that it sparked. And so, do you see a difference in teaching the curriculum this way over years past or would this just fall into the category of that, each year looking for a new way to teach and that year-over-year evolution?

A: I certainly think that it’s as you said, a year-after-year evolution or revolution however we would want to call it. But I think bringing these cardboard cutouts, it was a small gesture that I could make or a small piece but it can miss the overall philosophy that the students they want to engage with history, they want to engage with any curriculum, whether it’s a math class or a science class, they want to feel part of it and immersed in it and really want to have that ability to ask questions of, “Why are we learning this? Why am I sitting next to Frederick Douglas or why is it significant?” But the cardboard cutouts as I said, it was a small piece to that. But just going with this entire philosophy of, how can I. And I tell students, it’s not what you know it’s what you can do with what you know. How can you communicate your thoughts to maybe somebody that doesn’t agree with you, to somebody that doesn’t understand you?

And so, all of this just builds up to that entire philosophy of how can you communicate and do it effectively. And that’s what we’ve had to do throughout this entire year as far as thinking outside the box or thinking creatively to still allow students to use their voice and to ask questions and to participate in the entire school year obviously. And to do so as another added opportunity, how can we do that equitably? And so if we call it an evolution yes, but COVID certainly has caused us to expedite that evolution in many ways.

Q: Yeah, absolutely. I think in so many respects. What are some other ways that you’ve changed your approach to instruction throughout this year of remote teaching?

A: Just like so many schools in Pennsylvania, we’ve had a little remote, we’ve had a little hybrid, we’ve had a little in-person and we don’t know what’s coming next. And ultimately, I’m a firm believer in many of my own learnings, in the power of place. That I want to get students on-site so that they can learn by being places now. With our own model that we’ve had here at North Hills school district, pretty much every Wednesday we’ve had a virtual day and rather than look at that as, this is something that’s prohibitive, “Now, what am I going to do on this Wednesday? Am I just going to… Obviously I don’t want to have students do a worksheet or something along those lines. How can I still be engaging here and let them get to something that maybe they wouldn’t normally have experienced?”

So every Wednesday, really throughout the fall, myself and two other colleagues that I teach with in eighth grade are both of my American history colleagues. We started to think, “Can we go around? Pittsburgh is a pretty historic city.” And one of the things that we learn about unfortunately, many of our students, they haven’t been to some of these places that are local to them. Maybe they’re five miles down the road or maybe they’ve been there and they haven’t experienced it yet. So that’s where we started to have this idea of can we start taking these virtual, I don’t want to call them field trips, but road shows. Allowing students and we started off, when we learned about the French and Indian war, we started by going to Fort Duquesne which is really at the crux of the three rivers in Pittsburgh.

And then we started to branch out of, “Okay, what’s next?” Then students started saying, “Where are you going next Wednesday?” And it became really this…I think many teachers, our gas levels are sometimes around E. But it became this way to refill ourselves of, “Okay. Yeah, they like this. This is great. This is allowing them to experience something.” So that’s when we started to go out to Ligonier, to Fort Necessity.

And then we thought, “Okay, what’s next? Let’s go to Washington, DC.” And we started going to different places around not only Western Pennsylvania but the entire east coast. And we had some additional plans here before some travel restrictions went into place. I know we were looking forward to spending a weekend or at least going up on a Tuesday night to Philadelphia to be able to go to Independence Hall. So we have some things… Hopefully, if the numbers start to go our way, we can continue bringing those experiences to students. That’s just one way that we’ve looked to engage our students and really bring some light out of a negative situation.

Q: Yeah. I don’t know, that might become so popular. You might be called upon to do that even when the students returned to in-person. It’s a way to almost accomplish, as you say, maybe you don’t call it a field trip but on-site teaching, something of that nature. That could be something that sticks. That sounds really fun for both you and the students. So how about connecting with fellow teachers? In what ways have you made connections with fellow teachers during this pandemic and particularly around some of these inventive approaches that you’ve been using?

A: That’s a great question. Looking back to, even just last spring, I think many teachers felt a term that I’ve seen time and time again was Groundhog Day. Okay. We keep doing the same things over and over and it feels almost like you’re walking in quicksand. How can we collaborate to move forward? And what really has happened is because of that collaboration — and I mentioned earlier, that our gas tanks sometimes get a little in your E but how can you refill it? And I mentioned, students are inspiring, but also just looking around the solutions that other teachers have offered and getting that encouragement. And often for me, it’s through my own professional learning networks, through organizations that I’m involved in. And I know so many teachers are on Twitter and other social media platforms inspiring each other and saying, “Here’s what’s working for you.” Even just asking the question, “What can I do with this lesson? How can I improve this lesson? and being willing.

And I think this is across the board for so many teachers, not just in Pennsylvania but obviously throughout the world. But having that humility to say, “Okay, I might not have the best idea here but how can I improve it?” And it’s been really inspiring. And one organization that has really impacted me and network of teachers that I’m involved with, it’s called the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. We saw a need not only to respond and support each other, but we were able to put up a pop-up history school together in the spring for students that may have had seen their history classes, maybe only meeting two days a week. And then from there it grew into, how can we support other teachers? And we had teacher seminars over the summer where we had historians and LEAD scholars from different organizations at different schools throughout prestigious universities that we were able to collaborate with.

And I’m looking forward to in the spring, getting back we have another pop-up history school coming back. And this kind of fuel outside of the regular school day, and I keep referring to that term because that’s what it is. I think we’re all looking for that continued inspiration and looking for those networks of other teachers of what’s working, what’s not working, how can we improve? That’s just one example of it. And I think we’re all, for lack of better terms, surviving in many ways but also, we can do that and still continue to learn and continue to push our borders here of what we’re comfortable with. So that way, when we come out of this post-COVID world, we’re going to hit the ground running. And I don’t really mean that with teacher speak, I really do mean that we can come out of this with an opportunity to take these positives and move forward.

Q: Yeah. And if you had to think about some of what you’ve learned over this past year, some of these new methods you’ve explored and the new ways that you’ve engaged both teachers and students, is there anything that you think you definitely want to hang on to and incorporate even going forward when things resume normalcy?

A: Oh, definitely. And I think the overarching word is equity. I think that this entire experience is not only from a district level, state level but just individual decisions that are made every single day of how I’m approaching a lesson, equity is now such a piece that has come to the forefront when I am delivering whatever type of lesson it is. Is it accessible to every student? Again, using the term “equitable,” am I doing the right things to be flexible to the needs of every student? This experience has given all of us an opportunity to pause as busy as it’s been.

And I know everybody has busy schedules but looking into our own lessons and looking into our own systems and thinking, “How are we going to do this moving forward?” Because we can’t just go back to how things were because it’s the same inequitable system. So, are we catering the needs to every student to get them what they need? And I think that’s what’s going to stick with me. Because I now analyze and sometimes overanalyze almost to a point of paralysis. Is every decision I’m making good for everybody?

Joe Welch

Joe Welch, an American History teacher from suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, currently serves as the 2020-21 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year and was previously honored as 2019 National Middle Level Educator of the Year and Pennsylvania Social Studies Teacher of the Year. He is also recognized as a Gilder Lehrman Institute Master Teacher and was recognized as Gilder Lehrman’s National History Teacher of the Year in 2018. An Apple Distinguished Educator and National Board Certified Teacher, Joe is a strong believer in bringing diverse stories, personal emotions and community connections into his lessons as well as fostering excitement for quality and engaging educational opportunities.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
The post Empowered Educators: Immersing Students in Subjects appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**One District’s Solution: Online Tutoring Offers 24/7 Support** Jan 26, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

In this episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Richland School District’s Director of Educational Services, Brandon Bailey. Discussion centers around student academic success and Richland School District’s utilization of 24/7 tutoring support to ensure students have help when they need it. Listen-in to hear more about which subjects students are tapping into most and the benefits of round-the-clock supplement to classroom time, whether virtual or in-person. This program is also highlighted on SuccessStartsHere.org. Find it here.
Skip to: 01:08 Could you start by telling us a little bit about the district’s instructional models throughout this academic year?

“Like everybody else, it’s been a real roller coaster of a school year, and roller coaster since last March 13th, when we were all sent home. We’ve had various instructional models.”

Skip to: 02:38 When did you become aware of the need to implement tutoring or a supplemental learning system for your students?

“We knew that we were going to have to come up with resources and do things differently than we’ve ever done them before.”

Skip to: 03:37 What role has equity played in seeking out these types of services?

“That certainly is something that, again, going back to last March, making sure that everyone had internet access, making sure that everybody had access to Chromebooks and tools, make sure that they’re learning online while they’re home, and then making sure that they have the best possible home environment to keep up with everybody else.”

Skip to: 04:51 Can you tell us about the organization called PAPER?

Skip to: 05:37 Have you seen a difference in student performance?

“And, with the pandemic, when our students are learning remotely or in a hybrid model, they need those supports and resources, and they might be learning at different times. And I think that’s one thing that PAPER has brought to the table is that they allow the student to get that extra help whenever it’s best for them.”

Skip to: 06:38 Are there certain subjects that are most sought after by your students?

“ELA and math are certainly two of the top things, but I’ve seen foreign language, I’ve seen physics, I’ve seen general science, really a lot of different areas that they’re able to help our students with.”

Skip to: 07:46 What are some examples of how teachers have used that information to either inform or modify their remote learning or any aspect of how they’re teaching?

“It’s allowed our teachers to differentiate their instruction and their expectations for different students.”

Skip to: 08:40 Do you think this acts as the extra intuition that they might not have the access to while learning remotely?

“I kind of equate it to almost having an extra teacher or a classroom aid in their classroom, because now these students are able to go out and get that extra help. And then, the teacher not only sees the benefit of the student understanding the concept, but they see what it is that their students are struggling with, and they’re getting that feedback from PAPER.”

Skip to: 09:16 Would you foresee the benefits of it continuing in the future?

“It’s not often that programs kind of go across all of your student population, and that’s what I really like about PAPER is that every one of our students can receive that benefit.”

Skip to: 10:33 How did you successfully get the program off the ground and introduce it?

“And that’s where I think a growth area for us, is to continue to push that information out and allow all the students to know how effective this can be, especially for our students that are learning remotely that don’t have the resources to be in the classroom right now.”

Q: Could you start by telling us a little bit about the district’s instructional models throughout this academic year? What have those looked like?

A: Sure. Like everybody else, it’s been a real roller coaster of a school year, and roller coaster since last March 13th, when we were all sent home. But we’ve had various instructional models. To start off the school year, we actually, here in Richland school district, our first 53 days were all on-site, full time, so that was nice. And we were able to get off to a good start to our year. Our area wasn’t as impacted early on, that August, September, October timeframe, as some of the other parts of the state. So, those first 53 days we were all on-site. About 90% of our students were coming to school. About 10% of our students elected to learn remotely, which certainly it was a challenge for them and a challenge for our staff, but we wanted to support them in what mode they wanted to learn.

Since then, we’ve been in a combination of all fully-remote and hybrid. Currently, we’re wrapping up a hybrid, where all of our students, K through 12, are attending two days per week then learning from home the other three days per week. We’re actually, on February 1st, scheduled to go back fully on-site once again, and we’re looking forward to having everybody here in school.

Q: So, when did you become aware… I mean, certainly, tutoring is not a new program, but when did you become aware of the need to implement some sort of tutoring or supplemental learning system for your students in this present scenario?

A: I think it was as early as last March. Our administrative team recognized that this had the potential to be something that was going to really create a divide within the students here in our school and throughout the state and throughout the country. So, we knew that we were going to have to come up with resources and do things differently than we’ve ever done them before. And one of those resources was to create some type of a tutoring program, whether it’s on-site, whether it’s online, and this is just one of the various things that we’re doing to support those kids and also their families, which you’re all going through very difficult times.

Q: And is there a role that equity has played in the district, seeking out these types of services?

A: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we’re fortunate, first off, most of our students here come from a background where they’re supported at home, but certainly, like all schools, we have a segment of our population that needs a little bit of extra help and assistance to make sure that there is equity there and that they do have the same opportunities as everybody else. So that certainly is something that, again, going back to last March, making sure that everyone had internet access, making sure that everybody had access to Chromebooks and tools, make sure that they’re learning online while they’re home, and then making sure that they have the best possible home environment to keep up with everybody else.

We’ve actually, within our school district, we’re a K through six and a seven through 12, we have two buildings, and in each of our buildings, we have taken one of our classroom teachers and pushed them into a remote learning specialist role, where those teachers now are making sure that those students have the resources they need and are keeping up with everybody else.

Q: And can you tell us about the organization called PAPER? What has been your experience working with this organization?

A: Yeah, I mean, PAPER was something that just took a cold call from a sales rep in September, and it sounded like it was something that would be beneficial to kids, and set up some demonstrations, did our research. It’s a product that is used in Texas and California, but not so much here in our state, in Pennsylvania. So, we had the opportunity to kind of collaborate with them, and they’ve been a great partner thus far, and we really feel that our students and families, and also teachers, are benefiting from the program.

Q: So, you’ve seen the impact, or you’ve seen the difference in student performance, do you feel?

A: Yeah. I think that all of our students and all of our families know that there’s a 24/7 access. Our teachers aren’t available. Our teachers are phenomenal here in Richland school district, but they’re not available 24/7.

And, with the pandemic, when our students are learning remotely or in a hybrid model, they need those supports and resources, and they might be learning at different times. And I think that’s one thing that PAPER has brought to the table is that they allow the student to get that extra help whenever it’s best for them. A lot of our students that learn remotely, we’ll see them go on at 11, 12 at night, sometimes, 1:00 AM 2:00 AM in the morning, getting help. And certainly our teachers here at Richland aren’t probably awake at those times.

Q: No, nor should they be. They need to rest up for the next day, I imagine. So, the timing that makes sense, 24/7, are there certain subjects that are most sought after by the students, that you’re noticing?

A: Yeah. So, this is relatively new to us at Richland, and like I said, we’re the first school in Pennsylvania to have to partner with PAPER, but for us thus far, we’ve found out that a lot of our students have been getting help in math, whether it’s an elementary math level or AP calculus. We also have really been stressing to our ELA teachers to incorporate PAPER. The neat thing about it is that any type of a writing assignment, you can kind of get another set of eyes on your documents first, or teachers are able to have the kids work on that first draft and then get a set of eyes on it before it even gets turned in and catch some of those errors that might take some more time. So, ELA, math are certainly two of the top things, but I’ve seen foreign language, I’ve seen physics, I’ve seen general science, really a lot of different areas that they’re able to help our students with.

Q: And so, since the teachers can see what their students are seeking help with, are there some examples of how teachers have used that information to either inform or modify the remote learning or any aspect of how they’re teaching?

A: Yeah, I think it’s really allowed them to differentiate the instruction. As classroom teachers in a typical environment, in a classroom environment, I think it’s challenging, but it’s possible to differentiate in the classroom. When you’re remote, it’s a little bit more difficult to have that differentiation. And I think that PAPER and getting back those reports, and seeing that a student might be struggling in a certain topic or concept, it’s allowed our teachers to differentiate their instruction and their expectations for different students.

Q: So, it’s maybe that extra intuition that they might not have the access to by not being in the same classroom with, that extra, little kind of feedback almost?

A: Yeah, it’s… I kind of equate it to almost having an extra teacher or a classroom aid in their classroom, because now these students are able to go out and get that extra help. And then, the teacher not only sees the benefit of the student understanding the concept, but they see what it is that their students are struggling with, and they’re getting that feedback from PAPER.

Q: Would you foresee the benefits of it going forward, when kind of things normalize, hopefully in the future? Would you see the benefit of it still remaining?

A: Yeah, we can definitely see that benefit. Like everything else, you have to make those decisions with what makes sense for your own, individual district. But we’re continuing to grow. This is something that we’ve only been doing now for a couple months. And the great thing about it is, our student that’s going to be the valedictorian, potentially, at the end of the school year is getting great benefit. They’ve gone in and have lots of different interactions with the PAPER tutors, and our just average student that’s going to be the 50th percentile is getting benefit, and our students with IEP, that sometimes struggle in the classroom, they’re also receiving tremendous benefit. So, it’s not often that programs kind of go across all of your student population, and that’s what I really like about PAPER is that every one of our students can receive that benefit.

Q: That’s a really widespread benefit. I can see that would be awesome for any district really, with diverse student population, which is all of them. So, as far as the implementation of the program, you said you’re a couple months in, how did you successfully kind of get it off the ground and introduce it?

A: Yeah, I mean for us, the great part is, the people at PAPER have been phenomenal to work with. They’ve been alongside us every step of the way, their tech team making sure that our students all have their login information, because basically, anytime they just hop on our website, log in, and they have a tutor there within seconds. So, the implementation was seamless in terms of getting everybody set up, get logged in. The marketing of the program, pushing out emails to families, to students. We have a big social media presence here to make sure that we’re sharing that information, because every student, they’re not all using it at this point, but certainly it’s available for all of them. And that’s where I think a growth area for us, is to continue to push that information out and allow all the students to know how effective this can be, especially for our students that are learning remotely that don’t have the resources to be in the classroom right now.

Q: Yeah. Absolutely. Well, thanks for highlighting this program for us. It sounds like it’s working well for your district. I appreciate the insights you’ve shared about it. Any additional thoughts for if other districts are interested? You said that the PAPER support staff has been good to work with, and so that’s where they should connect?

A: Yeah. Yeah. Just reach out to the staff at PAPER, and if anybody has questions, I’d certainly be willing to share our experiences here at Richland. And we’re happy with it, and we’re looking forward to continuing to grow, grow the resource within our district.

Brandon Bailey

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in health policy management from the University of Connecticut in 1996, Brandon Bailey received his teaching certification from Robert Morris University in business and information technology. Mr. Bailey embarked on his teaching career at Richland School District in 1999, teaching courses in business, computer technologies and driver education. He earned his master’s degree in education in 2004 from Saint Francis University, in Loretto, PA, prior to attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2005 where he received his K-12 administrative certification. Mr. Bailey received his Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility from Gannon University in 2007. After teaching for several years in the Richland School District, he fulfilled roles as the athletic director and assistant principal prior to serving as high school principal at Richland from 2007 through 2018. He has served as the director of educational services for the Richland School District since 2018.

During his tenure at Richland School District, the school has been a consistent leader in the four county region consisting of Bedford, Blair, Cambria and Somerset counties. The school has regularly ranked high in student achievement on the PSSA/Keystone Exams and has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education with the Keystone Achievement Award. The Richland School District has ranked #1 regionally in publications such as US News and World Report, The Pittsburgh Business Times, Niche.com and other publications.

Mr. Bailey has a strong background in curriculum development, technology integration and professional development. As a principal, he was a featured presenter at the PA Principals Conference in Pittsburgh. He has led multiple professional development initiatives, including ambitiously preparing every K-12 teacher at Richland to be a Level One Google Certified Educator. Mr. Bailey has been instrumental in developing Richland’s National Speaker Series, welcoming nationally recognized speakers such as Salome Thomas-El, Todd Whitaker and Eric Sheninger to Richland.

Aside from his leadership positions at Richland School District, Brandon serves as an adjunct instructor in the Graduate Education Department at Saint Francis University. Brandon resides in Richland with his wife and children, who are all graduates of Richland High School.
Paper Educational Support System
Richland’s Paper Log in Portal
The post One District’s Solution: Online Tutoring Offers 24/7 Support appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Engagement, Community & Training for Educators: Data-Driven Approaches to Success** Jan 12, 2021

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, much emphasis has been placed on students’ learning loss and their missed connections and opportunities. But what about missed connections for teachers? In this episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Teaching Lab CEO Sarah Johnson on the important work her organization is doing to support and train teachers as they work to engage students now and going forward. She addresses the scaffolding-up approach, their four distance learning principles, student resiliency and other educator guidance, applicable during remote teaching and in-person.
Skip to: 05:35 Your organization places enormous value on shifting the way teachers are trained, which in turn affects the way students are learning. So given this past year, or almost year, of remote learning that many, many students across the nation are experiencing, what has that meant for the teachers that you partner with and for their students in turn?

“I think this year, if you have an opportunity, thank a teacher… And I think this year remote learning has exposed how complicated and difficult teaching is… and like any professional endeavor, it’s a joy to engage in, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t take time, work and expertise to be excellent at that professional endeavor. And many of the teachers that we worked with this year said that this felt like again, their first year of teaching, which is often the most difficult year of teaching for teachers, because they had to learn to engage students in a completely different modality.”

Skip to: 09:26 There has been ample concern and discussion about students falling behind and a significant loss of learning. So how can teachers and administrators address these concerns?

“We’re not filling gaps, we’re accelerating the learning… then also do the work of ensuring that [teachers] understand that scaffolding up or accelerating student learning is about putting supports in place for students that are temporary and will be taken away once they’ve mastered the content. Versus scaffolding down, which we see many educators do sometimes unconsciously, which includes removing the rigor of a lesson as we think it might be too difficult for a student, and then never bringing that rigor back for the student. That’s when learning loss happens and that’s when it contributes to these really gross inequities that we have across our nation.”

Skip to: 15:47 Is there anything else districts…teachers and administrators should know about how to ensure that learning success once we are returning to an in-person scenario?

“I think if we take care of the educators, they’ll be more open to supporting students in a holistic way.”

Skip to: 24:58 How are you advising teachers to maintain those strong connections in a time of prolonged separateness, social distancing?

“If you build a community where teachers really feel like they’re learning from each other, then they want to come and be a part of that community because it’s going to be very beneficial to them when they go and plan their lessons or teach their students.”

Q: So let’s start, if you would, by telling us a little about your background, and how you came to the Teaching Lab and about the objectives of your organization?

A: Yeah, absolutely. So I was a passionate high school science teacher. I taught in DC and Oakland, California. And I had a mentor that encouraged me to apply to graduate school and that really changed the trajectory of my life. But some of the reasons why I wanted to apply to graduate school were because I didn’t think we were doing right by students systemically, and I worked at schools where we mostly served black and Latin X students who were experiencing low income. And we would get these students to college, but not through college. And I felt like as a teacher I was often spinning my wheels and not helping to create some of those systemic solutions. I had experiences that a lot of teachers have. I worked all the time, sometimes early in the morning until late at night. I didn’t have a curriculum, so I spent a lot of time creating my own materials.

Like most teachers, I spent my money on my own science supplies. I had very little prep time, and therefore I didn’t have a lot of time to collaborate with colleagues. I didn’t have a lot of instructional mentorship. And I saw some of my students suffering because of some of that lack of gross opportunities that I had. And I think some of these systemic failures were leading to reinforcing systemic racism. And so for instance, I remember a student calling me on the phone from college crying and frustrated, and she told me that she was struggling to write essays at the college level. And she asked me, “why didn’t anyone teach me how to write?” And I hold that in my mind and in my heart all the time. And because of some of these early informative experiences, I’ve devoted my life to the pursuit of educational equity, particularly racial equity, and also to professionalizing teaching as an essential lever to get there.

And so on that journey, I’ve been a system level leader in New York City. I’ve been a funder. And while I was a funder, I came across a startup called Teaching Lab. Teaching Lab’s mission is to shift the paradigm of teacher professional learning for educational equity. And the early founders of the organization had put together an evidence-based approach for improving teaching and learning, which was very similar to what I had put together as a funding strategy. And so I invested early in the organization, I joined the board. And when we had a leadership transition, I became the leader of the organization. And it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life, because while I’ve been there, we’ve grown from five people on the team to 35 people. We’re now in over 30 districts in the nation. We also have six state partnerships. And the reason why we’re in such high demand is because we have this holistic model of support for teachers that we coin “head, heart and habits.”

And the head part of our model refers to how we’re trying to get evidence-based practices into use by teachers. And so we always align our work with high-quality curriculum, because we think that’s a vehicle for getting evidence into practice. The heart part of our model is a differentiator for us and exceptionally important. It refers to the importance of building strong teacher relationships, as well as strong teacher leadership over their own professional learning. And then the habits part of our work refers to how we never do one and done PD, which is generally ineffective and also teachers hate it. I hated it myself. And so our professional learning is always embedded in follow up, or what we call cycles of inquiry, where teachers learn something new directly connected to what they’re doing in the classroom, try it out in their classroom, and then very importantly, come back together with their peers and talk about it, and figure out if the change they’ve made has actually led to an improvement in student learning.

Because what we know from getting evidence into practice is that it’s not a recipe. You can’t just pick up an evidence-based practice and make it work. You have to connect that evidence-based practice to the context that a teacher is in, and that context is so important and that is at the heart of teacher professionalization. That teacher judgment, those micro decisions that they make, sometimes thousands a day, are where we want teachers to ground their professional conversations, and then support each other in their continuous learning.

Q: Okay. Now that kind of leads into my next question a bit, you’ve touched upon this a little. Your organization places enormous value on shifting the way teachers are trained, which in turn affects the way students are learning. So given this past year, or almost year, of remote learning that many, many students across the nation are experiencing, what has that meant for the teachers that you partner with and for their students in turn?

A: Yeah, I mean, I think this year, if you have an opportunity, thank a teacher. They’ve done God’s work this year. And I think this year remote learning has exposed how complicated and difficult teaching is. And we like to say that teaching is rocket science, and like any professional endeavor, it’s a joy to engage in, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t take time, work and expertise to be excellent at that professional endeavor. And many of the teachers that we worked with this year said that this felt like again, their first year of teaching, which is often the most difficult year of teaching for teachers, because they had to learn to engage students in a completely different modality. Teaching 30 kids through a screen and a little camera is different than teaching in-person. And so, we shifted at Teaching Lab to support teachers in that endeavor.

And so for the first time in our organization’s history, we also shifted the way that we supported teachers, so all of our work was in-person before as well, mostly because of the importance of that heart component of our model and we thought that we had formed stronger relationships in-person. But this gave us an opportunity to learn authentically with educators that were making that shift with their students so we could say, you’re learning how to do this with students, and we’re learning how to do this with you. So let’s learn together. And although it requires time and skill to learn how to teach in this new modality, a lot of what we did was to reassure teachers that the things that they did pre pandemic that worked were the things that they had to do during the pandemic and during remote learning, but in this different modality.

So for instance, it’s very important for teachers at the beginning of the year to establish strong instructional routines. And so when you’re in-person teachers will teach students how to enter the classroom, how to start a do now, how to engage in group work, and we advise teachers to spend just as much time doing that in a virtual environment as they would do in-person. And so teach students how to enter the Zoom call. Are they supposed to be on video? Are they so supposed to be un-muted, muted? What kind of materials should they have in front of them? How do you engage parent’s support, especially younger students to be prepared for school? And then additionally, we advise teachers to continue using the same curriculum they were using before. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, figure out how to adapt that to this context.

I think one of the most challenging things there was certain districts had restrictions on the amount of time that teachers could spend with students, especially in synchronous time. And so we supported teachers and identifying the highest priority instructional content. And we used materials from student achievement partners where they’ve created these guides for teachers during this time, so that they could focus on the things that students needed to learn the most or the things that were the most important so that they would prevent learning loss going into the next school year.

Q: Yeah. And that’s a big topic that I want to ask you about too. With hybrid models, as well as fully remote learning models, continuing for longer than we probably any of us imagined last spring, there has been ample concern and discussion about students falling behind and a significant loss of learning. So how can teachers and administrators address these concerns? And it sounds like you have helped districts map out a plan for how to use existing curriculum, et cetera, but how do you think that potential learning loss could be addressed?

A: Yeah, yeah. So we’re all about the whole child, the whole student and the whole system. And like I said at the beginning, we’re about shifting the paradigm of teacher professional learning for educational equity. And so instruction is one lever, and there are others system-wide levers that we need to push on in order to continue to disrupt educational equities across our educational systems. And so I feel like there’s a tendency to get caught up in the dire predictions of learning loss. And sometimes I think it’s too deficit based, and also presents learning loss as this new problem, as opposed to one that has existed for decades. So for instance, when I was a teacher, the majority of my ninth graders entered ninth grade reading on a fifth-grade level. And so, pre pandemic we were supporting educators with stemming learning loss or addressing what we would call unfinished learning. And the way that we do that is by accelerating learning for students.

And so we’re not filling gaps, we’re accelerating the learning. And another term that we use is scaffolding up as opposed to scaffolding down. And so what that means is you start as an educator with the grade level content that you expect students to learn and the profound belief that students can learn that content in this modality. And so we actually do a lot of teacher identity and bias work, and we did not stop that through the pandemic, because we didn’t want teacher biases to get in the way of that profound belief that students can learn in this modality. And so for instance, we all come into the classroom with biases about how students should show up, and that’s true in remote learning context too. So if a student says that they can’t be on video that day, maybe we need to believe the student and figure out how to ensure that they keep learning on grade level. We shouldn’t make assumptions about what’s happening in the background of a student’s home, et cetera.

And so we do that work with educators, and then also do the work of ensuring that they understand that scaffolding up or accelerating student learning is about putting supports in place for students that are temporary and will be taken away once they’ve mastered the content. Versus scaffolding down, which we see many educators do sometimes unconsciously, which includes removing the rigor of a lesson as we think it might be too difficult for a student, and then never bringing that rigor back for the student. That’s when learning loss happens and that’s when it contributes to these really gross inequities that we have across our nation. For instance, and this is a pre pandemic statistic, that only 40% of our nation’s fourth graders read on grade level by fourth grade. And so everything that I’m saying now, we had to figure out how to do within this new modality, but we have to stay the course and continue on that trajectory related to accelerating student learning, even when students return to the classroom.

Q: So it sounds like some of that foundation, or much of that foundation really, was already in place and being utilized for other types of learning loss and other reasons for learning loss. And so, although some transition has taken place, the foundation was there already. Is that accurate to say?

A: Or it wasn’t there. Or it was there, and we use this as an opportunity to establish that foundation. But in our partner site that we continue to partnership with from last year to this year.

And then we had to help educators translate what they were doing into this new modality.

But I mean, this isn’t to say that it’s not different. And so we created at Teaching Lab what we call our Four Distance Learning Principles. And first principle supports educators in prioritizing. So again, if you have limited time with students, you need to prioritize the highest leverage instructional content. Then we had teachers focus on establishing strong instructional routines. And then third, building strong student relationships. And I can give examples of how you can do this over Zoom. And then finally, centering equity in all decision-making, and that includes preventing your own biases from assuming what students will be able to learn in this modality.

And I think the final thing I’ll say is, we did also support educators in leveraging technology aligned with the curriculum. And so not just supporting teachers in how to use Zoom effectively and whatnot, but also helping them learn how to use technology so that you could have students engaged in independent work aligned with what the whole class was doing, but then use that sort of extra time to engage students one-on-one or in small groups so you could really address any gaps that they had in learning and do some more targeted scaffolding work with students. And then I think though to speak to the larger systemic factors that we need to address, I think students will need more time when they come back to school to learn.

And so national initiatives that are being talked about right now, like a mass tutoring program for students, I mean, I give two thumbs up to that. I think tutoring can be an amazing support for classroom educators. And then the one concern I have is doing that with quality. And so I think there’s also an interesting question about, how do you actually leverage the expertise of teachers to engage in more one-on-one time with students, which is really what tutoring is?

Q: And so returning to in-person instruction, you’ve talked about it may take some time and tutoring might be a component. Is there anything else districts should know, teachers and administrators should know about how to ensure that learning success once we are evolving and returning to an in-person scenario, anything else you’d offer in that?

A: Yeah, absolutely. So, I mean, again, like I said, learning gaps are not new, but they might be more pronounced at this time. And other things are not new related to addressing needs of the whole child. And so in order for students to succeed academically, we also need to ensure that they’re fed, that they have access to mental health resources, that they have access to social supports. Students may have been homeless during this time. They may have engaged in trauma. They may have lost loved ones. And so, how do we also ensure that they get that support for any trauma that they’ve experienced? And how do we ensure that we take this holistic view of how to support children and address both their social, emotional and their academic needs?

And these two things are interrelated. It’s not like, oh, okay, we’re going to do social, emotional learning now and now learn how to compute on grade level. You can intertwine these things because of a student. If a student’s social, emotional health isn’t addressed, they’re not going to be able to access that academic content. And so how do we think really carefully and strategically about how to use all of the resources, all of the adults at our disposal to meet all of the needs that students are going to bring to us when they return, hopefully in the fall?

Q: Yeah. Kind of going back to what you had mentioned before about looking holistically at the child, and the student and their whole scenario.

A: Exactly. And that’s why you also have to think about the whole teacher, and that’s really our mission. And so then the other thing we have to think about is teacher burnout. I’ve heard that teachers are feeling demoralized, which is kind of different actually than feeling burned out. They feel like sometimes they can’t be successful, and that is related to the system supports that they’re providing to teachers. And so, I think teachers need one curriculum. They need strong instructional resources. They need time to learn. They need those structures for learning the habits that we talk about. And they need opportunities for leadership. We know that teachers learn from each other. And so how do we formalize some of those systems and maybe use this crisis as an opportunity to get some of those systems in place for educators? And I think if we take care of the educators, they’ll be more open to supporting students in a holistic way.

Q: Okay. That makes sense. How are you advising the districts that you work with, the educators, how are you advising them to keep students engaged and interested throughout the days and weeks of this continuous online scenario, or even hybrid? Any ways that you’re advising the educators to kind of keep that engagement high?

A: Yes. So I would say that is the number one most frequent question we receive right now. And so, I have a five-year-old son who has been in fully remote kindergarten this entire year. And at the beginning of the year it was really rough for him. And I remember, he said, “Help, I’m stuck in a boring box of Zoom.”

I’ll add that I saw his teacher and his school just continuously learn and improve how to engage him and how to engage all of the other kindergartners in his public school in New York City. And so for instance, they did things like, like at first they were demanding a lot of assignments from the students, and they cut down some of those assignments and focused on the highest priority instructional work and assignments. They also did what I was talking about before, which is they increased the amount of small group time with students, and they also leveraged technology during those off times when the teacher wasn’t with the student. And they did this even for my son in kindergarten, so you can do this with kids in the younger grades. And yesterday my son returned to remote learning after a two-week break, and I asked him a question while he was in class and he said to me, “Hey, don’t interrupt my meeting.”

I say this anecdote, because I think that people are resilient and students are resilient, and I think that teachers and educators are resilient too, and so we have learned to adapt. Do I think that it’s the best modality for students? Absolutely not. Do I worry about my son’s social, emotional learning? Absolutely, and I’m going to be thrilled when he can go back to school. But there are many things that educators can do to engage students. And so, some things that we advise teachers to do are include time for joy, incorporate music, dance breaks, read alouds. My son looks forward to all of those things every day, especially the dance breaks. And at the same time don’t shirk on the rigor. So, learners also enjoy pursuing and overcoming challenges and learning new things. My son is really proud that he’s learning to read right now, and his teacher has done all of that in a remote context. So again, it’s like we can’t throw in the towel just because it’s a remote learning modality.

We have to believe that students can learn, and now we’ve seen that they can learn in this modality. I think we can’t underestimate the power of synchronous instruction. So one of the things that we’re very worried about are some of the middle and high school students who are kind of left to fend for themselves and are put on sort of personalized learning tech tools and whatnot all day. I think that will cause a lot of damage, because we know from research that the majority of learners benefit from the support of teachers. And so I think that is one thing that we have advised systems not to do when they can, is ensure that teachers are still holding class and still meeting with students. And then finally, I’ll add that parents and caregivers are amazing resources, and teachers that have taken the time to take an asset-based approach, meet with caregivers as partners, schedule one-on-one time, ask them how they want to be involved in their child’s learning, and then helping to make that happen can dramatically increase student engagement, because those parents are the ones that are in the home supporting their kids.

And then again, just speaking to the resilience and creativity of educators, we’ve seen educators do really amazing things, like car parades in front of their students’ homes, and they’ll wave and still be able to create that community with students. And even when you can’t do something like that, we’ve seen educators still schedule movie nights with students. And so there are ways to create that community and sort of that internal accountability that students need so that they still want to show up and engage even in a less than ideal context.

Q: Yeah. I’ve seen a lot of those sort of rapport building where rapport maintenance initiatives, even on social media, which is awesome, shared out by some of the schools and students, and it’s been fun to see those. And I think resiliency, I’ve heard you say that throughout our conversation numerous times, I think that’s just kind of an important word for all of us to think about is resiliency, being resilient. And it’s so true. People are resilient. Kids are resilient. This is something to just kind of keep our eye on, I think. Light at the end of the tunnel.

A: Yeah. At Teaching Lab we’re all about hope, so I think it’s very easy at this time to become hopeless. And I think that’s where I also think we can get caught up in all of the dire predictions about learning loss. We really, what we want to do is uplift the stories of hope persevering, overcoming, and resilience and creativity, which is really what we see when we are in professional learning with educators across the nation.

Q: And as you’ve said, that goes along with how you described that you guide the educators you work with to kind of believe that the students will learn a thing, a concept or whatever, and they will. And if they need that scaffolding up to help them get there, but believe that they will learn it, rather than focus on what they’re not learning or where they’re falling short, kind of optimistic approach.

A: Exactly. It begins with that profound belief, and then the professionalization aspect of it involves learning the skills to be able to scaffold up with students. It’s both the mindset and the practice.

Q: Okay. Now you’ve clearly explained that the Teaching Lab places high value on strong teacher groups and strong student education relationships. How are you advising teachers to maintain those strong connections in a time of prolonged separateness, social distancing? You gave some examples of how you’ve seen that occur with students and teachers. How are the teachers remaining connected to one another?

A: Yeah, yeah. So this was the thing we were most worried about at the onset of the pandemic, again, because we center heart in everything that we do. And so again, we were a 100% in-person professional learning organization pre pandemic, and we launched a learning management system exceptionally quickly in March so that we could continue facilitating professional learning with our thousands of educators across the nation. And we started tracking immediately how well teachers thought we were doing in terms of building strong, virtual teacher communities. And at the beginning we didn’t do as well as we did pre pandemic. The scores that we got on that were low. But about three months after that, our scores were up again at the 90% level. So 90% of educators said that we were still building strong teacher, virtual communities. And the way that we did that is very similar to what we advise teachers to do with their students.

So we, in our professional learning have opening circles where teachers share, and they are vulnerable and share what they’re learning, what they’re working on, how it’s connected to the work they’re doing. And that builds strong community. We also have closing circles where they share what they’ve learned. And we incorporate a lot of opportunities for joy. And then again, we don’t shirk on the rigor. And so what I mean by that is we engage teachers in having deep conversations about things like race, bias, identity, and we didn’t stop doing any of that work even though we were engaged in a virtual context. And I think when you engage in those deep conversations, it also builds strong connections across educators.

And then finally, this is part and parcel of our model, but we continue to have educators come together and talk about the practices that they thought were working for their students in this remote context or in the hybrid instructional context. And so if you build a community where teachers really feel like they’re learning from each other, then they want to come and be a part of that community because it’s going to be very beneficial to them when they go and plan their lessons or teach their students.

Q: That makes sense. Some of the same practices seem like they transcend, whether it’s teacher-teacher relationships or student-teacher relationships.

A: Yeah. And we’ve gotten some pressure to unlock some of our courses for asynchronous audiences of teachers, but we haven’t done that, because we’re worried that if teachers did the work sort of individually as opposed to in relationship with other teachers, that they might become further automized. And we don’t think that automatization leads to professionalization. And so that’s something that we haven’t done yet. We still engage teachers just like we recommend they do with students in synchronous learning. There’s obviously asynchronous components, but we feel pretty passionate about engaging groups of educators so that they can form those relationships and continue to learn in community.

Q: Interesting. Yeah. Because in the learning space, whatever the industry, there’s a lot of call for learning that can be done anytime at the convenience of the learner. But your kind of whole premise really relies upon that connectivity and community, so I can understand that. I can see the real benefit from that.

Well, I know there’s so much more we could probably talk about in this space, but I really want to thank you for joining us on the podcast today. I think what you’ve highlighted is so relevant across so many fronts. Thank you very much for all that you shared with us.

Sarah Johnson

Sarah Johnson is the CEO of Teaching Lab, a role she has held since 2018. Under her leadership, the organization has grown from a start-up to a national non-profit, serving over 30 school systems and six state partners. Before joining Teaching Lab, Sarah was a program officer at the Overdeck Family Foundation, where she created and managed the Exceptional Educators Portfolio, a set of investments focused on improving teaching and learning nationwide. Sarah also held leadership roles at the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) under the Deputy Chancellor for Teaching and Learning. In her roles, she managed strategy for a 600-person division, implemented a continuous improvement strategy across 1000 schools and oversaw policy for the city’s teacher development and evaluation system, serving over 70,000 teachers. Before her work in New York, she was a high school science teacher and founder of a social justice student leadership program in Washington, DC and Oakland, CA. She has a Doctorate in Education Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, an M.A.T. from American University, and graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Neuroscience from Emory University.

Teaching Lab website
Teaching Lab’s Principles for Distance and Hybrid Education

The post Engagement, Community & Training for Educators: Data-Driven Approaches to Success appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**When COVID has Many of us Stretched Thin – How to Cope and De-stress** Dec 22, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

In this episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Dana Guerrero, licensed clinical social worker and mediation and yoga instructor. Annette and Dana discuss strategies to help manage the tough emotions we are all facing in the ongoing climate of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dana offers tips on how to cope with decision fatigue, plus simple breathing techniques and self-care routines we can easily incorporate into our day.
Skip to: 02:41 How do you work with individuals? What kinds of areas or why do folks come to you?

“I’ve really worked with people on regulating emotional responses to their circumstances, to the way they listen to people, the way they function in their job, the way they respond to crisis”

Skip to: 04:18 Anxiety, stress, uncertainty, depression, these are all emotions and states of mind that many people, most people are probably experiencing in some degree and some in a very heightened way this year with all of the challenges. Can you talk to us a little bit about some ways that people can address both sides of those kinds of range of feelings?

“Just spend maybe five breaths, breathing in and breathing out, and literally saying to yourself, ‘Today is going to be okay.’”

Skip to: 08:53 Are there any ways that these folks can combat self-doubt in decision-making? And not just school leaders, but really anyone in that decision-making seat, how can they combat that kind of doubt that creeps in?

“The biggest practice is literally self-forgiveness…practicing flexibility of mind, but also standing firm once you do make a decision.”

Skip to: 12:28 As you said, everyone is making critical decisions right now. Those who are coping with that of hanging in the balance of either not having a solution per se or receiving criticism for the decision or solutions that they present; how do you advise on that?

“It is important to have some go-to people. Some go-to people that are in your world, and some go-to people that are maybe outside of your world that you respect. They’re not in your every day.”

“We will not make people happy all the time, including ourselves. And we just have to get used to that and feel comfortable with that, and also have a certain amount of humility to always look at and review what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, who we’re doing it for, and to humbly rework it if we feel that we’re going in a direction that we’re not right, or we need to stand up for something.”

Skip to: 15:47 What are some reminders that you might tell people to kind of take that time and how to tune into the fact that they need that time?

“The one question that I ask myself and I even ask my kids is, how am I doing? … Actually say, ‘Hey, kids. I have never been in a global pandemic before and I’ve never parented you through this. How’s it going? Are we doing okay here?’”

Skip to: 20:07 What techniques or practices would you offer to someone when they are overwhelmed by their emotions or circumstances?

Skip to: 23:55 “One last thing I want to do with you, open your eyes, look around the room. Just notice the shapes and the colors around the room. And then just for a moment, close your eyes and just feel, feel your body and space, and open your eyes.”

Q: Let’s start by, if we could, could you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, and how you work with individuals?

A: Sure. By trade, I’m a licensed clinical social worker, and I have a family studies background. I studied in the good old state of Pennsylvania for four years in Mechanicsburg, and then I got my graduate degree, my MSW from NYU. NYU has a very clinical program in social work, so I was really trained from the beginning to be a therapist, which is what I always knew that I wanted to be. We were trained in object relations theory. It’s basically a psychodynamic approach, understanding a person within the context of their relationships in their environment.

My social work career started in medicine. I was a medical social worker, then I veered away. I always kept a private practice, but I moved into administration. I was actually a hospital administrator for years. I was the first non-nursing medical unit director. I had a staff of 125. It was a telemetry unit, a heart monitor unit. Even though my love and my joy is as a clinical therapist, I also have experience with systems and managing in large organizations. It’s an interesting blend.

Q: Yeah. And how do you work with individuals? What kinds of areas or why do folks come to you?

A: I work with individuals, couples, and families. I work mostly now with older adolescents. I used to work with children, but now in the last 10 years, I work basically with older adolescents. I’m also a meditation instructor and a yoga instructor. The way I work has changed over time. It’s traditional psychotherapy, but I do work with people in terms of emotional regulation and looking at… I’m particularly interested in their emotional responses to situations.

In the last few years, I’ve really worked with people on regulating emotional responses to their circumstances, to the way they listen to people, the way they function in their job, the way they respond to crisis, how to basically, yes, reflect on the past and how we got there, but also really radically staying in the present, and working with skills on emotional management in the present, not knowing that I’d be working with people in a pandemic, right, who are radically… yes, radically needing to stay in the present, morning, noon, evening. How are we managing our morning, our noon, and our evening?

Q: I mean, so much of what you just said applies directly to what folks are living through right now. I’m sure your support couldn’t be more needed. Anxiety, stress, uncertainty, depression, these are all emotions and states of mind that many people, most people are probably experiencing in some degree and some in a very heightened way this year with all of the challenges. There may be times when people need to bring their stress level down. But in the case of depressive states, there might be a time when they need to actually bring their energy level up. Can you talk to us a little bit about some ways that people can address both sides of those kinds of range of feelings?

A: Absolutely. There’s something that we call a mixed state when we’re trying to describe someone’s mental health. What I’m finding is that folks aren’t necessarily struggling with anxiety or depression. They’re actually experiencing both, right? For example, sometimes waking up in the morning, you may love your job. You may have always loved your job. You may always love your family. You may have always loved yourself and getting up in the morning.

But people are feeling at times like a sense of dread and heaviness literally getting up in the morning, like opening their eyes and just having that sense of, “Uh, I got to do this again.” And then on the flip side, trying to go to sleep. The mind just can’t shut down, reviewing the day. Did I do everything I could, did I make the right decisions? What about tomorrow? Who’s going to be minding the family? Everyone’s working from a different room. There’s this like managing the heaviness and the weightiness and also trying to take the brain down.

What I’m practicing myself and asking people to consider is literally when they’re in bed to have like a little teeny morning routine where you place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly and you just spend maybe five breaths, breathing in and breathing out, and literally saying to yourself, “Today is going to be okay.” You wake up in the morning and just actually tell yourself, “It’s going to be okay. You got through yesterday. You got through the day before, and you can get through today too.”

The sun has risen and just literally taking those breaths to try to kind of gently and beautifully ignite yourself for the day. And then on the flip end, when you’re up and you’re racing and everything, give yourself a time limit. If after a few minutes there are still some racing, I would actually say grab your pillow and get on the floor. This sounds silly, but if you’re working, you have to get up in the morning, so you have to get to sleep at night. We don’t have the leisure. My workday starts at 6:45. I have people that see me before work.

If you’re having trouble getting to sleep, grab your pillow, get on the floor, and pop a pillow underneath your knees. The flatness on your back, a different sensory feeling, and literally hand on heart and hand on belly and just do a self-calming practice of breathing in and breathing out. And tell yourself, “The day is over. The day is done. It’s coming to a close now. We’ll think about it tomorrow.” It’s kind of bringing yourself up and getting yourself to settle down at night.

Those are two very, very basics if you’re having a hard time rousing and facing the day in a calm way and bringing yourself down at night.

Q: And it sounds simple, but I imagine it just serves as sort of a mental reminder of what you just expressed. The day is over. It’s just a little bit of that mental reminder.

A: Absolutely. If my brain lights don’t go out by 11:30, I’m on the floor, because it could go on until 12:30, right? I just get on the floor. I grab a sweatshirt or a blanket, pop on the floor, because it’s triggering like the day is done.

Q: And even the ritual side of that, in other words, the repetitive side of that, I imagine that kind of kicks into place. Looking at the school and education community, and certainly there’s a lot of challenging scenarios in the school community right now. School leaders and administrators are making decisions that impact so much more than themselves and they’re accustomed to that, but they are dealing with brand new challenges never faced before.

With so many unknowns in the world, self-doubt can certainly creep in even to the most certain individuals, most confident decision-makers. That self-doubt may creep in when making such impactful decisions. Are there any ways that these folks can combat self-doubt in decision-making? And not just school leaders, but really anyone in that decision-making seat, how can they combat that kind of doubt that creeps in?

A: I think that anyone who is in a position of critical decision-making, and right now it’s everyone, we are in a position of critical decision-making. For example, my daughter is coming home from college and she lives in the part of the country that is not well quarantined. I would say she just lives differently than I am in the Northeast. I know that as she returns to our home in a week and a half, we’re going to have to make very different, critical decisions. I don’t even know exactly what they’ll be, but even as far as like our comings and goings.

Everyone is a critical decision maker right now, even children, in how we’re going to social distance. When you have the responsibility to make decisions over many people, and different districts are making different decisions, right? We know we have two school districts in our small town. Our elementary is under one district. Our middle school and high school has another whole district. Sometimes their days off are different. Their half days are different than their full days.

Everyone’s making decisions from top to bottom, that they’re being questioned either by themselves, by those around them, by parents. There’s always room to second guess your decisions. I would say just to know if you’ve made a critical decision and you haven’t gotten good feedback on it. And I’m sure people can relate to this. And maybe even yourself, you reflect that, okay, I don’t know if I’d make that next time, or we need to release it and change it up next time.

The biggest practice is literally self-forgiveness, like saying, “Okay, I worked with all the variables. I made the best decision with all of the information that I had at that time. And now I have different information, I will act differently.” And even in the acting differently second time around, you may reflect, okay, let’s review the tapes. This is the feedback I got. I still stand by this, or I’m open to changing this. Practicing flexibility of mind, but also standing firm once you do make a decision. The wavering. That’s the up at night wavering. You got to make the decision, review it, reflect, stand by it, but then have the flexibility, if you can, to change it up next time.

Q: That makes a ton of sense. As a person in a role where you help others, you can empathize with the desire to affect change and be solutions-oriented. What would you tell leaders or school leaders, any leaders? As you said, everyone is making critical decisions right now. Those who are coping with that of hanging in the balance of either not having a solution per se or receiving criticism for the decision or solutions that they present; how do you advise on that?

A: It is kind of on the heels of what I was just talking about. I personally have my go-to people. I have some go-to people that I’ve never even seen before that I just talk to who are not… I always say not in my Jerusalem. They’re not in my little community. I love that because I can run scenarios by these folks. They can speak to my work in a very kind of constructively critical way. I respect their opinion, and yet I don’t have to interface with them or answer to them necessarily.

I’d say it is important to have some go-to people. Some go-to people that are in your world, and some go-to people that are maybe outside of your world that you respect. They’re not in your every day. If you’re making big decisions, kind of get that accountability. I always say, “Let me run the play by you.” And there are people that call me and do the same. Okay, I have a case to run past you. I have a decision to make. Okay, run it. Let’s flow with it. Have trusted folks.

Also, like I said, sometimes you just have to stand by, “I made the best decision at the time with the information that I had at the time, and I am dedicated to reviewing my decisions and critiquing them and expanding them or modifying them.” So like having the humility. And criticism goes with leadership. We cannot make everyone happy all the time, including ourselves. It’s really hard to stomach right now the criticism because a lot is coming. In fact, when I just spoke with you a few weeks ago to set up this call, we were in the height of the election, right?

We will not make people happy all the time, including ourselves. And we just have to get used to that and feel comfortable with that, and also have a certain amount of humility to always look at and review what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, who we’re doing it for, and to humbly rework it if we feel that we’re going in a direction that we’re not right, or we need to stand up for something. I hope that answers your question.

Q: It does. I think your go-to sources, that’s important to remember, that you’re not making decisions all by yourself or required to make decisions without input. I want to ask you to talk a little bit about self-care. Our members are school leaders, but this really pertains to everyone. Often life is busy and right now it’s very busy whatever the individual.

There might be lots of things going on in their life right now, whether it’s dealing with their children doing remote learning at home and they’re having to be a teacher, and they’re having to also do their own job and lots of different circumstances. But we know that self-care is so important. Sometimes it’s hard to make that time to think of ourselves. How can someone know when they need that connectedness, when they need to take that time for themselves? I mean, obviously sometimes as a parent, you feel it, right?

When it’s less apparent and you might just be charging ahead taking care of business, what are some reminders that you might tell people to kind of take that time and how to tune into the fact that they need that time?

A: The one question that I ask myself and I even ask my kids is, how am I doing? When I’m kind of there in the morning and I’m doing the hand on my belly and hand on my heart, I actually tune in and I say, “How am I doing?” And sometimes I say, “You know what? Do not have caffeinated coffee this morning. Like no. It’s going to be decaf.” I did that this morning before this call, how am I doing? I’m doing great. But if I have that cup before I talk to Annette, it’s going to put me over the edge. So don’t do it. To literally ask yourself, how am I doing?

And I even ask my kids that I just. I’m not going to ask my kids how I’m doing. You’re kidding me? No. Actually say, “Hey, kids. I have never been in a global pandemic before and I’ve never parented you through this. How’s it going? Are we doing okay here?”

Q: Yeah. Yeah, that’s interesting. I love that.

A: How am I doing? Yes. It actually is funny, but it’s really true. A big thing is checking in. Another thing, Annette, if I could just kind of go over the list. The PSBA website has actually some good information if you look under the resources for mental health. I was looking under how to avoid burnout, right, before I got on the call. And I was like, yeah, these are the things that we say to everyone. Look at your sleeping patterns, your eating habits, your work, light exercise, do something pleasurable, self-talk.

What I’m finding is people are shutting down and they do not want to add. They cannot add one more thing, like exercise, do Pilates on your bedroom floor. Like no. What I’m saying to people is if you shower, and some of us do, take your shower time and just take your shampoo time and close your eyes and drop your chin to your chest so that the water doesn’t go up your nose and just rub your head and breathe. Rub your scalp really well. Rub your neck really well. Get into your shoulders. Reach down and touch your toes.

Let the water bounce off your shoulders and your back. Try to take a breath or two through your mouth if the water doesn’t go into your mouth. Actually use your shower time as a destressing event, because you’re going to do it anyway. You may notice that your kids are in the showers longer. I tell kids, use that time to decompress. People are not running as much. Runners aren’t running. Yogis aren’t yogiing. Pilates people aren’t Pilatiing. Weightlifters aren’t lifting weight.

Q: It’s hard. I think you mentioned some of those various areas of fitness that people might have tapped into previously. And sometimes it’s hard to replicate that in their home environment, or we just don’t because, as you say, it’s like adding one additional thing to the day just doesn’t seem achievable. It doesn’t seem viable.

A: Exactly.

Q: You’re kind of borrowing on some time there, which is a great suggestion. What techniques or practices would you offer to someone when they are overwhelmed, overwhelmed by emotions or their circumstances or whatever, just feelings of being overwhelmed? Are there some techniques or practices that you could suggest?

A: Yes. So again, in the spirit of being realistic, Annette, I’m a marathon runner, and I run for many years. And I usually have a race or an event that I’m training for. As I get older, it’s like half marathons and 10Ks and all that. And I used to run with friends, and so it would keep me on the road. It would keep me social. It would keep me doing it. Annette, the only place I run to right now is the refrigerator. I run very quickly. I run there and back. I run to the bathroom in between my phone calls. If I, a very motivated person, cannot even get myself…

I even bought new sneakers, haven’t used them. I cannot get myself to do the things that I used to do. But the one thing that I’m promising myself to do is to walk. I would say that if you’re overwhelmed or if you’re not, try everything that you can do to just even if it’s a walking up your driveway or walking, pacing in your house on a phone call. I would say, if you’re overwhelmed, get outside. Bundle up and get outside and breathe some fresh air and try to just tune in to where am I and what do I need.

Do I need to talk to someone professionally? Do I need to reach out to someone who is not in my every day to say that I’m sinking? Who is it that I can maybe text or email or connect to? I know sometimes social media is too much social media, but sometimes people find Instagram relaxing. You can look up things on Instagram, like how can I relax and breathe with somebody who’s breathing? YouTube, how to take some breaths and kind of like do that.

And in fact, before we close here, I’d like to just do a little breathing exercise with you that is a coping strategy for calming down. But I would say at the very least, get out and walk and ask, again, how am I doing and what do I need? The other thing that I’m trying to do is hugs. The people that we’re allowed to hug, hug them, touch them, squeeze their shoulder, say, “You’re doing a great job.” Text, “Awesome job. Amazing.” Use all of your euphemisms, all of your positive statements. Say them to each other.

Thumbs up constant. I mean, positive affirmation is so huge right now and physical touch to the people that we are able to touch.

Q: Yeah, that’s such a salient point. For sure, out of all of this, this odd situation that we’re all in where we’re not having contact with the amount of people that we would typically have contact, whether it be family members that you would hug or just people that you would normally be talking with face to face or shaking hands, and all of that has just been eliminated for this weird extended period of time. Certainly those who are able to do that with, that’s hugely, hugely essential not to lose sight of that.

A: Yeah.

Q: I think you mentioned a tactic that we might actually be able to try here and I’d love to know what that is.

A: Yes, okay. I’m just going to do some breathing with you to a count.

Find a comfortable position in your chair. I’m assuming you’re in your chair. And I have a little singing bowl, so I’m going to start our practice with a little gong through our singing bowl. Take a deep breath in for a moment and we’ll let our teaching begin. So from here, you can either close your eyes or keep them at a half gaze. Keep them all open. We’re going to inhale to a count of four and hold our breath just for a count of one, and exhale to a count of six.

And as we do this, Annette, I’d like you to think of the waves of the ocean rushing up onto the shoreline, swirling around at the top, a little foamy, and then going back into the water. Okay? Let us begin. Inhale, two, three, four, retain the breath, let it swirl, and then exhale, two, three, four, five, six. Inhale, fill your belly, two, three, four, retain the breath, like the waves on the shore, and then exhale release, two, three, four, five, six. On six, bring your navel into your spine to exhale.

Inhale, fill your belly, two, three, four, retain the breath at the top, and exhale two, three, four, five. Hold the spot to let the breath out. Inhale last time, expand the chest and the belly, four, hold it, count, and exhale, two, three, four, five, six. Come back to your natural breath. One last thing I want to do with you, open your eyes, look around the room. Just notice the shapes and the colors around the room. And then just for a moment, close your eyes and just feel, feel your body and space, and open your eyes.

Q: Thank you. Thank you very much. I think that’s very achievable in most people’s day. That really brings a little bit of centeredness.

A: Absolutely.

Q: Thank you. Well, I really enjoyed talking to you, Dana. I think you’ve offered up some not only just great perspective on things, but given some real takeaways to our audience. I really appreciate all that you gave to us today.

A: Thank you so much, Annette. It was so good to be with you and to meet you, and even putting this activity together was really nice.

Q: Great. Thank you so much, Dana.

A: Take care.

Dana Guerrero, LCSW

Dana Guerrero, LCSW is a Psychotherapist and Meditation/Yoga instructor who has been in private practice for over 25 years in the Greater New York Metropolitan area. She holds an undergraduate degree in Family Studies, and a Masters in Social Work from New York University (NYU) where she was trained using Object Relations and Psychodynamic Theory to understand human behavior.

Dana is a highly interactive and dynamic clinician who works with adolescence, adults, couples, and families. She utilizes a blend of mind/body techniques and practical applications to help her clients strengthen, heal, and move forward in their lives. Dana’s greatest joy is taking the deep transformative work which she conducts in the privacy of her office and bringing it to larger, more accessible public platforms. She is the Co-Founder of Empower Voices Now where she and her partner, Raquel Suarez Groen of Phantom of the Opera use psychology and technique to enhance the confidence of performers.

Dana’s vision has always been to raise the consciousness of the next generation to be more secure, loving, confident and mindful as they work to reach their goals. In her free time, Dana enjoys practicing yoga & meditation, hiking in nature, stand-up paddle boarding, long distance running, and spending time with her family and puppies.

The post When COVID has Many of us Stretched Thin – How to Cope and De-stress appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Unifying all students: Special Olympics Pennsylvania Dec 08, 2020

On this episode of Keystone Education Radio, podcast host Annette Stevenson is joined by Michelle Boon, vice president for sports, and Mike Bovino, senior advisor, both of Special Olympics Pennsylvania. The group discusses the broader context of Special Olympics Pennsylvania and the importance of inclusion, along with the outcomes of Unified Sports and the Unified Champion Schools Program.

Skip to: 00:57 Can you provide a broad overview of Special Olympics? And what are your roles with the organization?

“What is Unified Sports? Well, simply, it’s bringing together Special Olympics athletes and teammates without disabilities on the same sports team for training and competition.”

“What we’ve seen in the 31 years of doing Unified Sports globally is that it’s a fantastic facilitator for social inclusion. Social inclusion is really when you’re building those long, sustainable, meaningful relationships between people with and without disabilities.”

Skip to: 04:46 Unified champion schools, can you talk a little bit more about the rigorous standards that schools must meet to achieve this designation and any of those types of considerations?

“The Unified Champion Schools program itself is comprised of three components. It’s Unified Sports, inclusive youth leadership and whole-school engagement.”

“The quality of the programming is really important to us. So, our staff here at Special Olympics Pennsylvania works really closely with those school administrators and coaches to be successfully executing each of these components of the program.”

Skip to: 15:51 What lessons can school communities teach their students by focusing on inclusion?

“94% of schools who do Unified Champion Schools said that it has increased the opportunities for students with and without disabilities to work together as equals”

“So, one thing that’s important is this is not a Special Olympics team at the school. It’s 100% not that. It’s this school’s team.”

Skip to: 25:03 What is your goal for the future of this program?

“Our goal is that we like to be in every county in the State of Pennsylvania. So right now, as I mentioned, we’re in 36. So, we’re making good progress to get there.”

“For this upcoming year, we’ve targeted five school districts in the State of Pennsylvania to really develop elementary and middle school programming. And that’ll be kind of the basis to which we start to roll out to a greater degree, that type of programming throughout the state.”

“So, we are expanding the programming into colleges throughout the state. This is a relatively new initiative for us, but we’ve got about a dozen colleges and universities that are currently participating and running some inclusive programming within their school.”

Skip to: 30:46 If a school district or school community is interested in learning more about the unified champion schools program, where should they go for that information?

Q: Can you start by giving us a broad overview of Special Olympics? And then after that, what are your roles with the organization? But first start by just explaining in general Special Olympics and all that the organization does.

A (Michelle): I’ll get us started. I think it’s a quick introduction to Special Olympics Pennsylvania overall. We offer 22 sports and provide year-round training and competition to about 17,000 athletes throughout the state. One of the common misperceptions of Special Olympics is that it’s this one-day track and field event. There are several events like this that are hosted by schools across the state, but Special Olympics offers so much more. 2020 actually marks the 50th anniversary of Special Olympics Pennsylvania with our first games being held in May of 1970 at Westchester University. We’ve come a long way in the past 50 years, in addition to sports programming now we also offer education and training in athlete leadership, health screenings and education, Unified Sports and with that, I’m going to pass it over to Mike to talk a little bit more about unified.

A (Mike): Thanks, Michelle. I’m Mike Bovino, senior advisor with Special Olympics Pennsylvania. Unified Sports is a program with Special Olympics that’s been offered now since 1989. We celebrated our 30th anniversary for Unified Sports last year. It’s global. It has 1.4 million participants all over the world and in every country that Special Olympics has an accredited program. All 50 states here in the United States offers Unified Sports background. So, it’s a program that has grown significantly. ESPN is our global presenting sponsor. So, it’s nice to have the worldwide leader in sports to be our presenting sponsor for Unified Sports. They really see this as the future for Special Olympics. And really for the listeners, what is Unified Sports? Well, simply, it’s bringing together Special Olympics athletes and teammates without disabilities on the same sports team for training and competition.

Everybody on the team is an equal peer. I think that’s really important. The members of a Unified Sports team are equal age because we want to make sure we’re creating relationships that are meaningful and sustainable. Everybody on the team is contributing to the team through their unique talents. We can talk a little bit more about our Unified Champion Schools, we’ll be able to share with everybody how that manifested itself in the school community when everybody is treated as an equal, when you remove labels, the importance of that.

What we’ve seen in the 31 years of doing Unified Sports globally is that it’s a fantastic facilitator for social inclusion. Social inclusion is really when you’re building those long, sustainable, meaningful relationships between people with and without disabilities. That emerges when you share a commonality of experience on a Unified Sports team. You have a shared goal, you have shared responsibilities, you support each other as teammates and through that experience, what we have found over the years is that Special Olympics athletes become friends with their unified teammates. The unified teammates become very strong advocates for their Special Olympics teammates, and they’ll do things such as advocate for them in the community, open up doors for employment for people with intellectual disabilities and have the wonderful benefits of being a friend. So Unified Sports is a very powerful program for Special Olympics

Q: That actually tees right into our next question. So Unified Sports, you’ve talked about the benefits and how that works. Unified Champion Schools – can you talk a little bit more about the rigorous standards that schools must meet to achieve this designation and any of those types of considerations?

A (Michelle): Yeah. So, I’ll kind of start with just a little bit of a background on the program overall. It was a program developed by Special Olympics International about 13 years ago and really done initially in partnership with our United States Department of Education, more specifically the Office of Education. So here in PA, we’ve executed the program statewide for about seven years. We had piloted a little bit in the beginning, but really started spreading statewide about seven years ago. We’re currently in 218 schools and growing rapidly every year. So, trying to keep it growing and keeping up with the demand. So, the Unified Champion Schools program itself is comprised of three components. It’s Unified Sports, inclusive youth leadership and whole-school engagement. Mike talked a little bit about Unified Sports, but at the school level we offer unified indoor bocce as a winter sport and unified track and field as a sport in the spring.

We very strategically chose these sports to offer because they include meaningful engagement and are inclusive for all students. So, students with a variety of disabilities, really any student within the school building are able to participate in each of those sports. So, bocce and track and field. And we set up these Unified Sports, they are interscholastic sports teams within those school buildings. There is a proportional number of students with and without intellectual disabilities on those teams and they train and compete together for the duration of the season. So, it’s really our goal for them to be treated just like any other varsity sport within that school. They’re getting together and they’re training on a weekly basis we require a minimum of two trainings per week. Some are doing more, again, we require a minimum of three competitions per season. Most are doing five or six, if not some more.

So again, the schools have really taken this and run with it. In most cases we see it being just treated and really held next to all of those other varsity sports within the school building, which is exactly what we want. Then we hold a culminating championship at the end of each of the seasons. So, whether it’s a county or regional base, we have a championship for all those schools come together and compete. And the winner of that opportunity advances to our state level tournament. So, we have a great partnership with the PIAA and we hold our culminating state events in conjunction with some of their championships. So, bocce aligns with the boys and girls basketball championship, which is held at the Giant Center in Hershey, and then track and field is really a very inclusive event that we do together with them at Shippensburg University.

As I mentioned track and field is really cool because they run the 100 meter boys’ race, a 100 meter girls’ race and then a 100 meter unified race. So, we’re really fully integrated in as a part of that event, which is awesome. So, just another two components quick is inclusive youth leadership. This is a club within the school. So, it’s students with and without disabilities who are meeting regularly within a structured club environment. We do require co-governance. So, you have a unified pair. So, one student with and one student without an intellectual disability that are working together to fill those key roles, so a president role or a vice president or secretary, but that they’re really leading that group together. The main goal for them is that they are planning and conducting activities to improve their school environment for everyone.

We refer to those activities as hopeful engagements, which is the third component of the program. These are just really opportunities where they’re getting the whole school environment together to raise awareness or advocate or educate on a variety of different topics. We let them choose what’s important to them within their school community or within their school building. A good example of this, which most people are pretty familiar with, is a Spread the Word inclusion campaign. It used to be referred to as Spread the Word to End the Word, now it has transitioned over to Spread the Word Inclusion.

But again, just a student run campaign, which really helps everyone better understand the importance of just being inclusive and treating everyone with respect. So, those are really the three areas that we encourage and enforce within each of the schools. The quality of the programming is really important to us. So, our staff here at Special Olympics Pennsylvania works really closely with those school administrators and coaches to be successfully executing each of these components of the program. Mike will give us a little bit more about some of the staff and then some of our best of the best.

A (Mike): Yeah, sounds great, Michelle. So, this program is global now. Unified Champion Schools is a program that’s done in partnership with the U.S Department of Education for the past 13 years. It’s been very popular. We currently reach almost 300,000 students in every state in the United States, but one, we won’t tattle on the one state that’s not doing it. Well, we’ll protect their identity, but every state, but one in the United States is doing Unified Champion Schools programming. And again, it’s been a formalized program for 13 years. It’s also been shown through our research partner at the University of Massachusetts Boston, the impact that it has on school communities, which we’ll talk about in a little bit. So, I think the other thing that’s important here is knowing that the programming that Michelle just laid out when all three of those components are done well, it has a measurable impact on school climate and social inclusion and changing attitudes.

It’s one of the reasons why so many different state education departments partner with our Special Olympics state programs. Unified Champion School is also now being done throughout the world. So, some really excellent examples of governments, such as in Europe, where their entire school systems now are adopting Unified Champion Schools. Probably one of the more compelling stories is in the United Arab Emirates, where we held our 2019 Special Olympics World Games, the government for the UAE, as part of their World Games legacy committed to implementing Unified Champion Schools programming in every single school in that country. Pretty amazing for full inclusion in the Middle East and some of the lessons that are being taught and learned. It really stands as a beacon for the possibilities of what inclusion can produce through our young people. So, right now they’re well on their way to full implementation in every school in United Arab Emirates.

We’re also seeing it in Latin America, Africa, Europe and East Asia, the implementation of Unified Champion Schools programming. Here in Pennsylvania this year, we’ll be partnering with close to 240 schools in 36 counties throughout the state of Pennsylvania. We’re very excited about that and working closely with the schools and we partner very closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Education and in particular, the Bureau of Education and Carole Clancy have been tremendous advocates for this program because they see the value in promoting inclusion and bringing school communities together around a commonality of valuing diversity, respect, changing attitudes and helping students really develop skills that are going to be useful to them in their community and post-secondary careers. So, we partnered closely with the Bureau of Special Education, and we also partner very closely with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, or the PIAA, and they have embraced the program as well.

Dr. Lombardi has said repeatedly how much he in particular loves the impact this program has on not only special education students and giving them an opportunity to have a true, meaningful interscholastic sport experience. He’s also been very much happy to see students without disabilities who have not had the opportunity to participate in an interscholastic sport experience to be able to do so. So, it’s one of the things of the PIAA they really want to focus on how do they really reach more students to provide them with all the great qualities of interscholastic sports, such as leadership development and teamwork and sportsmanship. So again, we work very closely with the PIAA. We partner with them and Special Olympics Pennsylvania is regarded as the governing body for interscholastic Unified Sports for all the high schools that we work with throughout the State of Pennsylvania.

One last thing I wanted to add is there is a recognition for the best of the best around the country that are known as National Banner Unified Champion Schools. There are 10 rigorous standards that a school needs to meet. Then there’s a review process, including a review committee at the national level, that looks at all the applications and then determines which schools will receive this prestigious honor.

I’m happy to share that this year we had the most number of schools so far to date receive the honor, we have 10 schools that have been acknowledged as National Banner Unified Champion Schools. We just want to do a quick shout out to them – Central York High School and Dallastown High School both in York County; Franklin Regional and Norwin High Schools in Westmoreland County; Pennridge High School in Bucks County; Springfield Township and Upper Merion High School in Montgomery County; and Sun Valley High School in Delaware County. This year, we had our very first middle school received the distinction with CCA Baldi Middle School in Philadelphia. We also had our very first college and university be honored. And that’s our friends at Slippery Rock University. So, we have 17 schools that have received this honor over the years, and we’re proud of every single one of them.

Q: Awesome. Thank you for that. So I heard you say, and there’s obviously a lot of mention of the word inclusion, and you touched upon this in some of what you said, but what lessons can school communities teach their students by focusing on inclusion?

A (Mike): It’s a great question. And so really there’s an impact on school communities that we see throughout all of our schools that we partner with. There’s very specific individual benefits as well that my friend Michelle is going to share with you, but as it relates to the school community, right now at this place in time, we really do need unity and we need unified, but we’ve needed it for a long time. This is not anything new. It’s something that we want to teach our students, the value of diversity. And looking at individuals as people first and not looking at labels, not having preconceptions about somebody’s abilities or weaknesses or strengths based upon a label. And still inclusion is powerful because it brings together a school community in a way where we celebrate the uniqueness that every student has. One of the things that we’ve been very pleased to see nationally is the impact that implementation of Unified Champion Schools has in the way students treat each other.

So, a couple of compelling statistics I’d love to share – 94% of schools who do Unified Champion Schools said that it has increased the opportunities for students with and without disabilities to work together as equals. Think about that. So, 94% of our schools are seeing that throughout the country, 94% have said that involvement in Unified Sports makes them healthier. And people with intellectual disabilities face very serious health challenges. They lead more, unfortunately more sedentary, inactive lives, which leads to twice as many being obese or overweight than the general population. They are at a risk of five times greater for diabetes, and that cumulative impact and effect of all these preventable health issues leads to a lifespan that’s 16 years shorter. If you have an intellectual disability than if you are somebody who does not have a disability, just think about that.

It’s a harrowing statistic that a lot of these health metrics can be changed with fitness, healthy living and sports. So, we start in the schools. By getting our education students involved in sports, and they enjoy that, then they come out of the schools and there’s opportunities for them to participate in Special Olympics programs that offer also offers sports. The last statistic that I want to share is that we want to reduce bullying and teasing. And sadly, if you have a disability, all the national statistics bear this out, you’re two to three times more likely to be a victim of bullying or teasing or offensive language used towards you. And in the University of Massachusetts research, what they found is that 92% of all of our schools that do UCS credit UCS programming with reducing bullying and teasing in their schools. So again, very powerful in terms of how this program can really change the dynamics in a school building. Michelle, would you like to share the impact that it has on the individual students?

A (Michelle): Yeah, sure. I think we’ve seen again so much of this that we just hear through testimonials and things like that coming from whether it’s students themselves or teachers or even parents, but what this program does is it really just overall brings students together and it promotes social inclusion really for all students within that school building. When a group of students sees individuals walking down the hall together or high-fiving or sitting down at the lunch table together, it really has a big impact, not only on just those students, but on really the entire student body within that school. There was a cool story we had a pair of students from Bald Eagle High School who were selected as our Unified Pair of the Year, this year for Special Olympics Pennsylvania. And one of the cool stories we got from it was actually a history class.

The history teacher had shared with us that those two students decided they had met as freshmen. And started together on the bocce team. So, they had decided to take this history class together in their senior year. She had just shared the impact that the two of them, the dynamic that they had, and she would say they wouldn’t always agree on things, but they’d always find common ground. And the impact that their relationship actually had on the rest of the students in that class was probably the most impactful thing that happened. She’s like, “I think they learned more from watching these two students and just the dynamic between them in my class this year than they actually learned from me.”

So, but it’s things like that, that we see happening all throughout the state. We know Mike touched on it a little bit, but we know what participation in interscholastic sports and athletics, how that benefits students and character development and leadership and fitness and teamwork, self-esteem. So, we’re now giving all of these individuals within a school building through Unified Sports, the opportunity to participate in these opportunities. And again, for both students with and without intellectual disability.

So, it impacts that student body as a whole, not just an individual subgroup of students. And then being a member of a team, I mean, so many of us grew up and it was such an impactful piece of our lives playing sports, or just being a member of a team together and really develop those meaningful and true relationships. And when we see these individuals able to participate together, have shared experiences, it really helps create that bond. And it creates memories that last a lifetime. You really do see lifetime friendship happening through unified sports in general, particularly within the school programs as well. So, just a lot of really great stories that have come out of this. And Mike, I didn’t know if you had any additional stories that you’d like to share, but it’s really impactful.

A (Mike): Yeah, I think you did a great job in Michelle. The only thing I was going to add, and Michelle touched upon that both Michelle and I played sports growing up in high school, Michelle had a college career. I didn’t. So, she actually was able to have that experience as well, but the power for a special education student to represent their schools as a varsity athlete. So, one thing that’s important is this is not a Special Olympics team at the school. It’s 100% not that. It’s this school’s team. And so, one of the stories Michelle was kind of alluding to is in our very first year of doing this with this school at Souderton, a mom shared with us that when her son Kevin was born, down syndrome, she just felt like she wanted to give Kevin every opportunity that his older siblings had.

All of his older siblings played on a varsity team. Prior to Unified Champion Schools that didn’t exist for Kevin. There were no opportunities for him to be on the team. And so, we brought unified track and field to Souderton High School. So, Kevin is wearing the Souderton High School singlet proudly representing Souderton High school and had the same experience that his older siblings had when they played varsity sports. Well at the end of the first year, and it’s a spring sport in the summertime, the mom Nancy gets a knock on the door and it’s from Kevin’s teammates.

And they say to her, “Ms. Lasinski, is Kevin here? We’re going out to Chick-fil-A and we love Kevin to come join us.” And Kevin comes, racing out of the room, goes flying out the door, they go to Chick-fil-A and then they start to every week get together for Chick-fil-A. Well, what’s powerful about that is what Nancy shared with us: “As a mom, I’ve been lucky that in all the years, Kevin has gone to school he’s always been accepted and respected and in a very, very inclusive school community like Souderton, they love him and he gets all the support. But for the very first time in Kevin’s life, I had somebody come to the door, knock on the door, somebody who didn’t have a disability and asked for Kevin to come and join them for lunch as an equal peer. And that hadn’t happened before.”

Q: So, what is your goal for the future of this program? What do you imagine is on the horizon?

A (Mike): Well, I’ll tell you the only thing that stops us from going to more schools is a pragmatic reality of funding and personnel, right? Michelle and I would love to be at every school in the State of Pennsylvania. We just don’t have the staffing nor the funding support. So, we’re lucky to have some great support from the U.S Department of Education and the Bureau of Education. We want to both do a shout out to them because they’ve been fantastic of giving us some funding. And then our development team, we raised money through a variety of different sources to fund the program. But our goal is that we like to be in every county in the State of Pennsylvania. So right now, as I mentioned, we’re in 36. So, we’re making good progress to get there. And we are strategical right now based upon our funding is that we’re going to add 40 new schools per year, over the next four years as part of our strategic plan.

Now, if we run into a very generous benefactor who would like to give us a million dollars, we could increase the number of schools from more than 40 a year, but based upon our budget projections, that’s where we’re at right now is 40 per year over the next four years to get us to 365 schools throughout the State of Pennsylvania. Where we are really seeing a shift is we have focused primarily on high schools, for a variety of different reasons, but our relationship with the PIAA and we felt it was really important to be able to start with high schools first. So, what we’re really going to shift is starting this year, we’re starting to work with elementary schools and middle schools to bring the programming there. And now it looks a little bit different than high schools because in elementary schools, obviously there’s no interscholastic sports.

So, we’re doing programs like inclusive young athletes, which has been a very successful program that develops motor skills and socialization skills designed for participants ages two to seven years of age. So, that’s what we’re looking at that for our elementary school programming. For middle school programming, we have things like Unified Intramurals or Unified Physical Education. So, we’re integrating again, a lot of Unified Champion Schools programming within that type of delivery mechanism.

They will still be the other two components that we talked about in terms of inclusive youth leadership. But again, for elementary school looks a lot different than in high schools and the middle school. It’s a lot different as well. So middle school is still a club, elementary schools is still more teacher led, but you’re teaching again at an early age, the value of leadership and working together and collaborating together. So, we’re now infusing that. For this upcoming year, we’ve targeted five school districts in the State of Pennsylvania to really develop elementary and middle school programming. And that’ll be kind of the basis to which we start to roll out to a greater degree, that type of programming throughout the state. Michelle, did you want to add a little bit more about, what we’re doing? We talked a little bit about elementary and middle schools, but in additives, some exciting things happening for our older participants.

A (Michelle): Yeah. So, the span runs K through college, right? That’s how we like to look at our Unified Champion School programming. So, we are expanding the programming into colleges throughout the state. This is a relatively new initiative for us, but we’ve got about a dozen colleges and universities that are currently participating and running some inclusive programming within their school. Mike had mentioned Slippery Rock was our first university to get to that national banner standard. They’re one of the best that we have. We’ve also named them as a Center of Unified Excellence here in the State of Pennsylvania. And they’ve done some really cool things, two of which they have a Unified Intramural program. So that folds right into their Slippery Rock intramural program as part of their recreation department there, as well as the Unified Fitness Program that they do on their campus.

And throughout this so they include individuals from on campus that are part of their Rock Life transition program, but they also work really closely with our Special Olympics community-based program to bring some local athletes on campus to participate. And just talking to that as, as we continue to try to build this program, this Unified Champion Schools program across the state, one of our biggest goals is really transitioning those athletes from those well, athletes and partners really, from those school-based program into some of our community-based programming. So, every county, and there are some combined counties, but we’ve got 65 Special Olympics programs that are county based throughout the state. Most of which are a hundred percent volunteer run, but that’s really the grassroots of what this organization is all about. And where the magic happens and it’s like I said, I had alluded to earlier, we offer three seasons of sports programming.

So, we do fall, winter, spring in 22 different sports across the state. I think a lot of our challenges with the some of our school-based athletes and the Unified Champion Schools program has been just educating them of these opportunities that there are available outside of school. So again, I think this is just a good avenue, right? And just hope that some of your listeners are hearing this, that maybe it’s something they’re learning and that they go and check out and see some of those different opportunities that are available within their local community program.

Q: So, if a school district or school community is interested in learning more about the unified champion schools program, where should they go for that information?

A (Mike): Yeah, so and that we have a very informative website, so specialolympicspa.org. So, if they go to the Special Olympics Pennsylvania website, they will find under this category called More than Sports that they click on that they’ll see Unified Champion Schools, and it’ll take them to the web pages that will give them very specific information about the program as well as an opportunity to submit interest if they’re like to learn more, and then we do an outreach to the schools.

They will tell you right now we have 65 schools that are on the waiting list for next year. So, if you do the math, we’re at 40 now, but it doesn’t mean that all 65 will say yes, and it doesn’t mean that things work out. So, we’re definitely always looking for more schools. We do grow regionally. So, we try to look at areas of the state. So, we don’t have, a school that’s by itself. We need to make sure that they’re competing against other schools. So, whenever we grow, we have to ensure that we have at least three, minimum of three and preferably four schools in a region before we commit to a new county. So, part of that goes hand in hand with our growth strategies.

Michelle Boone

Michelle Boone has vast sport event planning and program management experience. She completed her undergraduate work at Lock Haven University and obtained a Master’s Degree in Sport Management from University of San Francisco. Before coming to SOPA in 2014, Michelle worked in event planning for CBS Sports and Northeast Conference (DI College athletics). As the Vice President for Sports with Special Olympics PA, Michelle oversees all state level competitions, coach training and education and Unified Champion Schools initiative.

Mike Bovino

Mike Bovino has been Senior Advisor for Special Olympics PA since July, 2014. His role includes work in co-leading the Unified Champion Schools program, fundraising, organizational development, and other initiatives, as well as contributing to global and national Unified Sports development. Mike’s background also consists of leadership positions with Special Olympics International, as well as Special Olympics programs in Maryland and the District of Columbia, since 1987. Additionally, he has consulted with the United States Basketball League, National Breast Cancer Coalition, Roberto Clemente Foundation, and other nonprofits and sports organizations. Mike also is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.

The post Unifying all students: Special Olympics Pennsylvania appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Learning Disabilities, Virtual Learning & the Parent-Teacher Partnership** Nov 23, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

One in five individuals has a learning difference or attention challenge. While these individuals are in many cases just as capable as their peers, they face obstacles, stigma and misconceptions that others do not. On this episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, podcast host Annette Stevenson is joined by Attorney Meghan Whittaker, the director of policy and advocacy at the National Center for Learning Disabilities. They discuss how virtual learning has impacted students with learning disabilities, signs that parents should look for to identify learning disabilities, how students of color are disproportionately impacted and NCLD’s Our Time, Our Vote campaign.
Skip to: 00:49 Can you tell us more about the National Center for Learning Disabilities?

“When we talk about learning and attention issues, we’re talking about disabilities that affect areas like reading, writing, math, attention, processing and executive functioning in students.”

“We accomplish our mission by empowering parents and young adults by transforming schools and advocating for equal rights.”

Skip to: 02:06 How is COVID-19 and virtual learning impacting students with learning disabilities?

“When school’s closed abruptly in the spring and students were sent home, that was a major disruption in the routines that they were used to, it was a disruption in the relationships that they had developed with teachers and with other students.”

“Students who didn’t get those required services through their IEP are likely going to be struggling even more to keep up with their virtual instruction, they may not have the accommodations that they need.”

Skip to: 05:04 With students learning from home in so many instances right now, what are some signs that parents can look for that their children might be struggling with a learning disability?

“I definitely encourage parents to pay attention to signs of struggle, and those signs will differ based on the age of your child or the subject that you’re talking about.”

“The important thing here is partnership with schools. It’s really important that parents now in this new role of not just caretaker, but kind of assistant teacher at home that they partner with teachers to really understand what’s going on.”

Skip to: 07:31 Can you tell us about the resources that you recently released to recognize some of these early signs in younger children that might not yet be identified?

“I think that the importance of looking at these early signs can’t be understated. The brain is malleable, so the earlier we can identify issues the better, because learning and attention issues are brain-based disorders.”

Skip to: 09:49 Students of color are disproportionately impacted by identification for special education. Can you tell us more about this and how schools can prevent this from occurring?

“So inappropriately placing children into special education can actually cause harm, particularly for students of color, students from low-income backgrounds.”

Skip to: 13:25 In the 2016 election, only about half of eligible individuals with disabilities voted, we know that from the data from that election. Can you tell us about the, Our Time, Our Vote campaign that NCLD organized this year and what’s that about?

“So civic participation is at the heart of the disability rights movement, so NCLD has worked to ensure that people with learning disabilities are engaged, informed and prepared to participate in civic life and voting is one part of that equation.”

Skip to: 15:30 How can school leaders and community members advocate for individuals with learning disabilities?

Q: Let’s start by understanding your organization a little bit and some of the objectives. Can you tell us a little bit more about NCLD?

A: So, the National Center for Learning Disabilities is a nonprofit advocacy organization, and we work to improve the lives of the one in five who have learning and attention issues. When we talk about learning and attention issues, we’re talking about disabilities that affect areas like reading, writing, math, attention, processing and executive functioning in students. If you think about the federal special education law IDEA, there’s 13 categories of disability. We’re often talking about students with specific learning disabilities, which is the largest category. Some of these students have an IEP and have been diagnosed and other struggle without receiving that support in schools, so we work on behalf of all of those students who struggle with learning or attention issues. We accomplish our mission by empowering parents and young adults by transforming schools and advocating for equal rights.

So, in my role as the director of policy and advocacy, I often work with Congress or the Department of Education to influence change. At a federal level, we work to support laws or regulations, identify grant programs that can support students and change policies to increase opportunities for students with learning and attention issues.

Q: The present circumstances we find ourselves in, how is COVID-19 and virtual learning impacting students with learning disabilities?

A: I’ll start by saying that the experience of students will vary from student-to-student, school-by-school and even district-by-district because no two districts are handling things the exact same way, and every child’s experience right now is going to be different based on a number of factors, but there’s three major issues that I often point to to understand what the impact has been for many students with learning disabilities. First, it relates to the social-emotional needs of students, the loss of routines and relationships, and just that general school experience that they’ve been so used to. When school’s closed abruptly in the spring and students were sent home, that was a major disruption in the routines that they were used to, it was a disruption in the relationships that they had developed with teachers and with other students.

For some, school had been a safe place for them and maybe one of the only safe places, and this is beyond just students with learning disabilities, but just all students, so there’s that social-emotional impact that we have to keep in mind. At the same time, we know that this pandemic has disproportionally impacted certain communities. Black communities have had a high fatality rate when it comes to COVID, students may have lost family members. So, there’s this additional processing of loss of grief that goes with that and the stress that has come along with it.

Then, on top of that social-emotional impact, there’s the instructional loss that students with disabilities have experienced. Many students with IEP did not get services for months on end, some did, some did not, so that will vary between schools or districts. So, students who didn’t get those required services through their IEP are likely going to be struggling even more to keep up with their virtual instruction, they may not have the accommodations that they need.

Then the third issue really is around accessibility, where virtual learning is happening and that’s a lot of places right now. We don’t necessarily know that the instruction students are getting is high quality or fully accessible, the software being used, instruction being delivered, and those things may not be designed with students with disabilities in mind. Parents at home may not know how to activate certain features in software, to turn on certain features or make that learning accessible for students, or it may not be compatible with the devices students use. So, it’s really important that we understand not just the social-emotional aspect, but also the instructional aspect and accessibility issues relating to students.

I think most concerning is that for many years students with disabilities have been really far behind their peers. If you look at the NAEP scores that just recently came out, the scores on reading and math have decreased for all students, but students with learning disabilities, 90% of them have been below proficient on math and reading. Then, you add in the instructional loss here, and it really points to the fact that we’ve got to do something different, we really have to rethink instruction and learning because remediation isn’t going to be enough going forward.

Q: So, with students learning from home in so many instances right now, what are some signs that parents can look for that their children might be struggling with a learning disability? Maybe I should clarify a little bit, you’ve mentioned that some are identified and have IEPs and others may not have an IEP or be identified. So, are there some things that parents can look for at home that might signify that some attention is needed there?

A: Absolutely. Parents who are able to be at home with their kids right now have a unique vantage point. A lot of them have told us, they’ve been able to observe their child in a kind of a different environment, see how the child’s participating in class, how they’re completing assignments, what their strengths are and where they’re struggling. So that’s all really important information to share with your child’s teacher, who now doesn’t get to see that child in the same light. So, learning from home is not going to be the same as in a classroom of course, the kinds of supports or accommodations your child might need may differ. So, I definitely encourage parents to pay attention to signs of struggle, and those signs will differ based on the age of your child or the subject that you’re talking about. You can learn more on our website, we have more of a list of age-appropriate signs and what parents should be looking for in reading and writing, math and attention.

Generally, when we’re thinking about how do we know if a student’s struggling, you can look for things like, is your child frustrated when doing their schoolwork? Are they avoiding certain things, do they avoid handwriting, do they avoid math? And seeing how your student is staying focused, how they’re engaged in virtual classes or if they’re not, and, of course, if they’re completing their work, but they’re not achieving the expected scores that you might anticipate. Those are all signs that you may want to talk to your child’s teacher to see are these new things or have you been seeing them in the classroom before COVID, are they persistent issues? And all of that will help you know if you should look deeper into what’s going on, if they’re new difficulties, or if they’re persistent difficulties, you might take different pathways.

But the important thing here is partnership with schools. It’s really important that parents now in this new role of not just caretaker, but kind of assistant teacher at home that they partner with teachers to really understand what’s going on. Understand what’s expected of my child at this grade level, and where are other students and how is my child comparing or is there something more that we need to dig into here.

Q: Okay. For parents of younger children, we’re talking about recognizing struggle signs and what to look for. Can you tell us about the resources that you recently released to recognize some of these early signs in younger children that might not yet be identified?

A: Yeah, absolutely. I think that the importance of looking at these early signs can’t be understated. The brain is malleable, so the earlier we can identify issues the better, because learning and attention issues are brain-based disorders. If there are challenges and how your brain is working in the pathways that have been developed in your brain, we can actually intervene to change those pathways and help your child do things differently and better handle the tasks associated with reading, math or writing. So, the more we can intervene with those early experiences, the more effective intervention can be. All too often, we take this kind of wait and see approach. We say, “Oh, it’s a normal part of child development” or “Your child will catch up.” But we know that for students with learning disabilities, they won’t do so without intervention. Of course, there are also social-emotional benefits to intervening early, which is another reason why it’s so important. Students who do struggle for a long time might experience higher rates of depression, anxiety or bullying, so it’s important that we avoid those consequences.

NCLD recently launched a new tool called the LD Checklist. We had this checklist that had been created for many years, but we made it interactive, so we launched it on our website just a couple months ago. It lists for each kind of content area or skill area based on your child’s age, all of the signs of LD. You can actually click through and check the signs that you might be seeing in your child and areas like social skills, reading, writing or math, and based on how many signs you check or you indicate that you’ve seen in your child, you can then determine whether further screening or evaluation might be needed, and it will also customize resources for you on those areas that you’ve identified an interest in. So, whether the student is learning at home now, whether they’re at school, parents can use it, educators can use it, pediatricians can use it, and it can be found at ncld.org/ldchecklist.

Q: Great. That sounds like a pretty effective tool. So, students of color are disproportionately impacted by identification for special education. Can you tell us more about this and how schools can prevent this from occurring?

A: Yeah. So, the term significant disproportionality is often used here and that refers to three trends that we see when we look at national data. First, students of color are disproportionately enrolled in special education when you compare them to their enrollment in general school populations. So, in other words, schools are identifying higher rates of disability in certain groups of students, certain racial and ethnic groups of students.

Second, students of color once they are identified for special education tend to be placed in more segregated settings. So, this means they’re spending less time in general education and more time separated from their peers. And then finally, students with disabilities who are students of color, have a higher rate of discipline, and they face harsher discipline for the very same behaviors that white students with disabilities would face.

This is not a simple topic to unpack in the short time that we have today, so I would encourage everyone to read more about it on NCLD website. I won’t do a deep dive into the differing theories on why this is or what the research says, but you can find more information at ncld.org. We have a discussion of the role of income or poverty and identification because we know race and income are highly correlated in our country. We also have a breakdown of data on specific student groups by ethnicity because the same trends are not apparent when you compare across, for example, Asian American students, Latinx students, Black students, right? There’re differences in the trends we’re seeing.

But the major takeaway here is that, while IDEA is a critically important law and it gives students with disabilities essential protections, it gives them access to specialized instruction. It can also be an inadequate solution for students who don’t actually have a disability and it’s not always the right response for those students. So inappropriately placing children into special education can actually cause harm, particularly for students of color, students from low-income backgrounds. Because when you misidentify a student and they kind of enter the special education track, they often are exposed to less rigorous curriculum, lower expectations, and fewer opportunities to succeed and transition to post-secondary education, so those are things we want to guard against.

And particularly right now in light of COVID, as I was talking about the social-emotional effects

we’re seeing on students, it’s really important that we take time and very carefully determine what challenges we’re seeing in our students and whether they have a disability and what setting is appropriate for them. If we know that COVID is adding additional stressors to students that could impact their learning, we need to be vigilant that we’re not just kind of funneling students into special education, but really carefully looking at what’s going on.

The goal is to get the right supports to students. If they need special education services, we should get that for them, but there may be other things we can do before we identify them for special education, so that’s kind of the impetus for releasing these documents. It’s been a long-standing trend in special education that we see students of color treated differently and identified at higher rates. Now I think is a really critical time, particularly in light of the systemic racism and racial injustice issues we’re really examining as a country. I think this is an important time for schools to also look at the steps that they can take to address these problems and these trends in our schools.

Q: Yeah. It sounds like what you’ve just described feeds into the opportunity gap issue that we see in students of color, so it further exacerbating it in other words.

A: Exactly.

Q: So, the election has recently occurred and in the 2016 election, only about half of eligible individuals with disabilities voted, we know that from the data from that election. Can you tell us about the Our Time, Our Vote campaign that NCLD organized this year and what’s that about?

A: So civic participation is at the heart of the disability rights movement, so NCLD has worked to ensure that people with learning disabilities are engaged, informed and prepared to participate in civic life and voting is one part of that equation. As you said, only about half of eligible voters with disabilities participated in 2016, and half of those who didn’t actually attribute it to their disability, that was kind of part of the reason why they didn’t vote. We know how powerful that collective LD voice can be, and we need more champions at all levels of our government to understand disability and keep disability at the forefront when we’re making decisions about our country.

We developed Our Time, Our Vote as a way to ensure that voters with learning disabilities had the resources, the information and the tools that they needed to vote. So as part of it we created resources to ensure that voters with LD know their rights. They know that they have the right to ask for accommodations at the poll, they have the right to have somebody accompany them if needed. We created voting guides for individuals with disabilities and voting guides for organizations who support elections because oftentimes LD is not part of the conversation or the types of disabilities you think about when you talk about accessibility at the polls. Not everyone understands, you may need the ballot sheet read out loud to you if you have a reading disability. So, our goal was to really make sure people understood the needs of LD voters, that LD voters were informed, empowered, and that we came together as a community to take action and exercise the right to vote this year in a particularly important election.

Q: Yeah. Absolutely. With making voting accessible in other ways and attending to those additional layers of need, potentially. Addressing the school leader perspective, how can school leaders and community members advocate for individuals with learning disabilities? What’s a way that they can jump in and make a difference and contribute to those advocacy needs?

A: There’s a range of ways to get involved in different places where you could step in. One of the biggest challenges I think the LD community faces is stigma. Part of the solution to eliminating that stigma is to get informed, no matter who you are, you can start by learning. The first step I would say is to get formed and help change those expectations, whether it’s in your local community, whether it’s in the workplace, it’s something we need to join together and really push for.

Importantly, I think there’s other small ways that you can take action. Special education is underfunded and it has been underfunded for decades. COVID-19 is making the budget crisis even worse at the state and local level for schools in general. So, without enough funding, none of our students are going to get the supports and services that they need. You can send a letter, you can make a phone call to your state or federal representatives. If you’re in a position on a school board or in the administration at a district level, you can also share your opinions there and make sure you’re talking about student groups who might need the most support during this time and how to prioritize funding for students with disabilities. In organizations like NCLD have standard letters that you can send by just clicking a button. So, there’s lots of easy ways that you can make your voice heard.

If you are involved and you want to advocate even more, we have tool kits that you can use to set meetings, to have conversations about specific things that states and district leaders should be doing right now to support students with LD. You can talk about the kinds of professional development that educators should receive, how funding should be allocated, how to address things like the school to prison pipeline. There are so many ways and so many issues you can get involved on and connecting with organizations like NCLD or even local organizations are a great place to start to begin pushing for change and supporting efforts wherever you might.

Q: So, I was going to ask you where listeners can find more resources and it sounds like it’s your website. It sounds like your website is chocked full of a lot of great resources and just information. So can you say your website one more time for us?

A: Yes. To learn more or to get involved, you can visit our website at www.ncld.org. You can find our latest research reports, you can find updates on policy, tools for advocacy and you can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Meghan Whittaker, Esq.

Meghan Whittaker is the director of policy and advocacy at the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). She leads the development of NCLD’s policy agenda on issues critical to the success of students with learning and attention issues and their families. Meghan works closely with the public policy and advocacy team to generate, develop, and implement federal policy initiatives that protect the rights of and advance opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Meghan previously served as NCLD’s policy and advocacy manager, where she worked with her team to implement NCLD’s legislative strategy in Washington, DC, and advance government policies that support the success of individuals with learning and attention issues in school, at work and in life. She supported advocacy campaigns and engaged with NCLD’s grassroots network of committed parents.

Before joining NCLD, Meghan completed her law degree and her master’s degree in social work at the Catholic University of America. She has dedicated her career to advocating for children and families on various issues. She has worked with the DC Public Defender Service in their Juvenile Services Program and with Children’s Law Center’s Guardian ad Litem Project. She also has worked as a therapist for children with behavioral and emotional challenges, and served as an educational surrogate parent for a student with a learning disability.

Meghan earned her undergraduate degree in psychology and criminology from Stonehill College.

National Center for Learning Disabilities website

The LD Checklist

Significant Disproportionality in Special Education report

Our Time, Our Vote campaign

The post Learning Disabilities, Virtual Learning & the Parent-Teacher Partnership appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Student Voice in State Government** Nov 10, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

On this episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, podcast host Annette Stevenson discusses the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils’ Government Relations program with a panel of the organization’s leadership. 2020 PASC State President Jasmine Evans, PASC State President-Elect Carissa Stefanski, PASC Executive Director Rose Ann Fulena and PASC Assistant Executive Director Felix Yerace discuss the role of a student representative on the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the take-away lessons from the experiences and the broader benefits of being an involved student leader.
Skip to: 02:04 Can you give us an overview of the government relations program that places students as representatives on the Pennsylvania State Board of Education?

“That’s an opportunity for the voting members, the adult members of the board, to be able to have student voice and student perspective when they’re making their decisions.”

“The program is open to any student who is in 10th grade who is attending a public school in Pennsylvania.”

Skip to: 04:44 From the student perspective, what are some of the responsibilities and experiences of this role that you enjoy the most and some that you feel you’ll take with you into your career?

“You really start to get comfortable communicating with new people and being able to work with so many different personalities, which I definitely think is a skill that I will be able to use in the future.”

“I think teamwork and communication would be the two things I take with me in the future, because everywhere you go, you’re surrounded by people and communicating is a natural thing you have to do with people.”

Skip to: 06:39 What was some of your early motivation for becoming involved in PASC?

“My advisor thought I should attend a PASC Conference in 2018, so that made me want to get more involved by watching one person being able to impact others by their leadership.”

“The most valuable thing I think I’ve learned is to believe in myself, because I know I can do anything as long as I put my mind to it.”

Skip to: 08:20 What was your reason for becoming involved with the organization?

“Seeing what that has done, year after year, for my own students, is what has kept me coming back year after year. And being able to spread that throughout the commonwealth is what keeps me in that role, why I continue.”

“This is learning that these students, just can’t get in a regular classroom, and I think that what is so valuable and so unique about organizations like PASC is that we can help teach students skills that wouldn’t otherwise be able to teach them in a traditional 48 minute class”

Skip to: 14:38 Is there quite a lot that you’ve learned from this experience about how state government works that you wouldn’t have known before?

“Just sitting in on the interview process for the State Board of Education representatives, you really do get to learn a lot about what the State Board of Education does for the students in our state.”

Skip to: 15:49 What advice would you have for other students who are looking to gain leadership experience?

“My biggest advice in general definitely be to just take advantage of every single opportunity that comes your way.”

Skip to: 16:46 Where should listeners go for more information on PASC?

Q: Can you give us an overview of the Government Relations Program that places students as representatives on the Pennsylvania State Board of Education?

**A (Felix):** Certainly. The Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils (PASC) is very fortunate and very proud and very honored to have over a 10-year working relationship with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). We have been charged by PDE to facilitate, manage and oversee the selection process for student representation on the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education added two student representatives in a non-voting role a little over 10 years ago. That’s an opportunity for the voting members, the adult members of the board, to be able to have student voice and student perspective when they’re making their decisions.

The position is a two-year commitment. We solicit applications from sophomores. So, the program is open to any student who is in 10th grade who is attending a public school in Pennsylvania. The applications typically go out early in the calendar year, so typically in January they would become available. They’re due back at the end of February. Our organization goes through and we typically will narrow down the applicants to usually five to six finalists that we will invite to Harrisburg. And those students will participate in a day-long interview process where they’ll be not only meeting with one another and engaging in some collaborative activities, but also engaging in individual interviews as well.

The selection panel is typically made up of both student and adult representatives from PASC, and typically also has representation from the State Board of Education as well. And then we will select a student, and again, it is a two-year commitment, so that student would be selected in the spring of their sophomore year and would be serving really until right before they graduate at the end of their senior year of high school. It obviously is a tremendous leadership opportunity for the student to be able to be a voice at the table whenever those decisions are being made that impact all students in the commonwealth in the schools. I think it’s also been very valuable and helpful for the adult members as well to be able to have that voice readily there, to be able to provide a perspective for what is actually taking place in the classrooms in Pennsylvania today.

Q: From the student perspective, what are some of the responsibilities and experiences of this role that you enjoy the most and some that you feel you might take with you as you continue on into college years and into thoughts about your career? You want to address that, Jasmine?

**A (Jasmine):** Yeah. I think I have two main ones, but as the PASC president, I’m in charge of leading our executive board meetings, so that has definitely been a really big responsibility that has taught me a lot specifically about planning ahead of time. So, if I don’t prepare ahead of time, then the whole meeting doesn’t really run as smoothly as it should, which I think is a very important skill to have just in all aspects of life. As president, I also have had a lot of opportunities to go to a bunch of leadership development programs. And then while you’re there, you of course learn the actual leadership curriculum, but you’re also taught useful skills without necessarily realizing it at the time.

So for example, you meet a lot of different people there, and then you really start to get comfortable communicating with new people and being able to work with so many different personalities, which I definitely think is a skill that I will be able to use in the future.

Q: Definitely. Carissa, do you have anything to add to that?

**A (Carissa):** Yeah. So for me, I think teamwork and communication would be the two things I take with me in the future, because everywhere you go, you’re surrounded by people and communicating is a natural thing you have to do with people. So, I also think sharing ideas could help both people when working together. If the other person doesn’t know how to share ideas, you can show them how.

Q: Yeah, absolutely. It sounds like a lot of valuable lessons coming out of that that are very applicable to the rest of your life in many respects. What was some of your early motivation for becoming involved with PASC? To you, Jasmine and Carissa, both of you, what was some of that sort of early reason that you wanted to get involved?

**A (Jasmine):** Well, I actually originally started student council in middle school because my older sister was the president of our student council. So then as a younger sister, I was like, “Of course I want to do it too.” And honestly, I kind of wanted to do it a little bit more and be more involved than she was, just because I’m competitive. But then through that, I got to be able to go to the PASC events and learn about different opportunities, specifically our middle-level representatives opportunity. I was really interested in that and wanted to apply for that, but I actually never ended up applying. Then the opportunity came for me to be able to fill that position and join the board, which got me involved in PASC even more. That eventually led me to running for the state president position.

Q: Great. Carissa, how about you? Any early reasons or rationale as to why you were interested?

**A (Carissa):** I got involved with student council in middle school as well. My advisor thought I should attend a PASC Conference in 2018, so that made me want to get more involved by watching one person being able to impact others by their leadership. So, I wanted to show my peers the same thing. The most valuable thing I think I’ve learned is to believe in myself, because I know I can do anything as long as I put my mind to it.

Q: Absolutely. Stretching for something, always a great idea. I’m going to turn this over to the adult side too. So, Rose and Felix, what was your reason for becoming involved with the organization?

**A (Rose Ann):** Well, it’s interesting. For me, it started 27 years ago at the beginning of my career. The high school student council advisor in our school was what we in PASC referred to as a George Meyer kid. George Meyer was a standout on the PASC Executive Board for a number of years. He ran one of our summer camp programs, he hosted a national conference, and she was one of his students in high school. Because of that connection, she had gotten one of our students involved on the PASC Executive Board, and then she needed to go onto maternity leave and asked me if I would escort this student to different PASC functions. And that was really the first I knew of it. Now that’s how I got involved in it, but not why I stayed.

In those years, I have been involved since then, I served on our board just for our eight-county area, and then on the state board as well before I became the executive director in 2014. People have always asked me about the benefits of membership, and I tell them I can give you a laundry list of the reasons, our little elevator speech as to why you should be a member of PASC. But for me, as an advisor, you can sit in any one of my meetings and you can point out the kids who participate only within the walls of our school and the kids who are involved at the PASC level, and the difference in their leadership is just immeasurable.

And seeing what that has done, year after year, for my own students, is what has kept me coming back year after year. Being able to spread that throughout the commonwealth is what keeps me in that role, why I continue. It’s always a challenge. It’s not a full-time job, Felix and I are both classroom teachers. So, it’s extra time for us, but the benefits, as you can see through Jasmine and Carissa, what PASC leadership training does. It’s just so incredibly worth it.

Q: How many years have you been involved, Rose Ann?

**A (Rose Ann):** Twenty-six. The first year I was there, I just was there helping out, and I became a middle school student council advisor the very next year. I then would take my middle school kids with her high school kids when she came back from maternity leave, I kind of did it with her. I’ve been with several different advisors, I have co-advisors now. I have been an advisor and involved in PASC since then.

Q: Oh, great. Well, that’s obviously testimony to how fulfilling it is. Felix, what was your kind of inroad working with the organization?

**A (Felix):** Sure. Well, I kind of followed a little bit of a trajectory along the lines of Carissa and Jasmine in that I was a former student who was involved in PASC. Although I was nowhere near as involved at the level that they are, I was serving on our state board. When I was a student, I was impacted by PASC going to conferences, going to the summer leadership camps. So, from a personal standpoint, I knew the impact of the organization. So, when I became a teacher, I knew I wanted to be a student council advisor. And when I was given the opportunity to become a student council advisor in my first year teaching, I knew that I had to get my school involved in PASC, because I knew the impact that it would have, not only on my students, but also on the school as well.

As one example of that, we now have a Diversity Committee here at South Fayette. The gentleman who is in charge of that, Dr. Chuck Herring, actually contacted me because of some of the programs that they’re doing, he told me, he said, “I really need to thank you, because not only are your students coming up with so many of the ideas, but they’re bringing ideas from PASC and what they’ve learned from the different programs. But they also have the leadership development as a result of their participation to be able to help us do things even beyond student council.” So, I think for me, the reason why I stay involved is I am a social studies teacher. I teach AP government, I teach US history, and I also am fortunate enough to be able to teach leadership electives here at South Fayette as well. I know the impact that organizations like PASC have on students, even beyond just student council, and even beyond just what they’re doing in our organization.

This is my 16th year as a teacher, seeing the impact on our school culture and climate, but also then seeing the increase in student engagement in student leadership, and just more broadly in civic engagement amongst my students, I see the impact that it has on them individually. I also see the impact that it has had on our school with some of the programs that we’ve been able to accomplish here at South Fayette, and that my students have been able to work on, even on a regional basis and a statewide basis. Quite frankly, I think Rose would agree with me, that this is learning that these students just can’t get in a regular classroom. I think that what is so valuable and what is so neat about organizations like PASC is that we can help teach students skills that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to teach them in a traditional 48-minute class. I guess the last thing I would say is you never know the impact that you can have on somebody even maybe decades down the road.

So Rose had mentioned George Meyer, who was a long-term Board Member of ours in PASC, and who actually hosted the 1985 National Student Council Conference at Bethel Park High School. He was actually a camp director, in fact was my camp director whenever I went to summer camp, whenever I was in high school. In 2019, I was fortunate enough to be able to host the National Student Council Conference here at South Fayette. And George Meyer, his grandson, was actually one of my two conference co-chairs. So to think that Dan wasn’t even alive whenever I was in high school and we were able to complete the circle by having one of George’s grandkids, he hosted the conference and then one of his grandkids was able to host the conference here in 2019, I think it also goes to show that you never know how the lives that you will touch, even decades later, can come back and have a positive impact on you, on people you love and care about, and on your school and on your community as well.

Q: You talked a little bit about some of the learning that occurs that the educators couldn’t possibly replicate or teach in the classroom. And Jasmine and Carissa, I’m going to ask you to think about that a little bit. So, is there quite a lot that you’ve learned from this experience about state government, how state government works, that you wouldn’t have known before? Did you go into the experience kind of already being quite informed in that area?

**A (Jasmine):** Well, we run all of our state board meetings by parliamentary procedure, which is something that I had absolutely no idea about. Through the board, I got to learn more about that kind of process, which I know happens a lot in government. And then also just sitting in on the interview process for the State Board of Education representatives, you really do get to learn a lot about what the State Board of Education does for the students in our state.

Q: Yeah, I imagine that’s not something that every student really knows all that much about. How about you Carissa? Did you gain additional knowledge in that area through these experiences?

**A (Carissa):** Yeah. Through PASC, through our board meetings, I have learned so much more than I ever thought I would. Just having the position, I have had to research a lot on my own just to know what’s going on.

Q: I bet. I bet. Just to be informed for it. So, what advice would you have for students or what guidance would you have for other students who are looking to gain leadership experience? So there’s obviously some amazing opportunities through PASC, is there anything beyond that, that you would recommend for fellow students?

**A (Jasmine):** My biggest advice, in general, would definitely be to just take advantage of absolutely every opportunity that comes your way. Like as Felix was saying earlier, you really can’t learn all of this in a classroom. So, no matter how big or how small the opportunity may seem, you just don’t know what you’ll learn or what can come out from it.

Q: Great. And Carissa, how about you? Any additional guidance?

**A (Carissa):** Yeah. So, if you are in a club in school other than student council, I’m sure you can go to your advisor and just talk to them about other leadership positions that are available.

Q: Any type of leadership opportunity is going to give you that broader perspective, I guess. Right?

**A (Carissa):** Yeah.

Q: So if listeners who are looking for more information on PASC and all that there is to offer in that organization, whether it be from the educator/advisor side or the student side, where should they go to look for that information?

**A (Rose Ann):** We do have a website. It is www.pasc.net. We also have a Facebook page, we have some social media presence. I think the majority of information, you can find everything you need, on the PASC website. The other thing that I like about that is that we do have different regions. We have 10 regions throughout the commonwealth, and each of those regions has a student representative and an adult representative. And I think that it is beneficial. There are a lot of programs that are statewide, but sometimes that’s not an attainable goal for everyone. At that more local level, that is definitely more achievable. So, our website also gives information on the more local opportunities.

I also would just like to point out, with both Jasmine and Carissa, when they’re talking about the leadership activities. Clearly this is a very tumultuous time with schools that are on virtual learning only, in hybrid plans and so much going on. These two young ladies ran our first-ever 54-person virtual board meeting in August. I think it was an absolutely amazing thing. And to me, these are the leaders. They’re the ones showing us this can happen and it can be successful. They did such a tremendous job with their responsibilities in that role. I think if we get more people involved all across the commonwealth, a lot of good things can happen here in a not so great time for us.

Carissa Stefanski

North Pocono High School sophomore, Carissa Stefanski, has over 5 years of experience with student council. Carissa has gained much knowledge with a tremendous amount of hard work. She has grown and improved her leadership skills with these student council opportunities. Carissa is the 2021 PASC State President. She has attended and participated in numerous PASC related events such as attending 3 PASC Summer Leadership Camps, 3 PASC State Conferences, 5 PASC Regional Conferences, and the 2020 Virtual National Student Council Conference. Carissa served as the PASC Region H Board for 2 years before being elected to the state president position. Carissa is very excited about her diversity presidential project and is working toward making a difference. She is also the 2023 class Historian for her high school. Carissa has a passion for student council, but she also has a great interest for Mini-THON and her school’s varsity tennis team.

Jasmine Evans

Jasmine Evans is a junior at Fleetwood Area High School. She has been heavily involved with Student Council since 6th grade, holding an officer position at her school and serving on the PASC Executive Board since 8th grade. Through her time with PASC, she has had so many unique learning experiences and made tremendous improvements with her confidence as a leader. Jasmine has attended 17 leadership camps and conferences overall and credits her growth to those opportunities. Outside of Student Council, Jasmine participates on her school’s sideline and competitive cheer team. She is also the Junior Class President, Book Club Treasurer, FBLA Communicator, and a Yearbook section editor. She also actively participates in Artifact, Model UN, and Relay for Life.

Felix Yerace

Felix Yerace is the Assistant Executive Director and Advanced Summer Leadership Camp Co-Director for the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils (PASC). Professionally, Felix is an educator at South Fayette School District, where among other responsibilities he teaches two semester long leadership classes for high school students, using a curriculum he designed. Working with the University of Pittsburgh, he helped establish a College in High School (CHS) Leadership course for high school students. Felix also teaches AP/CHS US and AP Comparative Government & Politics, Honors/CHS US History 1865-Present, and Applied Positive Psychology at his school. At South Fayette, Felix is co-advisor of Student Government, Interact, and Link Crew.

Felix also served a two-year term as an adult member of the NASSP Student Leadership Advisory Committee, where he helped create a student leadership and engagement initiative on Global Citizenship. He was also the 2019 NASSP National Student Council Conference host adviser. He is also a faculty member for the NASSP NHS State Summit Series and has taught Project Management and Sociology through the Jesuit Worldwide Learning – Higher Education at the Margins program. Felix also serves on the Board of Directors of The Global Switchboard, a nonprofit in Pittsburgh, and is on the Executive Board for Pennsylvania ASCD and a member of the Pennsylvania Teachers Advisory Committee. He is also a peer reviewer for the International Journal of Servant-Leadership. Felix has been recognized for his work by being named a 2015 ASCD emerging leader in education and the 2010 PASC high school student council advisor of the year, among other awards.

Felix holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh in History and Political Science, with a minor in Economics, a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Public Management degree from the H. John Heinz III College at Carnegie Mellon University, a Master of Applied Positive Psychology degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University.

Rose Ann Fulena

Roe earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Westminster College and a Master’s degree in Education from Slippery Rock University. She teaches seventh and eighth grade math in the Union Area School District where she serves as advisor to the middle school and high school student councils and chess club and is the vice president of the teachers association. She has been on the PASC Executive Board since 2002 having served as a District Director for twelve years prior to becoming Executive Director and also served as a summer leadership camp director for twelve years. She served on the NatStuCo Executive Board from 2006-2008. Roe is vice president of the Lawrence County Historical Society Board of Directors and the Union Twp. Lions Club and is a member of the Alpha Sigma chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, a society of key women educators.

Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils website

The post Student Voice in State Government appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Student Voice in State Government** Nov 10, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

On this episode of *Keystone Education Radio*, podcast host Annette Stevenson discusses the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils’ Government Relations program with a panel of the organization’s leadership. 2020 PASC State President Jasmine Evans, PASC State President-Elect Carissa Stefanski, PASC Executive Director Rose Ann Fulena and PASC Assistant Executive Director Felix Yerace discuss the role of a student representative on the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the take-away lessons from the experiences and the broader benefits of being an involved student leader.
Skip to: 02:04 Can you give us an overview of the government relations program that places students as representatives on the Pennsylvania State Board of Education?

“That’s an opportunity for the voting members, the adult members of the board, to be able to have student voice and student perspective when they’re making their decisions.”

“The program is open to any student who is in 10th grade who is attending a public school in Pennsylvania.”

Skip to: 04:44 From the student perspective, what are some of the responsibilities and experiences of this role that you enjoy the most and some that you feel you’ll take with you into your career?

“You really start to get comfortable communicating with new people and being able to work with so many different personalities, which I definitely think is a skill that I will be able to use in the future.”

“I think teamwork and communication would be the two things I take with me in the future, because everywhere you go, you’re surrounded by people and communicating is a natural thing you have to do with people.”

Skip to: 06:39 What was some of your early motivation for becoming involved in PASC?

“My advisor thought I should attend a PASC Conference in 2018, so that made me want to get more involved by watching one person being able to impact others by their leadership.”

“The most valuable thing I think I’ve learned is to believe in myself, because I know I can do anything as long as I put my mind to it.”

Skip to: 08:20 What was your reason for becoming involved with the organization?

“Seeing what that has done, year after year, for my own students, is what has kept me coming back year after year. And being able to spread that throughout the commonwealth is what keeps me in that role, why I continue.”

“This is learning that these students, just can’t get in a regular classroom, and I think that what is so valuable and so unique about organizations like PASC is that we can help teach students skills that wouldn’t otherwise be able to teach them in a traditional 48 minute class”

Skip to: 14:38 Is there quite a lot that you’ve learned from this experience about how state government works that you wouldn’t have known before?

“Just sitting in on the interview process for the State Board of Education representatives, you really do get to learn a lot about what the State Board of Education does for the students in our state.”

Skip to: 15:49 What advice would you have for other students who are looking to gain leadership experience?

“My biggest advice in general definitely be to just take advantage of every single opportunity that comes your way.”

Skip to: 16:46 Where should listeners go for more information on PASC?

Q: Can you give us an overview of the Government Relations Program that places students as representatives on the Pennsylvania State Board of Education?

**A (Felix):** Certainly. The Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils (PASC) is very fortunate and very proud and very honored to have over a 10-year working relationship with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). We have been charged by PDE to facilitate, manage and oversee the selection process for student representation on the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education added two student representatives in a non-voting role a little over 10 years ago. That’s an opportunity for the voting members, the adult members of the board, to be able to have student voice and student perspective when they’re making their decisions.

The position is a two-year commitment. We solicit applications from sophomores. So, the program is open to any student who is in 10th grade who is attending a public school in Pennsylvania. The applications typically go out early in the calendar year, so typically in January they would become available. They’re due back at the end of February. Our organization goes through and we typically will narrow down the applicants to usually five to six finalists that we will invite to Harrisburg. And those students will participate in a day-long interview process where they’ll be not only meeting with one another and engaging in some collaborative activities, but also engaging in individual interviews as well.

The selection panel is typically made up of both student and adult representatives from PASC, and typically also has representation from the State Board of Education as well. And then we will select a student, and again, it is a two-year commitment, so that student would be selected in the spring of their sophomore year and would be serving really until right before they graduate at the end of their senior year of high school. It obviously is a tremendous leadership opportunity for the student to be able to be a voice at the table whenever those decisions are being made that impact all students in the commonwealth in the schools. I think it’s also been very valuable and helpful for the adult members as well to be able to have that voice readily there, to be able to provide a perspective for what is actually taking place in the classrooms in Pennsylvania today.

Q: From the student perspective, what are some of the responsibilities and experiences of this role that you enjoy the most and some that you feel you might take with you as you continue on into college years and into thoughts about your career? You want to address that, Jasmine?

**A (Jasmine):** Yeah. I think I have two main ones, but as the PASC president, I’m in charge of leading our executive board meetings, so that has definitely been a really big responsibility that has taught me a lot specifically about planning ahead of time. So, if I don’t prepare ahead of time, then the whole meeting doesn’t really run as smoothly as it should, which I think is a very important skill to have just in all aspects of life. As president, I also have had a lot of opportunities to go to a bunch of leadership development programs. And then while you’re there, you of course learn the actual leadership curriculum, but you’re also taught useful skills without necessarily realizing it at the time.

So for example, you meet a lot of different people there, and then you really start to get comfortable communicating with new people and being able to work with so many different personalities, which I definitely think is a skill that I will be able to use in the future.

Q: Definitely. Carissa, do you have anything to add to that?

**A (Carissa):** Yeah. So for me, I think teamwork and communication would be the two things I take with me in the future, because everywhere you go, you’re surrounded by people and communicating is a natural thing you have to do with people. So, I also think sharing ideas could help both people when working together. If the other person doesn’t know how to share ideas, you can show them how.

Q: Yeah, absolutely. It sounds like a lot of valuable lessons coming out of that that are very applicable to the rest of your life in many respects. What was some of your early motivation for becoming involved with PASC? To you, Jasmine and Carissa, both of you, what was some of that sort of early reason that you wanted to get involved?

**A (Jasmine):** Well, I actually originally started student council in middle school because my older sister was the president of our student council. So then as a younger sister, I was like, “Of course I want to do it too.” And honestly, I kind of wanted to do it a little bit more and be more involved than she was, just because I’m competitive. But then through that, I got to be able to go to the PASC events and learn about different opportunities, specifically our middle-level representatives opportunity. I was really interested in that and wanted to apply for that, but I actually never ended up applying. Then the opportunity came for me to be able to fill that position and join the board, which got me involved in PASC even more. That eventually led me to running for the state president position.

Q: Great. Carissa, how about you? Any early reasons or rationale as to why you were interested?

**A (Carissa):** I got involved with student council in middle school as well. My advisor thought I should attend a PASC Conference in 2018, so that made me want to get more involved by watching one person being able to impact others by their leadership. So, I wanted to show my peers the same thing. The most valuable thing I think I’ve learned is to believe in myself, because I know I can do anything as long as I put my mind to it.

Q: Absolutely. Stretching for something, always a great idea. I’m going to turn this over to the adult side too. So, Rose and Felix, what was your reason for becoming involved with the organization?

**A (Rose Ann):** Well, it’s interesting. For me, it started 27 years ago at the beginning of my career. The high school student council advisor in our school was what we in PASC referred to as a George Meyer kid. George Meyer was a standout on the PASC Executive Board for a number of years. He ran one of our summer camp programs, he hosted a national conference, and she was one of his students in high school. Because of that connection, she had gotten one of our students involved on the PASC Executive Board, and then she needed to go onto maternity leave and asked me if I would escort this student to different PASC functions. And that was really the first I knew of it. Now that’s how I got involved in it, but not why I stayed.

In those years, I have been involved since then, I served on our board just for our eight-county area, and then on the state board as well before I became the executive director in 2014. People have always asked me about the benefits of membership, and I tell them I can give you a laundry list of the reasons, our little elevator speech as to why you should be a member of PASC. But for me, as an advisor, you can sit in any one of my meetings and you can point out the kids who participate only within the walls of our school and the kids who are involved at the PASC level, and the difference in their leadership is just immeasurable.

And seeing what that has done, year after year, for my own students, is what has kept me coming back year after year. Being able to spread that throughout the commonwealth is what keeps me in that role, why I continue. It’s always a challenge. It’s not a full-time job, Felix and I are both classroom teachers. So, it’s extra time for us, but the benefits, as you can see through Jasmine and Carissa, what PASC leadership training does. It’s just so incredibly worth it.

Q: How many years have you been involved, Rose Ann?

**A (Rose Ann):** Twenty-six. The first year I was there, I just was there helping out, and I became a middle school student council advisor the very next year. I then would take my middle school kids with her high school kids when she came back from maternity leave, I kind of did it with her. I’ve been with several different advisors, I have co-advisors now. I have been an advisor and involved in PASC since then.

Q: Oh, great. Well, that’s obviously testimony to how fulfilling it is. Felix, what was your kind of inroad working with the organization?

**A (Felix):** Sure. Well, I kind of followed a little bit of a trajectory along the lines of Carissa and Jasmine in that I was a former student who was involved in PASC. Although I was nowhere near as involved at the level that they are, I was serving on our state board. When I was a student, I was impacted by PASC going to conferences, going to the summer leadership camps. So, from a personal standpoint, I knew the impact of the organization. So, when I became a teacher, I knew I wanted to be a student council advisor. And when I was given the opportunity to become a student council advisor in my first year teaching, I knew that I had to get my school involved in PASC, because I knew the impact that it would have, not only on my students, but also on the school as well.

As one example of that, we now have a Diversity Committee here at South Fayette. The gentleman who is in charge of that, Dr. Chuck Herring, actually contacted me because of some of the programs that they’re doing, he told me, he said, “I really need to thank you, because not only are your students coming up with so many of the ideas, but they’re bringing ideas from PASC and what they’ve learned from the different programs. But they also have the leadership development as a result of their participation to be able to help us do things even beyond student council.” So, I think for me, the reason why I stay involved is I am a social studies teacher. I teach AP government, I teach US history, and I also am fortunate enough to be able to teach leadership electives here at South Fayette as well. I know the impact that organizations like PASC have on students, even beyond just student council, and even beyond just what they’re doing in our organization.

This is my 16th year as a teacher, seeing the impact on our school culture and climate, but also then seeing the increase in student engagement in student leadership, and just more broadly in civic engagement amongst my students, I see the impact that it has on them individually. I also see the impact that it has had on our school with some of the programs that we’ve been able to accomplish here at South Fayette, and that my students have been able to work on, even on a regional basis and a statewide basis. Quite frankly, I think Rose would agree with me, that this is learning that these students just can’t get in a regular classroom. I think that what is so valuable and what is so neat about organizations like PASC is that we can help teach students skills that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to teach them in a traditional 48-minute class. I guess the last thing I would say is you never know the impact that you can have on somebody even maybe decades down the road.

So Rose had mentioned George Meyer, who was a long-term Board Member of ours in PASC, and who actually hosted the 1985 National Student Council Conference at Bethel Park High School. He was actually a camp director, in fact was my camp director whenever I went to summer camp, whenever I was in high school. In 2019, I was fortunate enough to be able to host the National Student Council Conference here at South Fayette. And George Meyer, his grandson, was actually one of my two conference co-chairs. So to think that Dan wasn’t even alive whenever I was in high school and we were able to complete the circle by having one of George’s grandkids, he hosted the conference and then one of his grandkids was able to host the conference here in 2019, I think it also goes to show that you never know how the lives that you will touch, even decades later, can come back and have a positive impact on you, on people you love and care about, and on your school and on your community as well.

Q: You talked a little bit about some of the learning that occurs that the educators couldn’t possibly replicate or teach in the classroom. And Jasmine and Carissa, I’m going to ask you to think about that a little bit. So, is there quite a lot that you’ve learned from this experience about state government, how state government works, that you wouldn’t have known before? Did you go into the experience kind of already being quite informed in that area?

**A (Jasmine):** Well, we run all of our state board meetings by parliamentary procedure, which is something that I had absolutely no idea about. Through the board, I got to learn more about that kind of process, which I know happens a lot in government. And then also just sitting in on the interview process for the State Board of Education representatives, you really do get to learn a lot about what the State Board of Education does for the students in our state.

Q: Yeah, I imagine that’s not something that every student really knows all that much about. How about you Carissa? Did you gain additional knowledge in that area through these experiences?

**A (Carissa):** Yeah. Through PASC, through our board meetings, I have learned so much more than I ever thought I would. Just having the position, I have had to research a lot on my own just to know what’s going on.

Q: I bet. I bet. Just to be informed for it. So, what advice would you have for students or what guidance would you have for other students who are looking to gain leadership experience? So there’s obviously some amazing opportunities through PASC, is there anything beyond that, that you would recommend for fellow students?

**A (Jasmine):** My biggest advice, in general, would definitely be to just take advantage of absolutely every opportunity that comes your way. Like as Felix was saying earlier, you really can’t learn all of this in a classroom. So, no matter how big or how small the opportunity may seem, you just don’t know what you’ll learn or what can come out from it.

Q: Great. And Carissa, how about you? Any additional guidance?

**A (Carissa):** Yeah. So, if you are in a club in school other than student council, I’m sure you can go to your advisor and just talk to them about other leadership positions that are available.

Q: Any type of leadership opportunity is going to give you that broader perspective, I guess. Right?

**A (Carissa):** Yeah.

Q: So if listeners who are looking for more information on PASC and all that there is to offer in that organization, whether it be from the educator/advisor side or the student side, where should they go to look for that information?

**A (Rose Ann):** We do have a website. It is www.pasc.net. We also have a Facebook page, we have some social media presence. I think the majority of information, you can find everything you need, on the PASC website. The other thing that I like about that is that we do have different regions. We have 10 regions throughout the commonwealth, and each of those regions has a student representative and an adult representative. And I think that it is beneficial. There are a lot of programs that are statewide, but sometimes that’s not an attainable goal for everyone. At that more local level, that is definitely more achievable. So, our website also gives information on the more local opportunities.

I also would just like to point out, with both Jasmine and Carissa, when they’re talking about the leadership activities. Clearly this is a very tumultuous time with schools that are on virtual learning only, in hybrid plans and so much going on. These two young ladies ran our first-ever 54-person virtual board meeting in August. I think it was an absolutely amazing thing. And to me, these are the leaders. They’re the ones showing us this can happen and it can be successful. They did such a tremendous job with their responsibilities in that role. I think if we get more people involved all across the commonwealth, a lot of good things can happen here in a not so great time for us.

Carissa Stefanski

North Pocono High School sophomore, Carissa Stefanski, has over 5 years of experience with student council. Carissa has gained much knowledge with a tremendous amount of hard work. She has grown and improved her leadership skills with these student council opportunities. Carissa is the 2021 PASC State President. She has attended and participated in numerous PASC related events such as attending 3 PASC Summer Leadership Camps, 3 PASC State Conferences, 5 PASC Regional Conferences, and the 2020 Virtual National Student Council Conference. Carissa served as the PASC Region H Board for 2 years before being elected to the state president position. Carissa is very excited about her diversity presidential project and is working toward making a difference. She is also the 2023 class Historian for her high school. Carissa has a passion for student council, but she also has a great interest for Mini-THON and her school’s varsity tennis team.

Jasmine Evans

Jasmine Evans is a junior at Fleetwood Area High School. She has been heavily involved with Student Council since 6th grade, holding an officer position at her school and serving on the PASC Executive Board since 8th grade. Through her time with PASC, she has had so many unique learning experiences and made tremendous improvements with her confidence as a leader. Jasmine has attended 17 leadership camps and conferences overall and credits her growth to those opportunities. Outside of Student Council, Jasmine participates on her school’s sideline and competitive cheer team. She is also the Junior Class President, Book Club Treasurer, FBLA Communicator, and a Yearbook section editor. She also actively participates in Artifact, Model UN, and Relay for Life.

Felix Yerace

Felix Yerace is the Assistant Executive Director and Advanced Summer Leadership Camp Co-Director for the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils (PASC). Professionally, Felix is an educator at South Fayette School District, where among other responsibilities he teaches two semester long leadership classes for high school students, using a curriculum he designed. Working with the University of Pittsburgh, he helped establish a College in High School (CHS) Leadership course for high school students. Felix also teaches AP/CHS US and AP Comparative Government & Politics, Honors/CHS US History 1865-Present, and Applied Positive Psychology at his school. At South Fayette, Felix is co-advisor of Student Government, Interact, and Link Crew.

Felix also served a two-year term as an adult member of the NASSP Student Leadership Advisory Committee, where he helped create a student leadership and engagement initiative on Global Citizenship. He was also the 2019 NASSP National Student Council Conference host adviser. He is also a faculty member for the NASSP NHS State Summit Series and has taught Project Management and Sociology through the Jesuit Worldwide Learning – Higher Education at the Margins program. Felix also serves on the Board of Directors of The Global Switchboard, a nonprofit in Pittsburgh, and is on the Executive Board for Pennsylvania ASCD and a member of the Pennsylvania Teachers Advisory Committee. He is also a peer reviewer for the International Journal of Servant-Leadership. Felix has been recognized for his work by being named a 2015 ASCD emerging leader in education and the 2010 PASC high school student council advisor of the year, among other awards.

Felix holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh in History and Political Science, with a minor in Economics, a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Public Management degree from the H. John Heinz III College at Carnegie Mellon University, a Master of Applied Positive Psychology degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University.

Rose Ann Fulena

Roe earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Westminster College and a Master’s degree in Education from Slippery Rock University. She teaches seventh and eighth grade math in the Union Area School District where she serves as advisor to the middle school and high school student councils and chess club and is the vice president of the teachers association. She has been on the PASC Executive Board since 2002 having served as a District Director for twelve years prior to becoming Executive Director and also served as a summer leadership camp director for twelve years. She served on the NatStuCo Executive Board from 2006-2008. Roe is vice president of the Lawrence County Historical Society Board of Directors and the Union Twp. Lions Club and is a member of the Alpha Sigma chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, a society of key women educators.

Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils website

The post Student Voice in State Government appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**How to Connect Authentically and Create Conversations that Matter (Part 2)** Oct 27, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

In this extended conversation (part 2 of 2), podcast host Annette Stevenson and best-selling authors, professional facilitators and speakers, Will Wise and Chad Littlefield continue discussing the topics in *Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations that Matter.* Topics covered include the difference between discussion and debate, tactics on how to have productive dialogue and where sarcasm fits into conversation.
The important piece is to stop the process when we’re in debate and start asking some questions that look at the assumptions that were made that slid us up into a place of debate.

I think sometimes debate is disguised as advocacy in meetings.

Skip to: 04:01 Is it accurate to say dialogue, rather than debate, is what needs to happen for collective decision making

I think what dialogue does is breaks our brain out of the tendency to pick between one or the other.

Skip to: 05:43 Is there a time and place where debate is part of sound decision making?

That is where innovation happens, when I can take multiple different forms of thoughts and ideas and philosophies and meld them into something new to create a sculpture that we all stand and look around and say, I contributed to that, not I made that, but I contributed to that and I’m happy with the result that we have.

Typically in debate, you have two people who are talking, lots of words being exchanged, but very few of them are being retained and heard and remembered.

If we just let go of responding with a statement and we just ask a question that’s not rooted in judgment, that’s actually looking to seek to understand, that one action can change debate right in the middle of it to a dialogue.

Skip to: 11:10 Does sarcasm have a place in healthy dialogue and authentic connectivity in the workplace?

Often when we’re being sarcastic, we are actually picking up a little dagger that’s in our little scabbard and we’re poking them right where it hurts most.

If sarcasm is a part of your way of leading, consider that you are doing more harm than good.

Skip to: 18:00 Is there a way that openness can be achieved in a professional environment where folks are not feeling too vulnerable? How does this apply to our current situation?

The number one characteristic that they found was not the years of technical experience, or the perfect personality match, it was the degree of psychological safety in that group, which is academic and PhD language for, “Can I be myself when I show up at work?”

Openness doesn’t mean you need to share everything; it does mean you need to show up authentically.

When I’m present to your humanity and I can be open to that and be moved by that and see the world in a different place because you see it in a different way, then that’s when magic and collaboration and adventure that makes us most alive, it is the place that we want to step into, even though it scares us.

*Continuation from Ask Powerful Questions Part 1*

Q: Decision making is part of all organizations, big or small, all boards, all school boards, school administration, corporations, decision making occurs all the time. Typically, decision making, if it’s being done across any number of people include some dialog, especially if you might be referencing a leadership team, or school board, or a corporate board. So, what I want to ask you to define or share the difference between is debate and discussion. So, if part of decision making includes discussion, is there a difference between debating and discussion? And if so, what’s the difference?

**A (Will):** …When we get to a place of dialogue, your needs are equal to mine, and I am more in a partnership with you. And I’m listening for understanding, I’m in a place of openness to hear what is actually occurring for you, I’m even willing to be reflective.

What happens is oftentimes, if we’re in a dialogue, you might say something that triggers or threatens a concern of mine, it might threaten a fundamental concern that I have or one of my values. Then, I’m going to make assumptions, and I’m going to start judging. As soon as I start making assumptions and start judging, it’s so easy for us to move into a place of debate. And if I show up in debate, while we’re having a dialogue, if I show up with a mindset of debate, it’s super easy and almost delicious for you to join me there. It takes real leaders, a real self-awareness to go, “Oh, we just slid into debate, now we’re looking for somebody to win, let me take a breath.” This is a great moment to come back to your intention and say, remember the intent of this conversation was, and that can bring us back down. But an important piece is to stop the process when we’re in debate, and start asking some questions that look at the assumptions that were made that slid us up into a place of debate.

**A (Chad):** Something to offer too, real quick. Education is filled with mission-driven people, even though we were just talking about apathy, right? It’s filled with people who are in it for the students, they’re in it not for the salary, for the aim, and the outcome, and the difference that they can make.

So, I think sometimes debate is disguised as advocacy in meetings, right? I’m going to advocate for the student and it turns into this myopic, it’s either my way or the highway. Like, I’m going to get this student this IEP or else, right? And they’re so ingrained in that place that it’s cut out the possibility for dialogue, questions and collaboration in that way, because it’s possible, right? That the people on the other side of debate, it’s possible that they also want what’s best for your student or whoever you’re advocating for. But when you’re in a place of debate, you can’t actually hear that, because you’re not listening, like your ears are not working and your defensive mechanism, your amygdala, the part of your brain that’s fight or flight. Will and I sometimes say it’s rather than fight, flight or freeze, it’s fight, flight or need to be right. That part of our lizard brain, that need to be right shows up, right?

Q: Yeah. That’s a great point. I love that you used the word advocate in the one side of a debate, is people say they’re advocating for something or they’re defending their side of it. So, if we’re understanding debate that way, really dialogue is what needs to happen for collective decision making, is that accurate? Dialogue rather than debate is what needs to happen for collective decision making? Because if I’m understanding how you frame debate, if there’s this, each person has this stance that they’re unwilling to concede any portion of, then you can’t truly accomplish collective decision making, if you’re working from those positions, is that accurate?

**A (Chad):** As you ponder that, Will. I don’t think dialogue makes decisions necessarily, right? There’s some other consensus, there’s some other steps there. I think what dialogue does is breaks our brain out of the tendency to pick between one or the other, right? We’re either Democrat or Republican, where you’re either right or you’re wrong, you’re either black or you’re white. And now often we see the world, our brains for whatever reason, are wired to see the world in a very black and white context, either this or this. And what dialogue does is open up the color purple, orange and blue, and all these other options, right? To get out of that metaphor land, right? It opens up like six different pathways that neither side would have seen, if you were in that debate, I’m going to win I have this need to be right mindset. But it’s not the end, you can’t just have a nice dialogue, and then the whole group agrees and then you decide.

Q: Sure. No, obviously, right. There’s more to it. But what I was trying to find out is, in any sort of collective group that’s trying to make sound decisions on a regular basis. Is debate any part of that or really does the group need to keep trying to get themselves back to discussion and dialogue? Or is there a place and time for debate?

**A (Will):** I think there are some rare cases in which there is a place for debate, if it is done intentionally, so this would be a really clear moment of intent, right? Now, there are some people who find debate just so delicious, that’s just how they show up, right? And you probably have some of those in your workplace, right? But if you want to make a collaborative decision, look, so leadership is making something happen that wasn’t going to happen anyway. So, the janitor could be a leader in a school, because they’re making things happen, they could choose to be making things happen that wasn’t going to happen anyway.

If you’re a manager, your job is just to keep the system moving, whatever the system is, whatever the process that’s been into place, if it ever falls apart, you get your whack-a-mole hammer out and you whack it and put it back in place, so everything is moving smoothly. So, teachers send their students down to the principal’s office because they just had to whack-a-mole, right? That student in that moment wasn’t fitting along with the protocols and the systems, but leadership is making something that wasn’t going to happen anyway.

So, how does that fit in with debate? Could a leader recognize, “Oh my gosh, in this room right now, what we need is a debate.” Could they help the room turn up the energy and say, “Alright, for the next 10 minutes, we’re going to play a game. And the game is, your job is to defend your side.” Or, a really fun thing to do is, your job is to defend the other side. Let’s take 10 minutes to defend the other side, bring as much emotion to it, try to find all the creeks and crannies.

My intent is when we’re done with this debate, is that we’re going to move back into the discussion because now the debate is going to open us up to see possibilities that we didn’t see before. We’re going to move back into the discussion and see, what could we make happen that wasn’t going to happen anyway, and that’s where collaboration happens, right? That is where innovation happens, when I can take multiple different forms of thoughts, ideas and philosophies, and meld them into something new, to create a sculpture that we can all stand and look around and say, I contributed to that, not I made that, but I contributed to that and I’m happy with the result that we have.

**A (Chad):** I want offer for those listening that are like “Cool, I’m interested in this idea of discussion and dialogue, but how do I get there?” Because I’m going to go into my meeting on Monday and fill in the name, is going to debate on this, he’s going to push against, he’s going to push against, whatever that is. Two really quick practical things to offer, there are a number of tools to help shift debate to dialogue. Two really practical things is, one, typically you’re debating two scenarios. So, one really practical thing is to just ask the question, what’s the third option, what’s the third path here? Or what is a third option or third path? Or how might we do this differently without either one of our solutions that we’re pushing toward right now?

And then the second is to simply shift from speaking in sentences that end in periods, and start speaking in a few sentences that end in question marks. Because when we ask questions of the other side, it does at least the first part of forcing our brain to hear what the other person is saying. Because typically in debate, you have two people who are talking, lots of words being exchanged, but very few of them are being retained and heard and remembered, because the other person is thinking, they latched on to what the person said in the first seven seconds of their pedestal speech, and then as soon as they’re done, right? The opposite of listening I would say is not talking, I would say that it’s waiting for your chance to talk, right?

So in debate, we’re just waiting for a chance to talk and the second they’re done with their three-minute, deep, complex explainer, we respond to this one thing that we disagreed with in the first seven seconds to what they said. So, if we just let go of responding with a statement and we just ask a question that’s not rooted in judgment, that’s actually looking to seek to understand, that one action can change debate right in the middle of it to a dialogue. I think it is useful to be able to have that tool to pull out when you’re able to, because the more common experience I think people will bump into, is that they’re not the facilitator, or the wrangler, or the leader of the meeting, but there’s a debate happening, you can see that it’s unproductive, but you may not have the title or the power to shift that from debate to dialogue, but simply inviting people to ask questions to each other or asking your own, can do that right away, title regardless.

**A (Will):** One of those questions could be is, what was the intent of this? Where did we start this conversation?

Q: Sarcasm is a way that a lot of people I think implement humor in some instances. And you talk a little bit about sarcasm in your book, so does sarcasm have its place, would you suggest in healthy dialogue and authentic connectivity, and I’m going to relate this first to the workplace. So maybe aside from personal life, in your professional life, do you believe that sarcasm can have a place?

**A (Will):** I do know that there are some workplaces that sarcasm is such a rich part of the culture that people have accepted it. What I think they’re blinded to is what sarcasm means, so the root of sarcasm means to tear flesh, and we tear flesh with our words, and we use it often under the guise of humor. But often when we’re being sarcastic, we are actually picking up a little dagger that’s in our little scabbard and we’re poking them right where it hurts most.

So, I got really clear about this, as I was adopted into a home in which sarcasm was rich part of the culture, so I got really good at it. And I could see the nuances, my dad could rip up anybody, he was just really… And noses, any size nose you had in our house was one of those things that we just picked on each other with. But what I realized is how it hurt, especially when we use sarcasm, so if you love to use sarcasm, consider that if you’re using sarcasm with something that cannot be changed, that is especially painful. I can’t change my nose, unless I’m going to go see, what are they called? Plastic surgeon, right? And they actually modify my nose. If you’re using sarcasm about things that can’t be changed, that’s immensely painful.

Sarcasm still shows up in my lexicon, and I try to choose it when I’m looking at objects, I think nobody has invested in. So, I might be sarcastic about how my cell phone is acting, but if I would use an Apple and if I was at Apple, and everybody’s invested in my cell phone, I might not use it, because those people have an invested interest in my cell phone.

So generally speaking, especially in the educational realm and if you’re an educator, and I would say even if you’re a principal or superintendent, if sarcasm is a part of your way of leading, consider that you are doing more harm than good. Consider that you are tearing flesh, and you might think you’re trying to bring some light humor in here. But if you’re not really clear about what your intent is, people are taking those sarcastic remarks personally, and carrying them away and either creating armor to come back or ammunition to come back at you harder, or they’re creating armor in order to create a defense against you. And when they start creating a defense against you, you’re not going to see them, they’re going to stop contributing, they’re going to go into that place of resignation and start leaning back more.

Q: I think going back to the humor part, I think there is a difference and this is just my opinion, so tell me if I’m wrong on this, but I believe that there’s a difference between true sarcasm and just tongue in cheek humor, sort of wry, what I would describe is like wry humor, I don’t believe is the same thing as sarcasm. Do you think that’s accurate?

**A (Chad):** Let me jump in with a different perspective. One of the reasons I think the second edition of the book is interesting is it comes from two perspectives, and Will and I don’t agree on everything. To offer a little bit of dialogue, not debate, about sarcasm, I would say that since Will has given me that that route to sarcasm is to tear flesh in the original Greek. Made me think a lot about the intention of being sarcastic because I am also, I tend to use sarcasm very often.

I can say one way that I repeatedly have observed some data that sarcasm has worked well, is when I’m using sarcasm with the intention of empathy. So, I’ll hop on a call with a client, and they’ll tell me a little bit about how things are going for them. And usually, it’s something in the realm of too much to do in too little time. So, I’ll reflect back in sarcastically and say, “Oh, it sounds like you have ample amounts of time to just like sit alone in a chair and ponder the meaning of life.” Right. That would probably fall into the category of sarcasm, but it’s with the intention of saying, I hear you and I see you in this moment and I recognize you’re really busy and overwhelmed, without saying that.

Now, could you probably say that in a way that also the person wouldn’t feel hurt? And could you reflect and accomplish the same empathy and the same aim differently? Sure. So I think, there’s not a chapter in the book that says like, here’s how to use sarcasm because I think it’s much more frequently used as a tool and display as a common tool for someone who’s being passive aggressive, to say something that’s true, without having to go through the discomfort of saying it as it is. I don’t think is most often how sarcasm is used, especially with people who are really close to you.

I think I find that time if I’m really raw and honest here, I think when I use sarcasm to tear flesh, I find it eking out in a conversation with my wife, which is maddening to think about, right? She’s the last person on the planet who I want to hurt or injure, right? And yet I think with my words sometimes sarcasm does come out in that. So, the higher our comfort level with somebody gets, the more likely we are to get sarcastic potentially. Very few people you meet at a networking event are brutally sarcastic to the people they just met, very few. And those people who are, you usually are like, “Whoa.”

Q: Yeah. It’s a good kind of second perspective on it. So, I wanted to ask you to talk about openness. Part of the sort of principles contained in the pyramid include, as we’ve talked about a couple already, intention, rapport, openness, listening and empathy. So, I wanted to focus on openness a little bit, which can be hard to achieve for some people, and especially in work environments that can be a little challenging I think, because it puts oneself in a vulnerable position. So, I want to kind of hear from you about openness in professional environments and also, if there’s a way to bring it into the situation we’re in right now. We’re not even in the same room with one another in many of our professional environments because of the current pandemic situation. So, is there a way to kind of talk about how openness can be achieved in a professional environment where folks are not feeling too vulnerable, and then tie it to kind of where we’re at right now, is that achievable?

**A (Chad):** I think the quick response is, this is one of the most common push backs that we received from the book, if we’re bringing this into a company particularly in the realm of HR. What do you mean “Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations that Matter?” We’re at work, we have to have this professional boundary. And I think it’s a really valid thing to think about and concern is what is the level to which you share and disclose? And I think part of the reason that push back comes so often is mistaking authenticity and vulnerability for really deep conversations about your secrets, right? I think authenticity, I would say you can have an authentic and vulnerable conversation about the weather, if you are being true and expressing your honest thoughts, perspectives, ideals. I think when we put a mask on and pretend to be somebody who were not in a particular mode, I would say that you’ve done the opposite of openness, right? You’ve created closed offness.

And then the other quick thing is Google, company that’s got 100,000 plus employees a couple years ago launched this massive internal research project, to identify what are the characteristics of the highest performing teams at Google. And the number one characteristic that they found was not the years of technical experience, or the perfect personality match, it was the degree of psychological safety in that group, which is academic and PhD language for, can I be myself when I show up at work. So, it’s an interesting data to consider. Openness doesn’t mean you need to share everything, it does mean you need to show up authentically, I think and there’s a pretty big difference between, right? I’m authentic I can open with many, many people, but they don’t know everything about who I am in the world and I think that’s very okay.

Q: Will, any final thoughts on connecting authentically, presently, in our remote circumstances?

**A (Will):** Well, in the relationship to openness, I think oftentimes, what gets in the way of me being open and I see this in workplaces too, is my need to be right. And when I have a need to be right, I’m only looking for evidence that proves that I’m right. I’m only listening for the words that support my worldview. So, in relationship to openness, I agree with Chad, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I need to share my deepest, darkest secrets, or even the thing that’s going on for me right now, which is really big.

And can I show up at this gathering of three of us knowing that the world is about to listen to us, can I show up in such a way that I am going to be moved by something that you say or that Chad says. Am I able to receive a perspective that will change my own perspective? Am I willing to leave the place with which I know I’m an expert and move into the unknown where I’m going to explore? So, sometimes when people are challenged by the openness concept, when we frame it as, are you an expert or an explorer, there’s a way that helps unlock it for people.

As an educator, if I’m in the front of the classroom, I am the expert, but if I teach from the place of expert, I just create a lecture. But if I teach from the place of an explorer, then suddenly everybody else wants to go exploring with me, I may pick up their tools in order to be able to do that. And sure, I’ve got a map, I’ve got the compass that’s going to navigate us through that, and every time I teach, I learn something, that’s why I love teaching. And I’m guessing that’s why generally people love to teach, and that’s why they move into leadership positions because it’s in stepping into that unknown that we go on an adventure and we learn something.

I show up into a meeting in which I am the expert and I’m not willing to step into the unknown, my need to be right, which I’m saying is the opposite of openness not closed. The need to be right shows up, I need to look good, I need to be valued, as soon as that is part of my mindset, then I’ve lost the present moment. And if I’m doing that from a teaching place, if I’m doing that from a leading place, I am teaching the past, I am leading the past. I’ve taught the students who I’ve taught in the past, I’m leading the people that I’ve led in the past, and I’m not in the present moment with your needs, your concerns, your dreams, your desires and your humanity. When I’m present to your humanity and I can be open to that and be moved by that and see the world in a different place because you see it in a different way, then that’s when magic and collaboration and adventure that makes us most alive, it is the place that we want to step into, even though it scares us.

**A (Chad):** So, we have the benefit of cheating a bit and recording this over video, over Zoom. And one thing I can see just an energy, you Annette and Will is that, we probably keep talking for another 72 hours on this. I want to offer because we can’t do that, I want to kick out before we start to wrap and shift gears. I want to kick out, Will and I exist on the planet to make connection and engagement easy for groups. As part of our mission, part of the reason that we created the book was to package these ideas and share them. We’ve also created a handful of card decks and other really practical easy to use tools, which we’ve made digital versions freely available of, to give access to everyone.

So as one sort of final tool to offer, if you were struck by this conversation or interested, I would welcome you to check out our website at weand.me/ideas. We’ve got a ton of free resources and tutorials segment of the book, things you can download for free of charge and we won’t spam you or send stuff your way, we created it simply to make connection engagement easy.

Q: And the second edition of Ask Powerful Questions is available everywhere, Amazon, wherever folks are buying books, correct?

A: Indeed.

Chad Littlefield, M.Ed.

As a speaker and professional facilitator, Chad designs fun, challenging, and engaging experiences and tools that break down communication barriers. He has spoken at TEDx and is the author of the Pocket Guide to Facilitating Human Connections. He is also the creator of We! Connect Cards, which are now being used to create conversations that matter within companies in over 80 countries around the world and on 6 of the 7 continents. (Free deck if you live in Antarctica.) Chad lives in Pittsburgh, PA with his wonderful wife and son, Kate and Otto, though they all travel often. View Chad’s full bio here.

Will Wise, M.Ed.

Will Wise has over two decades of experience custom building leadership programs for corporate and nonprofit groups. He has earned a reputation as one who can transform groups and people into their best selves. Tens of thousands of people have been empowered with positive communication skills after spending some time with Will and We and Me, Inc. Most recently, Will released his new book, *Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations that Matter,* now a #1 Amazon Bestseller! Will lives in State College, PA with his amazing wife, Heather, and their three children. View Will’s full bio here.
Free resources from Chad and Will
Chad Littlefield and Will Wise website
Coming soon – *Ask Powerful Questions: Creative Conversations that Matter Bulletin* book review
The post How to Connect Authentically and Create Conversations that Matter (Part 2) appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**How to Connect Authentically and Create Conversations that Matter (Part 2)** Oct 27, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

In this extended conversation (part 2 of 2), podcast host Annette Stevenson and best-selling authors, professional facilitators and speakers, Will Wise and Chad Littlefield continue discussing the topics in *Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations that Matter.* Topics covered include the difference between discussion and debate, tactics on how to have productive dialogue and where sarcasm fits into conversation.
The important piece is to stop the process when we’re in debate and start asking some questions that look at the assumptions that were made that slid us up into a place of debate.

I think sometimes debate is disguised as advocacy in meetings.

Skip to: 04:01 Is it accurate to say dialogue, rather than debate, is what needs to happen for collective decision making

I think what dialogue does is breaks our brain out of the tendency to pick between one or the other.

Skip to: 05:43 Is there a time and place where debate is part of sound decision making?

That is where innovation happens, when I can take multiple different forms of thoughts and ideas and philosophies and meld them into something new to create a sculpture that we all stand and look around and say, I contributed to that, not I made that, but I contributed to that and I’m happy with the result that we have.

Typically in debate, you have two people who are talking, lots of words being exchanged, but very few of them are being retained and heard and remembered.

If we just let go of responding with a statement and we just ask a question that’s not rooted in judgment, that’s actually looking to seek to understand, that one action can change debate right in the middle of it to a dialogue.

Skip to: 11:10 Does sarcasm have a place in healthy dialogue and authentic connectivity in the workplace?

Often when we’re being sarcastic, we are actually picking up a little dagger that’s in our little scabbard and we’re poking them right where it hurts most.

If sarcasm is a part of your way of leading, consider that you are doing more harm than good.

Skip to: 18:00 Is there a way that openness can be achieved in a professional environment where folks are not feeling too vulnerable? How does this apply to our current situation?

The number one characteristic that they found was not the years of technical experience, or the perfect personality match, it was the degree of psychological safety in that group, which is academic and PhD language for, “Can I be myself when I show up at work?”

Openness doesn’t mean you need to share everything; it does mean you need to show up authentically.

When I’m present to your humanity and I can be open to that and be moved by that and see the world in a different place because you see it in a different way, then that’s when magic and collaboration and adventure that makes us most alive, it is the place that we want to step into, even though it scares us.

*Continuation from Ask Powerful Questions Part 1*

Q: Decision making is part of all organizations, big or small, all boards, all school boards, school administration, corporations, decision making occurs all the time. Typically, decision making, if it’s being done across any number of people include some dialog, especially if you might be referencing a leadership team, or school board, or a corporate board. So, what I want to ask you to define or share the difference between is debate and discussion. So, if part of decision making includes discussion, is there a difference between debating and discussion? And if so, what’s the difference?

**A (Will):** …When we get to a place of dialogue, your needs are equal to mine, and I am more in a partnership with you. And I’m listening for understanding, I’m in a place of openness to hear what is actually occurring for you, I’m even willing to be reflective.

What happens is oftentimes, if we’re in a dialogue, you might say something that triggers or threatens a concern of mine, it might threaten a fundamental concern that I have or one of my values. Then, I’m going to make assumptions, and I’m going to start judging. As soon as I start making assumptions and start judging, it’s so easy for us to move into a place of debate. And if I show up in debate, while we’re having a dialogue, if I show up with a mindset of debate, it’s super easy and almost delicious for you to join me there. It takes real leaders, a real self-awareness to go, “Oh, we just slid into debate, now we’re looking for somebody to win, let me take a breath.” This is a great moment to come back to your intention and say, remember the intent of this conversation was, and that can bring us back down. But an important piece is to stop the process when we’re in debate, and start asking some questions that look at the assumptions that were made that slid us up into a place of debate.

**A (Chad):** Something to offer too, real quick. Education is filled with mission-driven people, even though we were just talking about apathy, right? It’s filled with people who are in it for the students, they’re in it not for the salary, for the aim, and the outcome, and the difference that they can make.

So, I think sometimes debate is disguised as advocacy in meetings, right? I’m going to advocate for the student and it turns into this myopic, it’s either my way or the highway. Like, I’m going to get this student this IEP or else, right? And they’re so ingrained in that place that it’s cut out the possibility for dialogue, questions and collaboration in that way, because it’s possible, right? That the people on the other side of debate, it’s possible that they also want what’s best for your student or whoever you’re advocating for. But when you’re in a place of debate, you can’t actually hear that, because you’re not listening, like your ears are not working and your defensive mechanism, your amygdala, the part of your brain that’s fight or flight. Will and I sometimes say it’s rather than fight, flight or freeze, it’s fight, flight or need to be right. That part of our lizard brain, that need to be right shows up, right?

Q: Yeah. That’s a great point. I love that you used the word advocate in the one side of a debate, is people say they’re advocating for something or they’re defending their side of it. So, if we’re understanding debate that way, really dialogue is what needs to happen for collective decision making, is that accurate? Dialogue rather than debate is what needs to happen for collective decision making? Because if I’m understanding how you frame debate, if there’s this, each person has this stance that they’re unwilling to concede any portion of, then you can’t truly accomplish collective decision making, if you’re working from those positions, is that accurate?

**A (Chad):** As you ponder that, Will. I don’t think dialogue makes decisions necessarily, right? There’s some other consensus, there’s some other steps there. I think what dialogue does is breaks our brain out of the tendency to pick between one or the other, right? We’re either Democrat or Republican, where you’re either right or you’re wrong, you’re either black or you’re white. And now often we see the world, our brains for whatever reason, are wired to see the world in a very black and white context, either this or this. And what dialogue does is open up the color purple, orange and blue, and all these other options, right? To get out of that metaphor land, right? It opens up like six different pathways that neither side would have seen, if you were in that debate, I’m going to win I have this need to be right mindset. But it’s not the end, you can’t just have a nice dialogue, and then the whole group agrees and then you decide.

Q: Sure. No, obviously, right. There’s more to it. But what I was trying to find out is, in any sort of collective group that’s trying to make sound decisions on a regular basis. Is debate any part of that or really does the group need to keep trying to get themselves back to discussion and dialogue? Or is there a place and time for debate?

**A (Will):** I think there are some rare cases in which there is a place for debate, if it is done intentionally, so this would be a really clear moment of intent, right? Now, there are some people who find debate just so delicious, that’s just how they show up, right? And you probably have some of those in your workplace, right? But if you want to make a collaborative decision, look, so leadership is making something happen that wasn’t going to happen anyway. So, the janitor could be a leader in a school, because they’re making things happen, they could choose to be making things happen that wasn’t going to happen anyway.

If you’re a manager, your job is just to keep the system moving, whatever the system is, whatever the process that’s been into place, if it ever falls apart, you get your whack-a-mole hammer out and you whack it and put it back in place, so everything is moving smoothly. So, teachers send their students down to the principal’s office because they just had to whack-a-mole, right? That student in that moment wasn’t fitting along with the protocols and the systems, but leadership is making something that wasn’t going to happen anyway.

So, how does that fit in with debate? Could a leader recognize, “Oh my gosh, in this room right now, what we need is a debate.” Could they help the room turn up the energy and say, “Alright, for the next 10 minutes, we’re going to play a game. And the game is, your job is to defend your side.” Or, a really fun thing to do is, your job is to defend the other side. Let’s take 10 minutes to defend the other side, bring as much emotion to it, try to find all the creeks and crannies.

My intent is when we’re done with this debate, is that we’re going to move back into the discussion because now the debate is going to open us up to see possibilities that we didn’t see before. We’re going to move back into the discussion and see, what could we make happen that wasn’t going to happen anyway, and that’s where collaboration happens, right? That is where innovation happens, when I can take multiple different forms of thoughts, ideas and philosophies, and meld them into something new, to create a sculpture that we can all stand and look around and say, I contributed to that, not I made that, but I contributed to that and I’m happy with the result that we have.

**A (Chad):** I want offer for those listening that are like “Cool, I’m interested in this idea of discussion and dialogue, but how do I get there?” Because I’m going to go into my meeting on Monday and fill in the name, is going to debate on this, he’s going to push against, he’s going to push against, whatever that is. Two really quick practical things to offer, there are a number of tools to help shift debate to dialogue. Two really practical things is, one, typically you’re debating two scenarios. So, one really practical thing is to just ask the question, what’s the third option, what’s the third path here? Or what is a third option or third path? Or how might we do this differently without either one of our solutions that we’re pushing toward right now?

And then the second is to simply shift from speaking in sentences that end in periods, and start speaking in a few sentences that end in question marks. Because when we ask questions of the other side, it does at least the first part of forcing our brain to hear what the other person is saying. Because typically in debate, you have two people who are talking, lots of words being exchanged, but very few of them are being retained and heard and remembered, because the other person is thinking, they latched on to what the person said in the first seven seconds of their pedestal speech, and then as soon as they’re done, right? The opposite of listening I would say is not talking, I would say that it’s waiting for your chance to talk, right?

So in debate, we’re just waiting for a chance to talk and the second they’re done with their three-minute, deep, complex explainer, we respond to this one thing that we disagreed with in the first seven seconds to what they said. So, if we just let go of responding with a statement and we just ask a question that’s not rooted in judgment, that’s actually looking to seek to understand, that one action can change debate right in the middle of it to a dialogue. I think it is useful to be able to have that tool to pull out when you’re able to, because the more common experience I think people will bump into, is that they’re not the facilitator, or the wrangler, or the leader of the meeting, but there’s a debate happening, you can see that it’s unproductive, but you may not have the title or the power to shift that from debate to dialogue, but simply inviting people to ask questions to each other or asking your own, can do that right away, title regardless.

**A (Will):** One of those questions could be is, what was the intent of this? Where did we start this conversation?

Q: Sarcasm is a way that a lot of people I think implement humor in some instances. And you talk a little bit about sarcasm in your book, so does sarcasm have its place, would you suggest in healthy dialogue and authentic connectivity, and I’m going to relate this first to the workplace. So maybe aside from personal life, in your professional life, do you believe that sarcasm can have a place?

**A (Will):** I do know that there are some workplaces that sarcasm is such a rich part of the culture that people have accepted it. What I think they’re blinded to is what sarcasm means, so the root of sarcasm means to tear flesh, and we tear flesh with our words, and we use it often under the guise of humor. But often when we’re being sarcastic, we are actually picking up a little dagger that’s in our little scabbard and we’re poking them right where it hurts most.

So, I got really clear about this, as I was adopted into a home in which sarcasm was rich part of the culture, so I got really good at it. And I could see the nuances, my dad could rip up anybody, he was just really… And noses, any size nose you had in our house was one of those things that we just picked on each other with. But what I realized is how it hurt, especially when we use sarcasm, so if you love to use sarcasm, consider that if you’re using sarcasm with something that cannot be changed, that is especially painful. I can’t change my nose, unless I’m going to go see, what are they called? Plastic surgeon, right? And they actually modify my nose. If you’re using sarcasm about things that can’t be changed, that’s immensely painful.

Sarcasm still shows up in my lexicon, and I try to choose it when I’m looking at objects, I think nobody has invested in. So, I might be sarcastic about how my cell phone is acting, but if I would use an Apple and if I was at Apple, and everybody’s invested in my cell phone, I might not use it, because those people have an invested interest in my cell phone.

So generally speaking, especially in the educational realm and if you’re an educator, and I would say even if you’re a principal or superintendent, if sarcasm is a part of your way of leading, consider that you are doing more harm than good. Consider that you are tearing flesh, and you might think you’re trying to bring some light humor in here. But if you’re not really clear about what your intent is, people are taking those sarcastic remarks personally, and carrying them away and either creating armor to come back or ammunition to come back at you harder, or they’re creating armor in order to create a defense against you. And when they start creating a defense against you, you’re not going to see them, they’re going to stop contributing, they’re going to go into that place of resignation and start leaning back more.

Q: I think going back to the humor part, I think there is a difference and this is just my opinion, so tell me if I’m wrong on this, but I believe that there’s a difference between true sarcasm and just tongue in cheek humor, sort of wry, what I would describe is like wry humor, I don’t believe is the same thing as sarcasm. Do you think that’s accurate?

**A (Chad):** Let me jump in with a different perspective. One of the reasons I think the second edition of the book is interesting is it comes from two perspectives, and Will and I don’t agree on everything. To offer a little bit of dialogue, not debate, about sarcasm, I would say that since Will has given me that that route to sarcasm is to tear flesh in the original Greek. Made me think a lot about the intention of being sarcastic because I am also, I tend to use sarcasm very often.

I can say one way that I repeatedly have observed some data that sarcasm has worked well, is when I’m using sarcasm with the intention of empathy. So, I’ll hop on a call with a client, and they’ll tell me a little bit about how things are going for them. And usually, it’s something in the realm of too much to do in too little time. So, I’ll reflect back in sarcastically and say, “Oh, it sounds like you have ample amounts of time to just like sit alone in a chair and ponder the meaning of life.” Right. That would probably fall into the category of sarcasm, but it’s with the intention of saying, I hear you and I see you in this moment and I recognize you’re really busy and overwhelmed, without saying that.

Now, could you probably say that in a way that also the person wouldn’t feel hurt? And could you reflect and accomplish the same empathy and the same aim differently? Sure. So I think, there’s not a chapter in the book that says like, here’s how to use sarcasm because I think it’s much more frequently used as a tool and display as a common tool for someone who’s being passive aggressive, to say something that’s true, without having to go through the discomfort of saying it as it is. I don’t think is most often how sarcasm is used, especially with people who are really close to you.

I think I find that time if I’m really raw and honest here, I think when I use sarcasm to tear flesh, I find it eking out in a conversation with my wife, which is maddening to think about, right? She’s the last person on the planet who I want to hurt or injure, right? And yet I think with my words sometimes sarcasm does come out in that. So, the higher our comfort level with somebody gets, the more likely we are to get sarcastic potentially. Very few people you meet at a networking event are brutally sarcastic to the people they just met, very few. And those people who are, you usually are like, “Whoa.”

Q: Yeah. It’s a good kind of second perspective on it. So, I wanted to ask you to talk about openness. Part of the sort of principles contained in the pyramid include, as we’ve talked about a couple already, intention, rapport, openness, listening and empathy. So, I wanted to focus on openness a little bit, which can be hard to achieve for some people, and especially in work environments that can be a little challenging I think, because it puts oneself in a vulnerable position. So, I want to kind of hear from you about openness in professional environments and also, if there’s a way to bring it into the situation we’re in right now. We’re not even in the same room with one another in many of our professional environments because of the current pandemic situation. So, is there a way to kind of talk about how openness can be achieved in a professional environment where folks are not feeling too vulnerable, and then tie it to kind of where we’re at right now, is that achievable?

**A (Chad):** I think the quick response is, this is one of the most common push backs that we received from the book, if we’re bringing this into a company particularly in the realm of HR. What do you mean “Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations that Matter?” We’re at work, we have to have this professional boundary. And I think it’s a really valid thing to think about and concern is what is the level to which you share and disclose? And I think part of the reason that push back comes so often is mistaking authenticity and vulnerability for really deep conversations about your secrets, right? I think authenticity, I would say you can have an authentic and vulnerable conversation about the weather, if you are being true and expressing your honest thoughts, perspectives, ideals. I think when we put a mask on and pretend to be somebody who were not in a particular mode, I would say that you’ve done the opposite of openness, right? You’ve created closed offness.

And then the other quick thing is Google, company that’s got 100,000 plus employees a couple years ago launched this massive internal research project, to identify what are the characteristics of the highest performing teams at Google. And the number one characteristic that they found was not the years of technical experience, or the perfect personality match, it was the degree of psychological safety in that group, which is academic and PhD language for, can I be myself when I show up at work. So, it’s an interesting data to consider. Openness doesn’t mean you need to share everything, it does mean you need to show up authentically, I think and there’s a pretty big difference between, right? I’m authentic I can open with many, many people, but they don’t know everything about who I am in the world and I think that’s very okay.

Q: Will, any final thoughts on connecting authentically, presently, in our remote circumstances?

**A (Will):** Well, in the relationship to openness, I think oftentimes, what gets in the way of me being open and I see this in workplaces too, is my need to be right. And when I have a need to be right, I’m only looking for evidence that proves that I’m right. I’m only listening for the words that support my worldview. So, in relationship to openness, I agree with Chad, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I need to share my deepest, darkest secrets, or even the thing that’s going on for me right now, which is really big.

And can I show up at this gathering of three of us knowing that the world is about to listen to us, can I show up in such a way that I am going to be moved by something that you say or that Chad says. Am I able to receive a perspective that will change my own perspective? Am I willing to leave the place with which I know I’m an expert and move into the unknown where I’m going to explore? So, sometimes when people are challenged by the openness concept, when we frame it as, are you an expert or an explorer, there’s a way that helps unlock it for people.

As an educator, if I’m in the front of the classroom, I am the expert, but if I teach from the place of expert, I just create a lecture. But if I teach from the place of an explorer, then suddenly everybody else wants to go exploring with me, I may pick up their tools in order to be able to do that. And sure, I’ve got a map, I’ve got the compass that’s going to navigate us through that, and every time I teach, I learn something, that’s why I love teaching. And I’m guessing that’s why generally people love to teach, and that’s why they move into leadership positions because it’s in stepping into that unknown that we go on an adventure and we learn something.

I show up into a meeting in which I am the expert and I’m not willing to step into the unknown, my need to be right, which I’m saying is the opposite of openness not closed. The need to be right shows up, I need to look good, I need to be valued, as soon as that is part of my mindset, then I’ve lost the present moment. And if I’m doing that from a teaching place, if I’m doing that from a leading place, I am teaching the past, I am leading the past. I’ve taught the students who I’ve taught in the past, I’m leading the people that I’ve led in the past, and I’m not in the present moment with your needs, your concerns, your dreams, your desires and your humanity. When I’m present to your humanity and I can be open to that and be moved by that and see the world in a different place because you see it in a different way, then that’s when magic and collaboration and adventure that makes us most alive, it is the place that we want to step into, even though it scares us.

**A (Chad):** So, we have the benefit of cheating a bit and recording this over video, over Zoom. And one thing I can see just an energy, you Annette and Will is that, we probably keep talking for another 72 hours on this. I want to offer because we can’t do that, I want to kick out before we start to wrap and shift gears. I want to kick out, Will and I exist on the planet to make connection and engagement easy for groups. As part of our mission, part of the reason that we created the book was to package these ideas and share them. We’ve also created a handful of card decks and other really practical easy to use tools, which we’ve made digital versions freely available of, to give access to everyone.

So as one sort of final tool to offer, if you were struck by this conversation or interested, I would welcome you to check out our website at weand.me/ideas. We’ve got a ton of free resources and tutorials segment of the book, things you can download for free of charge and we won’t spam you or send stuff your way, we created it simply to make connection engagement easy.

Q: And the second edition of Ask Powerful Questions is available everywhere, Amazon, wherever folks are buying books, correct?

A: Indeed.

Chad Littlefield, M.Ed.

As a speaker and professional facilitator, Chad designs fun, challenging, and engaging experiences and tools that break down communication barriers. He has spoken at TEDx and is the author of the Pocket Guide to Facilitating Human Connections. He is also the creator of We! Connect Cards, which are now being used to create conversations that matter within companies in over 80 countries around the world and on 6 of the 7 continents. (Free deck if you live in Antarctica.) Chad lives in Pittsburgh, PA with his wonderful wife and son, Kate and Otto, though they all travel often. View Chad’s full bio here.

Will Wise, M.Ed.

Will Wise has over two decades of experience custom building leadership programs for corporate and nonprofit groups. He has earned a reputation as one who can transform groups and people into their best selves. Tens of thousands of people have been empowered with positive communication skills after spending some time with Will and We and Me, Inc. Most recently, Will released his new book, *Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations that Matter,* now a #1 Amazon Bestseller! Will lives in State College, PA with his amazing wife, Heather, and their three children. View Will’s full bio here.
Free resources from Chad and Will
Chad Littlefield and Will Wise website
Coming soon – *Ask Powerful Questions: Creative Conversations that Matter Bulletin* book review
The post How to Connect Authentically and Create Conversations that Matter (Part 2) appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**How to Create Conversations that Matter (Part 1)** Oct 13, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guests

Resources

Podcast host Annette Stevenson is joined by best-selling authors, professional facilitators and speakers, Will Wise and Chad Littlefield to discuss their work in facilitating meaningful communication among leaders and educators. They delve into some of the tools mapped out in their book *Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations That Matter* as well as the importance of intention and empathy as it relates to effective communication and leadership.
Skip to: 01:32 Can you explain the word intention and how it is used in your book?

“Intention is what is the game that we are playing and what do we hope to accomplish, or what are we aiming to accomplish, before this meeting is over or this project is over.”

“It creates a compass that allows us all to navigate toward a future that we want to create.”

Skip to: 03:52 So that intention, and the expressing of the intention, is applicable in organizational meetings, classroom settings, boardroom settings, really anywhere, would you agree with that?

“Our time is our most precious resource.”

“And if you’re able to craft an intention statement, the other people can see themselves in, the amount of buying goes up and the amount of resistance goes way down in the meeting, that’s a pretty big shift.”

“It’s so often that we lose who we’re actually doing our work for.”

Skip to: 09:32 Is it possible for you to provide an example of empathy, apathy and sympathy?

“She was able to put one of her feet in her student’s and her parent’s and her family’s and her educator’s shoes and keep one of her feet grounded in her own reality.”

“We parent better when we can be empathetic.”

Skip to: 19:15 Once you reach that apathy point, there’s a way out of it, you can step back out of it?

“Empathy allows people to be seen and heard and understood exactly for who they are, and for who they are not, and when that happens, people are more likely to contribute, more likely to give their voice, more likely to choose to contribute”

Skip to: 22:04What is the difference between debate and discussion?

“Debate often has this two-sided argument where people are trying to prove and they’re only listening to win and they’re trying to challenge each other.”

Q: I’m going to jump into some of what I uncovered in your book Ask Powerful Questions, you frame a pyramid of skill sets, and the base of that pyramid is intention. Can you explain the word intention as you mean it there, as a foundational skill in that context and how it relates to connecting authentically with people?

**A: (Will)** When I was writing the book, I shared some of the first drafts with an editor, she said, “You got to put that intention chapter first.” I’m like, “No, no, no, no, it goes later.” And she said, “No, no, no, it’s got to go first.” And she helped me pull it down to the bottom of the pyramid. And I’m so grateful for Paula for doing that because what that did for me and the work that we’re doing is, it creates a space for people to really authentically show up. So, the root word of intention means to stretch, and it’s useful to think about that in a couple different ways. To stretch to include the needs of the whole, right? To move away from me and to include the we, who else do I need to include into my intention.

Second, it allows us to stretch the present moment into the future and pull that future into the present moment right now. What we’ve noticed in working so many different educational programs, facilities, schools and universities is that there are so many meetings that happen, especially at the upper level in which the intent is not clear. It showed up on our calendars, we show up in the room, there may be an agenda, but an intention is different than that. Intention is what is the game that we are playing, and what do we hope to accomplish, or what are we aiming to accomplish before this meeting is over, or this project is over?

So oftentimes, when we are not clear about our intent, people are sitting and listening for whether or not I belong, whether or not I can contribute, whether my voice even matters. So, what happens when you speak a clear intent in your classroom, in your meetings, people can decide, yes, that’s the game I want to play. And what it does is it creates a compass, that allows us all to navigate toward a future that we want to create.

Q: So that intention, and the expressing of the intention, is applicable in organizational meetings, classroom settings, boardroom settings, really anywhere, would you agree with that?

**A: (Will)** Yes. If before I die, suddenly everybody before they had a meeting would say, the intent of this meeting is dah, dah, dah, and my intent is dah, dah, dah, I would die a very happy man. Because we would be using our time, our time is our most precious resource, we often think about money, but time is really our most precious resource. And what happens when we get clear about our intent is people are willing to show up and contribute. Otherwise, they’re playing the game of oh, am I going to get manipulated? Right? Because manipulation shows up, when we’re trying to get somebody to do something without telling them, that’s what we’re trying to do. So, what happens when you’re clear about your intent, suddenly people are like, oh, and manipulation has to pack its bags and leave and then people jump on board and off you go.

**(Chad)** I would add one important nuance for me that differentiates intention from solely words like purpose, goal or objective, is the intention, like Will said, ideally includes the needs of the whole. Oftentimes, we show up to a meeting and the leader and whoever’s running that meeting, including a parent having a conversation with a kid, right? They’ve got an agenda or plan of I want this to happen, but that other person or the other people in the meeting, may not care so much about what you want, right? So, an intention stretches into incorporate the needs of the whole, right?

If your intention in asking your son how was school, was to get to know him better and to learn more about him and to connect, but consistently, he’s answering with like, “Fine, school is fine.” Right. The intention I don’t know has been made clear, actually, or that it’s actually been felt, because the intention may not be incorporating his need, what is he actually want and care about in that moment. And if you’re able to craft an intention statement, the other people can see themselves in, the amount of buying goes up and the amount of resistance goes way down in the meeting, that’s a pretty big shift. Leaders kind of pushing through a meeting or pushing through an agenda, feels very different than if you have a bunch of contributors in the room rather than consumers and critics.

**(Will)** It’s so often that we lose who we’re actually doing our work for. So, it’s common when you sit in a lot of meetings with upper leaders, and the word student never shows up in the room. So, a powerful intense statement might have the following three words on the end: in order to or so that and then it includes those needs of the student. So, now the students, thoughts, ideas and ideals, and positive uplifting emotions can also show up.

**(Chad)** Will, let me extend that one step further to, into an example. Imagine, I think lots of the world has some sort of recurring meeting. So, on Monday, we meet, we report out, we kind of check in on what’s going on, it’s a standing meeting. Think about the difference between that where you just do as you do, right? And everybody goes around and reports out, versus the meeting that starts with, hey, we’re going to report out and the intention of this is to all share information, so that your jobs are a little bit easier when you walk out of this room, so that you learn information that helps your jobs and your life be a little bit better when you leave this room, right? That’s a bit of a stock intention, but that’s very different than how fast can we get around the room, so that we can get out of here. I think that’s the benefit for all.

**(Will)** And to take your idea one step further, Chad, if you wanted collaboration to show up, you could say in order to, so we’re going to do this report out. And then add at the end of it, in order to we can all listen for ways that we can be helpful to each other, so that the students can have the greatest success, right? People are there because they want to have student success, they want to be there to be helpful to each other, but oftentimes they’re not given permission to do that, or they feel burdened with the toxic stress that they’re swimming in. When you get a really clear intent, some of that stress gets left behind.

Q: Going back to the pyramid, which you frame very comprehensively, way up at the top of the pyramid is empathy. When you talk about empathy, you also reference apathy and sympathy. What I’d love to understand from you is if you could provide an example, sort of an anecdote of maybe a workplace scenario that explains each of those approaches. So, in other words, if a colleague is responding to another co-worker, or approaching another co-worker. Is there a way you could kind of show us what those three ideas look and sound like, the empathy, which is part of the pyramid, but then the apathy and sympathy that you also referenced, is there a way to kind of show us that?

A: (Chad) I can start with a personal story about my wife, Kate, who’s a school nurse. So, she’s the person that when your kid has a belly ache, they end up down with Kate, or a bee sting, or fill in the blank. Where we used to live in North Carolina, now live in Pittsburgh, but where we used to live in North Carolina, the school nurse was more of a trainer of teachers, because teachers ended up as the ones who were giving diabetic care management and all sorts of things that teachers weren’t trained to do. However, Kate has a deep level of compassion and care as a lot of nurses do.

So, there would be, in the first few years of her career, Kate would come home exhausted, she would come home just tapped. And I would say in the way that we use language in the book is that, she’s sympathizing so much, she was stepping fully into what everybody else was going on. And as any educator or parent knows, there’s some intense stuff they talk about at school like, not all kids have rosy homes and backgrounds. So, the idea for Kate of seeing signs of abuse and then sending that kid home because there wasn’t a great quick alternative, she would come home and that would be on her shoulders and that is sympathy, right? It’s having both feet fully and you’re swimming in the pond, so to speak with that person. And it’s a lot harder to be of service, especially sustainable service when you’re in that place.

And at some point, I don’t know when it was, I don’t know which student, which parent, which interaction shifted this, but at some point, Kate was able to make this shift from sympathy to empathy, where she was able to put one of her feet in her students, her parents, her families, and her educators shoes, and keep one of her feet grounded in her own reality. Now she’s able to be of immense service, and she also came home with a whole different energy when that happened and I think that shift.

Now, Kate is not an apathetic person almost ever, so maybe Will, if you have some ways to bring out apathy, but there’s the nuance between sympathy and empathy, which I think is a nuance that we’ve added in the book that’s not here. If you look up, if you consult Merriam Webster, it’s not going to say all that, right? But I think the distinction has the potential to either continue on a path of burnt out or energized and still have service, that’s a pretty big difference, so something worth pondering for yourself.

**(Will)** So, to continue with the nurse analogy, I used to be a principal in non-traditional school, and I would hire lots of different nurses. And the nurses that were empathetic, would say things like, suck it up, kid, right? They would not even meet the kid, where the pain was.

The nurse was apathetic, right? So, the kid shows up with an injury and the nurse just says, suck it up, kid, I don’t have time for you and just turn them away. Or give them a bandaid and say, suck it up kid, right? So, they did their duty, but not in such a way that the kid was seen, right? So, when we’re being apathetic, what we’re doing is just looking for the facts. Oh, kid fell down, he tore his knee, needs a bandaid. If we are being sympathetic, we in that moment to have fallen so far into the emotional turmoil, the emotional pond, I’m going to call it, that we’re experiencing the same motions that they are, and we are lost with whatever the reality is on a bigger scale, we are swimming in their drama, their emotional place.

When we’re being empathetic, we can see what it’s like for them, we can see them, we can be present with them, and we are reminded of the time in which we experienced such pain. But we also know that we got one foot rooted in a place where we can be helpful, where we can offer a listening ear without drowning in the emotional drama that they are now in. If you use a pond analogy, if we’re all in upstate New York, and that you cross the frozen pond and you fall in and I just stand there and say, oh, she fell in, and I do nothing, I’m just naming the facts, right? So oftentimes we think of police officers, right? They might say, just tell me the facts, or a lawyer who might say, just answer the question, right? Very fact focus with those details.

Whereas if you fall in the lake, fall through the ice, and now I come to help you and I fall in, I’m experiencing the same coldness that you are experiencing. And I am short of breath, just like you are short of breath. I feel the cold, just like you feel the cold, but I can’t help you out. I can’t help you get out of the ice because I’m drowning just like you are. But if I come to the edge of the ice, throw you a rope and help you and encourage you to climb yourself out, then I’m rooted in what I know to be true. And I see that your coldness is disturbing, but not so much that I am disturbed to the point of losing my ability to be able to be a resource for you.

Q: And that’s really applicable across any scenario in work or life, is that accurate you would say?

**A: (Will)** Yes. We parent better when we can be empathetic. I don’t parent really well when I get apathetic. I don’t parent very well when I get sympathetic and I just get drowned in it, so yes. And as a CEO, as a principal, as a superintendent, as a teacher, when I did my best teaching, when I was on the front lines and teaching grade school every day, there was a way that my co-teachers who were really rocking it were the ones that were like, “Oh, Joey, that must really hurt. What are you going to do to get yourself out of that?” Right. And they would immediately start asking questions, met them where they were and then immediately started asking them questions so that they could pull themselves out of that emotional drama that used to feed them, right?

There are some students who actually create that emotional drama because that’s the way that they get emotionally fed, right? They get energetically fed, but really good teachers, parents and leaders have the ability to ask questions that help people pull themselves out of that tightness.

**(Chad)** One more quick thing to call out there, is I think in working with schools and educators, your school leaders or even anybody in the school could point out and potentially even name, you not want to, but potentially even name, the people who are sort of resigned and apathetic at this point. I can’t 100% guarantee, but I bet that none of those people who are apathetic now started out that way in their first few weeks of teaching. I bet that when they decided to become a teacher, when they decided to become a principal, and they started becoming a superintendent, they were not in the place of disconnected apathy and that resignation of like, why am I even going to lend my voice or fill out this survey, it’s not going to make a difference, right? That place of disconnection in apathy.

I think one of the paths that we get to that apathy from, is from overdosing on sympathy, right? From being so invested. And then we’re so invested because we want to create this change, and the change doesn’t happen in the exact way that we expect it to or want it to. And so eventually, week after week, year after year, we get burnout, and we give up and we enter this place of apathy and we stay there, and all the students that enter our sphere now, didn’t get the attempt at us. And I think the pathway out of that is, like we’ve been saying, empathy, the ability to keep one foot in their reality and one foot in your own. There are other sources and paths to apathy and that resignation, but I would say in the context of language we’re speaking now, that’s one of them.

Q: But what you’re saying is that there is a way out of it. Once you reach that apathy point, there’s a way out of it, you can step back out of it?

**A: (Chad)** Yeah. Absolutely.

**(Will)** Yeah. So, I just want to add to that. Oftentimes if people are being apathetic in the workplace, they’re often in a place of resignation. So, as Chad was alluding to, at one point they might have been sympathetic, but then wasn’t seen, heard and understood, they didn’t have a voice, they didn’t feel their choices mattered. So one way to get out of that, especially as a leader, if you see apathetic people is to really have a clear conversation with them about who they are and how they want to contribute for them to actually be seen and that’s where the blessing of empathy comes in. Because empathy, allows people to be seen, heard and understood, exactly for the who they are, and for who they are not. And when that happens, people are more likely to contribute, more likely to give their voice, more likely to choose to contribute rather than to be a consumer, or critic, or say a curmudgeon.

**(Chad)** I think part of the reason that Will and I wanted to join you to record this podcast is, imagine schools that were sprinkled with the dose of empathy where superintendents deeply understood teachers and teachers deeply understood superintendents and they were able to say, rather than being frustrated at each other, they were able to stick one foot in and say like, wow, your job must be really, really hard. I’m still really frustrated, this thing isn’t getting done, and we still have to deliver this curriculum, and what is this blended hybrid, or whatever’s going on, especially currently in the world. But to be able to sprinkle that dose to recognize that, I have never met an educator that hasn’t said, to some degree, I have too much to do in too little time.

I think sometimes we forget that and we get frustrated at somebody for not doing something, and that person also feels they have too much to do in too little time and they know they’re dropping the ball for some people. And when we’re apathetic, it’s really easy to turn that person into an object, whereas when we’re empathetic, we can work with them and there can be some collaboration in getting that done, rather than a finger pointing out of a blame.

Q: Decision making is part of all organizations, big or small, all boards, all school boards, school administration, corporations, decision making occurs all the time. Typically, decision making, if it’s being done across any number of people include some dialog, especially if you might be referencing a leadership team, or school board, or a corporate board. So, what I want to ask you to define or share the difference between is debate and discussion. So, if part of decision making includes discussion, is there a difference between debating and discussion? And if so, what’s the difference?

**A: (Will)** I so appreciate that. Let’s get clear about debate, who’s going to win, right? And oftentimes, debate shows up when we are in a place in which you’re going to lose and I’m going to win, and that is the mindset that shows up usually when something is threatened, right? My identity, or my needs are getting threatened. So, debate often has this two-sided argument where people are trying to prove and they’re only listening to win and they’re trying to challenge each other. This discussion or the word I like to use is dialogue.

Chad Littlefield, M.Ed.

As a speaker and professional facilitator, Chad designs fun, challenging, and engaging experiences and tools that break down communication barriers. He has spoken at TEDx and is the author of the Pocket Guide to Facilitating Human Connections. He is also the creator of We! Connect Cards, which are now being used to create conversations that matter within companies in over 80 countries around the world and on 6 of the 7 continents. (Free deck if you live in Antarctica.) Chad lives in Pittsburgh, PA with his wonderful wife and son, Kate and Otto, though they all travel often. View Chad’s full bio here.

Will Wise, M.Ed.

Will Wise has over two decades of experience custom building leadership programs for corporate and nonprofit groups. He has earned a reputation as one who can transform groups and people into their best selves. Tens of thousands of people have been empowered with positive communication skills after spending some time with Will and We and Me, Inc. Most recently, Will released his new book, Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations that Matter, now a #1 Amazon Bestseller! Will lives in State College, PA with his amazing wife, Heather, and their three children. View Will’s full bio here.
Chad Littlefield and Will Wise website
The post How to Create Conversations that Matter (Part 1) appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

The Power of a Positive Attitude: A Discussion with Principal Baruti Kafele Sep 29, 2020

After decades as a highly regarded teacher and school leader in New Jersey, Principal Baruti Kafele began a journey to share his knowledge and experience with educators across the country. On this episode of Keystone Education Radio, podcast host Annette Stevenson and Principal Kafele discuss his career, the attitude gap, how to approach conversations about racism and social injustice, his role in transforming Newark Tech into an award-winning high school, and why he has been coined as America’s discomfort speaker.

Skip to: 01:20 To begin with, would you give us an overview of the journey that brought you to where you are today as an educator, writer and speaker?

Skip to: 02:30 We know about various “gaps” – the achievement gap, the opportunity gap – Could you explain what the attitude gap is?

“I want to transform attitudes because if I can change the attitude, then the achievement will follow.”

“The attitude gap is the gap between those students who have the will to achieve excellence and those who do not.”

Skip to: 05:20 Following the killing of George Floyd, there has been a loud call for social change across the country. What guidance would you give to schools about how to approach conversations about racism and social injustice?

“Leadership has to have the courage, the backbone, the spine, the audacity, to engage staff in that tough conversation.”

Skip to: 07:44 Under your leadership, Newark Tech transformed from a low-performing school to being recognized by U.S. News and World Report Magazine as one of America’s best high schools, three times over. What was the primary catalyst for this change?

“When the vision can be shared, now there’s a higher probability that we can turn this thing into our reality. So, our vision was shared, the students embraced the vision of what we can become, and now we were able to go to work and make it happen.”

Skip to: 09:04 You have been coined as America’s discomfort speaker because of how you force your audiences to reflect on themselves. Can you explain why this type of self-reflection is important?

“I’m here for you to look within yourself because as you feel that pain, so to speak, that will be the motivation or the impetus for you to bring about change to your practice.”

Skip to: 12:20 How can listeners learn more about your work and your books?

Q: Could you give us an overview of your journey that brought you to where you are today as an educator, writer and speaker?

A: Yeah, the short version is that I was teacher in 1988 in Brooklyn, New York City. I loved it and decided to do it full time, so I came back home to Jersey and continued it. I became an award-winning teacher in a very short period of time as teacher of the year at the school district, county and finalist for New Jersey State Teacher of the Year. I went on and became a principal, which I did for 14 years. But while I was doing that work, even as a teacher, I was writing. So, I was writing my first books and here we are up to number 11. I left my principalship in 2011 because I wanted to do this. I wanted a larger platform to do it. I had been doing it for 30 some odd years, but it was simultaneous with my principalship, so that meant weekends and summers and that type of thing. And I really wanted to live it. So, I left in 2011 and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

Q: So, we hear about different types of gaps – achievement gap, opportunity gap. Could you explain the attitude gap?

A: Yeah, I’ve had a focus on attitude since my undergraduate days in the early 80s. I thought that the whole idea of a positive attitude was a powerful thing. So, as I evolved as a practitioner, as an educator, I started thinking about attitude, attitude, attitude. Then with the achievement gap language, No Child Left Behind language and the pressures to close this achievement gap – at that time, they said 100% of the students by 2014. I started attaching the word “gap” to attitude. It’s the attitude gap that I want to close. I’m not concerned about the achievement gap because I want to transform attitudes because if I can change the attitude, then the achievement will follow, was my thinking. So, that’s where I was as a teacher, that’s where I was as a principal.

So, I gave it a definition. The attitude gap is the gap between those students who have the will to achieve excellence and those who do not. So, the focus was on the will. How do we tap into the will of the student? How do we get the youngster excited about self, about learning and about the prospects for his or her future? How do we tap into that?

Then I looked at the educator and I said, “That attitude has to be positive as well.” So, then I gave it this definition – the gap between those educators who have the will to be amazing at their craft and those who do not. So, teacher, principal, counselor, whomever, have you arrived today with the will to take your practice, your game, to a level previously unimagined, right? So, having that willingness to continue to step up, step up, step up. Next thing we knew, we’re on that path to students being where we want them to be and, ultimately, we got there. Again, that’s through a focus of attitude. The youngster has to want this. I can purchase as many programs and models for writing, reading and mathematics, but at the end of the day, if youngster is not willing to receive it, to embrace it, because they don’t see the significance of it or the relevance of it to their life, then I don’t care how many millions of dollars are spent for the program. That youngster is still not going to embrace it.

So, I said we need to go here and here, and as we go there, then there’s a higher probability the youngster will in fact embrace what it is that we’re selling, so to speak.

Q: Following the killing of George Floyd, there has been a loud call for social change, rightfully so, across the country. What guidance would you give to schools and school leaders about how to approach these types of conversations about racism and social injustice?

A: I have created a definition of social justice education, but it’s lengthy, so I don’t have it memorized just yet. Here’s the thing, I was a social justice practitioner from the day I set foot in the classroom in 1988. I say that because I didn’t know better, right? It just made sense to me, but I learned very quickly once I was in that classroom, that I had to, figuratively speaking, peep outside of my classroom door to make sure the coast was clear before I could engage students in that conversation. Then as principal, I had to tip toe. Continuing that practice with my staff and ultimately students, but somewhere along the way, the world kept shifting, kept changing and now I could be my authentic self.

So, relative to your question, leadership has to have the courage, the backbone, the spine, the audacity, to engage staff in that tough conversation, but not necessarily bam in your face from the outset. That takes time because you have a staff that you need. So, therefore you’ve got to win that staff over. You’ve got to use your people skills to the utmost to look at people who are in various different places politically and various different places in terms of perspective, how they see life. You’ve got to massage it that way, so that, ultimately, we can have the tough conversation, regardless of what side of the aisle you sit or just the way you see the world. We can still have that constructive, productive conversation as staff because it relates to the children and leave the meeting as allies, as partners, as friends, as opposed to now we’ve got more friction on staff than we already had. So, it’s a tough conversation, but it’s a doable conversation. The leadership has to know how to engage staff in the conversation to get it started.

Q: Under your leadership, Newark Tech transformed from a low performing school to being recognized by the U.S. News and World Report Magazine as one of America’s best high schools three times. What was the catalyst for this change?

A: I would say first and foremost, the leadership, without patting myself on the back, but I understood that leadership was important. I say to anybody, and in fact, I say to leaders every day, including today in Rhode Island, that leadership is everything. So, when I got there, the only variable to change was me. Everybody else was who was there the years before. So, the school was a low performing school, but the leadership came in with a different kind of a focus, different kind of an attitude, a vision of excellence, and was able to pitch that and sell that. So as a result, I had a staff that believed in the vision and was able to embrace the vision as their own, and that’s key. You know, as long as it’s my vision, it’s not going to happen anyway. But when the vision can be shared, now there’s a higher probability that we can turn this thing into our reality. So, our vision was shared, the students embraced the vision of what we can become, and now we were able to go to work and make it happen.

Q: You have been coined as America’s discomfort speaker. I understand it’s because of how you force audiences, or cause them, to reflect upon themselves. Can you explain why this type of self-reflection is so important?

A: Yeah. I mean, it’s crucial. Every book that I’ve written, every article I’ve written, every blog post, every presentation I’ve created, they’re all in the first person. They’re all self-reflective, they’re designed for the receiver, the reader, whatever it is to look within oneself. So, to contrast that with the old title of years ago, the motivator, the motivational speaker. Typically, a motivational speaker can come into a room, because I’ve been this guy, and ignite an audience. They’re standing on their feet, giving you a standing ovation and they’re yelling your name and all that kind of stuff. Then, they get to the parking lot to their car and they’re not thinking about you anymore because life has resumed. So, now they’re going on with their lives. I needed content, a message, presentations, articles, books, whatever it is, that once they’re read or once I’m heard, you’re still thinking about me. You’re thinking about me because I said something that made you say, “Ouch.”

I said something that stung, that hurt, right? That pierced you. Now, it’s like, I left the keynote, I left the workshop, but this guy’s in my head. Right? My intent was to create discomfort, I wanted you to feel uncomfortable with being comfortable and comfortable with being uncomfortable. So now that becomes my goal, my objective, with any work I do in education. Therefore, I don’t have a problem with someone leaving the venue upset with Principal Kafele because if you’re upset with me because of perspective, that’s different. If you’re upset with me because I made you look within, like I’ve had people say to me, principals in particular, “Principal Kafele, man, you punched me in the stomach without taking a swing. It was a gut punch.”

And I say, “Good. That was why I was here today. Right?” Or they say, “Principal Kafele, you’ve rocked my foundation. I really thought I had a handle on this, and now I’m questioning myself.” I said, “Yeah, that’s why I’m here. Right? I’m not here for you to praise me. I’m here for you to look within yourself because as you feel that pain, so to speak, that will be the motivation or the impetus for you to bring about change to your practice.” That’s what that’s all about – America’s discomfort speaker, I’m running around America, making people feel uncomfortable.

Q: Where can listeners and viewers can find out more about your work and this information that you are conveying?

A: Yeah, absolutely. PrincipalKafele.com has everything. As I tell everybody, it’s not just a website, it’s an institute of professional learning. So, I’ve just got a wealth of information on there that you don’t have to pay for, you just use. You may know that I do a virtual assistant principal leadership academy every Saturday morning. It was meant to be just for the summer, it’s sort of a COVID thing. I’m home. I’m not traveling, doing anything. So, let me spend an hour every Saturday morning talking to assistant principals and aspiring assistant principals and even their bosses, principals, assistant supes, and superintendents, but it became so popular that I decided I’d do it year long.

So we’re going to do 52 weeks of this, 30 minutes each, starting in September all the way through May 1, 2021. So, that’s another thing I do. Somebody listening may say, “Oh my God, how can I get on, how can I join? How can I register?” Nothing to register, just go to my Facebook page at Principal Kafele, my Twitter page @PrincipalKafele, my Virtual Assistant Principal Leadership Academy page on Facebook or my YouTube channel, School Leadership Thoughts, and join me at 11 EST every Saturday morning and I will be sitting there waiting for you.

Principal Baruti Kafele

Principal Kafele A highly regarded urban educator in New Jersey for more than 20 years, Principal Baruti Kafele distinguished himself as a master teacher and a transformational school leader. As an elementary school teacher in East Orange, NJ, he was selected as the East Orange School District and Essex County Public Schools Teacher of the Year, he was a New Jersey State Teacher of the Year finalist, and a recipient of the New Jersey Education Association Award of Excellence.

As a middle and high school principal, Kafele led the turnaround of four different New Jersey urban schools, including “The Mighty” Newark Tech, which went from a low-performing school in need of improvement to national recognition.

One of the most sought-after school leadership experts and education speakers in America, Kafele has delivered more than 2,000 presentations over his 34 years of public speaking. An expert in the area of “attitude transformation,” Kafele is the leading authority for providing effective classroom and school leadership strategies toward closing what he coined, the “Attitude Gap.”

A prolific writer, Kafele has written extensively on professional development strategies for creating a positive school climate and culture, transforming the attitudes of at-risk students, motivating Black males to excel in the classroom and school leadership practices for inspiring schoolwide excellence. He has authored 10 books, including his six Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development best-sellers: The ASPIRING Principal 50, Is My School a Better School BECAUSE I Lead It?, The Principal 50, The Teacher 50, Closing the Attitude Gap, and Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School & in Life. His next book, The ASSISTANT Principal 50, will be released in summer 2020.

Kafele earned his bachelor’s degree in management science/marketing from Kean University and his master’s degree in educational administration from New Jersey City University. He is the recipient of more than 150 educational, professional and community awards, including the Milken National Educator Award; the National Alliance of Black School Educators Hall of Fame Award; induction into the East Orange, NJ, Hall of Fame; and the city of Dickinson, TX, proclaiming February 8, 1998, as Baruti Kafele Day.

The post The Power of a Positive Attitude: A Discussion with Principal Baruti Kafele appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Instilling Resiliency in Kids and Closing the Achievement Gap Sep 15, 2020

Prompted by his upbringing and life experiences, Dr. John Hodge has dedicated his career to advocating for impoverished children and their families. On this episode of Keystone Education Radio, podcast host Annette Stevenson and Dr. Hodge discuss factors in closing the achievement gap, the role guardians play in developing resilience, the shift to higher order thinking, the SAME approach to education, and how educators and school leaders can help develop a culturally inclusive school.

Skip to:00:57 Could you start by giving us a little background, career wise and experience wise, how you developed this area of focus and passion?

“I had an interesting childhood, in that I grew up in a very supportive household in a very tough neighborhood. I think the duality of my existence caused me to have an interest in this area of research.”

Skip to: 02:34 Apart from academic instruction, what are some of the factors that play a role in closing the achievement gap?

Skip to: 05:04 What role do guardians, educators and school leaders play in helping students develop resilience?

“As a general rule, I say to schools and parents, you do the best you can with what you have.”

“If we’re consistent with our love and support, the research is overwhelming that kids can overcome some really tough circumstances.”

Skip to:07:47 Last school year, standardized tests were not administered in Pennsylvania and the extent of learning loss caused by COVID-19 is still to be realized. What is your perspective on this pause in typical instruction, and how it may or may not cause a shift to higher order thinking? What’s the importance of this type of thinking as well?

“The ultimate role of a school is to prepare kids for life when they leave us. That is the point.”

Skip to:11:26 Can you talk about the SAME approach to education and how this has been successful in schools?

Skip to:16:13 How can educators and school leaders develop a culturally inclusive school? How does a distributed leadership concept play into that culturally inclusive environment?

“Distributed leadership means that we’re coming together under a common mission and vision and we work together to get stuff done.”

Skip to:19:02 Where can listeners learn more about your work? Is there a website they can go to to check this out?

Q: Could you start by giving us a little background, career wise and experience wise, on how you developed this area of focus and passion?

A: Well, I think I need to go back to my upbringing. I had an interesting childhood, in that I grew up in a very supportive household in a very tough neighborhood. I think the duality of my existence caused me to have an interest in this area of research.

Also, something that a lot of folks don’t know about me – and I normally don’t share it during keynotes – but while I was a soldier, I was deployed to Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdict and responded to what we now know as the L.A. riots. One thing I noticed, the folks that were acting most outrageously were grown, the kids were okay. I had a chance to really talk to them about life, school and where they wanted to go and what they want to be. That really made me know that education is what I need to do and understanding how people bounce back from adversity is something I need to really focus on. So it’s kind of a unique background.

Q: Apart from academic instruction, what are some of the factors that play a role in closing the achievement gap?

A: I think we have to be holistic in our approach to educating students. I think the achievement gap is not merely representative of a person’s academic level, it’s representative of a lot of different factors that they bring to the school. So, in closing the achievement gap, if we’re serious about not just closing it, but preparing children for life after school, we have to be holistic in what we do.

I think whether or not education is a priority in a home has some bearing on academic performance. We have to keep in mind that some children are coming to us in survival mode. When you are existing in survival mode, what’s important to you is surviving the day. You’re not necessarily thinking about the test next Friday or the report card nine weeks from now, you are surviving day to day. If we can infuse education as a priority and a bright future as a possibility while a child is in survival mode, that’s a win. Because then it’s, “Okay. How can I conduct myself in such a way that I address the needs, my learning requirements and survive?”

The great news is kids can start learning very early, at 6 years old, that education is a priority. If my lights go out, I go to my neighbor’s house, who has electricity, and I do my schoolwork there. Those are the kinds of things that we can start to instill in children very early. Yes, we know circumstances are very difficult, that’s real, but a child doesn’t have to be a victim of circumstance. I think that’s a very important learning experience that we need to offer children as early as possible.

Q: What role do guardians, educators and school leaders play in helping students develop resilience?

A: I’ve traveled the country and I’ve been to lots of different school districts. In my normal job, I am assigned to schools that are attempting to meet or exceed state accreditation standards. My company is a school improvement company, so we do a variety of projects and primarily I work in high-poverty schools. So, I’ve seen lots of different schools, there are lots of different levels of resources in those school districts, sometimes a big difference between urban school districts and rural, for example. As a general rule, I say to schools and parents, you do the best you can with what you have.

I’ll give you a pretty drastic but true example. If you are a parent and you have lots of different kids at home and you’re raising them by yourself, you don’t necessarily understand the content that’s coming home with your child, one of the things you can do is you offer a quiet time and a quiet space for your children to address their assignments from school. I’ve seen an actual example where a parent put a taped box on the floor, maybe three feet by three feet. When her child was in her chair, sitting in that square, everybody else had to be quiet. Now that’s not a kid with their own room, that’s not a kid with their own desk or a place in the basement to study exclusively. That’s a parent doing the best she can do with what she has.

Another thing kids need in these circumstances is consistency. Worrying about whether or not mom’s going to be home, whether or not the folks who are raising me are going to be supportive, whether or not my teacher really likes me or not – kids don’t need hot and cold, they need consistency from the adults around them. We need to be consistently supportive, which doesn’t necessarily mean that you can get a kid everything they want and need. But if we’re consistent with our love and support, the research is overwhelming that kids can overcome some really tough circumstances.

Q: Last school year, standardized tests were not administered in Pennsylvania and the extent of learning loss caused by COVID-19 is still to be realized. What is your perspective on this pause in typical instruction, and how it may or may not cause a shift to higher order thinking? What’s the importance of this type of thinking as well?

A: Here is an essential question that every educator needs to ask – every school, every department of education, every school of higher learning that’s preparing teachers. That question is the following: What skills, traits and characteristics do children need for success in school and success in life? The whole purpose of school is not to pass a state assessment. Yes, state assessments are crucial, they’re very, very important, but the ultimate role of a school is to prepare kids for life when they leave us. That is the point.

With regard to standards and assessments and higher order thinking, I do think, if it’s part of the direction the school district is going in, you may see a shift to higher order thinking, but I don’t think that’s the whole piece. I think another thing that needs to happen is we have to look at some of the content that may have been missed and extract essential questions, essential standards. Maybe you’re not addressing all of the standards, but the essential ones you are addressing, because kids are going to eventually leave you and go to the next grade level. So, it’s important to extract what’s most important.

Let’s think about how we’re thinking. It’s not just about school, it’s bigger than that. I’m in the Commonwealth of Virginia. So, let’s say for the last 30 years, you’ve been working in an industry that employs 234,000 people, it has a 6.4 compound growth rate every year, it accounted for $26 billion in revenue in 2018, and in March of 2020, that industry ceased to exist. What do you do? Well, that’s a real question because the industry I just described is tourism in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

As a child, when I leave school, if I’m not ready to handle complex problems like that, I’m not ready for a post-COVID economy. So it’s not just about the state assessment or our courses, that’s really important, but higher order thinking is a necessary life skill. I think it’s something we should be doing anyway because life is pretty complex. So yes, we may see a shift. I don’t think it will happen by osmosis, I think that our leadership needs to make it a priority, because if it’s not, what you might see happening in some schools, is that we’re just in survival mode, we’re just covering what’s in the textbook and that’s not necessarily preparing kids for life.

Q: Can you talk about the SAME, approach to education and how this has been successful in schools?

A: SAME is my company’s answer to the question I posed earlier: What skills, traits and characteristics do kids need for success in school and life? In our opinion as an organization, in order to adequately prepare children for school and life, we have to be holistic. Within our delivery system, within a school, we have to address what we call the social environment within a school. That’s the S in SAME. SAME stands for social, academic and moral education, so the S in SAME stands for social. We define the social environment as how members of the school community behave. Now, when I say school and behavior, most people think I’m talking about the kids, and I am, but not just the kids because children model what they see. In the social domain, teachers have to be what we want our students to become. We have to clearly communicate and overtly model the behaviors we desire, and then we can hold kids accountable for those behaviors. So, the social environment is all about behavior.

The A in SAME deals with the academic environment. The academic environment deals with how members of the school community engage in teaching and learning. As a teacher, do I have the skill sets required to develop, or to deliver, a very engaging, aligned academic lesson? Yes, hopefully you do. But on the other side, as a student, do I have the skills required to participate in said lesson? Do I know how to ask questions? Am I organized? Do I know how to make the most of a classroom and get this and that, even if my teacher’s boring?

Then the M is the moral domain of SAME. The M, as we see it, deals with what members of the school community believe. Do I believe that my students can be academically successful regardless of their zip code? Does it matter to me where a kid comes from, who they are and how they look? Do I think they can make it anyway? Do I have that sense of efficacy? That’s the belief system on the part of the adults. On the student side, do I value education? Do I see the relevance? Do I see education as relevant to my survival? And if I do, then I can get through a lot of stuff, I can survive. But if I don’t, if it’s just something I have to do right now, then my academic performance is not going to be what we would want it to be. All of these things have to be addressed within a culture of distributed leadership, which means all of the kids belong to all of us.

If I’m a fourth grade teacher, but there’s an issue with fifth grade kids, those are my issues too.

I can’t say, “Oh, that’s their problem. I had them last year.” Because you might have the answer to the issue, right? So there has to be some degree of collaboration, grade to grade, departmental, that we have to work together to address the needs of our children. That’s distributed leadership. And we involve, to the extent possible, the home, the community and the school. That’s SAME in a box.

What we’ve seen is that, if you take this approach with fidelity over time, you not only achieve academic success, but you’re in a better position to sustain it. Because, as you grow as an organization, there’s this M, that belief system says that we think we can keep doing this, we know we should. And as we bring people into our organization, there’s an onboarding that takes place where we say, “Hey, here’s how we do business in this school.” We do that, we’re going to make a huge difference for the lives of a lot of kids in this country. So, that’s SAME in a box.

Q: How can educators and school leaders develop a culturally inclusive school? How does a distributed leadership concept play into that culturally inclusive environment?

A: Let’s think in terms of a school’s school improvement plan.

Because everybody develops one, the degree to which everybody knows what’s in it, that’s another story, that’s another podcast, right? But every school probably has one, right? So, if you look at a typical school improvement plan, there’s normally a column that might talk about accountability. Who’s going to be collecting data in this specific area, who’s going to report back to the school leadership team how the school is doing? And what you see is principal, principal, principal, principal, principal, one person. In a school of 3,000 people there’s this one person who’s accountable for all this stuff. Well, distributed leadership says, “I don’t have to be the person who corrects a behavior, as a teacher, but I can be a person who can report back the degree to which we are making progress in a specific area.” So, I’m part of the leadership because I’m helping us to implement the things that are going to make us better as the school. That doesn’t fall on one person, that falls on us.

And that’s a good thing because, I got to tell you, a lot of times, the best answers for a school are in the faculty, it’s not in the main office, it’s somebody on faculty. If you’re not including them in the decision, if they’re not a part of the discussion, there is no way you can implement change of any kind, unless they’re a part of it, right? So, to us, that’s distributed leadership. Sometimes the first step we take in working with schools is to build teamwork. The lone ranger is dead, he’s gone. Seriously, you got to be together on this stuff or there’s no way you can get it done. But if you are together on it you can make crazy stuff happen. That’s the good news, right?

So distributed leadership means that we’re coming together under a common mission and vision and we work together to get stuff done.

Q: Where can listeners learn more about your work? Is there a website they can go to, to check this out?

A: Yeah, you can check out my Twitter handle. That’s DrJhodge1906. I make a lot of commentary on education, but I also make a small degree of social commentary because I think we can’t live in isolation within a school, we live in a world, so I do some discussion of both. If you go on YouTube, there are several clips where I talk about our philosophy and what we do as an organization. I’ve co-authored a book called Standing in the Gap: A Guide to Using the SAME Framework to Create Excellent Schools. If you’d like a copy of the book currently, you can call (757) 224-8017 and talk to our office manager and we can send you a book. But if I were you, I would wait, because our fourth edition is coming out in October. And our website is www.ullcschools.com.

Dr. John Hodge

Dr. John W. Hodge is vice president of the Urban Learning and Leadership Center (ULLC), a staff development and training organization that serves school districts throughout the United States. An expert in assisting schools to plan and implement strategies for continuous improvement, his career has been defined by helping students and teachers overcome obstacles and achieve goals. Dr. Hodge’s presentations often serve as “the spark” for many schools in their quest to meet state and federal accreditation standards.

Dr. Hodge is a trained facilitator for the Southern Regional Education Board’s Leadership Initiative Modules “Leading Assessment and Instruction” and “Creating a High Performance Learning Culture,” and a trained assessor and mentor/coach facilitator in the National Association of Secondary School Principals “Developing the 21st Century Principal” program.

Dr. Hodge has held many education-related roles including reading teacher, English teacher, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) teacher, assistant principal and associate director of AVID Center, Eastern Division. He served as director of An Achievable Dream Academy, a high-performing, high-poverty school in the inner city that has received numerous national awards. Prior to starting his career in education, Dr. John W. Hodge distinguished himself in the service of our country with the 7th Infantry Division of the United States Army.

The post Instilling Resiliency in Kids and Closing the Achievement Gap appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Not Only Fun and Games: The Rise of Popularity in Esports** Sep 01, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guest

Resources

On this episode of Keystone Education Radio, podcast host Annette Stevenson is joined by Bill Thomas, chairman of the Pennsylvania Esports Coalition. Annette and Bill discuss the rise in popularity of esports (electronic sports), the connection to STEM curriculum and the potential that the industry holds, as well as how it can be implemented into schools across the commonwealth. It’s big business with potential for career paths, but it’s also a way to engage more students in another type of extracurricular.
Skip to: 01:33 Can you begin by providing an overview of esports – such as what games are popular; how many players participate and how is a competition organized?

Skip to: 04:35 What role does esports play in creating an inclusive school community?

esports, and really video gaming as a whole, has become overwhelmingly social right now.

…esports programs have really allowed for folks who are maybe not as athletic or who have not really shown an interest in some other clubs, to participate in school activities.

Skip to: 07:30 What is the importance of regulatory oversight in the esports industry, specifically among high school players?

The Coalition has been working with an organization called the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Esports Association, which is looking to be on a parallel track to the PIAA, to be able to provide that regulatory oversight, that governing body to ensure that the competitions are safe, secure and have integrity with that.

Skip to: 10:02 What educational benefits can students acquire by participating in esports, and how can these benefits carry into their futures?

The one esport, League of Legends, about 67% of League of Legends collegiate players are seeking a STEM degree in college, compared to about 30% of the general population who aren’t League of Legends players.

I think this opportunity to be able to use esports as the anchor for that STEM learning and that STEM opportunity to be able to fill those 21st century jobs, I don’t think I’ve seen anything that could be more impactful, and to actually move that needle in a measurable way as esports.

Skip to: 18:25 What advice would you give to a school that is interested in learning more about esports or forming a team?

Skip to: 20:54 How can listeners learn more about the Pennsylvania Esports Coalition or the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Esports Assocation?

Q: Can you begin by providing an overview of esports, such as what kind of games are popular? How many players participate? How are competitions organized?

A: Esports is simple to understand. It’s competitive video gaming. It’s the very popular activity of playing video games put into a competitive model, similar to what you would find with traditional sports.

There are several games that are out there that could be considered an esport. Most of your more popular video games do have a competitive component to them. Overwatch and League of Legends are two of the most popular competitive esports games that you find. There are other games like CS GO. You could even convert Minecraft into a competitive esport. Fortnite, although not as popular as a team-based game or what you’d see in high schools, colleges or at the pro level, does have some really impressive national and international tournaments. You can even go to some of the more traditional sports like NBA 2K basketball, FIFA MLS and other competitions within the FIFA brand. Madden NFL could also be considered to have an esports component to it.

There are several types of esports. Some of them are team-based. Overwatch is a 6V6 game, and Super Smash Brothers, which is a Nintendo-based cartoon video game, is 1V1 or individuals playing against other individuals. So, from a team perspective, it depends on the game as to how many players you have. For clubs like you would see it high school or college, you probably have 12 to 15 players per team, depending on how many game titles you have. Some high schools in the area, like Conestoga Valley in Lancaster County, have 30 kids as part of their esports club.

It really depends on how much interest there is at your institution and how many game titles you’re competing in.

Q: What role does esports play in an inclusive school community?

A: Esports, and really video gaming as a whole, has become overwhelmingly social right now. I think that’s probably a stereotype that you don’t often get when you talk about a traditional gamer or someone who is really an avid video game player. With some of the advents in technology and some of the games that are available, players are interacting with each other. They’re talking to each other, they’re communicating. There’s a social element right now that makes esports almost inherently social.

I saw a statistic the other day that about 80% of video game players are not active within their high school club or sports scene. It’s definitely become more and more accepted for very good video game players to now enter into the social atmosphere of school. So, esports programs have really allowed folks who are maybe not as athletic or who have not really shown an interest in some other clubs to participate in school activities.

The other side of that is about 75 to 80% of high school kids play video games. So, it’s going to be a natural transition for a lot of students to be able to now play at a club level or in a competition. It allows them to be part of that high school or college setting, where maybe three or four years ago that option wasn’t available. So, with the number of teenagers who play video games, you’re just naturally going to be able to incorporate more individuals into your school setting and to be more involved in school activities.

The other interesting part is, it’s an activity and a club and a competition that really doesn’t discriminate. From disabled students to students with financial means, it really is open to everyone and is extremely inclusive. The more that you can build programs at the high school level, the more you’re going to incorporate that inclusivity within your own school settings. So, there are some amazing positive outcomes that can happen when you incorporate an esports program, either before school or after school, and as part of your school curriculum or school activity.

Q: In the high school age group, what is the importance of regulatory oversight in the esports industry?

A: I think this is one of the items that is really missed in the current landscape that we find ourselves in. There are a lot of companies out there that have these platforms that are really geared towards high school players. Each of those individual platforms have their own set of guidelines, rules and structure. For the most part, they are true to what is necessary for integrity and safe and fair competition.

What is missing is an oversight governing body. As we continue to move along, video games are becoming more and more popular. The ability to watch competitive esports is becoming more and more popular. Younger generations are investing time and money as if they were watching professional football or collegiate football or basketball. So, the more that this becomes integrated into our society and becomes more popular, the need for the regulatory structure, something similar to the PIAA for traditional sports or the NCAA, is going to be needed.

Primarily because we want to protect the student athletes and those who are playing the games, but also to build confidence and give credibility to the industry for those who are making those decisions. Whether it’s elected school board officials or administrators, principals, vice principals, advisors, you need to have some accountability so that you can provide that integrity and that safety and security for the players.

So, right now, regulatory oversight is limited. The coalition has been working with an organization called the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Esports Association (PIEA), which is looking to be on a parallel track to the PIAA, to be able to provide that regulatory oversight, that governing body, to ensure that the competitions are safe, secure and have integrity with that.

Q: What educational benefits are acquired by participating in esports? Can these benefits carry into a student’s future at all?

A: Yes, absolutely. One of the reasons that the Pennsylvania Esports Coalition started looking into the high school space was a lot of the data that was starting to come out of some of the activities happening in Europe, and some of the activities happening stateside, of the strong correlation between esports competitions and STEM learning. There are really strong connections between those who are inherently or have trained to be successful with video games, especially on the esports competition side, and their ability to seek a STEM degree in college or their ability to have those critical thinking capabilities to have a career in a STEM field.

With League of Legends, about 67% of collegiate players are seeking a STEM degree in college, compared to about 30% of the general population who aren’t League of Legends players. So, there is a very direct one-to-one relationship between STEM learning and esports. That’s why I think you see a lot of schools interested in finding out more about esports and how they can build a program. There is a curriculum opportunity that comes with building a program.

There are college scholarships that are being offered for high school students who excel at esports. There are some college courses and degree courses that are being created – Harrisburg University has an esport degree. This is because as video games are growing in popularity and the competitive nature of these games becomes more and more popular, those who can actually operate the tournament, those who can actually create the games, those who can actually put the networks together to be able to host these events, that talent gap is very wide right now. There are a lot of people who want to do esports and want to put on tournaments, but very few people who have the knowledge base to be able to make it happen.

In Pennsylvania, we’re fortunate that we have a couple of great companies that have excelled at that, but there are few companies that do it and do it well. So, there is a huge talent gap for those, not necessarily those who play, and just like any professional sport or any professional talent, a small percentage of those who play esports are going to play for a professional team. There’s an entire industry that’s built on the back end of those games. From the development of those games; to the creation of those games; to the production of the tournaments; to what is called shoutcasting, which are the announcers who call the games; to the social media; to the marketing; to the public relations; and even to the school policies and to the curriculum that all goes into it.

There’s a whole industry that is built underneath the competitions that is going to only increase in demand. So, you started to see schools that are developing these programs to be able to fill the talent gap between those who want to host esports events and those who can actually do the work it needs to make them happen.

It’s an open, completely untapped marketplace right now for the high school space. You don’t ever want to talk about high school students as a marketplace, but there are only three or four national platforms that are organizing these competitions. It’s not as well run as you would think it would be for the three or four years since esports have entered the mainstream. Esports has grown from a close-knit, underground community of people competing to gaining some national attention here in the United States.

I think it’s still an untapped potential for the high school space because there are very few high schools, even in Pennsylvania, that have really taken a large leap forward in advocating for high school teams. There are only about 120 to maybe 130 Pennsylvania high schools that have teams that are competing right now. There is a huge opportunity for the state to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that are there.

I’ve been in government much my entire career. I spent 17 years working for a state legislature and the last 12 years of my career here in Pennsylvania working for the Pennsylvania House. Every governor, every administration and every legislative leader has said for the last 20 years, “How do we create the talent to be able to fill 21st century jobs?” I think this is an opportunity to be able to use esports as the anchor for STEM learning and to be able to fill those 21st century jobs. I don’t think I’ve seen anything that could be more impactful to move that needle in a measurable than esports.

I think now is the perfect time as we see schools struggling a little bit or trying to figure out what to do for the next six months to a year on how the future of learning in Pennsylvania. There’s a huge opportunity to be able to integrate esports into those models moving forward and to have the conversation about what we need to do from an infrastructure perspective to make sure that we are serving our students in rural and urban and every community in between. A lot of that is access to the internet and access to opportunities like esports.

I think there’s one school district in Pennsylvania that has taken a district-level approach, where all four of their high schools participate and it’s managed by the district. A lot of these programs have advisers within a high school who say, “I think we should have a program and let’s see where it goes.” Or the students themselves have appealed to the school, have found a sympathetic advisor to be able to help them sign the paperwork to be able to have a club.

There are so many more high schools throughout the state. We’re very heavy here in central Pennsylvania and on the eastern side of the state. There are less opportunities and high schools that are participating in the western part of Pennsylvania. Again, it goes back to your question too, that’s another reason for regulatory oversight is to have an equitable distribution of opportunities and programs across the state.

Q: If schools or districts are looking to form a team or would like to know more about esports, is there a place they can go to look for that?

A: As I said, there are a couple of other national platform providers out there who have been doing this for several years. High School Youth Sports League is a good starting point, but I can tell you as the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Esports Association begins to grow, the hope is for that entity to be the place for schools to come in and contact us about how to start a program.

You form a team or program just like any other club or any other sport. You need engaged students and you need an advisor willing to help those students achieve that goal. There are some technology requirements or minimum requirements that are needed. A lot of these game titles, depending on how aggressive the district or the school would want to be, could be as simple as purchasing a console like an Xbox or a PlayStation 4. Some of the more active programs do purchase the computers. There are some programs out there to be able to afford some of the more gaming style computers that are out there.

The PIEA is going to look to provide that type of information and resources to guide schools in the right direction. A lot of the conversations will need to be had at the administrative level as to whether the investment into the technology is warranted. I would advocate to any high school out there that it is a win-win for the schools to be able to invest in the necessary technology and to encourage more students to participate in school activities. That’s in addition to the ability to couple it with a STEM-based curriculum that will really shape the future of our success in filling those jobs in the future.

Q: Where can listeners go for more information about Pennsylvania Esports Coalition and Pennsylvania Interscholastic Esports Association?

A: For the Pennsylvania Esports Coalition, paesports.org is our website. I’m the chairman of that organization and have been fortunate to help guide the industry as a whole, whether from the professional levels all the way down to the high school and middle school programs.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Esports Association’s website is interscholasticesports.org. That is actually a combination of folks who are really interested in boosting Pennsylvania’s presence with esports at the high school level. They can contact info@interscholasticsports.org, that’s the email address. Or you can email me directly, wthomas@midatlanticss.com.

Bill Thomas

Bill is the Chairman of the Pennsylvania Esports Coalition, a nonprofit trade association created to advocate for esports and promote the industry throughout the Commonwealth. The Coalition was created in June of 2018 – and in that time has focused on educating legislators and decision makers on the positive impacts and opportunities that esports has had, and will continue to have across the Commonwealth.

In his “day job,” Bill is the President of Mid-Atlantic Strategic Solutions, a government relations and political consulting firm located in Harrisburg, PA. Prior to joining Mid-Atlantic Strategic Solutions in 2017, Bill worked for the Pennsylvania legislature, with a primary focus on gaming and casino policy. He was the former Executive Director of the House Gaming Oversight Committee from 2010-2014, as well as the former Deputy Communications Director for the House Majority Leader from 2008-2010. He also served as the Leadership Executive Director for the House Democratic Caucus Secretary from 2014-2017.

Pennsylvania Interscholastic Esports Assocation (PIEA)

Pennsylvania Esports Coalition (PA ESC)

The post Not Only Fun and Games: The Rise of Popularity in Esports appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Staying Safe Online in Today’s World** Aug 18, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Q&A

About our Guest

Resources

In today’s ever evolving world, it’s important for children and young adults to know how to keep themselves safe online. It’s equally important for parents and teachers to be aware of how their children and students are utilizing technology, especially as our world continues to operate in a largely online environment. On this episode of Keystone Education Radio, podcast host Annette Stevenson is joined by Jerry Mitchell, an outreach specialist with the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. Jerry provides insight into what youth are doing online and offers advice to guardians and teachers. Skip to: 01:12 Could you explain the role of the Attorney General’s Office as it pertains to public safety?Skip to: 02:50 What precautionary measures does the Attorney General’s office recommend, as to students and online safety?
If you wouldn’t speak to strangers out on the street, you still shouldn’t speak to strangers online. – Jerry Mitchell

Skip to: 05:19 Once something is shared on social media, it can be deleted as a post by the owner of the account, but not removed entirely from feeds. What guidance do you have about what to share and what not to share, particularly considering highly debated or heated topics?

Just reminding kids, if you put something out there, people can screenshot it, they can share it, they can add it to their own feeds and it’s out there forever. – Jerry Mitchell

In a lot of cases, people love to put out there, “Oh, LOL. I was just joking. Or I was just kidding.” And LOL will not bail you out every time. A smiley face or an emoji behind it will not bail you out. – Jerry Mitchell

Skip to: 08:22 What social media platforms are students using today?

Different regions also have online forums. So it’s not just the apps, it’s the online forums.
– Jerry Mitchell

Skip to: 10:49 Are there any new or different risks for young people in any of those that you mentioned like TikTok or YouTube?

One of the bigger risks is actually in a dollar-and-cents value, because now a lot of these apps allow you to exchange money and allow you to just transfer money from one person to another. – Jerry Mitchell

Skip to: 13:41 What are some of the warning signs that students might be experiencing bullying? How would you advise families and teachers to look for those warning signs?

Skip to: 22:57 Where can listeners learn more about the programs offered by the Office of Public Engagement?
Q: Could you start by explaining the role of the attorney general’s office as it pertains to public safety?A: The attorney general is the leading law enforcement official in the state of Pennsylvania. Each state has an attorney general or a department of justice within their state, and we are that department of justice for the state of Pennsylvania. When it comes to consumer protection or healthcare laws, we are the law enforcers statewide. Unlike your local police, who arrests someone then the district attorneys charge them with a crime, our own in-house attorneys charge them with the crime. Then, the offender is brought to trial and to court. The attorney general’s office also represents the commonwealth in lawsuits.
Q: With students’ time online increased substantially during the past few months due to school closures, what precautionary measures does the attorney general’s office recommend related to students and online safety?

A: Students are spending more time online nowadays. They’re communicating with a lot more people, people they know and a lot more people they don’t know. They have to remember the basic elements or tenets of online cyber safety. If you wouldn’t speak to strangers out on the street, you still shouldn’t speak to strangers online. There are a lot of bad people out there, bad actors and predators who prey on kids. A lot of our young minds think “Well, I’m home, I’m safe, I’m in my house. Nothing can bother me or touch me.” But these folks have a way of getting into their homes and into their minds and basically manipulating these young minds.

So, they have to remember not to talk to strangers online. Stranger danger is still very real. If you wouldn’t talk to a stranger at a grocery store, at a park or just in your own neighborhood, you still shouldn’t go online and talk to this person. If they offer you some sort of a gift, candy, free demos, or tell you to meet them somewhere, you still shouldn’t meet them or do anything like that or give them any personal information. Keep that stuff locked up. Make sure that you don’t give out any photos or any information about where you’re going to be at in the future. These things are still very real. These rules apply to our young minds and everyone.

Q: Once something is shared on social media, it can be deleted as a post by the owner of the account, but not removed entirely from feeds. So, what guidance do you have about what to share? What not to share? Particularly considering highly debated or heated or sensitive topics, is there guidance around that?

A: One of the things we talk about is remembering that you can’t erase cyberspace. That’s a model we go by in law enforcement. Just reminding kids, if you put something out there, people can screenshot it, they can share it, they can add it to their own feeds and it’s out there forever. They may put something out there in a spur of the moment or the heat of the moment, possibility in anger, which could be a threat. If they threaten somebody by saying, “I’m going to do something to you in a public setting,” that could be considered a terroristic threat. Whether they say, “I’m going to do something to you at a grocery store or a place of worship, at a school or at a mall,” that could be considered a terroristic threat.

Sexting is a really big issue too. Whether it’s language or visual, this stuff stays out there and it gets shared and it’s so dangerous and damaging to them. In the future, when they go for jobs or they go apply to college, people are going to be looking at this stuff. They’re going to make a decision as to whether they should accept them in their employment or into their university. So, this stuff can have long term effects.

Q:  You mentioned perhaps a threat that’s communicated in the heat of the moment. So, there are essentially crimes that can be assigned to the behavior that occurs in that space then, is that correct?

A: Absolutely, one of the things I like to tell folks is, in a lot of cases, people love to put out there, “Oh, LOL. I was just joking. I was just kidding.” And “LOL” will not bail you out every time. A smiley face or an emoji behind it will not bail you out. If you’re brandishing a firearm or if they’re brandishing a knife or some sort of a blunt weapon and saying, “This is what I’m going to use,” that’s taken pretty seriously. Again, our young minds may see all this as innocent fun or think, “what’s the harm?” I like to tell a lot of them, “Well, trouble usually starts off as fun. You have to be really, really careful in what kind of fun you think you’re having out here.”

Q:  So, what are some of the social media platforms that young people are using today?

A: TikTok is pretty much ruling the roost right now. There are so many different versions of it or different things you can do with it – the entertainment side, the explorer side and the social connect side. Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter accounts are still being used.

I do want to point out that the region and the area influences what social platforms they’re using. In the city of Harrisburg, they’re very heavy on one platform. If you go to Susquehanna High School or you go to Central Dauphin or go to Bishop McDevitt or another high school that is five or six miles away, they’re heavy on another platform. So, it really depends on the region. Also, online forums are where a lot of folks like to talk. Different regions also have online forums. So, it’s not just the apps, it’s the online forums too.

YouTube is heavily used and has now morphed into what, I like to say, is its own entity or its own industry now. We know it’s owned by Google, but YouTube has really got a lot more bells and whistles than it previously had and they’re still expanding it. So, that’s another one where people are connecting and basically communicating via YouTube.

Q: Are there any new or different risks for young people on any of those platforms that you mentioned like TikTok or YouTube?

A: Actually, one of the bigger risks is a dollar-and-cents value, because now a lot of these apps allow you to exchange and transfer money. So, you could have somebody try to coax somebody out of money or try to get them to buy something that they think they’re getting and they may not be getting anything. So, the financial side of it has really come into play with a lot of apps nowadays.

That’s something I’ve seen develop. I’ve been in this industry as a tech expert since 1994. I’ve watched this industry morph, develop and change shapes. Now, not only can you communicate with someone, can you see someone – whether it’s Zoom or whether it’s Duo or whatever you’re using – but you can also say, “Hey, listen, I need a few bucks. Hey, could you send me a few bucks?” And just like that you can transfer money to someone in an instant.

Q: So, bullying is a huge topic and has been for some time in the student space. Online bullying is also something that’s been talked about for a while and impacts students in and out of the school. You talked earlier about the risk, even when a child or a youth is at home, that there still can be danger that reaches them in that space. Bullying can reach students in their home. What do you think are some of the warning signs that students might be experiencing bullying? How would you advise families and teachers to look for those warning signs?

A: When bullying occurs, it really creates a shutdown scenario with a kid where they go through stages. First, there is fear and shock then hopefully they try to get away from it and hope it goes away. After that they can take different directions. When a kid’s mood suddenly changes from happy-go-lucky to withdrawn, you can tell something happened. If they haven’t gone anywhere and they’ve been spending time on the internet, then you pretty much know whatever happened probably involved the internet or a text message or something of that nature. So, those are the early telltale signs. They’re lashing out or they’re talking about getting even with someone.

We recommend parents monitor what their kids are doing online, ask questions. You are your child’s overseer. So, ask questions about what is going on, who they are talking to, if they are using vulgar or harmful language, and if they are receiving pornographic images or language of sorts, things that make them feel uncomfortable.

If they’ve received something that makes them feel uncomfortable, let them know that they should tell you what’s going on immediately. Most of the time kids don’t want to talk to parents because they see the mom and dad as big, mean and ugly. They make the rules and they usually hand out the discipline. So, they get fearful to talk to mom and dad. As parents, a lot of us understand that. So, just try to take steps and tactics to talk to them. One of those tactics or steps to talk to them is get them out the house, take them for a ride, go visit a store or grab food. Get away from the screen time and while you’re away, try to talk to them. Getting out of the house changes the dynamic and keeps that communication going.

Q: So, if a child confides in a parent or teacher, what’s the right next step if something is destructive going on, whether it’s bullying, threats or something else?

A: Well, what is going on will determine the step. Let’s just say, for example, it’s a bullying situation where their child is the bully. If your child says, “Well, I said something to somebody and they got mad at me. And then I said something to somebody else. And then I did this and now I’ve got people calling me names all because I said something.” Then someone basically called them out and said, “No, you shouldn’t have done that.” That’d be a good time to help them to understand why they shouldn’t do that. You could say something like, “This is why you should apologize. This is why you should let folks know that you did something and here is how you’re trying to make it right.” Parents can encourage their children to take the wheel and let their child know, “Hey, listen, here are the dangers to doing that. Here’s all that, you’ve heard all the information. You’ve heard the presentations; you’ve heard different people speak on it. Now you’re getting a life lesson for why you shouldn’t do that.”

We really, really hope the parents don’t encourage them to create a moral hazard type scenario where the kid was a bully and a parent protects by downplaying their actions and protecting them from any person who would call them out. There comes a point where you have to let a child know that they did something wrong.

On the flip side of that, if a kid is being bullied or threatened, we encourage parents to get all the information they can from their kid. If there’s any online traffic that has basically led to this, or if there’s any online documents or any language online, we recommend compiling as much as you can and calling your local police, definitely if it’s a threat; a threat only needs to happen one time.

Defining what bullying is – if it was one time and someone said, “Oh, I don’t like your hair, or I don’t like your sneakers.” That’s not going to be a bullying situation. If it’s happening multiple times and it keeps happening, you can also call Safe2Say or go online to Safe2Say, which is our office governors, and report that to us. Then, we can sit back and get in contact with law enforcement, especially if it’s happening in a school environment, camp environment, something of that nature. The Safe2Say program is 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So that’s an extremely good avenue to take to report it.

Safe2Say is also anonymous. One of the things that I like to remind our young minds about, because I’ve heard over and over again that it’s snitching, is that it’s about safety. What if your brother, sister, cousin, best friend, mother or father were going to be in harm’s way or going to get hurt? Would you consider that snitching? No, that’s safety.

Q: Where can listeners learn more about the programs that are offered by the Office of Public Engagement? Where can they find more on this topic?

A: If you go onto our website at attorneygeneral.gov and scroll to the Office of Public Engagement, you can click on that link. It’s going to show you the different regions where a specialist governs. I am Central Pennsylvania. So, from Fulton County over to Lancaster County and then all the way up to Montour. You have an outreach specialist in Philadelphia, the Pittsburgh area, State College area. So, we have different specialists all over the state making sure this message gets out.

Jerry Mitchell

Jerry Mitchell is an Outreach Specialist with Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Jerry has been working in state government for 18 years, specializing in computer application development, cyber-crimes and fraud. In 1998, Jerry started his career with the Department of the Auditor General in the Office of Management Information Systems. Jerry’s work involved training more than 800 employees statewide on the latest application software and system protocols. Jerry lectured department employees on internet safety protocols and how to prevent identity thieves from stealing or cloning a person’s identity and personal devices. Jerry attended Harrisburg Area Community College and received his Trainer’s Certificate from Penn State Harrisburg.
Office of the Attorney General
Office of Public Engagement

Safe2Say Something program

The post Staying Safe Online in Today’s World appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Keeping Students Safe While Learning Online** Aug 04, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Transcripts

About our Guests

Resources

On this episode of Keystone Education Radio, podcast host Annette Stevenson is joined by Daniel Eliot, the director of education and strategic initiatives for the National Cyber Security Alliance. Daniel provides insight into the roles that parents, teachers, school administrators and students play in staying safe online. Topics covered include protection against malware and ransomware, how to prevent cyber bullying and Zoom bombing, the distinction between personal and school-issued devices, and simple steps to maintain the integrity of devices.
Skip to: 01:08 Could you start by explaining the role your organization plays in protecting the public from cyberthreats?

Our goal is to raise awareness, to share best practices, and to empower individuals to own their role in cyber security so that they can take steps to improve the security of not only their home lives, but their businesses or organizations they’re affiliated with, et cetera. – Daniel Eliot

Skip to: 01:55 How can schools prepare their students with the proper equipment and knowledge to establish a safe learning environment devoid of menacing behavior such a Zoom bombing or cyber bullying?

Skip to: 04:22 When schools shuttered in March, many districts worked to provide each student with a personal device. What is the importance of differentiating between the use of personal and school-issued devices?

Skip to: 06:26 Is there anything that you would suggest around router usage and passwords and things like that, that both parents and just professionals in their roles at home should be aware of?

The longer the password, the better, the more secure it is, the longer it takes for a cybercriminal to crack it. – Daniel Eliot

And a third one, in addition to strong pass-phrases, enabling two factor authentication, is making sure that the software’s updated on all of those devices. – Daniel Eliot

Skip to: 08:22 What safety and security features should schools look for when they are considering different platforms for student use?

Skip to: 10:34 Ransomware is a big concern in education because of the confidential data stored by the district. With students learning at home, how can districts continue to defend themselves against ransomware attacks?

The 2020 Verizon data breach investigation report actually found in their research that ransomware accounts for nearly 80% of malware infections in the educational services industry. – Daniel Eliot

Skip to: 13:18 What role do parents play in keeping their children safe in a remote learning environment? What tips do you have for parents wanting to put into place protective measures?

Parents should let their children know that if the child feels uncomfortable with any messages or images that are sent to them, that they should feel empowered, they should feel comfortable reporting it to the teacher and the guardian immediately. – Daniel Eliot

Skip to: 16:21 Video conferencing services offer a view into students’ homes. Is there harmful information that can be gained if an ill-intentioned individual were able to see a student in their home environment?

When you’re done with your camera, it’s always good to cover it when not in use. – Daniel Eliot

Skip to: 19:28 How can listeners learn more about what the National Cybersecurity Alliance has to offer in resources?

All of it is free and open to the public, and schools themselves can take these resources and co-brand them and repurpose them for their own communities and push them out. – Daniel Eliot

Annette Stevenson: Today, we are joined by Daniel Eliot, NCSA’s director of education and strategic initiatives. In his role, Daniel brings together the federal government, the state and local governments, academia, and the private sector to discuss cutting-edge issues and to implement high-quality, large-scale education awareness efforts. Daniel, thanks for joining us today.

Daniel Eliot: Thanks for having me.

Annette Stevenson: Can you start by explaining the role that your organization plays in protecting the public from cyber threats?

Daniel Eliot: Sure. The National Cyber Security Alliance, which was actually founded in 2001, has been creating and deploying cyber security awareness efforts for the last almost 20 years. And so our goal is to raise awareness, to share best practices and to empower individuals to own their role in cyber security so that they can take steps to improve the security of not only their home lives, but their businesses or organizations they’re affiliated with, et cetera.

Annette Stevenson: I’d like to touch on a couple of issues that have impacted school communities. One is cyber bullying, and that’s not a new topic but it continues in the student space. And the other is Zoom bombing. That’s a little bit more recent in the headlines, I believe, where school boards are conducting public meetings and there’s been some incidents that we’re calling Zoom bombing. So, can you talk to us a little bit about how schools can prepare their students and how they should address the cyber bullying issue? And then also on the Zoom bombing side, what can the school communities be doing about that?

Daniel Eliot: Yeah. You know, we’ll probably never be devoid of menacing behavior, but I think there are quite a few things we can do to minimize the opportunity for it to surface.

Annette Stevenson: Okay.

Daniel Eliot: One component of this is creating a toolbox for educators and students. This technology toolbox should have, one, I think, approved technologies that educators and students should be using, and administrators, so that they know what technologies to use. And also, it should have an appropriate level of training and guidance on how to configure those approved technologies, configure the privacy and security settings of those technologies. For instance, when it comes to Zoom bombing, people should know how to create passwords for their virtual sessions so uninvited participants can’t join. To limit bullying, people should know how to limit chatting capabilities for participants or file sharing capabilities. If you don’t provide a toolkit of approved technologies, and then once you have those approved technologies, guidance on how to configure those, then you leave it up to each individual to create their own solutions for how to host a meeting or how to facilitate a course or whatever it is. And that’s a dangerous approach to take for everyone involved.

Annette Stevenson: You said earlier the word empower, and I think that’s important here, that the tools and the toolbox that you’re mentioning, that’s empowering individuals and organizations to take control of that situation. Would you say that’s accurate?

Daniel Eliot: That’s definitely accurate.

Annette Stevenson: Okay. When schools shuttered in March, many school districts worked to provide each student with a personal device so that they could continue their instructional time online. What is the importance of differentiating between the use of personal and school-issued devices?

Daniel Eliot: Yeah, I think this question not only applies to students, but also to administrators and faculty themselves. It’s a best practice to use your school or work-issued devices only for school or work-related activities to cut down on the potential of the device being infected by malware or ransomware. Because what we do for work is very different than what we do for pleasure, such as playing games, where there are opportunities for malware to be downloaded, and shopping, where there are malicious advertisements that could infect the device. And so we want to have a strict differentiation between the two to protect the device. And this is where configuring permissions comes in handy. So, for instance, the school’s IT should probably make sure that students don’t have the authority to download any unauthorized software programs onto the devices. They should come prepackaged with the authorized software programs that they need to use. Those students don’t need administrative access to the devices, and the same goes probably for the school employees. So, a lot of it can be remedied with just access controls, I think.

Annette Stevenson: Okay. And that blurring of the lines as far as students being at home in their home space and they’re on a school device, but then they’re in their off time. And I think the same could be said even as professionals have moved to remote work scenarios. Is there anything that you would suggest around router usage and passwords and things like that, that both parents and just professionals in their roles at home should be aware of?

Daniel Eliot: Well, in particular, each router will come with a manufacturer’s password. So, one of the first things you need to do is make sure that the password for your router is changed to a unique and lengthy passphrase. In the form of a sentence is usually helpful, like, “I like to eat ice cream on Sundays,” and change some of the characters in there. But the longer the password, the better, the more secure it is, the longer it takes for a cybercriminal to crack it.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah. So, that’s just a basic protection that everyone should be doing.

Daniel Eliot: Basic protection, a lot of cyber security comes down to some of the very basics. All your devices in your home, make sure you change the manufacturer’s password to one that’s unique to that device and long. Making sure that all your passphrases on all your devices and accounts are lengthy and unique. Making sure that you enable two factor authentication on all of your accounts. And a third one, in addition to strong passphrases, enabling two factor authentication, is making sure that the software’s updated on all of those devices. Those three basics go really far in protecting your home and work devices and accounts.

Annette Stevenson: Wow, that’s huge, because they are simple, but maybe folks aren’t taking time to do that just in the course of busy life.

Daniel Eliot: Yeah. Stop clicking “postpone” on those updates.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah, good reminder. So, with respect to safety, specific safety and security features. What are some of the features that a school should look for if they are considering a platform for student use? Is there any specific standout features that would be helpful?

Daniel Eliot: Yeah, I think for virtual platforms in particular in my mind is, a lot of people grapple with which ones are the best to use, et cetera. I think, and with any platform, one is evaluating how you can configure the permissions of the participants. So, can you restrict file sharing among participants or video sharing? How much power does the host or moderator have within that platform? That’s really important. I also think for platforms, can they be private, so not publicly advertised or available? So how can you restrict how broadcasted they are to the general public if you want to keep them private? I also think if you’re having individual sessions, how can you lock those down with unique passwords that only the participants or those invited can use to enter that particular session?

Annette Stevenson: Okay.

Daniel Eliot: I have two more, I think. One would be, this one goes back to how much power the host has, is can they expel someone quickly from the meeting? So, if someone is causing a ruckus, can they mute them, or can they expel them completely from that session? Which I think is incredibly important. And lastly, I think is a really important one, particularly when we’re talking about HIPAA and students’ data rights and all of that is, are the meetings encrypted? So, can you have a session that is encrypted so that it cannot be manipulated? And so those are just a few I would consider as you’re evaluating different platforms.

Annette Stevenson: It sounds like that extends across platforms you might consider for students or conducting meetings as well, really.

Daniel Eliot: Oh, yes. Oh, yeah.

Annette Stevenson: Okay. You may have touched on some of this already, but with respect to ransomware and that being a big concern in the education sector because of the confidential data that is stored by a school district, is there anything around ransomware attacks that you would … And with students learning and having their instructional time at home now, how can districts continue to defend themselves against ransomware attacks?

Daniel Eliot: Yeah, this is a big one. The 2020 Verizon data breach investigation report actually found in their research that ransomware accounts for nearly 80% of malware infections in the educational services industry.

Annette Stevenson: Oh, wow.

Daniel Eliot: So, ransomware is the thing to be educating your employees and students on. Education is still a critical component of this, helping users identify what ransomware looks like, but there’s also a lot more than just that end user education. Districts can also whitelist applications or blacklist applications, which prevents unauthorized applications from being downloaded or run. They can limit, as I said earlier, administrative access, so that employees or students are limited to how much they can do on their devices as far as downloading applications or programs or accessing certain types of sites. Making sure that the devices are running security software. What are those basics, such as antivirus software, and how are users managing the updates to all of these devices?

Daniel Eliot: So we say updates are important. We give everyone their own devices, but then how are we making sure that they’re actually updating them? Are those updates being pushed from a central administrative function, or is each individual user responsible for updating? And if that’s the case, then how are we helping them understand the importance of updated software, of running their antivirus software, of not downloading malicious software and how to evaluate what applications they can and cannot run on their device? So, a lot of it is education, but there are some technical pieces of it that districts can take or schools can take to protect themselves as well.

Annette Stevenson: Now, talking about protecting students, so children are home and they’re learning remotely and they’re also just online more, in front of the screen more right now. What role do parents play? They play a big role obviously in keeping their kids safe, but what tips can you offer for parents if they are looking to put into place protective measures? I know you’ve talked about certain controls and things like that. Is there anything additional that can be offered up for the parents?

Daniel Eliot: Yeah. So I’ll say that there are, many browsers and programs offer parental controls, which are good to help prevent children from going to, accessing certain sites, et cetera. But that doesn’t replace a conversation with your child. It doesn’t teach them secure behaviors. It just prevents them from accessing certain stuff. So, one piece of it is, have a conversation with your child about the dangers of being online. And for a remote learning environment in particular, parents should let their children know that if the child feels uncomfortable with any messages or images that are sent to them, that they should feel empowered, they should feel comfortable reporting it to the teacher and the guardian immediately. Sometimes in these virtual environments students feel like they’re disconnected from their teachers, but they should feel empowered to reach out to the teacher or the guardian immediately.

I would also say parents should reinforce to their children that if anyone online asks the student for any personal information, their name, address, password, that they should not give it out. So, having this conversation is really important for parents. I would also say, and this is particularly right now as more students are home and we’re playing more games online to entertain ourselves, that parents should probably play the game that the children are playing so that they understand the environment that these children are immersing themselves in. So, put themselves in the shoes of the students, see what exactly information is being requested from this game or what permissions are able to be configured within the game. But that also applies to any online environment. The parents and the children should configure privacy and security settings on these different environments together so that they both learn.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah.

Daniel Eliot: And I’ll just say, the National Cyber Security Alliance, we often will publish tip sheets. And we issued a great tip sheet on our website titled, “Tips for Parents Raising Privacy Savvy Kids.”

Annette Stevenson: Oh, great.

Daniel Eliot: And that’s posted on our website, and it talks a little about some of the conversations you can have and some of the tips I just mentioned. We’re currently working with EDUCAUSE to develop some tip sheets for back to school security, which will be released in the next few weeks. So, I’m excited about those.

Annette Stevenson: Oh, that’s awesome. Okay. And we’ll be glad to post links and such along with the podcast so that viewers can take a look at where those are on your site.

Daniel Eliot: Great.

Annette Stevenson: One other thing, video conferencing has become so, so prevalent right now. It was available before but obviously has become really, really prevalent, replacing the in-person time. So, video conferencing services that students might be using, they might be using Zoom or other platforms that offer a view into the student’s home. Is there harmful information that can be gained if someone who is ill-intentioned were able to see a student in their home environment? Is there anything harmful or dangerous about that?

Daniel Eliot: Sure. Think about this convergence of work, home and schooling. So, one, if parents are working from home, they might have confidential information for their work that might be seen if a student has their camera on. Or say they’re sitting in front of a window, and outside in the window, the blinds are open or the curtains are open, and you can see the cross streets from a street sign. There is confidential information that can be displayed. And so we always encourage parents and students both to, if they’re going to be in a virtual session where the camera’s on, to really evaluate what’s in that background, ideally to have a neutral background, just a blank wall. Or, all of these platforms now, or a majority of them, are allowing you to create your own virtual background with just a photo that you … It could be a fun classroom activity of creating your own virtual background. Whatever it is, having a neutral background that doesn’t really showcase the inside of a student’s bedroom or inside of your home is really the best practice. Giving away less information is always better.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah, especially out in that public virtual space.

Daniel Eliot: Yeah. And you know, when you’re done with your camera, it’s always good to cover it when not in use. Some laptops are now building in the ability to cover the camera into the actual device itself. But if you don’t have that capability, put a Post-it Note or a piece of tape over the camera. But just cover it when you’re not using it. Because there have been instances of cybercriminals who have been able to tap into your laptop or device or toy that has a camera, so many things have cameras, and be able to look into the child’s bedroom or look into your home. So, it’s always good to just turn that functionality off or block it when you’re not using it.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah. Boy, that’s a scary threat right there, what you’ve outlined. So, you mentioned that you have some tips coming out, and I’m certain that your website may be the place where you’ve got a lot of resources available. Can you tell us how viewers can access your website? Where does that live?

Daniel Eliot: Yeah, so the National Cyber Security Alliance’s website is staysafeonline.org. And in the top right corner there’s an orange button called resources library. And that’s where individuals can really access all of the tip sheets and infographics that we make available. All of it is free and open to the public, and schools themselves can take these resources and co-brand them and repurpose them for their own communities and push them out. We also co-lead National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which is coming up this October. It’s recognized every October, and each year we run a champions program. And it’s now open, and I encourage each school and district to sign up as champions. And what that involves is receiving a champions toolkit full of great resources that they can use to spread awareness to their different communities in October. And again, it’s completely free and it’s just to promote cyber security awareness across the country. And so, it’s in collaboration with the federal government, the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency. But yeah, you can learn more about all the champions program, Cyber Security Awareness Month and all of our resources at staysafeonline.org.

Annette Stevenson: And key that you mentioned is that this is all free and schools can use this as they would, they can distribute it to their community. Is that correct?

Daniel Eliot: That’s correct.

Annette Stevenson: Awesome. That’s great. Well, I really want to thank you for giving such important information and joining us on this episode. Thanks for joining us, Daniel.

Daniel Eliot: Thanks for having me. It’s been a pleasure.

Daniel Eliot

Daniel Eliot is director of education & strategic initiatives at the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). In this role, he’s responsible for NCSA’s educational portfolio, and helms one of NCSA’s most successful initiatives, CyberSecure My Business, which is a national program designed to help organizations of all sizes learn to be safer and more secure online. Mr. Eliot assembles the federal government, state and local governments, academia, and the private sector to discuss cutting-edge issues and create and implement high-quality, large-scale education and awareness efforts. Daniel is an accomplished speaker and champion when it comes to cybersecurity, and regularly speaks at events across the country and collaborates on regional and national cybersecurity initiatives.

Prior to his tenure at NCSA, he worked both within and in an advisory capacity to small businesses. Most recently, Daniel worked at the University of Delaware in their Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships as the manager of technology business development. While there, he developed specialty programs to help small business start and scale. One such effort was Delaware’s small business cybersecurity program. This state-wide program is designed to help Delaware’s small businesses identify threats; develop cybersecurity readiness plans and processes; detect breaches; and respond to and recover from successful cyberattacks. Because of his efforts, the Delaware SBDC became one of the national leaders in small business cybersecurity education and outreach. In 2018, Daniel received a letter of commendation from Governor John Carney’s Cyber Security Advisory Council for his efforts addressing cybersecurity awareness and education across Delaware.

Outside of cybersecurity, Daniel has taught at Temple University in their Center for Social Policy and Community Development and managed a portfolio of technology-based projects for the National Center for College Costs, a technology start-up out of DePauw University.

Daniel holds a B.S. and M.S. from Indiana University, Bloomington

Verizon 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report

Tip sheet: Tips for parents of raising privacy-savvy kids

Tip sheet: Security tips for K-12 online learning

National Cyber Security Alliance website

Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champion program

National Cyber Security Alliance resource library

The post Keeping Students Safe While Learning Online appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Therapeutic Emotional Support: An Award-Winning Program at Upper St. Clair SD** Jul 21, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Transcripts

About our Guests

Resources

Upper St. Clair High School was awarded the 2020 Magna Award in the “under 5,000 enrollment” category for its 409 Program, the district’s unique approach to therapeutic emotional support. The award recognizes innovation and creativity in school programs that remove barriers to help increase student achievement. On this episode of Keystone Education Radio, Annette Stevenson discusses the award-winning 409 Program with Barbara Bolas, Upper St. Clair’s board president, and Amy Pfender, assistant to the superintendent of the school district.
Skip to: 01:02 Could you please provide an overview of the 409 Program?

This 409 program really allows us to keep our students in house, grow their needs and allows the district to just love them and create great success for them moving forward. – Amy Pfender

Skip to: 02:51 How does the 409 Program differ from a traditional emotional support classroom?

The goal is for them to be out in the classroom with their peers and interacting, but it’s also a safe haven on many days as well. So it allows that fluid and supportive and responsive atmosphere for our students. – Amy Pfender

It’s just not about the academic side, it’s about this holistic approach to supporting a student for themselves, advocating, becoming self-aware and building trust. – Amy Pfender

Skip to: 05:39 Where does the name 409 come from?

Skip to: 06:30 How does this program provide a more equitable education for Upper St. Clair students?

Everything that we do is student focused. By doing that we do focus on these small social and emotional growth, which in turn leads to much better achievement for our students. – Barbara Bolas

Skip to: 08:53 Could this program possibility be used at a younger age as well?

We really do try to work with our students early on because the earlier we identify their needs and meet their needs, then their whole academic program and school experience is going to be a much more successful time for them. – Barbara Bolas

Skip to: 10:50 There are five key barriers to achievement that the 409 Program identified to overcome to help students achieve success. What are these barriers?

If you want to see a student who struggles within a school environment, thrive, all you have to do is go on one of the community based service trips that are out there for them. Because they just shine. – Amy Pfender

Skip to: 13:48 What are some of the community-based service learning activities students have participated in in the past?

Skip to: 15:56 The 409 Program was established 15 years ago. How has the program grown since its inception, and how many students currently participate in the program?

Skip to: 17:44 If our listeners have questions about the 409 Program, who can they contact?

I would like to thank our board as well, too, because really, and truly we are able to sustain this program because of the dedication our board provides to not just our 409 students, but to our students within special education services. – Amy Pfender

**Annette Stevenson**: Today we are joined by Barbara Bolas, Upper St Clair School District board president, and Amy Pfender, assistant to the superintendent of the school district. And we’re going to hear more about the district’s 409 Program. Thanks for joining us, Barbara and Amy.Amy Pfender: Thank you.

**Barbara Bolas**: You’re welcome. Thank you for having us.

**Annette Stevenson**: Absolutely. So, to start with, let’s just get an overview of the program and we are going to be featuring more about the program in our Bulletin magazine, which I’m excited about, but give us an overview of the program.

**Amy Pfender**: Our 409 Program at the high school is a program that was designed 15 years ago for students who have significant emotional support needs. That can come out of having a diagnosis of autism, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, but we were recognizing a need to develop a program that supported our more unique learners. So, in one sense, this program has allowed us to really keep our students in district. Many students who suffer from significant therapeutic emotional needs need to go to a more intensive school placement. Under special education law, we are able to provide programming that meets students’ needs through having a special education teacher, a classroom aid, that special education teacher has a strong background in emotional support programming and services. We also have a contracted social worker that works within the classroom to work through and build strategies for students.

Years ago, many of the students would have gone to more specialized out of district programs. So, this 409 Program really allows us to keep our students in house, grow their needs and allows the district to just love them and create great success for them moving forward.

**Annette Stevenson**: It’s so cool. Is this different than a traditional emotional support classroom scenario?

**Amy Pfender**: So, in many cases, an emotional support classroom is not as inclusive as our high school model is. Many programs may look more self contained, so that means that the students go to the emotional support classroom and spend a large portion of their day there getting their academic instruction. Whereas our students are going out into the general classroom setting and getting their special education services from the emotional support lens as they need it, and they may have a scheduled time in their schedule to come and receive support. Now, there are times, and this is what’s very special about our 409 Program, is that it is fluid. So, if a student is having a really rough day and they just feel like they can’t go to math and go to English. They stay in 409, they get their classroom work and that teacher helps them do the work. The goal is for them to be out in the classroom with their peers and interacting, but it’s also a safe haven on many days as well. So, it allows that fluid and supportive and responsive atmosphere for our students.

**Annette Stevenson**: So, it sounds like there’s a lot of flexibility to it. A lot of inclusivity, they are included in all the other types of programs and classrooms scenarios, but if they have a need to have some downtime, they have that ability as well?

**Amy Pfender**: That’s correct. So, the other thing that’s very nice about the fluidity and flexibility is there are times that students may hit a rough patch throughout their actual school schedule and they’ll communicate, “I just need more 409 time on a daily basis.” So, we meet as a team and we look at their schedule and customize the schedule that’s meant to really support them and get them through that rough patch while they’re also still being successful in their core area classes. So, lots of times, the decisions are also made based off of student input. If we don’t agree with that student, we meet, we talk and we build those skills as well, too. So, it’s just not about the academic side, it’s about this holistic approach to supporting a student for themselves, advocating, becoming self-aware and building trust. There’s a lot of trust that happens in this 409 Program. I like to refer to it as a family and I think that that’s another thing that makes it very different.

The kids, lots of times will refer to their teacher as mom and be like, “Wait, I didn’t mean that.” So, it really, it just has a feel to it that I really can’t put into words, to be honest, for you.

**Annette Stevenson**: Tell me a bit about the origin of the name, 409. Where does that come from?

**Amy Pfender**: It’s actually the classroom number at the end of the hall and it is a classroom that’s a little bit, it’s still in the ebb and flow of the building because it’s down by the gym, but it’s also not in the heavy ebb and flow. So, it feels very safe for the students as they’re walking down the hall, it doesn’t have as much hustle and bustle because a lot of our students also just need downtime in their day. It wouldn’t be uncommon if you walk into 409 and saw the kids just leaning up against pillows with earbuds in to just kind of decompress or they’re listening to music and also working on an assignment, but yes, 409 is just the number of the classroom.

**Annette Stevenson**: Great. So, 409 time is quite literal. Very cool. So, for the perspective of a school board director and from the school board perspective, it’s important of course, that all students are receiving access to high-quality education. How does this program provide a more equitable scenario for Upper St. Claire students?

**Barbara Bolas**: Well, it’s interesting. We actually have a 50 plus year history of working to develop each child’s own special skills and abilities to their fullest. I mean, that’s going back 50 years when the school board had that as a mission. Actually, our mission today talks about that we will provide learning experiences that nurture the uniqueness of each child and promotes happiness and learning. From our perspective, if a child isn’t happy, they’re not going to learn. They’re not going to be able to perform very well. We actually, five years ago, we got another strategic plan, some districts do what’s called a comprehensive plan and it’s put on a shelf, but ours is a living breathing document. We’re going to be working on another one. But during that, with our last strategic plan, even part of the customizing, learning and nurturing potential of our students, one of our key tenets was to work with a collaborative process to enhance our responsiveness to social and emotional learning needs of students and structure the time of the day and the growth and the mindset for all teaching and learning.

So, all of our students can have that social and emotional growth, which in turn helps them achieve academically. Everyone knows we are a high achieving school district, but we believe so strongly in the whole child. We actually recite our mission statement at every single board meeting so that we are focusing in on this, the whole child, that we are a student-focused district. We go through a curriculum developed process, we look at that curriculum twice a year. Everything that we do is student focused. By doing that we do focus on social and emotional growth, which in turn leads to much better achievement for our students.

**Annette Stevenson**: Looking at the whole student, as you said. Now, the program is at the high school level. Could it possibly be used at a younger, at any of the younger ages as well?

**Barbara Bolas**: It could be, but we do have a very strong emotional support program K through 12, and that one would have to look at it and see how adaptable it is and what they’re currently doing in their schools. And then look at the thesis (8:33) that would look like being successful for the elementary child, and even elementary children need time out every now and then. Back to the whole child and giving them the opportunity sometimes to just take a quick breath to say, “Hey, stop, hesitate, give me a break and then I can go back into the learning classroom.” Amy, if you have anything you want to add onto that.

**Amy Pfender**: I think that what’s unique in an early elementary perspective is that we are seeing mental health needs increase. I think that’s a common trend across districts and across the country at a younger age. So, we do have a more structured emotional support program, five through eight that was developed several years ago as an offspring of the 409 Program. In terms of our early elementary, we do have kind of checks and balances naturally in place to our systems that work to meet those needs. But those are also in many cases, students who we continue to watch and monitor for individual success in the district to determine what additional supports may be needed as they continue to grow in our educational system.

**Barbara Bolas**: Amy, I think you bring something up that’s really critical, is that we really do try to work with our students early on because the earlier we identify their needs and meet their needs, then their whole academic program and school experience is going to be a much more successful time for them.

**Annette Stevenson**: There’s five key barriers to achievement that the program has identified to overcome in the program’s work to help students achieve success. What are these barriers?

**Amy Pfender**: We looked at the barriers and really specific ways that students can overcome those barriers. When you meet each of our students in the emotional support program, you can see how this happens. So, we uncover the gifts of each student, despite his or her challenges and providing those opportunities to grow. Each of our students, one of their barriers is they have their own personal challenges that they bring to the table every single day, we help them overcome them by collaborating with parents and outside providers. We are also working to address the therapeutic needs of students. So many students have outside supports, we also have many students who are not accessing supports outside of the school system. So, our social worker and our special education teacher are their network in helping them grow and access therapy. We provide the necessary academic supports and accommodations, so many of our students don’t necessarily have academic barriers.

They are reading on grade level, they are accessing math on grade level. It’s their world around them, those emotional challenges that impact and become barriers to their academic success. So, we work to provide those necessary supports. Then we also work to enhance their social skills development through the community-based learning. And if you want to see a student who struggles within a school environment thrive, all you have to do is go on one of the community-based service trips that are out there for them because they just shine.

**Barbara Bolas**: That brings up a point, actually, the students had a presentation at the board meeting, and it was so exciting to see this one girl. It was obvious she had some issues, but she just blossomed when she talked about the program and how when she needed a timeout, she could go to the 409 classroom and once she was there and took a deep breath, she was able to go back into the regular classroom setting. From a board perspective, to have those types of programs actually presented during the board meeting, it helps the board understand how rewarding and fulfilling these programs can be and better entice them to fund them. Because it is a different structure financially for the school district and sometimes spending money differently, gives more rewards than the traditional way of funding programs.

**Annette Stevenson**: That’s a great point, and to hear it directly from the students themselves being impacted, what better way to understand how important that it is?

**Barbara Bolas**: Absolutely.

**Annette Stevenson**: So, you mentioned the community service projects, Amy. Give me an example, if you can think of one, of what that would look like.

**Amy Pfender**: So, one that we do annually is Toys for Tots, helping to sort toys and get this packaged and delivered for the holiday season. Another really big one is visiting senior citizen homes and being there for activity time and having our students wear like a Velcro pullover shirt and the senior citizens are throwing Velcro balls at them and they are moving targets, and just the video footage is amazing. The whole room comes alive and unfortunately, depending on the need of the senior citizen, some of them may need hand-over-hand assistance to throw that ball and there’s our students standing beside another individual, helping them overcome their own barrier at that point in time. So, it’s really unique to see the transfer of skills. So, we’re teaching our students how to overcome their own personal barriers. And then they’re going into another environment and shifting that learning and providing some different opportunities to people who are experiencing different barriers for themselves, given where they are at their point in life.

**Annette Stevenson**: Yeah. I was just thinking that what a neat connection, that the students that may require some additional support themselves are able to go and observe and be part of the additional support to another individual or group of individuals. That’s really cool.

**Amy Pfender**: There’s a really big incentive too, because our students love going out on those trips. So, if a trip is scheduled on a Friday and on Wednesday, it’s like X, Y, and Z still has not been done well, how much do you want to go and be a part of this? Because we go as a family, we work as a team. So, you have to pull your weight here in the classroom. So, it really serves as a strong incentive as well, too.

**Annette Stevenson**: Yeah, well-rounded. So, the 409 Program was established 15 years ago, I understand. How has the program grown since its inception? Where did it start and where is it now as far as student participation?

**Amy Pfender**: So, from a student participation lens, it is a program that is recommended through the special education process. From a caseload standpoint, we average right now anywhere between 25 to 28 students a year. We really look at the unique needs of the learners and what 409 will provide to them. In terms of the growth of the program, I talked a little bit about how we’ve looked to develop some more emotional support programming at the five through eight level. So, that would not have happened had we not have had a successful 409 Program at the high school. But we are constantly evaluating the program and building in different layers of support. So, we have worked with a local university professor to come in and help be a consultant to our teams because she can look at student needs very differently. In many cases, not as personally as we do, because we care so much about the kids. The parental supports have definitely grown over time because we are growing our inner agency connections with those outside supports and able to support our parents.

Because as we all know, home can look very different from the school environment as well, too. So though there’s challenges and barriers that are happening in the school setting, home can look that much more challenging as well, too. So, we are also here for our parents as well.

**Annette Stevenson**: Yeah. Important. That’s an important layer. If our listeners would like to know more about the program, where can they find out more details?

**Amy Pfender**: So, they can certainly go to the Upper St Claire School District website and access any one of our contacts, which could include myself. We have an in-depth special education page that they could access and also contact our director of student support services. Honestly, anybody in the district who has worked within the 409 Program would be happy to talk about it at any time. So, anybody who would like to reach out to any of those contacts on our district website, we’d be happy to spend some time with them as well.

**Annette Stevenson**: Great. Well, thank you both, Barbara, Amy, thanks so much for sharing the information that you have and hopefully this may help inspire other programs, starters, and other ideas that are being generated in other districts. Thank you so much.

**Barbara Bolas**: Yeah, thank you for having us.

**Amy Pfender**: You’re welcome. And I would like to thank our board as well, too, because really, and truly we are able to sustain this program because of the dedication our board provides to not just our 409 students, but to our students within special education services. This is really a unique program in the sense that it keeps students in district and as a result is, though there’s an investment from a district lens, it’s also a cost savings standpoint. I know Barb hit on that earlier, but we couldn’t do this without the support of our board and their knowledge base as well when it comes to providing appropriate supports and education to our students.

**Annette Stevenson**: Congratulations on the award as well.

**Amy Pfender**: Thank you so much.

**Barbara Bolas**: Thank you very much, it’s exciting.

Amy Pfender

Amy Pfender is the assistant to the superintendent for grades 9-12 of the Upper St. Clair School District. She started working in public education as a special education teacher 19 years ago. Prior to her current role in the district, Amy was the director of student support services and Boyce Middle School principal for grades 5 and 6.

Barbara Bolas

Barbara Bolas is a 43-year resident of Upper St. Clair, with a long history of service to the USC community and the school district. Barbara has devoted much of her adult life to education and to public service. After graduating with a B.S. in Education from State University of New York (Brockport), Mrs. Bolas held teaching positions in New York, Wisconsin, Canada and Venezuela. She has always believed that public education is the cornerstone of America’s democracy, and she soon sought to make a broader impact through school board service and other leadership roles, from the local to the national level. She was first elected to the Upper St. Clair School Board in 1985 and is proud to have helped build a legacy of educational excellence in USC. She currently serves as president of Upper St. Clair Board of School Directors.

As her commitment to public education grew, Barbara became involved in advocacy at the state and national levels, eventually serving as president of both the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) in 2001 and, ultimately, as president of the National School Boards Association (NSBA) in 2008-09. Her NSBA position took her to nearly every state in the nation, and to countries abroad to experience cutting edge, best practices in education. These experiences have given her important insights as a school director in Upper St. Clair.

While Mrs. Bolas has held numerous offices and continues to serve both PSBA and NSBA in advisory roles, her strongest commitment has always been, and will continue to be, at home in Upper St. Clair. Her experiences have enabled her to stay on top of emerging education issues and trends and have kept her abreast of the latest regulatory, legal and financial issues in education. In her leadership roles, Barbara has been exposed to the best (and worst) of school board management and the direct correlation on student performance. She strongly believes that Upper St. Clair is successful because the school board has always encouraged innovation and exploration by the administration and staff. Barbara continues to have a passion for serving our children and the Upper St. Clair community. She hopes to continue bringing her rich experience to the district and to leading continual improvement in our great schools.

When she is not busy with school-related commitments, Barbara enjoys community service in the Brookside Woman’s Club, gardening, and, most of all, visiting her three grandchildren with her husband, Jim.
Upper St. Clair School District website
The post Therapeutic Emotional Support: An Award-Winning Program at Upper St. Clair SD appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Collective Bargaining in Public Schools Jul 07, 2020

In this episode of Keystone Education Radio, podcast host Annette Stevenson is joined by Stuart Knade, PSBA’s senior director of legal services. Annette and Stuart discuss the role of collective bargaining in Pennsylvania’s public schools, including common misconceptions and the specific challenges schools face during the process.

Skip to: 02:19 What are some examples of the kinds of things that are decided by collective bargaining in public schools?

Collective bargaining agreements, which is the written agreement that comes as the result of the bargaining process and the negotiations, cover a whole range of things, benefits, compensation, work rules, who can do what kind of work, when they can do it, what kinds of schedules are in there that limit when they can be assigned to work or were asked to work.

Skip to: 03:47 What are the roles at the schools that are involved in the process of collective bargaining, and then beyond the roles involved, what does that process look like?

Skip to: 08:26 What are some of the common misconceptions about collective bargaining as it relates to school governance?

Skip to: 10:26 What are some issues that, historically, have posed a particular challenge for schools during collective bargaining?

I’d say one of the biggest challenges over at least the 30 years I’ve been sort of observing and involved in that process has been health insurance.

Another thing that can be a factor, job security is really issue number one when it comes to labor relations on the employee side.

Skip to: 14:49 What is the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board?

Skip to: 17:01 How are compensation and benefits decided for management staff, such as a superintendent, since they are not permitted to engage in collective bargaining?

Meet and discuss is not the same as negotiations. It’s more of an input process, and these Act 93 plans are not agreements, so it’s not a negotiating process.

Annette Stevenson: Here today with us to help us understand this better and how it pertains to today’s public schools as an employer is Stuart Knade, our head of legal services for PSBA. Thanks for joining us, Stuart.Stuart Knade: Good morning, Annette. It’s great to be here.

Annette Stevenson: Can you start, Stuart, by giving some examples of the kinds of things that are decided by collective bargaining in the public schools?

Stuart Knade: Well, it’s obviously more than about just salaries, although that is certainly a very important thing that gets negotiated in the collective bargaining process, but collective bargaining agreements, which is the written agreement that comes as the result of the bargaining process and the negotiations, cover a whole range of things, benefits, compensation, work rules, who can do what kind of work, when they can do it, what kinds of schedules are in there that limit when they can be assigned to work or asked to work.

Disciplinary procedures, a very important aspect of collective bargaining agreements, are grievance and arbitration provisions for grievances, which are basically disputes about how the contract is being implemented or interpreted by the employer or the union. That can include disciplinary matters as well as other kinds of things, including benefits and how those are administered and so on. Everything from various kinds of leaves and sick days and personal days, release time for union officials to do their union work away from their normal jobs, and that kind of thing.

Annette Stevenson: What are the roles at the schools that are involved in the process of collective bargaining, and then beyond the roles involved, what does that process look like?

Stuart Knade: Well, we’ll start with the negotiations because, and that’s not the only thing we’re talking about when we talk about collective bargaining, because once you have a contract it’s then administered. There are other people who play a part in how the contract is actually administered over its lifetime for the number of years before it expires.

But at the negotiations process, each side will have a negotiating team that negotiates the successor contract when the last one is getting ready to expire. On the employer side, the school board side, the negotiating team may include school board members. It may include administrators. There will be people who are at the table. There will be people who are sort of behind the scenes. Most school districts, and we greatly encourage them to use professional labor counsel to assist them in the bargaining process.

It’s really not something, it’s not a good idea – I refer to it as do-it-yourself surgery if you try to do this on your own. And why, because on the other side, you’ll have a negotiating team from the union, which may include some professionals that are supplied by their parent union, their state level parent union, that the local is a member of, but it may also include some teachers, the union leadership and that kind of thing.

But those folks didn’t just raise their hands a few months before bargaining started and said, “Ooh, I’d be happy to be on your bargaining team this year.” They’ve generally been in some very intensive training for years before they sit down at the table. It’s not a good idea to think you can step into that ring without that kind of training, and that’s where the professional labor council come in.

That process will lead to throughout the negotiating process, those might be the most visible faces, although bargaining does take place generally behind closed doors. It’s not a public process for the most part, but then ultimately the school board has to ratify the final contract when it’s been tentatively agreed to. Along the way, the school board will be briefed on what the back and forth is, where the positions have changed.

The school board will give the negotiating team a certain scope of authority within which to bargain and make agreements. There will be agreements about certain issues along the way that are then settled and put aside, while they focus on maybe things that they’re having more difficulty coming to agreement on. Then at the end, you go back and you gather up all the things, all the side issues that were decided, were basically tentatively agreed to along the way, and then bring a final agreement, which often isn’t in written form, completely spelled out in written form when the school board votes on it, but the basic principles are all mapped out.

Then of course, that’s subject to the parties’ agreement on the actual wording that comes into that, and of course, the union membership also ratifies the final agreement. They generally go along with the recommendation of their negotiating team and the leadership of their local union.

Then once you get past that, once you have a contract, then the roles shift a little bit because the school district administration is going to be involved in the daily administration of what the contract says about work rules, assignments, disciplinary procedures, how pay and compensation are administered and that kind of thing. The school board may, at some point, have to modify policies to reflect what was agreed to in the collective bargaining agreement.

On the union side, employees, when they are dealing with management on certain issues, will have representation from the union president or other local leadership on the union side. Those roles then become the face of how the contract is administered throughout this process. I think it’s important to remember that collective bargaining is about the employees being represented, and so the actual contract negotiation is a big part of that, but they’re represented for a lot of other things and the union is their exclusive representative for that category of employees.

Annette Stevenson: What are some of the common misconceptions, do you think, about collective bargaining as it relates to school governance?

Stuart Knade: Well, one common misconception is a belief that before a union goes on strike, when there’s been a bargaining impasse, that the strike is voted on on the eve of the strike by the rank and file membership and that’s often not true. Often that strike authorization has been given early on in the negotiations process, and it’s strictly the union leadership that decides when the strike occurs.

Annette Stevenson: I see, so it could have been in the discussion for some time.

Stuart Knade: Well, that’s right. It’s just something that the union leadership, the unions negotiating team has in their back pocket. They get that early on. They keep it in their back pocket. They use it when they see fit, and they usually don’t go back to the rank and file for a strike authorization vote again.

Annette Stevenson: Okay, understood.

Stuart Knade: That’s kind of a misconception. I think another misconception is this belief that bargaining should be held in public, and it’s a very intensive process. I’d say that most labor counsel for employers, including school district employers, would advise against that. It leads to things that are unproductive and so on and so forth. Now, there are times when one side or the other will wage some sort of a public statement campaign to put pressure on the other side, but they have to be careful how they do that because the employer again is required by law to deal with the union through its exclusive representatives.

You don’t want to make statements in a way that bypasses that process. Although everybody has a first amendment right to communicate what their positions are on things like collective bargaining, and so those are a couple examples of misconceptions that exist.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah, public misconceptions. What are some of the issues that historically have posed a particular challenge for schools during collective bargaining?

Stuart Knade: Well, compensation has its own challenges, and over the years, there have been a lot of shifts in how the parties, and this is both the union and the school district’s approach, how their salary scales operate, and there have been different philosophies applied. What we’re talking is the steps that employees move to with their seniority as they move up a step based on seniority, as well as what they call column movement, which is where they might go into a different column based on advanced degrees and additional credits and perhaps other factors.

Those can sometimes get all bunched up and create some very large steps. It’s not all incremental. Then one side or the other will see the need to compact the salary scale into a fewer number of steps, and it has gone back and forth over the years. That can be a great challenge, but I’d say one of the biggest challenges over at least the 30 years I’ve been sort of observing and involved in that process has been health insurance.

Health insurance is always an important benefit that the union and the employee side has fought vigorously to get but one of the… How rich the plan is, what the deductibles are, whether or not there’s even going to be any employee cost sharing, beyond things like deductibles and copays and things like that, or even if there’s going to be deductibles and copays. It has gotten to the point over time that at times it’s the salaries themselves have kind of taken a back seat, or at least the salary discussions have gotten completely hung up because of the health insurance issues.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah. That was a big area.

Stuart Knade: It’s been a very contentious thing, and of course, as the cost of health insurance and healthcare in general has skyrocketed over the years, that’s really magnified that as an issue at the bargaining table.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah. It’s impacting the take home amounts for these individuals and probably pretty dramatically in some instances.

Stuart Knade: For sure, for sure. Another thing that can be a factor, job security is really issue number one when it comes to labor relations on the employee side. When you get into job security issues, those are going to be very important. There’s a side piece of negotiating that has to happen before an employer can outsource, can contract out work that was previously done by employees who were unionized. An employer can’t unilaterally say, “We’re no longer going to operate our own bus fleet. We’re going to contract it out to bus contractors.”

You can’t just do that unilaterally. If those employees were unionized, you have to negotiate that, you have to bargain over that, and basically go to the union and then say, “We’re thinking about doing this because we think it can save us a lot of money. This is what we’re thinking. Do you have a counterproposal to make that will help make more financial sense than where we believe we are today?” In other words, you’re asking for concessions.

Annette Stevenson: Sure, so that’s possibly another area of misconception, even, in the understanding of how that can happen.

Stuart Knade: Yes, and until you reach impasse, which is not something that can be defined in black and white, and that can take many months, even years, before you get to what the courts might, or the labor relations board, the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, would view as genuine impasse, such that the employer can then say, “You know what, we’re not getting anywhere here. We’re now entitled to unilaterally do this because we bargained at the impasse.”

It’s a long process, and if you don’t win the dispute over whether you’re at impasse, you have a lot of eggs to unscramble.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah, you mentioned the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. Can you explain what that is?

Stuart Knade: The Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, or the PLRB, is sort of the state analog to the National Labor Relations Board. Now, the National Labor Relations Board and the National Labor Relations Act applies to private sector bargaining and public sector in the federal, among federal employees, they have a role in that. But because we’re talking about public sector employees in Pennsylvania, it’s the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board that administers Act 195, the Pennsylvania, the Public Employee Relations Act, and also some other laws.

That’s not the only law that governs public sector employees, state and local government employees in Pennsylvania, the policemen and firemen, and certain other categories of public safety employees operate under different laws. They don’t operate under Act 195, but the PLRB administers that too, and they will rule on charges of unfair labor practices. They also rule on matters that relate to who is going to be the exclusive representative of the employees.

When a group of employees decides to unionized, they have different ways of indicating that preference. When a sufficient percentage of employees have said, we want to be represented by such and such a union. If there are disputes over that, the PLRB will rule on those two, and if the scope of who’s in the union needs to change, then there will be some adjustments in who that union is certified to be the exclusive representative for, what kinds of employees come together, because you can’t just have one union that represents every category of employees in most cases.

Only the people who have what they call a community of interest, various kinds of employees can have a community of interest that allows them to be represented by a single collective bargaining representative. Those kinds of issues also go to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board.

Annette Stevenson: Okay, understood. Now with respect to management staff in the school sector, so including the superintendent, how are compensation and benefits decided for management staff since they are not permitted to engage in collective bargaining?

Stuart Knade: Correct. The lowest level of management staff, the first level supervisors, have always been able to organize and for certain purposes, but they couldn’t necessarily have their own negotiations, collectively bargain, and they can’t strike. That’s under act 195, but under a section of the school code that is commonly referred to as Act 93, and this, of course, we talk about act numbers. There’s probably an Act 93 every year.

This Act 93 goes back to, I believe, 1986 or so, and that was the statute that was passed that said for management level employees and anybody else who’s not allowed to be in a union by virtue of the kind of position they’re in are, are part of what they have to be covered by what’s called an administrator compensation plan. The administrator compensation plan is a plan adopted by the school board, but it has to be the result of a meet and discuss process if the employees who it covers were asked for that.

Meet and discuss is not the same as negotiations. It’s more of an input process, and these Act 93 plans are not agreements, so it’s not a negotiating process. Mutual agreement isn’t necessary, it’s desirable, but ultimately it’s the school board that decides what the Act 93 plan is going to consist of, what it’s going to provide for, and it’s required to outline the salary and benefits.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of Act 93 plans that have begun to look like collective bargaining agreements, and go beyond salary and benefits and begin to look at all kinds of other things, including evaluation procedures and disciplinary procedures and work rules and so on and so forth, which is probably not a good thing. It’s something we discourage, but a lot of them have gotten that way.

Why? Because almost everybody who’s in those ranks once was in a union. They’re used to having those things spelled out somewhere, so that’s not terribly surprising that that happens. It’s just not necessarily the best thing for the employer to have to lock itself in. An Act 93 plan has to be in effect for a minimum of one year and you can’t change it, even if the employees agree, you can’t change it until it expires. That’s a interesting limitation to an Act 93 plan.

I tell you, there’s another misconception that I hear from time to time or I sense from time to time, and that’s that collective bargaining and unionization, and not necessarily collective bargaining, but unionization of public sector employees started in 1970 when this law was passed, at least in Pennsylvania. The question of whether public employees should be allowed to unionize was around for many years before that. I think the debate started to intensify in the late 1940s.

There’s a lot of differing opinions about whether or not it was a good thing for public employees to be unionized and not just the first responders and so on. Even in Pennsylvania years before Act 195 became law, teachers were striking. I remember they were trying to negotiate contracts. They already belong to unions, which they had a first amendment right to do, but they were trying to negotiate their salaries. When the negotiations weren’t going the way they wanted, they were striking. I saw that myself as a student in the Philadelphia school system, when the schools were shut down, and this was well before 1970.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah, okay. I think we’ve covered it start to finish as a nutshell version of the act. Is there anything you would add to it that you feel like even the public might want to know about it?

Stuart Knade: We publish a book called Labor Relations for School Leaders.

Annette Stevenson: Oh great.

Stuart Knade: The intent of that, the purpose of that book is to basically provide a crash course for administrators and school directors who were part of the process to sort of understand a lot of the ins and outs that just are not intuitive. The labor attorneys who represent school districts are constantly reeducating new faces within the school district administration and all the school board about.

The purpose of this is it’s an easy-to-read thing, covers a lot of ground, talks about lots of other misconceptions and some pitfalls and things, like in terms of bargaining strategies and how the whole process works. For those that are involved in the process or think they may be involved in the process, there are places where you can get a real good education in a hurry, and that’s one of them.

Annette Stevenson: That’s great. That’s great to know. I think that the misconceptions are what most folks read in the headlines, unfortunately, or at least playing upon the misconceptions. Some of the stories are angled, so I think that’s great for folks to know more about actually how that process works.

Stuart Knade: Members of the media would benefit greatly from that.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah, absolutely.

Stuart Knade: From information in there as well.

Annette Stevenson: You’re right. Okay. Well, we’ll include that resource with the episode of the podcast so that listeners can access that additional information if they would like to. Thanks so much for joining us on this episode of the podcast, Stuart. Thanks for spending the time explaining this.

Stuart Knade: Well, thanks for having me. It was a pleasure.

Labor Relations for School Leaders publication

The post Collective Bargaining in Public Schools appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**The Impact Foundation: Students Serving Their Community** Jun 23, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Transcripts

About our Guests

Resources

On this episode of Keystone Education Radio, Podcast Host Annette Stevenson is joined by a panel of adults and students who run **York Suburban Education Foundation’s Impact Foundation**, a student-lead extension of the organization. Annette is joined by *Sarah Reinecker*, York Suburban Education Foundation immediate past chair and founding member; *Gina Trimmer*, chairman of the Impact Foundation and York Suburban Education Foundation board member; *Janelle Rice*, Impact Foundation president and senior; *Leona Strine*, Impact Foundation Vice-President and junior; *Krissy Sprankle*, Impact Foundation Treasurer and senior; and *Marcella Rolle*, Impact Foundation Board Member and freshman. The group discusses the objectives of the Impact Foundation and how it has adapted to serve the larger York Suburban community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Skip to: 02:06 What was the motivation behind creating The Impact Foundation?

We wanted to teach students how to take action and be involved in doing something to impact the lives of their fellow students. And we also wanted to teach them about how to actually operate a non-profit, to be able to sustain that work over time.- Sarah Reinecker

We also build collaborations throughout the community. We really want to build on what’s already there and latch on to organizations that are already doing amazing work. – Sarah Reinecker

Skip to: 07:55 During the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts have been at the center of communities providing essential resources. How is the foundation working with high school age children to impact families in the community?

But this is a two-way street. So high school students might have to provide for their families, so we’ve adjusted our operations so that students can provide and take things home. – Leona Strine

Skip to: 10:55 As a freshman, you are brand new to the Impact Foundation. There are many extracurricular opportunities in high school – why were you interested in becoming involved in this organization?

Skip to: 12:15 How was the foundation able to transition the weekend food backpack program into a food pantry to serve the community during the COVID-19 pandemic?

You can see the type of relationships that we’re building, well beyond just providing food and a food pantry. – Sarah Reinecker

Skip to: 15:06 As schools begin confronting plans to reopen in the fall, how does the YSEF foundation plan to assist students as they return to school buildings?

Skip to: 16:46 Will any of the YSEF’s overall initiatives change in the fall in response to the COVID-19 pandemic?

We are preparing to help more students just because the economic burden that this pandemic is having on a lot of families, we’re preparing to provide things for more students than we have in the past. – Krissy Sprankle

Skip to: 20:01 What are some of the biggest challenges the Impact Foundation has faced since its inception, and how did the foundation deal with those hurdles?

We used to serve only a small portion of families with the backpacks, where now, we have served over 90 families. And it’s not just a child who’s getting a backpack to take home. It’s the entire family that is getting a full car load of items for their whole family for the entire week. – Gina Trimmer

Skip to: 26:02 What has been your favorite part about your involvement in the impact foundation?

I think the biggest thing for me was seeing the different variety of socioeconomic standings in our community, in just our school district. It really shows you how to be grateful for what you have and learn of the other people that aren’t in the same situations as you. – Janelle Rice

Annette Stevenson: Today, we will hear more about the work of the Impact Foundation and how it has served the York Suburban community during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are joined today by numerous panelists for this discussion. Welcome, Sarah Reinecker. You are the York Suburban Education Foundation immediate past chair and founding member. Welcome, Sarah.

Sarah Reinecker: Thank you so much for having us.

Annette Stevenson: Also with us, Gina Trimmer, chairman of the Impact Foundation and York Suburban Education Foundation board member. Welcome, Gina.

Gina Trimmer: Thank you. I’m honored to be a part of this podcast.

Annette Stevenson: Also, Janelle Rice, Impact Foundation president and a high school senior. Welcome, Janelle.

Janelle Rice: Thank you for having us.

Annette Stevenson: Leona Strine, Impact Foundation vice president and a high school junior. Thanks for joining us, Leona.

Leona Strine: Thanks for having us.

Annette Stevenson: Krissy Sprankle, Impact Foundation treasurer and a high school senior. Thank you.

Krissy Sprankle: I’m super excited to be here.

Annette Stevenson: Thanks, Krissy. And last, but certainly not least, Marcella Rolle, Impact Foundation board member and a high school freshmen.

Marcella Rolle: Thank you.

Annette Stevenson: Thanks for all of you joining us to talk about this. This is going to be a great discussion. Let’s start with the beginning. What was the motivation behind creating the Impact Foundation?

Sarah Reinecker: Thanks, Annette. This is Sarah. I think I can easily tackle that in about … I could talk forever because it’s been such a wonderful journey, but I’ll wrap it up in about a minute, to say that the Education Foundation, the York Suburban Education Foundation was formed in 2008. In 2015, we’d really seen as an organization, working alongside the York Suburban School District, an increase in the percentage of economically disadvantaged students. To give you a frame of reference, in about 2008, the number was teetering around 12 to 15% of economically disadvantaged students. And that’s the actual state number that’s reported to the state.

Now, we’re looking in 2020, it’s nearing 40%. We wanted to explore at the Education Foundation, how we could support and impact the social needs of our students. Up until that point, we were really focused on educational needs, meaning we give classroom grants to teachers. But then we started looking at the growth and patterns that were manifesting in the school district, and we decided to do something about that. One of the things that we really wanted to do as part of that conversation, is involve our students in the solution.

So, we formulated the Impact Foundation in 2015, and it became an official committee of the Education Foundation and added to our bylaws. And then we went from there to start developing the work. The goal was two-fold from the beginning. We wanted to teach students how to take action and be involved in doing something to impact the lives of their fellow students. And we also wanted to teach them about how to actually operate a non-profit, to be able to sustain that work over time.

So, to date, we’ve raised over $85,000 in cash and countless number of in–kind contributions that have sustained the work. And we put together an organizational structure. I’m going to actually punt it over to Gina, to talk a little bit more about the organizational structure that we put in place.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah, great.

Gina Trimmer: Thanks, Sarah. So, we’ve taken that organizational structure and mimicked it on a typical board that is in a non-profit organization. So, we do have an executive board that consists of our president, VP, treasurer, secretary and marketing as well as now we have almost close to 30 board members. Actually, we just did a nice recruiting and we have 46 students on the Impact Foundation.

To just give you an idea, as far as what these students do, they meet every month in a flex schedule during their school day. We have a formal board meeting that they go over all of their different committees and different operations that they’ve done in the different Impact Closets. The organization, to just give you an idea as far as how it operates, it costs us about $6000 annually to operate our Food for Thought program, and that’s the backpack program that we will get into in a little bit. As well as the Impact Closets, it costs about $1000 a year to operate.

And just to, again, give you another idea, we’re very reliant on those in–kind donations that we get from numerous people within our community. Those things vary from mattresses to lawnmowers, to dressers and grills. We have all kinds of wonderful stories that we’ll be able to tell you throughout this podcast about the different impacts with some of those items that we’ve made on families.

Sarah Reinecker: One other thing, Annette, that I’d like to add, is we’ve really developed core values over time with the students. It’s these base values that I think have sustained the program so successfully as we’ve grown it over the past five years. Our goal from the beginning, and it still remains, and now in COVID, what we’re calling COVID times, it really has manifested itself to a reliability on our original goals, which was building sustainable relationships with our families. And really, the ability to impact families one family at a time is because we have the ability to sustain and build relationships.

And then we also build collaborations throughout the community. We really want to build on what’s already there and latch on to organizations that are already doing amazing work. I think one thing that we recognized when we did a feasibility study back in 2015, that was clear to us, the teachers and administrators in the district have been doing this stuff for years. I mean, they’re reaching into their own individual pockets to help with some of the extenuating circumstances and needs of their students.

But as we demonstrated the increase in the economically disadvantaged population, you can’t do that forever, especially when your needs are increasing in the student population. So, we formed ourselves to be an add-on and a help to what the teachers and administrators and the school district have been already doing for years before us.

Annette Stevenson: Clearly foundations are important and essential to school communities ongoing, but you mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic as an impact point. And school districts, I think, it’s been brought even into clearer light, that school districts are really at the center of communities, providing essential resources that go well beyond educational experiences to students.

Is there more you can tell us? How is the foundation working with high school aged children to impact the families in the community?

Leona Strine: So, for the Impact Foundation overall, we have not had much access during COVID times to our pantry and helping in there, so we’ve had to help in other places. So, such as donating to the pantry, making craft bags of supplies we have in our house to provide for these families, and sewing masks, and making feminine hygiene bags and birthday boxes. At times we were allowed in the closet, oh, in the pantry now, so we helped organize it in times. We’ve also donated books and balls that the kids can play with it when they come to pick up their things, to help really establish those relationships. And we’ve also wrote tons of thank you cards to people who’ve donated to us.

But this is a two-way street. So high school students might have to provide for their families, so we’ve adjusted our operations so that students can provide and take things home. So, because during our weekend backpack program, when we provide to Valley View and Indian Rock, which is our two elementary schools, they can only carry one to three pounds of food. But with high school students, they can carry more things because they’re bigger, so we really try to focus on that, and having high school student provide for their families.

And establishing relationships with those students, so they’re comfortable coming to our pantry, which is an issue we’ve been seeing. So, our social worker, Ms. King, has really helped us establish those relationships with those high school students, and directing those students to us, and they can feel comfortable. Also, during COVID times, we made a COVID-19 website and we helped to make it more accessible to people by translating the website. So, a senior that just graduated, translated the whole website into Spanish with our Spanish teacher, Senora Kinneman which has really helped us.

We even have a story for that. This one mother called Ms. Reinecker and Ms. Trimmer, and she spoke no English whatsoever. So, we called Harrison, which is the student that translated it, and Harrison was able to take the order and everything and make the mother feel comfortable. So, when Ms. Reinecker came to deliver it, even though they’d never met, nor barely talked to each other, she felt comfortable being around Ms. Reinecker and delivering this stuff to them.

Annette Stevenson: That’s great. So, overcoming the language barrier there.

Leona Strine: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Annette Stevenson: Awesome. So, Marcella, you are the only freshmen of the group. As a freshman, you’re brand new to the Impact Foundation. There are many extracurricular opportunities available to you in high school. What made you interested in becoming involved in this particular organization?

Marcella Rolle: When I was granted the opportunity to be a part of this organization, I noticed that I had prior knowledge of the Impact Foundation’s influence in our community. I have many friends who’ve benefited from the organization.

For instance, one of my peers was going through some difficult financial struggles and they could not afford to feed their entire family. The family had many people who they needed to provide for, as well as many households to manage. I would often see this student dozing off during classes due to lack of nutrition, which made me feel very dismal when I knew the student wasn’t able to reach their full potential because of unfortunate circumstances. I then proceeded to search tirelessly for different resources that could aid the family during this difficult time. And that was my first encounter with the foundation. The Food for Thought program left a tremendous impression on the family, and I could see the student’s growth, as a student and as an individual.

Annette Stevenson: That’s awesome. What a great testimony. So, you’ve already talked a bit about the food pantry and some of the transitioning that’s had to occur. How is the food delivered? Is there curbside pickup? What does some of that transition look like? Are the students able to come themselves? You mentioned the weight that they can carry, but how does that backpack program work during pandemic and school closures and things like that?

Sarah Reinecker: I can speak to that. Mostly, it’s Gina and I that need to speak to this specific question, only because the students have not been able to be in the pantry, like Leona had mentioned. So, we’ve set up a system that it is curbside pickup. It’s only adults that are operating it now, and we take orders online. So, they’re customized boxes, and they’re inclusive of both food and toiletry items, and we’ve also added some other items that I’m going to let some of the other students talk about, as a result of being in this pandemic. We just put the items out on a table that we have set out, and so then the family members can come after we’ve gone back into the building, and take them and put them in their cars.

We have been able to really establish relationships though by distant speaking, and it really has made a big difference in terms of the relationships over time. Some of the ancillary benefits that have come, beyond serving families for food, as an example, this past week, I just had a family who called me late at night on Wednesday because her young son, who’s only coming out of first grade, had an abscessed tooth and was in a lot of pain. They’re a family that are not from America, so they’re not as versed in the American healthcare system. And we were able to connect them with dental resources to help take care of that problem.

So, you can see the type of relationships that we’re building, well beyond just providing food and a food pantry. I’m going to look to some of the other students, speak up you guys, in terms of giving some examples of what types of products we’ve added as a result of COVID.

Leona Strine: So, we’ve added diapers, for example, and baby wipes, just things that we normally wouldn’t have because we’re geared toward K-12, not younger kids. So, we’ve added diapers and wipes and baby formula.

Sarah Reinecker: Yeah. That’s mainly what we’ve added so far that goes beyond. That’s a really good framework, Leona, that we’ve added beyond, younger than kindergarten, which is traditionally what the school district services.

Annette Stevenson: Great. So as schools are contemplating reopening in the fall, which is what we’re hearing a lot about, and we’re not sure what that reopening is going to look like yet, but how does YSEF Foundation plan to assist students as they do return to the school building or in whatever hybrid scenario that may become? How will students be assisted in that?

Janelle Rice: Well, a lot of it is we’re working with York Suburban School District to discuss how they plan on reopening, and we tend to follow what their guidelines are. So, a lot of it is still up in the air, but we know some things we definitely are going to have to alter, such as our Food for Thought distribution. We would tend to drop them off at the schools and hand-pack them with all of us in the room. We know that we’re going to have to alter how we distribute them now.

Impact Foundation only operates our Valley View and Indian Rock backpack program, and we have other partners that help with the other schools. So, we know we’re going to have to start communicating to see how they plan on continuing with the Food for Thought programs. During the school year, we don’t make new events, we try to build off of new events and that’s how we get a lot of our resources. So, we know now that we’re going to have to start thinking of other ways and get creative with how we’re getting the different needs that our community needs.

Annette Stevenson: Right. So, it sounds like you’ve already started thinking ahead quite a lot there, and that leads into maybe the overarching strategy. So, will any of YSEF’s overall initiatives or objectives change in the fall? When you envision that, any of your overarching strategy changing in response to the pandemic?

Krissy Sprankle: Well, similar to the rest of the country, we’re going to have to adjust our operations, so things will look a little different. I’ve been running our school supply program. And that program is just we provide school supplies for students based on the supply list that their teacher provides so that every student can go to school, however that looks like, prepared with all of the supplies they need so that they aren’t left out of that excitement of new school supplies and their new teacher and friends.

So unlike previous years, I’ve been doing a lot of the work just with my own family, because we can’t really be around all the other members right now, and so I’ll be working with a smaller committee to pack those, once we get around to that. And then the distribution, I’m sure it will look a little different. We are preparing to help more students just because the economic burden that this pandemic is having on a lot of families, we’re preparing to provide things for more students than we have in the past.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah. I imagine that’s going to be needed.

Sarah Reinecker: Krissy, I think this is a great opportunity for you to talk about Luther Memorial.

Krissy Sprankle: So, one of the things that has been really vital to all of our operations has been our partnership with the Luther Memorial Church. They’re right next to our school, which is super convenient for us. We started that partnership in January 2017. Our Impact Foundation Board met with Pastor Laura Haupt about using their space to run our Food for Thought program. Over the past few years, our partnership has just continued to grow, and especially exponentially since the pandemic has started.

Because during COVID, they’ve let us use a lot of extra rooms and spaces since they aren’t utilizing them. We’ve taken over their preschool room for the school supply operation because we don’t have access to the schools. So that’s provided me the space to store everything, take inventory and all of that kind of stuff. And then another space that’s been really valuable, is they’ve let us use their refrigerators and freezers, which has been extremely important as we convert to a food pantry. So that’s been extremely important and we’re so thankful for their generosity.

And as things start to open up and we transition back into normal, everyday life, we want to remain a food pantry. So, we received a $13,000 grant from the State Department of Environmental Protection to purchase a commercial fridge and freezer for our room that we have all the time. The Luther Memorial Church volunteers have already helped us work out the electricity situation, so we’re all good to go once things get back up and started. Their generosity has been and always will be extremely vital to all of our programs.

Annette Stevenson: What a great relationship and partnership, and so handy nearby too. So, you talked about a challenge within that story actually, but what are some of the biggest challenges the Impact Foundation has faced? Not necessarily related to COVID-19, just challenges faced since its inception. And then if you can, let us know how the foundation dealt with those hurdles.

Gina Trimmer: If I may, since I’ve been involved with YSEF and the Impact Foundation, one of our biggest struggles is just getting the awareness and the education out to the families, that we’re here for them, that we want to help, and we’ve got a community who can help those in need. There’s always some good things that come out of the bad, and in today’s world, what we’re finding is out of this, we are having that awareness, that people are finding out about us.

As one of the girls mentioned earlier, we used to serve only a small portion of families with the backpacks, where now, we have served over 90 families. And it’s not just a child who’s getting a backpack to take home. It’s the entire family that is getting a full car load of items for their whole family for the entire week. So, I think that has been one of our biggest, what I feel, as my biggest struggle in trying to help as a board member. I feel like we’re starting to overcome that.

Annette Stevenson: That’s great. How about anybody else? Any other challenges that you’ve encountered?

Sarah Reinecker: Well, I can actually say, I think this is a challenge that was in adults’ minds, but then the kids figured it out for us, honestly. In the beginning of this, one of the biggest challenges that the adult advisors thought we were going to have is the constant transition year after year of the actual Impact Foundation group itself. And we were really worried about that. We couldn’t really get our heads around how the sustainability would be affected over time because of that.

But the kids, they’re really used to it. I’m going to turn it off to the president of the Impact Foundation, Janelle, to talk a little bit more about the recruitment process and some pieces of the puzzle they put in place to help with that.

Janelle Rice: So, in the past years, we have mostly used students that just want to sign up. And we found that we had a lot of students have interest, but they’re also involved in a lot of other things, so we want more students that we wouldn’t typically see in the organization. So, before COVID, we would go to the middle school and high school and have assemblies to raise awareness about what our organization does. And obviously, we cannot have a hundred students in a room listening to us talk now, so instead, we used Tik Tok, the music video app, and we did that to help reach out because we know a lot of students our age are very into Tik Tok. So, we did that to let everyone know that we were having a Zoom meeting information session about what Impact Foundation was. And we also used Instagram and Facebook to also raise awareness about that.

And that way we had a Zoom meeting with Marcella was there, and us, myself, Krissy and few other board members, we were able to help and discuss what exactly we do. And because of that, we gained a lot of new members and it made it a lot easier than we thought it was going to be. They could ask us questions and we could be upfront with them and tell them exactly what the organization does instead of thinking they know what it is and thinking they may want to be involved. Instead, they had a very clear, exactly what we were doing. And then we’re also now, were able to tell them what we’re doing during COVID-19, and just show how if they do decide to join, they will probably also be taking place in that, helping with that, because that’s ultimately what the time we live in.

Sarah Reinecker: I think one of the fun things for me to see, because I’ve been involved in this from the beginning, is from 2015 to 2020, the students’ creativity in terms of recruitment and interaction with one another and building their own relationships, two things.

One, is the actual students involved in the Impact Foundation has grown from 12 students the first year, to now 45, and that’s been consistent over the past couple of years. But the other thing that became clear to us when we launched into, what we’re calling COVID times, is it was so clear that the ability for us to launch the effort that we did to transition, literally within four days, transition a food backpack room to a full-fledged food pantry, was because of the 120 students that had come before this year’s group, and the four additional advisors that had been helped to build the organization from the beginning.

It was so clear that the teamwork that’s involved over time to create a sustainable model, so that when you’re faced with such a stressful situation, it’s those organizations that can stand up and really do it and have a huge impact. It really is a testament to the strength of the students, and at each step of the way, how we had to build the program that got us to today to be able to react the way we did, and transition to be able to help families during this very worldwide, stressful time.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah. So, in conclusion, this is aimed at the students, what has been the biggest reward or your favorite part about your involvement in the Impact Foundation?

Janelle Rice: I think the biggest thing for me was seeing the different variety of socioeconomic standings in our community, in just our school district. It really shows you how to be grateful for what you have and learn of the other people that aren’t in the same situations as you. You see the other things that you have are sometimes considered almost luxuries for other people, and you don’t ever think about it, and getting to reflect on that is really important.

It also helped to give me a lot of new opportunities. Part of that was getting to write a grant with two seniors that just graduated, Maia Carney and Rachel Ludwick, to The Harley-Davidson Corporate Foundation. And Sue Bowman, who helps write a lot of our grants, took us through each step of this. And in the end, we were able to have a grant of $2,000 to help with the general operations of the food insecure program. So, I think overall, it just helped, it really made me grateful for everything I have, and also really gave me a lot of new opportunities that I don’t think I would have in any other organization.

Annette Stevenson: Great. Anybody else? Rewards or best part about being involved?

Krissy Sprankle: Just to add onto what Janelle said, I know that within Impact Foundation, I’ve grown so much, both as a person and as a leader. I’ve learned so many important skills that I’ll carry into my future, like public speaking and giving professional presentations. I know when I was a freshman, I would have never done something like this, so that tells you how much I’ve learned and how much I’ve grown through over these past three years. I’ve also learned a lot about working within a board.

And just one example of the skills that we’re learning in this organization, both on us and the organization, is in 2018, our board presented to our original startup donor, the York County Community Foundation. They gave us $5,000 in 2015 to build out our six Impact Closets. So, we wanted to update them on how we’re doing now. And within that presentation, one of their members was so impressed by our student presenters and their ability to convey information, that his company actually gave us another $5,000 grant on top of that. So, not only are the skills that we’re learning in Impact Foundation important to us, but they’re also just very effective for the organization as a whole.

Annette Stevenson: Wow. That’s great. How about you, Leona? Anything that stands out to you?

Leona Strine: For me, it’s just helping others and building those relationships with others and seeing how they’ve grown over the years. When I was in middle school, we just developed our middle school program, and just building those relationships with students and then coming into the Impact Foundation, and just seeing them grow in a more, it’s just amazing.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah. And Marcella, how about you? I’m assuming you plan to continue on through the remainder of your high school years?

Marcella Rolle: Yes. I mean, I’m brand new to the organization, so I have no experience. But I’m hoping that I’ll learn how to help others and know how to, I guess, care and be grateful for what you have.

Annette Stevenson: It sounds like you’re going to have lots of great experience, from what the others have expressed.

Well, I want to thank each of you for being part of our podcast today. This has been such a great conversation and I hope that it will inspire other school districts to take a look at how their foundations might be able to involve students. Thank you to each of you.

Gina Trimmer: Thank you, Annette.

Sarah Reinecker: Thank you. Thanks for having us.

Annette Stevenson: You’re absolutely welcome. Thank you. Such great insights from the students too. Thank you, guys.

Leona Strine: Thank you.

Sarah Reinecker

Sarah Reinecker is a founding and current board member of the York Suburban Education Foundation (YSEF), YSEF immediate past president, helped found the student-led Impact Foundation (IF) and currently sits on the IF committee as an advisor. She is passionate about leveling the playing field to help every student thrive.

Gina Trimmer

Gina Trimmer is a board member for the York Suburban Education Foundation. She also serves as an adult advisor and chairman for YSEF’s Impact Foundation.

Marcella Rolle

Marcella Rolle is an upcoming freshman at York Suburban High School. She is a new member of the York Suburban Impact Foundation and a former student board representative of the York Suburban Communities That Care Alliance (YSCTC). Marcella is a distinguished honor roll student and was a former captain of her basketball team in eighth grade. She was a member of the York Suburban Middle School track team and an athlete who participates in the USATF and AAU track and field organizations. Marcella was invited to attend the Junior National Young Leaders Conference (JrNYLC) in Washington, DC, this summer. However, due to COVID-19, she will be attending the conference next year. Marcella is looking forward to being an active member of the York Suburban Impact Foundation.

Leona Strine

Leona Strine is a junior at York Suburban High School and vice president of The Impact Foundation. She enjoys helping others and making a difference. Leona is also a York Suburban Link Crew Leader and a player on York Suburban’s Varsity Softball Team. She hopes to become a social worker in the future.

Janelle Rice

Janelle Rice is a senior at York Suburban Senior High School. She is the 2020-2021 president of Impact Foundation and acted as the vice president during the 2019-2020 year. She loves to help others and Impact Foundation has allowed her to do that. Aside from Impact Foundation, Janelle is very involved in her school’s extracurricular activities such as tennis, the school musicals and other clubs.

Krissy Sprankle

Krissy Sprankle is a senior at York Suburban High School. This will be her fourth year in the Impact Foundation and second year as the treasurer. She loves to be active in the community and Impact Foundation is the perfect way to do that. Outside of Impact Foundation Krissy participates in Link Crew, Amnesty, Student Council, NHS, NEHS and Mini-THON.
York Suburban Education Foundation
The post The Impact Foundation: Students Serving Their Community appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Students’ Emotional Well-Being and Academics: A Hand-in-Hand Approach** Jun 09, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Transcripts

About our Guests

Resources

On this episode of Keystone Education Radio, Podcast Host Annette Stevenson is joined by **Angela Jerabek**. Angie is the founder of BARR, a strengths-based model that provides schools with a comprehensive approach to meeting the academic, social and emotional needs of all students. Annette and Angie discuss the research behind the method, the proven outcomes and the application during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Skip to: 01:10 Can you provide us with more background about how the BARR model was created? What is unique about the approach it takes?

I also really believed in staff-to-staff, that you needed to have those really healthy staff-to-staff relationships so you could have the conversation as the english teacher to the science teacher to say, “No, she’s really doing a ton of work in my class,” and have that feel trusting and be able to problem solve versus having that be a defensive piece in terms of departments.

And over the next decade, not only was the failure rate continuing to be cut in half, we were having an exponential growth in students of black, Latin and low-income taking honors courses and really excelling at them.

Skip to: 04:36 The BARR Center partners with the American Institutes for Research to study how this model encourages positive outcomes for students. Can you talk about the research that has been done and what the results have been?

So we’ve always been a little unique in terms of our approach. We’re a bit of an SEL approach, but our outcomes are academic.

We’ve done 12 of them across the country in a variety of settings and to be able to show that within that first year students that are in the model with the teachers being trained in BARR, the students not only attend more and they have fewer discipline issues, but they have higher GPA’s and do better on standardized test scores in both math and reading.

Skip to: 06:49 The BARR model uses eight different strategies. What is the importance of using all of these strategies cohesively and connecting all stakeholders, including teachers, students, administration and families?

It’s incredibly empowering for teachers because teachers are the ones who come up with the solutions.

Skip to: 12:45 The BARR model was implemented in just a few schools when it first began. In 2021, you will expand into 250 schools. This expansion has been possible in part because of support from the Department of Education Investing in Innovation Fund. Why do you think the BARR model has been effective in so many schools with different and unique circumstances?

I think it really taps in to those intrinsic educator values and puts a system in place.

Skip to: 16:00 At this point, students and staff across the country have been home for a number of weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s uncertain what will happen in the fall as far as returning to school buildings or conducting online learning. How can relationships be built and maintained with consideration of the methods used for education?

I think what distance learning did was really solidified something that we already knew, which is that schools are not just educational spaces. So, I often talk about schools being both heart and head.

Skip to: 20:23 As an educator yourself, what piece of advice would you give to teachers who are trying to stay connected with their students as they learn from home?

I think one of the kind of key pieces is just making sure we’re recognizing that the social emotional health of our students and our adults is really critical at the same time we’re looking at academics.

BARR is an SEL approach. We’re about relationships and data and our outcomes are math and reading.

Skip to: 23:27 For any school leaders of educators who are listening, how can they learn more about the BARR model or get in touch with you?

Annette Stevenson: Today, we’re joined by Angela to learn more about the BARR model and the work that she’s doing as the center’s executive director. Thanks so much for joining us today, Angela.

Angela Jerabek: Thank you for having me.

Annette Stevenson: Can you provide us with more background about how the BARR model was created and what’s unique about the approach? What is the unique approach there?

Angela Jerabek: I think a really critical difference of the BARR model is it was created in a school. I’ll tell you a bit about it, and it’s always had an actual evaluation component. We’ve always had real time data showing the effectiveness. So, my name once again is Angie and I was a high school counselor in a first-ranked suburb right outside Minneapolis, and in 1998, it was the fifth year that half the ninth graders failed a course. I was incredibly discouraged because obviously students passing their classes is an important role and a counselor is feeling responsibility for that.

Annette Stevenson: Sure

Angela Jerabek: So, I went to the principal to say, “I think I should resign. I don’t feel like I’m getting this job done.” He was a great administrator. He said, “This isn’t about you. This isn’t about our school. This is actually the national average.” Which, by the way, it still is. About 40-50% of ninth graders fail a course of some sort.

He said, “I really think you should come up with a new way of doing high school to address this.” Well, sometimes when you’re young and you’re naive and you don’t know that’s a hard thing, I’m like, “That is a good idea. We should definitely be running high school in a different way.”

So, I developed BARR and BARR stands for Building Assets, Reducing Risks. It really is in some ways focused on the advantage point that counselors have in schools. I was always able to see this whole view of the student, and I knew the math teacher was only getting a component of that student. I knew that you were really passionate about art and really talented in English even though you weren’t performing in science, I knew that you are capable and able to do these things, and the science teacher didn’t have that same vantage point.

We really built this model and it’s predicated on two pillars. One was data. I needed transparency in data, so that math teacher and science teacher could have that same access point that the counselor did. I needed quantitative and qualitative data and a way to share that. The second is, I needed relationships. I needed positive, intentional relationships, and that had to apply to staff to student, which many talk about, and some talk about student-to-student ability but I also really believed in staff-to-staff, that you needed to have those really healthy staff-to-staff relationships so you could have the conversation as the English teacher to the science teacher to say, “No, she’s really doing a ton of work in my class,” and have that feel trusting and be able to problem solve versus having that be a defensive piece in terms of departments.

Annette Stevenson: So important.

Angela Jerabek: Yeah. So, that was kind of the beginning. The other piece that’s really been helpful is we always had external evaluators. We put this model in place and we were able to document within the first year our failure rate was cut in half for all of our students. Over the next decade, not only was the failure rate continuing to be cut in half, we were having an exponential growth in students of Black, Latin and low income taking honors courses and really excelling at them, which then put us in a place to receive federal funding, to do more and more research across the country, but always having those really hard markers of, “This doesn’t just feel right,” it’s doing the right thing for kids and kids are really excelling at it.

Annette Stevenson: You mentioned the research component and the BARR center partners with the American Institutes for Research to study how this model encourages positive outcomes for students. Can you talk about that research that’s been done and how those results have translated?

Angela Jerabek: I think a really kind of critical piece is, the work that we’re doing is relationship based. It’s data and relationships based. Our outcomes are math and reading and kind of those hard data markers. So, we’ve always been a little unique in terms of our approach. We’re a bit of an SEL approach, but our outcomes are academic. So, having AIR be able to accompany us has been really critical because what we’ve done is within school randomized control trials. So when we went to a school, we were able to say, “We want to randomly assign a group of students to adults that we’re going to coach and train, and the rest of the students are going to have school as normal.” Then if in fact the school wins the basketball championship, or if in fact they have a tragedy it’s occurring to the students at the same community. You’re not going to be able to say, “Well, that school had that thing,” or “that school had this thing.” So, we were within school randomizing control trials.

It’s a very difficult level of research to be able to do and we’ve done 12 of them across the country in a variety of settings and to be able to show that within that first year students that are in the model with the teachers being trained in BARR, the students not only attend more and they have fewer discipline issues, but they have higher GPA’s and do better on standardized test scores in both math and reading. So, based on that, we’ve been in Evidence for ESSA five times as both a math strategy, a reading strategy, as well as an SEL strategy and we’ve in the What Works Clearinghouse four times. So, I go back to what’s unique about BARR, it’s homegrown and was developed at a school based on a real need and it has incredible amounts of rigorous research over the past 20 years. So, it’s an interesting kind of place to hold in terms of that much research as well as it being very real in terms of a school experience.

Annette Stevenson: Very cool. Very cool. So, there’s different strategies that are used. The BARR model uses eight different strategies. What’s the importance of using all of these strategies cohesively and connecting all the stakeholders, including teachers, students, administration, and families? Can you talk a bit about that?

Angela Jerabek: So, I think one of the key pieces is we really talk about the word interlocking for the strategies, because they need to all be feeding each other because they’re not weighted equally.

So like one of the strategies is a whole student approach. Well, it’s not like you cannot do that at the same time there’s a family engagement piece and there’s professional development. But there are three strategies in particular that I think are really critical in terms of the success that schools are seeing. One is that there is a curricular piece that classroom teachers do with the students once a week. It’s actually called the pronoun I-Time. And the goal of that is to build relationships and the relationships are mutual. So, the teacher’s not teaching the lesson, they’re facilitating the lesson. An example would be you do a lesson, what’s on your plate?

And I, as an adult am going to share, I’ve got two kids. I’m really involved in my church. I like to exercise. I share about myself, the students do too. So, what happens during that time is first of all, the adult in the room now has a context, so I’m no longer drawing the same automatic conclusion. So, if in fact you didn’t turn a math assignment in, I’m not automatically assuming that you just didn’t care. I’m going to be like, “Oh, I think she had an event this weekend that she was going through that she referenced.” And I’m going to check on that first. Similarly, the student knows who the adult is in a different way, and subsequently feels much more comfortable sharing with them because no longer am I just a math teacher. I actually am a person. I have other things going on.

So, there’s this I-Time component but the other key pieces, that feeds the block meeting. That block meeting is when the group of adults of teachers get together and are talking about the students and the I-Times as a way to really collect that qualitative data. What is the student’s interests? How are the students showing up in a variety of places, and how can I use the information that I’ve learned here in a way to be able to make sure that students is thriving?

In that block meeting, we’ve also put a system in place to help schools be more efficient. So, the schools can really come up with a system of saying, “Our students are going to be a level 0-3. Zero means student is thriving. I see nothing. Level 1 means, “Boy, Emily’s been late a couple of times to class, she kind of seems tired. Somebody should check in with her.” That means one adult needs to take an action that week and report back to the other adults what happened.

Level 2 means, “Emily’s been skipping classes. Her grades are going down, changed her group of friends.” This now means a group of adults are going to now come up with a plan. So, the whole group of teachers is now going to have a plan. Level 3 is really critical. Level 3 means we’ve identified the issue. It has nothing to do with school. There is a housing issue. There is food insecurity. This is not even a very well-meaning math teacher, going to be in their wheelhouse. Level 3 means that student’s name is going to get referred to risk review, which is another component of BARR and that’s going to bring in community resources to assist with the school. Those teachers are no longer going to be spending all of their time coming up with strategies that more than likely is not going to be able to impact that student. Their goal is going to be, you maintain that relationship, you’re doing what you can do and, in particular, if classroom teachers talk about level 1 and level 2 students, they get huge impacts.

Oftentimes what happens is when teachers do talk about students, they all talk about level 3 students. They end up feeling discouraged. They end up feeling like they’re not making a difference. And they miss level 1 and level 2 kids, because this is where their conversations were. So, when you talk about those eight strategies, I pulled those three out because it’s an example of how they feed each other. So I-time feeds a block meeting, block meeting feeds risk review, and then subsequently it comes right back down. Risk review tells block meetings what’s happening and block meetings informs how I’m going to interact with you in the classroom. So, that interlocking component is really a critical one.

Annette Stevenson: From what you’ve described, there’s a lot of like, “If this, then you do this and then you do this.” There’s these very action plan items, which once trained, I would imagine, would be relatively easy to follow if you stick with that plan, that proven plan.

Angela Jerabek: It does. It’s highly based on continuous improvement, as you can imagine. It’s incredibly empowering for teachers because teachers are the ones who come up with the solutions. The only piece is, if it doesn’t yield anything within two weeks, you have to try something else. So yes, we have a list of suggested interventions but we really push for the community to come up with it because we believe strongly in local contacts. We believe strongly that the adults in the building know their kids best and their community best. So, the issue is you have to first have a shared understanding of, “We’ve got an issue. So now we’ve got this identified. We’ve got a problem. We all agree on it and we’re going to come up with a solution.” Then you got a limited time to say, “Did that solution work?”

What also it helps with is oftentimes teachers say, “Well, I’m going to call home.” What we would push for, “Okay. Well, that’s not an intervention. That would be a way to get more information or have a partnership, but why are you calling home?” Versus, “I’m going to call home.” That’s like, “Okay, well what are we hoping that’s going to yield in terms of that piece?” So, how do we really make sure that the work that we’re doing is both strength-based and efficient, and we are able to collaborate as a school?

Annette Stevenson: The BARR model was implemented in just a few schools when it began, of course. So in 2021, I understand that you will be expanded into 250 schools. This expansion has been possible, in part, because of support from the Department of Education Investing in Innovation Fund. Why do you think the BARR model has been effective in so many schools with different and unique circumstances? Because we know that schools are very different, and communities are very different. What’s been the effectiveness across all this uniqueness?

Angela Jerabek: Well, let me even back up to kind of the BARR model and then testing it. I said, “I want to go to any place people think this won’t work” because as an educator, separate from cost, we cannot use teachers’ goodwill to do something unless it’s evidence-based. So, I want to be able to go to big bureaucratic districts. So, we’re in Boston, we’re in Baltimore, we’re in Dallas, but we’re also in rural areas and Appalachia and we’re in 17 States and DC. So that footprint was intentional because part of this research was, “We want to be able to know, does this model work kind of regardless?”

So back to your point is, it does. Now, why do I think that makes sense? I really believe it is because it originated within a school. I think it relies on the expertise of the teachers. It also really kind of syncs up with why educators chose this profession and I think it’s incredibly liberating. So, like last week we just had a virtual celebration of over 80 schools came in and were sharing the things that they were most proud of. They’re incredibly proud of as a team, how many students are being successful. So, I think before, as a teacher, sometimes you would have an individual win where you’re like, “I worked really hard and this kid pulled through,” but now the fact that I am doing this as a team is incredibly liberating that A, I don’t have that pressure alone to be able to have to problem solve this. But also when the student is succeeding, it is a shared kind of celebration where like, “This is really working.”

Why do I think it’s continuing to work is, I think it really taps into those intrinsic educator values and puts a system in place. I often look many of the things I’m sure people really push in that leveling system to be very candid. I lifted from the medical model in emergency rooms, partly because when I was a high school counselor, my desk would be populated with names and it’d be like, see Rob, see all these different people. Well, I had no idea if Rob forgot his lunch, or if it’s unsafe for Rob to go home or what’s going on because schools had no way to be able to have an efficient system. So, that leveling system really was ability to, we have thousands of students and how do we talk about them? And if I am saying they’re a level 1, someone else can push back, but I’ve got a system to at least be able to respond to, to be able to say, “Is this a one-person intervention? Is this a team intervention? Do we need community resources?” Because that’s the way to kind of move that conversation.

Annette Stevenson: So, present circumstances considered, at this point, students and staff across the country have been home for many numerous weeks due to the pandemic circumstances. It’s uncertain what will happen in the fall across the country and various states and counties, as far as the ability to return to school buildings or conducting online learning. How can relationships be built and maintained maybe not in spite of, but considering the methods that then end up becoming used for education, whether it be in person or some combination of online, some hybrid version or fully online? How do those relationships continue in that circumstance?

Angela Jerabek: Well, I think what distance learning did was really solidified something that we already knew, which is that schools are not just educational spaces. So, I often talk about schools being both heart and head.

So, the head part you can do in packets and you can do in stages. I think one of the difficulty schools all of a sudden felt was, this relationship piece where it was so much easier when you had the physical proximity of others. And now when you intentionally be brokering those relationships, I think that’s when creativity started to really show up. I think the other piece that was really unique is, I think it became a heightened level of awareness where it’s like, “Now we know that we can’t take this for granted, this idea of relationships.”

What we did is, so when we talk about our schools having relationships, our schools together also have relationships. We host professional learning communities every week where all 170 schools can participate, and we had an exponential increase in our school participation. Our schools we’re sharing strategies on, “How are you building relationships with families virtually? How are you building relationships with staff virtually? How are you building relationships with students virtually?”

So, as we’re learning things that, “This is a great idea in Boston. How can we get that out immediately with a 100,000 students versus trying to have each person learn that?” And I will say that that was incredibly inspiring.

I think the other thing that happened when you went to distance learning, having the anchors of relationships and data was incredibly stabilizing. So, most of the schools, right before they went to distance learning, they took their spreadsheets that they’ve been using and they’re like, “We’re going to monitor, is the student still in a relationship with the school? So, do we have any connectivity? And we’re going to monitor data. Are they doing things? Are we seeing data?” Based on those two anchors, we’re going to be able to assess and we’re still going to be having this leveling system of zero to three. Even from that, we had some schools that were in particularly hit with COVID very heavily so we put in a level 4 for this crisis time to say, “If anybody’s experiencing hospitalization of either the student or a family member, let’s put them at a level 4 and make sure there’s three check-ins a week from the school to see, “Do you need groceries? Do you need transportation? What do we need?” But having those systems in place really I think helped navigate that as well as, to your point, made sure that we’re keeping relationships really kind of a top of mind.

I do want to share by the way too, we have a school in Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, that we just started working with and actually had reached out with them and they provided me some language. So, they had said, “When our school shut down in the midst of the COVID pandemic, everything was in limbo. That being said, our BARR coordinator stepped up right away and provided the structure and the stability. We had supports with PTs. We had supports with other schools. So, we were able to seamlessly transition to virtual team meetings. So, we still were meeting as a team and we’re able to keep those relationships in place with our staff, as we were making sure that our students were feeling cared about.” They’re now planning for their second year, because they’ve just started and they really appreciate that BARR allows them to dream big and also be able to access other schools as they’re growing kind of in this work. So, they’re really excited. And they said that, “We can’t wait to see our students thrive.” But I wanted to make sure that I gave a highlight to Harrisburg.

Annette Stevenson: It’s an awesome story related to Pennsylvania. I’m happy to hear that.

Angela Jerabek: Yes.

Annette Stevenson: So you’ve kind of filled in some of this for me, but as an educator yourself, do you have any additional tips or advice beyond what you’ve already expressed to give teachers who are trying to stay connected with their students as they learn from home? Any kind of tips and tactics to employ?

Angela Jerabek: Yeah, I do. I think one of the kind of key pieces is just making sure we’re recognizing that the social emotional health of our students and our adults is really critical at the same time we’re looking at academics. So, especially when we go back next fall, I know there’s a bit of a conversation of, “Do we focus on academics or do we focus on those wraparound mental health supports?” I believe strongly, it has to be both and they both feed each other, because if the students are doing well, their mental health potentially is going to feel stronger. If their mental health is stronger, their academics are going to be stronger. So, I think in general, I hope we don’t get into a, “Which one should we do?” Rather, “How do they integrate?” Which I also will say is what BARR is. BARR is an SEL approach. We’re about relationships and data and our outcomes are math and reading. So, how to make sure that really stays kind of top of mind.

I think the other kind of key piece is, making sure that we’re having learning be accessible. So, how do we make sure that we’re in engaging families where we can engage families? We are getting creative in terms of kind of our reaches out. I think the other piece is like, how do we engage other students to be able to be supportive? I have another quick story from one of our schools in Florida. Really large school, they went to distance learning and out of their 1800 students, they were missing 350. They had no contact with 350.

Annette Stevenson: Yikes.

Angela Jerabek: Absolutely. So, they then turned to their students that they had formed relationships with and they had done BARR for a year. I’m reaching out to Gail to say, “Gail, I haven’t heard from Hannah on long time. Could you have Hannah reach out to me?” So, by the second week afterwards, they were down to 250 kids that were missing. Well, bottom line is after three weeks, there was only one student they were not in contact with. And the reason that happened was the school’s utilization of their peers and the peers being able to say and know that the adults are caring about them saying, “Hey, they really want to hear from you.” Many of the kids had burner phones and were in insecure housing, but that school has been able to stay in weekly contact with those students to make sure that they are safe and that they know that they’re cared about by maintaining those relationships in a variety of ways. I just kind of keep going back to relationships in any way we need to utilize them.

Annette Stevenson: Even involving the student relationships.

Angela Jerabek: Absolutely.

Annette Stevenson: For listeners and school leaders and educators, how can they learn more about the BARR model or how can they get in touch with you or the appropriate contact to find out more?

Angela Jerabek: Yes. So, we have a website and you can join our mailing list and our website is BARRcenter.org and social media. We’re at @BARRcenter on Twitter as well as Facebook.

Annette Stevenson: Awesome. Thank you so much for all of this. I know there’s so much more that we could go into, but I certainly appreciate what you’ve shared today. Thank you.

Angela Jerabek: Thank you so much for having me.

Angela Jerabek, Founder and Executive Director of BARR Center®

Angela Jerabek is the Founder and Executive Director of BARR Center®. The BARR Center (Building Assets, Reducing Risks) is a model that improves the education system with intentionally deepened relationships and a data-driven, personalized and supportive approach. BARR aligns students, teachers, staff, and families with a unified culture of support and success so that, together, we can build stronger schools and communities.

Ms. Jerabek began her career in education as a licensed K-12 teacher, and a secondary school counselor in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is an author, speaker and education innovator whose expertise lies in school improvement, equity, youth development, adolescent counseling and using data and evidence in schools. As the executive director of the BARR Center, Angie provides thought leadership and operational oversight of the organization and the national network of BARR educators.

Developed by Jerabek in 1998, the BARR model has been implemented in 170 schools throughout the United States with consistent results regardless of school type, size or location. In virtually every geographical location, the implementation of BARR has resulted in a statistically significant reduction in failure rates by an average of 34.5%, after just one year of implementation. Similarly, course credits earned increase, grade point averages improve, and the opportunity gap narrows when a school implements BARR. Tested and validated by the American Institute for Research (AIR), BARR stands alone as the most consistently proven secondary school improvement model in the country. More than 100,000 students have been positively impacted.

Email: angela.jerabek@barrcenter.org
Twitter: @AngieJerabek

To schedule Angie to speak at your event, for an interview, or for a full CV please call Executive Assistant, Ali Sipkins at 952.224.6309.

Website: barrcenter.org

Facebook: @BARRCenter

Twitter: @BARRCenter

The BARR Center

Evidence for ESSA

What Works Clearinghouse

Department of Education Investing in Innovation Fund

The post Students’ Emotional Well-Being and Academics: A Hand-in-Hand Approach appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Hanging in the Balance of a Pandemic: Connectivity During Isolation** May 27, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Transcripts

About our Guest

In this episode of Keystone Education Radio, Podcast Host Annette Stevenson is joined by **Dr. Will Miller**, a recognized and respected authority on coping with stress, interpersonal relationship and organizational health. Drawing on years of experience working as a stress counselor for first responders, Dr. Miller provides insight on how schools and communities can begin to recover from the pandemic’s impact and how personal connection with others is essential to our coping and comeback.
Skip to: 01:39 Counties across Pennsylvania have begun to transition to the yellow phase of the reopening plan. And even with that, our lives are going to look different than they did before the pandemic. What are some ways to cope and transition into our new normal?

It’s going to be a difficult adjustment because we have to hang in the balance. I think the only way to do that is to really be connected to your people, to be supportive, to stay in contact with each other.

Skip to: 04:23 As children return to school, what signs should parents be aware of that their child(ren) may be experiencing anxiety or mental health challenges?

Kids are reactive to the mood of the parent. And sometimes the angst of a child is the contagion of the angst of the parent.

Do your duty, do your diligence, but really spend as much time on your own calmness and your own anxiety or depression as you do for your children.

Skip to: 08:08 First responders experience crises as part of their profession. With the staff and educators as the frontline professionals in a school environment, what are some ongoing tactics that can be used to address high emotions among students and other staff?

Some of the most effective strategies have to do with physical triage. That is, it’s going to be really important for the physical fitness program. It’s going to be really important to have opportunities for the kids to be outside.

Skip to: 11:39 Social distancing has been one of the prevalent methods used to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. In a lot of cases, this means isolating ourselves from friends and family. How will this impact us when we start to come out of isolation?

Skip to: 13:32 What are some pros and cons of social media in the current circumstances and how can parents and educators mitigate the cons or the negatives elements of social media where it pertains to youth?

Trolling the internet in place of connecting with people, obviously, has negative consequences. So, social media use has to be monitored. It has to be overseen, not just for the content, but for the hours being spent on it.

Skip to: 17:18 There are students who had strong relationships with their school counselors prior to school closures. Some school counselors have been able to maintain communication with their students. What is the importance of maintaining these relationships despite not being able to be in the same building?

Worry a little bit more about the kids who are isolating, especially in the high schools, because the isolation is the far more dangerous, because you have to go and prod them out of it.

Skip to: 21:19 Where can our listeners learn more about your work?

**Annette Stevenson**: Counties across Pennsylvania have begun to transition, as in many other states, to the yellow phase of their reopening plans. After that, they’ll phase into green, presumably. Even with that yellow phase, our lives are going to look different than they did before the pandemic. What are some ways that folks can cope and transition into what we’re knowing may be like our new normal?**Dr. Will Miller**: This gets to a pretty fundamental and well-researched theory in psychology, and it’s called locus of control. Julian Rotter from UConn established this a long time ago. It’s pretty intuitive, almost like a range. There are some of us, individually or collectively, who cultivate an external locus of control, meaning that you really don’t have any illusions you have a lot of control over a lot of things. Now think about this writ large, with what we’ve seen globally with people who are living in really terrible circumstances, like what we followed in Syria, for example. If you’re a citizen or a person there, you have no illusion you have much control other than the most basic and elemental things, feeding yourself, taking care of your kids.

The American psychological makeup is the opposite. We cultivate a strong internal locus of control. We’re doers, we’re task oriented, et cetera. So my answer to this question is, in this situation, it has flipped, kind of on a dime, where we are at the mercy of forces that are outside of our control. So even though you may be abiding and wanting to keep you and your family safe by the social distancing, et cetera, the mitigation efforts, the fact of the matter is, there’s a real uncertainty about what it means to come back out.

I mean, what is the new normal? The new normal it seems to me still has an umbrella of angst and uncertainty about control hanging over all of us. I mean, it won’t be until, and you can see why psychologically it’s so important for all citizens to say, “Boy, if they get a vaccine, a reliable vaccine, that will change the chemistry.” But until then I have to say, it’s going to be a difficult adjustment because we have to hang in the balance. I think the only way to do that is to really be connected to your people, to be supportive, to stay in contact with each other. We are creatures that need to be connected. Even though we can’t hug and shake hands, we can absolutely engage meaningfully with our relationships. So, it’s the same as it ever was in that regard, but it is an adjustment.

**Annette Stevenson**: Yeah, definitely. How we’re connecting has certainly changed quite a lot. So as children are returning to schools, the school buildings, when they do, what signs should parents be aware of that their children might be experiencing anxiety or mental health challenges? What are some of the signs or symptoms that educators and parents should be looking for?

**Dr. Will Miller**: My wife Sally has had a long career in education as an elementary school principal. She really has been down this road before with crises. For example, she and I were living in New York after 9/11, and she was very much involved with schools and dealing with helping kids in the aftermath of that. Here’s the thing, children are resilient, first of all, they are more resilient than the adults are oftentimes. Because, well, let’s face it, to say the obvious the parents have the burden of caring for the kids, where the kids just have to be the kids.

So, there’s two things I would say about this. One is every parent knows at an intuitive level the personality of their children. You know who’s a little kind of unfocused. You know who’s kind of the calm kid. You know who the kid, who’s an acting out kid. You have had to manage that all along, and so you can probably predict when you see behaviors erupt or just move along. You know what to do, first of all. As far as the children are concerned, they will bounce back from this. It’s a couple of months of something that was odd, but most parents, I suspect, have been keeping them busy, trying to do school online, having them play, having them be engaged. I can say that, and I trust Sally’s instinct on this too, is that they will be more fine.

Now, here’s the key. There’s another theory in psychology about the contagion of emotion, hold onto this. It means that your emotion is liable to feel the contagion of other people. So, the way they test this is, you’re in a low mood, but you’ll walk into a room where everyone is happy and buoyant, it will lift your mood without you even thinking about it. Or conversely, if you’re in a high mood and you’ll, all of a sudden, you come down. So, kids are reactive to the mood of the parent. And sometimes the angst of a child is the contagion of the angst of the parent.

To tell you the truth, I’m more concerned about the triage for the moms and the dads and their anxiety, more than for the kids. It will have an impact on the kids, but you know that as well as I do, the intuition of children about the mood and firm footing of their parents, it’s like radar, it’s like a tuning fork. They can sense it, and they act on it. So if the children are acting out, you have to do what you have to do, but just take a moment and think about or reflect on, “Are they feeling the contagion of my, what’s my angst? How am I doing with this?”

Like I said in the webinar, even before this crisis, 40 million Americans had a diagnosed anxiety disorder, that’s a fraction of how many have anxiety. That’s just those who got it treated. We know more about anxiety in psychotherapy than almost any other psychological issue. We know what it is, we know what the triggers are, we know what the brain science is, and we know how to treat it. So, my advice on this question is for do your duty, do your diligence, but really spend as much time on your own calmness and your own anxiety or depression as you do for your children. To me, that’s the most important thing I think.

**Annette Stevenson**: That’s a critical distinction. I like that.

So, first responders experience crises as part of their profession, whatever that respective profession may be, with the staff and educators as sort of our frontline professionals in a school environment, what are some ongoing tactics that can be used to address high emotions among students and other staff? You’ve sort of started that in the last question, but once folks are back in the building, when students are back in the building, are there tactics beyond what you’ve already covered that can be employed by the students and staff to just maintain that calm?

**Dr. Will Miller**: I have become a certified trauma specialist working with police, law enforcement and firefighters. The science that we know, and a lot of this comes from an amazing guy. I think I might’ve mentioned this in the webinar. The Danish Psychiatrist from Harvard, Bessel van der Kolk. Basically, what the strategies are is, talk therapy is an important thing and teachers and staff do this all the time, “What’s going on so and so? How are we doing?” But some of the most effective strategies have to do with physical triage. That is, it’s going to be really important for the physical fitness program. It’s going to be really important to have opportunities for the kids to be outside. It’s going to be really important for kids to do things like, and I don’t know how things are able to be done in schools, but not just physical fitness like cardio, but one of the reasons they talked with law enforcement people and soldiers about yoga is that yoga is a very, very powerful and well-tested triage.

So, if you can either flat out, if your school is open to flat out doing some yoga with kids, or you can just mimic some of the movements and stretches of yoga to just get your organism moving. Movement is important and being outside is really important, being in nature. Then, of course meditation, quiet time. So, these are all things I covered in there, but those are the three, I call them the MBM – the meditation, the breathing, and the movement – are the strategies that just lower your energy level.

Teachers are incredibly creative. I mean, they really are. They’re amazing. I know that armed with this research, they can think about, “Is there anything I can do in my classroom or in my program that would incorporate?” It doesn’t have to be meditation sit at your desk, but it could be quiet time. It could be time to just decompress but also to be open with counseling. I know that there are some kids whose issues are significant enough that they may need something pharmacological, they may have medication or something like that when you have attention deficit or whatever, but there are organic strategies for students and teachers that can just quiet the mind, quiet the mind.

People with a vivid imagination are more prone to anxiety than those without it, because your mind, this frontal cortex is always buzzing, buzzing, buzzing, and thinking and imagining. We’re meaning making creatures and we imagine, “What is it that we’re imagining?” Basically.

**Annette Stevenson**: Social distancing has certainly been something we’re hearing a lot about. It’s a prevalent method that’s being used to mitigate the spread of this virus. In most cases, this means isolating ourselves from friends and family. So, when we come out of isolation, whatever phasing approach occurs and however rapidly that occurs, what will be the impact? How will this impact us when we’ve been in isolation and we’re starting to come out of it? What do you think that reaction will be?

**Dr. Will Miller**: Well, because it’s not an extended long time. It’s a couple of months, the children, I think, will jump back into it. They’ll talk about it. They’ll laugh about it. They’ll have some experiences. They will remember it forever. My concern for the systems and the adults is to be cautious that we could possibly have to go through something like this again. That’s not something you need to share with the kids, but kids are aware. After 9/11, Sally and I were very involved with the mental health issues that were going on there, she especially with the schools.

One of the things that was true, is that developmentally, for any of the teachers with kids under seven, say, is to really protect them from any frightening experiences. I mean, their brain has not been able to develop meaning making to compass that. So, keeping them calm, reassuring them that they’re safe, reassuring them that the adults in the room and their parents and everyone else in the community have their interests first and foremost, and you will be protected and we’ll get through this. Hey, you don’t even have to say this, but we could go through this again in the fall, if there’s another bout of this, but you know how to do this and we know what to do. So, it will be okay. Just the reassurance is really key for kids and the adults.

**Annette Stevenson**: Absolutely. Yes, absolutely. Particularly, as we are physically separated, we are communicating in different ways and there’s various digital channels of communication that are perhaps being even more heavily utilized than they were before. I’m going to mention social media as one of those. So, social media, lots of information gets exchanged through that forum, some accurate, some inaccurate, some opinion-based, some fact-based, but what are some of the pros and cons of social media in these current circumstances? With respect to the student population, how can parents and educators mitigate any of the negative sides of that?

**Dr. Will Miller**: This has been an overwhelming development and it’s near and dear to my heart. I teach this, social media in the graduate program at Purdue, and my colleague at Purdue, Glenn Sparks, and I wrote a book that just got reissued about a year ago, called Refrigerator Rights. I don’t know if you know what they are, but it’s a look at the sociology of media and technology and communication. Basically, what it says is between the American tendency to relocate, think about all of your communities in Pennsylvania, the percentage in every community that represents those who’ve been there for five generations versus those who’ve moved in and out. Kids grow up and they leave. We are mobile to say the least.

So, when we leave and we land in our new place, we have a very difficult time reforming relationships that replicate a family. The way we define those is, let’s say, if Sally and I came to you in your home, and we never met each other, and we were just sitting there in the kitchen and a couple of minutes, without knowing you or me, I went to your refrigerator and looked around it there, it brings a picture to mind. Who is in your life, the people who you see all the time, are comfortable enough and intimate enough as friends or family that they can go into your refrigerator, they can be in your space? That is a real crisis in American life.

To say something gloomy, 45,000 suicides and 60,000 opioid overdoses, which are essentially suicides, on the result of this social isolation and disconnection. It’s not lost on Glenn and I. The irony about after cautioning, using only social media versus real face to face connection in this crisis, guess what? It has become an opportunity to mitigate some of what was bad about social media. In other words, kids can FaceTime, they can be on the Zoom, they can see the mugs and the faces of their buddies and their kids and their family. That has helped us.

Can you imagine without social media, if you were just confined in your house with no outlet whatsoever, I mean, as it would have been not very many years ago? So, what has been a challenge and a problem for social scientists and psychologists has become a tool that has facilitated this because when the kids get back live, “Oh yeah. The last time I saw you was online.” That said, let me just add the obvious caution. That is, trolling the internet in place of connecting with people, obviously, has negative consequences. So, social media use has to be monitored. It has to be overseen, not just for the content, but for the hours being spent on it.

So, all the more reason when we can open up, you’ve got to prompt the kids to get out and be with each other to the degree that they can, even with social distancing. It is an amazing irony that this tool, which has caused so much angst and worry, all of a sudden stepped into the breach to help.

**Annette Stevenson**: That’s completely true. It’s interesting. More screen time than ever right now.

**Dr. Will Miller**: That’s right.

**Annette Stevenson**: There are students in the schools who have strong relationships with their school counselors and had strong relationships prior to the school closures. Some school counselors have been working and been able to maintain communication with those students. What is the importance of maintaining these relationships despite not being able to be in the building? Or is it as critical if they are physically not in the building?

**Dr. Will Miller**: Well, when it comes to talk therapy, I’m a practicing therapist and my practice has had to move to online. When it’s visual and you can see the person, like in a Zoom type setting, it can be very, very effective for the student, the client if you will, and the counselor. The issue here is going to be the same thing as it is with all first responders. I mean, any frontline nurse, doctor, firefighter, police officer, et cetera, is overwhelmed by the sheer numbers that are happening. That may be the case for some period of time for the school counselors. They have a work rhythm where they see X number of kids. And any counselor will tell you, “Oh, brother, this year was really tough or whatever. I’ve been overwhelmed.”

All counselors know the population of their school, and they know which kids are at risk or which kids are acting out that they have to intervene. What will happen obviously here, there are some kids who were not on their radar at all, but who in fact will now come to their attention because they are having symptoms. I strongly urge every school counselor to really focus on the anxiety issue and the depression issue.

I think about this, the anxiety issue is about your mind whipping up and you lose your focus. It’s like, here’s how I talk about it. If you know anything about a car engine, you know that the idle, the idle of the engine, it has to be monitored. If the idle is too high, you’re racing, or if it’s too low, you can stall. Think about that, maybe poor analogy, to think about anxiety and depression. Depression is the more worrisome thing, because its symptom is withdrawal. My urge for counselors and teachers or teachers who have to connect kids with counselors, they know who the anxious kids are and what needs to be done with the family.

Worry a little bit more about the kids who are isolating, especially in the high schools, because the isolation is the far more dangerous, because you have to go and prod them out of it. That’s my counsel for teachers, counselors and parents as well. The anxiety needs to be sort of flattened or mitigated if that’s the right term these days, but depression has to be called out. It has to be called out. I just did webinars for the engineers at Purdue. They are famously, stereotypically, just kind of, they tend to be more withdrawn. You know what I mean? And low affect.

What I’ve told them, is that if you have a roommate or a friend who you suspect is depressed, as in they’re sleeping all the time, they’re on the internet all the time. They’re not communicating. I tell them, “Think like a shrink,” is my mantra. How would a therapist you know prompt them? “I noticed that you’re sleeping all the time. I mean, are you okay? Is that working for you? And do you think it would be better if you had some time connected to me? Can we talk about this?” To just urge and tweak them out of that to be connected, because that’s the triage.

Again, if medication is in order, it’s important. So that’s a long-winded answer to the question, but counselors know the anxiety kids, they sometimes are a little, the kids at risk for depression are a little bit more invisible. So, this is something to be cautious about.

**Annette Stevenson**: Yeah. That’s a good distinction to know. Where can our listeners learn more about some of what you’ve highlighted here? Where can they go to hear more about that?

**Dr. Will Miller**: Well, I have a website drwill.com that has links to my YouTube channel, which offers a couple of videos each week, anywhere from two to five minutes, on mental health and on these very issues. As a therapist for a long time, I think I have a lot to share and people can reach out to me there.

**Annette Stevenson**: Great. That’s awesome. Thank you so much for joining us once again, we’ve learned so much from you in these last, the webinar, and now today’s conversation, really appreciate this.

**Dr. Will Miller**: It’s been a privilege, and thank you for what you’re doing and you guys are my heroes. Really, you’re the frontline people. So thank you so much.

**Annette Stevenson**: Thank you.

Dr. Will Miller

Dr. Will Miller has been studying and researching the issue of social connection and isolation for 25 years. He teaches social media strategies at Purdue University’s graduate Communication Department. A therapist and health psychologist, he is a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist who works with police, firefighters and other first responders on coping and wellness. In addition to his extensive academic resume, Miller was also a professional standup comedian in New York for 20 years. He brings the perfect balance of research data along with an engaging style to both his live and webinar presentations.

The post Hanging in the Balance of a Pandemic: Connectivity During Isolation appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

The Cost of Public Education During COVID-19 and Beyond May 15, 2020

The PA State budget, school district budgets and the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression—how does all of this fit into the funding our school districts require to continue educating students and serving their communities?
PSBA Chief Advocacy Officer, John Callahan and Director of Research, Andrew Christ join host Annette Stevenson to discuss the misnomer about reduced expenses during school closures, mandated expenses on-the-increase, the detrimental impacts of proposed property tax freezes and highlights of the pre-coronavirus data featured in the 2020 State of Education report.

Skip to: #01:06 Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, PSBA released the 2020 State of Education report. This annual report measures the performance of and challenges facing public schools. How would you summarize the key findings from the 2020 State of Education report? As a pre-pandemic snapshot – provide a few highlights.

For the fourth year in a row, we’ve seen that mandated costs, like pensions, charter school tuition and special education, have caused the budget pressure to be the single biggest challenge facing school districts.

Skip to: #02:53 How would a property tax freeze, which has been talked about among legislators, impact districts that are already struggling financially?

This year is interesting because charter school tuition payments are now the biggest source of budget pressure for school districts.

The property tax freeze, it could be really detrimental to some school districts because that’s how they pay for these increased mandated costs.

While everybody’s concerned about the taxpayers, at the same time we have to kind of figure out how to educate and get through the crisis as well.

Skip to: #08:06 When schools went online due to the pandemic, many of these districts struggled to get a device for each student. This brought to light a disparity among access to technology. What other disparities were highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and do you think these disparities being brought to light will change funding going forward?

Poverty costs school districts in so many different ways. The computer, the access to technology, the access to the internet or the need for different social work services. Poverty really impacts our school districts on the expense side of things.

Skip to: #11:42 There has been some speculation that schools are saving money because students are not in buildings. Schools are still required to meet normally sustained financial obligations such as IDEA compliance and providing meals to students. How can the state and federal government assist schools as they cope with this challenge?

Skip to: #14:48 The proposed state budget was presented back in January. What is different now, going into the final stretch toward June and the final budget discussions?

It’s the perfect time for school advocates to get out there and talk to the legislators, tell them their local story. Then also make that push. We need funding from the state level. We need your support in this time of crisis. It’s not time to pull back on education because we got to get through it.

Skip to: #17:55 PSBA is now accepting proposals for consideration for the association’s 2021 Legislative Platform. Do you anticipate the pandemic impacting the association’s legislative priorities?

Coming soon! 2020 State of Education Report

The post The Cost of Public Education During COVID-19 and Beyond appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**The Impacts of Screen-Time: Teaching Teens to Cope** Apr 28, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

Transcript

About our Guest

Resources

As schools across the country shuttered this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, technology became even more prevalent in the social and educational lives of students. Along with the many benefits of technology come other negative aspects. In this episode of Keystone Education Radio, Podcast Host Annette Stevenson is joined by **Dr. Delaney Ruston**, a physician and documentary filmmaker who has studied and documented stress, anxiety and depression among teens in the digital age. Dr. Ruston explores the connection between mental health and technology; the role that parents, teachers and students play in addressing mental health concerns; and the impact of COVID-19 on students.
This episode is brought to you in part by the Keystone Purchasing Network and the PA School District Liquid Asset Fund (PSDLAF).

Skip to: 01:52 In the film Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER, you talk to students of different ages and with different life circumstances, but each student seems to struggle with some level of anxiety or depression. From your research, why have mental health concerns become more prevalent as the use of technology increases?

People are often surprised that it turns out that in the early ’90s, the rate of young people of their depression symptoms was similar to what it is now.

What’s concerning too is that the data shows that teens who are already vulnerable emotionally, they’re more likely to report that screen time, social media in particular, makes them feel worse.

The number one thing when I ask teens over the 10 years of doing this work, what is the one thing you want your parents to know? And they’ll say, “I want them to trust me.

Skip to: 07:17 In one of the schools you visited in the film, high school students talk to middle school students about how to navigate the experiences they are likely to face as they grow up. A middle school student expresses that they feel more comfortable talking to an older student rather than an adult. When students do talk to adults, how can they make students feel comfortable and allow them to open up?
Skip to: 16:19 Students and parents are spending more time together as families are isolated to their homes to prevent the spread of COVID-19. What symptoms can parents look for that could signal their children are experiencing mental health concerns?

The number one advice I give to any parent is really doing the work to create a support team.

When we can find purpose to our pain and help other people, that dual thing that comes from being able to talk about our mental struggles is one of the huge reasons I’m just thrilled to be a part of ongoing advocacy for so many people paving the way for years on these topics, of how do we completely normalize that it is normal to have a really hard emotional times for people of all ages.
Annette Stevenson: Thank you for joining us, Delaney, to discuss this timely topic as many of us are spending more time on our screens due to stay-at-home orders and social distancing practices. Thanks for joining us.
Dr. Delaney Ruston: It’s great to be here. Thank you.
Annette Stevenson: In the film, Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER, you talk to students of different ages and with different life circumstances, but each student seems to struggle with some level of anxiety or depression. From your research, why have mental health concerns become more prevalent as the use of technology has increased?

Dr. Delaney Ruston: The work that I’ve been doing with Screenagers and Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER is a lot about understanding how do we talk with kids and teens in a way that they’re going to listen, because we’re in this tech revolution of this candy of technology, they can easily want to be doing their own thing. I really want to make sure we’re giving them information that they can respond to. What I’m worried about, and this is kind of getting to your question, is there’s been this idea that phones are ruining a generation and they are just the cause of any increase that we’re seeing. What I find is that young people immediately get defensive around screen time issues. So, let me get a little bit granular about what do we know about the data around mental health issues. These are the type of things that I share with teens to get them thinking deeply about these issues.

People are often surprised, it turns out, that in the early ’90s, the rate of young people of their depression symptoms was similar to what it is now. In fact, for boys it was actually a little bit higher. Not quite as high for girls. There’re many different factors that go into what is going on. In the ’90s it started to go down. Then, in the early 2000s we started to see for all age groups levels, for example, of depression rates to start to go up. In Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER, when my daughter developed depression and I just was at a loss what to do, even as a physician. I looked at the data of what you’re mentioning that from 2011 up to most recent of 2017, there’s been a 59% increase in teens reporting depression symptoms. So, why is that? Obviously, there are non-screen related reasons, such as increased focus on performance and competition that has me concerned and individualism.

So those that aren’t at that par can often feel less than. In terms of technology, and there is an association, so the more time if people are on, these young people are on a lot of screen times, there is an increased chance that they will report depression symptoms. I think there are three main reasons for that association. I think one is that, yes, things can happen on screens that can cause a young person to go into several weeks of feeling really low and blue and depressed, such as social cruelty or just feeling inundated with feeling left out or less than. What’s concerning too is that the data shows that teens who are already vulnerable emotionally, they’re more likely to report that screen time, social media in particular, makes them feel worse. So, the vulnerable are that much more of an area that we need to focus.

The second reason is really concerning about it displacing time that we know is valuable for emotional wellbeing. One huge example is sleep. We’re at basically a public health crisis around sleep and related to the fact that now 41% of teens report that they get less than seven hours of sleep most school nights. Right now, with COVID-19, when I’m talking with teens who are going to bed around two, they’re still sleeping in later, but this is a real problem, because they’re missing classes. They told me they really want help for getting more sleep – displacing time of course with friends and peers and other things that are really protective.

The third one is a really big one, is that this association with more time on screens and increased chance of reporting mental health challenge is that when teens are feeling low emotionally, where do they go? They tell me time and again their main coping skill now is going to a screen to not think about the issue or sometimes to get help. Ultimately, they’re no longer as often going to find a person or going to an afterschool program, or work, a job, where they might actually start to really do the types of engagement that will get them over and through their hard emotions as opposed to just mask it as they go day and day, and night and night, on screens.

Annette Stevenson: So sometimes, and that might even be the place where the problem started, is then where they’re returning back as their coping mechanism, from what you’re saying.

Dr. Delaney Ruston: Absolutely. One of the researchers in Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER says exactly that. That she’s particularly worried of those teens who say, “Social media is making me feel worse, but I can’t stop.”

Annette Stevenson: In one of the schools you visited in the film, high school students were talking to middle school students about how to navigate the experiences they’re likely to face as they get older and grow up. A middle school student expresses that they feel more comfortable talking to an older student instead of an adult. When students do talk to adults, how can the adults make students feel comfortable and allow them to open up? Or is that the answer, that they talk to maybe an older mentor student rather than an adult?

Dr. Delaney Ruston: I think it is important that all of us know, because I wasn’t aware as much as I should have been that research continuously shows us that the number one place that teens go is to their peers when they’re dealing with a hard emotion. A high percentage still will say that they go to their parents, but obviously a higher percentage go to teens. I got really interested in how do we help, and I’ll get to how adults can help, but I was really interested in how do we help teens get better at using effective evidence-based language and techniques that they can use when their friends are going through hard times. Knowing full well that would help them to feel more confident and gain skills that they teach their friends, they would be learning themselves. In Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER, you see this incredible program where teens in high school are teaching middle school kids about specific language using I statements.

Really what does active listening and validation really mean? It’s programs I’d love to see all across the country, because when it comes particularly to this kind of touchy-feely stuff, social emotional skills, the last thing we want to do is to kind of talk down to teens and just tell them the obvious, as opposed to have them teach it. I see it constantly how engaged they get. In terms of adults, personally, I can tell you that’s such a big reason I made this film, because when Tessa was going through hard emotional times, even though I have been a doctor for 25 years and I take care of, at times, teenagers and young adults with depression, I felt as a parent completely at a loss of what to do. I needed a lot of help to learn how to support her better, because I kept just going in and problem solving.

We got to the point, I would just start to say maybe like one word and she would just be like, “There you go again.” And the last thing I wanted to do is make her leave at the moment I thought I maybe would have a connection with her. In Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER, when you follow, one of the stories is our story. You follow that journey as I’m struggling of what to do. I really began to appreciate what’s called the art of validation. So many parents who’ve had kids go through this hard time say, “Why didn’t someone teach me about validation before?” And it’s really active listening and empathy. It’s not necessarily saying you’re agreeing with what they’re saying. It’s just truly listening in a way that lets them say their emotions.

Even though you have such this desire to say, “Okay, have you tried this? Have you tried that?” I have a huge list of reasons that teens tell me why that doesn’t work and makes it worse. And I’ll give just two right now.

One of the big ones is they feel like you don’t trust that they can come up with solutions. That’s a huge issue that they want autonomy and to feel trusted. In fact, the number one thing when I ask teens over the 10 years of doing this work, what is the one thing you want your parents to know? And they’ll say, “I want them to trust me.” They don’t mean, trust me that I’m not going to cheat and kind of steal more screen time, because five minutes later they tell me about the way they’re sneaking screen time. It’s just like we’re the number one group in their lives, people in their lives, that they need us to believe in them because so often they’re not believing in themselves. I mean, it’s a rocky road growing up, boy. So, that’s one.

Another big one is by not jumping into problem solve, is that it shows them that we know that hard emotions are a part of life. That we’re not trying to just get rid of them. Okay, you have that emotion, but let’s get to here to there. It’s like, yep, that’s hard. And that acceptance is a really wonderful thing. Actually, if you’ve ever tried it, because I’ve had some really hard times in my life. As I’ve learned to, at moments, just accept it and not be fighting. I actually can literally feel the tension and the sadness just decrease a little bit.

It’s similar for teens. So ultimately, to wrap this part up, and I could talk forever about this. Is I went to a scientist, because I was in my research in the film, learned that she had actually done physiologic studies of parents and their teens. When a teen is given a puzzle on a computer that they’re not able to solve, and the parent is told whatever you do, don’t go in and try to solve it. Just watch and see what happens. Time after time the parent steps in and tries to help. And she’s actually measuring the physiology of the teens and the parents at the same time.

The moment that the parents steps into problem solve, basically, literally you can see the parents’ stress level go down, and that of the teen go up. What I’ve learned to do in response, knowing this science is to realize how important it is for them to feel a sense of control. I’ll say to both my teens, if they’re having a hard time and it’s hard for me, I still work on it. I’ll say, “That sounds really hard. I’m curious what solutions you’re thinking of.” Or I’ll say, “Let me know if you want help in trying to problem solve things.” That goes really well.

Annette Stevenson: Because you’re putting that control back on them to say, “Yes, I’d like help.” Or, “No, I would not like help.”

Dr. Delaney Ruston: Exactly.

Annette Stevenson: So hard. And as you mentioned, the parent’s stress level goes up. So that’s like the parent urge, the parent has to fight that urge to step in.

Dr. Delaney Ruston: Exactly. Annette, let me say, because you were actually specifically just saying adults, but I think it’s the same thing for teachers. It’s interesting. This didn’t make it into Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER, but I was, as an outsider, going in and talking to, interviewing and filming a lot of teachers, I would say, “What do you learn in education school about relationships and communications with students?” They would look at me like I was kind of silly to even ask. They go, “No, no, no. We don’t learn anything about that.” I was shocked. Then I thought to myself, well, as a doctor when I was in medical school, how much do we learn about communication techniques in what we’re doing as doing really important interface with families and our patients?

So that was another impetus for doing this documentary. I ended up after my residency in primary care doing a research fellowship. I started doing research on interpersonal communication science, because there are actual specific things we can be teaching people. While I know we talk a lot about kids and teens are losing their communication skills. I often think about the fact that, gosh, I know a lot of people who didn’t grow up with much screen time and they’re not really good communicators.

So I feel like this is really a moment in time that we can really be teaching specific skills more and I would love to see that more and obviously in all realms of education as the adults, physicians, and us parents, all of us can get better. I’m on a constant journey to get more effective in my communication skills with colleagues and family members and all of that. I’m talking about when there’s emotions at stake and relationships.

Annette Stevenson: I’m going to jump ahead a little bit, because we’re talking about screen time of course as part of this. Students and parents are spending more time together as families. We’re isolated right now due to the spread, or the prevention rather, of the spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic. So what symptoms can parents look for that could give them a signal that their children might be experiencing mental health concerns, or maybe anxiety, or issues stemming from maybe the isolation, or maybe from the additional screen time? All of these circumstances that we’re caught up in right now, what are things that parents can really look for?

Dr. Delaney Ruston: Let me put on a clinical hat, just to make it very simple for a moment. For depression, we start out with two main screening questions. If either of these are positive to enough of a degree, and I’ll explain that, then we go into finding out more. I will say the same for anxiety. So for depression, the two main things that we look at is, first we ask, are they’ve been feeling down, depressed or hopeless? It really needs to be on several days of the week. The other thing is little interest or pleasure in doing things. They can have both of those or one of those and they need to have it several days a week that that’s going on. Here’s the interesting thing about depression symptoms though. Is we often say, “Well, if there is a reason for it,” my daughter won’t have graduation and prom, because she’s a senior in high school, or others that had planned for their sports.

I mean, there are so many reasons for disappointment. It’s even with that background, if a teen is having some, or a child, really seems to no longer have interest in anything, or just very little, and seems sad or hopeless for several weeks. The goal is actually to get them support. You as a parent to not just say, “Well, there’s a clear reason.” It’s a great time to be giving them skills and to lower their suffering. Not to have this idea, there’s a reason, you just got to keep suffering.

The other one for anxiety, you asked. Again, two main questions to start with. Are they feeling nervous, anxious, on edge most days, a lot of it? And the second one is, are they not being able to stop or control their worrying? For anxious feelings, usually that’s if it’s going to become a clinical or really a problem.

Usually that person will have already had symptoms before this COVID crisis. But, related to what to do after that. If they are having hard times. There’s a lot of things that we still can do even in isolation. One of the big ones is, is there a way that that kid or teen can feel needed? In Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER, for example, I was able to ask my friend who Tessa babysat for, if she could ask Tessa to babysit more for her. Right now obviously kids and teens can’t play with other little kids. But they could, for example, if the parents said, “You know what, our friends or our cousin, your younger cousins having a hard time with math, can you give them a call on FaceTime and help them?” It’s really healing. That’s just one small example of things that we can be doing to try to help them with hard emotions

I’ll give one other skill, but just to say that, this is the whole point of Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER. Was in the different stories is skills that parents and kids and teens learn through the stories and the science through the film. The website, Screenagers Movie, has all sorts of more tips around anxious, depression, symptoms, stress and really actionable steps. That’s what I really wanted to make happen. I just would say one other one is parents to be talking more about their emotions right now. It seems obvious on one level if you’re already prone to do that as a parent, but I can’t tell you the number of parents that I interviewed for this film who, I’ll give an example. One father, I said, “Do you talk to your three kids at all about your emotional state, what’s going on in your day, and how you get through hard times?”

And he looked up and he said, “Talk about my emotions? You mean other than get mad at them?” And he goes, “I really don’t that much.” And what’s so great is it’s not about bombarding them or flooding them, but it gives them such permission to talk more when we talk about, it was a hard day for this reason, or I’m feeling worried about this, or a little upset or disappointed. The other thing I think is so great, particularly when we talk about whether it’s times now or in the past, what we did, what worked, what didn’t, the different strategies we had. Maybe we went to counseling, maybe we had this great friend that we would ask for help, and that friend was so happy we asked for help. There’re all these ways that we’re seeping into their brains of resiliency skills when we talk about our emotional experiences.

Annette Stevenson: It sounds like some of these are really just an easy thing. Not an easy fix, but it’s an easy thing to kind of think of and implement in some of these instances. Like you mentioned the homework help or giving some sort of purposeful responsibility. So they feel a responsibility to something, and purposeful and feel needed. If it could be as simple as that in some of these instances, that’s very actionable, as you mentioned.

Dr. Delaney Ruston: Once we get out of this crisis, I would say as a parent who’s gone through this for quite a while with my daughter, I can’t say enough how emotionally painful it is as a parent to see your child or a teen go through an emotional hard time. It doesn’t have to be clinical. It can just be, we all know, a break up, whatever they’re going through. It is so much, the number one advice I give to any parent is really doing the work to create a support team. I couldn’t have gotten through Tessa’s in and out depression long journey without about four moms that were going through it. In fact, it wasn’t easy to find them, actually. Doing that work was great, as well as reaching out to friends like I mentioned, one who would, because Tessa couldn’t self-advocate to babysit, because of the depression symptoms. Once she was there, it’s called behavioral activation. Her brain started to enjoy the behavior, but the anticipation just wasn’t there. The dopamine levels are lower. The reward center, we can see it on MRIs is actually less active. So I needed a support team as well as family counseling. You even see that in the film, when I get to go with her a little bit to her counseling. All of these things I really just wanted to demystify in the film and was so happy that the teens themselves are so happy to be in the film, including Tessa, who I wanted to really make sure did she want to be in the film.

I said to her over and over, “Do you really want to be in it?” She finally, she watched the rough cut a few times. She said, “Mom, when I see those other teens talking about all the different things they do, it helps me so much that I really want to make sure that I get to help others. I absolutely want to be in this film.”

Annette Stevenson: That’s courageous and that’s awesome. I kind of wondered about that just in knowing that it’s your daughter.

Dr. Delaney Ruston: Exactly. Right. I mean, in terms of how much autonomy does she have. I said, “Hun, this film has so many stories, so much science, it could absolutely work without you.” And there was a family member who was worried. She lives on the East coast, we’re on the West coast. She’s like, “Delaney, the East coast mental health problems are still much more stigmatized. Are you sure you want to do that?” Now, Tessa goes and does Q&A appearances all over. She loves talking to people. Overall, it’s human nature when we can find purpose to our pain and help other people, that dual thing that comes from being able to talk about our mental struggles is one of the huge reasons I’m just thrilled to be a part of ongoing advocacy for so many people paving the way for years on these topics, of how do we completely normalize that it is normal to have a really hard emotional times for people of all ages. The last thing you want to do is make them feel like they can’t talk about it.

Annette Stevenson: A couple things, I want to ask if there’s additional resources that you might suggest for parents, students and children even? Also the school leadership audience? Is there additional resources? Secondly, your film as a resource. Where can our listeners find out more about your film and find a way to view it?

Dr. Delaney Ruston: Yeah, absolutely. As I mentioned at the top of the hour is I have been really focused on the science of communication. How do we engage young people? Because I was finding that I wasn’t doing such a great job with my kids. I was doing a really kind of a scare tactic around screen time issues. I realized I really wanted to do a share tactic. I really wanted to have calm conversations. So I created something, Tech Talk Tuesdays with my family. For over four years I’ve been writing a weekly article that looks at all sorts of topics we’ve been discussing around sleep, screen time, depression, anxiousness, stress, all these things. So first and foremost is at the Screenagers Movie website, has both films. If you go to Tech Talk Tuesday and just put it in any topic, there are literally hundreds of things that I’ve written. As well as a resource page that has all sorts of actionables around these topics on the website.

In terms of seeing Screenagers or Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER, in making the films, what I found was that we are in this technology revolution that is so intense and growing rapidly. The intensity by which it pulls our young people to want to be on screens. So many wonderful reasons and some risks. We can’t just say, “They just need to learn by themselves.” They need us. I realized we need each other in this. Just to be a parent alone or just to be a teacher alone. No, we really needed to come together as adults and kids and students and everyone together. So for this reason now, for both films, it’s been community screenings with parents and kids and teachers.

Now with COVID, what we’ve been doing is there’s online community events happening. People can organize them. Schools are organizing them, we’ve had dozens, and that’s been great with moderated discussion afterwards with the schools, counselors, teens and others. Also there’s individual event screening options as well. So all of that is that screenagersmovie.com.

Annette Stevenson: That sounds fantastic. For this particular time we’re in, completely doable.

Dr. Delaney Ruston: Yes.

Annette Stevenson: Be able to screen it online, so that’s awesome. Well, I sure want to thank you for joining us today. I’m sure there is so much more that we could go on about. We’ve scratched the surface here, but I think just to continue talking and learning and knowing more about this subject is just hugely important. So, I appreciate you joining us.

Dr. Delaney Ruston: It’s been wonderful. Thank you so much.
Delaney Ruston is the creator and director of the award-winning films, Screenagers and Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER. Dr. Ruston is a Stanford trained physician who has spent 20 years creating documentaries for social change. For nearly a decade she has been researching and speaking with parents, students, teachers, and administrators about how we can help youth find balance and emotional wellbeing in these complicated tech times. Delaney has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Good Morning America, Dr. Oz, the New York Times, and hundreds of other news outlets. She is an invited speaker to many education conferences and schools as well as places such as The World Health Organization, The United Nations, Google, and Facebook. She has been a researcher and physician at The University of Washington and at Stony Brook Medical School in New York and for the past 15 years, she works part-time doing what she also loves which is providing primary care to the underserved, including Seattle’s Clinic for homeless teens. Screenagers Website
Tech Talk Tuesdays
The post The Impacts of Screen-Time: Teaching Teens to Cope appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

COVID-19: Shining a Light on Student and Community Inequities Apr 16, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed all parts of daily life for Pennsylvanians – the same is true for the 1.7 million students who live in the commonwealth. Most students are now faced with navigating digital or at-home learning, coping with canceled spring school activities and the uncertainty of what comes next. For other students, shuttered schools mean the inability to access online schoolwork and looking after younger siblings. On this episode of Keystone Education Radio, Annette Stevenson is joined by Dr. Heather Bennett, PSBA’s director of school equity services, to discuss the existing equity issues that the pandemic has further brought to light.
This episode is brought to you in part by Austill’s Educational Therapy Services and Edgenuity. Skip to: 01:22 How has the current COVID-19 pandemic and precautionary measures such as closed schools and closed businesses impacted existing inequities that K – 12 students are regularly faced with?

It’s important that we recognize that the equity gaps are not just seen in our education system, it’s seen in our employment, economic, housing, healthcare, and environmental systems as well.

This whole experience has definitely shifted and I think caused I would call a community trauma that everyone’s experiencing and issues of fear, anxiety, the increasing isolation has definitely led to a lot of mental health concerns for everyone.

Skip to: 06:40 Does it take something this major to ultimately fully reveal the layers of inequitable factors that exist in the student and community populace?

Some schools had the opportunity and the resources to provide digital learning, resources, tools and training to their students, teachers and parents, while other districts did not have the economic or the technological infrastructure and resources to do so.

One of our other problems is that we’re still stuck viewing our educational system through an equality lens instead of an equity lens.

Skip to: 11:11 How can school districts work within these challenging parameters that are necessary (due to risks surrounding Coronavirus) to address some of the gaps and continue to support students who are more susceptible or vulnerable?

I think schools stand as the center of the community. They’re not just in charge of and responsible for the education of students, but they also reach out to multiple different other systems.

My advice to districts after this is over when you have the time to breathe, conduct an equity audit.

Skip to: 16:18 What do believe will be the outcome, coming out of the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak? And more specifically, how will things have changed for students who prior to the outbreak were already struggling in some of the areas you’ve addressed?

I think districts recognize that equity is playing front and center here. They’re really are seeing that our kids cannot learn if we don’t really deal with the inequitable root issues that were of access to basic needs, access to technology, access to digital learning.

I think we’re going to see opportunity achievement gaps widen because of the fact that some students don’t have access to the resources needed to be able to engage effectively and adequately with digital learning.

We have a tendency to move quickly in times of crisis, but then as time moves on, we forget and we go back to the status quo and we cannot go back to the status quo here. We really have to dig deep here and recognize that this is an opportunity to actually re-shift a system.

Equity is not just a topic and has to be the foundation that lifts up every aspect of the educational experience for students, staff and community members and of course our board directors.

Annette Stevenson: The current COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has changed and disrupted so many areas of daily life for citizens globally. And one of the disruptions that’s occurred – and certainly in no small part – is the disruption to the public education system in our country, globally and, of course, also here in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s K-12 school entities are currently shuttered through the remainder of this academic year, and this has vastly impacted how the youth are being educated and how schools are operating, and this introduces new challenges that are unprecedented. Here with me today to discuss how COVID-19 has impacted equity in the public education system is Dr. Heather Bennett, director of equity services for PSBA. Welcome Heather.Dr. Heather Bennett: Hi, how are you?

Annette Stevenson: Great. Thanks so much for joining us to talk about this. We certainly have talked about equity in other ways before this outbreak has occurred, but it’s very clear to see that this is no small impact to the equity or student inequity conversation. So, let’s start by looking at how has the current COVID-19 pandemic and the precautionary measures such as closed schools, closed businesses, impacted the existing inequities that K-12 students are regularly faced with?

Dr. Heather Bennett: Well, that’s a big question.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah, I know.

Dr. Heather Bennett: I think it’s really important to understand that COVID-19 as a virus does not discriminate on its face, but it does serve and act as an inequity bomb or an inequity accelerant, throwing gasoline on an already explosive fire, that regarding the deep inequities that we already see in our educational system already. So it’s important that we recognize that the equity gaps are not just seen in our education system, it’s seen in our employment, economic, housing, healthcare, and environmental systems as well. And so we know that these gaps existed well before the pandemic, but unfortunately I think we’re going to see that they’re only going to widen. Again, that’s what I meant by an equity accelerant over the course of the pandemic and beyond. And it’s important to recognize that even though this is impacting everyone in all of society that is disproportionately impacting certain groups that are already at risk prior to the pandemic. We’re talking about economically disadvantaged students, English learners, students with disabilities, students who’ve experienced trauma and mental health, immigrant students, LGBTQ students, students of color and those who are living in rural communities who don’t have access to certain resources such as healthcare and internet connectivity.

So in terms of issues, hopefully I gave you a nice little roundabout explanation of that. But in terms of issues, we’re seeing increased discrimination of Asian students and families. They’re experiencing higher rates of racist attacks verbally, physically and online because of the fact that the pandemic, we know, was first discovered in Wuhan, China. We’re experiencing a whole lot of racism on behalf of Asian Americans on behalf of that. We’re talking about access to digital learning and instruction, is a huge issue as well. We have a disparate, inequitable educational gap when it comes to access to devices, access to internet connectivity – meaning high speed broadband internet connectivity, and, of course, access to instruction for teachers to be able to utilize the device and to teach online.

Also, the choice of instruction – how are we educating our most vulnerable learners such as English learners, economically disadvantaged learners and of course students with disabilities. We’re talking about access to basic needs, food, housing, transportation, healthcare. We’re talking about issues of trauma and mental health, not just for students but also for parents and communities and also teachers. This whole experience has definitely shifted and I think caused, I would call, a community trauma that everyone’s experiencing. Issues of fear, anxiety, the increasing isolation has definitely led to a lot of mental health concerns for everyone. Again, lack of effective communication about COVID-19. I mean we’re hearing a thousand different things from our federal government, to our state, to our local government. Then also anything we find on our social media sites. Also, the fact is, is the important information getting out to our most vulnerable families? Families who English is not their first language. Language is important.

Also, internet connectivity is important here. Again, we are more isolated, we can’t actually go to the places to get the information like we used to. If we’re talking about families who don’t have access to high speed broadband internet, they’re not getting the information as quickly as others. Especially if all that information is on the school website. I mean there’s other [issues] like family community engagement, how are they engaged, dealing with issues of employment, loss of jobs. [It’s] not just the financial stress happening in our homes across the country and across Pennsylvania, [it’s also] the fact that essential workers have no choice but to work and risk getting the virus. So that emotional stress is also impacting our students and our families. There’re a thousand issues but those are the ones I would say are the big issues. But all of them also have smaller, distinct, very nuanced issues as well. And again, these issues are not new, they’re just been exasperated and exposed through COVID-19.

Annette Stevenson: That leads into what I was curious about next is, do you feel like it takes something this major to ultimately fully peel back the layers or reveal all of the inequities or at least the ones that we’re centered around in this conversation that exists in the student and the community populous? Does it take something like this to actually expose it fully?

Dr. Heather Bennett: It shouldn’t, but unfortunately, I think how we’ve operated, our systems operate in a space of reaction, reactionary mindsets more than a preemptive mindset. I think most districts and schools recognized the inequities well before COVID-19. Actually, we’re developing programs and policies to deal with some of these inequities. However, these are systemic, deep rooted inequities that will take a complete transformation and paradigm shift in how we view and value our students and communities, and, also, how we resource our communities.

For example, we’ve always known that digital learning was an important thing before the pandemic – everyone understood, there’s been so many research and articles and state grants that have talked about the importance of digital equity and digital learning. However, due to inequitable funding and resources rooted sometimes in systemic racism, classism, and also the fact that we have the lack of resources to build the infrastructure for some of these digital learning classrooms [because of] internet connectivity.

Some schools had the opportunity and the resources to provide digital learning, resources, tools and training to their students, teachers and parents, while other districts did not have the economic or the technological infrastructure and resources to do so. So like I said, it’s deep, these are deep rooted issues, people have thought about them before, but we really are dealing with the resource gap big time that have led these inequities to continue and also to exasperate. We see this dynamic big time in our urban and rural communities and districts. So when we went to remote learning, and I don’t want to go in too deep, but when went to remote learning, digital learning was the way to provide instruction, but not everyone has had access to the things that they need to be able to provide that instruction. While other districts have had so much time prior to the pandemic to actually develop the resources and the tools to do it effectively. This is why we’re seeing this really big gap and again, I believe that it’s only going to widen because of the nature of how this pandemic has ravaged our system.

I think we are still stuck. One of our other problems is that we’re still stuck viewing our educational system through an equality lens instead of an equity lens. We haven’t recognized that our kids require different supports and may need more resources to provide them with a quality education. This requires districts to really assess their gaps, to really look and do a deep dive at their systems and structures. I mean, I’m talking about their policies, talking about how they engage families and communities, talking about how they think about their own resources and prioritizing resources, how they educate their teachers and staff. I think that can go a long way to really trying to figure out a plan and action to mitigate some of these inequities because without that it’s going to be very hard to address it effectively.

Annette Stevenson: I think, some of what at least that I’ve seen, and you may be more keenly aware of this, but the communities, it’s clear through this whole thing how integrated the community is with the school system. It’s really not a separate thing, the community and then the school system. They’re really so integrated and reliant, right? The community, I think what we’ve seen is communities are reliant on, to some degree, the public schools, especially in some communities, as you’ve said, for information that gets passed out through the students. And just the reliance there I think I’m seeing that more and more, especially through some of the stories that are coming out of the districts in the ways that they’re supporting the communities presently. So how do you think that school districts, working with these challenging parameters that are necessary, right? So due to the risks, health risks surrounding coronavirus, how can the school districts address some of the gaps and continue to support the students who are the more susceptible or the more vulnerable? How can they continue that equity work in these current circumstances?

Dr. Heather Bennett: I think you’ve made an amazing point there. I think schools stand as the center of the community. They’re not just in charge of and responsible for the education of students, but they also reach out to multiple different other systems, like the healthcare system, employment system, the environmental issues and concerns of the system, we’re talking about economic system. So the school district itself I think serves as a focal point of the community. And what we’ve seen is that they’re providing safety, wellness, nutrition, technology needs for students and families in this situation. They were always doing so beforehand. I think schools have a really important role to play, but also that if it’s done correctly, can actually heal a community as well. I think one of the first things that I would advise to continue this work is they really need to talk to and include the voices of their students, parents and communities into any type of planning moving forward.

I know continuity educational plans went out, but any type of actual planning moving forward has to include these voices. Cultural responsive practices really focus on and affirm the diverse voices and experiences of students, families and the communities and how each community is experiencing this virus and this pandemic in very divergent and disparate ways. It is so important that their voices are heard to be able to really understand the gaps, understand the disparity gaps, understanding inequity gaps that are impacting their district as a whole. It’s really important to see it from different viewpoints and to really reach out and create really a task force of these voices. So that they can actually start to make practices to really heal and mitigate the impact of this, of the pandemic, but not just the pandemic, but even before the pandemic.

I say they need to embed equity into their district practices. I’m thinking about, they have to evaluate their policies and practices through an equity lens. Again, I think the most important element is to get out of this equality lens framework and move into an equity lens framework and what does that mean? And so that actually means really thinking about how our policies are structured and also what do they mean and whether they can actually cause more harm if we don’t really think about addressing how different persons and different peoples and populations and groups in your district are experiencing their education. They need to really obtain data. I think data collection is probably one of the first things they need to do and really assessing what did they learn from the pandemic? And I know that some districts are moving in rapid pace and they’re trying to mitigate, really trying to provide for their kids as fast as possible. Really the basic needs space.

But what did they learn from this pandemic? What gaps do they have in practice? I think that is going to be an extremely introspective, important role that they need to do. And my advice to districts after this is over when you have the time to breathe, conduct an equity audit. Also, professional development I think is important, professional development for teachers and parents on digital learning, social emotional learning, cultural responsive practices. Really what is equity but also professional development, how to utilize some of these new technologies and devices or resources that you now have to embed into your educational practice because of the pandemic. Those how tos, how do you deal with this? How do you change, how do you shift? These are professional development and training opportunities that I think are extremely important. And then of course you’ve got to develop a plan. In this case more than ever, you have to have a plan how to move forward.

I think the previous comments that I made before all will help develop a plan that it should be comprehensive to really dealing with the achievement and opportunity gaps that we’re going to see come out of this pandemic. So, I mean I probably have a thousand other thoughts, but these are the big ones in my head.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah, you’re touching on the big ones, and I know you’re going to be working on some additional resources coming up here and already are. So you talked about the data collection coming out of this. So let’s talk about what this looks like as an outcome. What do you believe will be the outcome coming out of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak? In other words, more specifically, how will things have changed for students who prior to the outbreak were already struggling in some of these areas that we talked about? How will things have changed? What’s that going to look like for them coming back to the school buildings and back into the more traditional or what we’re accustomed to as the traditional learning environment?

Dr. Heather Bennett: I think what we’re going to see is a re-imagining. What I hope that we’re going to see is a re-imagining of educational practices and structures. Because of the pandemic, because of the rapid fire of the pandemic, I mean, schools really had to adapt quickly. I mean within days, to provide resources and to provide instruction for students. I find that very exciting moving forward because of the fact that I think districts recognize that equity is playing front and center here. They really are seeing that our kids cannot learn if we don’t really deal with the inequitable root issues that were of access to basic needs, access to technology, access to digital learning. I think our districts are recognizing that and they’re also recognizing that they can be very flexible and creative in the way instruction is done. That is something really exciting and so what my hope is that our students are going to come in and they’re going to come in with a lot of issues.

I think we’ll have more children who are going to be [in] levels of poverty, it’s going to be a huge conversation, because a lot of families lost their jobs during the midst of this pandemic. And we have no idea what moratoriums are going to look like in terms of rent or mortgage or housing, utilities. And so they’re going to have to figure out ways to pay all of those things off after the end of the pandemic as well. So I think we’re going to have a lot more children who are needing a lot of resources and basic resources. I feel like we’re going to have a lot more teachers, students and parents who are going to have issues with trauma and mental health. I think that’s going to be a huge element, an issue as well.

And I think another element that I think we’re going to see is, we’re going to see extreme achievement, we’re going to see opportunity achievement gaps widen because of the fact that some students don’t have access to the resources needed to be able to engage effectively and adequately with digital learning. Also schools in districts are doing it very differently, so it depends on the district that you’re in. And so I think we’re going to see a lot of achievement opportunity gaps within schools, within districts, but we’re also going to see it between districts as well in Pennsylvania. So that’s what they’re going to walk into. But at the same time I say that there are positive elements of the fact that again, I think our districts are recognizing how equity is playing in this. And two, I think they recognize that they have to be very flexible and they have to be very creative in how they are administering instruction and education and supporting students.

And the third piece, again, is I think they’re going to really focus in on a lot of trauma and emotional health of students and families and communities. Because we know if kids don’t feel safe, if they don’t feel like they belong, they’re not going to learn any way. So I think those three elements are going to be something that we’re going to see a lot more on our educational practices and plans across the commonwealth and also across the country.

Annette Stevenson: You talked about how in this space there’s a lot of reactionary things that occur. Do you think that with these gaps is also going to then maybe follow with the reactions and hopefully there is supports and assistance that comes into place because of these inequities that are revealed? Do you foresee that occurring?

Dr. Heather Bennett: I hope so. I mean.

Annette Stevenson: I know it’s hard to say, but.

Dr. Heather Bennett: I’m an optimist, I wouldn’t be doing the job if I wasn’t, but we also know that we have a tendency to move quickly in times of crisis, but then as time moves on, we forget and we go back to the status quo and we cannot go back to the status quo here. We really have to dig deep here and recognize that this is an opportunity to actually reshift a system that was actually harming kids to begin with. So how do we do that? And so my hope is that districts will now recognize that they have to have these plans in place. Again, I don’t think anyone really thought back in, even when we recognize that COVID-19 was a possibility even in January, early February that this was actually going to go the way it has gone. And so I think districts are now going to have to really think critically and again creatively of how education and structure could continue in the midst of crisis. But not just in the midst of crisis, they also need to think about in the midst when there is not a crisis.

How do we really support kids effectively in our educational system? I think that is a question that they’re going to be really grappling with and I think hopefully they’re going to put things in place to make sure that their teachers are trained, their parents are trained and their students have the necessary resources to be able to learn effectively whether they’re at home or whether they’re in the classroom. So that’s my hope. And again, I really want and hope that they recognize that equity is not just a topic and has to be the foundation that lifts up every aspect of the educational experience for students, staff and community members and of course our board directors. It has to stay in that vein or we’re going to lose our students in the process. And I think districts are recognizing this more than ever because of what’s happening with COVID-19.

And I hope that they recognize that they have to put it at the top of their agendas and not think of equity as a, maybe we’ll talk about it here. No, it has to be the main foundation, has to be the main keystone to be able to create an effective educational system that’s going to work for all other kids.

Annette Stevenson: So clearly there’s more to cover and talk about in this space. I know you’re working on a ton of resources and you’re working with school districts during workshops and you’ve got webinars going on. We’re going to look for ways to make sure we get the word out on all of those elements coming forward here. Thanks for joining us today on this episode and giving us a high level overview and we look forward more to come from you.

Dr. Heather Bennett: Thank you for having me.

PSBA Equity Services

The post COVID-19: Shining a Light on Student and Community Inequities appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Uncharted waters: Navigating unemployment compensation for school employees during COVID-19 Apr 02, 2020

In this timely episode of Keystone Education Radio, Geoffrey D. Moomaw, President of Interstate Tax Service, Inc., provides guidance on how schools should proceed with unemployment compensation during the COVID-19 outbreak. He discusses the newly passed Act 13; how it impacts teachers, school contractors and coaches; and the further guidance that PDE is expected to provide.

This episode is sponsored by the PSBA Insurance Trust, Kades-Margolis Corporation and Piper Sandler LLP.

Skip to: 00:57 Are school entities supposed to be paying full wages to all employees?Skip to: 01:50 As far as paying full wages, does this include the IUs and the CTCs and community colleges as well?

Skip to: 02:31 Would this include sports coaches that are not full or part-time teachers, such as those utilized during the spring season? And then that spring season’s been canceled, how does that group of employees fall into the picture

Skip to: 04:03 In Senate Bill 751 it states that all school employees should receive no less or no more compensation for the fiscal year had the pandemic not happened. What constitutes, in that language, a school employee?

Skip to: 7:03 Can you provide a little bit of context around the no more or less compensation verbiage, the use of that language?

Skip to: 09:28 If schools choose not to pay some subcontracted service professionals such as bus drivers, cafeteria workers, their full wages, how would this, or does it, affect future funding?

Skip to: 10:33 For many of the part-time and hourly employees that submitted their unemployment compensation claims prior to Senate Bill 751 and the updated legislative guidance that was received, how do schools address these claims?

Annette Stevenson: Let’s jump into some of the questions that we’ve been receiving and I’m sure you’ve been fielding them. Are school entities supposed to be paying full wages to all employees?
Geoffrey Moomaw: Yes, that is correct. That’s one of the provisions of Senate Bill 751. I want to let everyone know why my expertise is unemployment compensation. I did some research and preparation and got some feedback from the executive director of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ Education Committee, which is the committee that worked on Senate Bill 751 as it dealt with the Pennsylvania school code. So, I have some backup for the answers you will hear today from that executive director. Let’s go ahead and continue.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah, that’s great. Thank you for that context. That’s hugely important since there’s so much information out there to wade through. So as far as paying full wages, does this include the IUs and the CTCs and community colleges as well?

Geoffrey Moomaw: It does include the intermediate units. It does include the career and technology centers. It does not include community colleges. I did confirm that with the executive director. Didn’t clarify, but I believe that community colleges may not fall under the Pennsylvania school code. I can’t clarify that, but I did clarify that they’re not covered by the provisions of Senate Bill 751.

Annette Stevenson: Okay. Would this include sports coaches that are not full or part-time teachers, such as those utilized during the spring season? And then that spring season’s been canceled, how does that group of employees fall into the picture?

Geoffrey Moomaw: That isn’t exactly clear. My initial reaction is I would assume no, the reason being such an employee signed a supplemental contract with the school. Now, those wages they receive as a coach are covered by the Pennsylvania UC law. That’s unemployment compensation law. When I did though check with the executive director of the Education Committee, the response I got was that the Pennsylvania Department of ED, PDE, is going to issue guidance on this. So, at this point I would suggest that you hold still on that issue and wait for PDE’s guidance because I cannot clarify for you that you definitely should pay them or that you definitely should not. I think it would be better to have the official guidance from PDE, so then you have some legal basis for your action or inaction.

Annette Stevenson: Okay, that makes sense. And I know some of these questions are definitely on a wait-and-see kind of basis as many of the questions are that the school leaders are facing. So, in Senate Bill 751 it states that all school employees should receive no less or no more compensation for the fiscal year had the pandemic not happened. What constitutes, in that language, a school employee?

Geoffrey Moomaw: A school employee would be any individual that you pay wages to that are wages that can be covered under the unemployment compensation law. Each calendar quarter, your payroll office uploads a file to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry that has the wages for all employees for the past calendar quarter. As an example, in April, they’ll do that for the first quarter of 2020. If somebody was on that report, then they are considered an employee of the school district and as such they would be required to be paid no more, no less per SB 751.

Annette Stevenson: Okay, and would this include subcontractors?

Geoffrey Moomaw: No. No’s the short and simple answer. The reason being, what you pay them is not wages as far as the unemployment compensation law’s concerned. So that company and the individuals employed under that company are not considered employees of the school, the intermediate unit, the technical center.

I’m going to read what I did get back from the Education Committee. They say, “No, it does not include subcontractors. This would be left as a local decision. Pursuant to Act 13, school districts may renegotiate with their school bus contractors to continue paying them during school closure for employees’ costs and other fixed costs such as administration and equipment. School bus contractors must submit proof that they are continuing to pay their personnel at the complement levels of March 13, 2020 in order to receive payment. State reimbursement is available to school districts at the same level they would have received if the schools had not shut down. Obviously, schools can already renegotiate contracts, but this provides that they will still get reimbursements if they do.” I would add if somebody is really looking for clarification on that matter to contact their folks at PDE. It doesn’t say that there’s further guidance forthcoming, but that is definitely a question that would be governed by PDE.

Annette Stevenson: Okay. Can you provide a little bit of context around the no more or less compensation verbiage, the use of that language? Some schools think that they can have employees apply for unemployment compensation benefits and then the schools will make them whole for the remainder, but this would appear to be a contradiction to eligibility under unemployment compensation law. Can you clarify around that?

Geoffrey Moomaw: Certainly I’ll break it down there. Senate Bill 751 indicates that the employees are to get no more or no less. I asked a question to the Education Committee, “Would you agree that a school employee whose normal, biweekly payroll is $800 gross, should continue to receive that $800 through the end of the student year?” The answer I got back is what I expected. It said, “Yes, but PDE will be issuing additional guidance.” I apologize. I can’t indicate what that additional guidance will be, but the short and sweet answer as you heard was yes. Now the sub-question about, “Okay, let’s make up the difference from unemployment,” that is not the intent of Senate Bill 751. And if you actually did that, it would mess up unemployment further.

Not to get too technical, but the unemployment law allows somebody to earn a percentage of their weekly unemployment benefit. If they earn that percentage, their unemployment benefits are reduced. So if the district tries to then make up the difference between unemployment and what they used to get, it’s just going to reduce or eliminate their unemployment benefits. I strongly advise any educational institution not to try that. It’s not what the intent was, and they’re only going to make things more difficult.

Annette Stevenson: Okay. That’s very, very good. Thank you for that clarification. Now, you touched on the subcontracted services such as for bus drivers, but I’m going to ask this question just to make sure we covered everything. If schools choose not to pay some subcontracted service professionals such as bus drivers, cafeteria workers, their full wages, how would this, or does it, affect future funding?

Geoffrey Moomaw: When I read that question the first time, I’m like, “That’s definitely outside of my expertise.” But the Education Committee agreed to me, what I said to them. I’m like, “This is a question that must be addressed by PDE.” And I got back the short answer, “Agreed.” Again, PDE is going to have to give the educational institutions some guidance that, okay, if I don’t pay ABC transportation company through the remainder of this year, how will it affect my reimbursement for 2021 fiscal year? I understand the question. I understand the concern. But I definitely recommend that your superintendent, your solicitor, whoever, get guidance from PDE on that.

Annette Stevenson: Okay, that’s good to know. So, for many of the part-time and hourly employees that submitted their unemployment compensation claims prior to Senate Bill 751 and the updated legislative guidance that was received, how do schools address these claims?

Geoffrey Moomaw: Okay. First of all, you had employees file for benefits during the calendar week ending on Saturday, March 21st. A lot of them may have filed at that time because of course there was no Senate Bill 751 yet and also your local school board board of directors had not made a decision as to whether or not you would pay employees through that initial two-week closure. So, don’t get upset if they filed because their initial reaction is they know they’re hourly and if they don’t work, they usually don’t get paid. If they filed a claim, it’s a two-step process. You open the unemployment claim, then you’re notified to file your biweekly claim 10 to 14 days later. When someone files their biweekly claim, they must verify to Labor and Industry that they did not work and that they did not get paid. If your employees have filed their biweekly claim and reported that they got paid, the unemployment benefits should not be released.

I know that benefits are going to be released to individuals, I’m going to say, improperly. Again, not always by fraud. As an example, in talking to schools, you may send out notice that everyone’s getting paid. You do that electronically. Are you telling me 100% of your employees read every email they get from the administration? I politely think that’s not the case.

But for educational institutions, a quarterly statement of account is issued summarizing all the benefits that were paid for the past calendar quarter. So, for Pennsylvania schools here in mid-April, that statement of account will be issued. If you’re part of PSBA’s program or if I happen to represent you outside of PSBA’s program, we receive that information. If you’re handling unemployment by yourself, you will receive that. If you’re doing it by yourself, you will receive a report detailing the benefits for January, February and March. My company will receive it if you’re with PSBA or with us directly.

If John or Jane Doe appear on that statement and you check your record and can see that was somebody that was a paraprofessional who got their normal paycheck, and I’m emphasizing gross pay, then they should not have gotten that benefits, but it occurred. There is something we refer to as a protest mechanism, where via the unemployment office you can protest those benefits that were paid. Technically, an investigation would commence. A determination which is a written decision should be issued finding that John or Jane Doe was not unemployed as their earnings were X, and therefore they are ineligible. That would trigger the process where credits would be issued to your account on a future statement. I’ve advised many of the schools that I’ve talked to that’s going to be our best method to watch, to contest, because there is no way that an individual employer can get online and to see what benefits are released.

Pennsylvania is just not that modern yet. We’re working on it though. So, we deal with the notices that are sent out. When we receive them, we react. For all Pennsylvania schools, as I mentioned, there is a quarterly unemployment statement that comes out mid-April. One will come out mid-July. But there is also a monthly notice that lists the individuals that collected benefits. So, in mid-May a notice will come out showing who got benefits in the month of April. For those schools I’m working with, I’m going to be sending that to all of them with the polite suggestion, “Review this closely. Let me know if you see any issues.” If you’re handling unemployment on your own, I would strongly suggest you do the same. If you feel somebody got benefits improperly, you are able to again protest it with the unemployment office. And basically, when you initiate that protest it starts the investigation and hopefully a written determination will be issued.

Annette Stevenson: Yeah, that is clearly some pretty complex matter that you’re working your way through and that our business managers at the school districts are working their way through. So, I sure do appreciate the clarification around these frequently asked questions. And I think that concludes what we were interested in knowing today, but I’d sure love to come back to you with more questions if our members have them.

Geoffrey Moomaw: I certainly would welcome that opportunity. In kind of wrapping up, this is a complex issue, one of great concern. I understand it’s a whole new ballgame for all of us. Feel free folks, if you have questions, to address them to Annette, to the PSBA. If I work with you, you can contact me directly. I’m here to assist you in any way possible to keep your unemployment costs as low as possible. So, don’t be bashful. You have resources such as PSBA and my firm. Use us. That’s what we’re there for. I hope everyone’s doing well and please take care.

Annette Stevenson: Thank you so much Geoff, and thanks for spending time with us on this episode of Keystone Education Radio.

The post Uncharted waters: Navigating unemployment compensation for school employees during COVID-19 appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Earth Day Celebrates 50 Years: Launching Earth Challenge 2020 Mar 17, 2020

On April 22, 1970, 10 percent of the U.S. population joined together to demand protection for the environment. In this episode of Keystone Education Radio, Earth Day Network (EDN) Education Coordinator Kira Heeschen joins us to discuss Earth Day’s upcoming 50th anniversary, the world’s largest coordinated citizen science campaign, Earth Challenge 2020 and the importance of student and youth involvement.

This episode is sponsored by SiteLogic and The Nutrition Group.

Skip to: 01:42 What was the catalyst for the first Earth Day, and what action did this movement prompt over the past 50 years?

We see Earth Day as this day where people come together to both remember the history of where we’ve been and how much we’ve achieved, but also how much more we have to do.

Skip to: 05:12 Why was the Earth Day Network formed, and what role does the organization play in the environmental movement today?

We like to say that Earth Day is not just a day, it’s a movement and our goal is to raise awareness around environmental issues that are impacting communities and globally.

We really try to put the tools out there and empower communities to take on these leadership roles in their communities and give them the tool and knowledge that they need to have impactful change.

So what we try to do is use Earth Day as a focal point every year to concentrate environmental action and to really build and sustain momentum throughout the year.

For 2020, we have decided on a theme of climate action just because so many different environmental issues feed into this larger umbrella issue of climate change.

Skip to: 08:15 Earth Challenge 2020 is the world’s largest coordinated citizen science campaign. This initiative was created in partnership with the Wilson Center and the U.S. Department of State. In April, an app will allow users to collect billions of observations and valuable environmental insights into air quality, plastic pollution and insect populations. With technology being so prevalent in classrooms today, can you tell us a little more about this initiative and the app?

The Earth Challenge 2020 app, the initiatives goal was to allow people to be connected with the scientific process and to have them contribute to global data that helps us understand the state of health of our environment.

The plastic side of the app is tied with our global cleanup program. And so anyone who’s participating in the cleanup throughout 2020 is definitely encouraged to use this app so that we’re both cleaning up the litter and the pollution that we’re seeing out in our environment, but we’re learning from those experiences as well.

Skip to: 13:45 In your role with Earth Day Network, you facilitate programming for educators. What resources are available to the school audience?

Skip to: 17:41 It is important for everyone to get involved in environmental advocacy efforts. Why is the Earth Day Network specifically focusing on engaging youth in Earth Day 2020?

From the big global examples like we have with Gretta, it’s just this incredible movement of students all over the world who are saying, this is our future we’re talking about, the health of our future and our goals that we would like for our lives. So we’re going to step up and fight to protect it.

Annette Stevenson:

What was the catalyst, if we can go back some years, 50 years, what was the catalyst for the first Earth Day? What action did this movement prompt over these past 50 years and where did it begin?

Kira Heeschen:

50 years ago, in 1970, the first Earth Day occurred, and in the 50 years prior to that, our country saw this enormous surge in industrialization. Around this time, we had really immense air and water pollution from industry. We had really strong lead gas emissions from really inefficient cars. The disposable lifestyle was really on the upswing. We had this peak level of pollution throughout the United States. The book Silent Spring came out in 1962, that was a really formative event in the environmental movement by Rachel Carson. She released this book that was explaining how pollutants and pesticides were impacting our natural world. That really woke a lot of people up. Then throughout the year of 1969, the Cuyahoga river in Ohio caught on fire because it was so polluted. And there was an oil spill, a pretty significant oil spill, off the coast of California near Santa Barbara.

So all of these things were coalescing together to have people start to notice how polluted their environment had become. Human health was a really big issue, urban smog was really big. So what happened was Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin was looking around at all this and also paying attention to some of the social movements that were going on at the time. The late sixties and early seventies was really big for the antiwar movement in Vietnam as well as the civil rights movement. He was looking at all of these things coming together and decided that he wanted to host a national teach-in on the environment. To have a day where everyone in the United States really came together to decide that the environment was worth protecting, that human health was worth putting this effort into. So he created this bipartisan committee of senators and they hired a whole team of college students around the country who were going to plan this teach-in.

Without any social media, without the internet, they were able to get 20 million Americans to take to the streets on April 22nd, 1970 to demand that their government were to take care of the environment, to clean up pollution, to really take care of human health. Within the end of that year, the EPA was formed, the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts were passed and similar laws and organizations similar to the EPA were starting to be passed in countries all over the world. This day really brought together young and old Americans, urban and rural. It was a very bipartisan day, and so it was this spark plug of this day that brought people’s attention to the environment and had people come together to decide that we wanted better.

Since then, the past 50 years, we see Earth Day as this day where people come together to both remember the history of where we’ve been and how much we’ve achieved, but also how much more we have to do. It’s really just a day where people can bond over this shared commitment to the environment and for every community that looks so different, but there’s all of these similar values and goals that underlie the day that really brings people together.

Annette Stevenson:

Earth Day Network as an organization, why was that formed and what role does the organization play in today’s environmental movement?

Kira Heeschen:

Earth Day Network has come out of this movement, and as Earth Days started to pass, some of the original organizers decided that there should be a nonprofit that coordinates a lot of these efforts. Dennis Hayes, who was actually the national organizer hired by Gaylord Nelson, he was a student at Harvard at the time. He really took on this leadership role in organizing Earth Day, year to year, and so he’s actually still our board chair emeritus, he’s still very involved with everything that we’re doing. The organization really plays this role in trying to bring people together around this common mission. We like to say that Earth Day is not just a day, it’s a movement. Our goal is to really raise awareness around environmental issues that are strongly impacting communities and impacting globally. What we try to do is we want to raise awareness on these issues.

A lot of times, it’s hard to find trustworthy and factual information about what’s going on out there. We really like to try to put that information out there and to really build capacity in the general public for them to be able to take actions in their communities. So that looks again, very different for every community, because a small town in Iowa is going to look very different, their environmental issues are going to look very different from a small town in Taiwan. We really try to put the tools out there and empower communities to take on these leadership roles in their communities and give them the tools and the knowledge that they need to have impactful change.

What we try to do is use Earth Day as a focal point every year to concentrate environmental action and to really build and sustain momentum throughout the year. We do this by setting yearly themes, trying to bring people around these common issues every year to really build momentum on them and then bring in these coalitions of partners and audience who want to join in on this movement and really mobilize together around the issues that we’re facing.

Annette Stevenson:

As you said, the issues may change and also there’s the uniqueness of different regions in different countries that might be facing different issues. Is that correct to say?

Kira Heeschen:

Yeah, absolutely. In 1990, the 20th anniversary of Earth Day, recycling was the biggest issue that everyone was talking about. It was such a huge global issue, and it’s interesting because we kind of see that coming back. Some of our recycling systems are breaking down a little bit. We see these issues cycle through, and I think especially throughout this year, different organizations are all focusing on different things. For 2020 we have decided on a theme of climate action just because so many different environmental issues feed into this larger umbrella issue of climate change. So that’s what we’re working on this year, but we really want communities to feel empowered to focus in on what’s really going to benefit their community members.

Annette Stevenson:

Earth Challenge 2020 is the world’s largest coordinated citizen science campaign. This initiative was created in partnership with the Wilson Center and the US Department of State. In April, an app will allow users to collect billions of observations and valuable environmental insights into air quality, plastic pollution and insect populations. With technology being so prevalent in classrooms today, can you tell us a little more about this particular initiative and the app that’s part of it?

Kira Heeschen:

Yeah, definitely. It’s amazing just how much technology has changed in the past year, in the past five years, in classrooms. Because when I was in high school, absolutely no technology and now we have class sets of iPads and phones and laptops for them to be able to utilize this technology in a way that really impacts their learning, which I think is fantastic. So the Earth Challenge 2020 App, the initiative’s goal was to really allow people to be connected with the scientific process and to have them contribute to global data that helps us understand the state of health of our environment. Citizen science as a greater field is just this incredible field that allows normal citizens to be involved in the scientific process and to contribute really meaningful data to the scientific community. What we wanted Earth Challenge to do was to provide that opportunity for them to collect data, but then for them to have a little bit of an extended experience with that data so that they had the opportunity to learn what that data means for them and what they can do about it.

So the two widgets that we have available right now are air quality and plastic pollution. We will have some more available throughout the year, insect populations being one of them. They are still in development. What we want users to do is to go in and they’re going to collect data, they’re going to be provided with information on how they can take action on their data. Then they’re also going to have the opportunity to interact with open source data that exists around the world. This is a piece that I think is really valuable for educators. If they wanted to be able to provide these experiences in the classroom where students are sorting through global data and trying to make meaning out of it and understand what it means for the health of their communities and the health of communities around the world.

What we did to establish this app is we asked researchers all over the world, what environmental data do we need to better understand the health of our planet? We were actually able to get feedback from researchers from all seven continents, including Antarctica, which is very exciting. We came up with these widgets that we were going to do to explore the topics that they suggested. So air quality and plastic pollution were two of the really, really big ones. What users will do when they’re using the app is they’ll take a photo, either of the sky or of a piece of plastic that they find in their environment. With the Plastic App, they’re going to go in, submit either photos of plastic that they come upon throughout their normal day, or they’re going to submit photos of plastic and overall litter that they’re collecting during their cleanup efforts that they’re doing for Earth Day.

They’re going to submit it to help build that data of what kind of litter is out there. They can identify the litter and then they’re going to be fed these action items. So it’s saying, “Okay, you came across this litter, what can you do about it?” Here’s some things in your country that are relevant and can help empower you to fix the issue of pollution in your community. In the Air Quality App, you will take a picture of the sky and it will geolocate to the nearest high–quality air monitoring system. And it will tell you what your air quality is. Now you might see that number and think, okay, so what does that mean?

The app will then give you more information about is that number good? Is it bad? If it is bad, what are some things that you can do both in your personal life to have a lesser impact on air quality? Then as a citizen, what are some actions that you can take to influence policies that are going to protect air quality or community-based solutions that could help. It’s just a really great way to balance both collecting data that’s going to contribute to environmental knowledge, but then also being able to empower and build capacity for citizens to then take action.

Annette Stevenson:

Is this app intended for everyone, beyond the education and the student community as an educational or student project? Is this available to anyone?

Kira Heeschen:

Yes, definitely. So we definitely think this app is a great tool for educators to use with their students to have a really great unit on either of these topics, but we also want any other citizen, wide diversity of age and location to feel like they are really contributing to the global understanding of environmental health by collecting this data. Any person going through and collecting this data is helping us better understand the health of our environment. Anyone can learn how better they can help protect the environment. Additionally, the plastic side of the app is tied with our Great Global Cleanup program. So anyone who’s participating in the cleanup throughout 2020 is definitely encouraged to use this app so that we’re both cleaning up the litter and the pollution that we’re seeing out in our environment, but we’re learning from those experiences as well.

Annette Stevenson:

In your role with Earth Day Network, you do facilitate programming for educators. What resources are available to the school audience?

Kira Heeschen:

Yes, great question. So as the education coordinator here, my job is to find opportunities and provide support for educators to be involved in Earth Day’s 50th anniversary this year. The first thing that we did is we created a couple of lesson plans around these earth challenge topics. On our website you can find three levels of difficulty activities around both air pollution and plastic pollution. And then as further widgets are released, we’ll have more lesson plans go up for those as well. And so these are beginner, intermediate and advanced activities that you can pair with the earth challenge experience. Some of them are a little bit more introductory to the topic to help younger learners understand what is plastic pollution, why is it a problem? And then older learners or more advanced learners can really dive into some of that data and say, “Okay, what is the extent of the problem, what can we do about it?”

And really have an interdisciplinary experience with some of these both science and civic education pieces of earth challenge. Then we also have our former years’ climate education week toolkits. We have toolkits on plastic pollution, species protection and climate change. These are toolkits that have lessons and we link out to tons of great resources that are produced by our partners and their toolkits that teachers can use to have a week long unit on any of those topics. We’ve also produced a series of menus of ideas that will help any audience decide what they want to do for Earth Day. We’ve created them for schools that are good for educators to start planning. We’ve created a menu for student clubs, the students want to be the leaders behind the planning initiatives. We have a new menu for sports teams.

So if a coach or a gym teacher wants to decide to do an Earth Day, how can we be physically active and really think about human health in terms of the environment. We also have menus for zoos and aquariums and nature centers and parks and all of those as well. We also just developed an environmental history timeline activity. It’s this beautiful PowerPoint and PDF timeline of big milestones throughout the environmental movement and throughout the history of how our environment has evolved. This is a great activity both to learn about the history side of the environmental movement. At the end we’ve left a couple of blank slides for students to decide what they’re going to do in 2020 to really contribute to the environmental movement. So what’s happening in 2020 that’s going to change how we see the environment next year or in 10 years or for Earth Day’s 100th anniversary.

And then the last one I want to mention is our teach-in toolkit. We understand that the term teach-in was this huge piece in the 1970 Earth Day and the first Earth Day, but not everybody knows what that means, it’s not quite as common of a phrase anymore. We’ve created this toolkit to both explain this historical root of the word teach-in and what it is, but also provide guidance on how do you host one, what does it look like? My favorite part of it is we have these grab bags of topics where if you say, “Okay, I want to host a teach-in, but I’m not sure what topic I want to use or I know I want to do it on this topic, but where do I start?” We have these grab bags.

You can go in and say, “Okay, my community experiences a lot of flooding.” So here’s what you need to know, here’s where you can learn more about it, here’s a couple of ideas for what speakers you could involve. Here’s some ideas for what calls to action that you could end your event with. Because the big part of the teach-in is that all of your audience members know when they walk away from the event or from the class lecture that you had that day, what are they going to do to be able to make a difference? And that’s really the pivotal part of the teach-in.

Annette Stevenson:

It sounds like you are engaging at all levels and at all ages, but why do you think it’s so specifically necessary or essential to engage the youth in this movement?

Kira Heeschen:

Yeah, that’s a great question. It’s been so incredible in the last couple of years to just see how youth have taken the lead in the environmental movement. From the big global examples like we have with Greta [Thunberg], it’s just this incredible movement of students all over the world who are saying, this is our future we’re talking about, the health of our future and our goals that we would like for our lives. So we’re going to step up and fight to protect it. We really like to say that we don’t expect every student to be at Greta level, but we just want students to feel like, if it’s even at the scale of their classroom community or maybe their school district wide community or even their state or country or the world, we want them to feel like they have the power to make change and that they have the tools and knowledge that they need.

As adult allies here at Earth Day Network, we want to support educators who are really tasked with this monumental responsibility of preparing them for their future. We want to give tools and resources to help those teachers give those students the knowledge and tools that they need to succeed, both just in life in general, but also as environmental leaders. One thing that we try to do at Earth Day Network here is we like to amplify those voices because we hear a lot from students that they have these ideas, they have these passions and desires for their future, but they don’t always know how to get it out there. And as an organizational ally, we want to give them the platform to make that difference and to really raise their voices up.

One anecdote I’d love to touch on is, I actually went to a Youth Climate Summit last year and I was talking to one of the organizers and she said, or I said to her, “I’m so excited to have these youth leaders, you guys are so impressive, you’re so incredible. It’s so amazing that you’ve taken the lead on this.” And she was like “Thank you,” and was grateful but was also like, “I just want to make clear that we’re doing this because the change that we would love to have seen come from adults hasn’t happened yet.” So it’s interesting because we want to empower students and we want them to be these incredible leaders that they already are. We also want to make sure that we’re looking at our own behavior and our own actions and saying as adults, are we also contributing to the goals that they’re trying to work for as well?

Annette Stevenson:

It sounds like there is an abundance of program material and resources and toolkits. Where can listeners find more information about Earth Day Networks’ initiatives ongoing and the resources available as well as the specific 2020 initiatives? Where can they go for that?

Kira Heeschen:

Yeah, definitely. So everyone could go to earthday.org to see all of our campaigns, all of our resources. We have campaigns on tons of different topics and we also have campaigns that focus on a variety of different audiences. We really try to engage with elected officials at the local level. We have resources for mayors and governors. We also have resources for faith communities, if faith communities want to be involved in any way. We just have a whole gambit of opportunities and resources on our website. A couple that I want to make sure I mentioned are our education resource library. This webpage within our website is where you can find all of our educational materials and lesson plans and ideas. Then we also have a page called Earth Day Schools. So this is an awesome map where you can see schools all over the world that have signed up to commemorate Earth Day’s 50th anniversary with us, and you can actually sign your school up to be on the map.

When you sign up, we’ll bombard you a little bit with ideas and tools up until Earth Day just to make sure that you have the resources you need in your classrooms and with your audiences. We also have a map of events on our website and so this is a great resource. If you’re just looking for something to do for Earth Day and you want to find something near you, you can go in and type in your zip code and find all of the events that are going on near you. And if you’re hosting an event, you want to make sure you register it so that it can be on the map as well.

Kira Heeschen, Education Coordinator, Earth Day Network

Kira Heeschen is the Education Coordinator at the Earth Day Network, an environmental nonprofit that is coordinating the global efforts for Earth Day’s 50th anniversary. 50 years ago, the polluted state of America’s water and air drove 20 million citizens to take action and demand environmental protection.

Today, Earth Day Network is proud to partner with organizations and schools around the world who will use this momentous anniversary to advocate for a clean and secure future. Earth Day 2020 presents an incredible opportunity for teachers to engage their students in civic engagement and boost environmental and climate literacy initiatives in schools. Kira works with her team to create resources to help educational and community institutions plan impactful environmental and civic education programs throughout 2020. She has created toolkits, lesson plans and menus of ideas to help guide Earth Day activity planning.

Kira earned her B.A. in Earth Science with a minor in Secondary Education from James Madison University. After spending a summer working with students in the VA Youth Conservation Corps Kira decided to focus her passion for teaching on the environment. After earning her M.S. in Environmental Education with a focus in climate change education from Antioch University New England, Kira began her position at Earth Day Network. Kira’s favorite part about her job is connecting with passionate educators who want to help their students change the world!

Sign up as an Earth Day School to get even more resources and ideas and to put your school on the map.
Look for ideas, activities and toolkits in our Education Resource Library
Register your Earth Day events on our global map. It can be open or closed for registration, by putting it on the map you help demonstrate the collective environmental action in 2020!

The post Earth Day Celebrates 50 Years: Launching Earth Challenge 2020 appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Flourish or fail: A conversation about grit with Angela Duckworth Mar 03, 2020

Host Annette Stevenson talks with best-selling author, psychologist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania Angela Duckworth. Duckworth unpacks her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance and provides further insight into her research of the characteristics of high achieving individuals.

This episode is sponsored by Siemens & Edgenuity.

Skip to: 01:46 Explanation of Research/Defining Grit
Skip to: 03:23 In the public education system, how do you think teachers and parents can help children discover their interests while also meeting the parameters of an established curriculum?

I think it’s so important that throughout their K-12 experience, we’ve planted the seeds so that they can find a career that is intrinsically enjoyable much of the day, if not all of the day.

Skip to: 05:46 What advice would you give to young adults who feel they don’t have direction at this stage of life?

Interests are like foods, you don’t really know if you’ll like it or not until you experience it.

Skip to: 08:00 What is Deliberate Practice?

The psychology of attention is that you cannot divide it without real compromise to your learning.

Skip to: 11:21 How important do you think a growth mindset is to overcoming adversity?

Every time a child fails is an opportunity to strengthen their growth mindset by modeling for them and being very clear that failure is sometimes even a good sign. Because it means you tried to do something you can’t yet do which means that you were challenging yourself.

Even successful people don’t easily learn from mistakes. There’s an anxiety about mistake making that crowds out learning sometimes.

Skip to: 17:28 How do you think a culture of Grit can be developed or incorporated into the school environment?

Annette:
Today we have the privilege of speaking with Angela Duckworth about her bestselling book and research. Welcome, Angela. Thank you so much for being with us.

Angela:
Thank you for having me.

Annette:
So to start with, can you provide a brief explanation of your research and then also how do you define grit?

Angela:
I am someone who came to her research from classroom teaching. I was a middle school and high school math teacher for several years in public schools and I was frustrated that I wasn’t at all able to motivate my students to put in the effort that I knew was required to learn the material and to get better at math. And I think the research that I do today is very much motivated by the question, “What is the psychology of effort? Why do some kids keep trying when they’re frustrated or they get a problem wrong and why do other kids give up?” And relatedly, “Why do kids, sometimes, get all their homework done and then sometimes end up spending the whole night on social media?” So effort in the face of obstacles, effort in the face of tempting distractions. I would call these the psychology of grit and self control. But really I’m trying to unpack effort so that we can do better than I did as a teacher, which is I would just tell my kids, “Oh, you should work harder.” And honestly that was not the most insightful thing to say and it didn’t help very much.

Annette:
So in your book you talk about the importance of interest discovery and you go on to explain that children have a greater likelihood of thriving in their interests with a strong support system of parents, teachers, coaches, peers. So regarding the interest discovery process, you give advice that play comes before hard work. In the public education system, how do you think teachers and parents can help children discover their interests while also meeting the parameters of established curriculum?

Angela:
I’ll begin by saying that I think interest is essential to the human motivation. I mean, any of us who understand what it’s like to be bored, sitting in a lecture or having to do something you really, really, really don’t want to do. And we all know what it’s like to not be at our best because we’re not engaged. I don’t mean to imply that kids should be having fun all the time. I mean, it would be naive for me to say that kids will always be intrinsically motivated at all times of day and that nothing will ever require a little bit of self control or work ethic. But in terms of what kids grow up to be, in terms of their careers, in terms of their college majors, I think it’s so important that throughout their K-12 experience, we’ve planted the seeds so that they can find a career that is intrinsically enjoyable, much of the day, if not all of the day.

Angela:
And my own perspective on this is that, as some kids will be very fortunate in that they will discover those interests in French class, in algebra, in English language arts and things that are part of the traditional academic curriculum. But I think one of the most common ways to develop your interest is outside of the academic classes, so extracurricular activities. Many people discover and develop an interest in leadership and team building through sports or maybe your interest in writing is actually something which is peaked more by working on the school newspaper and the assignments that you’re doing for language arts class. So I think in general, the American school system and most other school systems, frankly, we have a long way to go before we can say, “Hey, we’re optimally set up to help all students discover and develop their interests.”

Annette:
So in this country at least, we expect students to think about and sort of decide upon a potential career path around the age of 17 or 18, as they are graduating from high school. This is obviously a young age and also a time of uncertainty. So what advice would you give to young adults who feel they don’t have direction at this stage of life? They don’t know what they want to pursue or how to reach even the end goal.

Angela:
This is such a great question. In fact, it’s the question that’s occupying me centrally as a scientist today. What advice do we have based on science for how to navigate those waters? And I spent, I guess a good decade between graduating from college to figuring out I wanted to become a psychologist. And if you add the four years that I was in college also not knowing what I would eventually end up doing. Well, that’s 14 years of not knowing.

Annette:
Yeah. Absolutely.

Angela:
And I think my first message would be empathy. I mean, I really, really feel for the young people who are already hard workers and they’re resilient but they don’t necessarily know what they’re working for. And I personally found it kind of a torturous, angst-ridden, uncomfortable stage of life. I cried a lot, I got very pessimistic at times that I would ever find my way. In terms of ways that you can shorten that period of wandering from hopefully not 14 years to something a little shorter, I think the thing that students need to do is try stuff out. I sometimes tell my own students, I tell them that interests are like foods, you don’t really know if you’ll like it or not until you actually experience it. I mean, I can tell you what the durian fruit tastes like, but unless you taste it, you won’t know.

Angela:
And that means that you have to get out of your head and get out of the classroom and really try things. I mean, if you think you might want to be a veterinarian, figure out a way to spend an afternoon shadowing a veterinarian. I mean, you’ll know much more at the end of that afternoon than you did before, and I think likewise, in having conversations with people who are doing things that are related to what you think you might want to do, the closer you can get to actual experience, I think the better. And if I had spent more time experimenting, trying out different careers when I was in high school and during my college years, I think I might’ve come to the same decision, but I think I would’ve come to it sooner and that really honestly would have been better for me.

Annette:
Yeah. The concept of deliberate practice is prevalent in your book. Can you tell us what that is? Talk to us about deliberate practice and then also about learning from mistakes and kind of encouraging learning from mistakes and how that can help students discover their passion.

Angela:
There is a literature in science on experts, so Olympic athletes and virtuoso musicians, and Nobel prize winning scientists. And the question that’s asked in this scientific research is, “What makes these experts different from the rest of us?” One very important difference is the way they practice, and the way they practice is often called deliberate practice. And it has a few features that as I rattle them off, you can think of how students often spend their time doing homework or studying, and you can see the contrast.

Angela:
So one feature of deliberate practice is that there’s a very specific learning goal in mind at the beginning of practice. And you might say, “Well, students get assigned homework and that’s the learning goal.” But as a math teacher, if I assign, “Do the problems on page 372, the evens.” That is not a learning goal. That’s just, “Oh, I have to do that.” But maybe the learning goal is to really master converting fractions to decimals, right? That’s the learning goal. So I think that when we assign homework or we ask students to do projects in school, we should make sure that they can say back to us, “What’s the learning goal? What’s the point of this thing I’m about to do?” And if you do that, you’re practicing a little bit more like an expert.

Angela:
The second thing that experts do is they practice with full concentration, so they’re not multitasking. And I have two daughters at home, they are proud students of the Philadelphia Public School. They’re learning better and better, I think, how to study without distractions. When I would come home when they were in younger grades, and they’re junior or senior now, but earlier in their academic careers, I’d come home, there’d be music playing and they’re texting and they’re Snapchatting but also somehow doing their homework. That’s the opposite of the way experts practice.

Angela:
So the second recommendation is to help students understand that the psychology of attention is that you cannot divide it without real compromise to your learning. And the final element I’ll just say it’s so important, I think we could do a better job of as educators, and I include myself here, is that as educators, teachers, we can do a better job providing feedback. So deliberate practice has the feature of usually immediate feedback that’s very clear so that the learner can immediately implement changes and get at it again. And when I think of how long it took me to give back quizzes and tests, or to grade homework or you can think of other subjects, how long does it take for a student to get their writing back? If they’re getting feedback, the longer the cycle time and the less specific that feedback, the less we are approximating deliberate practice, the practice of world class experts.

Annette:
Well that’s interesting because I have heard even my own daughter say, “Oh, this teacher returns feedback very quickly, or this one I have to wait a little bit for.” So that’s interesting but that makes a ton of sense. In chapter nine, ‘Hope’, you stress the importance of a growth mindset and especially for students who are coming from a disadvantaged background. How important do you think a growth mindset is to overcoming adversity?

Angela:
A growth mindset is a belief that abilities can change, and it has been studied mostly with the idea that your intelligence can change. I’m sure students can tell you that intelligence isn’t the only ability they care about. They might care about their athletic ability or their musical ability or their leadership ability. But I do think that when you are a student and you’re 7, 8, 9, you’re 15, you’re 16, a lot of your time you’re wondering how smart you are. And so this research from Carol Dweck at Stanford showing that the belief that intelligence can change, that it’s not fixed is so important. I think it’s important for kids, I think it’s important for adults. I think many of us walk around and have a fixed mindset about how smart we are and that discourages us from trying new things that are going to require failure. And that is because we don’t want to look dumb, right?

Annette:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Angela:
If intelligence can’t be changed, God forbid we don’t have enough of it. So I think of it as something that’s required in life no matter how old you are. And also honestly, no matter what your socio-economic background is as well. Though we might say one group of kids we especially worry about or another group, we should emphasize this more, but it’s a universal. And in my research with Carol, we have found, in data that we collect on adolescents, that students who have more of a growth mindset are the ones who are more resilient and harder working. And we follow students over time, this is actually new data that I’ve collected recently, and you can see this virtuous cycle where students who have a growth mindset, and then you come back then you see like, “What are they doing?” Well, those are the students who are working hard, but if you come back a third time, it’s the students who are working hard to increase in their growth mindset and so on and so forth. So I think it’s a virtuous cycle to begin, hopefully as early as possible, in schooling.

Annette:
Are there some specific ways that parents and teachers can help students develop this mindset?

Angela:
One very surprising finding in terms of this growth mindset, a literature came from a student who was a postdoctoral fellow with me, her name is Kyla Haimovitz. She did her PhD with Carol at Stanford, and her hypothesis was really straight forward, which is that if you have a teacher or a parent who has a growth mindset, then you’ll automatically have a student or a kid who has a growth mindset as well. And that made all the sense in the world, where else would their beliefs come from? They must come directly from their parents’ and their teachers’ beliefs. But she found that in many of her datasets, there was no relationship. And after many more years digging and collecting more data, what she discovered is that the teachers’ mindsets matter and the parents’ mindsets matter, but it’s a little more directly about how the parents and the teachers behave around failure.

Angela:
It’s all well and good and we should hope that teachers and parents believe that all these can change, but maybe even more relevant to how students grow up and what they think of themselves is how you respond when a student gets a problem wrong or you’re doing a class discussion, a problem on the board maybe, and the student can’t produce the right answer, they get a bad grade, right?

Annette:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Angela:
The semester didn’t go well. What is the body language that we use? What are the words that come out of our mouths? How do we signal to students that failure is part of learning and not diagnostic, that they’re unable to do something in the future. And I think that this message is very clear then for teachers and parents and that is that every time a child fails is an opportunity to strengthen their growth mindset by modeling for them and being very clear that failure is, sometimes, even a good sign, right? Because it means you tried to do something that you can’t yet do, which means that you are challenging yourself and that there is information there that we can all use so that the next opportunity maybe we could do a little better.

Annette:
I think what you said is just such a strong message and it goes back to even what we were talking about with learning from mistakes and how that is a necessary part of growth.

Angela:
Exactly. And it’s something that in news research, I mean new, it’s being published in 2020, even 2019, the psychology of mistake making is so interesting because even successful, they don’t easily learn from mistakes. I mean there’s a kind of fear response, an anxiety about mistake making that kind of crowds out learning sometimes. I think it’s an ongoing battle for all of us to have a healthy attitude towards failure and mistake making. And one developmental psychologist I know recommends that… This is somebody who specializes in three and four year olds, but I think it’s good advice for even high school teachers, which is that you should maybe deliberately make mistakes and then smile. Plan them, plan to make a mistake, smile. Say something like, “Well, there I go. I made a mistake.” And then model the kind of, “It’s okay” response.

Angela:
I have a great fondness for an AP economics teacher and he’s in Baltimore, and he has a little thing on the chalkboard on the top right. His last name is Bressler, his name is Phil Bressler, and it’s called Bressler’s blunders. And he gets a point to the class every time he makes a mistake. And then when they get to a certain number of points, they have a pizza party and it’s just a way of having fun with this idea of mistake making. So I think there are all kinds of creative ways that we can make it clear to students that it’s part of life.

Annette:
Yeah, that’s great. That’s a great anecdotal story. So students, especially K-12, that stage of life, spend so much of their time and their lives at school. And towards the end of your book, you talk about how culture shapes who we are and we know that certainly in the workplace that we talk a lot about corporate culture. For students, their district is a culture that they are a big part of, for those of our audience and also the broader public audience who are involved in their community and in their district leadership. How do you think a culture of grit can be developed or incorporated into the school environment?

Angela:
In one study that I did with a now professor, she was a postdoctoral fellow with me for a couple of years. Her name is Annie Park. In one study we looked at school culture and we looked to see what would determine increases in students’ grit, and then what effects those increases or decreases in grit would have on objectively measured student achievement like grades. And we found that there were certain school cultures that were more conducive to increases in grit and then in turn objective measures of academic achievement. And primarily, what we found would have been predicted by Carol Dweck in her work on growth mindset, which is that cultures that are about change and growth and learning, were more conducive to grit building than cultures that were about rank ordering students from best to worst, really kind of sending the signal that what you’re here at school to do is to sort of show off how smart you are not to develop.

Angela:
And I am sorry to say that I have seen classrooms that are like this, where there’s a lot of energy about the academic awards that only a handful of students get. I’ve been in classrooms or school auditoriums where, “Stand up if you’re in this honor society, stand up if you’re in that.” And then the students who were still sitting down, I always thought, what goes through their heads when they are sitting there? It’s shameful. Why spend that energy trying to rank order kids? Why not emphasize that what you’re here in school to do is to compare yourself, not to other peers, but to compare yourself to what you were yesterday, and to what you would hope to be tomorrow.

Angela:
And that’s the shift in the perspective that I think this culture work suggests is that we need a culture that in so many ways, and every principal and teacher knows, that schools are cultural entities. Just like a country is a cultural unit, a classroom in a school, you wear certain colors, say certain things or certain rituals or values, and they can be reinforced formally and informally. But I think being intentional about that, what kind of culture are we building? Are we showing kids that learning is the name of the game, or are we inadvertently sending a different message? I think that’s a great question.

Annette:
So can you tell us a little bit about where your research has led you and specifically about the work that you’re doing with the Character Lab?

Angela:
About seven years ago, I started a nonprofit called Character Lab with two educators and named Dave and Dominic. Dave Levin was working with the almost 100% economically disadvantaged students in New York. And then Dominic was the headmaster of one of the most elite private schools in New York. So in some ways they were working on different ends of the socioeconomic spectrum. And what they both realized, and I did as well, the scientists is that really kids are more alike than they are different. And the common thing that all kids need to learn is character. And I’ll hasten to just explain what I mean by character because I think it’s a word that’s used differently by different people. I use it very broadly, the same way I think Martin Luther King and Aristotle and use the word character, also Maria Montessori. And that is, everything that a child needs to learn and master in order to lead a life that is good for other people and good for themselves.

Angela:
So yes, honesty and kindness but also curiosity and creativity and also grit and self control and growth mindset. And also the list goes on, sense of humor, an appreciation for beauty, productivity, forgiveness, judgment. So character is a lot. And I think some educators would prefer the term social emotional learning. And that’s fine with me, I don’t need everyone to use the word character, but the nonprofit that we started advances scientific insights that build character and help kids thrive. So we run research studies for people like Carol Dweck in school, some district schools, some charter schools, some independent and parochial schools. We run the studies for these scientists, but we also translate those scientific discoveries into plain English on characterlab.org and then finally really hope that we can benefit parents and teachers by really giving them practical advice. So here’s what the discovery is, here it is without all the jargon. In plain English they can understand it, but here’s some really practical recommendations about how you can use that insight to help your own children, your own students thrive.

Annette:
Great. This was all such fantastic information and I know just scratching the surface. And so where can our listeners, whether it be school leadership or parents or educators, where can they find more about your research and the work in this area, and what you’ve covered in the book?

Angela:
If you go to characterlab.org, you can sign up for an email newsletter that I send out. It’s something like 60 seconds of scientific advice turned into actionable recommendations for parents and teachers. I call it the tip of the week, but you can sign up at characterlab.org. And we also have playbooks written by leading scientists on things like growth mindset or curiosity for parents or teachers who say, “I want to know more about this but I want something written specifically for me, and I want it to be authoritative. I want to make sure that what I’m reading, and I don’t have a lot of time, is coming to me really directly from the world class experts in the domain.” And so we have all of that there, it’s completely free. We have no advertising. We are 100% supported by philanthropy from foundations like the Gates Foundation and also very generous individuals.

Annette:
Wow. That is awesome that that’s available at no cost. Thank you so much for being with us. This was informative and interesting. Really, thank you for joining us on this podcast episode.

Angela:
Thank you. And I would just want to say I love that you have this podcast. It’s a wonderful thing and I really enjoyed our conversation.

Annette:
Great. Thank you.

Angela Duckworth, author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Founder/CEO of Character Lab, Psychologist, TED talk presenter

Angela Duckworth is the Founder and CEO of Character Lab, a nonprofit that provides actionable advice to parents and teachers, based on science. She is also the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, faculty co-director of the Penn-Wharton Behavior Change For Good Initiative, and faculty co-director of Wharton People Analytics.

Previously, Angela founded a summer school for low-income children that was profiled as a Harvard Kennedy School case study and, in 2018, celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary. She has also been a McKinsey management consultant and a public school math and science teacher.
Angela completed her undergraduate degree in Advanced Studies Neurobiology at Harvard, an MSc in Neuroscience from Oxford University, and a PhD in Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her first book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, is a #1 New York Times best seller.
You can receive her Thought of the Week email newsletter by signing up at https://www.characterlab.org/thought-of-the-week.

The post Flourish or fail: A conversation about grit with Angela Duckworth appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Purple Dreams: Portraying the Power of an Arts Education** Feb 18, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About our Guests

During the 2019 PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference, we sat down with keynote speakers Corey Mitchell and Robin Grey to discuss their film Purple Dreams. The duo discusses their experience advocating for arts education, the impact it has had on students they’ve mentored and their journey to creating the film. Skip to: 1:47 Arts education can help students develop skills in collaboration, creativity and confidence, but students don’t always have access to these programs. Purple Dreams made strides in showing what impact these programs can have on students. How do you think awareness can be raised around the importance of arts education?
“It’s unfortunate that the arts aren’t measurable by a standardized test. It’s just one of those things that is still important to almost everyone’s experience when they were in grade school, middle school and high school.” -Corey Mitchell

Skip to: 6:40 How has Purple Dreams been received by audiences?

“I think that we need to make people aware of the great things that they can perceive and see in children as they process in their arts education.” -Robin Grey

Skip to: 10:39 How do you think educators and parents can expose their students to arts education?
Skip to: 13:23 Have you experienced skepticism from some students about getting involved in the arts?

“There is responsibility that we have to our students as schools across this country to also help to develop them into being well-rounded human beings and that’s not always found directly on the pages of a book, it is an experience for them.” – Corey Mitchell

“Arts do make a whole rounded person and that it has many other positive effects that have been shown to then be catalyst to the students doing better in school.” -Robin Grey

Skip to: 17:19 Do you think arts education can have a more profound impact on at-risk children?

“The highest dropout rates are in underserved areas that don’t have arts programs.” -Robin Grey

“Arts education keeps kids in school. When we talk about at risk, my thought about at risk is at risk of dropping out and we have to prevent kids from dropping out of school. When we bring in arts education, their reason for dropping out disappears.” -Robin Grey

Skip to: 21:45 Corey, has your previous experience teaching a core subject influenced how you teach theater? If so, why?

“So much of what theater is, is language and expression and understanding those literary concepts of satire, irony and all of those things.” -Corey Mitchell

“When you’re looking at the school where your child goes, create and advocate for that urgency of what it means to have my child singing and dancing and expressing themselves.” -Corey Mitchell

Robin Grey

Robin Grey is the chief executive officer of Arts Empowers, a nonprofit advocating for meaningful arts education in public schools, especially for at-risk youth. She is the executive producer of the award-winning documentary Purple Dreams*. The award-winning film is evidence of the transformational power of an arts education. Grey’s passion to serve the underserved has informed both her professional career and personal achievements. Among other roles, she served as vice chairman of The Arts Empowerment Project during its founding four years – a nonprofit that connects at-risk children to Charlotte-area arts programs.

Corey Mitchell

Director, performer and teacher Corey Mitchell is the recipient of the 2015 inaugural Excellence in Theatre Education Tony Award and was one of the top 50 finalists for the 2017 Global Teacher Prize. Mitchell and his students in the Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, NC, are the subject of the 2017 feature-length documentary Purple Dreams, which chronicles their production of The Color Purple and its journey to the main stage of the International Thespian Festival. Mitchell has 24 years in the classroom and has just completed his 18th year at Northwest, where he teaches acting and leads a dynamic musical theatre program.

The post Purple Dreams: Portraying the Power of an Arts Education appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**A Seat At The Table: Encouraging Student Voice** Feb 04, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About our Guests

Resources

In this episode, **Asia Mason**, project manager of student voice with the Pittsburgh Public School District (PPS); **Sam Bisno**, a senior at the Barack Obama Academy of International Studies, also known as Pittsburgh Obama 6 – 12 and **Prishti Tyagi**, a sophomore at Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, discuss how their district and local community are not only permitting but prioritizing student voice in decision-making.
This episode is sponsored by Questeq and Siemens Industry, Inc. Skip to: 02:56 Explanation of Project Manager of Student Voice for PPS’s role
Skip to: 04:19 Brief overview of the Pittsburgh Public Schools Student and Government Council
Skip to: 05:55 What are a few of the important messages that students have communicated with the district, city and state leadership since the organization was adopted?
Skip to: 06:48 As a student in the school, how have you been able to get your peers interested in the impact they can make on the local government?
There’s a real passion and drive among us students to get involved as early as we can.

I’ve found that once students learn about opportunities like this, they jump to apply because they really do want to effect change.

Skip to: 09:34 How is the interaction and communication between students from private, parochial and charter schools fostered a more connected district?

So when we’re bringing students together, it creates an opportunity that doesn’t organically happen in the city.

Skip to: 12:52 What was the motivation for starting the Student Advisory Council?
Skip to: 14:19 What has the organization’s biggest accomplishment been during this time?
Skip to: 15:35 What are the objectives of the PPS Student Advisory Council?
Skip to: 18:29 From a student perspective, why is it important to you to have a voice in your school’s leadership?
Skip to: 19:17 What age groups are represented in these organizations?
Skip to: 20:37 What advice would you give to other school districts looking to establish a student voice group?

Students have continued to show that they’re ready, they’re hungry for these opportunities. And their feedback and strategies, especially when they are a part of the change, that’s where meaningful change happens in education.

Asia Mason, Project Manager, Student Voice at Pittsburgh Public Schools

Asia Mason currently serves as the Project Manager, Student Voice in the Office of the Superintendent at Pittsburgh Public Schools. In her current role, she manages district-wide student voice and student leadership opportunities in 14 schools. This work consists of managing the 85-member Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, 25 member PPS Youth Participatory Budget Council (a partnership with City Council) and ensuring that student feedback directly impacts the decisions that are made systematically.

A product of the Pittsburgh Public School system, Asia graduated from Pittsburgh CAPA in 2008. Spending a year at Temple University, Asia continued her post-secondary education at CCAC, earning an associate degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences, then transferred to Carlow University where she earned her B.A. in Psychology Counseling and MBA in Project Management. She is currently enrolled at Edinboro University, where she is studying for her Pre-K-12 Principal Certification. Always having a passion for youth and education, Asia began working with children in the Out-of-School Time setting at Allegheny Center Alliance Church. It was through these various experiences that allowed Asia to transform her leadership perspective.

Prishti Tyagi, 10th grade, Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy

Prishti Tyagi is a sophomore attending Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, where she is in the Body & Behavior Concentration. She is currently in Stand Together, USO Swimming, Girls of Steel, and the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council. Her love of leadership and making a difference led her to the Council. She hopes to attend Stanford University, majoring in neuroscience and minoring in psychology.

Sam Bisno, 12th grade, Pittsburgh Barack Obama Academy of International Studies 6-12

Sam Bisno is a senior at Obama Academy. Last year, as a member of the PPS Youth Participatory Budget Council, he helped draft a proposal for City Council that aimed to address growing gentrification in Pittsburgh by investing in community land trusts. This year, he is looking forward to taking a more school-oriented approach to bettering his city through his work on the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council. Sam is the Editor-in-Chief of his school newspaper and, in April 2019, was elected Youth Governor of Pennsylvania. He hopes to study history at a liberal arts university after graduating.

PPS Students & Government Council Brochure

Student Advisory Council Brochure

PPS Student Voice on Facebook

PPS Student Voice on Twitter

www.pghschools.org/studentvoice

The post A Seat At The Table: Encouraging Student Voice appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Different, Not Deficient** Jan 21, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About our Guest

Resources

In this episode of **Keystone Education Radio**, author and advocate **Jonathan Mooney** discusses his book *Normal Sucks*, his journey of growing up with a learning difference and how these experiences shaped the work he is doing today.
Skip to: 01:42 Dyslexia is a learning difference that can present itself in different ways — difficultly reading, spelling, completing math problems — could you explain how you exhibited dyslexia?

What I struggled with most was not the specific academic limitations, those were very real challenges, what I struggled with was the way that I was made to feel stupid and less than because I did not have the so-called ‘normal’ brain.

Skip to: 04:05 In your book, you share the varying views on differences not being deficiencies, but strengths. Can you summarize for our listeners what you’ve witnessed about the gifts and talents of students with differences?

Young people with a-typical brains and bodies are valuable to the world, not despite their differences, but because of them.

There are strengths and talents that come hand in hand with limitations — because of limitations

About 50% of small businesses in America are run by or founded by somebody with a neurological difference.

Skip to: 07:29 Why do you think it’s so important for children with learning differences to have someone advocating for them? How did having these individuals advocating for you impact your education and career?
Skip to: 10:23 How were you able to overcome the trauma of the events in your childhood while also dealing with other challenges at school?

So I’m on a mission to help us elevate the learning experience for some kids; not all, but for some, and see it through the lens of either trauma or empowerment.

So many people with a-typical brains and bodies get the message that they are less than as humans because of their ability status and that leads to folks losing hope for themselves.

Skip to: 13:39 At Brown University, there are no core requirements. Education is based on the individual student. How do you think this model promotes success, and how do you think that this could be mirrored in public education?

When we focus on experiential learning, when we focus on project based learning, when we focus on nurturing and validating individual interest and talent, young folks who historically are challenged do better.

Skip to: 16:52 At the end of your book, you recall a paragraph from The Rejected Body that states, “People with disabilities have experiences, by virtue of their disabilities, which non-disabled people do not have, and which are sources of knowledge that is not directly accessible to non-disabled people.” How do you believe this thinking should or could be incorporated into public education?
Skip to: 21:55 What advice would you give to students and parents?

Different isn’t deficient.

Jonathan Mooney, Author

Jonathan Mooney is an award winning writer, entrepreneur, and activist who did not learn to read until he was twelve years old.

He holds an honors degree from Brown University, is a Harry S. Truman Scholar for Public Service (California, 1999), and was a finalist for a Rhodes scholarship. With the publication of Learning Outside The Lines (now in its 28th printing) when he was 23, Jonathan has established himself as one of the foremost leaders in the nurodiversty and the learning revolution. His second book, The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal was published in the spring of 2007 to outstanding reviews in The New York Times Book Review, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune and many other national publications. Both books are considered foundational texts in the disability rights movement, the inclusive education movement, and the learning revolution and are used in under-graduate and graduate program at universities and colleges across the country including Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and Teachers College, Columbia University.

Jonathan’s work has been widely recognized for its innovation and social impact and. In 1999, Jonathan was selected as a Harry S. Truman Scholar for Public Service Truman scholar for public service; in 2000 Jonathan was selected as a finalist for the Rhoads scholarship; and In 2008 Jonathan’s social impact work was recognized by the Lab School of Washington where he shared the stage with the Vice President of the United States, Joseph Biden.
“At Risk in the Culture of ‘Normal’” by Jonathan Mooney, NY Times
Jonathan Mooney’s Website
Books by Jonathan Mooney
*Normal Sucks*
*The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal*
*Learning Outside The Lines*
The post Different, Not Deficient appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Civic Engagement in the Generation Called Z** Jan 07, 2020

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About our Guests

Resources

*Why is it so important to engage students, who are still in high school, in matters of politics and voting?*

In addition to educating youth to be civically engaged and focused as life-ready knowledge, the further impact comes in the form of their increasing numbers and their savviness that rivals no other generation before, especially at such a young age. Pew Research Center cites that one-in-ten eligible voters will be members of Generation Z, the Americans who will be between the ages 18 and 23 this year. They are projected to comprise 10% of the eligible voter group in 2020, whereas the Silent Generation is estimated to dip to 9%. Capturing that 10% is necessary to their unique perspectives and ideals being represented by the next leadership of our nation.

Three years ago, the **Governor’s Civic Engagement Award** was established by the Pennsylvania Departments of State and Education to promote civic involvement among students in Pennsylvania. This award recognizes schools and student ambassadors who offer and encourage voter registration within the schools. This episode features an interview with *Secretary of State* **Kathy Boockvar** and *Community Impact Manager* **Rachel Boss** where we’ll hear more on the award and civic engagement among the commonwealth’s young adults.

Skip to: 01:07 Can you start by briefly describing the Governor’s Civic Engagement Award and its objectives?

Studies show when people start voting early and feel engaged early, they’re much more likely to become life-long voters.

There’s no time that you feel more a part of the cycle of democracy, of really being a part of it, than you do when you’re a poll worker.

Skip to: 03:44 This is the third year that the Pennsylvania Departments of State and Education will present the Governor’s Civic Engagement Award. What prompted the creation of this award program?
Skip to: 04:24 How many schools are currently participating in this program?
Skip to: 05:55 What are the challenges that may have hindered schools from organizing these types of programs?

Talking about elections is really vital to teaching civil discourse and helping young people understand how government functions.

Skip to: 07:18 How have students reacted to the Governor’s Civic Engagement Award and its mission?
Skip to: 09:06 Why is it important to hold in-person voter registration events in high schools versus email campaigns or registration events in another setting?
Skip to: 11:52 Is there a way that high school students of all ages can participate in voter registration efforts?
Skip to: 13:42 How can schools educate students about the importance of being civically engaged before they reach voting age?
Skip to: 16:13 What kinds of resources are available and where can school leaders go for more information?

Kathy Boockvar, Secretary of the Commonwealth

Kathy Boockvar was appointed Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth on January 5, 2019, and confirmed by the Senate on November 19, 2019. In this role, Boockvar leads the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Boockvar is an attorney with an extensive background in public interest law and policy, election administration, and nonprofit healthcare administration, and has worked in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Most recently, she served as senior adviser to the governor on election modernization, leading and managing initiatives to improve security and technology in Pennsylvania’s elections and voting systems, in collaboration with federal, state, and county officials.

Rachel Boss, Community Impact Manager

Rachel Boss joined the Pennsylvania Department of State in 2017 as a William Penn Fellow. In 2019, she was appointed community impact manager in the Bureau of Campaign Finance and Civic Engagement, where she oversees civic engagement programming. She also is the language access coordinator for the department.

Previously, Boss worked in nonprofit legal advocacy organizations in Baltimore, MD. She earned her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

VotesPA.com

Online Voter Registration

Governor’s Civic Engagement Award

Pew Research Center: An Early Look at the 2020 Electorate

Follow on Facebook and Twitter

The post Civic Engagement in the Generation Called Z appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Commonwealth Education Blueprint – Vision Plan Realized** Dec 10, 2019

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About our Guests

Resources

During this episode, **Heather Masshardt**, director of policy services, discusses the **Commonwealth Education Blueprint** with **David Hutchinson**, PSBA’s 2019 president, and **Mike Faccinetto**, PSBA’s immediate past president. Both Hutchinson and Faccinetto are active in their own communities, having served on their local school boards for 11 and 16 years respectively. Developed out of their passion for public education and in collaboration with various stakeholders across the education industry, the **Commonwealth Education Blueprint** represents a unified vision for the future of public education in Pennsylvania. The final report of this document will be published in early 2020. Skip to: 01:32 What sparked your interest in developing the Commonwealth Education Blueprint project?
Skip to: 02:59 Why are you passionate about public education, and what is your current role in public education?
Skip to: 04:46 When the project first started, how did the group determine who should be involved?
We knew that if this was going to have any kind of teeth and really have any credibility, that we had to hear from all aspects of public education.

Skip to: 06:23 As the group developed the strategic categories of the Blueprint and reviewed input and survey data, were there any themes or specific areas that were repeatedly mentioned-anything participants really seemed to feel strongly about including in this vision?

However public education evolves over the next 30-40 years, we knew that students had to be at the center of it and we had to get away from that kind of focus of the old-fashioned teacher in the front lecturing and really put the students at the front of their own learning.

Skip to: 08:30 How do you hope the Commonwealth Education Blueprint will be used?
Skip to: 11:43 What made you interested in the Commonwealth Education Blueprint project?
Skip to: 12:46 Why are you passionate about public education?

Not to be overly simplistic, but it’s really our one best shot to prepare our children collectively for the fact that they’re going to running the world in 5 or 10 or 20 years from now.

Skip to: 14:21 Tell us about the participants in the Blueprint project—what were their backgrounds and what was important to the group?

I think it’s really important that we remake the argument for why education is worth all the time and money that we put into it.

Skip to: 16:37 How do you hope the Commonwealth Education Blueprint will be used?

This is not a short-term project. We’ve kind of set the foundation here but now we’re going to try to build on that foundation.

Michael Faccinetto, PSBA’s Immediate Past President

Michael Faccinetto, a PSBA Master School Board Director, has been a member of the Bethlehem Area School Board (Northampton Co.) since 2009, serving as president since 2011. Faccinetto has served on the PSBA Governing Board for five years in the role of at-large representative (Eastern), vice president, president-elect, 2017 acting president and as the 2018 president. He is a member of the PSBA Insurance Trust and 125th Anniversary Committee and has also served as chairperson of the Platform and Policy committees as well as the Future of Membership Taskforce and PA EdPAC. Recently he has led and served as co-chair of the Commonwealth Education Blueprint.

David Hutchinson, PSBA 2019 President

A 15-year veteran of the State College Area School Board (Centre Co.), Hutchinson has served on the PSBA Governing Board in several capacities, including as at-large representative (Central) and vice president, as well as on committees including Audit, Bylaws and Platform. In 2015,

he chaired the Urban/Rural Taskforce and in 2016, co-facilitated the ESSA Study Group on charter schools. His community involvement includes his role as chair of the Public Issues Forum of Centre County, which provides the rare opportunity to hear the public voice through meaningful, extended conversations on challenging topics. This has included well-attended forums on standardized testing and the role of public education in the 21st century. He is committed to promoting good public policy and fostering relationships with legislators of both political parties. Through his work with the National School Climate Council, he understands the value of creating school environments in which every student and teacher feels respected and engaged, and shares in the responsibility of creating a culture of learning. He also believes that we have a collective responsibility to provide every student in Pennsylvania with an education that prepares them for life in today’s world; he is particularly enthusiastic about the work of the Commonwealth Education Blueprint, which is working to create a modern vision for all our public schools.
**Commonwealth Education Blueprint** – https://www.edblueprintpa.org/
The post Commonwealth Education Blueprint – Vision Plan Realized appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**The Hidden Gem of Public Education** Nov 26, 2019

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About our Guests

Over the past few years, student enrollment in career and technical education programs has increased as overall high school populations are decreasing. With baby boomers retiring in droves, it’s important that skilled workers enter the trade industry.

In this episode of **Keystone Education Radio**, we are joined by **Matthew Stem**, *deputy secretary of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education*, and **Dr. Lee Burket**, *director of the Bureau of Career and Technical Education*, as they explore career and technical education as a vital part of the broader education system.
Skip to: 01:21 How many CTCs are there in PA? How many school district high school programs?
Skip to: 01:46 How are CTE programs delivered at the secondary level?
Skip to: 02:38 What is the CTE enrollment across the state, and has it increased in recent years?
Enrollment around the state right now is a little over 67,000 students that are enrolled in CTE programs.

Skip to: 03:30 Within those total enrollment numbers, have you seen gender shifts or increases in what may have been seen as nontraditional (such as males in nursing or childcare, or females in engineering technologies)?

We’ve actually seen, just in the past two years, over a 6.6% increase in females in programs that were traditionally male dominated fields.

Skip to: 04:26 Explain how career and technical education can help prepare students for career or college.

We believe that career and technical education still remains one of the hidden gems in our education system.

We’ve had over a 27% increase in the number of students receiving industry certifications just in the past four years.

Skip to: 07:11 Is there a demand in industry for CTE students?
Skip to: 08:34 Are there some high-priority occupations? Are there industry clusters that you’re seeing?
Skip to: 09:30 How does the Department of Education work with other state agencies to meet current industry demands?
Skip to: 11:46 What qualifications must be met for a CTE program of study to be approved by the state?
Skip to: 13:38 Is it possible for CTE students to graduate high school with credits toward a college degree?
Skip to: 14:54 Could you explain how the state’s graduation requirements were changed to provide flexibility for students in CTE programs (Act 6 of 2017 & Act 158 of 2018)
Skip to: 16:19 How are CTE programs funded?
Skip to: 17:24 Can you tell us the purpose of the Perkins Act?
Skip to: 19:01 What does the state, and schools, have to do to meet Perkins requirements for the federal funding?
Skip to: 19:55 What are the goals of the Bureau of Career and Technical Education and do you have things coming up that you’d like to highlight that will help increase academic and occupational achievement?

Matthew Stem, Deputy Secretary

**Office of Elementary and Secondary Education**
**Pennsylvania Department of Education**

Matthew Stem is the Deputy Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education. He assumed this role in the spring of 2015 and is responsible for the management and oversight of all programs related to K to 12 education for the 1.74 million students in Pennsylvania. These include oversight and funding of basic education, special education, career and technical education, federal programs and safe schools as well as all associated statutes and regulations.

Mr. Stem and his team have worked closely with stakeholders throughout the Commonwealth to build networks around such key issues as STEM education and career readiness. He has also supervised the preparation of Pennsylvania’s ESSA Consolidated State Plan which was approved by the U.S. Department of Education in January 2018. As part of the state’s ESSA plan, Mr. Stem is leading efforts to develop Pennsylvania’s new strategies to provide support and assistance to schools identified as needing comprehensive support and improvement.

Lee Burket, Director for Bureau of Career and Technical Education

**Office of Elementary and Secondary Education**
**Pennsylvania Department of Education**

Lee Burket is the Director of the Bureau of Career and Technical Education for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education. She plans, develops and directs statewide programs to improve career and technical education offered at secondary and postsecondary entities.

The post The Hidden Gem of Public Education appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Communicating Without Words** Nov 12, 2019

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About our Guest

Resources

During the 2019 PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference, social psychologist, bestselling author, Harvard lecturer and TED talk presenter **Dr. Amy Cuddy** sat down with us to share her expertise on nonverbal communication and its influence in the school atmosphere. She discussed the impact of the body on the mind; how teachers, students and staff communicate; and elements to be mindful of when communicating in the education setting and beyond.

This episode is sponsored by:

Skip to: 00:55 In a school setting, school leaders, teachers and students are interacting — verbally and nonverbally — every day. How can nonverbal communication be used positively for these various participants in public education space?

Closed body language is not just linked to powerlessness; it’s also linked to shame. And I think that kids feel a lot of shame. Shame is one of the most self-destructive emotions.

We probably focus a lot on whether the kids are interested or not, and that matters; but I think what matters more is do they feel trusting and safe or not.

Skip to: 09:43 Going off of that, sometimes we are unaware of our nonverbal communication and unaware of what the nonverbal communication around us might mean. In a school setting, how can that unawareness be detrimental?

An interaction with a teacher for a student might feel like their biggest challenge. They’re really worried about how they’re being socially evaluated by the teacher. The stakes feel incredibly high to them.

Just remember that the person whose lower power in an interaction is the one who’s more attuned to the body language of the other because they’re looking for whatever information they can get to figure out where they stand in that person’s eyes.

If you’re not present with them nonverbally; if you’re not showing that you’re interested in them, they can’t be present with you.

Skip to: 13:53 If our nonverbals govern how we feel, is there a practice that could be incorporated into schools that would help students become engaged and prepared to learn?

When we feel psychologically powerful, it affects the way we think. We think more clearly. We feel more optimistic. We behave differently. We do better on tests. We perform better because we’re less anxious.

Skip to: 21:46 Social-emotional learning, or SEL, is a prevalent topic in education. Do you think being aware of nonverbal communication could aid in the SEL process and improve an individual’s self-awareness and self-control?
Skip to: 25:34 Your research has heavily focused on prejudice and stereotyping. How could social science be incorporated into creating more equitable public education?

Dr. Amy Cuddy

Social psychologist, award-winning Harvard lecturer and best-selling author, Dr. Amy Cuddy is an expert on the behavioral science of power, presence, purpose and prejudice. She is a member of the Harvard Business School Executive Education Faculty and the author of New York Times best seller, Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges. Her 2012 TED Talk, “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are,” has been viewed more than 53 million times.

https://www.amycuddy.com/

https://www.ted.com/speakers/amy_cuddy

The post Communicating Without Words appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Educating Students Beyond the Classroom** Oct 29, 2019

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About our Guests

Resources

At *Upper St. Clair School District*, five unique programs immerse students in learning outside of the classroom and help them develop life ready skills. While attending the 2019 PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference to share information about their programs, Superintendent **John Rozzo** and **Amy Pfender**, assistant to the superintendent, joined us to provide more insight into what makes their programs unique and how they have impacted students.
While we place a large and important emphasis on academics in our school district, we also recognize that we need to do more to help prepare them for the world after K12.

Skip to: 02:11 Your partner programs, SHOP @ USC and Partners in PE, bring special education students and their peers together. What kind of interaction have you seen between these students, and what lifelong lessons do you think they take away from this experience?
Skip to: 04:00 Student leadership academies are offered to students in grades 4 through 12. Do you regularly see students return to these academies throughout their educational career?
Skip to: 04:51 Can you talk about the programming over the summer months?

By offering more summer programming and giving credit for it, that has allowed us to create greater flexibility for our students.

Skip to: 06:18 Since the summer STEAM academy began in 2011, have you experienced students making educational choices and, later, career choices that were influenced by an interest in STEAM?
Skip to: 09:35 In your presentation, you mentioned that the SMART desk program has experienced increased female involvement in recent years. How were you able to evoke more interest in a STEAM-related program from female students?

Right now at our high school we have 22 students participating in SMART desk; a third of them are females.

Skip to: 11:35 What advice would you offer to other school districts that are looking to engage students outside of the typical classroom environment?

The fact that we start small, have realistic expectations out of the gate and then make sure we’re getting buy-in from all the appropriate constituents has really been essential in the effectiveness of the programs for us.

Dr. John Rozzo, superintendent of schools, Upper St. Clair SD

Dr. John Rozzo has served as Superintendent of Schools of Upper St. Clair School District since July 1, 2018.

Previous to his role as Superintendent, Dr. Rozzo served as the Assistant Superintendent from 2014 to 2018 and was instrumental in steering the district’s strategic planning process. He has been a vital part of the district leadership, vision and commitment to students and their families.

A member of the Upper St. Clair School District staff since 2005, Dr. Rozzo has been promoted to several administrative positions including assistant principal, middle school principal of academics, and supervisor of middle level education. In addition, he served as Assistant Superintendent from 2014 through 2018. Dr. Rozzo began his educational career in 1999 as a science teacher in the Brentwood School District.

Throughout his tenure, Dr. Rozzo has led several initiatives including serving as chairperson of the district’s Strategic/Comprehensive Plan and guiding the district’s transition to the new Principal and Teacher Effectiveness Model. In addition, he has presented at numerous local, regional and statewide conferences regarding increasing student achievement, instructional leadership, and components of an exemplary school district.

Mrs. Amy Pfender, assistant to the superintendent, Upper St. Clair SD

Mrs. Amy Pfender has served as Assistant to the Superintendent of Upper St. Clair School School District since July 1, 2019. In this role, she oversees the district’s educational program in grades 9 through 12.

Mrs. Pfender began her tenure with Upper St. Clair School District as a special education teacher at Boyce Middle School in August 2005. In 2009 she became the district’s elementary special education department chairperson and the following year ascended to special education curriculum leader. In March 2012, she was appointed assistant middle school principal and was promoted to principal of Boyce Middle School a year later. She served as the district’s Director of Student Support Services from 2016 through 2019.
“Beyond Academics:Innovative High School Programs Promoting Life Ready Skills” – Presentation
2019 PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference
The post Educating Students Beyond the Classroom appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Artificial Intelligence as Middle School Education** Oct 02, 2019

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About our Guests

**Montour School District** saw the opportunity to teach for the future, preparing students for careers and life by launching America’s first Artificial Intelligence Middle School program in the fall of 2018.
**Dominic Salpeck**, principal and **Bill Black**, STEM teacher at *David E. Williams Middle School* share their experiences and insights, highlighting the why and how it came to fruition framed by the conclusion their district came to—not asking themselves “if they should teach AI, but rather, what if we don’t teach AI?”
Skip to: 01:30 How did the idea for Montour AI at David E. Williams Middle School come about?
Skip to: 04:30 Can you describe the space where students take part in the AI program?
Skip to: 05:41 When do students take part in the AI program?
Skip to: 06:59 Why do you think artificial intelligence is such an important skill for students to learn?
Skip to: 08:32 What are some examples of projects students have worked on at the center?
Skip to: 12:48 Can you tell us about the Carnegie Mellon University partnership?
Skip to: 14:48 How have you funded the Montour AI project?
Skip to: 16:23 Last year the school hosted the World Artificial Intelligence Regional Competition for Youth. Can you talk about that competition?
July 27th in Alleghany county will now be considered National AI Day.

Mr. Bill Black

Mr. Black is in his 18th year of teaching overall and 8th year teaching in the STEM position at David E. William Middle School in the Montour School District. Mr. Black is a Project Lead The Way certified K-8 teacher with certifications in the Launch and Gateway To Technology Programs. He also has his level II certification with artificial intelligence through a local leading AI education company called **Ready AI**. Mr. Black brings AI to the students utilizing Anki’s Cozmo Robot and Dr. David Touretzky’s calypso programming tool. Mr. Black teaches a wide variety of skills from building VEX Robots with 5th graders, solving everyday problems with 6th grade utilizing the design process and solving worldly problems through AI on a small scale with his 7th and 8th graders.

Mr. Dominic Salpeck

Mr. Salpeck began his career in public education in January of 2001 as a social studies teacher at Sto-Rox Middle School/ Sto-Rox High School. In November of 2008, Dominic was hired as a principal at David E. Williams Middle School in the Montour School District. His passion for education includes action planning, progress monitoring, challenging students/ staff/ self to grow, and positive school culture supported by effective discipline.

The post Artificial Intelligence as Middle School Education appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**One District’s Move to Equity (Part 2)- Implicit Bias and the Struggles for Equity** Sep 17, 2019

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About our Guests

Resources

Listen to Part 1 – Developing an Equity Program
This two-part episode out of a three-part series focuses on how one school district in Pennsylvania has moved to embed equity into its education practice. In part 2, Mr. Ken Nickson, the Coordinator of Educational Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Erie Public Schools and Dr. Heather Bennett, director of equity services at PSBA engage in a discussion on implicit bias and the challenges in moving equity forward in Erie Public Schools.
Skip to: 00:28 What are some of the challenges you encountered in implementing a formal practice of equity in your district?
Skip to: 02:23 Can you define implicit bias?
It tough because you’re talking about things that are entrenched in people’s beliefs and mindsets.

As educators, we have to continuously examine our internal perceptions in order for us to create and implement positive external practices and policies for our kids.

Skip to: 09:05 What are some tips or guidance around when a district might start?

I would definitely do the toolkit, I would form a committee and I would use some type of a climate survey…

Ken E. Nickson, Jr., Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Erie Public Schools

Born and raised in Erie, PA, Ken Nickson, Jr. is a 1996 graduate of Central High School. He graduated from Clarion University of PA, in May 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Education, specializing in Elementary/Special Education. He earned his Master’s in Educational Leadership in 2006 from Gannon University and currently holds a Principal Certificate and a Superintendent Letter of Eligibility. His professional career began in Pittsburgh, during the final semester of student teaching for Clarion, when he was hired as an Emotional Support teacher and given his own classroom in Pittsburgh’s Public Schools. It was there that Ken began to fuse his formal education with his life experiences to impart knowledge and impact the lives of the 10 middle school aged boys under his tutelage. Since then, Ken has worked his 17-year career with Erie’s Public Schools in various roles including his current role as Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion always holding the education and empowerment of the student as an integral priority. Ken is married to his high school sweetheart Tica, who also works for their school district as a Student Parenting Case Worker, Birth Doula, and Lactation Consultant. Together they have 4 kids, all of which attend Erie’s Public Schools. Ken also has a son who lives in Columbus, Georgia who is equally successful in that area’s public schools.

Ken and his family attend Erie Christian Fellowship Church, where he serves in Youth Ministry as a middle school teacher. He is a man of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated. When away from work, his time is spent coaching and watching his kids play sports. He enjoys date nights with his wife, and sneaking in some racquetball and fishing in the numerous waterways in his beloved hometown.
o PSBA Equity Action Plan
o Pennsylvania Equity and Inclusion Toolkit
o Christopher Emdin. 2016. For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood…and the Rest of Y’all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education. Beacon Press.
The post One District’s Move to Equity (Part 2)- Implicit Bias and the Struggles for Equity appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**One District’s Move to Equity (Part 1)—Developing an Equity Program** Sep 17, 2019

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About our Guests

Resources

This two-part episode out of a three-part series focuses on how one school district in Pennsylvania has moved to embed equity into its education practice. In part 1, Mr. Ken Nickson, the coordinator of educational diversity, equity and inclusion at Erie Public Schools transports us to the diverse city of Erie and its school district. In this discussion, he describes the steps Erie took to develop an equity program and strategic plan, specifically focusing on combating the negative impact of the school to prison pipeline on student opportunity, belonging, and achievement. This episode also features Dr. Heather Bennett, director of equity services for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

Listen to Part 2 – Implicit Bias and the Struggles for Equity in the next episode.
Skip to: 01:05 Describe the city of Erie, and also the school district.
Skip to: 02:49 Can you tell us about the catalyst around introducing your role to the school district?
Skip to: 04:32 Describe some of the responsibilities of your role.
I look at myself as being a connection for the community and the city and the district in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Skip to: 08:18 How would you define equity?
Skip to: 11:12 What is the school to prison pipeline?

Restoring relationships is so important. And realizing that we really need to think about how our teachers are perceiving our kids.

Skip to: 16:34 What type of practices and steps are being implemented that helps to counteract that school to prison pipeline effect?

We’re focusing on the disproportionality in suspension/explosion rates which goes straight to the school to prison pipeline conversation.

We talked about implicit, unconscious and racial bias as an entire district.

Skip to: 20:31 Is there anything that stands out as a positive response or high accomplishment in your time in your position so far?

Ken E. Nickson, Jr., Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Erie Public Schools

Born and raised in Erie, PA, Ken Nickson, Jr. is a 1996 graduate of Central High School. He graduated from Clarion University of PA, in May 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Education, specializing in Elementary/Special Education. He earned his Master’s in Educational Leadership in 2006 from Gannon University and currently holds a Principal Certificate and a Superintendent Letter of Eligibility. His professional career began in Pittsburgh, during the final semester of student teaching for Clarion, when he was hired as an Emotional Support teacher and given his own classroom in Pittsburgh’s Public Schools. It was there that Ken began to fuse his formal education with his life experiences to impart knowledge and impact the lives of the 10 middle school aged boys under his tutelage. Since then, Ken has worked his 17-year career with Erie’s Public Schools in various roles including his current role as Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion always holding the education and empowerment of the student as an integral priority. Ken is married to his high school sweetheart Tica, who also works for their school district as a Student Parenting Case Worker, Birth Doula, and Lactation Consultant. Together they have 4 kids, all of which attend Erie’s Public Schools. Ken also has a son who lives in Columbus, Georgia who is equally successful in that area’s public schools.

Ken and his family attend Erie Christian Fellowship Church, where he serves in Youth Ministry as a middle school teacher. He is a man of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated. When away from work, his time is spent coaching and watching his kids play sports. He enjoys date nights with his wife, and sneaking in some racquetball and fishing in the numerous waterways in his beloved hometown.
Erie Public Schools, 2018-2024 Strategic Plan- Mobilizing Community, Igniting Excellence
The post One District’s Move to Equity (Part 1)—Developing an Equity Program appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**The Role of a Community Foundation** Sep 03, 2019

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About our Guests

Resources

The **Basic Education Funding** (BEF) equation is complicated and even where there is a solid budget and an existing education foundation at the school district level, there is an integral role that a community foundation can fill. Central Susquehanna Community Foundation’s CEO and President, **Holly Morrison** along with the foundation’s Chief Advancement Officer, **Kara Seesholtz** will share the origin and work of their organization and the ways they support the operations of a district-level education foundation. Skip to: 01:26 Describe the work of Central Susquehanna Community Foundation.
We are here to help individuals, families, businesses and organizations fulfill their philanthropic interests and passions.

Skip to: 02:17 What are some of the biggest impacts your organization has been able to accomplish?

Overall our foundation grants out more than, this past, year 2.7 million dollars.

Skip to: 08:42 How does your organization work in tandem with, or in support of foundations at the school district level?

It’s good to have a diverse committee that includes parents, school board members, individuals from the community, to have a really good group working together.

Skip to: 12:39 What are the benefits to a school district when working with your organization?
Skip to: 17:08 Does a school have to work with a community foundation in their community region?

Community foundations all work towards the same goal and that is to help people with giving and doing more for the community.

Skip to: 18:54 Does your organization offer resources or professional development opportunities for district foundation leaders?
Skip to: 19:38 What would your recommendations be to a school district who is either looking to start up a foundation, or is in the early stages of being established?

M. Holly Morrison, D.Ed., President and CEO of Central Susquehanna Community Foundation

Holly reports directly to the Board of Directors and has the overall strategic and operational responsibility for the Foundation’s staff, programs, expansion, and execution of its mission. Holly works closely to develop, maintain, and support her strong Board of Directors while supporting each of the affiliate boards including Bloomsburg Area Community Foundation, Selinsgrove Area Community Foundation, Sunbury Area Community Foundation, Danville Area Community Foundation, and Berwick Health & Wellness Fund.

Kara G. Seesholtz, Chief Advancement Officer of Central Susquehanna Community Foundation

Kara is responsible for developing and strengthening Foundation relationships and assuring donor stewardship across the region on behalf of the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation and its affiliates, fundholders and community partners. She works together with the President and CEO to develop and implement strategies for all communications, including website content, social media, events and marketing materials. Her work encompasses the Berwick Health and Wellness Fund, Bloomsburg Area Community Foundation, Sunbury Area Health Foundation, Selinsgrove Area Community Foundation, Danville Area Community Foundation and various other donor-advised, field of interest, agency and school district endowments, scholarship, designated, unrestricted and pass-through funds established at the Foundation.
**Central Susquehanna Community Foundation** – https://csgiving.org
**National School Foundation Association** – https://www.schoolfoundations.org/
**Community Foundation Locator** – https://www.cof.org/community-foundation-locator
The post The Role of a Community Foundation appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**The Impact of Act 7: Saving Lives Through Hands-Only CPR** Aug 20, 2019

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About our Guests

Resources

**Act 7 of 2019** has just taken effect, requiring the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to develop and provide curriculum for hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to schools, now part of required high school instruction. Class-after-class of graduating young adults will be released into the world, empowered and trained to take action if they encounter an adult who has succumb to sudden cardiac arrest, potentially doubling or even tripling survival rates.
**Larissa Bedrick**, communications director for the *American Heart Association*, and **Steve Poffenberger**, director of quality and staff development for *Geisinger EMS* join the podcast to discuss the science behind no-breath, hands-only CPR, traditional CPR training and certification, and how this new no-breath method fits into life-saving tactics. Skip to: 01:03 What does cardiac arrest vs heart attack mean?
Skip to: 02:25 How many people are estimated to suffer from a sudden cardiac arrest each year?
We estimate about 350,000 people will suffer from a sudden cardiac arrest each year outside of the hospital.

Skip to: 03:05 Out of that number, how many deaths result?

If bystanders perform CPR, the survival rate can double or even triple.

Skip to: 04:40 Explain the effectiveness of the hands-only method

The hands-only CPR component is strictly designed for adults.

Skip to: 06:43 With respect to Act 7, why is it important to get this curriculum into high schools?

“It certainly empowers these young adults.

Skip to: 08:33 What is this training going to include?
Skip to: 15:39 Describe the critical nature of the timing of CPR
Skip to: 18:23 Describe the process of Act 7. When will the training begin in the schools?
Skip to: 19:22 Who will be providing the training in the schools with the students?

Larissa Bedrick, Communications Director, American Heart Association

Larissa joined the American Heart Association as communications director in June 2012. She is based in Harrisburg, Pa. and covers the Central PA, Lehigh Valley and Northeast PA regions. Larissa previously served as a public relations officer for the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Department of State, as well as served as the constituent services director for the Office of the Governor. She is also the immediate past president of the Pennsylvania Public Relations Society. Larissa is a summa cum laude graduate of Temple University with a bachelor’s degree in Film and Media Arts and a minor in political science, and is the proud daughter of a retired teacher.

Steve Poffenberger, Director of Quality/Staff Development, Geisinger EMS

Steve Poffenberger currently serves as the director of quality/staff development at Geisinger EMS (Geisinger Holy Spirit). He has been with the agency since October 1985 and has been an EMS provider for 43 years. He has acted as a paramedic program coordinator for HACC for the past 30 years. Steve volunteers for the American Heart Association on the PA Policy Advocacy Committee. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The Pennsylvania State University and currently lives in Dauphin, PA with his wife, Kathy.
CPR Curriculum for Schools – Senate Bill 115
American Heart Association
The post The Impact of Act 7: Saving Lives Through Hands-Only CPR appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Summer Learning Loss and the Long-term Impact Aug 06, 2019

Storybook summers depict kids swimming, biking and climbing trees with friends, but how does this fit into the topic of summer learning loss and the opportunity gap?
Creating meaningful and productive summer months for youth does not automatically equate to the traditional summer school model with kids confined to classrooms. This episode’s discussion with Rachel Gwaltney, director of policy and partnerships for the National Summer Learning Association highlights how schools can plan for flexible and engaging summer learning options that can not only help lessen achievement gap issues, but also reduce the stigma affiliated with summer school. Skip to: 01:07 What is summer learning loss and how does it relate to the achievement gap?

Summer learning loss is what happens to all children who don’t have access to stimulating and enriching activities during the summer months.

Skip to: 02:14 What are some of the detrimental outcomes for students, from spending summers without learning?

Skip to: 03:49 How does the data convey to us?

Skip to: 05:50 Do socioeconomic factors play a role in the data?

Skip to: 07:15 How does a balanced summer look in an ideal world?

Summer offers an opportunity to learn in ways that you just cannot do during the school year or in a school-based environment.

Skip to: 12:07 If a district is looking to launch a program, what are some challenges they might face?

Planning for the next summer starts immediately when the summer ends.

Skip to: 14:10 Is there a stigma involved in summer learning programs and how can that be mitigated?

Skip to: 16:50 Is it important for schools to connect with their legislators to express the needs of their community as it pertains to summer programming?

Rachel Gwaltney, Director of Policy & Partnerships at NSLA

As Director of Policy & Partnerships at NSLA, Rachel Gwaltney leads the research, development, and implementation of services, resources, and partnerships that improve and sustain policy conditions for summer learning. This includes educating and mobilizing the national network of summer learning advocates to make the case for summer to policymakers. Rachel also oversees NSLA’s efforts to grow and promote the research on summer gaps, opportunities, and best practices.
Prior to joining NSLA in 2015, Rachel held roles at District of Columbia Public Schools, Data Quality Campaign, and Horizons National. She previously served as Chief of Programs for Higher Achievement, leading expansion, program quality, evaluation, advocacy, curriculum, and training efforts.
Rachel holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from Northwestern University. She completed the Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) at IEL in 2012.

For more information about the National Summer Learning Association, visit: https://www.summerlearning.org/

The post Summer Learning Loss and the Long-term Impact appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Dyslexia: The Hidden Obstacle to Literacy** Jul 23, 2019

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About our Guest

Resources

Dyslexia is a language based learning disability impacting up to an estimated 20% of the population (according to the International Dyslexia Association). Early detection and specific instructional methods have been determined as significant keys-to-success for those struggling against the challenges the disability presents. In this episode, we’ll learn more about the disability, how it goes undetected and ways we can help dyslexic students be successful in reading and learning. All this and more insightful information in today’s discussion with **Daphne Uliana**, founder of the Dyslexia and Literacy Network.
Skip to: 02:44 Define dyslexia.

“Basically, your brain is wired differently if you’re dyslexic. It is a neurobiological condition, meaning you are born with it. It’s hereditary.”

Skip to: 03:46 Different forms of Dyslexia
Skip to: 05:29 Dyslexia Screening and Early Literacy Intervention Pilot Program
Skip to: 07:24 How early can dyslexia be detected in children?
Skip to: 12:35 What role does the school play in early detection, if it is not being detected at home?

Not all kids who struggle to read are dyslexic, but all dyslexics will struggle to read.

Skip to: 14:07 What kinds of measures can be carried out to help a child succeed in his/her educational path?
Skip to: 17:59 What are some resources for schools who need support ensuring that a child’s needs are being met, once dyslexia is identified?
Skip to: 20:29 What are some resources for parents?

Daphne Uliana, Founder, Dyslexia and Literacy Network

For 25 years, Daphne Uliana was a campaign aide and fundraiser to the former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives John Perzel. She was a campaign aide to Congressman Charlie Dent as well as managed numerous campaigns for state Senate, state House and Court of Common Pleas Judges.
Inspired by struggles with her three dyslexic children, Daphne along with other advocates, helped to pass Act 69 of 2014, which established a pilot program to screen all children for reading difficulty in eight school districts in Pennsylvania. In 2018, she helped to pass a two-year extension for the pilot program, and she along with another parent advocate, was instrumental in having an audio version of the Pennsylvania driver’s manual placed online. In 2018, Daphne started the Dyslexia and Literacy Network, an all-volunteer nonprofit to help parents who have children that struggle to read and advocate for change and more awareness of Dyslexia. She also established the Literacy Coalition; a nonprofit focused on awareness of quality reading instruction for all children.

Uliana is a member of the Boards of Trustees for The Gow School in South Wales, New York. In the past, she served on the Hillside School Board of Trustees and the Pennsylvania Branch of the International Dyslexia Association. Beginning in the fall of 2019 she will be an Advisory Board Member of H.E.L.P. Program at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia and a member of the Policy Committee for the Learning Disabilities Association of America.

Daphne Uliana is married to former State Senator Joe Uliana, who is the Managing Principal at JM Uliana & Associates, a Pennsylvania based lobbying and public affairs firm. She has three children: Nicholas 23, Samuel 21, and Lauren 15.
**Mentioned in this episode:**
Dyslexia and Literacy Network
PaTTAN – Dyslexia and Early Literacy Intervention
Pennsylvania Dyslexia Screening & Early Literacy Intervention Pilot Program
Learning Disabilities Association
International Dyslexia Association
**Research Studies and Reports:**
Early Reading Instruction: What Science Really Tells Us about How to Teach Reading
(The MIT Press, 2004)

The Effectiveness of Direct Instruction Curricula: A Meta-Analysis of a Half Century of Research
(Review of Educational Research, January 2018)

Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties
(Wiley, 2015)

The Science of Reading Research
(Educational Leadership, March 2004)

The Simple View of Reading
(The Center for Development and Learning, February 2010)

The post Dyslexia: The Hidden Obstacle to Literacy appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

An Education Vision Plan for Pennsylvania Jul 09, 2019

The Pennsylvania School Boards Association, in collaboration with numerous other public education stakeholder groups came together to form a visionary roadmap for public education going forward. The Commonwealth Education Blueprint is the result and it’s in phase 2 development slated for completion in early 2020. In this episode, Heather Masshardt, project facilitator for the Commonwealth Education Blueprint, joins us to discuss the history and future of the project. Skip to: 01:15 What is the Commonwealth Education Blueprint (CEB)?
Skip to: 03:55 Does it include different aspects of the educational equation?

It’s meant to address multiple strategic subject areas that make up the foundation of education.

Skip to: 06:29 How does the CEB differ from policy?

The Commonwealth Education Blueprint is really a vision statement.

Skip to: 07:56 How will the CEB guide districts with different needs, different demographics, and unique criteria?

In working on phase 2, we recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach for school districts.

Skip to: 12:11 What are the objectives of phase 2?

For more information on the Commonwealth Education Blueprint, visit: https://www.edblueprintpa.org/

The post An Education Vision Plan for Pennsylvania appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Learning, Emotional Wellness and a Dog’s Ability to Impact** Jun 25, 2019

About this Episode

Time Stamps

About Our Guest

A child’s ability to learn and grow begins with emotional well-being. In the school environment, there may be any range of scenarios where stabilizing is required before the learning can begin. This is where a therapy dog can be a key contributor to the success stories, where occupational, speech, or physical therapy services are needed. As part of early intervention or postvention situations, trained dogs are working to bring the pack to homeostasis and readying the classroom and students to thrive. Dr. Tracy Geist, social worker at **Capital Area Intermediate Unit**, joins the podcast to share insights about the role of therapy dogs as part of pediatric therapy services and early intervention.
Skip to: 00:45 How integral is emotional wellbeing to a childs ability to learn?
Skip to: 02:13 How does having a dog present impact or contribute to a person’s wellbeing?

Dogs come into our lives and as a pack animal, we become their pack.

Skip to: 11:34 Postvention treatment scenarios

Dogs are really efficient and effective in getting the help needed quicker.

Skip to: 19:19 Suggestions for school districts looking to introduce therapy dogs

Tracy Geist, Ph.D, social worker at Capital Area Intermediate Unit

**Dr. Tracy Geist** is a *licensed professional counselor* and has been a *school social worker* with the **Capital Area Intermediate Unit (CAIU)** since 2002. Along with her caseload, Tracy is the founder of the CAIU therapy dog program. Prior to joining the CAIU she worked as a Supervisor for the Children’s Case Management Unit, Director of the Dauphin County Student Assistance Program, and as a Family Based Therapist for Keystone Children and Family Services. Tracy has also taught as an adjunct Professor for Widener University and Messiah College.

Tracy is emerging as an expert in the field of animal assisted therapy and has presented at the National Conference on Advancing School Mental Health, in Alexandria VA, hosted by the Center for School Mental Health (CSMH) and the IDEA Partnership (funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), sponsored by the National Association of State Directors of Special Education) as well as the Animal-Assisted Interventions International conference in Denver.

A prodigious yet discerning coffee drinker, Tracy’s family hails from West Virginia. Tracy resides in Dillsburg PA with her husband Ken, her canine co-therapist Stuart, and other various animals. You can often see the Geist family exploring the town in their vintage VW camper van.

The post Learning, Emotional Wellness and a Dog’s Ability to Impact appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Foundation Growth: From the Ground Up Jun 12, 2019

An education foundation can supplement a schools’ programs and new initiatives, where constrained school district budgets have little room to expand or absorb new expenses. Starting up a foundation may seem daunting. This episode focuses on the startup and growth of Warrior Run Education Foundation, founded six years ago in support of rural school district, Warrior Run. Jean Hormell, president of the foundation, joins the podcast to share tips and insights, and to explain how their foundation involves students in philanthropic efforts.

Skip to: 04:27 Youth and Philanthropy

We are independent but we are involved with the school district so we really rely on the goals of the school districts, the needs that they identify, the ideas that are brought to us by staff and we certainly want to collaborate with them as much as possible.

Skip to: 09:35 Community awareness of funding for school districts
Skip to: 14:00 Tips for starting a foundation

Jean Hormell, chairperson for Warrior Run Education Foundation

The post Foundation Growth: From the Ground Up appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Progression Towards Equity May 30, 2019

How does equity become the lens through which all aspects of the educational experience are filtered? And why is this essential for the K-12 education system? Addressing the gaps of opportunity and supports for students goes beyond a checklist and may seem insurmountable. Tune-in for insights from guests, Dr. Terrance Green (University of Texas at Austin) and Dr. Sonya Horsford (Columbia University) who are part of today’s discussion with guest host, Dr. Heather Bennett.

Equity is not like a program, it’s not an initiative, it’s not like a toolbox or a checklist that I’m doing. Equity is like a system, it has to inform everything in the school district.

Skip to: 01:55 What is equity?
Skip to: 09:57 “Equity Sprinkles”

I think for other communities, the question of equity is really about fairness, it’s about freedom from discrimination and it’s about having the access to the same abilities, resources and experiences of other students.

Skip to: 14:19 Equity in school districts without extreme demographic changes or diverse populations
Skip to: 18:03 Steps districts can do/take to move towards equity

Dr. Terrance Green

Terrance L. Green is an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy. Dr. Green’s research examines the relationship between educational leadership, schools, and neighborhood-communities, with a focus on racial and educational equity. His work centers on three related research strands: 1) the role of educational leaders in equity-focused school-family-community partnerships, 2) the intersection of school reform and equitable community development, with a focus on the impacts of neighborhood gentrification on schools, and 3) institutional change approaches to racial and educational equity in school districts and schools. His research has been published in several journals including Teaches College Record, Educational Administration Quarterly, Journal of School Leadership, The Urban Review, and Urban Education.

Dr. Sonya Horsford

Sonya Douglass Horsford, Ed.D. is Associate Professor of Education Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she serves as Senior Research Associate at the Institute of Urban and Minority Education (IUME) and Co-Director of the Urban Education Leaders Program (UELP) – an Ed.D. program for aspiring and practicing urban school superintendents. Her research focuses on the social and political contexts of school leadership, school segregation, critical race theory, Black education and the superintendency.

Horsford (2014) – When Race Enters the Room: Improving Leadership and Learning Through Racial Literacy
Horsford et all (2011) – Pegagogy of the Personal and Professional: Toward a Framework for Culturally Relevant Leadership

The post Progression Towards Equity appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

The 2020 U.S. Census, and Why It’s so Important to Ensure Accuracy May 14, 2019

The 2020 U.S. Census will mark the first-ever to be conducted online to a large degree. Great attention will be paid to accumulating an accurate representation of the entire U.S. population, and the planning has been underway for the past ten years. Keystone Counts, Coalition Manager, Jo Lin joins us for this episode for a conversation around the upcoming census, and the importance of including the historically undercounted and underserved populations. Skip to: 02:00 How can we ensure an accurate census?
Skip to: 08:08 How does a census impact education?

Historically, populations of immigrants and communities of color and children under 18 are the most undercounted but because this upcoming census is moving online, it also raises concerns that rural communities that don’t have access to broadband or populations that may not be as digitally literate, let’s say low income households or seniors, are also facing these more systematic barriers for the first time.

Skip to: 12:39 What efforts are being made to ensure accuracy and completeness in this 2020 census?
Skip to: 17:58 What can school leaders and educators be doing across the state to help support this?

Jo Li, coalition manager for Keystone Counts

Resource link: https://www.keystonecounts.org/

The post The 2020 U.S. Census, and Why It’s so Important to Ensure Accuracy appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Brown v. Board of Education: 65 years later Apr 26, 2019

A landmark 1954 Supreme Court case, now 65 years since—what have been the impacts and progress? The case and surrounding events are considered to be one of the cornerstones of the civil rights movement that helped establish the precedent that separate-but-equal education and other services were not in fact equal. Tune in for this episode to hear a discussion between guest host, Dr. Heather Bennett, director of equity services for PSBA, and Dr. Erica Frankenberg, associate professor of education for Penn State.

The composition of students is a critical part of the educational experience and the important role that public schools play in preparing future adults to carry out our basic democracy.

Skip to: 06:25 Why is this case so significant?
Skip to: 11:33 What is the aftermath of the Brown decision?
Skip to: 22:18 What can we do about the current resegregation of school districts across the nation?

Dr. Erica Frankenberg, associate professor of education for Penn State

Erica Frankenberg (Ed.D., Harvard University) is a professor of education and demography in the College of Education at the Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests focus on racial desegregation and inequality in K-12 schools, and the connections between school segregation and other metropolitan policies. At Penn State, Dr. Frankenberg teaches classes on education policy and politics. In 2014, she coordinated the Civil Rights and Education conference at Penn State, and is co-editor of a 2016 book from this conference. With Liliana Garces, Dr. Frankenberg directs a civil rights and education center at Penn State.

The post Brown v. Board of Education: 65 years later appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Operating the Board and Going Digital Apr 17, 2019

Does going digital in board governance sound like more work? Tune in, to hear about how document digitization results in multiple benefits: time-saved, transparency, and building trust in the communities. Diligent Corporation’s Vice President of Thought Leadership, Dottie Schindlinger joins us on this episode to discuss digital best practices for board business.

Moving everything digital and having boards communicate in more digital ways makes that transparency equation much simpler and it helps build trust with the community.

Skip to: 02:14How the traditional board governance scenario historically and today typically operates
Skip to: 06:05How digital technology has changed the ways a board might govern
Skip to: 25:50Building a resilient board

Dottie Schindlinger, Vice President of Thought Leadership for Diligent Corporation

https://diligent.com/

The post Operating the Board and Going Digital appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Agriculture in PA: An Interview with Sen. Bartolotta & The Freight Farm at Trinity Area School District Apr 03, 2019

Agriculture as the leading industry in Pennsylvania provides viable career options for students who have wide-ranging aptitudes and interests. Senator Bartolotta (part one) and leaders of Trinity Area School District (part two) with their Freight Farm provide perspective around how it can be introduced to students focused on different post-graduation paths.

Anyone with almost any degree can focus on Agriculture and make a career of it.

Skip to: 01:36 How are we introducing the students of PA to the careers that exist in Agriculture?
Skip to: 06:50 Introduction of Trinity Area School District
Skip to: 07:50 Overview of Trinity Area School District’s Freight Farm Program

Senator Camera Bartolotta, PA Senate District 46

Dr. Michael Lucas, superintendent of Trinity Area School District

Mr. Donald Snoke, assistant superintendent of Trinity Area School District

The post Agriculture in PA: An Interview with Sen. Bartolotta & The Freight Farm at Trinity Area School District appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Carving a Career Path: a Case Example for Lowering the Dropout Rate in Columbia County Mar 19, 2019

Talking with leaders from the Central Columbia School District, we’ll hear about how one district has created the Career Pathways high school, a unique program that creates a spark, and leads students to meaningful professional paths. Listen in and find out more about how they are reducing dropout rates in the Central Columbia School District.

We have to make curriculum that is relevant to what our kids actually want to do when they leave us. We feel like it’s our job to provide that spark to kids versus a traditional high school where you’re going in and taking the core subjects.

Skip to: 09:01 Phases of implementation
Skip to: 20:58 How does focusing on a career area in high school benefit the students after they graduate and before?

Harry Mathias, superintendent of Central Columbia School District

Jeff Groshek, high school principal of Central Columbia High School

The post Carving a Career Path: a Case Example for Lowering the Dropout Rate in Columbia County appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Understanding the Generations Mar 05, 2019

Talking with author, speaker, consultant and generational studies authority Chuck Underwood, this episode is centered around today’s living generations and pre-generation (the current K-12 student populace) and how they communicate, learn, live, and work based on distinct core values and experiences.This episode was recorded at the 2018 School Leadership Conference, where Chuck Underwood provided a keynote address.

By the time we leave the classroom years, we now possess a pretty strong set of core values that we’ll keep largely in tact for life.

Skip to: 01:01 What do schools need to know about the current student generations?
Skip to: 06:14 What’s the difference between GenX and GenZ?

Chuck Underwood

Chuck Underwood is one of the pioneers who created, developed, and popularized the field of generational study.

He is the founder/principal of “TGI” – The Generational Imperative, Inc. – an Ohio-based generational consulting firm. He consults and trains corporations and organizations in Generational Workplace Strategy and Generational Marketplace Strategy.

To know more about multi-generational board culture, read the Jan/Feb issue of Bulletin magazine
Find out more about Chuck’s research and insights: http://genimperative.com/

The post Understanding the Generations appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Early Intervention and Suicide Prevention in Schools Feb 19, 2019

As part of our overall focus on safe, secure and healthy school environments, and as second in our series on suicide prevention; this episode is focused on the importance of early intervention and upstream approaches. To help us understand this complex and potentially grave topic, we’ll talk with Dr. Perri Rosen with the PA Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services at the Department of Human Services. She is the project director of the Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention grant. Skip to: 01:14 Why is it important to involve students when creating positive messaging around mental health?
Skip to: 03:53 How effective is early intervention in the suicide prevention efforts?
Skip to: 06:16 What do suicide warning signs look like in students?

The schools that are willing to take a comprehensive approach to this are seeing the most success.

Skip to: 08:25 How can parents and other members of the community contribute to suicide prevention efforts?
Skip to: 10:36 Programs that are the most effective
Skip to: 12:17 Safe 2 Say Something

Dr. Perri Rosen

Project director with the PA Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services at the Department of Human Services

The post Early Intervention and Suicide Prevention in Schools appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Empowered Teachers will Empower Their Students Jan 22, 2019

Recorded recently at the 2018 School Leadership Conference, host Annette Stevenson talks with Dr. Robyn Jackson, keynote speaker, educator, author, and founder of Mindsteps, Inc. a company that offers workshops, courses, online resources and consulting in support of empowered educators and the students they teach. Hear more about the importance of building on unique strengths, and getting to the heart of unique challenges in the classroom. Make an immediate difference as an educator. Become empowered to transform your students educational experience. Tune in to hear how.

The post Empowered Teachers will Empower Their Students appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Learning Transformed – Technology Best Used Jan 08, 2019

Recorded recently at the 2018 School Leadership Conference, host Annette Stevenson talks with featured speaker, Thomas C. Murray, director of innovation for Future Ready Schools, a project of the Alliance for Excellent Education. He has also co-authored several books including the most recent, Learning Transformed, 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow’s Schools, Today. He is with us in this episode talking about how technology plays a role in personalized learning, and how educators can be empowered, to in turn, empower their students. With the increased demands on school leaders and educators, he’ll share insights on how to avoid the one-size-fits-all approach to educating, and create equitable educational opportunities for all.

The post Learning Transformed – Technology Best Used appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Kindness and Compassion vs. Bullying and Violence: A Sustainable Solution for Schools Dec 13, 2018

Recorded recently at the 2018 School Leadership Conference, host Annette Stevenson talks with keynote speaker, Darrell Scott, writer and founder of Rachel’s Challenge. Creating a school climate less susceptible to harassment, bullying and violence is possible. Darrell will talk about the impact of fear and harassment and likewise the difference that can be made through kindness and respect. His daughter, Rachel was killed during the Columbine High School shootings, and since then he has been working to inspire and equip every person to create a permanent positive change in schools, businesses and communities.

The post Kindness and Compassion vs. Bullying and Violence: A Sustainable Solution for Schools appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Maximizing instruction through online learning with Khan Academy Nov 26, 2018

Jason Hovey (left) from Khan Academy and Dr. David Baugh (right) from Centennial School District

Recorded recently at the 2018 School Leadership Conference, host Annette Gray covers online learning and the way it can further in- and out-of-classroom learning for customized, maximized instructional support. Conference session presenters and also our guests in this episode, Jason Hovey, director of school partnerships with Khan Academy, a non-profit organization, and Dr. David Baugh, superintendent of schools for the Centennial School District join us to take a multi-perspective look at how online learning can fit into the needs of diverse and unique learning communities.

Download a PDF of the conference presentation here
See https://www.khanacademy.org/

The post Maximizing instruction through online learning with Khan Academy appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Financial Literacy: Preparing Youth for a Lifetime of Responsible Money Management Nov 13, 2018

(left-right) Annette Gray, Scott Bostjancic and Amanda Brigaman

This episode focuses on financial literacy for students. Host Annette Gray is joined by Mid Penn Bank’s Director of Education and Development, Scott Bostjancic, and Retail Market Manager, Amanda Brigaman. The discussion centers around the distinct needs and wants of the current student population, pertaining to banking and accessibility. Matching the expectations and traits of the first true native digital generation—how have financial institutions changed their approach to banking, and how do we prepare them to manage their own expenses and savings? Listen in to hear about financial education opportunities and practical tips to orienting youth to money management.

The post Financial Literacy: Preparing Youth for a Lifetime of Responsible Money Management appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

An interview with Dr. G. Terry Madonna, columnist, political commentator and host of Pennsylvania Newsmakers, the state’s premier politics and public policy interview and commentary television show Oct 30, 2018

This episode of Keystone Education Radio, recorded during the recent 2018 PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference features guest and conference speaker, Dr. G. Terry Madonna. He is Professor of Public Affairs, and Director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College. Additionally, he is the founder and director of the Franklin and Marshall Poll, which was the original Keystone Poll dating back to 1992, and the host of Pennsylvania Newsmakers, a weekly statewide news and commentary program. He joins podcast host, Annette Gray covering topics pertaining to education funding, the upcoming gubernatorial election, the impact of the female vote, and the evolving political landscape.

The post An interview with Dr. G. Terry Madonna, columnist, political commentator and host of Pennsylvania Newsmakers, the state’s premier politics and public policy interview and commentary television show appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Teen Driving: Reducing Risks and the Importance of Parent Involvement Oct 16, 2018

This episode will address teen driving, safe practices and the essential role parents play. Today’s guest, Violet Marrero, consumer safety administrator for NJM Insurance Group will help us cover a topic that impacts each of us in some respect.

If you’re among the hundreds of millions of licensed drivers on the roads today, the topic of teen drivers and the risks affiliated with drivers aged 16-19 is one that has become prevalent in the headlines covering far too many incidents, and what appears to be avoidable car crashes. If you’re the parent, grandparent or family member of a teenaged driver, the concern is more immediate, and near to home.

An average of 229 fatal teen driver crashes occurs each year in Pennsylvania. What can we do to reduce the risks affiliated with teenaged drivers? NJM Insurance has adopted a complimentary program called “Share the Keys” now available in PA high schools. Learn more about Pennsylvania’s Graduated Driver Licensing laws and some practical tactics for parents and guardians to employ in helping their children become road-ready.

The post Teen Driving: Reducing Risks and the Importance of Parent Involvement appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Suicide Awareness and Prevention: School Policy (Part 1) Oct 03, 2018

This episode begins a multi-part series on suicide awareness and prevention, where we’ll focus on the multi-layered issue faced by schools, educators and administrators. As part of the overarching discussion around school safety and security, we’ll be delving into the prevention of suicide by looking at behavioral health, risk factors, warning signs, school climate and other factors. Joining in today’s podcast with host Annette Gray, PSBA’s communication director, is Davelyn Smeltzer, PSBA’s senior director of governance services. Davelyn has been heading up the policy work that has been occurring in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Education. We’ll start our series with today’s part one, which highlights the school policy side of this important topic.
PSBA POLICY – 819. Suicide Awareness, Prevention and Response

Suicide Awareness and Prevention Resources (embedded in PSBA policy)

National:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Crisis Text Line:TEXT 741-741 or visit http://www.crisistextline.org/
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools
https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Preventing-Suicide-A-Toolkit-for-High-Schools/SMA12-4669

Pennsylvania:

List of Crisis Intervention contact information by county
List of County CASSP and Children’s Behavioral Health Contact Persons
County Task Force Resources: By county, available contact information is provided for crisis, the Suicide Prevention Task Force, local chapter of AFSP, and other local mental health/suicide prevention resources

National and State Organizations

National:

American Association of Suicidology (AAS): http://www.suicidology.org/
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): https://www.afsp.org/
Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC): http://www.sprc.org/

Pennsylvania:

Prevent Suicide PA: http://www.preventsuicidepa.org/
Jana Marie Foundation: http://www.janamariefoundation.org/
Aevidum: http://aevidum.com/cms/
Services for Teens at Risk (STAR-Center)
https://www.starcenter.pitt.edu/STAR-Center-Home/1/Default.aspx
Pennsylvania Department of Education www.education.state.pa.us

PDE Resource Links

Available on their website and as part of their policy. A comprehensive set of resources for youth suicide awareness and prevention is accessible at: PDE Suicide Prevention & Awareness

Oct. 2014 Dear Colleague Letter related to peer harassment of students with disabilities: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/publications.html#Section504
Suicide Prevention Resource Center – http://www.sprc.org/
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – http://www.afsp.org/
SAMHSA’s Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools – http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA12-4669/SMA12-4669.pdf
Services for Teens at Risk (STAR-Center) – http://www.starcenter.pitt.edu

The post Suicide Awareness and Prevention: School Policy (Part 1) appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

District’s mountain-biking club promotes wellness, community Sep 19, 2018

In this episode, we go behind the scenes with Elizabethtown Area School District to learn about their innovative mountain-biking club, which is seeing a surge in popularity among students, parents and the community. Joining in today’s podcast with host Annette Gray, PSBA’s communications director, are key members of the districts athletics and management team: Nate Frank, principal; Sean Houseknecht, school club advisor; and Linda Ahern, director of athletics and extracurriculars. We also get valuable perspective from mountain-biking club coach Jason Thomas, who himself is an avid cycler and proud parent of Elizabethtown Area students.

The post District’s mountain-biking club promotes wellness, community appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Ephrata Area students aim higher through Attollo program experience** May 22, 2018
In this episode of Keystone Education Radio, we travel to Ephrata Area School District (Lancaster Co.) to talk to students, staff and administrators involved in their Attollo Recruit program, an innovative program supporting equity in the district. The district was recently awarded a first-place Magna Award in the “enrollment under 5,000” category for its Attollo program. Attollo, which means “rise up” in Latin, is designed to help first-generation prospective students reach their postsecondary education goals and become leaders in their community. Hosting the podcast is PSBA’s Marketing Chief Laura Huggins, who talks with a group of students and staff from Ephrata Area administrators: Dr. Brian Troop, superintendent; Dr. Scott Galen, high school principal; Rick Gehman, school director; and students Nicholas Mich (grade 12), Biola Fatusin (grade 11), Aleah Johnson (grade 11) and Alex Nelson (grade 11). We also hear from Attollo Program creator Mr. Jordan Steffy.

Jordan Steffy with students Nick, Biola & Aleah

Principal Dr. Scott Galen and senior Nick Mich

Eleventh-graders Biola Fatusin and Aleah Johnson demonstrate their Rubik’s cube skills

Superintendent Dr. Brian Troop and board member Rick Gehman

Dr. Galen, Dr. Troop and Mr. Gehman

The post Ephrata Area students aim higher through Attollo program experience appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Equity in Pennsylvania schools Apr 03, 2018

In this episode of Keystone Education Radio, PSBA CEO and podcast host Nathan G. Mains talks about equity with Dr. Heather Bennett Esq., PSBA’s director of Equity Services. Dr. Bennett clarifies the difference between equality and equity, and talks about Pennsylvania schools most urgent equity needs. Joining the discussion for the second segment, Michael Faccinetto, PSBA president and Bethlehem Area school director, highlighting equity efforts implemented in the district, how the district began addressing equity and where their efforts are headed.

Links

Dr. Heather Bennett, PSBA director of Equity Services, Heather.Bennett@psba.org
PSBA’s Equity Statement
Bethlehem Area SD website (see Excellence Through Equity Plan and BASD Roadmap to Educational Excellence
Strategic Initiatives 2017-2018)

The post Equity in Pennsylvania schools appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Pennsylvania students learn the value of giving back** Jan 04, 2018

About this Episode

Story Links

Community service is an important educational component for Pennsylvania school districts. For students, successful community outreach, or “service learning,” is an extra opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of his or her own skills while seeking to meet real community needs. In this episode of Keystone Education Radio, we talk to students and teachers from East Stroudsburg, West Jefferson Hills and Colonial school districts, all of whom share a commitment to giving back to their communities.

Plymouth Elementary Spirit Team visits local retirement community

Pleasant Hills middle-schoolers exceed goal for Thanksgiving Food Bank contributions

East Stroudsburg eTeam gives back to their community

East Stroudsburg eTeam gives back to their community

Pleasant Hills middle-schoolers exceed goal for Thanksgiving Food Bank contributions

Plymouth Elementary Spirit Team visits local retirement community

For more good news stories from Pennsylvania school districts, see SuccessStartsHere.org, the website host to the multi-year statewide effort to share the positive news about public education with the goal of raising understanding of the value of public education in Pennsylvania.

The post Pennsylvania students learn the value of giving back appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Innovative education leadership in Pennsylvania; educator-author Nadia Lopez on education equity** Nov 15, 2017

Part 1

Part 2

Recorded live at this year’s annual School Leadership Conference, podcast host Nathan Mains first talks with the winners of the newly created Pennsylvania Education Innovation Awards, which seeks to recognize innovative leadership in public school board governance, administration and teaching and is sponsored by CM Regent and CM Cares. Award recipients included:

Derry Township School Board President Jennifer Mysel and Superintendent Joseph McFarland

Principal Rob Caroselli from Fox Chase Elementary School in the School District of Philadelphia

Kristen Albright, library media specialist, gifted support teacher and technology coach at Penns Valley Elementary and Intermediate School in the Penns Valley Area School District in Centre County

Derry Township School Board President Jennifer Mysel and Superintendent Joseph McFarland

Principal Rob Caroselli from Fox Chase Elementary School in the School District of Philadelphia

Kristen Albright, library media specialist, gifted support teacher and technology coach at Penns Valley Elementary and Intermediate School in the Penns Valley Area School District in Centre County
In the second part of this episode, listen in with Nathan as he talks with author and keynote speaker **Nadia Lopez,** a finalist for the 2016 Global Teachers Prize. Hear her thoughts on educational equity and the lessons learned and documented in her book, *Bridge to Brilliance* as the founder of a public school called Mott Hall Bridges Academy in Brownsville, Brooklyn — one of America’s most under-served communities.
Nadia Lopez, principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, author, and finalist for the 2016 Global Teachers Prize

Nadia Lopez, principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, author, and finalist for the 2016 Global Teachers Prize

The post Innovative education leadership in Pennsylvania; educator-author Nadia Lopez on education equity appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**District’s multifaceted approach to backpack program yields greater reach** Oct 05, 2017
This episode takes listeners to Williamsport Area High School for an in-depth discussion about their backpack program. The school provides a bag of nonperishable food at the end of each week for participating students to take home and eat when school meal programs are unavailable over the weekend. One of the things that sets Williamsport Area’s backpack program apart from others is that it also involves students in their life-skills program. Learn about how life-skills students manage the program and support their peers, as well as the partnerships and funding that make this program work.

Mr. Justin Ross, 9th Grade Principal

Students Tyler and Greg

Mr. Ross is joined by Roger Freed, secondary special educaion coordinator

Mr. Greg Hayes, executive director of the Williamsport Area SD Education Foundation

Justin Ross and Greg Hayes

For information on the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s backpack partnerships and program, see http://www.centralpafoodbank.org/About-Us/Our-Programs/BackPack

The post District’s multifaceted approach to backpack program yields greater reach appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Effective program takes summer learning to where the kids are** Aug 15, 2017
In this episode, host Nathan Mains travels to Berks County to visit an innovative summer learning program,Teachers in the Parks. Nathan talks with program creator Matthew Hathaway, a fourth-grade teacher from Exeter Twp. School District, who began TIPS in 2004 working with a handful of his students in a local park. The program currently serves more than 400 students and 30 teachers from several local school districts and in multiple locations — and it’s growing!

The post Effective program takes summer learning to where the kids are appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

**Student nutrition: Middletown Area’s summer lunch program** Jul 24, 2017
Field reporter Steve Robinson (right) and Tony Colemire (left), Middletown Area’s school nutrition program coordinator

In this episode, field reporter Steve Robinson and Tony Colemire, Middletown Area’s school nutrition program coordinator, talk about a major student health issue: summer nutrition. In Pennsylvania, recent estimates show that at least half of all school-aged children qualify for a free lunch during the school year, and Middletown Area is taking steps to ensure those students have access to at least one free nutritionally balanced meal Monday through Friday, all summer long.

The post Student nutrition: Middletown Area’s summer lunch program appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Focusing learning through Mindfulness; uniting school and community through bocce Jun 23, 2017

- About this Episode
- Additional Resources

In this episode, host Nathan Mains talks with Karen Krisch, principal of Bellefonte Elementary School in Centre Co., to learn how staff, teachers and students are using mindfulness practices to focus learning and create a culture of kindness. In the second part of this episode, we learn how Strath Haven students employed their bocce club to promote inclusiveness and be a positive force in the community (see the Success Starts Here website to read more).

Resources from the Mindfulness discussion

www.care4teachers.com — Most teacher professional development focuses on curriculum delivery. CARE for Teachers is different because it promotes core skills and dispositions teachers need to create and maintain supportive learning environments while retaining their well-being and love of teaching.
www.mindfulschools.org – A six-week online course introducing mindfulness meditation and helping to cultivate a personal mindfulness practice.
www.mindyeti.com — Mind Yeti is a mindfulness app for kids that can help you: … When life gets overwhelming, Mind Yeti gives both kids and adults a tool to cope.
www.gonoodle.com — GoNoodle makes movement and mindfulness an integral part of the day, at school and at home. Free subscription for teachers and parents, or Plus for individual teachers or groups.
See Bellefonte Area’s story on Success Starts Here

The post Focusing learning through Mindfulness; uniting school and community through bocce appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

A look behind the ‘State of Education’ report; Karns City students use sports coaching technology to refine music performance, technique May 18, 2017

In the latest episode, PSBA’s Nathan Mains talks with Andy Christ, PSBA’s education policy analyst – the gentleman behind the data presented in the recently released “State of Education” report. In the second half of the program, Nathan talks with Karns City teacher Amanda Pivirotto and two students who are using a sports coaching iPad application to improve posture, finger position and breath management — all via videos they exchange with with Slippery Rock University (SRU).

The post A look behind the ‘State of Education’ report; Karns City students use sports coaching technology to refine music performance, technique appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

League classifications and other changes in school athletics; Open Minds engineering competition Apr 07, 2017

In this episode, PSBA’s Nathan Mains talks with PIAA Executive Director Robert Lombardi about changes in athletics, including new league classifications that contributed to near-record attendance at this year’s basketball tournament, as well as new and potential changes impacting student-athlete health and safety. Later in the program, we’ll talk to Plymouth Whitemarsh students who recently presented creative solutions to world problems at an Open Minds engineering competition.

The post League classifications and other changes in school athletics; Open Minds engineering competition appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

A pen pal program, celebrating Music in Our Schools Month, and an update on transgender students’ use of facilities Mar 27, 2017

Transgender students’ use of school restrooms continue to be a much-discussed topic. Later in the program, we’ll be joined by Emily Leader for the latest developments. We also will be discussing a pen pal program at Oley Valley School District. But first, March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education for the observance of Music In Our Schools Month®, the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation.

The post A pen pal program, celebrating Music in Our Schools Month, and an update on transgender students’ use of facilities appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Bethlehem superintendent’s effective social media approach; a unique industrial arts program; and interviews with PA senators Dinniman and Eichelberger Mar 10, 2017

In this episode, PSBA Executive Director Nathan Mains interviews Dr. Joseph Roy, superintendent of Bethlehem Area School District about using social media to interact with students and how he makes the call on weather-related closings and delays. Also hear two interviews recorded directly after the governor’s budget address on Feb. 7: John Callahan, PSBA’s chief lobbyist and assistant executive director for public policy, talks with Sen. Andrew Dinniman (D-Chester), and Sen. John Eichelberger (R-Blair), minority chair and majority chair of the Senate Education Committee. Lastly, teachers at Ingomar Middle School discuss a unique industrial arts program in North Allegheny School District that is being highlighted in the Success Starts Here public awareness campaign.

The post Bethlehem superintendent’s effective social media approach; a unique industrial arts program; and interviews with PA senators Dinniman and Eichelberger appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Experts discuss technology’s effect on increasing learning, engagement Nov 10, 2016

In this episode, hear three experts discuss technology’s effect on increasing learning and engagement in schools. PSBA Executive Director Nathan Mains talks with Dani Finkel, creative director at FUSFOO, Dr. Shirley Disseler, Lego Education trainer and education chair at High Point University, and Andrew VanWylen, Eidex Client Engagement Manager. Learn how to take advantage of a complimentary two-year license to data analytics tool Eidex Focus, courtesy of PSBA.

The post Experts discuss technology’s effect on increasing learning, engagement appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

ESSA transition; Success Starts Here public awareness campaign Oct 17, 2016

In this episode, PSBA Executive Director Nathan Mains talks with Dr. David Volkman, executive deputy secretary of the Department of Education, about PA’s transition to the ESSA. Also, learn more about the public awareness campaign for PA public education – Success Starts Here.

The post ESSA transition; Success Starts Here public awareness campaign appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Innovative summer education; ‘Dude. Be Nice’ project at Reading SD Oct 03, 2016

In this episode learn about Teachers In the Parks (TIPs), Exeter Township SD’s innovative approach to teaching students during the summer. Also PSBA Executive Director Nathan Mains talks with Brent Camalich, CEO of “Dude. Be Nice,” an apparel company that strives to inspire individuals. The company recently featured a Reading High School volunteer in a video that went viral.

The post Innovative summer education; ‘Dude. Be Nice’ project at Reading SD appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

School athletics year-in-review, Freddy Awards in Lehigh Valley, May 2016 May 20, 2016

This episode focuses on the benefits of extracurricular activities. PSBA Executive Director Nathan Mains talks with PIAA Executive Director Robert Lombardi about trends in school athletics and then discusses the Freddy Awards – the nation’s only televised high school performing arts awards ceremony – with the its creator and executive producer, Shelley Brown.

The post School athletics year-in-review, Freddy Awards in Lehigh Valley, May 2016 appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

ESSA, Pa. pension crisis with Pew Charitable Trust, March 2016 Mar 25, 2016

In this episode, Nathan Mains discusses the newly passed Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) with a panel of co-facilitators from the recent ESSA Study Group held in Harrisburg. The group worked through suggestions on implementing the new law in Pennsylvania. Producer Sean Crampsie talks to David Draine and Katie Selenski of the Pew Charitable Trusts on the pension crisis in Pennsylvania.

The post ESSA, Pa. pension crisis with Pew Charitable Trust, March 2016 appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

K-12 Health issues, Pennsylvania Budget and Suicide Prevention, March 2016 Mar 01, 2016

On this episode of Keystone Education Radio, Senator Pat Vance discusses health issues, Narcan, K-12 education and the current budget situation in Pennsylvania. Producer, Sean Crampsie talks to Ashley Fieseler, P.N., President of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, South-Central PA chapter, about resources for schools to help prevent suicide, starting the conversation and how to meet the Act 71 requirement.

Links: Afsp.org

The post K-12 Health issues, Pennsylvania Budget and Suicide Prevention, March 2016 appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Concussion Protocol, December 2015 edition Dec 03, 2015

KER is joined by PIAA executive director Dr. Robert Lombardi to talk about the fall sports season, changes for PIAA and concussion protocol. We also have a round-table discussion with PSEA, PASA and PASBO executive directors (respectively) James Vaughan, James Buckheit and Jay Himes.

The post Concussion Protocol, December 2015 edition appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Introducing Keystone Education Radio Dec 03, 2015

A short introduction to Keystone Education Radio, the type of content we will publish and a call for suggestions on topics or questions you would like to hear answered by public education professionals in Pennsylvania.

The post Introducing Keystone Education Radio appeared first on Keystone Education Radio.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Marie Merkel

David J. Hein

Thomas Arnett, senior research fellow

Gregg Behr

Ryan Rydzewski

Kevin J. Bethel

Shannon Fredebaugh-Siller

Dr. Donna Beegle, co-founder and president of Communication Across Barriers

Grace Wheeler, Director of Education and Prevention at Network of Victim Assistance

Kimberly S. Reed, M.Ed., CDP

Shane Pagnotti, director of member services

Jane Clements, CEO of Feeding Pennsylvania

Danielle Murray, M.Ed.

Grace Julian

Beth Horst

Stuart Knade, Esq. and Will Smeltzer

Edie Gallagher and Al Moyer

Larry Feinberg

Julia E. Szarko, PhD, NCSP

Kira Heeschen

Lisa Freed

Kacey Rice

Jessica Herr

Kate Murphy

Erina Gilmore, marketing director of NSBA

Joe Welch

Brandon Bailey

Sarah Johnson

Dana Guerrero, LCSW

Michelle Boone

Mike Bovino

Meghan Whittaker, Esq.

Carissa Stefanski

Jasmine Evans

Felix Yerace

Rose Ann Fulena

Chad Littlefield, M.Ed.

Will Wise, M.Ed.

Chad Littlefield, M.Ed.

Will Wise, M.Ed.

Principal Baruti Kafele

Dr. John Hodge

Bill Thomas

Jerry Mitchell

Daniel Eliot

Amy Pfender

Barbara Bolas

Sarah Reinecker

Gina Trimmer

Marcella Rolle

Leona Strine

Janelle Rice

Krissy Sprankle

Angela Jerabek, Founder and Executive Director of BARR Center®

Dr. Will Miller

Kira Heeschen, Education Coordinator, Earth Day Network

Angela Duckworth, author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Founder/CEO of Character Lab, Psychologist, TED talk presenter

Robin Grey

Corey Mitchell

Asia Mason, Project Manager, Student Voice at Pittsburgh Public Schools

Prishti Tyagi, 10th grade, Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy

Sam Bisno, 12th grade, Pittsburgh Barack Obama Academy of International Studies 6-12

Jonathan Mooney, Author

Kathy Boockvar, Secretary of the Commonwealth

Rachel Boss, Community Impact Manager

Michael Faccinetto, PSBA’s Immediate Past President

David Hutchinson, PSBA 2019 President

Matthew Stem, Deputy Secretary

Lee Burket, Director for Bureau of Career and Technical Education

This episode is sponsored by:

Dr. Amy Cuddy

Dr. John Rozzo, superintendent of schools, Upper St. Clair SD

Mrs. Amy Pfender, assistant to the superintendent, Upper St. Clair SD

Mr. Bill Black

Mr. Dominic Salpeck

Ken E. Nickson, Jr., Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Erie Public Schools