Sparkwheel

If you haven't already, we encourage you to listen to part 1 of this special episode on school safety.    Students are often the ones most impacted by decisions adults make in schools and many times don’t have a seat at the table. In part 2 of this special episode, we continue the conversation with three current and former Minneapolis students who have been working with staff as they develop a new model for school safety without the use of school resource officers. 

Safety in schools without the use of School Resource Officers (SROs). Is this the right approach and what exactly does this look like?   We spend an hour unpacking the policy and system changes needed with 3 experts in school safety:Jason Matlock Director, Emergency Management, Safety & Security at Minneapolis Public Schools Mel Duncan founding Executive Director of Nonviolent PeaceforceMichael Rozin President and a founding Partner at Rozin Security   We'd like to preface this episode with a real moment of learning we've had since it’s recording. We unintentionally and yet mistakenly left extremely important voices out of this conversation. Black, indigineous and other communities of color have for too long been unfairly impacted by institutional racism in education, law enforcement and so many other systems in our society. In a follow up episode, we’ll have perspectives from those who will be most impacted by this change - especially students.

Stan Alleyne is a national leader in school communications. Previously the Chief of Communications for Minneapolis Public Schools and the Vice President of Diversity Engagement for the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), Stan Alleyne offers over 20 years of experience in school communications. Currently, he works as Chief of Communications at Vitals™ Aware Services, a Twin Cities-based company building technology for social good.  In this episode, Stan shares his insight and experience regarding race, student voice and education reform.

In this episode, Sal Bagley and Vaughn Dierks of Wold Architects and Engineers share predictions on how the shift across the country to distance learning has opened up a wider array of possibilities and considerations in designing educational buildings and learning spaces.    Read Vaughn's recent article, "A Chance to Evolve" 

Since Ambar Hanson moved to the United States in 1997, she has been dedicated to promoting and advocating for communities of color and other historically underserved communities through her experience with non-profit and K-12 education organizations. In this episode, Ambar provides great insight into creating meaningful relationships and partnerships with and for communities through strength-based community engagement efforts.   Ambar currently works as the Community Relationship Officer at Mortenson Family Foundation overseeing the Expanding Opportunities for Children and Families grant program. She is a deserving recipient of the Mano Amiga Award from the Minnesota Latino Economic Development Center for her commitment and generous contribution of time and work on behalf of the Latino community. 

Andrea Gribble is the founder of #SocialSchool4EDU, a company dedicated to helping schools celebrate their students in a safe and positive way with social media. A great social media program connects the school and the community, helps celebrate all the great things happening in your district, improves chances for a successful referendums as well as retaining and gaining students!Andrea's team have proven systems and have trained over 1,000 districts on how to maximize the effectiveness of social media.  In today's episode, Andrea provides insight and tips on what’s working best for schools right now on social media. She covers topics like what are your communities craving during this time of school closures and how do you best gather and share authentic student and staff stories to share on social media.   To learn more go to socialschool4edu.com.

Dr. Ric Dressen is the Chairperson of the Educational Leadership Programs at Concordia University Saint Paul. He concluded his school administrative services in June of 2017 after 25 years as a superintendent and a total of 36 years in administration.   In this episode, Dr. Dressen talks about his experience with virtual leadership and outlines best practices to support leaders and teams experiencing a virtual team environment in response to COVID-19. 

Does your school PR work feel heavier than it used to? Join the national K12prWell conversation to learn factors that can increase and decrease your risk of occupational burnout.  Our two rockstar featured guests present to school leaders across the country on wellness strategies to ensure you deliver the greatest value to your district while staying well for yourself and your loved ones. Kristin Magette, APR is a communications professional and author who traded a dream career in school public relations for a work-from-home adventure helping organizations reduce their carbon footprint. Shawn McKillop, APR is the Manager of Communications and Community Engagement at Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board in Ontario. 

Dr. Jim Rickabaugh serves as the Senior Advisor to the Institute for Personalized Learning, an education innovation lab dedicated to the transformation of public education. The Institute serves a growing number of member school districts engaged in personalizing learning and is a part of the multi-state Innovation Lab Network coordinated by the Council of Chief State School Officers. Jim formerly served as the Director of the Institute for six years and as a superintendent in several districts in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Dr. Rickabaugh was Wisconsin Superintendent of the Year in 2008 and Minnesota Superintendent of the Year in 1996.  Dr. Rickabaugh is the author of Tapping the Power of Personalized Learning: A Roadmap for School Leaders, focused on helping principals and other educational leaders to engage their staffs in designing and implementing personalized learning ecosystems.     Show Notes: The Changing Landscape of Education - Video created in partner with Spring Lake Park Schools, Dr. Jim Rickabaugh, and Captivate Media + Consultling

Dr. Joe Sanfelippo is the Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District in Fall Creek, WI. Go Crickets!   Joe has used social media and speaking engagements across the country to celebrate the great things happening at Fall Creek and create a national following for the district.   In this Sparkwheel episode, Sanfelippo explains how telling the real story of schools helps create a narrative that builds culture and gives everyone in your community an identity. Empowering those around you to be the storytellers of your district is a great way to celebrate the success of students with parents and the community.   Education Dive named Joe their National Superintendent of the Year in 2019. Dr. Sanfelippo is also an author and creator of the #1minwalk2work Leadership Challenge.

Jess Davis is a mathematics teacher and advisor of the Black Pride Organization at South Saint Paul Secondary School. In being named 2019 Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year, she was described as an educator who is “modeling for students that equity needs to be deliberate and intentional.”  Jess possesses an educational philosophy deeply rooted in student agency. She believes student voice is an essential cornerstone often missing in the revolution of our educational system. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Human Biology from Minnesota State University Mankato, and a mathematics teaching license and Master’s in Teaching from Hamline University.

Brian Woodland has 30+ years in school PR and is a passionate advocate for public education. He recently retired as Director of Communications and Community Relations for the Peel District School Board, one of Canada’s largest school districts.  Brian now consults with school districts and speaks to audiences across North America through his communications firm, BrianInspires. In this episode, he talks to us about discovering our inner superhero and our public education needing the very best you.  

Dr. Lisa Snyder is the executive director for EdVisions, a non-profit educational development organization focused on innovation through personalization, teacher and student empowerment and student-driven, project-based learning.    Dr. Snyder has served in public education as a teacher, principal, technology director, curriculum director, and superintendent. Throughout her career, she has been a champion for innovative change and transformational improvement and is highly regarded for her instrumental role in creating new opportunities for student-centered learning.  

You know how to edit together videos, but they are taking too much time and not turning our the way you want.    In this Spotlight episode, Captivate team members Jake Sturgis and Jenna Mead take you beyond the basics and present 9 video editing hacks to be more efficient and effective in the way you craft video content.     As mentioned, here's the 9 Video Editing Hacks powerpoint presentation and the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools story example.  

Jason Wheeler is the Marketing Coordinator for the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in Texas, with 15 plus years experience in public education.  In this episode, Jason outlines a new approach to recruiting quality teachers, specifically millennials, who now make up the largest workforce in the country. Within just a year of using these dynamic marketing techniques, CFBISD doubled their teacher applications. You can find out more about Jason’s marketing philosophy and social media thoughts on his website at www.jasonawheeler.com

Jason Bucklin is the Out4Good Program Coordinator for Minneapolis Public Schools. With over 15 years of experience in LGBTQA+ youth advocacy, Jason has overseen the development and implementation of gender inclusive policies both at MPS and across Minnesota.  In this episode, Jason explains how LGBT inclusion work is gender equity work. All of us perform gender every day. Therefore, if we make our spaces inclusive to LGBTQA+ people, we make them more inclusive to all of us. We also cover inclusive curriculum ideas and policy for K-12 schools in order to create a safe and supportive environment for all learners. 

Sheridan and Maxien are students class of 2021 at Brooklyn Center Middle & High School STEAM. A small suburban school district located on the northwest border of Minneapolis. In this episode, we hear from the student perspective on topics like testing, teacher relationships, and gender and racial equity.  We met Sheridan and Maxien earlier this year as we partnered with BCCS on a project called Voices of Tomorrow. Like many districts in Minnesota, Brooklyn Center’s teaching staff does not reflect what its student body looks like. Voices of Tomorrow provides a framework for schools to enter into constructive conversations about diversity, inclusion, student engagement and achievement.

Curt Slater is Minnesota’s 2018 National Distinguished Principal and currently leads by example at Wyoming Elementary in Forest Lake Area Schools. Curt is seen as a pioneer among state educators in using Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Over the last 15 years, He's worked with more than 400 schools and trained thousands of educators on PBIS.    In this episode, Curt gives us a glimpse into many aspects of the PBIS framework, including the role of parents and how to gain buy-in from staff members on yet another school initiative.     

In this Spotlight episode, Captivate Media team members Nick Barr and Andrew Coons join Jake and Jenna to talk about a recent project for the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools that had a huge impact on social media. This video for Teacher Appreciation Week went viral with over 100k views in 48 hours and was picked up by Kare 11 to be shown during their Breaking the News segment.    The team reflects on how the project came about, what the goals were for a video of this nature, the challenges that were presented, and how storytelling and heart played an integral part of the entire production process. 

Vaughn Dierks, AIA | LEED AP, is a partner with Wold Architects and Engineers with more than 25 years of educational design experience and expertise. As a partner-in-charge for school districts across the state and region, Vaughn is a leader in the educational design industry as well as in the firm’s Educational Planning Group.    Dierks is passionate about furthering the development and design of spaces that transform how we think about educating the next generation of learners.

Dave Adney is the Executive Director of the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP). A former math teacher, Adney spent a decade as principal at Minnetonka High School, a major chapter in his 40+ years in education.  Adney has presented to groups across the country about the importance of building relationships first and focusing on student achievement second. In his current role he travels across Minnesota to share best practices along with some of the wisdom he has gained when it comes to creating school environments that position all students for success.     

Dr. Bernadeia Johnson served as superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools from 2010 to 2015. She led the district through many challenging situations, as she worked with urgency to improve educational outcomes for all students with a particular focus on low-income students and students of color. Dr. Johnson is now an assistant professor at Minnesota State University Mankato, inspiring emerging leaders in education. Dr. Johnson reflects back to her childhood in Selma, Alabama where she attended segregated schools until fifth grade. "I talk about living in the segregated south to come and live in the segregated north," she said, referring to the structural racism that still exists in some areas.