Podcasts about maryland state department

#968: Are school inspections the accountability tool we've overlooked? with Erik RobelenOn this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, former Education Week reporter Erik Robelen joins Mike and David to discuss school inspections—what they are, how they might fit into accountability systems, and who's actually using them in U.S. schools. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber highlights a study on how AI tools can help middle school math teachers personalize their lessons.Recommended content: Erik Robelen, “The Full Measure of a School,” Education Next (Spring 2025).Erik Robelen, “England's School Inspections Get a Makeover,” Education Next (Spring 2025).Maryland State Department of Education, Blueprint for Maryland's Future: Expert Review Team Colorado Department of Education, State Review Panel: School Review Protocol, SchoolWorks LLC (2024).Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Charter School Site Visit Protocol, (2024) Rizwaan Malik, Dorna Abdi, Rose E. Wang, and Dorottya Demszky, Scaffolding Middle-School Mathematics Curricula With Large Language Models, EdWorking Papers (April 2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.  

Welcome back to The Path Forward podcast with Dr. Rick Fernandez! In this episode, Dr. Fernandez sits down with Richard Kincaid, Assistant State Superintendent for the Division of College and Career Pathways at the Maryland State Department of Education, for a powerful discussion on how Career and Technical Education (CTE) is reshaping the future of student success.Richard shares how CTE bridges the gap between academic learning and real-world application—helping students not just grasp core subjects like algebra, but use them to solve community-centered problems. He unpacks how early career exploration can help students build career identity, eliminate guesswork, and even uncover what they don't want to do. The conversation dives into innovative CTE models, entrepreneurship opportunities, and the role of internships and AI in equipping students for meaningful futures.Don't miss this insightful conversation on transforming education from theory to action—and giving students the tools they need to thrive beyond the classroom.Host: Dr. Rick Fernandez Guest: Richard Kincaid, Assistant State Superintendent for the Division of College and Career Pathways, Maryland State Department of EducationTime Stamps & Show Notes:(00:00 - 01:19) Introduction(01:20 - 06:06) Richard's Background(06:07 - 09:10) How CTE Can be Applied(09:11 - 13:35) Is the Norm the Necessary?(13:36 - 21:24) Overcoming the Barriers Between Education and Career (21:25 - 27:08) Developing Career Identity(27:09 - 33:56) Career Innovations for Students(33:57 - 38:31) Finding Out the “Don't” Likes(38:32 - 45:50) Students in Business(45:51 - 47:23) Integrating Internships in Schools(47:24 - 50:34) The Impact of Artificial Intelligence(50:35 - 51:49) Closing

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics: Maryland and Virginia ask laid off federal workers to seek state jobs. Will former federal employees sign up to be public school teachers where staff shortage is acute? The Maryland State Department of Education proposes an overhaul of the high school math curriculum. Could it impact parent-favorite accelerated math instruction in elementary school? Illegal dumping in DC and Prince George's County remains a problem. How to “buy” renewable energy without putting rooftop solar or depending on retail energy suppliers? Music by Washington DC area composer Anna Rubin.

About the Guest(s):Liz Zogby is a dedicated advocate in the special education and disability space based in Baltimore City. She is the co-chair of the Maryland Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition (MDAC) and the Special Education Policy and Advocacy Project. Liz also co-chairs the special education workgroup with the state superintendent under the Maryland State Department of Education. Her advocacy efforts are deeply personal, inspired by her daughter Hope, who has Down syndrome.Steven Davis is a policy advocate focused on special education reform. He resides in California, has a background in mathematics, and is known for his analytical approach to education data. Steven is dedicated to improving local policy advocacy infrastructures in his community. He founded Disability Almanac and actively engages in discussions and actions to enhance educational inclusivity for children with disabilities.Episode Summary:Join Tim Villegas on the Think Inclusive Podcast as he hosts Liz Zogby and Steven Davis to explore the crucial intersection of data and special education advocacy. Both guests bring a wealth of knowledge and personal experience as parents of children with disabilities, which fuels their passion and dedication to inclusive education practices.In this compelling episode, Liz and Steven share their journeys into the world of special education advocacy, underscored by a deep dive into the use of data to inform and drive policy changes. Liz discusses her initiatives in Maryland and how understanding and leveraging data can shift legislative perspectives. Steven provides a critical look at the alarming statistics surrounding inclusion rates in California, emphasizing the need for high expectations and proper resource allocation. Together, they highlight the importance of combining both data and personal stories to make a significant impact on educational reform.Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/FFx3Ms0th62yMOHjGYBECmtcgPYKey Takeaways:The Role of Data in Advocacy: How Liz and Steven use data on inclusion rates to inform and drive policy changes.Systemic Challenges: Steven's insights into California's dismal inclusion statistics and his efforts to build better local advocacy infrastructures.Personal and Statistical Storytelling: The importance of merging personal stories with data for effective advocacy.Actionable Strategies for Educators: Recommendations for educators on understanding and utilizing data to support inclusive practices.Parent Empowerment: Encouragement for parents to use their expertise about their children in IEP meetings and advocacy.Resources:National Council of Disability PDF: https://www.ncd.gov/assets/uploads/docs/ncd-segregation-swd-508.pdfHow to Find a School District's LRE %: https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/how-to-find-a-school-districts-least-restrictive-environment-percentage/Thank you to our sponsor, IXL: Learn more at https://ixl.com/inclusiveMCIE: https://www.mcie.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode profiles the double murders of Baltimore City Police Officers 26-year-old Adam Vazquez and 34-year-old Leslie Ann Holliday, who were killed by Leslie's disgruntled ex-boyfriend, 33-year-old Eugene Victor Perry, Jr., on December 21, 2005. Eugene was a General Service Officer with the Maryland State Department of General Services and the murders occurred after Eugene went to Adam's home in the 300 block of M'Ladies Court in Pikesville and confronted the couple in Adam's bed. This episode also profiles the unsolved homicide of 37-year-old Gladys Faye Dobbins Beauchamp who was found brutally murdered near a wooded area near Crain Highway and Oak Manor Drive in Glen Burnie, on October 11, 1989.

One of things we love about this experience is the opportunity to bring to light organizations that are doing amazing work throughout the City, this episode we have Bernand Foster who is the Executive Director of the Tuerk House and he has overseen and been a part of tremendous growth since he came on board in 2011.  Founded in 1970, the concept of drug and alcohol treatment was forever changed with the founding of this dynamic organization.   Dr. Isadore Tuerk, then the commissioner of Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene—knew there was a more collaborative, compassionate way to help people find lifelong healing and recovery. From their vision, Tuerk House was born. Today, our non-profit drug and alcohol treatment system serves nearly 300 patients a day, regardless of their ability to pay, through an innovative, integrated model of care that encompasses all aspects of recovery. 300 patients a day that's alot of people they are serving with four centers open, the biggest and most active in the City. All of this is made possible by the incredible leadership team and all of the dedicated workers that are providing hope for these patients in neeed.  Wait until you learn about their leader, Bernard Foster, who believe's God sent him here to do this work, and one thing I can tell you is Thank God for Bernard Foster, who opens up and brings along on his journey to do Gods work.  Thanks to Bernard Foster and his team, doing God's work!  Enjoy!    

Scott Dennis, Assistant Superintendent of the Maryland Division of Rehabilitative Services (DORS), joins Carol Pankow in the VRTAC-QM Studio and tells us about how Maryland DORS increased recruitment and decreased resignations by raising salaries to compete in the regional job market. Learn how they opened the door and proved the case.   Listen Here   Full Transcript:   Music} Speaker1: Manager Minute brought to you by the VRTAC for Quality Management, Conversations powered by VR, one manager at a time, one minute at a time. Here is your host Carol Pankow.   Carol: Well, welcome to the Manager Minute. Scott Dennis, assistant superintendent of the Maryland Division of Rehabilitative Services or DORS, is joining me in the studio today. So thanks for joining me. How are things going in Maryland, Scott.   Scott: Things are going well, Carol. I appreciate the opportunity to join today's podcast. Excellent.   Carol: So a little background for our listeners. I did have some familiarity with Maryland DORS. I had worked with Sue Page. She was the former director and a national level. We were on the executive committee together and Sue and I also did a couple panel presentations and that was super fun. And I was so disappointed, you know, when she had retired in '18, I had just worked with her. And then like the next week she goes, I'm retiring. She had sent me a note and I knew you had been her deputy and I think you were named right in 2019 to replace her, was that right?   Scott: Yeah. I came into this position an acting role in 2018. Sue left in June of 2018 and I was named, the Acting. Was permanently placed into the position in January of 2019.   Carol: Gotcha.   Scott: Almost five years now.   Carol: Nice. Well, it was really fun because early in '19 you and I, we were working on that RSA workgroup around Rethinking Performance. So I liked getting to know you and realizing, Oh, you're the fiscal guy too. You were the fiscal guy for the agency. So it's been fun to have that kind of a little lens into your agency. So I know you've had some unique challenges that we're going to get into later. And I understand that there had been some previous runs at trying to get employee wages increased, which, you know, had failed. So this was all prior to you being at the helm. And the state of the recruitment and retention issue nationally has been front and center for every VR agency, I think. And you were able to more recently secure a rather significant employee pay increase. So I am sure our listeners are on the edge of their seats and are anxious to hear, How did you make that happen? So let's dig in. So Scott, can you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself, like how long you've been with DORS and how have you got to the position you hold today? What's kind of the path you took?   Scott: Well, sure. I kind of happened into VR. I was working in a private sector in retail and was looking to do something different than that. And as anybody who's ever worked in retail, there's a lot of long hours that are very odd and so forth. So I was looking to do something different and happened to come across an advertisement in the paper for a director for this program called the Business Enterprise Program for the Blind.   Carol: Oh, wow.   Scott: It kind of struck me. And so I said, Well, I've got a retail background, I've got a business background, let me get my shot at it. And so I put in my application and went through the interview process. And about four months later in 1990, I became the director of the Maryland Business Enterprise Program for the Blind, which was kind of unique because my background was not in the area of either VR or in blindness, but I did bring that business background, which is what the agency at the time was looking for. It was a great experience. The business enterprise programs for the blind bring their own unique challenges and so forth, and trying to operate a business environment inside of a state government. And you've got some real challenges in trying to do stuff fast and an organization is trying to slow you down. But it was a great experience. I was the director for BEP for six years and then our state director, who was Bob Burns at the time, said, I need some help over at DDS. And I went, What's a DDS? Because my focus had been strictly on BEP. And so he sent me over to the Disability Determination Services as the assistant director over there, and I oversaw sort of the administrative side of the DDS and did a number of activities over there. We moved into a much larger facility. We also at that time moved off a state legacy system onto *Levi. And for any of those who have been around a long time and have a program, you understand how far back that went. After about five years of DDS, moved over, back over here to the side of the shop and became the director of business services, which included all the administrative functions of the agency and sort of the financial piece of it. And so I was that until 2018 when I became the assistant state superintendent.   Carol: Very cool. I had no clue. Your days started with BEP. That is amazing. Good for you. You have a definitely a great broad history there. Paint a picture for our listeners about DORS and what agency you live under. What's your designated state agency and how many staff do you have in VR? And you already said you had DDS, but is that service under your purview as well?   Scott: Yeah, we're  housed within the Maryland State Department of Education. We're probably one of the first big divisions of the Maryland State Department of. We were created in 1929 and we at that time the division had two employees and a budget of $15,000. And the only reason I know any of this is because we've got the enacting legislation sitting out in the hall. We had two employees and $15,000 worth of state appropriation at the time. And of the two employees, one was the director of the agency and the other one was his secretary. He was also the counselor at the time as well. So obviously but we've been here ever since. The Division of Rehabilitation Services is comprised of two main programs that we operate are the VR program, obviously, as well as the program. In total, we've got 648 employees in total, of which 416 of them reside in the VR program and the remaining 232 reside in the DDS program. Within that VR program operates an Office of Field Services, which is very much operated the way the general agencies operate and then we have an Office of Blindness and Vision Services, which operate very much as a blind agency. And so we have a director of each one of those offices. They have their own budget and own staff and so forth. Then we also operate our Workforce and Technology center, which does a lot of our training and so forth, as well as a number of community based services out in the field and so forth. So yeah.   Carol: Yeah, you have a large operation. Holy cow. I didn't realize all of that. That's a bunch.   Carol: So let's talk about your unique position as far as the state. You border other states, as does every state. You know, people probably think duh, but there's something special about where your state is positioned in this country, because I always hear people say that you're the training ground for people that move to RSA. Can you talk about like what that geographical situation has played for you as far as your staff?   Scott: Yeah, and appreciate that. It does provide a unique situation for us. We border Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia as well as D.C. We do have some challenges, especially when we're competing with the federal government. And so because of the federal agencies that are housed here, it has become a real challenge because obviously the states don't pay as much as the federal government does, in particular around the Washington, D.C. area. The salaries are much higher than what we as an agency was able to offer. I mean, in some cases we'd have staff leave and they would nearly double their salaries as a result of that. In some cases, you just can't blame them. It has been a challenge having some of that federal government around, you know, as especially the presence of it, you know, large presence and so forth.   Carol: So we all know about this great resignation, you know, that's been talked about in the news. VRs experienced that itself. So how has that impacted what was happening in your agency? What were you facing for vacancy?   Scott: We were facing a high level of resignation. It was almost I hate coming in in the morning and turning on my computer and opening my email to see how many people resigned that particular day or week. And so we got hit pretty hard. We had about 40 counselors and supervisors, so it was about 30% of our workforce. We had vacancies in and that's on the VR side, on the side. You know, for those agencies that operate that, we had 59 vacancies and our examiners, which was about 45% of that. And, you know, the big culprit was they were going elsewhere, both private and public, to organizations that were paying them substantially more money than what we could afford, at least at the time. It hit us bad.   Carol: Well, I know your number's up there. I'd heard from some other directors talking about you like a 60% turnover in counselors and all these crazy numbers. It's hard to imagine how the work is able to get done. So obviously, you've got this geographic situation, you've got the great resignation going on, and you decided to embark on a journey where you wanted to get these wages increased. Can you tell us more about what went into that?   Scott: It was more than just me. I mean, it was a total agency effort. And I'm talking about from the top. In 2021, we got a new state superintendent who was from Texas. And so he was obviously very new, very young and high energy. And so being one of the large divisions and he wanted to have a one on one with me. And so we sat down and we talked. And what he wanted to know what DORS was to begin with and what VR was because he'd always been in education and so forth. And so we, you know, we talked and his first question, you know, real serious question was, what's your biggest challenge? I said, I can't hire, I can't retain because our salaries are so low. And I gave him an example. I said, we've had a recruitment out for three weeks now and we've got one person who is applying and they don't even meet the qualifications down in Montgomery County and Prince George's County, which are two largest counties in the state as far as population, but they're also the two counties that encircle Washington, D.C. And so the obviously the wages down there are extremely high because of the federal government. And so getting any staff at the wages that we were paying was next to impossible. We couldn't recruit, period. That was just the part of the problem. And so, you know, after I told him what the wages were, he even coming from the south out of Texas, even by his standards, the wages were low. So he put together, you know, he tasked the senior management, not only of the Maryland State Department of Education, but also of DORS to start working on a salary adjustment. Obviously, with something like this, it takes all hands on deck because it's just not one person who's doing all the work and guiding this. And so he tasked us and so my staff started doing feelers out to other states to find out what they're going for. We looked at the federal government and some of the positions that they were hiring for that had sort of equal entry level requirements. We looked at our counties. Some of our counties were paying way more than what we were. And so we took all that into consideration in looking at what is it that we wanted our salaries to look like. The other piece of this that was probably sort of the saving grace for us. Our counselors are in a classification series in this state that's only unique to DORS. It doesn't cross other state agencies or anything. And because of that, our Department of Budget and Management allowed us to do what they call an off cycle adjustment. Typically when they take a look at their salary adjustments and so forth and see whether they need to rescale them, they're looking across all the state agencies. They've got to balance who's got money and who doesn't, money when they start to raise salaries for, you know, let's say, an office secretary. Well, every agency has an office secretary. So they've got to have to balance this all out. When they say, okay, we're going to raise the office secretary's levels, well, they only had to look at us. They didn't have to compare us to anybody else, which made it a lot easier. And because a lot of our salaries, the way the state funds us, they put most of our state match dollars into our case services budgets. And so we've got just a small amount that actually goes towards salary. And so when we kind of pulled this together and say, okay, where can we go with this? We said, Hey, for a little bit of investment from the state side, we've got more than enough appropriation and federal funding over here. We can support this without any problem. So the meeting started in September. We kind of got going in earnest just after the Christmas holidays. We spent basically from October through December polling just gathering information. And then in from about January on, we started writing this up, getting everything put together. And then by late April we had the package ready together and we presented it to our Office of Budget and Management and Director of State personnel, and we suggested a threshold that we thought we could go to. They didn't quite agree with that. So there was some negotiating with the Department of Budget and Management, but we landed on a on a figure that was acceptable that they could live with that wasn't so far off that they were going to have problems with other state agencies as well, once they learned about what we had done. Our superintendent really wanted to push our salaries. He wanted it to be the highest in the nation.   Carol: Wow!   Scott: And he was pushing very hard to get us there. Didn't land there.   Carol: So how far did you get? How high did you get to go?   Scott: We got a substantial pay increase for them. We got, depending upon where they started, it was well over 20% pay increase for our counselors and examiners, which really stabilized it. I mean, it kind of gives you an idea, our salaries, starting salaries for what we call our VR counselor ones, which are individuals who come in with just a bachelor's degree, no experience. So we kind of have to build them up. We were starting at like 41,000 between 41 and 42. Our VR 2-counselors are individuals who have come in with a master's degree, no experience or some experience. And they were starting around 44,000 at the time and we were able to get them up. I mean, today our starting salary for counselor one is 57,000 and a couple of months with the new fiscal year will go to 58. Our twos were starting them at 60,000 and they'll go up to 62 in July. And then we have a technical specialist series and these are for individuals who again, have master's degrees, have been here a couple of years. They're starting in the upper 60s and low 70s now.   Carol: Yeah, good for you. That's pretty amazing. So were there other positions included? So it's not like your examiners or counselors. Were there any other types of positions in the agency include?   Scott: Well, we had to go back and do a readjustment because it affected both our counselors and our supervisors because it's a series of counselors, one, twos, technical specialists and supervisors. Then we have our regional supervisors and our regional directors. Well, because of it went up by grades and steps. Basically our regional supervisors were making the same thing as our office supervisors now. And so we had to raise them. When we raised the regional supervisors, they were making the same thing as the regional directors. So we had to raise the regional directors, but it had to happen over the course of time. The first push was the counselor series and so forth, and then we had to come back about a month later and do the rest of the others and so forth. So yeah, it's been sort of a work in progress and we still have some other classifications to take a look at as we kind of move down this path.   Carol: I wondered about that. If you had some work left to do.   Scott: Yeah, yeah, we do. We have to kind of go back. I mean, our support staff, we've got to go back and we've already started that work already to start looking at that group as well, because again, those classifications go across all state agencies, so we have no authority to raise those salaries. So we have to go back and do what we call a reclass them, which means we have to take a look at their classifications, see whether or not it still fits the job duties and so forth. So that's the only way I can raise that series, those individuals up. I just can't do what we did with the counselors. And in some cases, those salaries and all that are all controlled by the union.   Carol: Yes.   Scott: And so you've got to kind of have to work through all that stuff. So those positions take a little bit longer to kind of get through.   Carol: That makes good sense. So how long did that take you for this?   Scott: The first like I said, we started in 20. We started in September when I first met and we started in September. Late October.   Carol: Was that 2021?   Scott: Right.   Carol: Okay.   Scott: And then the pay raise went into effect on July 1st of 2022. So it took us nine months to kind of get it all put together and work through all the processes and doing the negotiation and so forth. So yeah.   Carol: And it's interesting because you are a union state as well. I came from a union state too, so there's extra things that go into play because I know some other folks have been successful across the country, but they didn't have that added complexity to it. So it was good to see you were able to do this in that environment.   Scott: Yeah, well, I mean, one of the things is even though we're part of a union, because the series is strictly DORS, we brought the union in once we had kind of got everything kind of worked through and said, okay, here's what we've done. They could have said, Yeah, no, we don't want you getting a pay raise. We worked at it that way just because and we had to cross even within our parent agency, if our parent agency, the Department of Education had a classification series and some of the stuff that they did, this would have never happened.   Carol: right.   Scott: Because of that uniqueness, we were able to get it done.   Carol: Yeah, the stars were aligned for you, for sure. So how have these increases impacted your staff recruitment and retention?   Scott: Oh, yeah. Big. I mean, it's like I mentioned earlier, we couldn't find staff or if we did, our supervisors and directors were making the decision of, I got to have a body, and so in some cases you're just getting a warm body. This has nothing to do with the person or anything like that. But they were probably individuals that this may not have been the best fit. But because you're sitting there as a supervisor and you've got 3 or 4 empty caseloads sitting on your desk, at least if I can get them in and get them do some work that's less work that I've got to do and so forth. So we were making some decisions on trying to sort of balance whether this was the right fit for people, but also looking at the number of people that are actually applying for the job was extremely low. I mean, we might come up with 4 or 5 individuals that make like really good candidates. And then when you made salary offer to them, they went, Uh, no thanks. In some cases we actually had made salary offers to individuals who had interned with us and wanted to work for us. And then we made the salary offer and they went, no thanks.   Carol: They're like, I can go work at Target instead.   Scott: You're exactly right. Because the salary, especially down in Prince George's and it is extremely high. Maryland has the highest median income in the country. You know, it's driven by about 3 to 4 counties in this state that drive that. And so that kind of shows you how tough it is in some other jurisdictions to find people and retain people is extremely difficult. Like I said, you know, one of those recruitments was just before we put out the salary change where we had gotten one individual. We got the permission to start publishing the new salary and we went from 1 to 40 in about two weeks.   Carol: Wow. Good for you.   Scott: For example, we had a recruitment out for this for about a month and maybe have gotten 25 to 30 applications. We re-advertised and got 170 in 3 weeks. So we went from 30 people to well over 200. So it obviously had a tremendous impact. In fact, I just had a regional director in talking with me earlier this week, talking about the quality of individuals that we're now seeing, because I haven't seen this high level of quality of people that we've gotten in years. So yeah, the impact has been immediate.   Carol: That's terrific. Have you had any staff want to come back? Maybe that left?   Scott: Well, actually, funny you asked that. We went back out to we had several staff. members who left 3 or 4 months earlier, and these were good staff. Sometimes you have staff leave and you go, thank God. Other times, you know, you see staff go out the door and you go, What a loss. And so we had about a half a dozen staff that had recently left that were sort of, oh, man, I hate to lose them. And so we reached back out to them and we were able to get four out of those six back. We almost got five back. But when they went to talk to their new employer, they went, Oh, we'll give you a pay raise. So she ended up getting a pay raise out of it because we told her what we were going to give her and they went higher. That's the benefit of a private sector situation versus, you know, state government type of situation. So we were able to get some seasoned staff back really quick. I mean, literally within weeks after the new pay plan went into effect. So yeah, it's stabilized. I'm seeing right now what I would consider sort of normal turnover. Now you're back down to 5 to 6% turnover rate versus 25 to 30% turnover rate. It's really made a made a difference in the world. It's stabilized the agency. We have a wait list. We had to basically shut it down because we had so many vacancies. I mean, we have had one and we were bringing people off the wait list. We just had to literally just shut it down. We couldn't handle. The individuals that were coming in the door that met the criteria for Category one. We were struggling with that along with our pre-employment. We just couldn't handle. We couldn't do it. So we shut it down.  Once we got stable. Our regional directors and director of Office Field services came to me and said, We can handle bringing people off the waitlist now. And so we've been able to start bringing people back off the waitlist now.   Carol: Good for you. That is terrific news is a big win all the way around. I just wondered if you had any advice for other directors and leaders across the country as there may be interested in doing something like this in their state. What advice would you give them?   Scott: The biggest advice is you've got to get buy in from your senior secretary, superintendent, whoever is your most senior, most person in the agency, because at the end of the day, they're the ones that are really going to have to go to bat and particularly when you start dealing with the counterparts over at your budget office who are always going, Oh, that's going to cost us a dollar. No, I don't think so. That's where you really need to have sort of that political clout to kind of push some of this stuff through, because it's not, it's not easy. And again depending upon the environment, to some degree, we benefited from the environment itself because obviously we weren't the only state agency losing people. And so the state, I think, recognized that they had to do something. Because even other state agencies around us couldn't hire people because of the state wage. And so I think we kind of hit it right at the right time, so we were able to do it. So I think the combination of two. One, we had a superintendent who had no problem to go banging on the secretary of budget management's door and say, I need this in order for this program to function and opening the door and then letting the rest. of the team go to work and prove the case.   Carol: I Like that you said that, prove the case. So if folks wanted to reach out to you. What would be the best way for them to contact you? Because a lot of times our listeners will say, I want to talk to Scott Dennis about what he just said.   Scott: Yeah, I mean, anybody can reach out to me. My email address is Scott Dot Dennis (D e n n i s) @maryland.gov.   Carol: Excellent. I really appreciate you joining me today and congratulations on the win. I just wish you continued success as you're working through your other positions. This is very cool. Thanks, thanks much.   Scott: Not a problem. Thank you, Carol.   {Music} Speaker1: Conversations powered by VR, one manager at a time, one minute at a time, brought to you by the VR TAC for Quality Management. Catch all of our podcast episodes by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening!

We're talking about all things homeschool and joining us is homeschool advocate, educational consultant, and founder of the Maryland Homeschool Association, Alessa Giampaolo Keener. Also with us are Nicole Kennedy Green, a veteran homeschool parent, author, and co-director of eXtend Homeschool Tutorial, and Brittany Young, a Maryland mother now in her third year of homeschooling.The Maryland State Department of Education reported roughly 4.6% of K-12 public school population students were being homeschooled late in 2020. The Census Bureau reported a significant rise in African American families switching to homeschooling from 3% in 2020 to 16.1% in 2021. We discuss why the increase in homeschooling as well as the challenges and benefits of homeschooling.

The Maryland State Department of Education recently released the 2022 state test results, known as MCAP, Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program. Baltimore City's math scores were the lowest in the state. Just 7% of third through eighth grade students tested proficient in math. Journalist Chris Pabst from Fox 45 Baltimore has been leading “Project Baltimore” reporting for years. He and his team combed through the scores of all 150 city schools where the state math test was given and found in 23 Baltimore City schools there were zero students who tested proficient in math. Newt's guests are Chris Pabst, Sinclair's Fox 45 “Project Baltimore” lead investigative reporter and Jovani Patterson, a parent who is suing the Baltimore City school system for their failure to properly educate students.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos every day. https://www.youtube.com/c/BaldBrad In this episode of The Bald Brad Show, boom goes the Biden narrative on the U.S. economy. Americans are more pessimistic about their finances than at any time since the Great Recession as economic challenges such as inflation persisted throughout the past year. Some 50% of respondents to a Gallup survey said they are “financially worse off” compared to one year ago, while 35% believe they are “financially better off,” marking the most dismal results for the poll since the economy crashed in 2008 and 2009. Lower-income Americans were the most likely to report that they have been worse off since last year. Approximately 61% reflected pessimism about their current finances in 2023, while 41% said the same this year. Furthermore, during a House Oversight Committee hearing on Tuesday, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) questioned witnesses about the southern border. Followed by the DCNF earlier discovered that ICE provided the public with erroneous data, underreporting the number of illegal immigrants released into the country without any tracking technology by more than 18,000% and misreporting the number of illegal immigrants tracked with GPS technology by roughly 600%. Fallon first sent a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting answers about the issue on Dec. 19, then again on Jan. 26. Lastly, the Maryland State Department of Education recently released Baltimore students' 2022 test results, which revealed that 93% of third- through eighth-graders tested below their grade level in math, WBFF-TV reported. After analyzing the results, the local news outlet found 23 city schools where not a single student tested proficient in math. The nearly two dozen schools with abysmal test scores included 10 high schools, eight elementary schools, three middle and high schools, and two elementary and middle schools. In total, 2,000 students at those learning institutions took the math assessment, and zero scored at grade level.

"We've found other ways to make music by centering on the creative process and composition – collective composition in particular. Bringing young people together to meet across difference and to put music at the center as a tool for them to engage in dialogue has just been greater than I could have imagined."Alysia Lee receives national recognition for advancing access, equity, and decolonization with leaders, organizations, and communities. Her methods center on youth, anti-racism, creativity, and justice.Alysia is the inaugural President of the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund, the bold hyperlocal grantmaker stewarding public funds to support the success of Baltimore's young people. Lee is the Founder and Artistic Director of Sister Cities Girlchoir (SCG), the El Sistema-inspired, girl empowerment choral academy in Philadelphia, Camden, and Baltimore in its tenth season. SCG is an award-winning and trendsetting choral education program with performance credits from Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and numerous school and community stages.Lee has an emerging voice as a choral composer. She is the series editor of Hal Leonard's Exigence for Young Voices, the new choral series uplifting Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian composers for young choir ensembles. Her piece ‘Say Her Name' is published by Hal Leonard. She has recent composition commissions from Baltimore Choral Arts, Portland Lesbian Choir, and GALA Choruses. Lee is also a Board member of Chorus America and a National Advisor to ArtsEdSEL. Lee is formerly the education program supervisor for Fine Arts Education for the Maryland State Department of Education across five arts disciplines: music, dance, visual art, theatre, and media arts.Recent recognitions include awards from The Kennedy Center, The Knight Foundation, National Association of University Women, Stockton Bartol Foundation, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and BEQ Pride. Recent speaking/facilitation engagements include the U.S. Department of Education, The Kennedy Center, VH-1 Save the Music, Carnegie Hall, Arts Education Partnership, TEDX, many colleges and universities, and national and state professional associations.A Baltimore native, Lee is an alumna of Maryland public schools (Baltimore County Public Schools). She earned her graduate degree from Peabody Conservatory. Alysia also completed Executive Education programs at Harvard University and La Salle University.To get in touch with Alysia, follow her on Instagram: @alysiadlee.Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro episode to hear how to share your story with us. Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson from Pexels

Kids love learning about space. When we connect them with great space themed resources, we can inspire more STEM learning and ambitions of amazing STEM careers in space exploration. The United States' space agency NASA has propelled technological breakthroughs, pushed the frontiers of scientific research, and expanded our understanding of the universe through journeys to space. These accomplishments, and those to come, share a common genesis: education in science, technology, engineering, and math.(Learn more about NASA STEM on Ep 224)Resources mentioned during the podcast:NASA Connects: nasacentral.force.com/cop/s/NASA STEM Website: stem.nasa.govNASA EXPRESS Newsletter: nasa.gov/stem/expressArtemis resources: stem.nasa.gov/artemisConnect with NASA STEM:Twitter: @NASASTEMFacebook: @NASASTEMEngagementYouTube: NASA STEMCindy Hasselbring serves as a K-12 Education Advisor for Next Gen STEM in NASA's Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM). She led the development of NASA's first online community of practice for educators, CONNECTS, served as Senior Policy Advisor and Assistant Director for STEM Education at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.  Previously, she led STEM initiatives as Special Assistant to the State Superintendent at the Maryland State Department of Education, completed two years as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the National Science Foundation, and taught math for 16 years at Milan High School in Michigan. She was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and earned National Board Certification. Stephanie Stern-Protz is a STEM/STEAM Specialist and Experiential Learning Specialist for the North Bergen STEM Academy. In 2011, Stephanie was among 50 teachers nationwide awarded a scholarship for the NASA Endeavor Teaching Certificate from US-Satellite. Stephanie was invited as a STEM Educator to present her work at the NASA Lunch and Learn Session in 2013 at Capitol Hill. She has continued to be a part of NASA education efforts through her work as an Ambassador, special projects, the North Bergen STEM Initiative with NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies, CONNECTS for teachers, and as a co-facilitator and assistant teacher for the NASA Endeavor Teacher Certificate organization. Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:Website: dailystem.comTwitter: @dailystemInstagram: @dailystemYouTube: youtubeGet Chris's book Daily STEM on AmazonSupport the show

American Council of the Blind of Maryland 2022 Annual Conference and Convention February 25-26, 2022 A mighty little state with a wealth of history and resources Panel: Mobility and beyond MaryBeth Cleveland, certified orientation and mobility specialist, A to B and Back, Derwood, MD, mbcleveland@fastmail.net and Cecelia Rose, certified orientation and mobility specialist, cyrose@verizon.net Diane Ducharme, Community Outreach, The Low Vision Shop, Baltimore MD, diane@thelowvisionshop.com Panel: recreation Hughes, Robyn, Pikesville, MD, robynhughes04@verizon.net, adaptive kayaking, Braille trails in MA and MD, Horseback riding and Eric Phifer, Vice President, Outa Sight Dragon Boat team, ericphifer1852@gmail.com Panel: employment, education and rehabilitation Naomi Soule, Retired District Supervisor for Rehabilitation Services, Missouri" nstm@mindspring.com and Toni March, Director, Division of Rehabilitation Services, Office of Blindness and Vision Services, Baltimore, MD, toni.march@maryland.gov Conchita Hernandez, Statewide Blind and Low Vision Specialist, Maryland State Department of Education, Baltimore, MD, Conchita.hernandez@maryland.gov Find out more at https://acb-events.pinecast.co

Now that we have reached the end of 2021 and year one and a half of this podcast, we give you highlights from some of the best podcast episodes of 2021.  The first is Episode 23 entitled 5 Key Public Sector Themes for 2021In this episode, Meredith Trimble, Tyler Technologies' editorial content manager, discusses how Tyler's clients innovated in each of these five areas in scalable ways, even during the most challenging circumstances.  She Finds inspirationin the stories illustrating the year's top public sector themes.  Here's a little taste from Episode 23.The next is Episode 25, called 5 Reasons to Use American Rescue Plan Funds to Support Data Infrastructurewith Tyler Kleykamp, director of the State Data Officers Network and fellow at Georgetown's Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, Tyler joined the podcast to discuss specific reasons why governments should use federal relief funds now to support data infrastructure. Now up is Mark Funkhouser.  Mark joined Jeff to talk about 5 Ways to Not Waste Stimulus Funds With Mark Funkhouser on Episode 26. Funkhouser's key tips included investing in projects that may have significant upfront cost but will reduce future operating expenses, thinking beyond jurisdictional borders to pool resources for larger impact, and investing in cybersecurity to decrease risk.Next we switch to school transportation and Episode 34.  Tyler Technologies' Kim Rentner, who is a thought leader in the school transportation space, interview Dr. Linda Bluth in an episode entitled, Transporting Students With Special NeedsDr. Linda Bluth is with the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services, and past-president, National Association for Pupil Transportation. Dr. Bluth details for listeners how alternative modes of transportation are important as districts consider the needs of students, parents, drivers, and communities at large and provides expert tips on how to articulate the benefits of alternative modes of transportation to stakeholders including parents.  Next up is Episode 35 which focuses on Connecticut's Data-Driven Approach to Back to School.  Tyler Tech podcast guest host Beth Amann interviews Pauline Zaldonis, a key member of the Connecticut Open Data team, to discuss data-driven work in the state of Connecticut. Zaldonis covers the basics of her state's Open Data Portal as well as the success of cross-agency partnerships continuing to empower residents with the important public health information they need. Our final highlight in the Best of is Episode 36 which focuses on the  Benefits of the Cloud in the Public Sector Why is everyone talking about the cloud? The coronavirus pandemic accelerated new technology adoption as well as moves to the cloud for many public sector agencies, and even Tyler itself, which accelerated cloud development for some of its products. In this episode, Russell Gainford, Tyler's vice president, cloud strategy & operations, provides an insider look at Tyler's own cloud journey as well as specific reasons why public sector leaders should care about the cloud and how they can ensure their jurisdiction's security, agility, and sustainability through cloud-enabled solutions.Find out more about Tyler Technology

Sean is joined by equity instructional specialist Daryl Howard, Ph.D., to talk about social justice and equity work in schools. Dr. Howard works at the district level in Montgomery County Public Schools and serves in numerous leadership positions. Sean and Dr. Howard chat about engagement in the classroom, his job in identifying and disrupting disproportionality within the education system, how he started doing this work, and more! Bio:Since entering the field of education, Daryl Howard, Ph.D., has been exemplary in his efforts to make a positive impact in our society. Dr. Howard stands alongside some of the most talented and committed educators and organizers that share a passion for enlightening young people. He is employed by the Montgomery County public school system (MCPS) as well as McDaniel College and Prince George's Community College as a lecturer in the education and sociology departments.In MCPS, Howard serves as an #equity instructional specialist whose work and research interests include race and cultural proficiency, social emotional learning, and the triumphs and challenges of African American male students. As the chairperson of Maryland State Department of Education's Task Force on Equity and Excellence for Black Boys, he researches and recommends policy and practice to disrupt harmful narratives, decrease disproportionality, and elevate achievement. Howard is also instrumental in the work of the Building our Network of Diversity (BOND) Project, where he leads initiatives focused on the recruitment, development and retention of male educators of color, as well as empowerment of underserved male students. Dr. Howard is the author of Complex People: Insights at the Intersection of Black Culture and American Social Life, a work that examines Black culture within the context of the mainstream ideas of race, gender, and education.His Personal Webpage - https://www.google.com/url?q=https://...Building our Network of Diversity (BOND) Project - https://bondeducators.org/

Dr. Jennifer Love currently serves as the Supervisor for Language Access and Engagement in Prince George's County Public Schools.  She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Elementary Education and Second Language Acquisition from Wake Forest University. Dr. Love was conferred a Doctor of Education in Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Educational Leadership in Special Education as part of a grant cohort of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education.  Her journey in education has led her to serve in various instructional and leadership roles in which she has connected with staff, motivated students, and opened doors to family engagement, especially within the international community.  In her current role, she leads a dedicated team of interpreters and translators, who facilitate language access resources for over 55,000 families across the school district. Dr. Love is committed to increasing international parent education and family engagement to positively impact student achievement, and one of her initiatives was recognized by the former White House Initiative for Educational Excellence for Hispanics as a national Bright Spot in Hispanic Education.  Dr. Love has also been recognized by the Washington Post as an Outstanding Local Educator, and was awarded the opportunity to study authentic children's literature in Madrid, Spain.Dedicated to elevating the importance of equitable engagement, Dr. Love served on the Core Team with the Maryland State Department of Education to create the state's first PreK-12 Family Engagement Framework.  She has also served on the Maryland English Learner Advisory Council since 2019. Her work in the area of English learner family engagement, equity and language access is nationally recognized, with publication in leading education journals. She has also been a regular university guest lecturer and invited presenter at various regional and national conferences.  Additionally, she serves as an English learner family engagement consultant for the U.S. Department of Education Office of Communications and Outreach and Office of English Language Acquisition for engagement initiatives.  In recognition of her commitment to the diverse communities in central Maryland, in 2017 she received the Community Service Award from Exelon.Only on the Brand the Interpreter Podcast where I share your stories about our profession! Tune in!-----------------------------------------------------Connect with Dr. Jennifer LoveLinkedInPrince George's County Public Schools-----------------------------------------------------Connect with Mireya Pérez, Hostwww.brandtheinterpreter.com---------------------------------SPONSOR INFORMATIONThank you to Liberty Language Services for sponsoring this episode!To learn more about Liberty Language Services, please visit: https://www.libertylanguageservices.com/To learn more about The Professional Medical Interpreter course, go to: https://bit.ly/pmi-course-btiFor a limited time only, you can get $50 off the full price of The Professional Medical Interpreter: A Comprehensive 40-Hour Medical Interpreting Course. Use the following coupon code at checkout: BTI50

Tara B. Blackshear is an equity scholar who specializes in health, physical activity, and education. She is an assistant professor of Kinesiology and the program coordinator for Physical Education Teacher Education at Towson University. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Physical Education at Florida A&M University and a Doctorate in Education in Exercise and Sport Science at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Before her current role, Dr. Blackshear taught for 17 years in public, private, charter, and international schools in the United States, Egypt, and Thailand, and a three-year post at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill working to prevent type II diabetes among middle school youth.Dr. Blackshear examines the social determinants of health and physical activity, fitness measures and outcomes, and inequities in education with a particular focus on race, women of color, and youth. Her interdisciplinary approach allows her to challenge the status quo, bring awareness and provide solutions that aid in programming that confront structures that negatively impact the wellbeing of marginalized and minoritized groups. Dr. Blackshear's commitment to equity is evident in her work that appears in Quest, Physical Education & Sport Pedagogy, The Journal of Racial and Health Disparities, Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education, The Journal of American College Health, The Journal of African American Women & Girls in Education, The Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, and Curriculum in Health and Physical Education Studies along with her community, civic, and institutional engagement with SHAPE America, SHAPE Maryland, Maryland State Department of Education, Delaware State Department of Education, Partnership for a Healthier America, Physical Education Health Education Canada, U.S.A. Lacrosse, PhysEquity, Lighthouse Wellness & Health Education Consulting, and Baltimore City Public Schools.Dr. Blackshear's research has garnered national and international attention. She has begun to impact institutional change, policy, and practice, as evident in her participation in global media and consultation requests with organizations and agencies that seek to create culturally responsive, equitable environments. Dr. Blackshear's candid perspective has shown effectiveness in transforming performative institutional gestures into measurable outcomes with accountability. 

We kick off a new series on School Transportation by focusing on transporting students with special needs, and how alternative modes of transportation are important as we consider the needs of the students, the parents, the drivers, and the community at large.  Tyler Technologies' own Kim Rentner, a school transportation expert in her own right, interviews subject matter experts on different topics school transportation faces today.  You won't want to miss this discussion on the positives that alternative modes of transportation bring to the industry, and hear Dr Linda Bluth's tips for what messages should be sent to parents regarding these modes.Host: Kim Rentner: Kim has spent 23 years in K-12 transportation. She has served in various roles such as Northern Regional Director for the Illinois Association for Pupil Transportation, Safety Officer, Third Party Tester and Director of Transportation. She is an official NAPT (Nation Association for Pupil Transportation) instructor. Kim is passionate about student safety and loves sharing that passion with others.Guest: Dr. Linda Fran Booth: Dr. Bluth has 48 years of experience as a Special Educator including 33 years in special needs transportation. Her past experience includes work at the United States Department of Education (USDE) and as a University Professor; School System Administrator; and Policy Specialist in the Maryland Governor's Office for Children Youth and Families. She is currently employed part-time at the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services. Dr. Bluth is the Past-President, National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), as well as the recipient of the NAPT Distinguished Service Award (2000). She previously served as NAPT Director at Large (1995–1998) and Special Needs Committee Chairperson. She authored four editions of Transporting Students with Disabilities. In addition, she has over 100 publications in the field of transportation and numerous education publications. She administers the Special Needs Endorsement Program.Go to Tylertech.com for more information

The Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) oversees the Maryland Green Schools Program, which was established in 1999 as a sustainable schools program. The program promotes responsible environmental stewardship and provides educational opportunities for grades PreK through 12.In 2014 the Maryland State Department of Education made environmental education part of graduation requirements for all Maryland students. The Green School program supports these education requirements. Listen in as Executive Director Laura Johnson Collard talks about Green Schools and the resources available to parents from MAEOE.Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE)Resources:https://maeoe.org/resource-library/home-based-environmental-education-resourcesMap of current Green Schools:https://maeoe.org/green-schools-and-green-centers/green-schools-program/current-green-schoolsNewsletters:https://maeoe.org/resource-library/engaging-with-natureGreen Schools program info:https://maeoe.org/green-schools-and-green-centers/green-schools-programcurrent Green Centers:https://maeoe.org/green-schools-and-green-centers/green-centers-program/green-centers-list

Dr. Tracy Davenport is a recognized expert in the field of health and performance. Covering the latest health research, she's had more than 1,000 articles published over the last two decades. She was a co-developer of U.S. Rowing's Coaching Education Program and has worked with athletes and coaches across the country explaining the latest science around sleep to help them achieve optimal performance.Davenport holds an M.A. in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Human Growth and Development. She was named Graduate Student of the Year at the University of Delaware, the recipient of the President's Medal from Washington College, the Woman of the Year from the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, and the Minority Achievement Award winner from the Maryland State Department of Education.She lives on Maryland's Eastern Shore and is a long-time wife of a college coach and mother to two athletes, a college football player and a NASCAR pit crew member. She loves to work with trainers, coaches, and athletes at all levels and can be found at Tracyshealthyliving.com.Privacy Policy and California Privacy Notice.

Today, our featured guest has spent 10 years working and thriving in the field of Art education. After winning the 2016 Maryland Art Education Association Elementary Teacher of the Year Award for the state's highest performing county, she started thinking about how to keep achieving more as a young, hungry, and passionate artist and educator. She decided to quit her job in art education to pursue her own illustration/art workshop business. The leap into this new career pursuit came around the same time her mother was dying of multiple Myeloma. At the most crippling moment of her life and feeling more lost than ever, she was able to use her creative outlet in illustration to build a thriving business in freelance illustration and muraling. The love of art education led her to facilitating professional development workshops for the Maryland State Department of Education as one of the youngest Roster Artists ever hired while working as an Educational Director of an art education non-profit called Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center. She is a young creative leader, and she believes it is time for young professionals to view themselves as the same to make positive changes in our world. She also designed a coloring book, House of Curiosity, that incorporates unusual juxtapositions of architecture, wildlife, and nature. The coloring book is meant to heighten curiosity through subject distortion and playful imagery. Welcome to our featured guest, Saz Ross. Please tune in and listen to this episode hands-down it's worth exploring every minute of their discussion. #kut2thachase #podcast #unscripted #unbridled #episode4everyone #136 #whenuloseeverything #satx #sanantonio #sanantoniopodcast #sanantoniopodcaster #sanantonioinfluencer

Welcome to Episode 10 of the Beyondrhetoric.org Podcast. In this episode, we talk with youth who volunteered at our Chipotle fundraiser. In the state of Maryland, students must complete service learning hours as part of their graduation requirement. According to the Maryland State Department of Education website, Maryland is the first state in the nation to implement this requirement. So, Beyond Rhetoric helped students in the state fulfill a graduation requirement while completing successful fundraiser. Students were expected to canvas near Chipotle in College Park Maryland. They encouraged people to “Eat For Change,” the slogan for the fundraiser. We used a large QR code on a clipboard so people could simply scan the code at a safe distance. The adults split up the youth, and we walked the campus of the University of Maryland and near and around Chipotle. Afterwards, we were able to ask the volunteers (which included my sons, Spencer and Barack), about their experience, earning Service Learning Hours. Please visit us at beyondrhetoric.org and leave comments regarding the show at the following: https://anchor.fm/khaalis-hall/message (Heads-up: Anchor requires that you create a free account to leave a message.) How can you support? Beyond Rhetoric is a 501 (c)(3) Nonprofit and 509 (a)(2) Public Charity and all donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. I hope you enjoy the show. Now let's go beyond rhetoric.

The pandemic is forcing school leaders to reexamine and rethink virtually every aspect of their school systems. Joining us is one of the superintendents on the AASA COVID Recovery Task Force. He shares what issues are surfacing, what surprises he’s encountered and how his schools are adapting. Follow on Twitter: @AASAHQ @bamradionetwork @AASADan A dedicated lifelong educator, Dr. Jack R. Smith has been a classroom teacher, principal, curriculum director, and a local superintendent of schools. He was appointed interim state superintendent of schools and treasurer of the Maryland State Board of Education on September 14, 2015. Dr. Smith joined the Maryland State Department of Education as the chief academic officer for the Office of Teaching and Learning in August 2013. As the chief academic officer, he worked closely with local school systems, parents, businesses, teacher associations, institutes of higher education, and government agencies at the state and national level to ensure high-quality teaching and learning took place in Maryland public schools. Dr. Smith's steadfast goal has always been to provide all students, regardless of their learning needs, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, with options and choices upon graduation.

In this episode, Eric Brotman is joined by Eliot Pfanstiehl (LM), who represents all things leadership—having served as program facilitator for Leadership Maryland, Leadership Montgomery, Leadership Southern Maryland, Leadership Washington County, and Leadership Allegany since their inception. Throughout the episode, Eric and Eliot walk listeners through the Leadership Maryland experience—highlighting the intimacy and state-wide networking opportunities created during the program, as well as the vast perspectives, ideas, and issues that participants encounter. Eliot breaks down what it really means to be a leader and how to use leadership tools to create positive change for others, as well as his next steps since officially retiring. How to use the Leadership Maryland network and the transformational leadership experiences that occur throughout the program and after graduation The formula for getting people from different backgrounds, beliefs, and ways of life to open up and collaborate with one another The importance of studying models of other leaders and mobilizing resources Breaking down what leadership is versus what it is not—the why vs. the how How to use your leadership skills to benefit and create value for others The impact of 2020 on the arts, reinventing social learning, and the rebirth of community organizations Meet Eliot Pfanstiehl (LM): Mr. Pfanstiehl (LM) is Founding CEO Emeritus of the Strathmore Hall Arts Center in Bethesda, MD. Born in Washington, D.C. and a life-long resident of Montgomery County, he is a graduate of George Washington University, where he majored in psychology. After college, he worked for the Maryland State Department of Education and went on to be the arts coordinator for Montgomery County Government in Montgomery County, Maryland. During his time there, he opened the original Round House Theatre. In 1983, he was hired as the first Executive Director of the Strathmore Hall Foundation. Inc. and went on to build the world class Music Center at Strathmore and Pike and Rose AMP Strathmore. He conceived and launched the Strathmore East County Initiative and the innovative Partnership with MCPS and Strathmore called Think Big Café. He’s served as the chairman of the Maryland State Arts Council, the Maryland Citizens for the Arts, and the Montgomery County Conference and Visitors Bureau. Mr. Pfanstiehl founded and served as president of the Montgomery County Arts Council, the League of Washington Theatres, the MetroArt I and II Consortiums, and Maryland Leadership Workshops, Inc. He has facilitated over 400 non-profit retreats, leadership training workshops, and educational conferences. He has served as program facilitator for Maryland’s leadership programs and was a member of the inaugural class of Leadership Greater Washington, a member of the National State Leadership Directors, and currently serves as a founding board member of the National Give a Note Foundation. Within the cultural industry, Mr. Pfanstiehl has served on the boards of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington; Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre Foundation of Maryland; Community and Friends Board of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Round House Theatre; Maryland College of Art and Design; Black Rock Center for the Arts; Conference and Visitors Bureau of Montgomery County, and the Maryland Association of Non-Profit Organizations. Mr. Pfanstiehl was named 2001 Washingtonian of the Year for his leadership in a new 2,000 seat Concert Hall and Arts Education Center at Strathmore scheduled to open in 2005. He and his anthropologist spouse, Cynthia, are proud parents of their four grown children in Silver Spring, Maryland where they are adapting to retirement by being busier than ever. For show notes & more: https://www.leadershipmd.org/engaging_leaders.html

To celebrate our 300th Episode, we are rebroadcasting interviews with Carrie Sanders from the Maryland State Department of Education and Dorothy Stoltz from the Carroll County Public Library System. They discuss the Maryland Public Libraries Systems relationship with the Maryland STEM Festival. Follow the Festival on Twitter @mdstemfest, Instagram @mdstem, Facebook @marylandstemfestival and on our website www.marylandstemfestival.org. You can e-mail your thoughts and comments to us at mdstemfest@gmail.com

The Maryland State Department of Health reports today that 10 people died of COVID-19-related illness yesterday, the highest death toll in the last couple of weeks. More than 3,800 people have died in our state since the pandemic began in March. More than 130,000 Marylanders have been infected with the virus. The coronavirus pandemic continues to dominate the national conversation as well. Since President Trump’s treatment for his COVID-19 infection at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center last weekend and his return to the White House Monday, dozens of the president’s staffers, as well as political and military leaders who had recent close contact with the president, have tested positive for the virus. And there has been growing concern among public health officials over Mr. Trump’s tweets and video messages in the past few days about his self-proclaimed “recovery” from COVID-19, aided by powerful therapeutic drugs which he has falsely described as a “cure.” The Administration’s handling of the pandemic over the past eight months was also a dominant issue in the Vice Presidential debate on Wednesday night. The US death toll from COVID-19 is at a higher rate than any other nation. On Wednesday, the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine in an unprecedented political editorial, called the Trump administration “dangerously incompetent” and said it should no longer be abeted and enabled. Scientific American also broke precedent and endorsed Joe Biden. Today on Midday, it’s another edition of the Midday Healthwatch with Dr. Leana Wen. She’s an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University. Dr. Wen is also a contributing columnist for The Washington Post and a CNN medical analyst. She was Baltimore's Health Commissioner from 2015 to 2018. Dr. Leana Wen is with us for the hour today. We’ll also take your comments and questions…

Beth Perlman is the VP and Program Director at Gartner, working with Fortune 100 C-level executives and chief information officers on aligning operations and business goals with technology for sustainable growth. She has a long career in leading IT Administration and Operations teams and is the former CIO for Constellation Energy as well as the Maryland State Department of Education. She was previously the VP for Enron and Lehman Brothers and holds a BS in Management from Syracuse University. Beth has a passion for helping others, building strong teams, and developing leaders. Beth joins me today to discuss looking for validation from within and finding happiness in your career. Beth shares what it was like to be a female executive in the 1980s and highlights why women should support other women. She shares why it is vital to change your career if it isn't right for you and does not make you feel good. Beth discusses her leadership style and her passion for empowering people to be the best they can be. She also shares why she believes she might have been working extra hard to compensate for her weight, finding inner confidence, and the value of building long-standing relationships. “If it's not a fit for you, it is okay to leave.” - Beth Perlman This week on The Unwritten Rules Podcast: How Beth's childhood set her up for her future and shaped her career What it was like to work on Wall Street with men in the 80s Why you should make a career move if you are unappreciated while doing great work Why it is essential to recognize that it is about you and what makes you happy Building confidence, self-respect, self-worth, and independence Feeling good about what you are doing when you reach the top Beth's struggles with her weight and confidence in her personal life Why women need to support other women in their careers The value of networks and building relationships that will help you in the long term Taking on the role of ‘fixer' and finding happiness through helping others   Our Favorite Quotes: “I always thought you do good work; you're rewarded. What I realized in business, that has nothing to do with it.” - Beth Perlman “Women don't support women enough - and that's a theme.” - Beth Perlman “There are times that no matter how great your work is, you're not going to be appreciated.” - Beth Perlman   Connect with Beth Perlman: Gartner Beth Perlman on LinkedIn         Writing the Rules of Women Leadership Thanks for tuning into today's episode of The Unwritten Rules with your host, Helen Appleby. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe and leave a rating and review. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn and share your favorite episodes across social media. And for even more great content, insight, and inspiration on women's leadership, visit our website. While you're there, be sure to grab your free gift - The Unwritten Rules of ‘Giving Good No' - a free chapter of my latest book, The Unwritten Rules of Women's Leadership.

Tom’s guest is Wyatt Oroke, an English teacher at City Springs Elementary and Middle School in East Baltimore, and City School's 2020 Teacher of the Year. In addition to teaching English at City Springs, Mr. Oroke coaches boys basketball and girls volleyball, and is active as a faculty leader. Oroke is the recipient of several state and national awards for his teaching including awards from Johns Hopkins University and the Maryland State Senate As the Baltimore City Teacher of the Year, Mr. Oroke will now advance to the 2020 Maryland State Teacher of the Year competition. He is one of 7 finalists in that competition. The Maryland State Department of Education will name the winner next week.

Alysia Lee is the Founder and Artistic Director of Sister Cities Girlchoir, the El Sistema-inspired, girl empowerment, choral academy in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey. She is the education program supervisor for Fine Arts education for the Maryland State Department of Education where she shares her vision of statewide equity and excellence across five arts disciplines: music, dance, visual arts, theatre, and media arts. In today's episode, Emilie and André speak with Alysia Lee about her work with the Sister Cities Girlchoir and about creating opportunities for girls to collectively narrate their own past and present experiences as well as their connections to historical, social, political, and economic futures. 

While the COVID-19 data for Maryland are good in comparison with many other states, more than 3,000 people have died, and the pandemic is still having a profound impact on the lives and livelihoods of Marylanders. Even as Governor Hogan’s Stage Two re-opening plan allows businesses to resume limited operations, one of the pillars of the state’s economy – child care services for working parents – is in crisis. State-wide there are more than 8,000 child care programs licensed to care for over 213,000 children. A little under half of them have been closed since late March. The rest have been authorized by the state to care for the children of essential first-responders. According to a survey by the non-profit Maryland Family Network, just over half of all child care programs in the state say they may be forced to permanently close if families continue keeping their children home as a result of the pandemic. Two thirds of the state’s child care service providers reported significant financial losses due to the closures and reduced attendance. Today we're taking a look at the challenges facing child care providers and parents. Later this hour we’ll talk with the directors of two child care centers: Richard Huffman, the founder and CEO of Celebree Schools, which operates 26 locally-owned child care centers in Maryland and Delaware; and Beth Drummond Casey, the executive director of the Bolton Hill Nursery, an independent, non-profit child care center established in 1969. Tom also talks with Scott Goldman, a working Baltimore parent of three child-care-age children, and with Christina Peusch, the executive director of the Maryland State Child Care Association, a non-profit advocacy group that represents more than 4400 child care centers across the state, and which recently launched an online campaign called SaveMarylandChildCare.org. But Tom's first guest is Steve Rohde, the deputy director for Resource and Referral at Maryland Family Network, a private non-profit advocacy group that's been supporting quality child care, early education and Maryland families since 1945. Officials with the Maryland State Department of Education's Division of Early Childhood, which regulates child care service providers, were invited to join today's discussion, but were unable to schedule a representative. However, the MSDE's Office of Communications provided this statement addressing the issues raised in today's program: "The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is very grateful to the service of our child care providers who continue to play a critical role in the State's overall pandemic recovery efforts. To date, MSDE has disbursed $87.2 million to child care providers as part of the Essential Personnel Child Care/ Essential Personnel School Age program. At the beginning of the pandemic, 29% of the 7,858 family and center-based child care programs were operating. Today more than 63% are reopened, with an average of 40-50 programs re-opening each day. Prior to Stage 1 of the Governor's Road to Recovery, group size was limited to 10 persons. "Now that we are in Stage 2, group capacity is expanded to 15. Family child care programs are now back to their licensed capacity, and Center-based programs ratios remain impacted for only 3 and 4 year-olds. MSDE continues to evaluate the health and safety guidance created with the Maryland Department of Health with the safety of children and staff as the priority. As we move forward, we continue to communicate and coordinate closely with the child care community, holding weekly listening sessions directly with providers, and incorporating stakeholder input into the child care recovery plan - Maryland Together: Maryland’s Recovery Plan for Child Care." -- MSDE Office of Communications _________________________________________________________ Additional Resources: MFN's recent report: Caring During Covid: The Impact of Pandemic on Maryland Child Care Providers MFN's LOCATE Child Care (Online or call: 1-866-357-3239)

An interview with Alysia Lee, Coordinator for the Fine Arts for the Maryland State Department of Education, which runs the M:BRACE Series. This season finale will interview Alysia about her own creative origins as well as reflecting upon the past 8 weeks of wellness-based professional development workshops for Maryland's creative teaching force. The M:BRACE Podcast is a chance to learn more about the AEMS-MSDE M:BRACE facilitators as humans, as artists, as fellow individuals living in and through the COVID-19 pandemic and to learn how the arts help us all survive.In conversation in the interview, Alysia mentioned Bloom's Taxonomy. Find out more information about that concept here.

What did you need from your family and school when you were growing up? What would you while going through a pandemic? To be seen, heard, have fun, and feel cared for! Jamila Sams MA.ED the Founder and CEO of Go to Ms. Sams and Advisory 4 the Culture notes that COVID-19 is teaching all of us that we need to evolve to meet our own self care needs AND the needs of our families, schools , and organizations. In order to do this we must own what's going well & what can be improved. Then we must ask our children and teens what they need and how they would like to thrive. Jamila gives adults (parents, educators, and policy makers) the tools needed to establish positive & meaningful connections with young people, meet them where they are, and help them reach their goals and aspirations. This 2019 Johns Hopkins University Business School TED X Speaker https://youtu.be/dhqHOMj44KM shares: -The importance of culturally relevant curriculum and advisory activities for students of color and marginalized students -How funding policies affect schools and educators -How students, educators, administrators, and parents can build deeper connections -How cities can help education systems meet the changing needs of students who may be disengaged or unable to commit to online learning -What COVID-19 means for the safety and wellbeing of economically disadvantaged students and students without many social safety nets -How schools can help students, parents, and educators find their purpose and their "why" Connect with Jamila Email: jamila@gotomssams.com Website: http://www.gotomssams.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/gotomssams Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gotomssams/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/advisory4theculture?igshid=pmrmmsxrkrrc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamilasams Connect with Dr. Steph & Bloom IG: www.instagram.com/dr.stephanieakoumany/ Blog: justbloom.io Email: stephanie.akoumany@justbloom.io Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieakoumany Guest Bio: Throughout her career as a school administrator, Jamila Sams heard frustrated teachers tell marginalized students “Get out and Go to Ms. Sams!” on a daily basis. Teachers viewed these students as troublemakers who did not want to learn and attributed to them labels such as “at-risk”, “bad”, and, with no formal diagnosis, “ADHD.” However, Ms. Sams saw students who were passionate and creative, but were often unseen and unheard. Ms. Sams recognized that she was uniquely suited to bridge the communication gap between youth who struggle to express themselves effectively and adults who struggle to understand the complex challenges that marginalized youth face every day. In 2013, she founded the education consulting agency, Go to Ms. Sams Inc., to give adults the tools needed to establish positive and meaningful connections with young people, meet them where they are, and help them reach their goals and aspirations. Go to Ms. Sams provides services to educators, nonprofit professionals, and members of the business community around three core pillars: School Climate and Culture; Youth Program Development and Training; and Strategic Partnership Development. Clients include the Maryland State Department of Education; the New York City Department of Education; QLIK Corporation; Mentor Foundation USA, Mentor International, and El Desafio in Rosario, Argentina. Ms. Sams has been a featured TEDx speaker for the Johns Hopkins School of Business, panelist for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, presenter for the National Gathering for the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color, and the Center for the Promotion of Social Emotional Learning National Conference. Ms. Sams is a native of Philadelphia and a proud first-generation college graduate of Lincoln University. She also has a Master's degree in Educational Administration & Supervision from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland.

We dedicate this episode to Rowland, his family and friends. We miss him and wanted to take the time to re-release an episode we recorded last year. Rowland Savage grew up in Baltimore, Maryland with his sister, Patricia; mother, Dorothea; and father, Milton. He entered the seminary as a young man and later switched to different academic pursuits. After attending St. Charles, he received his B. A. from Mount St. Mary's College in 1967; M.S. from Johns Hopkins University in 1974; and an advanced degree in C.A.S.E., Clinical Theory and Therapy from Johns Hopkins University in 1978. He began his professional career as a teacher at Towson Catholic High School. He was drawn by a need to help young people, so he pursued his licensure as a National Certified Counselor and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. Within the Baltimore County Public Schools system, he became Department Chair, Supervisor, and then Coordinator for the Office of Guidance and Counseling Services where he provided supervision and program leadership for over 250 school counselors serving 162 schools.Rowland was a sought-after national public speaker and an expert on many topics including youth suicide prevention, crisis management, bereavement counseling, traumatic loss, conflict resolution, peer helper training, and personality disorders. He was involved in numerous teaching roles as an adjunct instructor at Johns Hopkins University, Towson State University, Goucher College, and Loyola College. Rowland was the recipient of the Governor’s Citation for Service in Support of Youth Suicide Prevention, 1996; Excellence in Teaching Award, Johns Hopkins University, 1999; Governor’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Suicide Prevention, 2001; and the Maryland School Counselor Association’s Counseling Advocate, 2004. Upon his retirement in 2005 from his position as Coordinator for the Baltimore County Public Schools Office of School Counseling, Rowland received recognition from the County and Maryland State Department of Education commending him for his 38 years of dedicated support to their students.

Her amazing life has unfolded first person account stories that include President Eisenhower, Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall. In 1957, Treopia’s brother was one of the Little Rock Nine, when the National Guard was called in to escort Arkansas students to high school, beginning the elimination of segregation. Stories have the power to trigger the human muscle of the imagination and empathy. Both are revealed through Treopia’s fascinating life stories that have been written through her lens of graciousness and grit. Treopia G. Washington is the Director of Special Initiatives in the Office of the Dean at Bowie State University in Maryland. She also currently serves as Vice President of Partnerships and Minority affairs at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standard (NBPTS), where she is focused on efforts to increase the presence of NBPTS in under-represented communities. Treopia began her career in public education as a kindergarten and first grade teacher, later serving as an Early Childhood Administrator, Title I Parent Coordinator, and Resource Teacher for educational television. She was also a consultant in parent involvement to the U.S. Department of Education, and the Maryland State Department of Education.Upon leaving public education, Ms. Washington’s career focused on creating equitable experiences for under-served populations through responsibilities with multiple national organizations. Prior to her present position, Ms. Washington was appointed by President William J. Clinton, to the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), where she served as Special Assistant to the Executive Director.Treopia serves as workshop facilitator, panelist, and keynote speaker for universities, school systems and national organizations, along with being a board member for organizations and institutions. She received a B.S. degree in Early Childhood Education from Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia, and the M Ed. degree from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. Ms. Washington is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Shaun Rose, a center based provider, and Jacqueline Grant, a family child care provider, discuss their regulatory agency, the Maryland State Department of Education's Office of Child Care. The hosts discuss different regulatory structures that exist in other states and the strengths and challenges to how they operate. They talk about child care subsidies, their experience with child care licensing, their efforts to push back on continued expansion of regulations with unfunded mandates, and ideas for how it could be better. To connect with them and share your own opinions and stories, visit ChildCareAdvocacy.Org or follow them on Twitter (@ChildCareAdvoc) and Facebook (ChildCareAdvocacy.Org).

Blake Allison is the founder and CEO of LifeCents. He also serves as chairman of VALOR USA, a national nonprofit financial education program for veterans, service members and their families which he founded 2012.In addition to his work at LifeCents, Blake serves on the Board of Directors for Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Maryland and Delaware (CCCSMD), a nonprofit financial counseling agency, and the eHome America National Advisory Committee, which promotes home-buyer education. Previously, he served on the Maryland State Department of Education Advisory Board for Financial Education and as an adjunct professor at Montgomery College in Maryland, where he taught a course on personal finance. Blake’s work in the financial wellness field has been cited in various publications including Forbes, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.Blake has an MBA in finance from the College of William & Mary and a BBA in finance from James Madison University. He currently lives in Washington, DC.DisclosureThe information presented and opinions expressed are solely the views of the podcast host commentator and their guest speaker(s). AllianceBernstein L.P. or its affiliates makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy of any data. There is no guarantee that any projection, forecast or opinion in this material will be realized. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed here may change at any time after the date of this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. AllianceBernstein L.P. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. It does not take an investor’s personal investment objectives or financial situation into account; investors should discuss their individual circumstances with appropriate professionals before making any decisions. This information should not be construed as sales or marketing material or an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, product or service sponsored by AllianceBernstein or its affiliates.© 2019 AllianceBernstein L.P.

EDSUP! talks with former Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Education, Steven Hicks. Stevens currently serves as Assistant State Superintendent for the Division of Early Childhood Development at the Maryland State Department of Education.

How can we honor significant Maryland women who may not show up in our history books? The Maryland Women’s Heritage Center offers one example with its Unsung Heroines exhibit. The Center is an outgrowth of the Maryland Women’s History Project that began in 1980 as a collaborative venture between the Maryland Commission for Women and the Maryland State Department of Education. Executive Director Diana Bailey tells us more about the exhibit.

How can we honor significant Maryland women who may not show up in our history books? The Maryland Women’s Heritage Center offers one example with its Unsung Heroines exhibit. The Center is an outgrowth of the Maryland Women’s History Project that began in 1980 as a collaborative venture between the Maryland Commission for Women and the Maryland State Department of Education. Executive Director Diana Bailey tells us more about the exhibit.

The Maryland State Arts Council is sponsoring seven regional institutes for artists, arts organizations, arts leaders, and arts supporters to gather for collaborative discussion and professional development. Entitled, “Creative Conversations,” these sessions are being conducted in partnership with the Maryland Citizens for the Arts, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Maryland Nonprofits and Maryland State Department of Education.Dana Parson talked to us about this program.

This episode outlines how the relationship between behavioral finance and retirement plan design has evolved in recent years.  Stuart Ritter is fantastic and was definitely one of my favorite guests on the podcast last year.  Our conversation is fast paced and full of great stories and examples for employers who are looking to get their arms around behavioral finance and how embracing the concepts can improve your participant retirement outcomes.   Guest Bio Stuart Ritter has appeared on television and radio programs for networks like ABC News, Fox Business, and National Public Radio; and has been quoted by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, Money magazine, and national news organizations.   Stuart received his B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland College Park, his M.A. in political science from the American University, and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation.   He taught personal finance at Johns Hopkins University for several years, and has also been an instructor at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.  He is a member of the Maryland State Department of Education’s Financial Literacy Education Advisory Council.   401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over sixty prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Abstract Addressing the needs of individual learners in online courses is commonly perceived as challenging for instructors. Design principles included in the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework have the potential to optimize learning in all spaces for all people, based on scientific insights in how people learn. In this session, we will share principles from the UDL framework that promote flexible learning opportunities within online courses. Specifically, an instructor’s experience of integrating UDL principles into online courses will be presented, and an online tool called Universal Design Online Inspection Tool (UDOIT) will be showcased.PresentersMary E. Little, Ph.D.Professor and Program Coordinator Department of Child, Family, and Community Sciences College of Education and Human Performance University of Central FloridaDr. Little is a Professor and Coordinator of Graduate Programs in Exceptional Student Education at UCF. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, both online and face-to-face, in subjects such as mathematics, assessment, instruction, action research, and program evaluation. In addition, Dr. Little implements the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to meet the diverse learning needs of students, and often presents in this area at state and national venues.Nancy Swenson, M.A.Instructional Designer Center for Distributed Learning University of Central FloridaNancy Swenson is an Instructional Designer at UCF's Center for Distributed Learning, assisting faculty in the design, development, and delivery of online courses. She has over 25 years of experience in the educational field and has taught online, mixed-mode, and face-to-face courses. Her online teaching and learning research interests include adult learning theory, accessibility of online education, and universal design for learning.Session Recordings and Supporting MaterialsRecording: Streamed Podcast Session:http://media.blubrry.com/faculty_seminars_in_online/p/cdl.ucf.edu/staticfiles/faculty_seminars/seminar14.mp3Podcast (faculty-seminars-in-online-teaching): Play in new window | Download | EmbedSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Play | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSS | About Faculty SeminarsPresentation MaterialsPresentation Resources PowerPoint Presentation [PDF; 2MB] Universal Design for Learning Guidelines: This interactive graphic designed by the Maryland State Department of Education and Howard County Public Schools showcases the three main principles of UDL and offers strategies on how to apply them. Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST): This is the primary site for the Universal Design for Learning framework, and goes into detail about the UDL guidelines. UDL On Campus Universal Design in Higher Education: This page from CAST demonstrates how the UDL Framework applies to the higher education learning environment and provides additional resources. Ten Steps Toward Universal Design of Online Courses: This page provided by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock offers ten practical strategies to uphold the principles of universal design in online learning. Learn the Basics with Equal Access: This page from the University of Washington provides a video and publication about how college teachers can design courses to be more accessible to all students. UDL Toolkit: A state collection of UDL resources, including the UDL Curriculum Toolkit, guidelines, and policy foundations for UDL. Retrieved from University of Florida, Collaboration for Effective Educator, Development, Accountability, and Reform Center: Gainesville, FL. Universal Design for Learning: Recommendations for Teacher Preparation and Professional Development: This document sponsored by the CEEDAR Center features an innovation configuration (IC) matrix that can guide teacher educators in the development of appropriate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) content. What is UDOIT?: This page provides an overview of the Universal Design ...

Episode Summary While you might be familiar with the term behavioral finance, you have not heard my guest Stuart Ritter, from T. Rowe Price explain the origins, research and fundamentals behind why it is so important for employers to understand and embrace as they design their retirement plans.  Stuart is a vice president and senior financial planner—designing, building, and implementing guidance and advice services to assist customers in achieving their financial goals. He has appeared on television and radio programs for networks like ABC News, Fox Business, and National Public Radio; and has been quoted by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, Money magazine, and other national news organizations. During our conversation, he shares useful and entertaining stories and analogies to help employers better understand the concepts of behavioral finance and why plan design options such as automatic enrollment and automatic increases are really not as foreign to employees as we may think.  I hope you enjoy this fast paced and information packed episode! Guest Bio Stuart Ritter is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. He is a senior financial planner—designing, building, and implementing guidance and advice services to assist customers in achieving their financial goals.   He has appeared on television and radio programs for networks like ABC News, Fox Business, and National Public Radio; and has been quoted by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, Money magazine, and national news organizations.   Stuart received his B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland College Park, his M.A. in political science from the American University, and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation.   He taught personal finance at Johns Hopkins University for several years, and has also been an instructor at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.  He is a member of the Maryland State Department of Education’s Financial Literacy Education Advisory Council.   401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve  their retirement plans.  My name is Rick Unser and I am your host.  All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness.   For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

John Shea and Piper Watson from the Station North Tool Library talk about their experience developing the Tool Library over the course of a year - the doors now having been open for two months.  They also share how they garnered support from the community, area organizations, and other lending libraries to set up this lending model to be a success and moving towards self-sustainability.Mary Murphy from the Center for a New American Dream introduces people to New Dream's how-to guides and webinars that support collaborative consumption and the local economy.  Her goal is to build New Dream teams of people who are actively engaged in sharing ventures and supporting local business throughout Maryland.Keynote speaker Corey Fleisher, “The Maker Revolution”Corey Fleischeris a senior mechanical engineer with almost ten years of practical, hands on experience, who's most recent list of accomplishments includes being chosen as a contestant on the Discovery Channel’s The Big Brain Theory:  Pure Genius and taking a leading role in the construction of a brand new Maker Space for the Baltimore area, The Foundery, slated to open to the public this summer.  As Corey's career path demonstrates, The Maker Revolution has been and continues to be an ever increasing driving force in today’s generation of inventors. Corey’s passions for engineering and scientific advancement have driven him to be a successful mechanical engineer who has received special recognitions from Lockheed Martin. This same passion, which Corey shares with so many other fellow Makers, is driving innovation and technological advancements in garages and backyards throughout the United States.During his presentation, Corey discusses this emerging trend; the role that local libraries and other social institutions play in its development; and its continued relevance for future generations of Makers. The Innovation Expo was sponsored by The Maryland State Department of Education Division of Library Development & Services, The Enoch Pratt Free Library/State Library Resource Center, FutureMakers, and the Object Lab at Towson University. Additional support given by the Station North Tool Library and the Center for a New American Dream. Recorded On: Saturday, June 1, 2013