Podcasts about connecticut state department

VR doesn't just have a vacancy problem. It has a pipeline problem. What if the answer to VR's workforce shortage isn't simply filling the next vacancy? Across the country, VR agencies are competing for talent, losing experienced staff, and trying to prepare a new generation of professionals—many of whom may not even know that VR is a career option. In this episode of the Manager Minute, George Michna of Connecticut and Mario Lucero of New Mexico join Carol Pankow to talk about a different approach: intentionally building the VR workforce pipeline. Drawing from their National Rehabilitation Leadership Institute (NRLI) project, George and Mario explore how career pathways, mentorship, apprenticeships, stronger onboarding, and leadership development can help agencies move from reacting to vacancies to developing talent for the long term. They also tackle an equally important question: once we bring talented people into VR, what makes them want to stay? If your agency is thinking about recruitment, retention, succession planning, or developing its next generation of leaders, this conversation is worth a listen.   Listen Here Full Transcript {Music} George: One of the biggest values of NRLI was the opportunity to step outside of your day to day work and to engage with colleagues, people who eventually become good friends of yours that live across the country, who are dealing with many of the same challenges. Mario: We've really invested hard in our leadership team, and we're seeing the results of that now. We got out of a cap. We're really making positive progress towards meeting our performance metrics. We have a way better understanding of our data, and now we're really focusing on leadership and culture within our agency.   Intro voice: Manager minute, brought to you by the Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center. Conversations powered by VR. One manager at a time, one minute at a time. Here is your host, Carol Pankow. Carol: Welcome to the Manager Minute. Joining me in the studio today are George Michna, Bureau Chief for Community Living from Connecticut Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, and Mario Lucero, Field Operations Director for New Mexico General. So, George, how's it going in Connecticut? George: It's going good. Actually, the weather's finally holding it up here, so it's kind of nice to finally enjoy. Hopefully, a really nice summer. Carol: Yeah, that is awesome. I know we've all been talking a lot about the weather in Minnesota. It's hot and sultry. It was 95 yesterday so you never think of that here. And Mario was so great to have you here as well. How are things on your end in New Mexico? Mario: Thanks for having me, Carol. We're doing good here in New Mexico. Had a little bit of rain the last two weeks, which is really welcomed because we have been so dry and we have problems with forest fires here in New Mexico. So any rain that we get is welcome. So we're doing well. Carol: Well, I never think of New Mexico and forest fires. I'm sorry Mario, I just think of you as being more deserty. But I know you have trees. I know you have... Mario: We do. Carol: So today we're going to talk about a topic that's coming up across the country and it's the workforce challenges in vocational rehabilitation. And George and Mario, part of a cohort from the National Rehabilitation Leadership Institute, or NRLI, which is a leadership program that brings together emerging leaders from across the VR system to take on some of the field's biggest challenges. And as part of that experience, their group developed a project focused on career pathways as a strategy for recruitment and retention in VR. And we're going to unpack what they found and why it matters right now. So let's dig in. So let's start with each of you. How did you get into VR and what has kept you in this work? And Mario, I'm going to go to you first. Mario: Thanks, Carol. Well, for me, vocational rehabilitation is always aligned with who I am personally and professionally. I've spent my life around ministry, teaching, and helping professions. My father was both a minister and a teacher, and I think that shaped how I view people and purpose. I also live with significant physical disabilities myself, so I understand firsthand the importance of opportunity, independence, dignity, and meaningful work. VR gave me the opportunity to turn that into a lived experience and into a career where I could help others overcome barriers and pursue employment goals they may have once thought were impossible. What's kept me in this work is honestly the mission. We're not just processing cases or authorizing services. We're helping people build lives, support families, and regain confidence in themselves. You get to see real transformation in people's lives, and that's hard to walk away from once you've experienced it. Carol: I love that, Mario, Thanks for sharing that. George, how about you? George: So my pathway into vocational rehabilitation started in education. I was a special education teacher, later taught pre-service teachers. It was also a school administrator and then worked for the Connecticut State Department of Education. A lot of it has just been through those roles is that one thing that became clear that we put a lot of effort into supporting students while they're in school, but there's a disconnect. when it came to what happened after they exited school. So students would graduate, but the transition to employment or post-secondary pathways was not always strong or consistent. And I think that's really what drew me into vocational rehabilitation. It's one of the few systems that is specifically designed to bridge that gap between education and employment. And I think that what's really kept me here is both the impact and the work that we do. You see real outcomes when someone moves into employment and independence. And in my current role, I'm focused on kind of how those systems connect, both on the employment side and within community living, as well as education through a grant that we're running. So that's really kind of what's kept me engaged in the work, and just having those meaningful conversations with individuals about finding success in their lives. Carol: Yeah, I had no idea about you. George: Yeah. Carol: Being an educator, that is very cool. It's always fun to see people's stories and how they get into this sort of a career. Appreciate that. So I know you both participated in NRLI, and I just wondered if you could tell our listeners a little bit about what that experience was like. And how did that shape your thinking as a leader? And George, I'll tag you first on that. George: First and foremost. NRLI gave me the opportunity to step outside of my state and look at vocational rehabilitation from more of a national perspective. We were teamed with about, I think, 30 individuals or so as our cohort, and they represented both VR, general VR Blind and also combined agencies. And so you really get a mix of perspectives from individuals. And I think that's really powerful. And the other thing was, is that what really started finding, for example, was, is that, you know, you start looking at issues with your workforce, challenges that you might have, bringing in counselors and the like, and you start finding out that others are facing similar challenges. So you're able to have these kind of sidebar conversations throughout the time that you spent together. And you really get to learn from individuals about what other states are doing and how to kind of effectively problem solve. Mario: And NRLI was an incredible experience because it forced us to step back and think beyond just our own state systems and day to day operations. You're sitting in a room with leaders from all over the country who are dealing with many of the same challenges, but often approaching them in different ways. For me personally, it challenged me to think more strategically and systemically as a leader, instead of only asking, how do we solve today's problem? It pushed me to ask, how do we build sustainable systems for the future? One of the biggest takeaways for me was realizing that many of our workforce challenges in VR are not isolated problems, they're national trends. That realization helped reinforce the importance of collaboration, innovation and leadership development across the entire VR system. Carol: Well, I think we're definitely better together. NRLI, I love that bringing that sense of community because you can feel very isolated, you know, in your individual states and your agencies, and you learn how to do things a certain way. So you guys bring up a good point. You know, you hear other people with the same challenges, but they've tackled them differently. And so I love that kind of that transplanting of ideas that happens naturally through that cohort model. And you get, you know, you're with your group a whole year and you really get to know people. And I think that transplanting of ideas and that building that network that you can rely on later, because I'm sure you probably each have like email groups and all of that good stuff or chat groups with your folks from NRLI that you can just like, hey, we have this going on. What do you know about this? Or what are you guys doing? I think there's a lot of value in that. So I know as part of NRLI, your group focused on workforce and career pathways. How did you guys come up with that as your project? George: Well, I gotta say this, it wasn't a project that we landed on right away. The way NRLI is structured, we do have multiple weeks that we meet across the year, and we also had opportunities to connect virtually to work through how the paper would shape out. Really, in the beginning, it was a lot of brainstorming where we were sitting, you know, outside by the pool on a break. And I still remember this to this day. And we went around the group just kind of mentioning some of the hot topics that we had and what were we thinking about. And really kind of what we started coming back to was the same issue was kind of a staffing piece. And I think that's kind of where we ended up thinking about the staffing and then kind of what solutions could we bring from our various states to address that? And I guess from a point of view, it was kind of a self-discovery process of the group in realizing what to write about. Carol: Very cool. I love that organic. I know. Other groups too. They said they struggled like they might have come up with a particular topic. And then they were like, hey, we don't want to do that anymore. And they kind of move through the year and got exposed to different things. Other ideas came forward and they pivoted to something else. George: I would say that was exactly the same experience that we had, and almost feeling at some point that we had to figure out something because time was running out. Mario: I still remember that first day that you said when we sat around the pool and we were just brainstorming and we threw out like 50 million ideas. I think how we finally settled on career pathways and recruitment and retention was that we saw that this was a problem that we could realistically solve. We didn't want to bite off too much that we couldn't chew. And so we thought that maybe this was something that we could have an actual impact on. Carol: So Mario, a little more about that. You know, it's a problem you were trying to solve. Why do you think this is so important right now. Like what's going on? Give it kind of the picture of what's happening out there. Mario: Well, you know, Carol, the biggest problem we identified was that vocational rehabilitation is facing a workforce pipeline issue at a time when demand for services continues to grow. Across the country agencies are struggling with vacancies, burnout, retirements and turnover. At the same time, fewer people are entering the field intentionally because many people simply don't know that VR exists as a career pathway that creates a long term sustainability problem for the public VR system. What made this especially important to us is that workforce shortages don't just affect agencies internally, they directly impact the participants that we serve. Vacancies can lead to delayed services, increased caseload sizes, and less capacity for innovation and individualized support. So our group started asking instead of only reacting to vacancies after they happened, how do we intentionally build built pathways that introduce people to VR earlier. Developing future talent and creating opportunities for long term career growth within agencies that shift from reacting to shortages to proactively developing talent really became the foundation of our project and our paper. Carol: Nice. So what are you guys seeing right now across the states in terms of the staffing shortages and turnover? I just wondered if there's been any kind of movement where it's getting a little bit better. I just, what did you find out. George: When we looked at the work, kind of to build out the paper, we were seeing kind of a consistent piece where I think states were kind of dealing with this combination of persistent vacancies and high turnover, and that some states are, you know, obviously making a little bit of better progress in that. I think, you know, going back to looking at with Connecticut, I came to our agency on the heels of the Covid 19 pandemic. If you think about it, about five years ago, I was coming out of that rebounding. From that, we saw individuals with disabilities wanting to get back into employment. So you had this influx of people requesting services, but what you saw on the staffing side from the agency was, is that we had a lot of staff that either retired early or had kind of exited the employment of the agency. And so we were in the process of trying to refill those positions as we could. And we've done a really good job at that. But the implication of that is, is that we now shifted the agency from a mid to late career group of counselors to a workforce that's now more heavily weighted towards early mid-career staff. And that has implications for us because newer counselors often require smaller caseloads and more support to kind of ensure the quality services, as well as trying to ensure how do we prevent burnout among those staff as well? Also, what's happening is, is that we're seeing an added strain on our community rehabilitation providers in the state, and we see them as a critical part of the service delivery system. And so this now speaks to kind of the broader system that how can it then support individuals in achieving career goals? So that's kind of the perspective here in Connecticut. Carol: Here you bring up a really good point, George, you know I hadn't thought about that with the newer counselors coming in. I guess just the way you had stated it and having people earlier in their career, you are shaping then you have in a smaller caseload, which impacts then your overall capacity for serving folks. So when you have a big bulk of people in that early part, even though you have the same number of people, they can't produce the same amount of work. George: Exactly. Carol: Yeah, you always need exponentially more folks to carry that out. And it takes a while. This system is hard, like to learn and understand and really feel like you're getting good and proficient at it. So we've kind of lost those later career counselors that were also serving as mentors and such. And I know in some states people are saying like, hey, we've got a whole new group. You've got 90% of your people have been there five years or less. You don't have that other group that can help to support them. George: You know, it kind of then impacts your ability for supervisors to effectively mentor those staff because the added impact on them as well. So the entire system starts feeling that strain. Carol: Yeah, it's really a ripple effect for sure. So I know you guys have mentioned before that people don't always choose VR as a career. So why does that matter for recruitment? Mario: It matters because many of us in VR didn't grow up saying, I want to work in VR someday. Most people find this field accidentally through counseling programs, disability services, workforce programs, social work, education, or even personal life experiences such as myself. The challenge with that is that people don't know the profession exists. They're never going to intentionally pursue it. Other helping professions like teaching, nursing or social work. They have clear career pathways and pipelines and stronger public awareness. VR doesn't have that. So VR agencies are competing for talent in a field that many potential candidates never even heard of. That's why career pathways and apprenticeship models are so important. They create exposure. They allow students, paraprofessionals, community partners, and individuals with lived disability experience to see VR as a meaningful career option before they're already established somewhere else. I think the field has a huge opportunity here, especially because VR work is incredibly mission driven, that once people understand what we actually do and the impact we have, they'll be drawn to it, and the challenge is getting them exposed to it early enough. Carol: Well it does really fit with our new administration. I mean, maybe not so new with our president now he's, you know, in his year two, but very big emphasis on apprenticeships and career pathways. And so it lines up with the administration's thinking on that as well. George, I know you've had a little touch with this. What would it look like, kind of the career pathway and apprenticeship model in a VR agency. George: in Connecticut, we're starting to put together a formalized kind of mentorship program, if you will, where we're bringing in staff within our community, rehabilitation providers, where we can then provide a structured mentorship for them to kind of upskill their knowledge of working within kind of the VR space. The hope there is, is that they can gain experience in the areas like eligibility, plan development, employer engagement, and being able to kind of have that mentorship and feedback that's built into the process. And so our hope really is, is that kind of, you know, if you think about this as about opening the door wider at the front end, so that way we can become more intentional about how we develop staff once they're within our agency or within a provider. Again, this isn't about just simply filling positions. It's more about creating a pathway where someone can enter the field, develop the necessary skills over time, and see a future in the work. And I just want to say, you know, to your question before, if I can, I'm kind of a perfect example here because coming in from education, right? At no point in my kind of career trajectory was vocational rehabilitation presented as kind of a viable option for what I was doing. But an interesting note here is, is that within our NRLI cohort, and I was thinking about this, you know, in kind of getting ready for this podcast, there was at least three other individuals who started in special education and eventually ended up in VR. So I think there's something powerful there in terms of how we think about where we can draw upon individuals to help do the work that we're doing. Carol: Absolutely. There definitely is a natural alignment there. I know back in the day, even in Minnesota, there was a while where school districts were laying off school counselors because they didn't have the funds. And we found that the school counselors had such a interesting background in the training they had that was super transferable over into VR because they're helping students think about employment goals. You know, think about all of that and then that group of people and you're like, why didn't we think of this before and had some really lovely staff come in from that background. I love that. Yeah, it's smart to think about what we align with. Now, I know in NRLI, the fourth week is always the DC week and that can be super impactful. You get to meet the, you know, agency kind of heads from all different, you guys were at Labor and Department of Ed with the Rehab Services Administration. Did you guys have an opportunity at all to share your work and get any sort of feedback from the feds about what you were working on here with this paper? Mario: Yeah, we did. We had the opportunity to discuss our project and our paper and engage with leaders and stakeholders who are thinking about these same workforce challenges. One of the encouraging things was that the feedback we got really validated that this issue is being felt across the country. People recognize that recruitment and retention challenges are not just temporary, they're systemic issues that require long term strategies. And there was strong interest in the idea of developing intentional career pathways and apprenticeship style models because they create a more sustainable workforce pipeline instead of relying solely on traditional recruitment methods. I also think people appreciate that our approach focused not just on filling vacancies, but on developing leaders, increasing retention and creating growth opportunities within the VR agencies. That's important because recruitment and retention really go hand in hand. Bringing people in is only half the battle. You also have to create environments where people want to stay and grow, right? Carol: Yeah. Excellent point Mario, because if you bring people in and they don't stay, you just have a churn that's not going to help anything. You've got to create that inviting, welcoming, wonderful environment that people can learn and grow. Because that's what lots of our, you know, our young people coming in, they aren't coming to the state to just work for 40 years like maybe their parents had or someone else. They want a job they can grow into. Mario: And to add to that, Carol, I've been in the field of VR for almost 19 years now. I can remember going back to the early 2000, when a lot of the people in VR had a master's in VR, and there were plenty of people within the field offices to mentor new counselors coming in. But ever since the mid 20 tens, you know, WIOA came out, that's really dwindled. And we have people with less and less experience and really nobody to mentor. And as George mentioned, really heavily, depending on the program managers to be those mentors and trainers, It's just too hard because they're also having to drop below their 3000-foot level, down to the 1500 zero foot level to take on case load work, you know? Carol: Right. Mario: And he's not able to provide that mentorship as well as we maybe once did in VR in previous generations. Carol: Yeah, we got to look at this in a whole different way. So speaking of looking at this, looking ahead, what's one change you guys hope to see in the VR workforce because of this work? And George, I'm going to throw it to you first. George: It's like the million dollar question right? Carol: Yes. Drum roll. George: Drum roll. (laughter) George: I think the biggest thing I would like to see is a shift in how we think about building the vocational rehabilitation workforce. And what I mean by that is, is that a lot of energy goes into reacting to vacancies and trying to fill positions quickly. And I think what we really need to do, kind of what Mario was mentioning earlier is, is that, you know, building something that looks a little bit more intentional that we have these clear pathways into the field. We have strong mentorships, better onboarding, and real opportunities for growth over time. And I also think that I'm really hoping that we are able to continue strengthening the professional identity of VR. This is incredibly meaningful work for anyone that does this. It truly sits at the crossroads of education, workforce development, disability services, employment, and a host of other things. But what's kind of unfortunate is, is that a lot of individuals are just not aware about the field or the impact that it can have. So it's kind of an interesting paradox, and I would love to see individuals more intentionally choose VR as a career because of how powerful the mission is. I think Mario had mentioned that before about a mission, and I think that that kind of holds true there. If I had a wish, I guess that's what it would be. Carol: I love it. Mario, how about you? Mario: Well, if I could say ditto, I would. But what George and I have said today is that our paper and our project, we wanted to be more intentional about workforce development within the VR system. We'd love to see students, interns, apprentices, and professionals from all related fields become aware of VR much earlier in their careers. We also hope that agencies continue building cultures that invest in mentorship, leadership development, and professional growth so employees can see long term futures within the system. But ultimately, we hope this work helps strengthen the stability of the VR workforce because when agencies are fully staffed, supported and developing future leaders, participants receive better services and better outcomes. And at the end of the day, that's what we're really all about, right? Carol: Absolutely. I think it'd be super cool if somebody came up and did this and came up with that. Like the registered apprenticeship for this, for the VR program, if someone took that on and, and did the thing because it would set the way for the rest of the country. And who knows, you could end up getting some credentials there, Mario and George, You know that you could report on your common performance measures and all of that. I think it would be pretty incredible. Okay. I'm going to throw you guys one last question. I wanted just to circle back to NRLI. I know we have lots of listeners and people are on the fence about whether, you know, to do something or make that investment because it is an investment of time and money for that year. In doing that kind of training, do you have any kind of little parting comment or little plug you could do for NRLI? And George, I'm going to throw out to you first. George: To me again. Oh boy. All right Mario, you can't say ditto. Okay. Without a question, 100% hands down. I would recommend it. I can't even talk enough about it. It was an amazing experience. You're absolutely correct, Carol, it is a lot of work. There certainly are some time constraints, me being on the East Coast, for example, having to go out to San Diego three times a year and then DC also, you know, just kind of the impact on terms of like how you can do your normal job, right? And as well as kind of your personal and family commitments. But I think we said this earlier was, is that one of the biggest values, if you will, of NRLI, was the opportunity to step outside of your day to day work and to engage with colleagues and actually people who eventually kind of become good friends of yours that live across the country, who are dealing with many of the same challenges. We have text groups, we kind of have friended each other on social media. And, you know, we're kind of, you know, shooting questions back and forth to each other to this day. And I think that speaks a lot to what NRLI can give to an individual. So it's certainly about value and relationships and this national network of individuals that are still kind of keeping in touch with. And I think probably the saddest part of the entire experience, if anyone wanted to ask, was that last day when we were all leaving DC and kind of realizing that we're not really going to have an opportunity to see each other. Carol: Yeah, well said George, well said. Mario, you get our last word, but it can't be. Ditto. George: Yeah. Mario: All right. You know what I would have to say is, if I'm speaking to the directors of VR agencies, and especially those that are kind of on the fence of sending staff from their agency to NRLI, What I would definitely say is it's a commitment and it's a long term commitment. And what I mean by that is you can't just send a few once and think that that's enough value added to your agency. You've got to commit over a long time horizon to send staff each year. And you know, Carol, you worked with New Mexico VR through the VRTAC. I'm sure that you've seen our leadership team within New Mexico really grow and develop over the last few years. And that's because the New Mexico VR agency has sent cohorts to the last, I would say at least six, maybe even seven cohorts. And so we've really invested hard in our leadership team in New Mexico. And we're seeing the results of that now. We got out of a cap, we're really making positive progress towards meeting our performance metrics. We have a way better understanding of our data. And now we're really focusing on leadership and culture within our agency. And we're really hoping that going forward, New Mexico VR will be a real place that people want to work at and stay. Carol: Yeah, it really is an investment in your people. I've seen it all over the country and my own, my work with you all, I've seen it, seen the deck chairs move. People have been in interline. They've moved up in their career in New Mexico VR, like I've seen folks in new positions. And it's really been lovely, lovely to see. And I've been appreciative of the management they're investing in VR and we are just so our listeners know why I'm plugging NRLI. It is part of our VRTAC grant and so we do support NRLI. A number of us on the TAC also serve as instructors throughout the various sessions, in addition to there's a faculty for NRLI. So I appreciate you both. I think you did a great job on your paper. If people want to see your paper, they can go to VRTAC.org and go to our top nav NRLI. There's a whole section on NRLI. And you can see the cohort's paper right there. So thank you both. I hope you have a great day. Thanks for joining me. Mario: Thanks, Carol. George: Thank you, Carol. {Music} Outro Voice: Conversations powered by VR, one manager at a time. One minute at a time. Brought to you by the VRTAC. Catch all of our podcast episodes by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening.

More Connecticut students are making it to class. State data shows chronic absenteeism fell for the fourth straight year, with 16.4% of students missing at least 10% of the school year. That's down from a pandemic peak of 23.7%. We got key takeaways from Ajit Gopalakrishnan, Chief Performance Officer for the Connecticut State Department of Education.

The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) released the results from the 2024–25 Next Generation Accountability System, which offers a comprehensive view of school and district performance across 12 indicators. We spoke with Ajit Gopalakrishnan, Chief Performance Officer for the Connecticut State Department of Education, about key takeaways from the report. To read the report: https://portal.ct.gov/sde/press-room/press-releases/2025/students-continue-upward-trend-in-achievement Image Credit: Getty Images

Not even a week into the new school year – and a new report shows Connecticut is getting some better grades! New data was just released by the Connecticut State Department of Education looking at academic performance and chronic absenteeism. To break down the numbers and share key takeaways, we spoke with Ajit Gopalakrishnan, Chief Performance Officer of the Connecticut State Department of Education. For the full report: https://portal.ct.gov/sde/press-room/press-releases/2025/connecticut-students-see-gains-in-test-scores-and-attendance Image Credit: Getty Images

The Connecticut State Department of Education recently announced the recipients of the 21st Century Community Learning Center grants. These grants will provide $6,601,210 in each of three years to support 35 programs across the state, including in Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford. We asked John Frassinelli from the CT Department of Education about the grant money and how it benefits students in these programs. Image Credit: Getty Images

We spoke with Officer Kristen Brousseau, Captain Lid Rodrigues, Officer Jared Surprenant and K9 Grim of the Connecticut State Department of Corrections about the 32nd Annual K9 Olympics to take place September 21st at the Enfield Department of Corrections. This event is free and open to the public. No personal pets allowed.

We spoke with Deputy Commissioner, Sinthia Sone-Moyano of the Connecticut State Department of Education about the No Matter What campaign, also known as the McKinney-Vento Act, which provides rights and protections for students experiencing homelessness.

A multi-year investigative report has shown that High Road Schools, a group of eight publicly funded, privately run schools for children in special education, must make improvements.  The report cites several incidents of teachers without proper certification managing classrooms,overuse of restraint and seclusion, and a total lack of proper education for “the state's most vulnerable students.”  Today, we hear from the authors of this report: the Office of the Child Advocate and Disability Rights Connecticut. You can read the full report here. If you have a student at High Road Schools, or if you're a parent navigating special education, we want to hear from you. The Connecticut State Department of Education and High Roads Schools have responded to this report. You can view their response to investigation GUESTS: Sarah Eagen: Connecticut Child Advocate Tom Cosker: Disability Advocate at Disability Rights Connecticut Penny Spencer: Educational Consultant, Associate Professor, Department of Education at the University of Saint Joseph Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we're speaking with Kerry Mattson and Laura Lyon from the Connecticut State Department of Education's Regional School Choice Office or RSCO.The RSCO school choice application for the 2024-2025 school year is available now, and Kerry and Laura are here to tell us about all the great options that are available for families.Apply now during RSCO'S on-time application period at ChooseYourSchool.org

From the Mayflower's landing, to the meal shared by English setters and Wampanoag people, much is still widely misunderstood about the Thanksgiving holiday and its history. Connecticut-based educator Chris Newell recently wrote a book for children that helps to untangle some of the myths and misnomers commonly associated with Thanksgiving. For example, the book clarifies that "the holiday we celebrate today does not have any real connection to the Mayflower's landing. In fact, the story that links them was not created until two hundred years later." As Newell notes in his introduction, "The story of the Mayflower landing is different depending on whether the storyteller viewed the events from the boat or from the shore." This hour, Chris Newell joins us. Plus, how is this topic being reframed in Connecticut classrooms? The Connecticut State Department of Education recently published resources for "Teaching Native American Studies." The materials were developed in a collaboration between the five state-recognized Eastern Woodland tribes: Golden Hill Paugussett, Mashantucket Pequot, Mohegan, Paucatuck Eastern Pequot and Schaghticoke. Becky Gomez, the director of education for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, and Sam Tondreau, a member of the Mohegan Tribe as well as their director of curriculum and instruction, discuss. GUESTS: Chris Newell: Member of the Passamaquaddy Tribe; Co-Founder and Director of Education, Akowmawt Educational Initiative; Museum Educator; Children's Book Author, If You Lived During Rebecca Gomez: Director of Education and Recreation, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Samantha Tondreau: Member of the Mohegan Tribe; Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Mohegan Tribe Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social studies education in Connecticut public schools has been getting a major revamp. It's something we've covered on this program. This includes the statute requiring local Indigenous history that rolled out this year, and a statute in 2022 calling for Asian American and Pacific Islander studies, rolling out in the fall of 2025. The state legislature combined many of these mandates in 2021, calling for a "model curriculum." This curriculum should include Native American studies and AAPI studies, the bill stated, in addition to LGBTQ studies, climate change, financial literacy, military service and veterans, civics, media literacy, the principles of social-emotional learning, and racism. It was a long list and a tall order, and prompted the Connecticut State Department of Education to gather a group of experts on all of these fronts, and construct a new set of social studies standards. This hour, we hear from some of them and preview that document. GUESTS: Steve Armstrong: Social Studies Advisor, Connecticut State Department of Education; Past President, National Council for the Social Studies Tony Roy: President, Connecticut Council for the Social Studies; Social Studies Teacher, Bloomfield Public Schools Dr. Brittney Yancy: Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies, Illinois College Dr. Michael Bartone: Assistant Professor, Central Connecticut State University's Department of Literacy, Elementary, and Early Childhood Education Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new Advanced Placement, or AP, course on African American Studies is in its second pilot year in hundreds of schools, and set to roll out nationally next fall. AP classes offer high school students the opportunity to earn college credit. But the course's pilot rollout has been rocky, after it was rejected by the Department of Education in Florida and, more recently, in Arkansas. This hour, we check in with two Connecticut educators who are helping to author the course, plus College Board executive director of communications Holly Stepp. Stepp reiterates that the changes being made to the course were not prompted or influenced by politics or by "any state." An updated course framework is expected to be released later this year. Plus, the Connecticut State Department of Education recently approved a new set of standards for teaching social studies. We'll get a sneak preview from advisor Steve Armstrong. Armstrong explains how these standards relate to several new changes to social studies education where we live, including a new Black and Latino Studies elective, and curriculum covering local Indigenous history. Social studies consultant Steve Armstrong says, "I know that in some places, some people think that we should shy away from the difficult history... If you never tackle those difficult problems in the past, you'll never be able to tackle as difficult issues come up in the present and future." GUESTS: Holly Stepp: Executive Director of Communications, College Board Dr. Lisa Beth Hill: History Department Chair, Hamden Hall Country Preparatory Day School Dr. David Embrick: Joint Associate Professor, Sociology Department and Africana Studies Institute, University of Connecticut Steve Armstrong: Social Studies Consultant, Connecticut State Department of Education Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Connecticut State Department of Education breaks down 2022-2023 attendance and school performance data. Guests are CSDE Chief Performance Officer Ajit Gopalakrishnan and Chronic Absenteeism, Community Partnerships and Wraparound Strategies Consultant Kari Sullivan.

On June 29th, the Supreme Court ruled that colleges and universities can no longer use race as a factor in admissions, with an exception for military academies. The decisions came in 2 separate affirmative action cases, one against Harvard College and the other against the University of North Carolina. This hour, we discuss the impact of those decisions. Jin Hee Lee, who, as part of the Legal Defense Fund, led representation of 25 Harvard student and alumni groups in the Harvard case, offers her take on what the decisions mean. We'll also learn about the impact on community college from Dr. John Maduko, President of Connecticut State Community College. And, finally, we talk to U.S. Secretary of Education and former Connecticut elementary school student and teacher Dr. Miguel Cardona about how the Biden Administration plans to make college classrooms more diverse in the wake of the decisions. GUESTS: Jin Hee Lee: Director of Strategic Initiatives at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF). She also oversees LDF's Pro Truth Initiative, and led LDF's representation of 25 Harvard student and alumni groups in the Harvard affirmative action case Dr. John Maduko: President of Connecticut State Community College Dr. Miguel Cardona: United States Secretary of Education; former student, teacher and administrator in Connecticut schools; former Commissioner for the Connecticut State Department of Education Special thanks to our interns Carol Chen and Stacey Addo, who helped produce this episode. Special thanks to Priya Sagar, Celeste Petrowsky and Wena Teng.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parents in Granby, Connecticut, are deeply divided over a 45-second video shown to students. The short video featured kids talking about Pride Month. Today, we unpack this conversation and what LGBTQ studies at the secondary and elementary school level might look like. Irene Parisi, Chief Academic Officer at the Connecticut State Department of Education, joins us to talk about this debate. And we hear from the 15 year old organizer of the first ever Granby Pride event. And later, author and teacher Chasten Buttigieg joins us to discuss his book. He is the husband of 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg in 2018. His book, I Have to Tell You Something, was originally published in 2020 and has since been rewritten and republished as I Have to Tell You Something - For Young Adults. He joins us for a conversation over Zoom to talk about his book and his message to LGBTQ youth. GUESTS: James Crocker: 15 year old organizer of Granby Pride and sophomore Granby Memorial High School Irene Parisi: Chief Academic Officer at Connecticut State Department of Education Paul Freeman: Superintendent of Guilford Public Schools Chasten Buttigieg: Author of I Have to Tell You Something, teacher, and advocate Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The State Department of Education and five Connecticut tribal nations are working together to meet a legislative mandate calling for Native American curriculum for K-12 social studies classes. Resources with localized information from the tribal nations themselves – Eastern Pequot, Mashantucket Pequot, Mohegan, Schaghticoke and Golden Hill Paugussett – are expected to be available in January 2024. This hour, we preview this collaboration with educators from the Mohegan Tribal Nation and the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, as well as State Department of Education social studies advisor Steve Armstrong. Darlene Kascak, education coordinator for the Institute of American Indian Studies and a traditional Native American storyteller with the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, explains the importance of centering, and distinguishing, each tribe's story and voice. Plus, Sam Cholewa Tondreau is the director of curriculum and instruction for the Mohegan Tribal Nation, helping develop the Educators Project, an online portal that provides a "combination of free Native American study resources and tools" to educators and homeschoolers. For those with young learners outside of the classroom who want to learn more, Cholewa Tondreau recommends the American Indian Library Association (ailanet.org) and American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL). Cholewa Tondreau points to one book she recommends for middle-schoolers and adults alike: An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States For Young People by Jean Mendoza, Debbie Reese, and Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. "While United States history isn't 12,000 years old, it does add an additional layer of Indigenous perspective and events," she says. GUESTS: Darlene Kascak: Education Coordinator, Institute of American Indian Studies; Traditional Native American Storyteller, Schaghticoke Tribal Nation Sam Cholewa Tondreau: Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Mohegan Tribal Nation Steve Armstrong: Social Studies Consultant, Connecticut State Department of Education Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Cat Pastor contributed to this show which originally aired December 6, 2022.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The State Department of Education and five Connecticut tribal nations are working together to meet a legislative mandate calling for Native American curriculum for K-12 social studies classes. Resources with localized information from the tribal nations themselves – Eastern Pequot, Mashantucket Pequot, Mohegan, Schaghticoke and Golden Hill Paugussett – are expected to be available in January 2024. This hour, we preview this collaboration with educators from the Mohegan Tribal Nation and the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, as well as State Department of Education social studies advisor Steve Armstrong. Darlene Kascak, education coordinator for the Institute of American Indian Studies and a traditional Native American storyteller with the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, explains the importance of centering, and distinguishing, each tribe's story and voice. Plus, Sam Cholewa Tondreau is the director of curriculum and instruction for the Mohegan Tribal Nation, helping develop the Educators Project, an online portal that provides a "combination of free Native American study resources and tools" to educators and homeschoolers. GUESTS: Darlene Kascak: Education Coordinator, Institute of American Indian Studies; Traditional Native American Storyteller, Schaghticoke Tribal Nation Sam Cholewa Tondreau: Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Mohegan Tribal Nation Steve Armstrong: Social Studies Consultant, Connecticut State Department of Education Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holiday Concert Resonet In Laudibus – Resounding Joyful Praises Renaissance and Baroque Holiday Music for Chorus and Brass Some of the most festive music in all eras was written for the Christmas season! Immerse yourself in the rich vocal music on which some today's beloved Christmas Carols are based: popular motets for four to eight voices, such as “In dulci jubilo” (Sweet rejoicing), “O magnum mysterium” (O great mystery), and “Resonet in laudibus” (Resounding joyful praises), and instrumental canzonas and toccatas by Italian and German composer: Praetorius, Gabrieli, Handl, Schein, Bassano, Bonelli, and others. And hear some of the familiar chorals from the Christmas Oratorio by the great Johan Sebastian Bach, an expression of joyful expectation and the celebration of Christ's incarnation – a love story between God and humanity. Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 6 pm St. Paul Church Stockbridge, MA TICKETS Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 4pm Trinity Church, Lakeville, CT TICKETS For the concert on December 10th in Stockbridge, there will be a light show by Joe Wheaton creating a special multi-sensory experience. The outdoor light show will be free to all. In case of bad weather the light show will not take place. St. Paul's church is asking for donations to: Lee Food Pantry, PO Box 335, Lee, MA 01238-0335. The performers are Crescendo Chorus, with solo soprano Jordan Rose Lee, The Berkshire Brass: Peter Bellino and Brian Kanner, trumpets, and David Wampler and William Carr, trombones, conducted by Crescendo's Founding Artistic Director Christine Gevert from the organ. These performances are underwritten by Stephen Ketterer and Ignacio Ramirez of Sharon, CT. Support has also been provided to Crescendo from CT Humanities (CTH), with funding provided by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature.

Does this year's back-to-school mean "back to normal"? This hour, we sit down with Connecticut State Department of Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker to discuss top priorities for the agency. We touch on COVID-19 and monkeypox guidance, teacher shortages, and more. What are your questions for the Commissioner? GUESTS: Charlene M. Russell-Tucker: Commissioner, Connecticut State Department of Education Irene Parisi: Chief Academic Officer, Connecticut State Department of Education Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of homeschoolers in Connecticut has increased since the start of the pandemic. The Connecticut State Department of Education reported a "slight decrease" in students returning to public school in 2020, "attributed to an increase in homeschooling. "Families are asked to log their "exit" from public school with the state agency. There were 550 exits reported in 2019, and that number rose to "around 3,500 in 2020." By 2021, that number was at 2,300, though the Department of Education notes "students who have not returned to school by October 1 could still have returned to school any day after that for the remainder of the year." This spike is well above the AP's recent calculation for "18 states that shared data through the current school year," where overall "the number of homeschooling students increased by 63% in the 2020-2021 school year" and "fell only by 17 percent this school year." While the pandemic was a major factor driving families to consider homeschooling, parents also responded to the national "reckoning with race." As one testimonial explains, "For many parents of color, this included questions about whether it would be healthier for their child to be educated outside a system they viewed as replicating injustices." This hour, we learn about one approach to "unschooling" in our state." It takes a village to raise free people," says Connecticut parent and social liberation "eduvist" Chemay Morales-James. She founded My Reflection Matters in 2016 "to provide the tools necessary to support and nurture the development of healthy racial and ethnic identities of Black and Brown children and older youth." The My Reflection Matters Village launched in 2020, a co-learning membership co-op "for caregivers whose families have opted out of traditional education and are walking the path of liberated, self-directed education." We hear from Morales-James as well as education consultant and community organizer Dr. Vanessa Liles. Plus, Sylvia Maribei shares her experience as a parent in the Village. GUESTS: Chemay Morales-James: Social Liberation Eduvist (Education Activist); Founder, My Reflection Matters; Co-Chair, Waterbury Bridge to Success Dr. Vanessa Liles: Education Consultant and Community Organizer; Partner, My Reflection Matters; Co-Project Director, PT Partners Sylvia Maribei: Parent; Member, My Reflection Matters Village Cat Pastor contributed to this episode which originally aired June 3, 2022.Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of homeschoolers in Connecticut has increased since the start of the pandemic. The Connecticut State Department of Education reported a "slight decrease" in students returning to public school in 2020, "attributed to an increase in homeschooling." Families are asked to log their "exit" from public school with the agency. There were 550 exits reported in 2019, and that number rose to "around 3,500 in 2020." By 2021, that number was at 2,300, though the Department of Education notes "students who have not returned to school by October 1 could still have returned to school any day after that for the remainder of the year." This spike is well above the AP's recent calculation for "18 states that shared data through the current school year," where "the number of homeschooling students increased by 63% in the 2020-2021 school year" and "fell only by 17 percent this school year." While the pandemic was a major factor driving families to consider homeschooling, parents also responded to the national "reckoning with race." As one testimonial explains, "For many parents of color, this included questions about whether it would be healthier for their child to be educated outside a system they viewed as replicating injustices." This hour, we learn about one approach to "unschooling" in our state. "It takes a village to raise free people," says Connecticut parent and social liberation "eduvist" Chemay Morales-James. She founded My Reflection Matters in 2016 "to provide the tools necessary to support and nurture the development of healthy racial and ethnic identities of Black and Brown children and older youth." The My Reflection Matters Village launched in 2020, a co-learning membership co-op "for caregivers whose families have opted out of traditional education and are walking the path of liberated, self-directed education." We hear from Morales-James as well as education consultant and community organizer Dr. Vanessa Liles. Plus, Sylvia Maribei shares her experience as a parent in the Village. GUESTS: Chemay Morales-James: Social Liberation Eduvist (Education Activist); Founder, My Reflection Matters; Co-Chair, Waterbury Bridge to Success Dr. Vanessa Liles: Consultant, My Reflection Matters; Co-Project Director, PT Partners Sylvia Maribei: Parent; Member, My Reflection Matters Village Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Description: MIC3 Commissioner Laura Anastasio discusses the facts of the Military Interstate Compact and why this resource is so valuable to military students. This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support from the: Funder: Hanscom Spouses Club https://hanscomsc.org/index.html   Show Notes https://mic3.net/ Parent toolkit: https://mic3.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ParentTrainingToolkit_Revised-2021.pdf One Pager: https://mic3.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/one-pager-information2.pdf Parent Guide: https://indd.adobe.com/view/f41d20ad-3121-4c98-ab68-61c4b7daec69 Find your school liaison: https://mic3.net/school-liaisons/ https://www.militarychild.org/studenttransition   Bio: Laura Anastasio Laura Anastasio is a staff attorney with the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) and serves as the Commissioner Designee for the Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission under the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children. Her responsibilities at the CSDE include providing assistance to the general public and school districts regarding the application of the state's education laws, including but not limited to school health and nutrition, tenure, truancy, home instruction, attendance, graduation requirements, adult education, priority schools, duties of boards of education, racial imbalance, bullying, school construction, school accountability, private schools, and student rights. She also is responsible for reviewing all contracts for the CSDE and providing guidance to staff concerning compliance with FERPA and with the Freedom of Information Act, and she oversees contract negotiations under the Connecticut Teacher Negotiations Act. She has worked for the CSDE for 17 years. Prior to her employment with the State of Connecticut, she was an associate at Shipman & Goodwin LLP, specializing in education law. Laura received her B.A. from Emory University and her J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

A Chamber Music Concert by one of Crescendo's Ensembles: Mientras me abraza–Baroque, Latino, and Folk Fusion On April 8 and 9, the music organization Crescendo will present the first in a series of four concerts of vocal and instrumental music. This first concert of Crescendo's 2022 season is a program featuring chamber music with a “twist.” The repertoire featured and the instruments uses not only crossover into different genres of classical, folk and contemporary music, but they also break down the barriers between these genres and illustrate how very connected these different styles of music are. The unifying element is the folk dance – from Poland over Spain to Latin America. Folk music and dance rhythms permeate classical music, and connect different genres and eras from the Baroque to present times. Polish folk music and dances influenced music by many Baroque composers, including some that are generally associated with serious sacred music, such as Johann Sebastian Bach and George Philip Telemann. The ensemble will present their own ar-rangements of three Baroque works, Telemann's Suite Polonoise, and Bach's famous Orchestral Suite in B minor, and his motet “Singet dem Herrn.” All are great examples of this fusion of styles. Traditional Spanish, Polish and European dance music was influenced by the Folk music in Colonial Latin America. The ensemble will present their own arrangements of Mariachi tunes and other traditional dances from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Bolivia and Chile. Some of these pieces will be preceded by improvisations in Baroque style. Connecting the past and the present are two contemporary works, written in this decade and based on Latin American dances. Dan Román, the composer of one of the contemporary works written for the ensemble, describes the fusion in the following way: “My piece is an attempt to meld two seemingly dissimilar musical traditions: minimalist music, and folkloric and popular dance music such as the Bomba, Plena, Salsa, and Mambo. These two traditions turned out to have great affinity to one another due to the use of layered rhythms and a sense of perpetual drive.” The musicians who present these works will use an unusual combination of chamber instruments: Violin and per-cussion played by Job Salazar, Carlos Boltes with viola and charango, and Crescendo's Founder and Artistic Director Christine Gevert, virginal and organ. These concerts have been made possible in part with support from the Connecticut Office of the Arts, which also receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Support has also been provided to Crescendo from CT Humanities (CTH), with funding provided by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature. The concerts will take place on Friday, April 8, at 6 pm at Trinity Church Lime Rock, 484 Lime Rock Rd., Lakeville, CT, and on Saturday, April 9, at 4 pm at Saint James Place, 352 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA. Tickets are $35 (general seating), $60 (premium seating), and $10 (youth). All audience members, including staff, and performers must show proof of being fully vaccinated. Musicians, audience members, and staff must remain properly masked once inside the performance venue. These policies are subject to change. Access online ticket sales and the full Covid precaution policy in the most updated version on Crescendo's website: www.crescendomusic.org. ### COVID PROTOCOL FOR CRESCENDO'S CONCERTS AND EVENTS, (updated March 14, 2022) As an audience member I acknowledge that I am aware of certain risks of participating in public events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that I am choosing to enter the venue my tickets are purchased for at my own risk. In order to do my part to not s

Robin Colombo CecereRegional School Choice Office Director, Connecticut State Department of Education

Episode 55 - Housing Court During the Pandemic and Executive Order 12DThis week on Calendar Call we have the first of a two-part series in which Mike discusses changes in the housing court process and the effects of Executive Order 12D with Presiding Judge of Housing in Fairfield and Stamford, Walter Spader and Deputy Director II of Superior Court Operations, Nancy McGann. Calendar Call Episode 7 - Housing and Small ClaimsConnecticut State Department of HousingExecutive Order 12DExecutive Order 14

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and this week host Susan Guthrie speaks with Attorney Uswah Khan who has helped scores of victims of abuse obtain restraining orders in order protect themselves, and their children, from suffering further at the hands of their abusers. On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men. Restraining orders offer one of the few tools that a victim has to try to protect themselves from ongoing abuse but getting a restraining order can be scary, confusing and complicated.  To make matters worse, many victims cannot afford to retain an attorney to help them navigate the court process making it even more difficult to apply for relief.  Attorney Uswah Khan has spent the past few years representing and assisting victims of domestic violence as the staff attorney at The Center for Family Justice in Connecticut.  In this episode, Uswah demystifies the process of obtaining a restraining order and walks you through the steps so that you are empowered to get the protection that you, and your children, need.  This episode truly will save lives! If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic or intimate partner violence please contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or Text "START" to 88788 For more information on the Family Justice Center Alliance, which develops and supports Family Justice Centers that help survivors and their children find the services they need in ONE place visit:  https://www.familyjusticecenter.org About this week's special guest: Attorney Uswah Khan has been practicing family law in the State of CT for over 18 years.  Most recently, she served as staff attorney at a Family Justice Center assisting victims of domestic violence.  For the past 9 years, she has run her own practice engaging in private divorce mediations and a family law litigation.  Additionally, she was a Hearing Officer for Special Education,  for the Connecticut State Department of Education.   She received her B.A. from Columbia University, Barnard College, a J.D. from Pace University School of Law, and an MBA from the University of Connecticut School of Business.   She is also admitted to the U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut in 2005, and to the United States Supreme Court in 2018. ********************** MEET OUR CREATOR AND HOST: SUSAN GUTHRIE®, ESQ., the creator and host of The Divorce and Beyond® Podcast, is nationally recognized as one of the top family law and divorce mediation attorneys in the country.  Susan is a member of the Executive Council of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution and is the Founder of Divorce in a Better Way® which provides a curated selection of resources and information for those facing divorce and other life changes.  Internationally renowned as one of the leading experts in online mediation, Susan created her Learn to Mediate Online® program and has trained more than 18,000 professionals in how to transition their practice online.  Susan recently partnered with legal and mediation legend, Forrest "Woody" Mosten to create the Mosten Guthrie Academy which provides gold standard, fully online training for mediation and collaborative professionals at all stages of their career.   ***************************************************************************** THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR: Fayr is the ONLY co-parenting app that Susan recommends because Fayr is everything you need to co-parent in one app.  Fayr's fresh, easy to use interface allows co-parents to effortlessly communicate, create a shared calendar, keep track of expenses, prepare legal documents and more.   Most importantly, it allows you to experience co-parenting in a totally new way: simply, inexpensively, transparently, and fairly. 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If you would like to sponsor the show please reach out to us at  divorceandbeyondpod@gmail.com for pricing and details!!! ********************************************************************* Remember to follow Susan Guthrie and THE DIVORCE AND BEYOND PODCAST on social media for updates and inside tips and information: Susan Guthrie on Facebook @susanguthrieesq Susan on Instagram @susanguthrieesq Susan on Twitter @guthrielaw If you want to see the video version of the podcast episodes they are available on The Divorce & Beyond YouTube Channel!  Make sure to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss a single episode! Finally, we'd really appreciate it if you would  give us a 5 Star Rating and tell us what you like about the show in a review - your feedback really matters to us!  You can get in touch with Susan at divorceandbeyondpod@gmail.com.  Don't forget to visit the webpage www.divorceandbeyondpod.com and sign up for the free NEWSLETTER to receive a special welcome video from Susan and more!! ***************************************************************************** DISCLAIMER:  THE COMMENTARY AND OPINIONS AVAILABLE ON THIS PODCAST ARE FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING LEGAL ADVICE.  YOU SHOULD CONTACT AN ATTORNEY IN YOUR STATE TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE WITH RESPECT TO ANY PARTICULAR ISSUE OR PROBLEM

Restaurants struggled to afloat during Covid and were able to survive in part because of creative solutions like dining areas in empty parking spaces. Now, even though vaccination is widespread, residents' interest in outdoor dining hasn't slowed down. And our streets feel more lively because of it. This hour, we take a look at the way our streets have changed during the pandemic. Could some of these innovations be here to stay? And Covid has been costly in so many ways. The pandemic has led to a sharp rise in pedestrian deaths over the last year. Do you worry about safety when walking or biking in your neighborhood? GUESTS: Beth Osborne - Vice President for Transportation and Thriving Communities at Smart Growth America Garrett Eucalitto - Deputy Commissioner of Connecticut State Department of Transportation Gary Anderson - Director of Planning and Economic Development for the town of Manchester, Connecticut Michael Marquetti - Owner of Columbus Park Trattoria in Stamford, Tarantino Restaurant in Westport, and Applausi in Old Greenwich Andres Cordido - Co-owner of Somos Handcrafted Arepas in New Haven Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Restaurants struggled to afloat during Covid and were able to survive in part because of creative solutions like dining areas in empty parking spaces. Now, even though vaccination is widespread, residents' interest in outdoor dining hasn't slowed down. And our streets feel more lively because of it. This hour, we take a look at the way our streets have changed during the pandemic. Could some of these innovations be here to stay? And Covid has been costly in so many ways. The pandemic has led to a sharp rise in pedestrian deaths over the last year. Do you worry about safety when walking or biking in your neighborhood? GUESTS: Beth Osborne - Vice President for Transportation and Thriving Communities at Smart Growth America Garrett Eucalitto - Deputy Commissioner of Connecticut State Department of Transportation Gary Anderson - Director of Planning and Economic Development for the town of Manchester, Connecticut Michael Marquetti - Owner of Columbus Park Trattoria in Stamford, Tarantino Restaurant in Westport, and Applausi in Old Greenwich Andres Cordido - Co-owner of Somos Handcrafted Arepas in New Haven Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TEACH Connecticut—a nonprofit partnership between TEACH.org, Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) and Connecticut schools, districts and educator preparation programs—was created to assist anyone considering teaching in Connecticut.

Restaurants struggled to afloat during Covid and were able to survive in part because of creative solutions like dining areas in empty parking spaces. Now, even though vaccination is widespread, residents' interest in outdoor dining hasn't slowed down. And our streets feel more lively because of it. This hour, we take a look at the way our streets have changed during the pandemic. Could some of these innovations be here to stay? And Covid has been costly in so many ways. The pandemic has led to a sharp rise in pedestrian deaths over the last year. Do you worry about safety when walking or biking in your neighborhood? GUESTS: Beth Osborne - Vice President for Transportation and Thriving Communities at Smart Growth America Garrett Eucalitto - Deputy Commissioner of Connecticut State Department of Transportation Gary Anderson - Director of Planning and Economic Development for the town of Manchester, Connecticut Michael Marquetti - Owner of Columbus Park Trattoria in Stamford, Tarantino Restaurant in Westport, and Applausi in Old Greenwich Andres Cordido - Co-owner of Somos Handcrafted Arepas in New Haven Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Restaurants struggled to afloat during Covid and were able to survive in part because of creative solutions like dining areas in empty parking spaces. Now, even though vaccination is widespread, residents' interest in outdoor dining hasn't slowed down. And our streets feel more lively because of it. This hour, we take a look at the way our streets have changed during the pandemic. Could some of these innovations be here to stay? And Covid has been costly in so many ways. The pandemic has led to a sharp rise in pedestrian deaths over the last year. Do you worry about safety when walking or biking in your neighborhood? GUESTS: Beth Osborne - Vice President for Transportation and Thriving Communities at Smart Growth America Garrett Eucalitto - Deputy Commissioner of Connecticut State Department of Transportation Gary Anderson - Director of Planning and Economic Development for the town of Manchester, Connecticut Michael Marquetti - Owner of Columbus Park Trattoria in Stamford, Tarantino Restaurant in Westport, and Applausi in Old Greenwich Andres Cordido - Co-owner of Somos Handcrafted Arepas in New Haven Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nasir Qadree is redefining venture capital by rethinking how they source, invest, and scale, early-stage companies that are rethinking the building blocks of wealth. From education to employment, through financial wellness via their inclusive investing strategy.Nasir started his career as an analyst at Goldman Sachs, then moved onto work as a Senior Associate at State Street. While balancing his work in finance, Nasir decided to invest in a coffee shop and coworking space called The Bee's Knees Baking Company, which became a hub of entrepreneurial activity, which sparked his interest in innovation.From there, Nasir went on to become special assistant to the commissioner of education for the Connecticut State Department of Education and working for then-Senate candidate Cory Booker, whom he advised on the future of education.He pivoted to venture capital to support founders solving the problems he observed while in the public sector and public market, holding investment roles as director of social investments at AT&T and head of education at Village Capital. With this foundation, Nasir launched Zeal Capital Partners to focus on financial inclusion and the future of work. Nasir and his team created a firm that has built a rigorous approach to leveraging its unique competitive advantages of being based in D.C., its networks in growing tech hubs, in order to partner with diverse founding teams at the earliest stages of development.In Zeal Capital Partners's very first newsletter, Nasir wrote, “It was important we led with inclusion, not diversity, so that we could be even more proactive and intentional about widening our lens. This approach begins with our team and extends to include the makeup of our companies, geographic regions we proactively invest in, aligned LPs, and measuring social impact outcomes via our proprietary impact framework.”Learn more about Zeal Capital Partners ›

While the idea of providing mental health assessment and services for all students was a nice thought for most districts up until March, 2020, it wasn't always a central focus. As with so many other aspects of education post-pandemic, that concept has been turned inside out. On this episode of EdTech Today, Christine Nicodemus, co-founder and COO of Ascend and now Chief Product Officer at Aperture Education, details the news of her company's recent acquisition.Aperture Education, the leading provider of researched-backed social and emotional learning (SEL) assessments for K-12 schools, purchased Charlotte-based Ascend, creator of goal-based student engagement software, last month. The acquisition allows Aperture to expand its SEL offerings for high school by providing districts and out-of-school-time programs with a mobile-friendly software platform to engage students in their own social and emotional learning. The new platform provides students with access to Aperture's DESSA-Student Self-report, which students use to assess their own SEL skills, as well as access to real-time results and goal-based SEL strategies. The acquisition also marks a period of significant growth for Aperture which now serves nearly 1 million students and 42,000 educators in nearly 500 school districts.“Social and emotional learning is a fast-growing segment of the education industry, and the pandemic has created even more urgency around the need for reliable, data-driven SEL programs that engage students, especially in high school. Anyone who has or teaches a high school student knows there are unique challenges in helping students improve their SEL skills – from block scheduling to a lack of dedicated time for teachers and students to focus on SEL, as well as a lack of time to train teachers how to incorporate SEL strategies into their daily instruction,” said Jessica Adamson, CEO of Aperture Education. “Ascend's gamified, goal-setting platform provides the student-engagement piece to help schools get the data they need, and makes it easier to integrate SEL into the school day. Now, with Ascend, we are able to provide an even more well-rounded SEL assessment solution to support students and teachers at the high school level.”Aperture Education, based outside of Charlotte in Fort Mill, South Carolina, is home to the education industry's most well-regarded social and emotional learning assessment, the DESSA. Cited in more than 100 research publications, the DESSA is used by school districts and out-of-school-time organizations to measure students' social and emotional competence in areas such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making.Ascend, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, creates gamified SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based) goal-setting software for schools and out-of-school time programs. Its unique enterprise platform connects all stakeholders in a student's personal growth: program administration, student mentors and advocates, and the students themselves.Aperture's new platform, the Aperture Student Portal draws on the strengths of each company. It gives high school students the ability to take the DESSA self-assessment and receive immediate feedback about their personal social and emotional strengths and growth opportunities and lets students set goals and take on gamified challenges related to their social and emotional growth and other areas of their lives. This solution motivates students and gives program administrators data that incorporates student voice.“Aperture is a leader in the SEL assessment industry because of its foundation in research-based tools and together Aperture and Ascend provide a one-stop-shop for SEL assessment, reporting, and strategies for high schools and out-of-school time organizations,” said Christine Nicodemus, co-founder and COO of Ascend. “By having reliable data and understanding students' personal goals, program administrators can make better decisions about their high school SEL programs, how best to support those students and find creative new ways to engage with them.”The company has announced several new company partnerships in the past few years and in March 2021 became the sole recipient of a contract with the Connecticut State Department of Education to provide its SEL assessment statewide.

Another school year in a pandemic is winding down. That means parents have been thinking about summer plans like summer camps. The Lamont administration has said it will invest COVID-19 relief money to make summer camp experiences accessible to all Connecticut students. This hour, we talk with a camp director and hear from state agencies that serve kids. What’s in store for summer 2021? GUESTS: Kath Davies - Director of Camp Hazen YMCA, a summer camp in Chester, Connecticut Beth Bye - Commissioner of the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood Chris Soto - Director of Innovation and Partnerships at the Connecticut State Department of Education Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another school year in a pandemic is winding down. That means parents have been thinking about summer plans like summer camps. The Lamont administration has said it will invest COVID-19 relief money to make summer camp experiences accessible to all Connecticut students. This hour, we talk with a camp director and hear from state agencies that serve kids. What’s in store for summer 2021? GUESTS: Kath Davies - Director of Camp Hazen YMCA, a summer camp in Chester, Connecticut Beth Bye - Commissioner of the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood Chris Soto - Director of Innovation and Partnerships at the Connecticut State Department of Education Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we are honored to speak with Dr. Christopher Clouet appointed by then-Commissioner Dr. Miguel A. Cardona (now Secretary of Education in the Biden Administration). Dr. Chris Clouet joined the Connecticut State Department of Education last March, as a special advisor to the Commissioner dedicated to stakeholder engagement and supporting the success of school districts. As a superintendent of schools for the last two decades, Dr. Clouet has led diverse urban, suburban, and rural districts throughout Connecticut and in New York. He brings extensive knowledge in implementing innovative programs that enhance and emphasize student achievement, the instructional core, and student voice as keys to district success.

It wasn't that long ago that there was a nutrition free-for-all in schools where sugary beverages, high calorie snack foods, and even things like pizzas and cheeseburgers direct from fast food chains were part of the food landscape in schools. What do you think the situation is today? Has it deteriorated even further? Has it improved or stayed about the same? Today's guest, Dr. Marlene Schwartz, is a champion for improved nutrition and physical activity in schools and one of the leading experts in the field. Schwartz is director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity and professor of human development and family studies at the University of Connecticut. She's an expert on nutrition and physical activity policies in schools and preschools nationwide, and has collaborated in particular with the Connecticut Department of Education on their policies.   Interview Summary   Let me ask you about the food landscape in schools. When people generally think of this, they think of school breakfast, school lunch, but there's actually a lot more of the picture of food in schools than just this. And you've talked about this a lot. Can you help explain?   Sure. So the school meals are definitely the most visible aspect of school food. And when I first got into this work, I thought that was pretty much all there was. But once you go into the school, what you realize is that food is available from a lot of different sources. In the cafeteria, there is often food sold outside of the meal program that's called competitive foods. So those are snacks or other beverages. High schools often have schools stores where they can sell a whole variety of snacks and beverages. Schools also have vending machines that sell food. And then there are fundraisers that are often done during the school day where children can buy food. And then in addition to all the food that's sold, there's food that's simply given out in schools quite commonly, particularly at the elementary school level. There is a lot of food available during parties, birthday parties, holiday parties, as well as teachers who use food as a reward in the classroom. So once you go in and try to start changing school food, you realize that there are many, many different places that you have to try to influence.   So when you mention birthday parties and things, every child just has one once a year, and you wouldn't think it really adds up to a lot, but you've made a different argument. Tell us about that.   Well, I think that yes, parents think, "Well, my child only has one birthday a year." But of course your child is one out of 25 children in the classroom. And so my argument was really that you have to look at what's happening in the classroom overall over the course of a year. And I actually made a slide that showed all of the different holidays, all of the birthday parties that take place during the year, so that people could really see that when you started to count, there were parties happening pretty much every single week in elementary schools.   So returning to school meals, and the competitive foods, and things served a la carte and things in bending machines, how the heck did things get to be this way? I mean, were there federal, state, or local policies that permitted or even encouraged this? Were people making money? What made this happen?   It's really interesting to look into the history of competitive foods in schools. What I learned is that there are actually multiple layers of policies. And historically, the main policy was the federal policy, because the school meal programs are federal programs. But in the 1980s, the National Soft Drink Association, which is now known as the American Beverage Association, actually sued the federal government to make the case that they should not be allowed to regulate what was sold in schools outside of the school meals. And that was really the beginning of a very sort of troubled era, I would say, in the school food environment, because a lot of vending machines started going into the schools at that point, selling soft drinks. Companies even had something called pouring right contracts, which were essentially contracts with a particular brand, so Coke or Pepsi, where they would give the school money, they would provide the vending machines, and they would sell their products, and they would let the school have a cut of the profits. On the one hand, it helped the soft drink companies sell their product. They made some money from that. But I think what was probably more important to them is they got their brand in front of the students in that school. And the deal was you couldn't sell other brands of beverages.   I remember when we first started doing this work, I went to a high school in Connecticut, and I remember counting 13 vending machines as I was walking through the halls. So that was 13 times during the day, you know, children would be passing by that huge machine with the logo for that beverage company. There were really limited regulations during that era of what could be sold outside of the school meals. There was something called foods of minimal nutritional value, which was a pretty short list of things you couldn't sell. So it was things like cotton candy and lollipops. And there were also rules about not selling unhealthy foods for 30 minutes before the lunch period or 30 minutes after the lunch period. So you had a situation where sometimes there would be a vending machine in the hallway and they would unplug it for 30 minutes before lunch and then 30 minutes after lunch. But people could go plug in the machine, buy their soda, and then unplug it again. Those are the sorts of stories that you would hear.   So the good news is that things started changing in the early 2000s. People started to realize that it had gotten out of control, and States started passing regulations to get rid of some of these unhealthy competitive foods. And at the time, there really wasn't much promise of making a change at the federal level. So you had dates that were progressive passing laws that you couldn't sell soda or you couldn't sell certain unhealthy snacks in the schools. And then something interesting happened in 2006, which was the federal regulation was updated, basically saying that school districts needed to set their own policies. So it was somewhat of a political compromise. I think that the advocates had hoped that time that the federal regulation would actually say what the nutrition standards would be for competitive foods. But instead of that, they at least got this idea that, okay, you need to set your own policy. You can't just ignore this problem. And so it sort of forced the hand of school districts to at least put down on paper what their rules were for the snacks that they were selling outside of school meals. And so there was this period of time where schools really were responding to three levels of regulation, often. The federal regulation, if they lived in a state that had state regulations, they had those. And then also their own district regulation. It was quite confusing. And I think schools sort of struggled to figure out what they were doing and which regulations they were following. But things have definitely improved.   There are lots of interesting examples of individual parents making a difference in this problem by what they've done within their own school systems. So you don't necessarily just have to think about top-down things, and you're one such person. I remember that as a parent, when you had children in the Connecticut schools, that you made a big difference in the way the school system looked at things. So I'd love to hear just a little bit about how you approached that. What was the situation when you began working on it? And then what happened?   I was one of those parents and have a reputation that continues to follow me to this day. I had, you know, young children in the schools and was not happy with what was being sold in the schools. I wasn't happy with the number of times, as I mentioned, there were parties or teachers were handing out candy or coupons for donuts in the classroom. And so I got involved in my own elementary school with the principal, and we formed what was sort of ahead of its time, but it was essentially a school wellness committee. And we invited the school nurse, the PE teacher, some other parents joined. And we really tried to think about what could we do in our own school to make changes. And given that, you know, my training as a researcher taught me that you want to collect data, you want to keep track of what changes are occurring.   We began with a survey of parents in my school district that the district helped orchestrate. And I was able to document that parents overall really didn't want these unhealthy foods in schools. They didn't really like the snacks being sold in the elementary schools. They didn't like teachers handing out candy. And so I was able to then go back to the board of education with the data and convince them that we should have a stronger policy in our district. Now I will say that it turned out there was mixed feelings about it. Even though the majority of parents felt that way, there certainly were parents that didn't feel that way. And I got a lot of really great research ideas from going to different PTO meetings presenting the research on this topic and really hearing the way parents talk about it.   One of the things I learned pretty early on is that it really seemed like it wasn't so much about cupcakes in the classroom, but the arguments were more about what is the role of government? What is the role of policy? And when do you sort of let parents do whatever they want and when does the school or the school district have the right to say, "No, this is how we want things done in our district."   Well, what you've just said is a great example of how much difference a single parent can make. So let's talk about the federal government and what it's been doing. So a lot happened during the Obama administration on school food nutrition standards, and the Trump administration as well. But there's quite a contrast in the way these two administrations have been addressing this issue. Can you paint us a picture of this?   The Obama administration: I think of it now as the golden age of improvements in school food. You had a situation where States were passing policies. The federal government didn't do too much other than require these local policies. But because of all of that, it became evident that change really could happen. So you had whole States that got rid of all of the sugary drinks in schools like Connecticut. In 2006, K through 12, no sugary drinks could be sold in any of our schools. And essentially we proved as a state that this change could happen, that there wasn't a disaster. People didn't lose so much money, you know, that it was a huge problem. And so all of the arguments that have been made as to why you couldn't make these changes were kind of shown to be false because we were able to demonstrate that it could be done. I think those stories started accumulating. And then of course, Michelle Obama was a tremendous champion for children's health, for nutrition. And a piece of legislation called the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 went through and I think completely transformed the school food environment. So that acted lots of things that really hadn't been done before. First of all, it revamped the nutrition standards so that they were in line with the dietary guidelines. So we saw things like increases in whole grains, increases in low-fat dairy, also more fruits and vegetables. And in addition to more in terms of larger quantities, also more variety in fruits and vegetables. So those changes were all really important. The other thing they did that was very new is they started setting calorie maximums for school meals instead of just calorie minimums. Those minimums had always been there because the concern was that kids weren't getting enough to eat. Now we had knowledge that we also needed to be careful about kids eating too many calories at school.   And then the other really major change that came with the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act is that lawsuit I mentioned from the National Soft Drink Association in the 1980s that prevented the federal government from regulating foods outside of the school meal programs finally was changed. And now the federal government started to set standards for the first time for all foods sold on school campus during the school day. And they developed something called Smart Snacks, which is a set of nutrition standards that went into effect that essentially regulates everything that's sold. So those were all wonderful changes.   I think the USDA did a great job developing the regulations, implementing them over time. It wasn't like everything happened overnight. There were several years where each year different levels of the changes would get implemented. Another important one was sodium levels. There had been very clear research documenting too much sodium consumption and that school meals had too much sodium. So there was a progressive series of three levels of sodium reduction that were scheduled. So then came the Trump administration. And I think there were a lot of concerns about whether things would go backwards because one of the priorities, it seemed, from the Trump administration was deregulation and taking away things like federal regulations. And in the end, some changes have taken place. So there've been a couple of rollbacks. One is the original Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act regulation for milk said that all milk had to be 1% or fat-free, and there could be flavored milk, but it had to be fat-free flavored milk. And the reason was because that was a way to keep the calories below a certain level. So one of the roll backs was saying, no, you can have 1% flavored milk. So that was a change. Another had to do with whole grains. The regulation that had been implemented over time was that items needed to be what they call whole grain rich. And whole grain rich means more than 50% of the grains in the product are whole grains. And originally 50% of your grains had to be whole grain rich. And then it went up to 100% had to be whole grain rich. And essentially Sonny Perdue, about a year ago, rolled that back so that only 50% needed to be whole grain rich. So that was a step backwards. But I would say probably the biggest problem were the sodium changes. So as I said, there was this progression that had been scheduled pretty slowly to allow the industry time to reformulate to decrease the amount of sodium in schools. And essentially, Sonny Perdue announced last year that they were going to get rid of that third, most progressive level, and they were going to give more time to reach the second level. So it rolled back and then essentially stopped the progression in terms of improving the amount of sodium in schools.   So where do you think the most important advances in policy will be?   You know, I think that it goes up and down, if that makes sense. I think that things begin at the local level, because you have districts that really get out in front and have community that, you know, sort of taking this on as a priority. And then I think when you have districts showing that something can be done, it's more likely to happen at the state level. And then when things are done at the state level, oftentimes when you have a handful of states around the country that have demonstrated that something could be done, it's much easier for the federal government to make the changes. So if you're in a progressive state, the changes come earlier, because they are at those local and state levels. If you're in a less progressive state that doesn't tend to be out front on these issues, you really have to wait for the federal government to step in. That's what we've seen. And I wouldn't be surprised if it continued with that pattern.   So what do you think are the top priorities for what can be done in schools as we look forward?   The nutrition standards where they are, those rollbacks notwithstanding, I think are great. And I think it would be fine to keep them where they are now. I don't necessarily think that there need to be big changes there. What I think is more important now is to work on the culinary skill of people who are preparing school meals and find ways to help everyone make meals that follow those standards, but are also highly palatable and really attractive to the students. Overall, there have been a lot of success stories in terms of students liking the new school meals. I mean, we collected data in New Haven and documented very clearly that there had been no increase in plate waste, that children were eating the meals, they were eating more fruit than they were eating before. And I think that's the story in a lot of the cities and particularly districts that have 100% free lunch, so universal free meals. Those are the students who are used to eating school meals. They've been eating school meals since they came into schools. It's free, it's available for everyone, and that I think is often where you're going to see the most success. I think what's harder are the school districts that have a smaller proportion of students who qualify for free meals and therefore their rates of participation tend to be lower. They're faced with more challenges because they don't have the volume of participation that financially helps them invest in, let's say, new equipment or staff or training. And so they're the ones that I think have been struggling. And so I would love to see efforts to really help those districts learn from the districts that have seen a lot of success and kind of get the training, get the equipment, to really be able to provide meals that all of the students are going to want to eat.     Bio Dr. Marlene Schwartz is Director for the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity and Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences. Dr. Schwartz's research and community service address how home environments, school landscapes, neighborhoods, and the media shape the eating attitudes and behaviors of children. Schwartz earned her PhD in Psychology from Yale University in 1996. Prior to joining the Rudd Center, she served as Co-Director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders from 1996 to 2006. She has collaborated with the Connecticut State Department of Education to evaluate nutrition and physical activity policies in schools and preschools throughout the state. She co-chaired the Connecticut Obesity Task Force and has provided expert testimony on obesity-related state policies. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Food Bank.  

Food banks and food pantries provide life-saving help for families all around the country. Like other institutions addressing food issues, there is growing focus on providing not just food, but healthy food. There are complex issues in this picture, however, issues we can address with today's guest, Dr. Marlene Schwartz. Schwartz is director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Connecticut.   Interview Summary   Many of our listeners will know in general how food banks work, but may not know the details. Can you explain in general how these organizations operate? Where do they get their food and where does it go?   There are two terms that you hear a lot: food bank and food pantry. So a food bank is basically a huge warehouse that will get food either directly from a factory, from the food industry, or from a large retailer, sometimes directly from farmers and then sometimes from food drives or other efforts to collect food to donate. Most food banks have an online ordering system for food pantries, so food pantries are much smaller. They are sometimes run by churches or other community centers, and they're typically fairly small places where the staff will obtain the food from the food bank and maybe some also in addition from other local retailers or donations, and then that's where the clients come in. And so the clients will go to the food pantry in their community and that's where they will obtain the food that they can then take home and use.   If there are other programs that help people with food-related needs like SNAP and WIC, how do food banks fit into this overall picture?   So, it's really interesting because when you look at the actual amount of food provided by certainly a program as large as SNAP or WIC, food banks are tiny by comparison. So it's really a very, very small percentage of food that individuals get from the charitable food system compared to SNAP and WIC. However, I think their role really goes beyond the food they provide. Oftentimes food pantries are a place where people can come and get access to other resources in their community. So as I mentioned, they're often in community centers or faith-based organizations that will not only provide the food, but sometimes provide assistance signing up for SNAP or WIC or finding out about other types of social services or resources that are in the community. And so I think that their role can really be measured not just by the amount of food that they distribute, but also the way in which they connect their clients with other resources and really provide a place of support for their community.   You've paid a lot of attention to using the healthiness of the food distributed as an index of success. So how's this different than what's been done traditionally?   Traditionally, the success of food banks or food pantries has been measured in the pounds of food. And it's really interesting because you can see why that was an attractive measure because it's super easy. You basically just put the food on a scale, you measure how many pounds it is, it's a number, you know when it's more or less, and it's pretty straightforward. But as often happens when things get measured is that sometimes the system evolves to really maximize the measure without thinking about the consequences. So really heavy products, like two liter bottles of soda, for example, became very popular to donate to food banks and food pantries because they weighed a lot. And other things like maybe a container of spinach or kale was not very popular to donate because you wouldn't necessarily see a big change in the number of pounds. So I think that we definitely need to start looking at it differently and looking at the volume of food and consider the nutritional quality of food and not just the pounds.   So what sort of things were getting donated that wouldn't be considered good nutrition?   Packaged foods are very popular to donate to food banks. A lot of the packaged snack foods, a lot of canned meals. So things like beef stew or, you know, Beefaroni, or other foods that are shelf stable and heavy and people sort of felt would be filling, those tended to be the foods that people automatically thought would be the best things to donate to food banks.   If people are really hungry and in need, doesn't it make sense just to give them anything that's available? And could you make that argument?   I am sympathetic to the argument that people are hungry and you need to just give them something, and then it's all about the volume and the amount and that's the most important thing. But in really doing research on the people who come to food banks, I learned a couple of really important things. First of all, their rates of diet-related diseases are much, much higher than the general population. So we've seen very high rates of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. So you have to really think about the folks that are coming. They're at an even higher risk of those diseases. And the second thing is we started doing research where we actually asked clients, "What would you like to have at the pantry?" And the answers might surprise some people. We found that what was most important to them were fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, meat. So they weren't really looking for these canned products or these packaged products. And they certainly weren't looking for things like salty snacks and sugary drinks. So when you really listen to people, you find out they want healthy groceries, just like everybody else. And so, in my opinion, if you are taking on the responsibility of running a food pantry or a food bank and providing food, you really need to think about the needs of the people you're serving.   Are food banks generally around the country thinking more about the nutrition quality of the foods they receive and how is this playing out?   I've been in this area of research probably for six or seven years now. And even in that short time, I've seen a big change. So when we first started doing work in this area, we did a national survey of people in food banks and we did interviews to try to hear about how they were thinking about nutrition. And I would say there were still a lot that took the position you mentioned earlier that it's about pounds and it's about getting the maximum amount of food out and nutritional quality is really secondary. But I think as the public conversation has changed and people have become more and more aware of the importance of healthy food and the concern of diet-related diseases, food banks have changed as well. And we did another survey last year and really found that a large number of food banks are thinking about these things. They're using nutrition ranking systems, they're developing nutrition policies. And Feeding America is a national organization overseeing a network of about 200 food banks. They've come a long way in terms of thinking about the role of nutrition and how they can really lead that way.   You've done some research yourself on food banks and nutrition programs. What sort of nutrition work can be done in the context of food banks? And is there information available on how well these approaches work?   I would say the first step that a lot of food banks have taken is what we're calling nutrition ranking. So it's essentially having a systematic way of scoring the food products that come in. Sometimes they use a stoplight system, sort of a green, yellow, red in terms of the nutritional quality. Sometimes it's a binary system where they sort of consider it like foods to encourage or not. But sort of whatever system you use, I think having a system where you're keeping track of the quality of food in a systematic way helps you in a number of ways. One, you can see your changes over time. Two, you can sort of see which donors are giving you the sorts of foods that you're looking for and which donors are not, and that can sometimes facilitate conversations with those donors. But we did a really exciting study recently, we just finished analyzing the data, where we then had the food that the food bank had collected. So this is a food bank here in Connecticut called Foodshare, and they implement a system called the SWAP system, which stands for Supporting Wellness at Pantries. And it's a green, yellow, red stoplight ranking system based on saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. And what they did is they rank all the food as it comes in, and then when they put it on their online shopping platform for the food pantries, and there are about 150 food pantries that shop at Foodshare for the food that they distribute, we actually showed them green, yellow, red next to the items so they could see the nutrition quality assessment like that. And because we knew we were going to do it, we were able to look before that information was available and after that information was available over about a three-year period of time with it changing in the middle. And what we found was that there was a significant increase in the proportion of the order that was green and a decrease in the proportion of the order that was red. So what this really suggests is that if you communicate that information, you can sort of shift the behavior of the people who are making the decisions. We did another study, then. We basically did the same thing at the pantry level. So we went into a food pantry and we reorganized their shelves so they were clearly labeled with sort of circles that were the color green, yellow, red, but then had words like "Low sugar, good for managing diabetes," or, "Low sodium, good for managing blood pressure." We did that before and after we had collected data with these clients, and again found the exact same thing, that when clients were given the information, they change their behavior and there was an increase in the proportion of what they took that was green and a decrease in the proportion of what they took that was red. So I think there's a lot of promise in this idea of simply measuring and providing that information, I think will nudge people in the right direction.   Those interventions that you designed are very creative and it's really nice that they were so powerful. And boy, that does really speak to what can be done in these settings. So you mentioned Feeding America, a national organization, then you said that they work with 200 food banks around the country. And also I know they work with 60,000 food pantries. So what role do they play in all this?   Feeding America is incredibly important because they are kind of this umbrella organization for food banks nationally. There are some food banks that aren't affiliated with Feeding America, but the vast majority of the food banks in the United States are. One of the things they're able to do is navigate donations from very, very large national donors. So they can keep track, for example, of, you know, if there's a huge shipment of, I don't know, butternut squash, they can sort of figure out where it is and communicate with different food banks and try to get the food where it needs to go by having sort of the big picture of the whole country in front of them. And so they're able to really help a lot with fresh vegetables and fresh fruit and making sure that things get where they can be distributed in a timely fashion. They also can provide a lot of education for the networks and they have a lot of information online to really help food banks and food pantries know the latest science and also have access to different resources. And they also have a lot of national conferences for different segments of the system, where they'll present the latest information and help different members of this system do as good of a job as they can.   If I ask you to peer into the future, what do you think food banks will look like going down the road?   Well, the future in my imagination is that food banks and food pantries will continue to provide nutritious foods and will really focus primarily on providing the most nutritious foods, but will also become places that really serve the communities that they're in. So what I think is the untapped potential of this system is having a place where folks who might not have other resources, let's say because maybe they're not working or they're not in school, to have a place in their community where they can go and get access to trainings and other resources and sort of help them get back on their feet so that they can be successful. And there's a colleague of mine named Katie Martin who has this concept called More Than Food, which is really this idea that food pantries can help people obtain other services, connect them with health care, connect them with educational opportunities. And in that way, I think can really get more at the root causes of the food insecurity in the first place. Bio Dr. Marlene Schwartz is Director for the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity and Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences. Dr. Schwartz's research and community service address how home environments, school landscapes, neighborhoods, and the media shape the eating attitudes and behaviors of children. Schwartz earned her PhD in Psychology from Yale University in 1996. Prior to joining the Rudd Center, she served as Co-Director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders from 1996 to 2006. She has collaborated with the Connecticut State Department of Education to evaluate nutrition and physical activity policies in schools and preschools throughout the state. She co-chaired the Connecticut Obesity Task Force and has provided expert testimony on obesity-related state policies. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Food Bank.  

Robin Colombo CecereRegional School Choice Office DirectorConnecticut State Department of EducationRegional School Choice Office

Daniel "Dan" Blanchard the Bestselling and Award-Winning, Author, Speaker, and Educator. TV Host. Two-time Junior Olympian Wrestler and two-time Junior Olympian Wrestling Coach who grew up as a student-athlete. However, Dan admits that as a youth he was more of an athlete than a student. Dan has now successfully completed fourteen years of college and has earned seven degrees. He teaches Special Education and Social Studies in Connecticut's largest inner-city high school where he was chosen by the AFT-CT as the face and voice of educational reform and is now on the speaking circuit for them. Dan was with the team that put forth Connecticut's new Social Studies Frameworks and is also a member of the Special Education Advisory Board to the Connecticut State Department of Education. In addition, Dan is a Teacher Consultant for the University of Connecticut's Writing Project. Dan is a double veteran of the Army and the Air Force. And there is now a play being written about his life. Social Media Handles: Website: http://granddaddyssecrets.com/ Facebook: @dan007blanchard Twitter @dan007blanchard  

A new report from Connecticut’s Child Advocate finds staff at Waterbury Public Schools have called the police hundreds of times on elementary and middle school students experiencing mental health crises. Some of these children were as young as five years old. This hour, we talk with the Child Advocate and the school district. What better tools should teachers and administrators use to help children in crisis? We want to hear from you, too. Are you a parent with children in Waterbury Public Schools? GUESTS: Sarah Eagan - Child Advocate for the State of Connecticut Jackie Davis  - Climate and Attendance Coordinator for Waterbury Public Schools Dwayne Pittman Jr. - Waterbury Public Schools parent and the Vice President of Waterbury Strong Community Collective Irene Parisi - Chief Academic Officer at the Connecticut State Department of Education Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Connecticut’s schools will stay closed for the rest of the academic year. This hour, we talk about what two more months of distance learning will look like and what needs to happen before students return to school in the fall. State Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona and Jeff Leake, the president of Connecticut’s largest teacher’s union, join us. Later: as we approach the end of the Governor’s closure order, what might re-opening the state look like? We hear from a TIME Magazine reporter about the steps scientists and public health officials say the country must take in order to reopen and return to a “new normal.” GUESTS: Alice Park - National health correspondent for TIME Magazine (@AliceParkNY) Dr. Miguel Cardona - Commissioner of the Connecticut State Department of Education (@teachcardona) Jeff Leake - President of the Connecticut Education Association (CEA), the largest teachers’ union in Connecticut (@ceajeff) Support the show.

Vannessa Dorantes Is The Commissioner of Connecticut State Department of Children and Families. She Discusses Ways To Relieve Stress Of Caring For Children During COVID Crisis

Today's Guest: Daniel Blanchard   Dan is a Best-Selling Author, Award-Winning Speaker, and Educator, as well as, two-time Junior Olympian Wrestler, and two-time Junior Olympian Wrestling Coach grew up as a student-athlete. However, Dan admits that as a youth he was more of an athlete than a student.  Dan has now successfully completed fourteen years of college and has earned seven degrees. He teaches Special Education and Social Studies in Connecticut’s largest inner-city high school where he was chosen by the AFT-CT as the face and voice of educational reform and is now on the speaking circuit for them. Dan was with the team that put forth Connecticut’s new Social Studies Frameworks and is also a member of the Special Education Advisory Board to the Connecticut State Department of Education. In addition, Dan is a Teacher Consultant for the University of Connecticut’s Writing Project. Finally, Dan is a double veteran of the Army and the Air Force. Because Dan’s students repeatedly asked him to write a book to tell others what he tells them,  Dan finally listened and has now authored teen leadership books, The Storm: How Young Men Become Good Men, and its sequel, A Sprint to the Top: How to Win the Game of Life. He has also written academic books called, Evaluating Professional Development in An Urban High School and co-authored another book with the American Federation of Teachers called, A Teacher’s Guide to the Common Core. His next academic book, How to Become More Successful with Difficult Students is due out by the holidays. Finally, Dan writes a dozen columns on things from leadership, teens, education, special education, and parenting. As an educator, coach, tutor, author, speaker, life coach, columnist, blogger and parent Dan feels that it is his duty to positively influence our youth every chance that he gets! He lives with his wife, Jennifer, their five children, and the family dog in Connecticut. Daniel Blanchard: Website: www.danblanchard.net Facebook: Grandaddy's Secrets LinkedIn: Daniel Blanchard FREE Copy of Dan's book "The Storm" and a FREE 30 Day Trial: Audible Fred Koepp: Twitter/Instagram: @fred_nation Business Account: @tableofluv Facebook: Fred Motivates Website: www.fredmotivates.com Podcast Website: www.teacherrecharge.podbean.com Email: teacherrechargepodcast@gmail.com You can also listen on: Stitcher iTunes Google Play Podbean Spotify

Case Unsolved, a podcast produced by The Day newsroom, is available beginning today. More than 1,400 murders in Connecticut are classified as unsolved. The Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice has produced four decks of playing cards — 208 cards in all — with a picture, name, and age of a victim, in hopes that they would produce leads on the cases. Twenty of the cases featured on the cards have been solved. Case Unsolved looks at three cases that have not. This week's episode of Case Unsolved is a preview of what's to come, which will include a three-part series on the 1984 murder of Desiree Michaud beginning next week. She was last seen on Bank Street in New London, where she worked as a prostitute and was found murdered in a Groton motel. The series also will examine the unsolved murder cases of William Spicer Jr. in 1995 and Erika Cirioni in 2006.   Episode links: Connecticut State Department of Corrections Cold Case Cards  2016 FBI Clearance Rates by crime Murder Accountability Project  Center for the Resolution of Unresolved Crime

Wonder how you can engage students in learning for hours at a time without teacher instruction or videos then get your license to take risks! Guest Christopher Weiss explains how personalized learning and self-regulation can go hand-in-hand when you increase student ownership through innovative practices such as the Global Cardboard Challenge.  Increase your students’ abilities to problem-solve and learn and find yourself enjoying teaching more. The Edspiration Inbox Answers… “Do we really need to intervene in incidents that some call bullying but are really daily life events such as when a student says, “I don’t want to play with you” or ‘No, I don’t want to hang out with you today?” – Diana, California About today’s guest Christopher Weiss is principal of Riverside School, named a "School of Distinction" by the Connecticut State Department of Education and considered a top K-5 school in the state. Riverside School is implementing a 4-year plan focused on the theme of "Innovation." Christopher was recently named a finalist for the Bammy National "Innovator of the Year" Award and has a Twitter following of over 20,000.     Guest Links: Christopher's email: ChrisWeissCT@gmail.com   Christopher on Twitter @ChrisWeissCT Christopher's "Innovation in Ed" YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYYgjUGn_mWp-2tJeX85BpQ   Riverside School's website (Genius Hour): http://www.greenwichschools.org/riverside-school/school-information/school-activities/genius-hour   Connect with Us Connect with the show at www.Edspirationpodcast.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/impactschoolclimate Twitter: Follow us @schoolclimates Newsletter: Sign up on sidebar at www.Edspiration.org   Questions / comments for John in the Edspiration Inbox: Edspirationpodcast@gmail.com   Show Sponsors International School Climate Institute – Provides practical training, workshops, coaching, and speaking to create positive school climates. Contact us about school climate improvement, planning and climate survey support, bullying prevention and upstander intervention training, restorative justice practices, school safety, youth development, and more.