Keystone Education Radio

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On this episode of Keystone Education Radio, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Dr. Beegle about her passion and commitment to breaking the poverty cycle.

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.

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.

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.

About this Episode Time Stamps Q&A About our Guests Resources 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.

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.

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.

Learn 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.

Meet a few leaders behind the commonwealth's recycling industry in this episode of Keystone Education Radio.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 awaren...

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,

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.

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?”

In this episode of Keystone Education Radio, host Annette Stevenson speaks with Richland School District’s Director of Educational Services, Brandon Bailey.

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 ...

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 t...

About this Episode Time Stamps Q&A About our Guests Resources 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,

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 lear...

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 li...

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,

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,

About this Episode Time Stamps Q&A About our Guests Resources 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,

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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?

In this episode of Keystone Education Radio, 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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Why is it so important to engage students, who are still in high school, in matters of politics and voting?