Podcasts about mesa public schools

What does President-elect Donald Trump's Day One promise of mass deportations actually mean? Lawmakers are not rushing to renew Proposition 123, the education funding mechanism set to expire in July. Mesa Public Schools has announced that it will eliminate some positions next school year, due to declining enrollment. Plus, get the latest business, Tribal natural resources and metro Phoenix news.

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined Dr. Randy Mahlerwein, an Assistant Superintendent in Mesa Public Schools in Arizona. He has been a public educator and leader for the past 24 years and a key contributor for the past four years in his district's implementation of the Next Education Workforce. He is also an influencer, researcher, and educator. Dr. Mahlerwein is hyper-motivated to change the conditions that influence the environments in which educators and students operate daily.Some Questions We Ask:Please tell us about your career and your current role. (01:13)What are the most rewarding aspects of serving in school leadership? (02:29)How are you able to cope with the stress of your career? (06:47)How has scrutiny of your position changed in the last few years? (09:52)How are you able to communicate with diverse groups to support your district's goals, help them come together constructively despite disagreements, and truly create a sense of community? (11:54)How do you think your experiences compare to those of school administrators in your state, locality, or country? (15:30)Can you tell us more about your leadership style in education trades? (20:49)Why do you think the community needs to perceive you as a genuine person tackling difficult problems and giving K-12 children the finest education possible? (23:06)What advice would you give advocates for supporting their district leaders? (25:45)In This Episode, You Will Learn:About Dr. Mahlerwein's career in district leadership and his role in Mesa Public Schools (01:26)Aspects of serving in school leadership (02:36)Strategies for coping with stress (06:50)Changes in scrutiny of his position (10:05)Ways to bring the community together to support district goals (12:09)Similar experiences among school administrators(15:56)Dr. Mahlerwein's leadership style in education trades (20:56)The importance of community acknowledgement of superintendents as real people (23:15)How advocates can support district leaders (25:57)Quotes:“I believe happy teachers and happy administrators produce happy students—and happy students learn.”“We really started talking about the concept of earning your title every day. When you've been bestowed with an opportunity as a governing board [member] or superintendent, and you have to be the model. You have to work harder. As you move up through the ranks as leaders, the responsibility becomes greater.”“Once you build a psychologically safe team, there's nothing they can't do, because they're going to talk about all the most difficult things together with respect and dignity.”“If we want to be thought of as humans, it's our responsibility to communicate and lead in a way that people can see. You can't just expect to hand people a belief about you that you haven't worked hard to earn.”Stay in touch with Randy Mahlerwein:Email: rmahlerwein@mpsaz.orgStay in touch with Sarah Williamson:Free Case Study GuideSWPR GROUP WebsiteLinkedInStay in touch with Chad Bolser:LinkedInAbout "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:Transformational Leadership Secret websitePurchase the print or ebook

Lindsay Linoff, project coordinator for 'Hacktivate' explains how kids in Mesa Public Schools have an opportunity to share their thoughts surrounding phones in school.    

ALL TOGETHER: In this special Election Day episode, hosts Liz and Michael welcome Mesa Councilmember Julie Spilsbury for an inspiring conversation about peacemaking in a divided world. Julie shares insights from her experience as a public servant dedicated to fostering unity through initiatives like the #MesaKindness campaign. From her early days in Mesa Public Schools to leading community partnerships, Julie's journey reflects her deep commitment to bridging divides and building community. Join us for an empowering discussion on how each of us can become peacemakers in our own communities.

In the milestone 200th episode of the Better Learning Podcast, special host Kevin Foote sits down with Dr. Andy Forless, superintendent of Mesa Public Schools, to dive into a conversation about innovation in education. As the leader of Arizona's largest school district, Dr. Forless shares her unique journey from classroom teacher to educational leadership and how her passion for teaching has shaped her vision for transforming student learning experiences. The centerpiece of their discussion revolves around Mesa Public Schools' groundbreaking team teaching model, an approach designed to leverage shared expertise among educators. This model fosters a sense of belonging among students, enhances student engagement, and has proven effective in improving teacher retention—a growing challenge in education today. Dr. Forless and Kevin also explore the role of collaborative learning spaces and partnerships, particularly with Arizona State University, in making these educational innovations possible.   Takeaways: Team teaching allows for shared expertise among educators. Collaborative learning spaces enhance the team teaching experience. Personalized learning is essential for student engagement. Partnerships with universities can drive educational innovation. Redesigning working conditions is crucial to retain teachers. The future of education relies on collaboration and flexibility.   Andi Fourlis is the superintendent at Mesa Public Schools. Her career began in 1992 as a teacher in the Washington Elementary School District in Phoenix. She joined the Scottsdale Unified School District in 1996, where she spent 19 years as a teacher, director, executive director and assistant superintendent. In 2015 she joined the Arizona Science Center as the chief learning officer. In 2017, she joined Mesa Public Schools as the assistant superintendent of teaching and learning and later served as deputy superintendent. Andi Fourlis has received numerous awards, including the Horace Mann Ruler of the Month Award in 2019, the Kathy Hunt-Ullock Award for Middle Level Advocacy in 2013, and Teacher of the Year Award at Royal Palm Middle School in 1994. She is a graduate of Valley Leadership Institute Class 38 (2017).   Sound Bites: "I never thought that I would ever leave my classroom." "Team teaching is when a group of adults share expertise."   Follow Dr. Andi Fourlis on Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andi-fourlis-713994122/   Learn More About Mesa Public Schools: Website: https://www.mpsaz.org/     Learn more about creating better learning environments at www.Kay-Twelve.com. Kevin Stoller is the host of the Better Learning Podcast and Co-Founder of Kay-Twelve, a national leader for educational furniture. Find out more about Kevin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinstoller/. For more episodes of the Better Learning Podcast, visit https://www.betterlearningpodcast.com/     Episode 200 of the Better Learning Podcast Kevin Stoller is the host of the Better Learning Podcast and Co-Founder of Kay-Twelve, a national leader for educational furniture. Learn more about creating better learning environments at www.Kay-Twelve.com.   For more information on our partners: Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) - https://www.a4le.org/ Education Leaders' Organization - https://www.ed-leaders.org/ Second Class Foundation - https://secondclassfoundation.org/ EDmarket - https://www.edmarket.org/ Catapult @ Penn GSE - https://catapult.gse.upenn.edu/   Want to be a Guest Speaker? Request on our website     Transcript Kevin Stoller (00:01.288) Welcome back to the better learning podcast. My name is Kevin Stoller I'm the normal host of the show, but we have another Kevin Kevin foot who's gonna be stepping in and Leading the conversation with dr. Andy for lists She is the superintendent of Mesa Public Schools the largest district in Arizona and I'm bummed that I wasn't part of this conversation I was really looking forward to it. But as you listen to the episode they talk a lot about their team Teaching approach had they've been doing in conjunction with Arizona State University. So it's really fascinating. So listen in. I hope you learn a lot from this and here you get to hear Kevin Foote and Dr. Andy Forless.   Kevin Foote (00:46.85) Hello, how are you? Good, how are you? I'm a different Kevin.   Dr. Andi Fourlis That is just grand, no troubles at all. So I'm Andy Forlund, Superintendent in Mesa Public Schools. I am an Arizona native. I began my educational career in Mesa Public Schools at Lowell Elementary. I'm starting kindergarten at Lowell. And I became a teacher because I loved to play school ever since I was a little girl. I was trying to arrange and rearrange, whether it was stuffed animals, my brother, the neighborhood kids, I was always organizing them into some type of a classroom. And so I spent fond memories of being a toddler and then growing up always playing school. I got super excited about going to kindergarten and I planned for my first day of kindergarten for a very long time from what I was going to wear to what my lunchbox was going to look like, what my backpack would look like and so on. So my mom took me to kindergarten and off I went and she picked me up at the end of the day. So excited to hear about, my gosh, Andi, how was your first day of school? You've been waiting this for so long. Well, I started crying. I pitched a fit in the car. I said it was the worst day of my life. And I remember her face was just blank. Like, how could this be the worst day of your life? And mom, you did not tell me that I was not going to be the teacher today. So I went to school and I was four. I was turning five in December. I went to school to kindergarten as a fourth as a four year old. Yeah. I was going for one reason. That was to be the teacher. I have had this idea that I was going to be a teacher because I always wanted to arrange people and things so that they can learn. And so as long as I can remember, I was always going to be a teacher in the back of my mind. Then I went to school, so I'll answer another one of the questions. So school for me was, it was a great place. I learned quickly. I had lots of questions. I kept thinking about how it could be different, how it should be different. And as I went through school, I never raised my hand. And when people ask me, Andi, what do you want to be when you grow up? I never said a teacher. kept thinking, I don't want to do it like this. I want to do it differently. And it wasn't until I had the opportunity to take some college courses that like an introduction to education, I thought, OK, this is what I'm going to do with my life. I can't way that it currently is. I don't have to live in the status quo. So I've always had one goal and I've always been in the service industry. I was a waitress all through high school and college to pay my way through college. And I realized that serving other people was something that I was good at and that it contributed to a better life for me and others.   Kevin Foote I love it. I love it. Very, very similar backgrounds, you and I. I'm not going to get into mine, but very, very similar. I was one of those weird ones that always knew I wanted to be a teacher. So what got you into administration, whether it was principal or eventually now in superintendency, what was your guiding light for that?   Dr. Andi Fourlis Well, I will tell you that I never thought that I would ever leave my classroom. I taught third grade, sixth grade, seventh grade, and then eighth grade. And it was a sixth grade classroom that I had district leaders come into my classroom and ask me if I was interested in mentoring other teachers. And I said, sure, I've always mentored other teachers. They said, yeah, but this would be a full time job where you step out of your classroom and for maybe three years or so work in our new teacher induction model and bring in our new secondary teachers. And really get that complemented to strong instructional practices and so on. I said, interesting. Okay, I could do that for a little bit. And then I never went back. So that was in 2000. And so here we are, 24 years later, I've not gone back into a classroom. I still have samples of student work that I'm ready to use someday. But I've back. So it was a tap on the shoulder to move into teacher leadership. And my journey has been through teacher leadership. I've never been a building principal or assistant principal. My journey was being an instructional coach and then to a director of professional learning and a director of recruitment.   Kevin Foote That's great. That's an interesting path. That's very unique compared to general superintendents. They've usually gone the principal path. So that's a very interesting path like that. So I've done some research into it. I've actually...you know, we've designed some schools and stuff within the ASU model of the team teaching and everything. And I wanted you to talk some more about that. I was able to listen to another podcast you were on and I've just, I loved it. Loved it. I was like, guys, this is right. I love hearing about this.   Dr. Andi Fourlis Okay. Yeah. So, you know, I would say like, I'm sorry to be redundant, but I know you probably love talking about it. And this is a, you know, maybe a bigger, different audience. So, if this is, you know, maybe architects or designers or somebody maybe in my industry on that end could hear more about what the team teaching model is for, like, for me, I'm all about it I was in the classroom. Maybe somebody who's never really been in the classroom. What does that look like? So when we think about our experiences in schools and being a one-on-one school is that people usually identify by saying, well, this was my third grade teacher. Well, my fifth grade teacher had the most impact on me. My seventh grade English teacher had an impact on me. That is the typical experience that most students have in American public school system. When we think about team teaching is when you start students start to identify this is the team of teachers that I am working with and it is beyond the one teacher one classroom model. Then the majority of my career I had the great benefit of working on a team. I was not just one teacher trying to serve all of my children. I was always on a team. I started in third grade and that was a team taught class and I did my teaching and then taught there. And then I moved into, there was a couple of years at the very beginning that I was a one teacher in one classroom. And I was a middle school team. And then when I moved to the Scottsdale Unified School District, I was also in a three person team, sharing a roster of 150 students. And we were co-designing deeper and more personalized learning. Those are all fancy words I have now, but I would have never been able to use. 1896 is when I started this work. School teaching is when there are a group of adults, teachers sharing their expertise to co-design instruction for a common roster of children that they serve. So, the public schools, our definition of a team is at least two teachers sharing a roster of students designing learning outcomes for them.   Kevin Foote Awesome. Now, just piggybacking on that, are there...How rare is this in Arizona? Are there other districts that are doing this? Did you get the model from, I know ASU, Arizona State's kind of guiding it, but did you get to see any other districts in action that are doing this?   Dr. Andi Fourlis So yeah, there are other districts that are implementing team teaching. And like I said, my own career, I started in 1991 and thinking about what we knew about middle school, adolescent design. It was, middle schools were based on teams of teachers bringing their academic knowledge, working with other teachers to serve children. So this is not a model that's new at all. In fact, team teaching, we can go back into our history books and look at even our former superintendent, Dr. Jim Saharis talking about team teaching in the 1970s. So this is not a new concept. What's new about team teaching today, is that we are using it in an environment of high levels of accountability. Because I believe that we started moving to the one teacher one classroom under the era of No Child Left Behind. No Child Left Behind talked about things like the highly qualified teacher, the appropriately certified teacher. And when it started breaking down classrooms by certification of who was highly certified to teach these students, and we had such a focus on that that we really aligned one teacher to typically a class of 25 to 30 students. And so No Child Left Behind came in with high levels of accountability to the teacher. And so team teaching, any type of collaboration, I believe, started to fall to the wayside.   Kevin Foote Yeah. OK. And I love what you talked about there where it's taken it from that middle school model or the junior high model where that's essentially what you're doing. And why can't we do top down with that? I love that. It's so important to talk about when we talk about the next education workforce teaming model, it is more than just a team of teachers. When we're truly talking about teaming, we are opening up learning opportunities for students by bringing in community partners, by community educators, rethinking the role of an instructional assistant. Even in today's world, here we are in 2024, rethinking the role of technology on a team. What role does this piece of technology play in integrating into the learning needs of students?   Dr. Andi Fourlis So it's taking all of your resources and arranging for learning for students and it is beyond the scope of just the certified teachers in that classroom. It's wrapping adults around the needs of children.   Kevin Foote Yes. I love that. And you you could see creating a strong workforce that knows how to work with, let's say, different types of bosses and all the varying learning styles and teaching styles that go along with, you know, I'm sure somebody in their career at some point were like, there's a boss that I just didn't work well with or I really like working for him or her and things like that. So I think this is a good start to that to get them to understand it at a young age. How do you function within, how does this team teaching model function within like the learning environment, like the actual spaces? Can you explain how Mesa's done it or if you've seen another district, like how do they make it work with if you do have a space that's been designed and furnished for that and everything, and then a space that's not, how do they make that work? I'd love to hear both sides of it.   Dr. Andi Fourlis So collaborative learning spaces are very important for teaming. And I will tell you that we have intentionally designed spaces for collaboration for teaming in Mesa Public Schools. And we also have teaming that is alive and well their physical design is not super conducive, but they make it work. So I'll give you another example. At Westwood High School, all ninth and 10th graders are on teams, and those are bigger kids, and they need bigger spaces. And so we have some potentially designed space where walls have come down. They've got movable chalkboards, whiteboards throughout the room. So kids are working on different projects. They're in and out of this collaborative space. At Stevenson Elementary, every child is on a team and they are beginning in first grade as a multi-grade team. And so the doors between classrooms are able to be opened. They look just like they're very large doors with the glass in between them and they- Storefront, if you will. So students are moving from classroom to classroom within a pod. never walk outside. They are all inside the building between classes. We have others that students have to walk outside to the classroom next door. So there's lots of different ways. And but what is most important is not that we're just moving kids, but what is the purpose and the intent behind the movement? And that needs to be artfully designed. We are moving kids around to get what they need to improve their learning outcome. So sometimes they need additional English language arts time. Sometimes they need more mathematics time. Sometimes they're going into innovation space because they're working in a project. And so they, at Stevenson Elementary, all students set their own intentions and learning targets for the day and then monitor those and then build their schedule with the guidance of the adults around what their game will look like. And so they have to be able to move.   Kevin Foote Okay, I love that.   Dr. Andi Fourlis That's one very last thing, have to be able to move. I love getting them up and moving. I'd also like to add that it's really important for our teams to build a community of learners. And so when the majority of our teaming models, at the beginning of the day, the entire grade level or grade bands at three, four, for example, at Stevenson, they meet in the morning for what they call family time. They all come together. Other schools, it might just be the entire third grade. They come together in the morning and they check the health and wellness of the community. That's what they do, but then they move on. At Stevenson, we have larger groups of children. So another added feature is that we have audio enhancement. So all of the teachers use microphones and they're in the classroom. And that's been a modification so that all children can learn even in a large space.   Kevin Foote That's great. I love that. I love that. what successes have you seen? And again, this is kind of like a two-part. What successes have you seen academically as well as socially? Because there's so many I want to hear from you firsthand. What successes have you seen in both those aspects?   Dr. Andi Fourlis So we have what our strongest indicators are around students have a sense of belonging. So they know where they belong, have an identity and they have more than one adult that they can connect with every single day. So while you might be assigned to Mrs. Smith and in third grade and teacher one classroom model, you and Mrs. Smith may not see eye to eye on things. And so in our teaming model, students have a lot of opportunity to connect with the expertise of multiple adults, including their teachers. So there's higher level of sense of belonging and confidence amongst our students that are in teams. The other is that what we're paying attention to building their confidence and efficacy for how they can be self-directed learners, those early on indicators are that they're feeling more confident. And being self-directed, when we take a look at our teachers, their retention rates are higher and their job satisfaction is higher in the team. Because it's always nice to know that we're in this together, right? I don't just go in and say, 28 students and me, let's go do this. We're all in this together. And it's a lot of co-planning and it's using expertise. We have teachers that have a background and are really great in math instruction. They take the lead on planning and designing mathematics lessons and design. The same reading specialist on a team taking the lead for that particular team. So they're sharing their expertise. And we often see that if a teacher is going to be out, need the substitute for a doctor's appointment or something on a team, oftentimes they don't even get a substitute or the substance provides just, you know, like supervision and support so the kids don't miss a beat. So we're also seeing learning outcomes are increasing. They've been paying attention to reading. So they are outpacing their peers in literacy development. And in our high schools, we're paying attention to Algebra 1 for our ninth grade. And we're seeing that students on teams are outperforming our students who are not on teams in Algebra 1.   Kevin Foote (18:50.83) Love it. Awesome. Something that I heard you say in a previous quote you made was that you're looking to create more personalized learning. And that's like the one thing that jumped out at me because I remember when I was in the classroom, that was always my goal is for all, know, sometimes I had 32 third graders or whatever, know, but that was a big class, but, you 25 to 30 kids, try to know something about all of them, like what makes each of them tick and feel like having that team teaching models makes that so much easier. You started teaching a little before me, like differentiated learning was the buzzword at the time. And so when I heard you say personalized, I'm like, I think that goes a little further. I love to hear that. So I don't if you want to elaborate on that a little much. That's just something I wanted to say. I thought it was pretty awesome.   Dr. Andi Fourlis We know the research around differentiated instruction that we differentiate by process product, right? And for learning, but within our kids are so different and we have an incredibly diverse community. So we need to make sure that not only is it differentiated, that instruction is differentiated, but it is also personalized where we are building, students have agency that they are building the what's in it for them in their learning. That takes it a little bit deeper than differentiation, because usually you differentiate for groups of kids. You look at personalization... it's a sliver of the solid research on why we differentiate. But this is saying that kids are setting their own goals. They're mastering their own goals. Elementary is very foundational. And English language arts, mathematics, and science, and social science. When we get into high school, that also looks at what is their career and college path that is personalized to them. It's not just the typical subject areas. It's like, no, I am on a path. I know that I want to pursue a degree in engineering. So my path is going to be different and I need to be engaged in an agent of my own learning towards that pathway.   Kevin Foote I think it's a perfect piggyback on the next thing. what's something you think that, or a couple of things that Arizona State's helped with? How do you think we can help work with future teachers on this, specifically college of ed students at our major universities, things like that? Are there some tips you'd have for them? And then also how is Arizona State help with that?   Dr. Andi Fourlis Well, what has been so helpful for us in our partnership with Arizona State University is the way that I think about our relationship is that ASU is the innovative university, a research-run university, and we are the laboratory to try those ideas, collect information, talk about what's working with boots on the ground and how they're constantly working together to make adaptations based on research and then based on implementation. And so to me, that's perfect model. The other is that Arizona State University is keeping this conversation alive beyond Mesa Public Schools. We have a crisis across the nation and the crisis of the teacher shortage. That's one long as I mentioned that I left my classroom in 2000 to be a new teacher induction specialist to help induct new teachers and then go out and recruit new teachers. So we've been at this for 24 years that we've been trying to solve a teacher. I think it's time that we're done admiring this problem and really digging down into why are teachers not choosing teaching? And especially in 2024, it's because the teaching job is incredibly isolating and it's inflexible. So if we can build some collaboration and flexibility into the teaching profession, that is one step closer to solving the teacher shortage problem. A phrase that I say, oftentimes, if teachers are not leaving the profession, they're leaving their working conditions. And working conditions is something that we can control. And so let's control what we can control and let's redesign those working conditions. And my belief is that if we do that, the theory of action is that we will chip away at the teacher shortage.   Kevin Foote (23:38.798) Awesome. I think that I have one more question, but you just answered it was how can people who are gonna hear this podcast help? And what are recommendations on what others do? But I feel like you nailed it in the head before I even got there.   Dr. Andi Fourlis And I think the other thing is that what can ASU do with those that are choosing the teaching profession? Designing their instruction and the experiences that free service teachers have. If free service teachers are coming in and working and learning in isolation. That doesn't set them up for success when they come into our school district with teaming model. So what I really appreciate around our relationship is Dr. Basile and I are constantly calibrating. What are we doing in classrooms in Mesa Public Schools? And how does that trigger pre-service learning and vice versa?   Kevin Foote Nice. I love it. love it. Well, thank you for your time today. I don't want to keep you too much longer. I think we'll just go ahead and wrap up here and thank you again for all you do. And that's a big job with the biggest district in Arizona. So appreciate your time.   Dr. Andi Fourlis The joy every day. We have so much opportunity to preserve the teaching profession and to create great outcomes.   Kevin Foote Awesome. Thank you.   Kevin Stoller (25:09.986) The views and opinions expressed on the Better Learning Podcast are those of myself as an individual and my guests and do not necessarily represent the organizations that we work for, the Association for Learning Environments, K-12, Education Leaders Organization, or Second Class Foundation.

In an effort to deter students from vaping, Mesa Public Schools, Arizona’s largest school district, put vape sensors in all of its middle and high school bathrooms.

You might be surprised at the ideas the students came up with, even ideas that never would’ve crossed your mind. Lindsay Linoff with Mesa Public Schools joins the Chris and Joe Show.

Hey everyone! In today's episode we connect with LeiLani Scott from Mesa Public Schools. I've had the honor of working with her for several years now and am alway so impressed by her leadership and ability to push the system forward. In this episode she highlights the importance of building a true culturally relevant PBIS system, supporting our educators, and prioritizing the growth of all students. LeiLani brings 26 years of extensive experience in the field of education to her current role as the Director of Student Support Systems for Mesa Public Schools. Her career has encompassed various roles, including general education and special education teacher, itinerant Vision specialist, Trauma Specialist, Special Education Director, and Principal.  LeiLani has been committed to enhancing educational systems and frameworks, such as MTSS and PBIS  to better serve educators, districts, and learners alike. LeiLani strives to be a force for improvement, empowerment, and growth, in order to propel others forward in leaving their mark on the world.

Dr. Annette Padilla, PhD, MPH, sMBA currently works as an Associate at Interim Public Management, Chair, Grants Committee US Dept Health & Human Services, Family and Youth Services Bureau, and a Substitute Teacher Pre-School & K-12 at Mesa Public Schools.She is a drug problem prevention expert using policy and strategic planning to drive forward social justice.She is a Evaluator, Director, Leader, Federal, State, & Local Government Manager & Consultant, a Policy Scientist & Expert Strategic Planner. She conferred a Bachelor in health education then a Master of Public Health at San Diego State University. She got her PhD in Public Policy and Administration, Nonprofit Management and Leadership at Walden University.Join Our Email BlastFull Episode ShownotesConnect with guestFollow The Public Health Millennial on InstagramConnect with Omari on LinkedInChapters:@0:00 episode teaser@1:56 Dr. Annette Padilla, PhD, MPH, sMBA Introduction @3:54 How you identify and personal background@5:02 Drug Policy Expertise@8:00 Insights working with diverse students@11:25 Strategic Planning tips @14:34 What is public health?@16:40 Bachelors in Health Education at San Diego State@20:35 Experiences during undergrad @22:50 Undergrad takeaways @25:40 Master of Public Health at San Diego State University @30:18 Experiences during MPH@32:45 Advice for working with elected officials@33:18 MPH takeaways@35:00 Director at YMCA of Orange County@39:30 Program Coordinator/Student Prevention Coordinator at California State University @41:31 Grassroots Organizer LA County@43:05 Training and technical assistance consultant at IPS@45:51 Data management specialist at SDSU Foundation@49:16 Shifting to consulting work@52:31 PhD in public policy & administration & nonprofit management at Walden University@56:58 Experiences during PhD@58:40 Teaching Business and English overseas@1:04:10 Current roles @1:06:10 Future predictions@1:07:58 The Furious Five@1:12:53 Support The Public Health MillennialSupport the showThanks for tuning in. Let's all work together towards a culture of health, wellbeing, and equity for all. ⭐⭐ SUBSCRIBE & Leave a 5-STAR REVIEW! ⭐⭐ Follow & Support:- Contribute to the show (one-time or monthly)- The Public Health Millennial on IG - The Public Health Millennial on LinkedIn - The Public Health Millennial Website- Omari Richins, MPH on LinkedIn- Support on The Public Health Store

This week, we present Part 2 of Chris interview with Samantha Hagness and Becky Woolley, two AT/AAC Specialists from the Mesa Public Schools, as they continue to explore integrating Grid for Education into classrooms along with TouchChat. In this episode, Chris inquires more about Samantha and Becky's plans for modeling on TouchChat while Grid for Education is being used, as well as ideas for integrating video into communication partner coaching, benefits of prerecording trainings, and more!    Before the interview, Rachel and Chris have another in-person chat about a client of Rachel's that was making limited progress with his accuracy on his AAC device, even though the client used sign language. When an AAC user is making limited progress with accuracy despite using symbolic language, Rachel always considers the possibility that cortical visual impairment is impacting accuracy. Rachel notes that the client was recently diagnosed with CVI which she hopes will help the team utilize more CVI strategies. Chris wonders if we can make those high contrast symbols the default, and if that would potentially help AAC users with undiagnosed CVI have more success.   Key ideas this week:  

This week, Chris interviews Samantha Hagness and Becky Woolley, two AT/AAC Specialists from the Mesa Public Schools. They chat about some of their successes and setbacks with using TouchChat as their Tier 1 approach under the Specific Language System First approach and some ideas they had to integrate Grid 3 into their classrooms along with TouchChat.   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel chat - in person again - about some recent webinars they did with school districts to help them improve their AAC implementation. They discuss some of the highlights, including helping staff change their mindset about how much they know about AAC and some of the second-guessing that people do when they are being coached - there may be some level of worry that they will be judged harshly by the coach or other staff. Rachel and Chris encourage coaches to reassure communication partners that they have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful!   Key ideas this week:  

Join host Jim Mayer in this thrilling episode of the Manufacturing Culture Podcast, recorded on-site at Westwood High School, home of the Warriors. We're diving deep into the intersection of education and manufacturing, featuring enlightening discussions with our special guests: Allison Seitz, District Director for Mesa Public Schools at ElevateEdAZ, Chad Jacobs, Instructor at Westwood High School, and three enthusiastic students, Zeno Trent, Jackson Kelley, and Noah Gransee. Tune in to hear firsthand about their experiences, insights, and how they are shaping the future of manufacturing education. Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn about the innovative strategies in play to prepare the next generation for the dynamic world of manufacturing. If you're passionate about education, manufacturing, or both, this episode is a must-listen!

It's the time of year for graduations in small, reservation high school auditoriums, big city convention centers, tribal college quads, and manicured Ivy League grounds. It will be a year with and without regalia, depending on where you are. Native graduates are taking the next step in their educational journey. GUESTS: Dr. Lennon Audrain (Cherokee and Shawnee), assistant research professor at Arizona State University and high school teacher at Mesa Public Schools Keely Jones Aliseo (Lumbee), UNC Pembroke graduate and recent Army ROTC second lieutenant Jay Locklear (Lumbee), bachelor's in mass communication Dr. Johnny Poolaw (Delaware, Chiricahua Apache, Comanche, Kiowa), Director of Student Success for American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) AJ Begay (Diné), recent graduate of Ft. Lewis College 

It's the time of year for graduations in small, reservation high school auditoriums, big city convention centers, tribal college quads, and manicured Ivy League grounds. It will be a year with and without regalia, depending on where you are. Native graduates are taking the next step in their educational journey. GUESTS: Dr. Lennon Audrain (Cherokee and Shawnee), assistant research professor at Arizona State University and high school teacher at Mesa Public Schools Keely Jones Aliseo (Lumbee), UNC Pembroke graduate and recent Army ROTC second lieutenant Jay Locklear (Lumbee), bachelor's in mass communication Dr. Johnny Poolaw (Delaware, Chiricahua Apache, Comanche, Kiowa), Director of Student Success for American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) AJ Begay (Diné), recent graduate of Ft. Lewis College 

If you miss having a four-legged friend with you at school every day, you may love this episode. Today, we're exploring the Pawsitive Peers Foundation school therapy dog program in Mesa Public Schools, which allows staff to adopt local shelter dogs and train them to be certified therapy dogs.  Mesa Public Schools boasts one of the largest in-school dog therapy programs in the country, and hosts Daniela and Kathleen talk with dog lover and 2022 Arizona Teacher of the Year Nancy Parra-Quinlan about the program and the impact of therapy dogs on students and staff. Parra-Quinlan explains the details of the Pawsitive Peers Foundation program and shares about her experiences training her dogs “Bear” and “Olaf” to become in-school therapy school. She also speaks to how she and the dogs navigate students' possible fears or anxieties about dogs and to the benefits that the dogs provide for students and, in turn, that the students provide for the dogs. Learn more about the Pawsitive Peers Foundation at pawsitivepeers.com and find photos and information about the program in action at Mesa Public Schools at mpsaz.org/commed/pawsitivepeers. Here are some additional resources about therapy dogs in school: “Therapy Dog Programs: Improving Student and Staff Well-Being” from the National Association of Secondary School Principals “Review of the Research: Are Therapy Dogs in Classrooms Beneficial?” from the Forum on Public Policy “Therapy Dogs in Educational Settings: Guidelines and Recommendations for Implementation” from the National Library of Medicine Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Kick off the school year by tuning in to the August PE Huddle with a focus on “A New School Year: A Game Plan for a Successful Start”. Join our guests Shannon Irwin, Bill Jones, and Richard Edgar as they discuss preparing for the start of school. The start of the school year has a large impact on how you feel about your classes and teaching in general throughout the school year. This month's speakers have differing amounts of teaching and leadership experience so there will be something for everyone regardless of grade level and experience. This will be a “nuts and bolts” discussion as we discuss faculty issues, working with staff and administrators, and effectively meeting, managing, and teaching your students. Bill Jones is the Director of Physical Education (Preschool-8th grade) at the University School, serving 870 boys in Junior Kindergarten to grade 12 on two campuses in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. He received his M.S. in Physical Education from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He has taught and coached for the past thirty-five years at independent schools. He was awarded the Chilcote Chair in Applied and Innovative Learning in 2011-2013 and the Donald C. Molten Chair in Athletics in 2013 – present. Shannon Irwin has 17 years of experience in Physical Education, pk3-8th grade in both public and Catholic education. She served as an athletic administrator at Saint Andrew Catholic School in Fort Worth, TX and recently was named the Athletic Director for the Catholic Diocese. Shannon regularly shares her expertise by presenting at local, state, and national levels. Richard Edgar has taught Physical Education in Arizona for 5 years. Richard earned his bachelor's degree in Healthy Lifestyles and Fitness Science from Arizona State University and his post-baccalaureate teaching degree from Rio Salado. Before joining Mesa Public Schools, he started the Physical Education program at Eagle College Prep.

The 22-23 school year has kicked off, so we're back with another great season of 3Ps in a Pod! Today, we're talking about how to develop those strong, caring relationships in your classroom with three fantastic Arizona teachers and providing you with ideas for how to start this school year off strong with a safe and successful classroom. Hosts Kathy Wiebke, NBCT, and Paula Watkins, NBCT, welcome Aminah Abdelhaq, NBCT, of Mesa Public Schools, Gabby Chai, NBCT, of Tucson Unified School District, and Sara Wyffels, NBCT, of Chandler Unified School District to the podcast. They discuss the importance of not only teacher-student relationships but student-to-student relationships and teacher-to-parent relationships and share how they intentionally build those at the start of the school year and throughout the year. They also share how they see relationship building fitting with classroom management and how they create equitable learning spaces that promote student agency. Sara and Aminah also share how they approach building relationships with their high school and middle school students and their parents since they see so many different students through the day. Check out a note catcher specifically for this episode of 3Ps in a Pod at this link! Here are some additional resources related to today's conversation you can check out: 8 Tips to Set the Right Tone From the Start, Arizona K12 Center's Homeroom Bulletin Boards, Seating Charts, and Love for Every Child, Arizona K12 Center's Homeroom Relationship Status: Engaged, Arizona K12 Center's Homeroom Simple Tactics for Captivating Students' Attention, Arizona K12 Center's Homeroom 6 Strategies for Building Better Student Relationships, Edutopia Start the Year With a ‘Primary Focus' on Relationship-Building, EdWeek Building Relationships With Students Beginning Those First Weeks Of School, Second Grade Smiles If you're interested in expanding your understanding of building a restorative school culture, register to attend “Restorative Practices Playbook” on Oct. 20, 2022 and March 28, 2023, at the Arizona K12 Center. You will learn to ground a school and classroom culture in respect, build agency and identity in students, establish teacher credibility, set high expectations, and foster positive relationships. Learn more and register at azk12.org/RestorativePracticesPlaybook. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.  

I received two emails today from the Mesa Public Schools explaining that "beginning today, you (I) will receive a daily COVID-19 notification letter from your school or worksite with the number of student cases and the number of adult cases reported that day. You can continue to monitor our district COVID-19 dashboard at......." Mesa Public Schools, how about starting today, you send out a daily fentanyl update notification letter from your office. Share with the public the number of youth affected by opioid/fentanyl overdoses. Share current trends, signs and symptoms of a fentanyl overdose. I wonder if the Mesa Public Schools "experts" are aware that there are way more teens dying in our community from fentanyl overdose than COVID! Arizona Emergency Room doctors have been seeing a rise in opioid/fentanyl overdoses. Hospitals are being flooded by teens who are unaware of fentanyl infused drugs. "Fentanyl is being cut into other drugs, meth, cocaine, and people are just overdosing left and right," said Dr. Arya Chowdhury, an independent contractor working in several emergency rooms throughout the Valley. It is time to talk about it. Speak with your kids about it. Educate yourself with the symptoms of an opioid/fentanyl overdose. If you need help with this conversation, please email me at chasingthevase@gmail.com and I will help guide you in the conversation. Please like, share and comment on this podcast. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/brock-m-bevell/support

Randy Spencer is the Partnerships and Development Director at Alice Cooper's Solid Rock Teen Centers. In his tenure with the 501(c)(3) non-profit teen centers in Phoenix and Mesa, he has created revenue generating partnerships and programming with City of Mesa, City of Phoenix, City of Goodyear, Arizona Bike Week, Arizona Lottery, Taco Bell, Danzeisen Dairy, Sweet James, Arizona Cardinals, Mesa Public Schools, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, Los Sombreros, Arizona State University, Local First Arizona, Fiesta Bowl Charities, Safeway/Albertson's, Aioli Gourmet Burgers, Arizona Coyotes and many others. In the music industry he has represented many well known recording artists such as Brian Setzer, Marcos Curiel of P.O.D., Jason Newsted of Metallica and as a music supervisor, he has negotiated music rights for many national television commercials for brands such as Ryka, Wienerschnitzel, Taylor Made, Toyo Tires, Hilton Hotels and Callaway Golf. Randy SpencerPartnerships/DevelopmentAlice Cooper's Solid Rock Teen Centers

Get to know Arizona Teacher of the Year Nancy Parra-Quinlan, NBCT, in this week's 3Ps in a Pod! Hosts Angelia and Donnie welcome Nancy Parra-Quinlan to the podcast to share about her teacher career, her experience since being named Arizona Teacher of the Year, and what she envisions for the next year in that role. Parra-Quinlan works at Kino Junior High School in Mesa Public Schools. A career and technical education teacher at Kino, she began a STEM program that has become incredibly popular in the school and revitalized an aerospace summer program that has also grown into a popular offering. She talks with Angelia and Donnie about both of those programs and about the power National Board Certification has had on her teaching. Parra-Quinlan also shares her advice for all teachers as they navigate the continuing complexities of teaching amidst an ongoing pandemic. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

If school leaders want staff to feel comfortable designing and initiating changes to benefit students, they have to create a culture of psychological safety for experimentation – and failure. Dr. Randy Mahlerwein, the Assistant Superintendent over Secondary Schools in the Mesa Public Schools explains how to do just that.

Arizona had a new high of COVID-19 cases Thursday, and as the pandemic continues the Mesa Education Association calls for the Mesa Public Schools to stop in-person classes and go online. ---Host: Rachel PhillipsProducer: Paul HelmersContributors: Taylor Tasler-Oatley, Sierra Poore, Tyler Manion, Mitchell Zimmerman

Current Events: Trump and Biden take separate trips to Kenosha, WI and have very different reasons for going.Mesa Public Schools plan to give students flu shots during a pandemic.U of A stays on top of Covid by testing poop of students.Some people have become SuperSavers during this pandemic.s'MACdown:The worst customer during this pandemic was in Scottsdale.This Is Us: Our trip to Wyoming has been glorious and tested our patience in many different ways.Last Word: Man says his Crocs saved his life after being struck by lightning.Support the show (http://www.venmo.com/MacWatsonTalks)

Now that the 2020-2021 school year is back in session, 3Ps in a Pod hosts Angelia, Mary, and Kathleen talk with two school superintendents, a principal, and a teacher about their hopes, fears, and opportunities related to schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. This week’s guests are Dr. Melissa Sadorf, superintendent of Stanfield Elementary School District; Dr. Andi Fourlis, superintendent of Mesa Public Schools; Jennifer Waldron, principal of Anasazi Elementary School in Scottsdale Unified School District; and Ben Collinsworth, first-grade teacher at Flowing Wells School District. Dr. Sadorf, Dr. Fourlis, Waldron, and Collinsworth share about their personal experiences teaching and leading during a pandemic, their perspectives on what positive changes might come from this time, and encouragement for other educators. Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.

Board Vice President Gaye Kelley and Executive Director Janita Pickett-Gordon of the Mesa Public Schools Foundation join Sally Harrison to share the incredible work of the foundation in supporting Mesa Public Schools and other education institutions. The Mesa Chamber of Commerce Inside Business Podcast is a production of the Mesa Chamber of Commerce. Each episode is recorded in the University of Phoenix Podcast Studio. Inquiries regarding the MCIBP can be made via email to info@mesachamber.org. The Podcast interviews members and individuals/organizations on topics of interest to mesa Chamber members. Learn more at http://mesachamber.org © 2019 Mesa Chamber of Commerce The MPS Foundation is located at: 63 East Main Street #101Mesa, AZ 85201-7422Phone:(480) 472-0220

The AASA LARGE COUNTYWIDE & SUBURBAN DISTRICT CONSORTIUM : The Consortium met earlier this month, a gathering hosted by Greenville County Schools in Greenville, S.C. ! Our AASA guests today are : Burke Royster / Superintendent, Greenville County Schools,  Ember Conley / Superintendent, Mesa Public Schools, Mesa, Ariz. , Jack Smith / Superintendent, Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, Md

The AASA LARGE COUNTYWIDE & SUBURBAN DISTRICT CONSORTIUM : The Consortium met earlier this month, a gathering hosted by Greenville County Schools in Greenville, S.C. ! Our AASA guests today are : Burke Royster / Superintendent, Greenville County Schools,  Ember Conley / Superintendent, Mesa Public Schools, Mesa, Ariz. , Jack Smith / Superintendent, Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, Md

With elections around the corner, today’s #3PsinaPod guests share the importance of civic engagement. Angelia and Donnie discuss what it means to be an informed and active citizen with Nancie Lindblom, a teaching veteran from Mesa Public Schools, and Christie Megura, a National Board Certified Teacher from Arizona State University Preparatory Academy. All four share the importance of respectful discourse and agency to promote accountability. Don’t miss this week’s supplemental resource, which you can download to use within your educational community.

Bob Hunter is the founder and creator of RIP'd 4 Life Ministries. A ministry strategically focused on young men.   In 1997, He was ordained as an elder in the Church of the Nazarene and served as a pastor for ten years.  I am also an educator and serve as an adjunct faculty member at Grand Canyon University and Nazarene Bible College.  In 2010, Bob received a Doctor of Ministry degree from George Fox University.   He is most proud of my bride, Cambria Hunter, with whom he has three children, Grant, Brianna and Tanner.  The Hunter family has hosted three foreign exchange students and is in the process of becoming a licensed home for foster care. They are members of Mesa First Church of the Nazarene in Mesa, AZ where Rip'd 4 Life Ministries began in 2014. RIP'd 4 Life Ministries offers summer camp and retreat programs for young men ages 13-18 years.  Bob also serves his local community as a guest teacher in Mesa Public Schools in additional to online coaching pursuits through the H3 forum.  (H3—Men of heart, holiness & health).    https://teespring.com/stores/ripd-4-life-ministries?page=1 https://www.facebook.com/pg/RIPD4LIFE/about/?ref=page_internal    

Ep. 29: Host Marissa Calderón is joined by Lauren Harness, Kindergarten Teacher for Mesa Public Schools on her experience and reflections during the #RedforEd movement in Arizona. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 22 with Catherine Norwood a Reading Interventionist or more like a Reading "Strategist" with Mesa Public Schools at Pedro Guerrero Elementary School in Arizona. Catherine sits down with host, Marissa Calderón to chat about her practice, passions, advice for parents and misconceptions about the work of Early Childhood Educators and those in similar positions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.