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Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - April 21, 2025. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - March 17, 2025. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
What happens when we give students the tools to restore relationships rather than simply punishing behavior? In this week's episode, AJ Crabill, Senior Coach at Student Led Restorative Practices, shares with us how community circles build belonging, mediation circles resolve conflicts, and restorative circles address harm. Tune in to learn why these approaches better serve student success and how you can implement them in your own spaces.RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Connect with AJ on LinkedInVisit www.StudentLedRP.org to learn more about student-led restorative practicesGet your copy of AJ's latest book: Our Tools They Deserve: Why Adults Choose Retribution, How Students Can Practice RestorationWant to open your dream school with the freedom you deserve and the support you need?Visit https://openmyschool.my.canva.site/rebelkaipod to learn more about our partnership with KaiPod Learning and get help opening your dream school!Learn more about the Rebel Project Literacy Curriculum, a fully integrated literacy and project based learning curriculum, at projectup.us or inkwire.co/rplc Get your copy of Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination MeetLearn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library.Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment.Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here.GUEST BIO:Airick Journey "AJ" Crabill is the Senior Coach at Student Led Restorative Practices and serves as the Director of Governance for the Council of the Great City Schools where he leads school board supports for the nation's largest urban school systems. Improving student outcomes is his relentless focus. His passion to improve student outcomes is rooted in his past: bounced in and out of foster care, he attended eleven different schools as a child. Guided by the idea that student outcomes don't change until adult behaviors change and drawing on his intimate familiarity with the triumphs and terrors of America's safety nets for children, he has devoted much of his adult life to advocating for the well-being of the United States' most vulnerable youth.He recently served as the Conservator at DeSoto (TX) Independent School District. During his guidance, DeSoto made double digit literacy gains and improved from having F ratings in areas of academics, finance, and governance to the district earning B ratings. He served as Deputy Commissioner at the Texas Education Agency and he spearheaded reforms as board chair of Kansas City (MO) Public Schools that doubled the percentage of students who are literate and numerate and, eventually, led KCPS to full accreditation for the first time in decades. He received the Education Commission of the State's James Bryant Conant Award, which recognizes extraordinary individual contributions to education and is the author of, "Great On Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Become Effective." His new book, "Our Tools They Deserve: Why Adults Choose Retribution, How Students Can Practice Restoration" is about a fresh approach to school behavior that focuses on equipping students with the tools they need to succeed—both in school and beyond.Enjoying the show? Leave us a rating and review and help more people find us!bit.ly/RebelEducatorApplePodcastsWe'd love it if you could take a few minutes to fill out this survey to let us know how we can bring you the best possible content: forms.gle/JcKHf9DHTZnYUmQr6 Interested in being on the Rebel Educator podcast? Fill out this form and we'll reach out to you if we think you'd be a great fit for an upcoming episode. https://forms.gle/CZJXLQDdevPh22ZN7Want to learn more about opening your own UP Academy? Check out the Rebel Educator Accelerator:www.rebeleducator.com/courses/the-acceleratorMORE ABOUT THE REBEL EDUCATOR PODCAST:In each episode of the Rebel Educator podcast, I deconstruct world-class educators, students, and thought leaders in education to extract the tactics, tools, and routines that you can use as teachers and parents. Join me as we discuss how to shift the classroom, the learning environment, the mindset, and the pedagogy, to resist tradition, reignite wonder, and re-imagine the future of education.This podcast is dedicated to all of the educators who work thankless hours to make our next generation the best it can be. It was designed to begin conversations on how we can redesign education for the future of work and the success of our students. It is meant for teachers, students, administrators, homeschoolers and anyone who interacts with and teaches youth. We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - January 21, 2025. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Show Summary:This episode of The STEM Space is all about math! Math might be the M in STEM, but it doesn't always get the attention it deserves in K-12 STEM education efforts. Yet, its role is critical—not just for academic success, but for preparing students to solve real-world problems.To help us understand why math matters and how it can drive opportunity for students, Natasha speaks with Jeremy Anderson, CEO of the National Math + Science Initiative. Jeremy leads a dedicated team working to close opportunity gaps and expand college access through rigorous STEM programs. With over 25 years of experience in education policy, Jeremy brings deep insights into how math education can empower students and transform lives.In their conversation, they'll discuss NMSI's mission, the importance of math education, and how connecting it to real-world challenges can boost student interest and engagement.About Jeremy:Before joining NMSI in August 2023, Jeremy served as the president of the Education Commission of the States (ECS), where he expanded the organization's policy presence and worked with state and federal leaders on various policy initiatives. Jeremy also has a background in strategic communications, political campaigns, public affairs, and government relations, which enables him to effectively advocate for NMSI's proven STEM solutions and partnerships. He is passionate about advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in education, and is proud to work alongside NMSI's talented and diverse staff and partners.Links from the Show:Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes91. Defining STEM ft. Molly Seward (K-4 STEM Teacher)127. Why You Should Teach About STEM Careers117. Why Does Belonging Matter in STEM Education?161. Making Tech Education Accessible ft. imagi Co-FoundersVivify STEM Blog PostsTop 10 Ways To Encourage Girls In STEM7 Activities Featuring Women in STEM HistoryNot All STEM is Equal: 3 Stages of STEM EducationIncorporating Engineering Practices into Texas Science Classrooms10 Easy STEM Career Classroom ActivitiesVivify STEM LessonsThink Like a Scientist: Nature of Science 5E Inquiry UnitSTEM Catapult Math & Engineering ActivityStraw Rocket STEM ChallengeWomen in STEM History Engineering ChallengesWho is an Engineer or Scientist? STEM Career Game & ActivitySTEM Careers BINGO Game: K-5 or 5-12Other STEM ResourcesLinkedIn | Jeremy AndersonNational Math + Science Initiative- Get InvolvedCNBC | The 10 most valuable college degrees—they're all in STEMTexas Regional Pathways NetworkSubscribe to the Vivify STEM Newsletter!THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTESTHE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUPVIVIFY INSTAGRAMVIVIFY FACEBOOKVIVIFY XVIVIFY TIKTOK
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - December 9, 2024. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - November 18, 2024. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Executive Director of the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC), Ben Cannon joins the Exchange.
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - October 21, 2024. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - September 16, 2024. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - August 19, 2024. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Original Show Notes from April 18, 2023----In this episode - Sean and Punya are joined by guest co-host Iveta Silova to talk with prominent futures scholar Keri Facer to discuss Futures education, futures literacy vs futures literacies, futures thinking, and cultivating a 'temporal imagination'. In our conversation we learn about Keri's own academic and professional journey, and how studying the learning space of children became synonymous with studying the future. We discuss a recent publication from Arathi Sriprakash and Keri Facer on the pedagogic imperative to 'teach the future' in modern schools and the opportunities and challenges exist, and explore the importance of the differences between futures literacy and futures literacies.Guest Information: Keri Facer – Professor of Educational and Social Futures at the University of Bristol, Visiting Professor in Education for Sustainable Development at the University of Gothenburg and August T Larsson Guest Professor at SLU, Sweden. Her work focuses specifically on cultivating the ‘temporal imagination' – the capacity to work critically with ideas of time, rhythm, pasts and futures to open up possibilities for individual and collective agency - in conditions of environmental and technological change.Iveta Silova – Professor and Associate Dean of Global Engagement at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. She teaches graduate courses in comparative and international education, education policy and evaluation, research design, and post/decolonial approaches to education research. Links & Resources: Learning Futures Collaborative: Education, sustainability, and global futuresFuturelab, former UK educational research organizationFutures journal [publisher link]Jungk and Muellert's future workshops [actioncatologue.eu link]Futures Literacy [UNESCO link]Coldwarchildhoods.org, Iveta's work on childhood memoriesChen, K (2010). Asia As Method:Toward Deimperialization. Duke University Press. [publisher link]Teach the FutureWorld Futures Study FederationSardar, Z. & Sweeney, J. (2015). The Three Tomorrows of Postnormal Times. Futures 75 (2016) 1–13. [article link]Turn It Around!, socially engaged artAna Dinerstein's ‘The Art of Organizing Hope' [video link]Tsing, A., Bubandt, N., Gan, E., & Swanson, H. (2017). Arts of Living on a Damaged Planet. U of Minnesota Press. [publisher link]The Ecoversities NetworkFacer, K & Sriprakash, A. (2021). Provincialising Futures Literacy: A caution against codification. Futures, Volume 133, October 2021. [pdf link]Punya and Iveta's past work together: https://punyamishra.com/2022/11/17/speculative-fiction-and-the-future-of-learning/Keri Facer (2011) Learning Futures: Education, Technology and Social Change, London: RoutledgeFacer, K (2022) The University and the Social Imagination, CGHE Working PaperIn this background paper for the UNESCO Futures of Education Commission, I talk about five different ways of doing ‘futures' in education – and the ethical choices these raise: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000375792.locale=enBlack Mountains College - https://blackmountainscollege.uk/The Ecoversities Network - https://ecoversities.org/Book Recommendations:Hospicing Modernity https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/675703/hospicing-modernity-by-vanessa-machado-de-oliveira/At Work in the Ruins https://www.amazon.com/At-Work-Ruins-Pandemics-Emergencies/dp/164502184XBruce Sterling – (2002). Tomorrow Now, Envisioning the Next Fifty Years. Random House. [Google Books link]Keri and Arathi's article: Provincialising Futures Literacy: A caution against codificationHow Are the Children? - Wake Up Arcade Fire CoverSoutheast Asia collection of the Turn it Around! Youth Visions of Climate Futures
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - June 17, 2024. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - May 20, 2024. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
This week Tayla is joined by Pauline Getzoyan and Giovanna Wiseman to talk about their work on the RI Holocaust and Genocide Education Commission. They share how the commission helps RI teachers include the holocaust and education about other genocides in their curricula. They also discuss reading as escapism, Barbenheimer, and Galaxy Quest. During The Last Chapter they discuss: If you could have the answer to one mystery, what would it be and why? Podcast disclaimer Like what you hear? Rate and review Down Time on Apple Podcasts or your podcast player of choice! If you'd like to submit a topic for The Last Chapter you can send your suggestions to downtime@cranstonlibrary.org. Our theme music is Day Trips by Ketsa and our ad music is Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes. Thanks for listening! Books The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian Deli Sarkis: The Scars He Carried by Ellen Sarkisian Chestnut Refugee Realities by Tara Seger Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree AV The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-2023) Barbie (2023) Oppenheimer (2023) The Sound of Music (1965) Star Trek: Picard (2020-2023) Galaxy Quest (1999) Other Reach out to the RI Holocaust and Genocide Education Commission at rihgec@gmail.com and at 401-646-4799 RI Department of Education Holocaust and Genocide Education Resources Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center The Genocide Education Project Wednesday, October 4 at 6:00 PM - The Freedom to Read: Challenges to Intellectual Freedom Then and Now @ Central Read the latest reports about Artsakh here and here
Building sound money habits at a young age can set you up for financial success through the rest of your life. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help young people learn and build financial skills that are also fun and rewarding. Links: Explore Visa's Practical Money Skills website Financial guide book: How to Money: Your Ultimate Guide to the Basics of Finance Learn about investing with The Stock Market Game Explore financial resources for every age at MyMoney.gov Learn more about Triangle's Teen Club account with debit card! Check out TCU University for more financial education tips and resources! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Learn more about Triangle Credit Union Transcript: Welcome to Money Tip Tuesday from the Making Money Personal podcast. Financial literacy is important for people of any age. Without a fundamental understanding of money, it's difficult to build effective habits that will last throughout the many different stages of life. The earlier in life people learn about and practice important money skills, the better. Teens are right at the point where money habits start to become relevant and important. They're likely to get their first job, buy their first car and enjoy their growing independence. Their access to money provides them with the ability to spend more on what they want and need in life. But even though they may have money coming in, they may not know where to look for help when managing their finances. According to a 2021 Greenlight survey, 74% of teens surveyed said they didn't feel confident in their personal financial knowledge and 73% wanted more financial education. The challenge for most people at any age is to find the right resources that provide effective education and training. If you're a teen or maybe a parent of a teen looking for some ways to encourage and build financial skills, here are 5 resources that can help your teen learn about money. The first one is the website called Practical Money Skills hosted by VISA. It's designed to teach people of all ages about financial education and covers topics such as credit, banking, debt, identity theft, budgeting and more. It also offers a collection of activities, tools and videos for teens to explore as well as a variety of money games designed for different age ranges. The second is to use a financial guide. If your teen enjoys reading, you can check out the book How to Money: Your Ultimate Guide to the Basics of Finance. This book was listed on Investopedia as the best overall money book for teens. It's a useful beginner's guide to most money topics that teens can start to explore like starting your first budget, navigating student loans and scoring your first job. It's also available as an audiobook, so if your teen isn't much of a physical reader, they can still explore the material from their phone or computer. For investment education, the third resource is to try The Stock Market Game. If your teen is interested in the stock market, or you want them to learn more about the stock market, to gain experience or understand it a bit more, there's a fun tool to explore the ins and outs of the market without using real money. This is an online trading simulator, set up as a game, that builds familiarity with how the stock market works to help you build confidence in investing. It's designed to be fun and once you set up an account, it provides fake money that you'll use to try your trading strategies. If your teen likes practical, hands-on tools like checklists, calculators and other resources, then check out this fourth resource, MyMoney.gov. It's managed by the Financial Literacy and Education Commission and provides an abundance of Youth Resources specifically designed for young people ranging from young children to highschoolers. If your child or teen likes to explore games, there a many on this site to explore. It also links to the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) website for access to even more resources for children and parents targeted by different age ranges. The fifth resource for teens is to use a teen checking account and debit card. What good is all the money management knowledge and financial literacy tools if there's no way to put it all into practice? If your teen is starting to make some money, it's time to get them experienced with a debit card and checking account. This simple tool opens the door to all kinds of financial possibilities so they can practice all the lessons they've been learning like depositing money, tracking spending, making payments, and managing a budget. Teens also gain access to mobile banking apps and other online banking tools that they can use to set goals, budget and track spending. Check out Triangle's Teen club account to learn more about the helpful financial benefits teens get with membership, including their own debit card. If there are any other tips or topics you'd like us to cover, let us know at tcupodcast@trianglecu.org, and don't forget to like and follow our Making Money Personal FB page and look for our sponsor, Triangle Credit Union, on Instagram and LinkedIn to share your thoughts. Thanks for listening to today's Money Tip Tuesday. Check out our other tips and episodes on the Making Money Personal podcast. Have a great day!
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - April 15, 2024. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - March 18, 2024. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - February 20, 2024. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - January 22, 2024. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
NCUA Chairman Todd M. Harper's Written Testimony Before the House Financial Services CommitteeNCUA Chairman Todd M. Harper testifying before the House Financial Services Committee in 2023.Chairman McHenry, Ranking Member Waters, and members of the committee, thank you for inviting me to discuss the work of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).The NCUA insures deposits at federally insured credit unions, protects credit union members, and charters and regulates federal credit unions. The NCUA also protects the safety and soundness of the credit union system by identifying, monitoring, and managing risks to the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (Share Insurance Fund). In my testimony today, I will discuss the state of the credit union system, recent efforts by the agency to strengthen the system, and several legislative requests.State of the Credit Union SystemThe credit union system over the last year has remained largely stable in its performance and relatively resilient against economic disruptions. However, during the last few quarters, the NCUA has seen growing signs of financial strain on credit union balance sheets and in household budgets. Economists are also forecasting an economic slowdown as the lagged effects of elevated interest rates take hold. Each of these developments could affect credit union performance in the coming quarters.Over the same period, the NCUA has also seen growing stress within the system because of a rise in interest rate and liquidity risks. In fact, this financial stress is reflected in the increasing number of composite CAMELS code 3, 4, and 5 credit unions.1 Assets in composite CAMELS code 3 institutions increased sizably in the second quarter, especially among those complex credit unions with more than $500 million in assets. Such increases may well continue in future quarters. We have additionally seen more credit unions fall into the composite CAMELS code 4 and 5 ratings during the second quarter.Credit Union System PerformanceAs of June 30, 2023, the system's net worth ratio stood at 10.63 percent. There was continued year-over-year growth in assets and lending, with system assets surpassing $2.2 trillion and outstanding loans at more than $1.5 trillion. Although insured shares and deposits decreased slightly compared to the previous quarter, they stood almost 2 percent higher than one year earlier.Second quarter data also demonstrate some indications of growing consumer financial stress. The delinquency rate for loans rose slightly to 63 basis points, although it remains below historic averages. Credit cards and automobile loans, however, show increased delinquency levels at 154 and 67 basis points, respectively. Additionally, net charge-off levels have risen over the last year, returning to pre-pandemic averages.Additionally, funding costs for credit unions have increased significantly in the rising interest rate environment. Credit unions have increased their issuances of time deposits, leading to total interest expenses growing substantially over the year. However, the industry's return on average assets remains sound at 79 basis points. Together, these numbers show the credit union system continues to rest on a solid footing.External Factors Affecting the SystemThe NCUA is closely monitoring the financial markets and the economy as the current environment has created challenges for some consumers and credit unions. Inflation and interest rates are affecting household budgets, which could lead to an increase in credit risk in future quarters. In addition, the prevalence of hybrid work environments has placed pressure on commercial real estate lending. While the credit union system overall has modest exposure to this type of lending, the NCUA is closely monitoring individual credit unions with material exposure to commercial real estate.The rise in interest rates has also increased liquidity and interest rate risks in the credit union system, including at several of the 421 federally insured credit unions with more than $1 billion in assets. Accordingly, the NCUA has emphasized the importance of liquidity risk management and contingency planning in its industry communications and will continue to ensure credit unions conduct liquidity and asset-liability management planning to address current challenges and future uncertainties.With respect to all these risks and to protect the Share Insurance Fund against potential losses, the NCUA will continue to vigilantly monitor credit union performance through the examination process, offsite monitoring, and tailored supervision. The NCUA will also, when appropriate, take action to protect credit union members and their deposits.Share Insurance Fund PerformanceBacked by the full faith and credit of the United States, the Share Insurance Fund provides insurance coverage for individual accounts at federally insured credit unions up to $250,000.2 As of June 30, 2023, the Share Insurance Fund insured $1.7 trillion in deposits and shares. Notably, the Share Insurance Fund protects nearly 92 percent of total share deposits in the credit union system. In comparison, uninsured shares and deposits equaled approximately $160 billion in the second quarter or 8 percent of total share deposits.The Share Insurance Fund continues to perform well, with no premiums currently expected. As of June 30, 2023, the Share Insurance Fund reported a year-to-date net income of $79 million, a net position of $20.3 billion, and an equity ratio of 1.27 percent.3 The NCUA projects that the equity ratio of the Share Insurance Fund will end the year at 1.27 percent, which is sufficient but below the 1.33 percent normal operating level target set by the NCUA Board.Given the liquidity events in 2023, economic conditions, and the growing stress in the credit union system from liquidity and interest rate risks, the NCUA Board decided to build up the liquidity position of the Share Insurance Fund to a targeted amount of $4 billion. The Share Insurance Fund reached that target in September. The NCUA Board continues to monitor liquidity in the Share Insurance Fund.State of the Central Liquidity FacilityThe COVID-19 pandemic, inflationary pressures, interest rate volatility, and liquidity risk have all underscored the importance of the NCUA's Central Liquidity Facility (CLF).4 The CLF is an important tool and acts as a shock absorber when unexpected liquidity events occur.Under the NCUA's regulations, credit unions with assets more than $250 million must have access to a federal emergency liquidity source as part of their contingency funding plans. This federal emergency liquidity backstop can be the CLF, the Federal Reserve's Discount Window, or both. Credit unions with less than $250 million in assets are not required to have membership with a contingent federal liquidity source; however, they must identify external sources as part of their liquidity policy.5As of September 30, 2023, the CLF had 399 consumer credit union members, providing $19.8 billion in lending capacity. These credit unions range in asset size from less than $50 million to more than $10 billion. Their access to the CLF helps protect approximately $360 billion in credit union members' assets.The more members the CLF has, the more effective it is as a liquidity facility. As of December 2022, the CLF had a much greater total membership of 3,673 consumer credit unions with a combined $537 billion in member assets and a lending capacity of $27.5 billion. This rapid decline in membership assets followed the expiration of the temporary statutory enhancements that: Increased the CLF's maximum legal borrowing authority; Permitted access for corporate credit unions, as agent members, to borrow for their own needs; Provided greater flexibility and affordability to agent members to join the CLF to serve smaller groups of their covered institutions; and Gave the NCUA Board the clarity and flexibility about the loans it can approve by removing the phrase, “the Board shall not approve an application for credit the intent of which is to expand credit union portfolios.” Among other benefits, these statutory provisions facilitated agent membership of corporate credit unions. These enhancements, however, ended on January 1, 2023, resulting in 3,322 credit unions with less than $250 million in assets losing access to the CLF. Consequently, the CLF's borrowing capacity has decreased by almost $10 billion.To address this expiration and growing liquidity risks, the NCUA Board has unanimously requested that Congress allow corporate credit unions to purchase capital stock in the CLF to help smaller credit unions access to the facility. This change would make the CLF more affordable for corporate credit unions subscribing for a subset of their members. The Congressional Budget Office has scored the CLF reforms at no cost to taxpayers.6NCUA's Efforts to Protect and Strengthen the Credit Union SystemIn recent months, the NCUA has undertaken several actions to respond to cybersecurity risk; support minority depository institutions; enhance the credit union system's and the NCUA's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; and consider and adopt new rules to strengthen the system.Enhancing CybersecurityCybersecurity threats within the financial services industry are high and expected to remain so for the foreseeable future. To maintain vigilance against these threats, the NCUA is committed to ensuring consistency, transparency, and accountability in its cybersecurity examination program and related activities.Earlier this year, the NCUA deployed its updated, scalable, and risk-focused Information Security Examination (ISE) procedures. The ISE examination initiative offers flexibility for credit unions while providing examiners with standardized review steps to facilitate advanced data collection and analysis. Together with the agency's voluntary Automated Cybersecurity Evaluation Toolbox maturity assessment, the new ISE procedures will assist the NCUA in protecting the credit union system from cyberattacks.In addition, the NCUA's recently implemented cyber incident reporting rule has proven to be helpful to the agency and credit union industry.7 The final rule requires a federally insured credit union to report a substantial cyber incident to the NCUA as soon as possible but no later than 72 hours after the credit union reasonably believes a reportable cyber incident has occurred. In the first 30 days after the rule became effective, the NCUA received 146 incident reports, more than it had received in total in the previous year. More than 60 percent of these incident reports involve third-party service providers and credit union service organizations (CUSOs).The NCUA also actively communicates with credit unions about the increased likelihood of cyberattacks resulting from geopolitical and other cyber events. Credit unions of all sizes are a part of the U.S. critical infrastructure and should implement appropriate controls in the technology they use to deliver member services.Maintaining Consumer Financial ProtectionAn important part of the NCUA's mission is to examine credit unions with less than $10 billion in assets for compliance with consumer financial protection laws. The agency's consumer compliance efforts are integral to maintaining a safe-and-sound credit union system.In 2023, the agency's consumer financial protection supervisory priorities have included overdraft protection, fair lending, residential real estate appraisal bias, and Truth in Lending Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act compliance. The NCUA also prioritized examining credit union compliance with the Flood Disaster Protection Act, including disclosure requirements.In addition, the agency increased its review of overdraft programs and non-sufficient funds fee practices at credit unions to assess whether providing those services and charging the fees are potentially unfair practices. The NCUA's supervision of the services aims to create a more equitable system that supports financial stability for credit union members, improves transparency, and advances the statutory mission of credit unions to meet the credit and savings needs of their members, especially those of modest means.8Furthermore, the NCUA conducts targeted fair lending examinations and supervision at federal credit unions to assess compliance with federal fair lending laws and regulations. These reviews are critical to identifying discrimination and fostering financial inclusion. In August 2023, the NCUA encouraged the industry to review and comply with previously issued guidance addressing prohibited discriminatory practices in automated underwriting systems. Specifically, the agency encouraged credit unions to review system parameters to ensure compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and its implementing regulation.In addition to appraisal bias oversight examinations, the NCUA joined with the other Federal Financial Institution Examination Council agencies in June to issue proposed guidance for reconsideration of value for residential real estate valuations. The proposed guidance advises on policies that financial institutions may implement to allow consumers to provide information that may not have been considered during an appraisal or if deficiencies are identified in the original appraisal.As part of its consumer financial protection efforts, the NCUA's Consumer Assistance Center also resolves consumer complaints against federal credit unions with total assets up to $10 billion and, in certain instances, federally insured, state-chartered credit unions. In 2022, the Consumer Assistance Center responded to 10,589 written complaints, 1,842 inquiries, and 30,232 telephone calls from consumers and credit unions concerning consumer financial protection regulations.Finally, the NCUA regularly presents webinars promoting financial literacy and financial inclusion. Over the past year, the agency has hosted webinars on appraisal bias, elder financial abuse, and minority depository institutions. In addition, the agency participates in national financial literacy initiatives, including the interagency Financial Literacy and Education Commission.Supporting Minority Depository InstitutionsSupporting minority depository institution (MDI) credit unions is a longstanding priority for the NCUA. MDI credit unions represent approximately 10 percent of federally insured credit unions, and there are presently 498 such credit unions. These MDIs have more than five million members and exceed $66 billion in assets.In 2015, the NCUA established its MDI Preservation Program and has since sought new ways to assist MDI credit unions, their members, and the communities they serve. In 2022, the NCUA launched the Small Credit Union and MDI Support Program, allocating resources to assist MDIs in addressing operational challenges such as staff training, examinations, and improving earnings. In 2023, the NCUA allocated 10,000 staff hours across its three regional offices for the program.This year, the agency also issued customized guidance to examiners to provide insights into MDIs' unique business models and members' needs. The guidance assists examiners in understanding MDIs' distinct business model compared to other mainstream financial institutions by providing instruction on how to use MDI peer metrics instead of traditional peer metrics.Notably, while MDIs tend to be smaller institutions, they have relatively strong financial performance. As of the end of the second quarter of this year, MDIs averaged about $133 million in total assets, yet their return on average assets and net worth ratios were higher than federally insured credit unions overall and equal to credit unions with assets exceeding $1 billion. Meanwhile, their charge-off levels were consistent with the levels reported for both larger credit unions and credit unions overall.Congress recently authorized all MDIs to be eligible for Community Development Revolving Loan Fund grants and loans. Previously, MDIs required the low-income credit union designation to qualify. In the 2023 grant round, 42 MDIs received more than $1.4 million in technical assistance grants. The amount of funding MDIs received was a five-fold increase from the level of funding provided in 2022.Finally, the NCUA in October hosted an MDI Symposium that discussed how the agency can better serve these institutions. The MDI Symposium brought together MDI credit unions and industry stakeholders to learn about the challenges faced by MDIs. Sessions included case studies of successful MDI business models for replication. The NCUA plans to leverage this information to further support its MDI Preservation Program. And, as part of the NCUA's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Summit for credit unions in early November, the NCUA held a session that discussed MDI challenges and strategies for success.Advancing Diversity, Equity, and InclusionThe NCUA is fully committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the agency and the credit union system.The agency uses data from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, including the Office of Personnel Management's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility index, to inform its data-driven DEI strategies and activities.9 The agency's internal practices to promote DEI are also wide-ranging. For example, the NCUA's employee resource groups serve more than 30 percent of agency staff, surpassing the industry standard membership goal of 10 percent. Further, the NCUA's special emphasis program educates staff on cultural diversity and provides dedicated support for employees and managers with disabilities.In addition, the NCUA routinely recruits employees with diverse backgrounds and seeks to ensure broad applicant pools for vacancies. These diversity recruitment efforts are aimed at attracting and retaining highly qualified individuals from underrepresented groups, including Hispanics and candidates with disabilities. In 2023, the NCUA conducted a targeted barrier analysis to identify hiring and retention challenges for women and Hispanic employees. In addition, the agency has consistently exceeded the federal employment rate goals for employees with disabilities and targeted disabilities since 2017.10 Slightly more than 59 percent of the NCUA's managers are women.The NCUA has additionally built a diverse supplier network to obtain innovative solutions and the best value, particularly in technology and IT solutions. During 2022, the agency awarded $32.8 million of reportable contract dollars to minority and women-owned businesses. That figure represents 45 percent of the agency's contracting dollars, an increase of 8 percentage points from the prior year.Credit unions may also assess their DEI policies and programs through a voluntary credit union diversity self-assessment offered annually.11 Credit union submissions of their self-assessment have no bearing on their CAMELS rating, and examiners cannot access the data. The NCUA reports credit union diversity data only in the aggregate. The agency encourages credit unions to use this tool to support their DEI efforts.In 2022, 481, or 10 percent of all credit unions, submitted a self-assessment. The figure represents an all-time high for submissions to the NCUA. Of those submissions, 302 were federally chartered credit unions, 178 were federally insured and state-chartered, and one was a non-federally insured, state-chartered credit union. The number of CUDSA responses in 2022 is twice as much as the 240 self-assessments submitted in 2021.Finally, to support credit union accomplishments in DEI and provide further guidance, the NCUA hosted its fourth DEI Summit in Washington, D.C., in early November. This now annual event provided a forum for hundreds of credit union stakeholders to network, share best practices, and meet with thought leaders on ways to expand their DEI efforts. The event also highlighted the importance of allyship in helping to achieve the NCUA's and credit unions' DEI goals and improve the financial prospects and futures of families across the country.Rulemaking ActivitiesSince May, the NCUA Board has engaged in several rulemakings on topics like MDI preservation, member expulsion, financial innovation, fair hiring, and charitable donations. These rulemakings have aimed to implement laws required by Congress and strengthen the credit union system.In May, the NCUA Board approved a proposed rule that would add “war veterans' organizations” to the definition of a “qualified charity” that a federal credit union may contribute to using a charitable donation account. The NCUA Board approved the proposed rule noting the attributes of “veterans' organizations” as defined by section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code are aligned with the purposes of the current charitable donation account rule. A “qualified charity” is a section 501(c)(3) entity defined by the Internal Revenue Code and must be both a non-profit and be organized for a charitable purpose. The final rule will be considered on November 16.In June, the NCUA Board approved proposed changes to the interpretive ruling and policy statement on the agency's Minority Depository Institution Preservation Program. The proposal would amend an existing interpretive ruling and policy statement to update the program's features, clarify the requirements for a credit union to receive and maintain an MDI designation, and reflect the transfer of the MDI Preservation Program administration from the agency's Office of Minority and Women Inclusion to its Office of Credit Union Resources and Expansion. Proposed amendments to the interpretive ruling and policy statement also include incorporating recent program initiatives, providing examples of technical assistance an MDI may receive, establishing a new standard for MDIs to assess their designation periodically, and updating how the NCUA will review an MDI's designation status, among other changes. This rule is pending.Additionally, the Board finalized a rule in July to implement requirements of the Credit Union Governance Modernization Act of 2022.12 This regulation streamlines procedures for credit unions to expel a member in cases of serious misconduct.In September, the NCUA Board approved a financial innovation final rule that provides flexibility for federally insured credit unions to utilize advanced technologies and opportunities offered by the financial technology sector. The final rule specifically provides credit unions with options to participate in loans acquired through indirect lending arrangements and financial technology. With the adoption of this final rule, the limits previously found in the NCUA's regulations are replaced with policy, due diligence, and risk-management requirements that can be tailored to match each credit union's risk levels and activities.Lastly, the NCUA Board in October approved a proposed rule that would incorporate the NCUA's Second Chance Interpretive Ruling and Policy Statement, and statutory prohibitions imposed by Section 205(d) of the Federal Credit Union Act into the agency's regulations. This proposed rule would allow people convicted of certain minor offenses to work in the credit union industry without applying for the NCUA Board's approval. It would also amend requirements governing the conditions under which newly chartered or troubled federally insured credit unions must notify the NCUA of proposed changes to their board of directors, committee members, or senior executive staff. The comment period closes on January 8, 2024.Legislative RequestsWhile the credit union system continues to perform well overall, several amendments to the Federal Credit Union Act would provide the NCUA with greater flexibility to effectively regulate the credit union system and protect the Share Insurance Fund in light of an evolving economic environment, a changing marketplace, and technological advancements.Central Liquidity Facility ReformsAs noted previously, the NCUA Board unanimously supports a statutory change to restore the ability of corporate credit unions to serve as CLF agents on behalf of a subset of their member credit unions. Such legislation would better allow the CLF to serve as a shock absorber for liquidity events within the credit union system.On February 28, 2023, lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation that would allow corporate credit unions to purchase CLF capital stock on behalf of a subset of their members.13 This legislation would permit corporate credit unions to contribute capital to provide coverage for smaller members with less than $250 million in assets. Liquidity risks within the credit union system are rising, and timely consideration of this bill would better protect the credit union system from future liquidity events.Restoration of Third-Party Vendor AuthorityThe risks resulting from the NCUA's lack of vendor authority are real, expanding, and potentially dangerous for the nation's financial infrastructure. Other independent entities, including the Government Accountability Office, the Financial Stability Oversight Council, and the NCUA's Office of Inspector General, have identified this deficiency as inhibiting the NCUA from fulfilling its mission to safeguard credit union members and the financial system. And, it is the NCUA Board's continuing policy to seek third-party vendor authority from Congress.14The agency is working within its current authority to address this growing regulatory blind spot, but it is evident that additional authority is needed. There has also been a shift in credit union leaders' understanding of the value of the NCUA having the same vendor authority as the federal banking agencies. The benefits include credit union access to NCUA examination information when conducting due diligence of vendors, fewer requests from the NCUA to credit unions to intervene with vendors experiencing problems, and fewer losses to the Share Insurance Fund.The potential for such resulting losses to the Share Insurance Fund is real. The NCUA's Office of Inspector General stated that between 2008 and 2015, nine CUSOs contributed to material losses to the Share Insurance Fund. The report noted one of the CUSOs caused losses in 24 credit unions, some of which failed. According to NCUA staff calculations, at least 73 credit unions incurred losses between 2007 and 2020 as losses at CUSOs roll onto credit union ledgers and lead to liquidations.15The absence of third-party vendor examination authority limits the NCUA's ability to assess and mitigate potential risks associated with these vendors. Vendors typically decline these requests or refuse to implement recommended actions. This limitation exacerbates any exposure credit unions have to the operational, cybersecurity, and compliance risks that can arise from these relationships. Without the authority to enforce recommended corrective actions, the NCUA is unable to effectively protect credit unions and their members.Furthermore, the growing reliance on third-party services in the credit union industry poses a systemic risk to the credit union system. Five core banking processors, for example, handle more than 90 percent of the credit union system's assets. A failure of one of these critical third parties could cause hundreds of credit unions and potentially tens of millions of their members to lose access to their funds simultaneously. Such a vendor failure, in turn, may result in a loss of confidence in the financial sector. Ensuring proper oversight is imperative, as CUSOs and third-party vendors are poised to capitalize on financial institutions' growing appetite for artificial intelligence and real-time payment services.If granted third-party vendor authority, the NCUA would implement a risk-based examination program focusing on services that relate to safety and soundness, cybersecurity, Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering Act compliance, consumer financial protection, and areas posing significant financial risk for the Share Insurance Fund.Additional Flexibility for Administering the Share Insurance FundThe recent turmoil in the banking sector, growing liquidity risks within the credit union system, and rising interest rate risk all highlight the need for the NCUA to have additional flexibility for administering the Share Insurance Fund.Specifically, the NCUA requests amending the Federal Credit Union Act to remove the 1.50 percent ceiling for the Share Insurance Fund's equity ratio from the current statutory definition of “normal operating level,” which limits the ability of the Board to establish a higher normal operating level for the Share Insurance Fund. A statutory change should also remove the limitations on assessing Share Insurance Fund premiums when the equity ratio of the Share Insurance Fund is greater than 1.30 percent and if the premium charged exceeds the amount necessary to restore the equity ratio to 1.30 percent.16Together, these amendments would bring the NCUA's statutory authority over the Share Insurance Fund more in line with the FDIC's authority as it relates to administering the Deposit Insurance Fund. These amendments would also better enable the NCUA Board to proactively manage the Share Insurance Fund by building reserves during economic upturns so that sufficient money is available during economic downturns. This more counter-cyclical approach to managing the Share Insurance Fund would better ensure that credit unions will not need to impair their one percent contributed capital deposit or pay premiums during times of economic stress, when they can least afford it.ConclusionThe NCUA stands ready to address the impact of the evolving economic and business cycles within the credit union system. The NCUA will continue to monitor credit union performance and coordinate with other federal financial institution regulators, as appropriate, to ensure the overall resiliency and stability of our nation's financial services system and economy.Thank you again for the invitation to testify about the NCUA's programs and operations.
Read the full transcript here. Why did students struggle so much to learn through video meetings during the locked-down days of the pandemic? What are "student-led restorative practices"? What is "self-connection practice"? What tools are students lacking? When is violence the optimal solution to a problem? What are the biggest problems in education right now? What do students need in order to be successful humans? How can schools give students more agency and autonomy? What happens if students refuse to participate in restorative processes? How do our societal goals shape our educational goals?AJ Crabill's focus is improving student outcomes. He serves as Conservator at DeSoto, Texas ISD; and during his guidance, DeSoto improved from F ratings in academics, finance, and governance to B ratings. He's also Faculty at the Leadership Institute of Nevada and Director of Governance at the Council of the Great City Schools. He served as Deputy Commissioner at the Texas Education Agency and spearheaded reforms as board chair of Kansas City Public Schools that doubled the percentage of students who are literate and numerate. Crabill is the author of Great On Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Become Effective, and is a recipient of the Education Commission of the State's James Bryant Conant Award. Learn more about him at his website, ajc7.com, or follow him on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter / X.Further reading:Great on Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Become Effective by AJ CrabillResults Now 2.0: The Untapped Opportunities for Swift, Dramatic Gains in Achievement by Mike SchmokerEffective School BoardsStudent-Led Restorative Practices Staff Spencer Greenberg — Host / Director Josh Castle — Producer Ryan Kessler — Audio Engineer Uri Bram — Factotum WeAmplify — Transcriptionists Miles Kestran — Marketing Music Lee Rosevere Josh Woodward Broke for Free zapsplat.com wowamusic Quiet Music for Tiny Robots Affiliates Clearer Thinking GuidedTrack Mind Ease Positly UpLift [Read more]
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - November 27, 2023. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
enVision Together: Going to Our Next Level of Best is happy to present Airick Journey (AJ) Crabill, who's focus is improving student outcomes. He serves as Conservator at DeSoto, Texas ISD. Under AJ's guidance, the DeSoto district improved their F-rated performances in academics, finance, and governance to B ratings. He's Education Faculty at the Leadership Institute of Nevada and National Director of Governance at the Council of the Great City Schools. He served as Deputy Commissioner at the Texas Education Agency and, as Board Chair of Kansas City Public Schools, spearheaded reforms that doubled the percentage of literate and numerate students. Crabill is a recipient of the Education Commission of the State's James Bryant Conant Award. This conversation gets at the core of why he does this work.
Dr. Dayna DeFeo is the director of the Center for Alaska Education Policy Research (CAEPR) and a research assistant professor at the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Dr. DeFeo's primary research interests include college and postsecondary transitions, particularly in career and technical fields for underrepresented populations, but today we will discuss another primary interest of hers: teacher turnover, recruitment and retention. Dr. DeFeo has authored several papers on this subject and is one of the authorities in our state to speak on this issue.Links referenced in the show:1. Alaska Trends Article regarding Alaska Teachers' wages2. ISER Publications Search Page3. Education Commission of the States articles about Alaska
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - October 23, 2023. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
This week Tayla is joined by Pauline Getzoyan and Giovanna Wiseman to talk about their work on the RI Holocaust and Genocide Education Commission. They share how the commission helps RI teachers include the holocaust and education about other genocides in their curricula. They also discuss reading as escapism, Barbenheimer, and Galaxy Quest. During The Last Chapter they discuss: If you could have the answer to one mystery, what would it be and why? This episode was recorded prior to Azerbaijan's attacks on Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) on Sept. 19. The ethnic cleansing of the Armenians of Artsakh has led to a humanitarian catastrophe, as more than 100,000 have been forced to flee to Armenia. For current information visit armenianweekly.com. Podcast disclaimer Like what you hear? Rate and review Down Time on Apple Podcasts or your podcast player of choice! If you'd like to submit a topic for The Last Chapter you can send your suggestions to downtime@cranstonlibrary.org. Our theme music is Day Trips by Ketsa and our ad music is Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes. Thanks for listening! Books The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian Deli Sarkis: The Scars He Carried by Ellen Sarkisian Chestnut Refugee Realities by Tara Seger Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree AV The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-2023) Barbie (2023) Oppenheimer (2023) The Sound of Music (1965) Star Trek: Picard (2020-2023) Galaxy Quest (1999) Other Reach out to the RI Holocaust and Genocide Education Commission at rihgec@gmail.com and at 401-646-4799 RI Department of Education Holocaust and Genocide Education Resources Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center The Genocide Education Project Wednesday, October 4 at 6:00 PM - The Freedom to Read: Challenges to Intellectual Freedom Then and Now @ Central Read the latest reports about Artsakh here and here
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - September 18, 2023. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
A Tertiary Education Commission briefing shows it believes Te Pukenga's plans to cut 400 jobs does not go far enough. Tertiary Education Union president Julie Douglas says the report is a disgrace. She says the commission has overstepped the mark and is wrong to suggest that education must be 'profitable'. She spoke to Corin Dann.
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - August 21, 2023. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
If you didn't know that National Financial Awareness Day was a thing, you aren't alone. National Financial Awareness Day occurs on August 14, and was established by the U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission in 2017. The purpose of this new holiday is to improve the financial literacy of Americans nationwide. However, if August 14 is the only day of the year that you focus on improving your financial literacy, you won't have very good financial awareness. It's critical to create a forward-looking financial plan that you review and update overtime as things change. From a personal level, your goals, health, family, and living situation are just a few things that can change as you prepare for and go through retirement. Retirement Plan Checklist: https://www.modwm.com/retirement-plan-checklist/?utm_source=AWMS_Pod&utm_medium=AWMS&utm_campaign=national-financial-awareness Components of a Complete Financial Plan: https://youtu.be/-IPYwV4ok0Q 7 Ways to Build the Best Retirement Plan: https://youtu.be/0LjgFkocCrk What DIYers Overlook in Retirement Planning: https://youtu.be/wCMssTo_6mg The Difference Between Good & Bad Debt: https://youtu.be/Xxmv-pA3kQg Family Financial Planning: https://youtu.be/MX0SvvCwnww Optimizing Your 401(k) for Retirement: https://youtu.be/5NgsFAbXJaQ Why Compound Interest Is Key: https://youtu.be/4HHC7MLDsc0 Start Planning: https://www.modwm.com/retirement-planning-tool/radio/?utm_source=YAWMS_Pod&utm_medium=AWMS&utm_campaign=national-financial-awareness Schedule: https://www.modwm.com/meet-with-a-top-financial-advisor-in-kansas-city/?utm_source=AWMS_Pod&utm_medium=AWMS&utm_campaign=national-financial-awareness Check out our other podcast! The Guided Retirement Show: https://www.youtube.com/c/theguidedretirementshow
This episode is sponsored by EverFi -check out there amazing, FREE resources for K-12 at https://everfi.com/edleadersImproving student outcomes is AJ Crabill's focus. He serves as Conservator at DeSoto, Texas ISD. During his guidance, DeSoto improved from F ratings in academics, finance, and governance to B ratings. He's also Faculty at Leadership Institute of Nevada and Director of Governance at the Council of the Great City Schools. He served as Deputy Commissioner at the Texas Education Agency and spearheaded reforms as board chair of Kansas City Public Schools that doubled the percentage of students who are literate and numerate. Crabill is a recipient of the Education Commission of the State's James Bryant Conant Award.Get AJ's new book: Great on Their BehalfSocial MediaTwitter: @ajcrabill7 LinkedIn: @ajcrabill Pinterest: @ajcrabill7Facebook: @ajcrabill Instagram: @ajcrabill7 Youtube: @ajcrabillVimeo: @ajcrabill Blog: ajcrabill.com Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/ajcrabill Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ajcrabill Get your autographed copy of Road to Awesome: The Journey of a Leader here or buy it on AmazonBook Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us hereGrab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideasSign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletterHave a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here
Explore the crucial role of school boards in driving student success and effective governance in our latest podcast episode with AJ Crabill. In this week's episode, AJ offers valuable insights into the key struggles faced by school boards and the importance of shifting the focus away from adult inputs and toward student outcomes. He shares the behaviors and actions that set successful boards apart, including how they spend their time and prioritize the growth of children. Creating a continuous improvement cycle within school boards is so important, and AJ emphasizes the need to clarify priorities, monitor progress, align resources, and communicate results to the community. And he tells us why a student outcomes focus is paramount and how it impacts decision-making and resource allocation. Furthermore, AJ highlights the significant role of parent involvement in school boards, as they represent the vision and values of the community within the education system. Find out how parents can actively engage in the school board, regardless of their educational background, by focusing on implementing the community's vision and values. Don't miss this enlightening conversation that empowers education leaders, teachers, principals, and decision-makers to prioritize student outcomes and foster effective governance within school boards. Tune in now to gain valuable insights and actionable strategies. About AJ Crabill: Improving student outcomes is AJ Crabill's focus. He serves as conservator at DeSoto, Texas ISD. During his guidance, DeSoto improved from F ratings in academics, finance, and governance to B ratings. He's also faculty at Leadership Institute of Nevada and director of governance at the Council of the City Great Schools. He served as deputy commissioner at the Texas Education Agency and spearheaded reforms as board chair of Kansas City Schools that doubled the percentage of students who are literate and numerate. Crabill is a recipient of the Education Commission of the State's James Bryant Conant Award. Jump in the Conversation: [1:41] - Where AJ's passion for school excellence came from [3:01] - Key struggles that school boards face [6:01] - What healthy board behaviors look like [7:40] - What successful boards do differently [9:02] - Great on Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail [10:56] - Five steps of a continuous improvement cycle [12:18] - The only reason schools exist [14:46] - Understanding what it means to have a student outcomes focus [21:35] - Where to find support for school boards [22:28] - The importance of parent involvement [25:07] - How parents can go about getting involved in the school board [29:32] - Turbo Time [34:10] - AJ's Magic Wand [36:30] - Maureen's Takeaways Links & Resources Get the first chapter of AJ's book EffectiveSchoolBoards.com Great on Their Behalf AJ's Website Email Maureen Maureen's TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools The Education Evolution Facebook: Follow Education Evolution Twitter: Follow Education Evolution LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution EdActive Collective Maureen's book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids Micro-school feature on Good Morning America The Micro-School Coalition Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition LEADPrep
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - June 19, 2023. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
A.J. Crabill - Great on Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Become Effective. This is episode 571 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Improving student outcomes is Airick Journey (A.J.) Crabill's relentless focus. He currently serves as the Conservator at DeSoto, Texas, Independent School District. During his guidance, DeSoto made double digit literacy gains and improved from having F ratings in areas of academics, finance, and governance to the district earning B ratings. He's also Faculty at the Leadership Institution of Nevada; Collaborator with the Effective School Boards Initiative; and National Director of Governance at the Council of the Great City Schools in Washington, DC. He served as Deputy Commissioner at the Texas Education Agency, and he spearheaded reforms as board chair of Kansas City (MO) Public Schools that doubled the percentage of students who are literate and numerate and eventually led KCPS to full accreditation for the first time in decades. Crabill received the Education Commission of the State's James Bryant Conant Award, which recognizes extraordinary individual contributions to education. Our focus today is on AJ's book Great on Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Become Effective. Before you go... Could you do me a favor? Please go to my website at https://www.stevenmiletto.com/reviews/ or open the podcast app that you are listening to me on, and would you rate and review the podcast? That would be so cool. Thanks! If you are listening on Apple Podcasts on your phone, go to the logo - click so that you are on the main page with a listing of the episodes for my podcast and scroll to the bottom. There you will see a place to rate and review. Could you review me? That would be so cool. Thank you! Hey, I've got another favor...could you share the podcast with one of your friends, colleagues, and family members? Hmmm? What do you think? Thank you! Thanks for sharing! Thanks for listening! Connect & Learn More: https://www.ajc7.com/ https://www.greatontheirbehalf.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ajcrabill/ https://twitter.com/ajcrabill7/ https://www.instagram.com/ajcrabill7/ https://www.pinterest.com/ajcrabill/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajcrabill/ https://www.youtube.com/AJCrabill Length - 47:54
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - May 15, 2023. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
In this episode - Sean and Punya are joined by guest co-host Iveta Silova to talk with prominent futures scholar Keri Facer to discuss Futures education, futures literacy vs futures literacies, futures thinking, and cultivating a 'temporal imagination'. In our conversation we learn about Keri's own academic and professional journey, and how studying the learning space of children became synonymous with studying the future. We discuss a recent publication from Arathi Sriprakash and Keri Facer on the pedagogic imperative to 'teach the future' in modern schools and the opportunities and challenges exist, and explore the importance of the differences between futures literacy and futures literacies. Guest Information: Keri Facer – Professor of Educational and Social Futures at the University of Bristol, Visiting Professor in Education for Sustainable Development at the University of Gothenburg and August T Larsson Guest Professor at SLU, Sweden. Her work focuses specifically on cultivating the ‘temporal imagination' – the capacity to work critically with ideas of time, rhythm, pasts and futures to open up possibilities for individual and collective agency - in conditions of environmental and technological change.Iveta Silova – Professor and Associate Dean of Global Engagement at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. She teaches graduate courses in comparative and international education, education policy and evaluation, research design, and post/decolonial approaches to education research. Links & Resources: Learning Futures Collaborative: Education, sustainability, and global futuresFuturelab, former UK educational research organizationFutures journal [publisher link]Jungk and Muellert's future workshops [actioncatologue.eu link]Futures Literacy [UNESCO link]Coldwarchildhoods.org, Iveta's work on childhood memoriesChen, K (2010). Asia As Method:Toward Deimperialization. Duke University Press. [publisher link]Teach the FutureWorld Futures Study FederationSardar, Z. & Sweeney, J. (2015). The Three Tomorrows of Postnormal Times. Futures 75 (2016) 1–13. [article link]Turn It Around!, socially engaged artAna Dinerstein's ‘The Art of Organizing Hope' [video link]Tsing, A., Bubandt, N., Gan, E., & Swanson, H. (2017). Arts of Living on a Damaged Planet. U of Minnesota Press. [publisher link]The Ecoversities NetworkFacer, K & Sriprakash, A. (2021). Provincialising Futures Literacy: A caution against codification. Futures, Volume 133, October 2021. [pdf link]Punya and Iveta's past work together: https://punyamishra.com/2022/11/17/speculative-fiction-and-the-future-of-learning/Keri Facer (2011) Learning Futures: Education, Technology and Social Change, London: RoutledgeFacer, K (2022) The University and the Social Imagination, CGHE Working PaperIn this background paper for the UNESCO Futures of Education Commission, I talk about five different ways of doing ‘futures' in education – and the ethical choices these raise: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000375792.locale=enBlack Mountains College - https://blackmountainscollege.uk/The Ecoversities Network - https://ecoversities.org/Book Recommendations:Hospicing Modernity https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/675703/hospicing-modernity-by-vanessa-machado-de-oliveira/At Work in the Ruins https://www.amazon.com/At-Work-Ruins-Pandemics-Emergencies/dp/164502184XBruce Sterling – (2002). Tomorrow Now, Envisioning the Next Fifty Years. Random House. [Google Books link]Keri and Arathi's article: Provincialising Futures Literacy: A caution against codificationHow Are the Children? - Wake Up Arcade Fire CoverSoutheast Asia collection of the Turn it Around! Youth Visions of Climate Futures
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - April 17, 2023. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Improving student outcomes is AJ Crabill's focus. He serves as Conservator at DeSoto, Texas ISD. During his guidance, DeSoto improved from F ratings in academics, finance, and governance to B ratings. He's also Faculty at the Leadership Institute of Nevada and Director of Governance at the Council of the Great City Schools. He served as Deputy Commissioner at the Texas Education Agency. He spearheaded reforms as board chair of Kansas City Public Schools that doubled the percentage of students who are literate and numerate. Crabill is a recipient of the Education Commission of the State's James Bryant Conant Award.
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - March 27, 2023. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - February 20, 2023. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - January 17, 2023. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Sex trafficking is ubiquitous, even though many people fail to notice it. That is why the Rotary Club of North Cobb hosted “The Truth About Sex Trafficking In Our Community,” a forum this week that brought together Cobb leaders, concerned citizens and groups combating sex trafficking in the county and across Georgia. North Cobb Rotary member Hicks Malonson is an ambassador for Rescuing Hope, a Marietta-based nonprofit fighting sex trafficking through educational programming and support for survivors. Human trafficking has gained greater attention in Georgia since 2019, when Governor Brian Kemp established the Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and Education Commission, chaired by his wife, Georgia first lady Marty Kemp. The commission, composed of public officials, experts on human trafficking, and representatives from law enforcement and advocacy groups, is tasked with combating human trafficking in the state. Georgia's heightened focus on the issue extends to law enforcement agencies. Georgia Assistant Attorney General Kaitlyn Salinas works for Georgia's statewide Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, created in 2019 as the first of its kind in the U.S. Salinas, speaking at the forum, noted that it is far less likely nowadays for traffickers to walk through an airport or hotel with large quantities of cocaine, but it is much easier for them to walk through either with a young person they are trafficking. Susan Norris, the executive director of Rescuing Hope and a member of the GRACE commission, moderated a panel of local “first responders” to human trafficking at Tuesday's forum. Ana Murphy, the school social work supervisor for the Cobb County School District, said it is difficult to identify whether a student is being trafficked. She noted it is “a major red flag for us” when students are frequently absent from school, a trend that worsened with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Norris said one study showed a 40% jump in trafficking during the pandemic because students were online, not only in class, but socializing with other students and, potentially, traffickers. Norris encouraged attendees to become involved in volunteering for Rescuing Hope and other anti-trafficking organizations at the forum, like Out of Darkness (www.outofdarkness.org), Wellspring Living (www.wellspringliving.org) and The Table on Delk (www.thetableondelk.org). More information about Rescuing Hope can be found at www.rescuinghope.com. For help or to report suspicions of human trafficking call 911, the Georgia Coalition to Combat Human Trafficking, or the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Kennesaw State University's Wellstar School of Nursing has received a federal grant to teach graduate students how to help patients break increasingly deadly opioid addictions. Assistant professor of nursing Kathy Barnett and Wellstar School of Nursing Associate Director of Graduate Programs Susan Beidler teamed to earn the nearly $729,000 grant, which comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a subsidiary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Barnett and Beidler will implement curricular revisions in the KSU Masters of Science in Nursing programs that address decreasing stigma and increasing access to early interventions for substance use disorders. According to data from the Georgia Department of Public Health, drug overdose deaths increased by 61% from 2019 to 2021, and fentanyl-involved overdose deaths increased by 230%, illustrating the urgent need for more medical training in helping people with opioid addiction. Opioids include many prescription pain medicines, fentanyl and the illegal drug heroin. In a theatrical, winding speech interlaced with musical tie-ins and clips from “Back to the Future,” Mayor Derek Easterling recapped his seven years in office before a crowd of civic and business leaders this week. Easterling, first elected in 2015, was reelected without opposition in 2019. This year marks the final year of his second term. The mayor told the MDJ after speaking that he intends to run for a third term this November. Ever the showman, Easterling emerged ahead of his speech to the Kennesaw Business Association to the tune of “Rockstar” by Nickelback, carrying a guitar and clad in jeans, cowboy boots and a leather jacket. With his back to the crowd, the speakers then began to blare the opening riff of “Back in Black” by AC/DC as Easterling pretended to play guitar. The mayor then shook his head and yelled for the music to stop. The same sequence then played out with Ozzy Osbourne's “Crazy Train,” and Guns N' Roses' “Sweet Child O' Mine.” Finally, City Manager Jeff Drobney, dressed as Doc Brown from “Back to the Future,” yelled out “Mayor, you've got to get back to the future.” Easterling then began speaking. In his State of the City address, Easterling ticked through a laundry list of developments the city has seen during his time in office, recapping improvements to parks, roads and other infrastructure; new businesses and housing developments; changes to city services and systems; and more. Those developments were listed chronologically, and as the mayor started speaking about a new year, a “Back to the Future” clip would be played on the screen. To accompany the theme, the city also procured a DMC DeLorean, which was parked outside the Adams Park Recreation Center, where Easterling spoke. Easterling said some of the things the city can look forward to this year are the opening of the Depot Park amphitheater, progress on a new public safety center, the start of a Cherokee Street streetscape project, improvements to Ben King Road and more. McEachern pulled away early and never looked back as the Indians made the short trip to defeated archrival Hillgrove 68-57 in Tuesday's Region 3 6A opener. McEachern reversed an early Hillgrove advantage and took control of the game with an 18-0 run that began late in the first quarter and lasted until midway through the second quarter. The Indians went on to outscore the Hawks 42-20 through the second and third quarters combined. Though the win gave McEachern an early leg up in the region standings, for coach Tremayne Anchrum Sr., and his players, getting the win over their crosstown rival was more significant. Moses Hipps scored 15 points and Ace Bailey added 14 points to lead McEachern. McEachern went on to outscore Hillgrove 23-11 in the second quarter to take a 40-32 halftime lead, then outscored the Hawks 19-9 in the third quarter to widen its advantage to 59-41. Hillgrove did narrow the gap a little bit at the end, but the Hawks were only able to get as close as 10 points — 61-51 — with 5:00 remaining in the game. The Marietta Board of Education voted unanimously this week to elect Kerry Minervini of Ward 6 as the chair for another year. Minervini, a real estate agent who was first elected in 2017, also served as chair last year. Unlike the Cobb County Board of Education, Marietta school board members can serve consecutive terms as chair. The board also unanimously elected Ward 1's Jeff DeJarnett as vice chair. DeJarnett replaces Jason Waters of Ward 2 in the role. Board attorney Clem Doyle distributed index cards to the board members, each of whom privately wrote down their nomination for chair and vice chair. Doyle then announced the results — seven nominations for Minervini for chair, seven nominations for DeJarnett as vice chair. Votes were then held to approve both appointments. The chair and vice chair elections stand in contrast to those of the Cobb school board last week, where members split along party lines, with the Republican majority winning out. Marietta's school board is nonpartisan. The Marietta board elected its leaders at the top of its first work session of the year. In other action, the board reviewed several items it will vote on at its Jan. 17 meeting. South Cobb welcomed a new community garden this week — or, at least, the beginnings of one. A coalition of agricultural, gardening, and healthcare groups gathered off Powder Springs Road at the Cobb County Farm Bureau offices. There, partners broke ground on a garden that's intended to help out with food insecurity and healthier living. The Wellness Garden, as it will be known, so far is simply a lawn next to the Farm Bureau with a few posts sunk for a fence. But it will one day feature 15 garden beds — each 12 feet by four feet — along with a pollinator garden and hoop house. Unlike some community gardens, which are merely shared spaces for residents to grow their own produce, the Wellness Garden will be geared specifically toward providing food to those in need and spreading the word on how to use locally-grown produce. To that end, volunteers alongside nutritionists from Wellstar Health System — one of the partners in the venture — will be holding classes in the Farm Bureau offices on healthy cooking and eating. Other partners include the Cobb County Conservation District, the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, and Cobb EMC, which is helping to financially support the effort. Renae Lemon, one of the master gardeners, has been involved in several community gardens throughout the county including one which opened in Acworth this summer. She said the group has been meeting regularly to plan the Powder Springs garden since June, with the hope of starting to get plants in the ground this Spring. #CobbCounty #Georgia #LocalNews - - - - - The Marietta Daily Journal Podcast is local news for Marietta, Kennesaw, Smyrna, and all of Cobb County. Subscribe today, so you don't miss an episode! MDJOnline Register Here for your essential digital news. https://www.chattahoocheetech.edu/ https://cuofga.org/ https://www.esogrepair.com/ https://www.drakerealty.com/ Find additional episodes of the MDJ Podcast here. This Podcast was produced and published for the Marietta Daily Journal and MDJ Online by BG Ad Group For more information be sure to visit https://www.bgpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - November 28, 2022. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
Welcome to another episode of Outrage + Optimism, where we examine issues at the forefront of the climate crisis, interview change-makers, and transform our anger into productive dialogue on building a sustainable future. In this special episode we bring you the conclusion of our celebrated Future of Food series, recorded live from COP 27. Outrage + Optimism host Tom Rivett-Carnac pulls together an incredible line up of leaders to explore how food might act as the connecting force that engages communities and individuals and brings us all together in a united global movement. First, Tom takes the opportunity to catch up Per Heggenes, the CEO of The IKEA Foundation, to hear why food is of huge importance to his organisation's work and why Per believes food needs to stay top of the global agenda. Next, Tom convenes a fascinating and diverse group of guests in a unique and quirky setting: a blue shipping container repurposed in collaboration with Museum for the United Nations UN Live team and The IKEA Foundation using Global We portals, to bring the voices of people on the frontline of climate change, directly into the heart of climate conversations at COP27 via full length screens, set up in diverse global locations. Listen to the fascinating contributions from Tom's IRL guests Paul Polman, Business Leader, Former CEO of Unilever and co-author of Net Positive; Liesbet Steer, Executive Director of the Education Commission; and Sophia Kianni climate activist, Executive Director of Climate Cardinals and the youngest member on the United Nations Secretary-General's Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change; and our Global We portal leaders from Kigali Sarah Kenkuyu, Program Manager at GiveDirectly Rwanda; Kristian Gasaro, activist, Greenpreneur and photographer; and Tanignigui Siriki Soro, a writer and community leader from the Ivory Coast. The resulting conversation is as diverse and as fascinating as our guests themselves. Enjoy the show! NOTES AND RESOURCES To learn more about our planet's climate emergency and how you can transform outrage into optimistic action subscribe to the podcast here. The IKEA Foundation Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube Museum for the United Nations Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn GUESTS: Per Heggenes Twitter | Paul Polman LinkedIn | Website | Twitter | Liesbet Steer Twitter | LinkedIn | The Education Commission Website | Twitter | Instagram Sophia Kianni LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Sarah Kenkuyu LinkedIn GiveDirectly LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Kristian Gasaro LinkedIn | Twitter Tanignigui Siriki Soro LinkedIn Want to participate in the COP27 Civic Imagination Lab? REGISTER HERE Also, explore more about COP27 It's official, we're a TED Audio Collective Podcast! Check out more podcasts from The TED Audio Collective Go listen to Abigael Kima's coverage of COP27 on the Hali Hewa Podcast Click through to listen to more of our episodes on The Future of Food
Williamson County Board of Education Meeting - October 24, 2022. Tune in to this month's Williamson County Board of Education Commission meeting.
We welcome YOU back to America's leading higher education podcast, The EdUp Experience! It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, YOUR guest is Dr. Liesbet Steer, Executive Director at The Education Commission, YOUR host is Dr. Joe Sallustio, & YOUR sponsor is Advance 360 Education! How is Liesbet helping to fix higher Ed's pipeline? What is Greater Share? What does Liesbet define as the silent pandemic? Listen in to #EdUp! Thank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp! Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - Elvin Freytes & Dr. Joe Sallustio ● Join YOUR EdUp community at The EdUp Experience! We make education YOUR business! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edup/message
In this week's Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast, I am joined by Anthony Pawelski, senior international advisor at Mass General Brigham, A Boston-based nonprofit hospital which consists of 16 entities including Harvard and Tufts affiliated teaching hospitals. In his role there, Anthony prepares E-1, H1-B, O-1, TN, and a variety of non-immigrant work visa applications for folks in the ecosystem and he consults with departments for possible Green Card sponsorships. In this episode, we specifically take a deep dive into understanding the J-1 visa – what it is, how it works, who qualifies, and what happens after you've gotten one. Anthony is a true expert who has seen immigration law and these types of visas from many sides. Please share this episode with companies, HR and recruiting professionals, startup founders, international talent, or anyone who can benefit from it. Sign up for the Alcorn monthly newsletter to receive the latest immigration news and issues. Reach out to us if we can help you determine the best immigration options for yourself, your company, your employees or prospective employees, or your family whether in the U.S. or abroad. In this episode, you'll hear about: Common immigration situations they encounter The Education Commission for Foreign Exchange Medical Graduates An overview of the J-1 visa: categories, sponsorship, challenges Funding and educational levels The benefits and drawbacks The foreign residence requirement Don't miss my upcoming conversations with top Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever your favorite platform is. As always, we welcome your rating and review of this podcast. We appreciate your feedback! Resources: Mass General Brigham Alcorn Immigration Law: Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter Immigration Law for Tech Startups podcast: Episode 33: All About the J-1 Exchange Visa Episode 34: J-1 Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement Episode 66: Cap-Exempt H-1Bs with Danielle Goldman Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.
Considering how much attention is focused on getting into college, you'd think people would be equally concerned with getting out of college… with a degree, of course. Sadly, the shockingly low six-year graduation rate suggests otherwise. Amy and Mike invited author and researcher Michael Petrilli to explore why college readiness matters. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What exactly does college readiness mean? How can college readiness best be measured? What is the risk for college students who don't meet readiness benchmarks? How can we best address lagging college readiness? How early in K-12 education should college readiness be addressed? MEET OUR GUEST Mike Petrilli is president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, executive editor of Education Next, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow for Education Commission of the States. An award-winning writer, he is the author of The Diverse Schools Dilemma, editor of Education for Upward Mobility, and co-editor of How to Educate an American. Follow Mike has published opinion pieces in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg View, and Slate, and appears frequently on television and radio. Petrilli helped to create the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement, the Policy Innovators in Education Network, and, long, long ago, Young Education Professionals. He serves on the advisory boards of the Association of American Educators, MDRC, and the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. He lives with his family in Bethesda, Maryland. Mike previously appeared on this podcast in episode 180 to discuss The Heightened Need For Testing In 2021. Find Mike at https://fordhaminstitute.org or in Twitter @MichaelPetrilli. LINKS College Readiness Benchmarks Using the National Assessment of Educational Progress as an Indicator for College and Career Preparedness The college readiness battle is won or lost in elementary school We all agree that college isn't for everyone. We should start acting like it American Diploma Project RELATED EPISODES DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER: WHAT TESTING TELLS US TRACKING COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS WHERE MODERN EDUCATION FAILS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.
In this episode, Eric Skwarczynski sits down with author Douglas S. Bursch to discuss his new book, Posting Peace: Why Social Media Divides Us and What We Can Do About It.Purchase a copy here: https://amzn.to/36zhrDmDouglas is the copastor of Evergreen Foursquare Church in Auburn, Washington. He serves on the US Doctrine Committee, International Doctrine Committee, and Education Commission of the Foursquare Church, and he has taught theology courses as adjunct faculty for Life Pacific College and Life Ministry Institute. He earned a DMin from George Fox Evangelical Seminary with his dissertation research focusing on social media.A former newspaper columnist and talk radio host, Doug has produced and hosted over 1,200 Christian radio broadcasts. He is the producer and host of the Fairly Spiritual Show radio program and podcast.------------Support the Show:https://www.patreon.com/preacherboysPurchase a Preacher Boys shirt, mask, sticker, or other merch to rep the show! https://www.teepublic.com/user/preacher-boys-podcast________________Find more stories regarding the IFB movement by visiting:– preacherboysdoc.com– https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/– https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc– https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/To connect with a community who share the Eric Skwarczynski and the Preacher Boys Podcast mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy