Podcasts about round rock isd

Every band director has a slightly different career story - and being a head director - though very important - is not the end all and be all. Cathy Benford from Round Rock ISD joins the show to give advice for following the path that is right for you as your career progresses.To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of thegrowingbanddirector.comOur mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years.Connect with us with comments or ideasFollow the show:Podcast website : Thegrowingbanddirector.comOn Youtube The Growing Band Director Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast GroupInstagram @thegrowingbanddirectorTik Tok @thegrowingbanddirectorIf you like what you hear please:Leave a Five Star Review and Share us with another band director!

In this episode of the Just Schools Podcast, Jon Eckert interviews Chris Mihealsick, the 2025 Texas Teacher of the Year from Westwood High School in Round Rock ISD. They discuss her passion for expanding access to high-level science education, the importance of mentorship for new teachers, and the challenges facing public education today. Mihealsick shares insights on supporting students new to AP coursework, fostering a collaborative classroom culture, and navigating the demands of teaching while avoiding burnout. The conversation also explores the impact of uncertified teachers and the role of teacher preparation programs.  The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Be encouraged. Mentioned: Armadillos to Ziziphus: A Naturalist in the Texas Hill Country by David Hillis Courage is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave by Ryan Holiday Connect with us: Baylor MA in School Leadership EdD in K-12 Educational Leadership Jon Eckert LinkedIn X: @eckertjon Center for School Leadership at Baylor University: @baylorcsl     Jon Eckert: All right. This week we have Chris Mihealsick, the 2025 Texas Teacher of the Year from Westwood High School. She is in Round Rock ISD, and so she's representing educators across the state of Texas and we're really excited to have her here today. So Chris, welcome in. Chris Mihealsick: Thank you so much. It's so good to be here. Jon Eckert: And just give us a little background about how you got into teaching in the first place. I always love teacher origin stories, so how did you get to doing what you're doing now? Chris Mihealsick: Well, both of my parents were in education and for a really long time I thought, "Nope, nope, not for me, not for me." When I started college, I was a bio major. I worked in a lab. I thought maybe that would be my path. I kind of thought I was going to switch to environmental engineering, but my freshman year, I tutored some at-risk kids in biology and chemistry and I just loved it. I loved seeing them grow. I loved them going from really struggling in biology to being able to get Bs on their tests and be excited about science. And even as hard as I pushed against the family business, I just couldn't deny that that was where I was meant to be. I really liked working with teenagers and helping them learn and grow. Jon Eckert: The kids are always the draw. That's always the thing. And I feel like other professions that don't get to work with kids and see the way they become more of who they were meant to be, they miss out on that joy. And so that's cool that that's what pulled you in even though you were fighting the family business. So we're glad that you broke through that barrier. So tell us a little bit about... You have a platform this year as the 2025 teacher of the year. What are you most passionate about as an educator? Chris Mihealsick: I am incredibly passionate about students having access and being able to do higher level science. I teach AP Environmental Science, and I really say, "My course is a course for anybody." I work really, really hard to build students up that have never taken an AP class before. I also oftentimes will have some of the top students at our school, and I work very, very hard to make my class engaging for all levels. So I really believe that every kid deserves to have a higher level science experience before they leave high school. And that's kind of my mission as an educator. Jon Eckert: Oh, that's such a gift. As a former middle school science teacher, I always loved being able to pass my kids along to science educators like you because kids are naturally curious about the world. Environmental science, what a great place to try to explore where we fit in the world and how is this made to work and how can we be better stewards of this earth? That's something that a great teacher, I think, can hook any kid into. And so I love this idea that any kid can access those higher level courses because for so long we've been tracked in ways that some kids never get access to that class. Do you have any examples where you've seen a kid who maybe would've not gotten that opportunity in another school or with another teacher where you've seen some incredible growth that gives you belief that this is the right thing for each kid? Chris Mihealsick: Yeah. Every year I get students that this is their first time taking it. For example, I have two students this year. I have a student that has never taken another AP class and she started out getting 30s or 40s on most of the quizzes, and she's worked really hard. She stuck with it. I checked with her a semester, "What support do you need?" She just needed some extra help with some of the writing props because we do essays. Which is sort of a little bit unusual, I guess, in a science class, you don't tend to think of science classes doing essays, but our AP tests, they take a multiple choice part and they have to write three pretty large robust essays. So we do a lot of lab report writing, but we also practice that skill a lot because that's where the kids that have never taken an AP class before really tend to struggle. They can answer the multiple choice questions, okay, they're great in lab, they're fantastic in class, but they really struggle with that writing component. So really working with her this year and helping build her writing up as well as helping build her confidence up. She wasn't quite sure she fit in the class when we started this year, and she absolutely belongs there, I think every kid that comes to my door that's willing to take that chance, and that's a risk for kids, right? They've never taken a higher level of science before. Maybe they had a bad science experience before and they're jumping into this advanced class. So I want to honor that courage that those kids show, that decide, "I'm going to try this, I'm going to take this." So just giving them enough support. And I think also building that culture where the kids really work on helping each other. I try to build up really tight lab groups and then we switch them and they have to build up tight lab groups with a whole new group of kids. So really working with their peers quite a bit is a big cornerstone of my class as well. Jon Eckert: That's one of the things I love about AP is that it forces the writing, because writing is where you really see how kids are thinking, and that's the power in that. It's not rote memorization. You have to be able to think. And as an educator, it's the closest thing we get to getting inside a kid's head. And so I love that that's where you started. And people that listen to this podcast will know I'm always talking about joy through struggle. And it's so true that that student who struggles at the beginning and then gets to the point where she gets a three, four or five on that AP exam in her first attempt at an AP class, she's going to experience so much more joy than the kid who's taking their eighth AP class and they're getting their eighth or ninth four or five. That's great, that's success, but you don't experience the same level of joy if you haven't had that struggle. And so what I also love, the last thing you said really sticks with me, I've been pushing this for a while, that schools obviously have to be safe and psychological safety and physical safety all matter, but what you're celebrating and respecting is that struggle that kids do with others. And so it's not about being safe because those kids don't feel safe when they sign up for that first AP class. That feels like a risk. And so if kids feel like, "Feeling safe is not taking risks," that's a problem. And so what you've created is an environment in your classes where kids know, "Hey, this is a place where I can take risks," and then it's going to be celebrated and respected. And so I love that you're moving kids into that in tangible ways. What have been the benefits to other students in the class? Not the kids who are taking their first AP class, but to other AP students that are seeing a wider range of students in your class than, say, they might in another AP class. Have you seen any benefits to the classroom culture from that? Chris Mihealsick: I think students seeing anybody at our school attempting an AP class and being successful and being part of our group is really important. I think sometimes the highest flying kids at the school tend to think like, "I'm here and everybody else is not as academically robust as me." So really seeing, "Nope. You know what? A lot of people can succeed in a lot of different ways." Sometimes I have some of the kids that are the super high-flyer academic students that struggle with some of our lab work, and then other students are able to step in and be like, "Oh, nope, I got this. I can handle this procedure," or whatnot. And it just shows that there's huge value in everybody working together. There's huge value in everybody having access to these classes. And I think it opens everybody's eyes a little bit in terms of working with all kinds of different kids. Jon Eckert: Well, and again, going back to middle school science. In the lab, I felt like the lab was the grade equalizer because you had some high-flying students that never want to be wrong because that's identity threat to them. And so they don't want to take risks in labs because they don't want to look like they don't know what they're doing. And you can't fake your way through a lab very easily. And so I felt like getting kids partnered up of different abilities was gold because sometimes the kid that you thought would be leading in the lab is not. It's the kid who's like, "Oh, I'm willing to jump in and try this and we don't know what's going to happen and we're going to do this and we're going to track the procedure and we're going to do it safely." But I think that's a great point that I think science has some nice advantages when you have those labs because it's a vulnerable thing, especially for those high-flying kids that never want to be wrong. And that's really problematic for learning if you're not willing to acknowledge, "Hey, I don't know how to do this." That's the whole reason why you're in class. So it's good. So love that you came up with that. I also like... We've talked earlier about how you see building the profession. So we've talked about students, but where are your passions for the profession? Because you don't get to be teacher of the year in a state like Texas if you're only focused on kids. I mean, that's always our primary focus, but what's your hope for other educators in Texas and beyond? Chris Mihealsick: So I really, really care about good teacher leadership. I want every teacher to work in a department or a learning team that has a really competent, caring teacher leader. I want everybody to have a department chair that's a competent, caring department chair. I want people to be able to be mentored. I've been mentored five different times in my career and I'm getting mentored right now by the 2024 Texas Teacher of the Year for my next role. And just that ability for somebody that's there with you in the trenches. We're still in the classroom. I'm still teaching full-time. Teacher leaders are still there. They know the struggle, but they also can help guide you in really great ways that help you grow. I would not be where I am right now without mentorship I got when I first started teaching AP I didn't know what I was doing, Holy cats. And I had two AP teachers that kind of took me under their wing. They weren't even AP environmental science teachers at my school and really helped me learn what it was to help kids learn how to write for AP and how to do the more advanced lab skills. So I think teacher leadership is so important, especially right now when we're talking about, "How do we keep good teachers in the classroom?" Well, it's having people that support them that can help you grow to the next level. Really helping set that culture of your department is so important as well, that support system that... I am very, very fortunate I work for an amazing principal and I'm so grateful to have her support, but at the end of the day, there's one principal, right? But there's 200 of us in our building, and having those teacher leaders in the departments or in the learning communities is just really, really important in smoothing over the day to day, when you have questions about different strategies for working with a kid or how do I teach this in a more engaging way? Those teacher leaders can grow the staff and there's a lot more job satisfaction and working with people that are invested in you staying. Jon Eckert: And I think what you're saying is more important now than ever that the session that I met you in, they had put up a slide... This is from Raise Your Hand Texas, that 56% of new teachers in 2024 were uncertified. So this need for mentoring has never been greater because you have... And there's some great people who have come into the profession without certification, but the only way they're going to succeed is with great coaching and mentoring from people that have done this before because those uncertified people, for the most part, will not have gone through a teacher training program, they won't have done student teaching, they won't have had all those pieces, and now they're in your building. And over half of new teachers in Texas, that's their story. Have you seen an increased need for mentoring, or is this just kind of more of the same? Chris Mihealsick: No, we've seen a huge increase in the need for mentoring. There's a huge difference in getting a pre-service teacher that's gone through student teaching and has had some courses and knows the lingo, right? 504, IEP, all the acronyms. And somebody that has a good heart for kids and knows the content, but knows none of the management skills. So mentoring has been hugely critical. I've noticed a huge uptick in the mentoring that we've done on our campus in the last two to three years, for sure. Jon Eckert: Well, and it feels kind of crazy that we will turn kids over to someone who has no certification to teach when... My favorite statistic on this, I think this is right. In Ohio, to become a barber, you need 1500 hours of supervision. And I'm grateful. I don't want somebody coming in and hacking my hair up. But if you're requiring 1500 hours to cut somebody's hair and then nothing to be responsible, to be the teacher of record for children who are only going to get one shot at environmental science, who are only going to get one shot in third grade to increase their reading or to become a better human in first grade, to be... No certification. In some states it's even worse than in Texas where we're now... In some states, we're not even requiring a bachelor's degree. It's like we're having college students come in and be teacher of record because we're hurting in the profession so much. So my question for you... Obviously, when we have those teachers in our building, we're going to do everything we can to serve those teachers, but I do not want to burn out teachers like you who feel this burden not only for their students, but then for teachers who are coming in who are underprepared and who might be good in two or three years, but in those first couple of years, that's a lot of intensive work for you. What do we do to make sure we don't add more to plates that are already overflowing so that those teacher leaders don't burn out and leave? Chris Mihealsick: That is a really, really important question because I've seen that happen at our school where we've had good teachers leave because they've had two uncertified teachers they've needed to work with. And it's just overwhelming because you have all of your regular day-to-day responsibilities. You're maybe the team lead, so you're also working with your team, plus you also have to support the people that are working on training and getting into teaching. So it's really, really, really challenging. Our school tries to be really judicious about who we assign as mentors. So somebody isn't mentoring... Like for example, we had a biology teacher last year mentoring a brand brand new teacher, and this year we took her off mentoring. She's the team lead for our bio team, but we're like, "Nope, we're not going to have her mentor anybody else this year," because it was a lot last year. It was a lot. And you don't want to burn people that you know are effective and are doing good things for kids and really helping them grow. You don't want them leaving either. Jon Eckert: That's right. Well, I love that rotation idea, and that just means you have to develop a wide, wide range of teacher leaders because you have all different disciplines, especially in a comprehensive high school like you're in. You have all different disciplines. You have department chairs, but you just can't keep putting more on department chairs. Administrators, if they don't have background... If you've never been a science teacher, it's very difficult to give very specific feedback for how to get better if you've never run a lab. You can give general classroom management practices and think about student engagement, but you've got to have people with a lot of different kinds of expertise to give the mentoring just in time for people that are really needing that kind of feedback. So as you look around Texas, are there any real bright spots you see where you're really encouraged by some of the things that you've come across, maybe through the teacher of the year process or just people that you've worked with? I'm sure you're in networks of educators, but is there anything that has been really encouraging to you as you step into this role as teacher of the year? Chris Mihealsick: So I was really fortunate to do two different kind of talks. I did one in late February at Weatherford College with the Jack Harvey Awardee teachers. And first of all, I love, love, love hearing the good work that teachers are doing across the state because it just fills my bucket to hear how much teachers around the state truly care about the kids that they're in charge of. And Weatherford College is a two-year college, but they have some four year degrees and they have a teaching program, and their teaching program is growing. So that was really exciting. They're in North Texas. And I am a University of Texas grad. I will always be proud that I'm a UTeach teaching program graduates. They are doing some really, really... They've done historically since 1998... '99 I think is when they started. And they do some really great work at teacher prep. We consistently try to hire their graduates if we can because we know their graduates have the content knowledge, but also they've had a lot of field experience so they really know how to work with kids. So I think there's some really good stuff still happening all over the state in our teacher prep work. And that's something... Obviously, I want more people to join those programs. Lower enrollment is an issue that both of the schools have talked to me about, but I think that there's some really good work preparing some of our university students. And that's for sure. Besides all the great work from the teachers that I've just kind of talked to anecdotally as I've been kind of tootling about with my work is good. Jon Eckert: And I think why I love talking to educators like you is we have to stop cannibalizing our profession. So we have administrators making administration look so miserable that no teacher wants to step into it. And we have teachers making teaching sound so miserable that students don't want to step into it. And teachers told my own children, I've heard it said multiple times to their children, "Don't go into teaching right now." And what they don't understand is they're looking out for that person. They're saying it in love, but what they're doing is, is they're cannibalizing the profession. And if we don't have a strong teaching profession, we don't have other professions. And so that is really troubling to me. So I really respect what University of Texas does. Good to hear about Weatherford. When I came to Baylor six years ago and saw the program that they run for... I don't get to work in the pre-service teacher program, but they've done six different placements in a full year student teaching internship. Now in many districts, it's a paid internship if they're in high need districts. That is amazing. That is blowing away what we were doing in Illinois with our teacher preparation program where they had a 12-week student teaching placement and they had four practicum placements. That experience is gold when you're in with good teachers like you, and they can see, "Here's how I set this lab up and here's what it looks like at the beginning of the year, and here's what it looks like at the end of the year. That is powerful. And I am not a big fan of bureaucratic requirements that are unnecessary, but I certainly want good preparation for my kids' teachers, which means I want it for every kid in the state of Texas. And so really grateful for the way you're representing education. So let's shift into our lightning round here. I usually have three or four kind of common questions that I go across, and these are just pretty brief answers, if you have them. So best and worst advice you've ever given or received, you can start with either best or worst, but let's start with those two. Chris Mihealsick: Okay. Worst advice for sure was, "Don't smile till Christmas." Who thinks that's a good idea? You don't build relationships with your students by being a jerk. So worst advice for sure. Best advice was from my mentor who helped me when I was first teaching AP, Joy [inaudible 00:20:00]. She said, "You only have so much life energy, so decide what you're really passionate about and what you feel really skilled at, and just work to be really, really great at that." And I thought that was amazing because you get asked to do so many things as an educator, I am not great at facilities. I probably shouldn't sit on the facilities committee. So focus on what you're really good at and use your energy and your passion to get better at that, to make a bigger difference. Jon Eckert: Yeah, that's really, really helpful advice. So follow up on that, what is the most life-giving part of your job and what is the most soul sucking part of your job? Chris Mihealsick: For sure, working with the students. Even with all of amazing things I've gotten to do as Texas Teacher of the Year so far. And I love working with teachers. When I'm back in my classroom, which is most of the time, and just working with the teenagers and seeing them grow. I could teach for another 15, 20 years probably. We'll see how that all works out. But... Because I'm 23 years into my career, but for sure life-giving is just... I love working with the teenagers. Every single day is a little different. They'll say something funny or unique or they'll make a new discovery. Soul sucking, I would say probably paperwork. Not a fan. I'll do it because it's all the laws and all the things and I like my job. I'll do all the paperwork, but not my fave. Jon Eckert: Yeah, there's always some component of the job that is the reason why you need to get paid for the job. And I say paperwork for most of us is there because that's always going to be part of it. But all right. Best book that you've read in the last year. This could be education-related or just a fun read. Anything that jumps out at you as a good book you've read. I'm always looking for recommendations. Chris Mihealsick: So I read a mix of science and historical fiction and kind of leadership books. So my favorite that I've read lately is Armadillo's to Ziziphus by David Hillis. He is a professor at UT in biology. He actually discovered the Barton Springs Salamander. And it's just a whole bunch of short essays about natural history in Central Texas. And I am currently in the middle of reading Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday. I like his work too. He's a stoic, so he kind of talks about when things happen in life, we can't control that, but we can always control how we react to things. And I think his book right now has a whole bunch of little anecdotes about historical figures and their courage in different things. And I think it's just really relevant right now. I think being a teacher takes courage always, but I think especially right now, it's good to hear about other people's struggles and things they've overcome to make the world a better place. Jon Eckert: No, it's beautiful. I love those two. I have not read either of them, so I've got them written down. So thank you for that. Last two questions. What do you think is the greatest obstacle facing teachers right now? And then the second, the follow-up is what gives you the most hope? As you look around the state of Texas, what gives you most hope about what's happening in education? Chris Mihealsick: So challenging... I'm just going to be honest. I think the budget situation is really challenging right now. I'm hoping that changes for us because I'd like to see smaller class sizes for all of my colleagues and me so that we could give students the more individual attention that they deserve. But what gives me hope is two things. First of all, the students that I work with... I just... Every single year, I think, "You guys are going to change the world. You're going to go out, you're going to do something amazing for Texas and it's going to be phenomenal." So just seeing the potential and the energy that... I love working with juniors and seniors, they're my jam. Seeing them kind of grow and change and get ready to go off and then go off into the world and... That energy and that passion. Texas is in good hands with the teenagers that are continuing to graduate from our public schools. Yeah. Also hope the teachers that I've been meeting across the state... As a teacher in Central Texas, I'm a little bit insular and this is my world, but being able to get to travel a little bit and talk to people in other parts of the state has been really phenomenal. And I have a lot of hope for the kids of Texas because of the people I've been meeting. And I hope to meet a whole bunch more. So my hope for the next year is just to get to meet some more folks and to be able to start highlighting some of their good work as part of what I do. Jon Eckert: I love that. Well, Chris, thank you for what you do. And Round Rock, thank you for what you're going to do for the state of Texas. Thanks for your heart, for students and for educators. So grateful to be able to highlight your good work, and hope this year is amazing and we'll have to catch up with you at the end of your year. So thank you for joining us. Chris Mihealsick: Thank you so much for having me. This has been delightful.

Texas Scorecard: Brushy Creek Elementary at Round Rock ISD opened its school year with two new bathrooms that lack doors separating the make and female sides and feature shared sink areas. How worried are you that an adult could go to the opposite sex's side and potentially molest a child?Support the show: http://www.wbap.com/chris-krok/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Texas Scorcard: A public information request revealed that the district spent more than 600 dollars on rainbow fans and stickers despite massive budget cuts. Are you ok with your money being used to fund pride-related expenditures at public schools?  Support the show: http://www.wbap.com/chris-krok/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This spring I'm releasing bonus episodes of The Take Home. No new lectures on leadership, instead I'm sharing the amazing podcasts created by the students in my Leadership for Sport Professionals class. Today's bonus episode features "Beyond the Game" produced and created by Hannah Ritchie, Winston Hutchison, and Austin Kitchens.   In the podcast, they interview Howard McMahan, an Assistant Athletic Director at Round Rock ISD and former high school football coach. In the show they discuss elements of Kouzes and Posner's "The Leadership Challenge" as well as Authentic and Adaptive theories of leadership. The episode is fun and creative and filled with great lessons about leading with humility, joy, and high expectations.  I hope you enjoy! Music credits: Sport - Short (With Solo) by Lite Saturation // Metal Whistle by Pixabay // Wow by SergeQuadrado

Round Rock ISD trustee, Dr. Mary Bone, explains why she is running in the Republican primary for the District 10 seat on the Texas State Board of Education against 10 year incumbent, Tom Maynard. District 10 consists of 27 counties including Williamson, Bell, Comal and Brazos. ELECTION DAY is March 5, 2024 and early voting is from February 20 to March 1, 2024. You can learn more about Dr. Bone, support and donate to her campaign here: https://drbone4tx.com/?fbclid=IwAR2v6aRGUqiLRvu_hWvsbYXID614nh5_DZP_dDEimvPBDI1cPzq-MwOPLnc

Public Education is in decline for many reasons. One reason is the amount of time and money the adults in charge spend on politics and attacks against those who expose their malfeasance. One clear example of this is an illegal investigation using taxpayer dollars to investigate Round Rock ISD trustee Danielle Weston in 2022. In today's episode, Weston and Dr Mary Bone talk about this investigation and the chilling effect it has on others thinking of running for school board and the detrimental impact this has on students.

On Jan 11, 2024, the Round Rock ISD school board convened for a meeting with an agenda that cites "Team Building". However, zero team building actually happened. Instead, what unfolded over three hours was naked political activist organization using school district resources. The board president even brought in the left wing organization, Raise Your Hand Texas, to facilitate and advance their talking points and propaganda. This is just another reason public education is in decline and more and more families are opting out of public schools. In this episode, Bone and Weston share what the community should know about what happened in this deeply troubling meeting.

A local central Texas media "reporter" recently published yet another politically driven hit piece on us. This latest false accusation from an activist "reporter" is anti-Semitism. The accusations just get more bizarre as time goes on. We know that these accusations are not against us personally, but against ALL America loving, family centered citizens who share our values. This episode is our response to the latest hit piece and we reveal where the real anti-Semitism in Round Rock ISD exists.

Do you expect your children to learn to read, write and do math at least on grade level at school? Based on the approved academic "goals" the majority of school board members in Round Rock ISD approved, they do not believe that all students can learn. It shocks the conscience and explains why more and more families continue to abandoned our schools. In this episode, we expose the bigotry and harm to children that these "goals" inflict. And we reveal who the real beneficiaries of this harm are.

In this episode, we reflect on the latest Round Rock ISD regular school board meeting which occurred on Dec 12, 2023. We walk through the agenda item by item, explain what happened and offer our insight. Listeners will learn about the anti-Americanism on full display in our meetings, the silencing of community members during public comment, the lack of any problem solving, the dog and pony shows and the continued protection of the only superintendent in Texas with a permanent restraining order.

Students are fleeing from Round Rock ISD schools near Austin, Texas and shockingly, the school board majority insists "there's nothing to see here!" Even though central Texas enjoys explosive population growth and there are more school age children living inside the boundaries of this school district than ever before, today over 12% of these children and their parents have chosen alternatives to our public schools. Declining enrollment weakens the community in many ways and has a devastating impact on the school district's budget. Despite the pleas of two board members, Dr Mary Bone and former US Air Force captain, Danielle Weston the school board majority refuses to discuss the topic or find solutions to reversing this exodus of students. Instead, the majority just offers excuses and demands more money from the state of Texas. In this episode, Bone and Weston go over the enrollment numbers, discuss possible long term implications and share their thoughts on why the board majority refuses to address this problem and resorts to bizarre and false gaslighting excuses including a "declining birth rate". Drop us an email with your thoughts at bonewestonreport@gmail.com or @boneandweston

Round Rock ISD votes to ask for more time on a school security requirement. A man is dead in a south Austin homicide. A hot weekend ahead. Wake up with KXAN's first newscast of the day. Monday-Friday from 4:30-5:00 a.m.

IEPs! 504s! Sometimes those services provided by the school can feel overwhelming, even when know they can benefit our child. School Board Trustee and NICU mom, Amber Feller, breaks it all down into practical steps, with action items to help you focus so you can assist your child in receiving the services he or she needs.   In this episode, we chat about: What led you to pursue a fulfilling, but sometimes contentious, spot on the local school board? You have both school board and parent experience with services provided by the public school system. Biggest take home lesson from both experiences? Some parents may be familiar with early intervention (looks different in every state), but what is an IEP and how does it differ from a 504? When a child graduates from high school, how do they get help in college? How does a parent begin the process of asking for help for their child from PK-12? What questions should they ask and how do they know their rights? Does the school district make a diagnosis based on testing they do or is that up to the parent and an outside medical professional? What do you think parents should know about IEPs? Sometimes there's a negative stigma with receiving help through special services. How can a parent (and a child) overcome that stigma? What's your best advice to a parent seeking an IEP for his/her child?   Amber Feller has been actively involved in Round Rock ISD schools since 2008 serving in various volunteer roles and she currently serves as a Trustee on the School Board. Amber has also been very active in the community while serving through Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, her church and her children's extracurricular activities. Amber earned her Bachelor's of Science in Sociology, with a Minor in Math, from Texas A&M University and her Master's of Education in Counseling from the University of North Texas. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor as well as a Nationally Board Certified Counselor.   Connect with Amber: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmberFellerForRRISDSchoolBoard/    The NICU is hard. We're here to help.   Hand to Hold is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby's NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English and Spanish.   Connect with Hand to Hold: Learn more or get support at handtohold.org   Follow Hand to Hold on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handtohold Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handtohold/   Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NICUHandtoHold YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HandtoHold    The following music was used for this media project: Music: Thriving Together [Full version] by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10332-thriving-together-full-version License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license   Music: Bright Colors Of Life by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7855-bright-colors-of-life License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license  

Vander Clyde Broadway went by a few different names in his life, but Barbette is the one he got famous with. He was a female impersonator from Texas who became the toast of Paris in the 1920s. Research:         Ninesling, Rosie. “Meet Barbette, Round Rock's Cross-Dressing Performer From the 1920s.” Austin Monthly. December 2021. https://www.austinmonthly.com/meet-barbette-round-rocks-cross-dressing-performer-from-the-1920s/         Kendall Curlee, “Broadway, Vander Clyde [Barbette],” Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/broadway-vander-clyde-barbette         Steegmuller, Francis. “An Angel, a Flower, a Bird.”  The New Yorker. Sept. 27, 1969. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1969/09/27/an-angel-a-flower-a-bird         Pryor, Thomas M. “Hollywood Arena: ‘Big Circus' Troupe Works to Equal Big Top's Authenticity and Color.” New York Times. January 11, 1959. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1959/01/11/83434437.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0         Gils, Bieke. “Flying, Flirting, and Flexing: Charmion's Trapeze Act, Sexuality, and Physical Culture at the Turn of the Twentieth Century.” Journal of Sport History, vol. 41, no. 2, 2014, pp. 251–68. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/jsporthistory.41.2.251         Dimock, Chase. “ “THE SURREAL SEX OF BEAUTY: JEAN COCTEAU AND MAN RAY'S ‘LE NUMÉRO BARBETTE.'” As It Ought to Be. June 2, 2011. https://asitoughttobemagazine.com/2011/06/02/the-surreal-sex-of-beauty-jean-cocteau-and-man-rays-le-numero-barbette/         “Barbette in Amazing Feats at the Palace.” New York Times. Feb. 8, 1927. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1927/02/08/110039993.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0         Gallico, Paul. “Thinking Aloud: give a Cheer for an Artist.” The San Francisco Examiner. April 28, 1948. https://www.newspapers.com/image/458500827/?terms=vander%20barbette&match=1         Cole Brothers Circus Is Rehearsing in Louisville This Year for the Last Time.” The Courier-Journal. April 10, 1949. https://www.newspapers.com/image/110868149/?terms=vander%20barbette&match=1         “150 From Circus Recover After Food Poisoning.” Evening Star. June 19, 1943. https://www.newspapers.com/image/868025427/?terms=vander%20barbette&match=1         “New  Cole Brothers Circus Puts Emphasis on Beauty.” Globe-Gazette. July 8, 1949. https://www.newspapers.com/image/724153/?terms=vander%20barbette&match=1         Atkinson, J. Brooks. “Songs, Dances and Costumes.” New York Times. Feb, 13, 1927. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1927/02/13/98532388.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0         “From Round Rock to the Moulin Rouge: The Story of Barbette.” Round Rock ISD. https://history.roundrockisd.org/from-round-rock-to-the-moulin-rouge-the-story-of-barbette/         “Vander Barbette Is Dead at 68; Trapeze Artist in the Twenties.” New York Times. Aug. 10, 1973. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1973/08/10/148684612.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0         Estrada, John-Carlos. “#TBT: From Round Rock to the Moulin Rouge, meet aerialist and drag performer Barbette.” CBS Austin. Aug. 19, 2022. https://cbsaustin.com/newsletter-daily/tbt-from-round-rock-to-the-moulin-rouge-meet-aerialist-and-drag-performer-barbette-vander-clyde-broadway-female-impersonator-french-poet-jean-cocteau-paris-alfaretta-sisters-world-famous-aerial-queens-1969-new-yorker-article-strange-beauty-wire-walker See omny.fm/listener for privacy information.

The Blue Grit team has on Austin City Councilwoman Mackenzie Kelly to discuss the consequences defunding the police has on the city of Austin, which occurred prior to her being elected. Kelly discusses how she is trying to RE-FUND the Austin Police Department, and the challenges she faces daily in dealing with a somewhat "anti-police" city government culture.   Councilwoman Kelly's Bio-District 6 is the largest district in Austin, about fifty square miles from the area around Steiner Ranch on the southwestern end, to southern Williamson County to the north, located in far northwest Austin. Councilmember Kelly hopes her varied experiences, deep community connections, and neighborly Texan tone will help her well represent this diverse and growing area.Before being elected to City Council, Kelly served at the Round Rock Fire Department Training Division, Williamson County Emergency Management and with the City of Austin Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). In 2019, Kelly was elected president of the 100th class of Austin Police Department's Citizen Police Academy. Her close working relationship with APD gives her a rare perspective on local law enforcement and why it must be passionately supported and fully funded. Kelly volunteered with the Jollyville Fire Department from 2005-13, where she gained a profound respect for those who protect life and property in our capital city. While there, she completed a year-long fellowship through the Disaster Science Academy.Serving Austin's elderly population is another passion of Kelly's, having worked in the home health care for several years, and has been an appointee by then-Governor Rick Perry to the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities. Kelly is an advocate of good geographic representation, having run in the first city council election under the 10-1 plan in 2014.  As for her greatest accomplishment, Kelly is mother of an inquisitive daughter, Rebekah, a student in the Round Rock ISD, and is happily married. She is a 2005 graduate of Westwood High School (Go Warriors!).Restorers: A Water Street PodcastOver these short episodes, we will be introducing you to the heroes who are working in...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showemail us at- bluegrit@tmpa.org

This episode pays a visit to Zucchini Kill bakery, a vegan, allergen-free shop with a metal twist located on the old Spiderhouse Cafe property in Central Austin. Plus, Community Impact reporter Brooke Sjoberg discusses a recent forum for Round Rock ISD school board candidates heading into the Nov. 8 election. The Austin Breakdown is a production of Community Impact. This episode was produced by Olivia Aldridge with assistance from Morgan O'Neal and editing by Marie Leonard. Weather and allergy reports are sourced from www.weather.com and AccuWeather. ***PATRON PROGRAM SIGN-UP: www.communityimpact.com/patron

The Round Rock ISD school board meeting was chaotic and Mayor Adams fired a staffer. All that and more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pressure needs to start up on Texas House Leadership! Great visit with Jonathon Saenz on the Round Rock ISD travesty! please excuse missing portion of audio!

On this episode, the debut episode of Season 3, we have a conversation with our Board President, Jennifer Land, CFO for Pflugerville ISD, and our own Executive Director, Tracy Ginsburg, herself a former school district CFO, notably with Round Rock ISD and Fort Bend ISD.We begin with good news from ASBO International and a look at what to expect from their upcoming conference - safety, staffing, and ESSER. We cover those topics in greater detail and then review the upcoming awards programs - RISE and Commitment to Excellence.

Go behind the curtain with us as we discuss our experience attending a Public Education Townhall hosted by Rep. Vikki Goodwin. We watched her in action as she led a panel with Round Rock ISD Trustee and Vice President Tiffanie Harrison and Education Advocate Laura Yeager. Tiffanie Harrison provided a glimpse into the pressures facing Round Rock ISD and how she advocates from her position as a trustee and former teacher. Laura Yeager connected the dots for attendees between the current state of public education and the influences that create obstacles for the public education system in Texas. Keep listening because Laura Yeager will be a guest in a future episode and we look forward to getting more in depth with her. We also discuss how to find events like this and why we value experiences like this one. Follow us on social media, @gobehindtheballot except Twitter which is @gobehindballot and interact with us. Learn more at gobehindtheballot.com

Round Rock ISD has a First Rating of F with the Texas Education Agency.Danielle Weston is a decorated US Air Force veteran and mom. Her practical solutions to the problems facing Round Rock ISD can be applied to all parents of public school children and taxpayers who want to see our schools improve. After successful tours in USAF Security Forces, Civil Engineering, Base Operations and Aircraft Maintenance organizations, Danielle worked in the private sector as a leader in Human Resources. She holds an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Kansas and a Master's Degree from Webster University in Human Resources Development. She was elected to the Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees in Nov 2020 with 54% of the vote, more than any of the 11 candidates running for the seats on the ballot in 2020 and is currently the only veteran on the Board. Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez is currently the only one in Texas with a permanent restraining order for family violence and a flag on his certification. Weston has been targeted and censured for her courage to shine a light on these issues. She is laser-focused on the wellbeing and academic progress of students, as well as addressing the decline in student enrollment. Social Impact Podcast is brought to you by:OBBM Network Brands1st Safety Training, 214-808-9757Social Impact Podcast is on Spotify! Call 214-673-4018 to support the show or get exposure for your point of view.Subscribe to the OBBM Network Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Google Podcasts and more. OffBeat Business TV can be found on Youtube, Vimeo , Rumble , BitChute  and wherever you enjoy great on-demand podcasts and TV.Support the show

Melanie Flowers of Workforce Solutions Capital Area discusses the organization's newest initiative, The Hire Local Plan, and its efforts to narrow the skills gap in the current labor market. Plus, Community Impact senior editor Brian Rash and reporter Brooke Sjoberg give an update from Round Rock ISD, where new details from an internal investigation into the district's superintendent have come to light. The Austin Breakdown is a production of Community Impact Newspaper. This episode was produced by Olivia Aldridge and Connor McGovern. Weather and allergy reports are sourced from www.weather.com and AccuWeather.

When parent Jeremy Story confronted the Round Rock ISD school board over troubling allegations about its new nominee for superintendent, the board responded with a series of disrespectful and likely illegal actions to ignore the concerns and limit the rights of parents in the community. Mr. Story recounts his ordeal of the last year and his fight to empower parents and advocate for important reforms.

Is America a global embarrassment? President Joe Biden continues his tour in Asia, but continues to embarrass America and Americans. When President Biden was asked about intervening if China invades Taiwan, he responded with, “Yes. That's the commitment we made.” Was this smart to say? As monkeypox becomes the new COVID-19, President Biden says that “everybody should be concerned.” Why is this administration playing with our fears? Concerned parent Jeremy Story joins the podcast to discuss his filed federal lawsuit against five Round Rock ISD school board trustees. Is this the proper way to handle groomers? State Farm joins the “get woke, go broke” companies after partnering with a transgender group to indoctrinate 5-year-olds via LGBTQ+ books. Why are companies going woke? NPR is now turning against itself after creating an anonymous hotline where employees rat on each other if they aren't wearing masks. Today's Sponsors: Look, if we don't stop them from installing 4 more justices so they can rig the system in their favor – it will be catastrophic for our court, our country…our way of life. We can't let that happen – not on our watch. That's why we need YOU to join us. Please…sign your name now! Go to http://SupremeCoup.com to sign First Liberty's letter. Grab your handy Lawn Mower 4.0, apply the crop exfoliator, apply the crop gel, and get to shaving! It's time to get up close and personal…with the Ultra Smooth Package from Manscaped! Get 20% off plus free shipping with the code “PRATHER” at http://Manscaped.com.  Nobody knows more about how to help stop this crime than Home Title Lock -- America's trusted leader. Here's what I urge you to do. Go to http://HomeTitleLock.com and read the testimonials from retired FBI Agents and others. Then register your home address to see if you're already a victim. And when you protect your home... tell 'em CHAD sent you for 30 free days of protection.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Local COVID hospitalization average has once again dropped into its lowest precaution range which is Stage 1. The lifting of all restrictions and rules related to the pandemic in Austin includes any requirement for restaurants to display signage on their own masking, vaccination or distancing rules. Round Rock ISD's board has voted to reinstate embattled Superintendent Dr. Hafedh Azaiez, as an investigation into alleged misconduct has been closed, he's back on the job this morning. Meanwhile, Texas school boards have begun threatening the certifications of teachers who quit in the middle of their contracts. Among the Texas voters who had trouble casting mail-in ballots in the recent primary election due to new restrictions were one Willie Nelson and his wife Annie. Alex Jones has failed to appear for a second day for a deposition in Austin in the lawsuit against him by parents of young children who died in the Sandy Hook mass shooting in 2012, they have sued Jones for spreading false information about the incident. Census data shows that Austin's population grew by over 53 thousand people over just one recent year, but that paces behind that same year's growth in both Houston and the DFW Metroplex. As summer pool season approaches, the Austin City Council is pushing for plans to alleviate a lifeguard shortage that is impacting the operating hours of Austin's public pools. Beloved downtown LGTBQ-friendly bar The Iron Bear is facing relocation as its building is being considered for demolition. Texas Women's Basketball are in Sweet 16 action against Ohio State tonight, the tip at 6pm on ESPN 2. Texas Baseball opens Big 12 play against Texas Tech tonight in Lubbock, first game of three is underway tonight at 6:30. And congrats to UT trackster Leo Neugebauer, who won the decathlon event at the Texas Relays yesterday, posting the world's best result so far this year.

Michelle Evans is a small business owner, the wife of a Marine veteran, and the mother of three. She is one of the founding members of Texans For Vaccine Choice. She's active in school board issues in Round Rock ISD. She's also a volunteer with Round Rock Lead for Moms for Liberty. She joins us on the podcast to discuss her campaign for Texas House District 136 which includes western Williamson County, including Northwest Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, and the Brushy Creek area.

Community Impact Newspaper's Round Rock reporter Brooke Sjoberg discusses controversies in Round Rock ISD.  The CI Morning Breakdown is a production of Community Impact Newspaper. It is produced by Olivia Aldridge with editing by Marie Leonard. Weather and allergy reports are sourced from www.weather.com and AccuWeather. Learn more at www.communityimpact.com/podcast/morning-breakdown.

Local COVID hospitalization rate saw a slight single-day drop on Friday, but hospitals remain crushed and positivity rates sky-high. FEMA is to step in locally to help with testing. Two downtown demonstrations over the weekend - one against abortion at the Capitol and one for stronger COVID precautions for Round Rock ISD at the Governor's Mansion. New Texas teachers are quitting after a single year in droves. District 4's special election for its City Council seat sees the end of early voting, with only Election Day tomorrow to go - less than 6% have turned out thus far. A Leander man is arrested for threatening Georgia officials online last January. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declines Travis County DA Jose Garza's order to turn over January 6th communications. While the lights stayed on during last week's cold snap, natural gas production dipped once again, leading to further doubts about the grid's stability. Austin is one of the most expensive U.S. cities for single renters - but surprisingly, cheaper than the rest of Texas' major cities. Old Settler's Music Fest and Rodeo Austin announce spring live music lineups. Austinite Mike Judge's King Of The Hill is set for a reboot. Jo's Coffee's Chili Cookoff is set for its 15th anniversary run. That Armadillo World Headquarters sign on the auction market was allegedly stolen from the building. And today's rain will give way to temps in the mid-50's to around 60 this week.

COVID stats remain near their recent record peak. Del Valle ISD cancels classes due to staff shortages today, Round Rock ISD students stage a walkout over pandemic policy, and Austin ISD teachers say a proposed scheduling change will degrade teaching performance. Amber Alert: a Buda teenager is missing since last night. If you've been wondering how the power grid is holding up in the cold, there's an ERCOT dashboard to watch. Energy Transfer LP walks back threats to cut natural gas supply to one of Texas' biggest power generators. The Rolling Pines fire near Bastrop sees 70% containment and a lifting of evacuation orders. Austin is far and away #1 in the country for new millennial homeowners. The Texas Monthly BBQ Festival moves from Austin to Lockhart for 2022. Jimmy Buffett announces a June show at the Moody Center. The original sign from the Armadillo World Headquarters is up for auction. And a gradual warmup starts today, leading to a mild weather weekend.

COVID counts continue rising as of Thursday night. Hospitals are under unprecedented strain, as are medical first responders. Austin ISD is closing three testing hubs due to a looming test shortage, while Round Rock ISD students threaten a walkout over that district's lack of remote options. Local health authorities issue new requirements for COVID policies to be posted publicly by businesses, and allow restaurants to place vaccine requirements upon employees - Governor Greg Abbott's office disagrees. Travis County DA Jose Garza orders Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to provide his communications data during the January 6th insurrection. Travis County Clerk officials say as many as half of vote-by-mail applications received recently have been rejected under new state limits. Travis County Judge Jan Soifer rules that Operation Lone Star - Governor Abbott's border enforcement initiative - is unconstitutional, while Austin U.S. Rep Lloyd Doggett joins with a group of 13 lawmakers seeking a federal investigation. A man who rammed a garage and brandished an AK-47 at Nyle Maxwell Supercenter a few days back is still at large. Buc-ee's fans in New Braunfels are sad to learn it'll soon no longer be the largest convenience store on the planet. The Toasted Yolk of Houston brings its "boozy brunch" into Austin. A new Daniel Johnston mural at The Contemporary Austin is set to be unveiled. And a possibly-record-hot Friday is to be followed by a strong and windy cold front tonight.

Round Rock ISD will not enforce any mask mandate and Hillary Clinton is considering a 2024 presidential run? All that and more!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our local COVID related hospitalization average has surpassed the peak of the first pandemic wave of the summer of 2020. Complicating things, hospital, medical and first responder staffs are impacted with high sick outages. Same for teachers, with Austin, Leander and Lake Travis ISD's facing difficulty covering classes and student transit. Austin returns to Stage 5 precautions, but their dining guidelines are inconsistent with limitations placed on local restaurants by the state. Round Rock ISD superintendent Dr. Hafedh Azaiez finds himself suspended amid accusations related to an alleged mistress, and further accusations that he has inappropriately directed school police to silence critics. Early voting in the special election to replace outgoing District 4 City Council Member Greg Casar begins Monday. Also on Monday evening, the Windsor Hills Neighborhood Association is hosting a conversation with the candidates on their Facebook page - and early voting for the rest of us, in the March 2 primary election, starts February 14. Former two-term Austin Mayor Bruce Todd's memorial and committal services were held yesterday, following his death on Christmas Day at the age of 72. Austin's job growth rating over the pandemic is the second-best in the country, following only Salt Lake City. P. Terry's Burger Stand plans early 2023 openings for new outlets in East Austin and Cedar Park. Deep Eddy Pool remains closed due to delays with replacement parts for a faulty pump. Flatonia, Texas is crowned the Lightning Capital of the U.S. And a chilly Friday will be followed by Saturday morning rain and a Saturday high near 70.

Episode 106. I discuss the story from Defense One, a Military Industrial Complex rag, covering a cherry-picked study claiming that at least in part Veterans are causing political violence in this country. Next I cover the continuing story from Round Rock ISD where a retired Army Captain was arrested in his home by the school district's police for daring to speak out against them. Taking into account AG Garland's declaration to use Federal assets to intimidate any further speaking out against open Marxists. Both of these stories point to a real fear the Power Elite has of the new Vanguard comprised of GWOT Vets that are taking action. Radio Contra Sponsors: Civil Defense Manual Tactical Wisdom Blacksmith Publishing Radio Contra Patron Program Brushbeater Training Calendar Brushbeater Forum

It couldn't happen here in Texas. Could it? School districts across the nation are forcing critical race theory ideas down our children's throats, and imposing mask and vaccine mandates. Parents who object get the DOJ after them! But here in Texas we value traditional ideas like civil liberties and rights of parents. Right? They didn't get the memo in Round Rock ISD, in the northern suburbs of Austin. A quiet, conservative, family-oriented community. Right? Then why is the Board of Trustees trying to censure two of its members? One of those Trustees, Danielle Weston, is here to tell you that  yes, it can happen here in Texas! The Rick Roberts Show is on NewsTalk 820 WBAP ... (Photo Courtesy of WFAA) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: Federal judge issues a nationwide stop to the Biden Administration's healthcare worker COVID vaccine mandate. Has your local heavy-fisted hospital management announced a stop to the mandate yet?Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.Senator Larry Taylor to retire because state Rep. Mays Middleton is planning to run for the same senate seat. WaPo all bothered because of an unrelated Middleton running for Texas state representative. And more from the campaign stack.Texas Supreme court hears arguments over the “Save Chick-fil-A” law which is actually SB 1978 and protects all businesses from local government discrimination over their support for religious charities.Texas Railroad Commission makes it much tougher for natural gas providers to electric power plants to avoid weatherization action.Elon Musk shakes up Raptor rocket engine management.Trouble at South San Antonio ISD and Round Rock ISD.And, other news of Texas.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our affiliates.www.PrattonTexas.com

Tyranny is crawling quickly and today's show will highlight the recent increase of “School Board Tyranny.” The latest story comes out of the great state of Texas and parents are waking up. Two men were arrested after, according to the Round Rock ISD, “disputing” a school board meeting. Jeremy Story, father of six and one of the men who was arrested, joins the program. Jeremy was arrested in the middle of the night and held in the Williamson County Jail overnight. This story not only should educate you on what's happening around the country, but it should OPEN your eyes against big government. The government doesn't love you and it's time for us to push back on tyranny, or our kids will be ones who will pay the price. Are you ready to push back? Enough with the 2 + 2 = 5. We need to lead with truth and liberty principles. Today's Sponsors You can maintain and protect your credit score with 24/7 credit monitoring and $1 Million Fraud Insurance. It only takes minutes to enroll. See your points, get more points, and qualify for the lowest loan rates. Visit http://SCOREMASTER.com/CHAD So if, like me, you believe that your data is your business, secure yourself with the number-one-rated VPN on the market. Visit http://ExpressVPN.com/watchchad, and get three extra months for free. Go to http://iTargetPro.com, right now, and SAVE 10% PLUS, GET FREE SHIPPING with the offer code CHAD.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Key indicators for COVID staging continue falling below Stage 5 for a second day. APD Interim Chief Joe Chacon is offered the job permanently. State Rep Celia Israel will forego re-election to her District 50 seat for a potential run for Austin Mayor. The Texas Senate - in its fourth try this year - passes a transgender athletics bill, which now heads to the House. Round Rock ISD board members hear hours of testimony before voting late last night to continue its masking mandate. Austin has returned to pre-pandemic employment levels and ranks fourth in the country for jobs recovery. UT's Bevo ranks #12 on a new ranking of the most unique college mascots. The Texas Book Festival announces its slate of featured writers for 2021. Austin dining ace Tatsu Aikawa prepares to open his own version of Disneyland on South Lamar. And nice, cool fall weather is here to stay for awhile.

Pfizer announces that trials of its vaccine in children 5 to 11 show success and safety. Local new COVID hospitalizations continue dropping, towards Stage 4 range. Pecan Street Festival organizers note that while their Fall event was cancelled by the city, thousands of people gathered at Saturday's Texas football game with no COVID precautions of any kind in place - while those same permits for the ACL Festival have still not been issued. Most people in Central Texans choosing not to vaccinate are doing so over ideology, not inconvenience. Two Round Rock men are arrested for disrupting a Round Rock ISD board meeting. A Lincoln Project ad criticizing Governor Greg Abbott is pulled at the last minute from ESPN's coverage of Saturday's Texas game, while word emerges that Beto O'Rourke will step up to challenge Abbott in the '22 election. New maps for Texas Senate districts are issued as the third special Lege session starts today, mainly focused on redistricting. A 20-year-old Texas State student dies after being shot through a wall from a neighboring apartment. 75 dogs die in a fire at a Georgetown pet boarding facility. Austin City Limits announces five new tapings during the first week of the ACL Festival. Austin's real estate market appears to be cooling, while unemployment rates in the city reach new recent lows. And get ready - today could be the hottest day of the entire year so far, just ahead of the arrival of a cold front Tuesday.

Average daily new COVID hospitalizations have plateaued in the mid-50's - we need to get below 50 to drop to Stage 4. Hays CISD shuts down Tobias Elementary for the rest of the week due to an outbreak, Round Rock ISD sees shouting matches at school board meetings, and Eanes ISD reveals that while they're mandating masks, they're not enforcing their mandate. Still no special events permits for the ACL Fest - one City official says that's not unusual, while another holds that a cancellation of the festival is still possible. "Devious Licks" on TikTok have become a problem for local school officials. King Liquor in north central Austin sees two smash-and-grab burglaries in just ten days. NASCAR announces a March '22 return to Circuit of the Americas. South Austinites will soon be able to try out robot car delivery from Wal-Mart. Austin FC drops its fourth consecutive match, and third match this season, to LAFC. And you can help make the 37th Street Christmas Lights wild and weird this year with a donation.

Summary by Peyton Smith Hour 1, segment 1:A message from the galactic federation.Yes, you read that correctly.It's all part of keeping on top of news from the universe.---------------------(AUDIO) Are aliens are upset about Brexit? Enjoy this past report from Americanuck Radio, which answers that question.---------------------Portland, Oregon renamed a pedestrian/bicycle bridge after Ned Flanders.https://americanuckradio.com/current-events/portland-names-bridge-after-the-simpsons-ned-flanders-to-promote-kindness-in-crime-ridden-city/----------------------Round Rock ISD school board meeting to discuss extending school mask mandates turns into chaos.If parents don't participate in public school, and simply walk away, then the madness will evaporate.https://americanuckradio.com/current-events/round-rock-isd-pushes-mask-mandate-decision-to-saturday-after-unruly-board-meeting/-----------------------(AUDIO) Canadian rapper Tom Macdonald brings the segment to a close with his track, "Brainwashed."Excellent performer and powerful lyrics.------------------------Hour 1, segment 2: Our old friend Norm Traversy and Mary Fanning give Mike a call. Mary provides updates updates on the election audits. She also gets into the Mark Milley/China fiasco.Could this harken a fundamental breakdown of Military command?Check out: https://theamericanreport.org/Here you will find Mary's work, which includes collaboration with Mike Lindell.----------------------New health measures announced in Alberta, which aren't being embraced en masse. Be aware of it all, but don't let it be a source of stress.Just WALK AWAY! Keep your heart, mind, hope, and POWER!------------------------(AUDIO) A classic clip of The Social Justice Warrior Bias Team-------------------------Enjoy all this, and more, in a very entertaining hour 1 from Mike.Hour 2, segment 2: Mike flips through the daily Washington Times media update, and picks this one for analysis:"HOUSE LAWMAKERS SEEK TO ENSURE CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT AMID DISASTER."https://americanuckradio.com/current-events/house-lawmakers-seek-to-ensure-continuity-of-government-amid-disaster/------------------------(AUDIO) Jason Kenney gives a statement on his 360 in regards to Alberta health measures. The Premier claims he had zero choices.He claims children suffered disproportionately over the last 19 months.What did the Premier and his government do to cause this suffering?Mike takes this on with both barrels.-----------------------“Lock him up.”No, this wasn't chanted at a rally of former U.S. president Donald Trump, but by protesters at a campaign event of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau.While the words may be the same, experts say the anger expressed at some Liberal rallies is not necessarily directly influenced by events in the U.S., but reflect a simmering resentment that has existed even before Trump.Mike expertly unpacks and analyzes the existence of this "simmering resentment" in Canada.https://americanuckradio.com/current-events/lock-him-up-anger-behind-trudeau-protesters-existed-before-trump-experts-say/------------------------Hour 2, segment 2:(AUDIO) James O'Keefe is getting a flood of email from people looking for vaccine exemptions.-------------------------(AUDIO) Decrepit old President Joe has a virtual meeting with Australian PM Scott Morrison and UK PM Boris Johnson concerning the new AUKUS Pacific Security Pact.China is very livid. Mike gets into this in full.https://americanuckradio.com/current-events/aukus-uk-us-and-australia-launch-pact-to-counter-china/-----------------------Conway Regional Hospital in Arkansas says an increasing number of employees are seeking religious exemptions from the vaccine, citing fetal tissue used in the vaccine.The form requires those employees to commit to refraining from everyday medicines such as Tylenol, Pepto-Bismol, ibuprofen, Benadryl and Claritin, among others.The form says these medicines have used fetal cells during their development, so employees must not take them in order to “support your claim of a ‘sincerely held religious belief.'”Mike delves deep into this one.https://americanuckradio.com/current-events/hospital-says-to-earn-religious-exemption-from-vaccine-devout-employees-cant-take-tylenol/-----------------------Enjoy all this, and more, in a power packed hour 2 from Mike.

We discussed a proposed mask mandate extension by the Round Rock ISD school board, General Milley and the California Recall Election. All that and more!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local COVID numbers continue climbing - city and county officials are expected to announce the return of Stage 4 precaution guidelines today. AISD and Round Rock ISD make announcements regarding plans for the approaching fall semester. Hot weather returns, and so do concerns about the Texas power grid - will it be able to keep up? ERCOT says yes, but watch for more conservation warnings. Proposed economic reforms to the Texas energy industry contrast with a large donation to Governor Greg Abbott from a Texas billionaire following his company's enormous profits during the freeze. State lawmakers want a say in UT's alleged plans to ditch the Big 12, while Texas AG Ken Paxton fails in an attempt to increase a gun-related fine against the City of Austin. That tunnel under Lady Bird Lake for a new subway line might have to be dug all the way to Lively Middle School. Austin FC loses to Seattle - and the youngest MLS team ever fielded - while their home pitch at Q2 Stadium books the U.S. Men's National Team for their first Texas World Cup qualifier. Minor signs of a possible slowdown in the Austin real estate market emerge, while Austin boasts strong recovery of pandemic-lost jobs. A controversial book on the Alamo may get a new panel review hosted by UT. And get ready - REAL summer heat is back y'all.

Texas gets an uncomfortable reminder of the February winter energy disaster in the form of a springtime power shortage alert from ERCOT. Austin Public Health ends up with over 10,000 leftover vaccination appointments on Monday, leading to calls for changes to our local distribution model. A Round Rock ISD trustee suggests relaxing masking requirements for students on campus. A new map of Austin-area zip codes reveals disparities in vaccination rates across economic strata. As heavy Austin traffic returns, so does the danger of riding rental scooters in traffic - an accident on South Congress on Friday killed a scooter rider. Law enforcement officials from across Texas gather at the Capitol in opposition to "Constitutional Carry". Samsung continues considering Austin for a major new plant. Austin ranks high in a new ranking of cities that millennials love to flee to. And, Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill mounts a comeback in north Austin.

This is just part one of a four-part series featuring teachers from around Round Rock ISD. We sought out teachers with a wide variety of experiences to share their learning and perspectives.  We hope you enjoy this weekly series all April long and want to especially thank the teachers involved in the conversation.

Ep. 2 Culturally Responsive Schools (Show transcript)Ellen Willoughby (00:01):Hi, everyone. Welcome to Drinking From The Fire Hose, a podcast for school leaders. I'm your host, Ellen Willoughby. Being a campus leader can feel like you're drinking from a fire hose with all the information requests, tasks, and duties that are thrown your way on a daily basis. So how do you manage to do it all and help students grow? Well, that's what this podcast is all about.Today our guest is Katrina Bailey she is the Principal of Caraway Elementary, in Round Rock ISD.Hi, Katrina welcome to the podcast.Katrina Bailey (00:19):Hi, thank you for having me. I'm so happy to be here.Ellen Willoughby (00:22):Well, we are really excited and we want to go ahead and just start off by having you share your definition of a culturally responsive school and why it is important to create culturally responsive schools?Katrina Bailey (00:33):Well, that is a really, really great question and so relevant in today's world, in just our global world, global society and our approach to schools. And so a culturally responsive school is one that uses the cultural knowledge of their community, of their students prior experiences, the staff's prior experiences, and the diverse learning styles that students bring to the classroom to make learning more engaging and more effective for students.Ellen Willoughby (01:04):Great. And tell me a little bit about what that looks like?Katrina Bailey (01:07):So in the classroom, if I'm a classroom teacher, I would be surveying my students to understand their unique experiences, their backgrounds. I think that's the first thing that we do. You know at the beginning of the school year, you get that class list and you're looking to see who's in your classroom. You're looking at those 20, 22 faces, 25 faces I think sometimes in cases that are going to be in your classroom and you're going through... And you're doing your background. I think that that's important, I think it's important to understand who's coming into your classroom so that you can create a space where they feel comfortable. So I think it's doing your background as a teacher to understand who's going to be in your space, so that to know what they're going to bring, the cultural capital that they bring to the learning environment and recognizing that it's important in planning and designing learning experiences and making that class a community.Katrina Bailey (02:00):So I think that that's the first step is just understanding. It's surveying, it's asking students how best they learn. I think it's asking students what makes them comfortable in a classroom space, and really what they hope to get out of the year so that you can design your learning experiences around that. Around building that community and making sure that you are bringing in the students' cultural backgrounds, their experiences to the table because I think it's also not making assumptions about what students do and do not know, but it's also recognizing the brilliance that they bring into your classroom every single day as well.Ellen Willoughby (02:34):I love that, it starts with the kids. It sounds like.Katrina Bailey (02:37):Yes, it does.Ellen Willoughby (02:38):That's great. So I would love to hear a little bit about yourself and your school.Katrina Bailey (02:42):So for me, I have been the principal at Caraway going on seven years now and it's a really great school. And it's a really unique campus, the campus is 42 years old now, and it has a really unique context. We're a part of Round Rock Independent School District, but we're Austin-Travis County, where our location is. And so it really brings in a really unique context in that we have students from all over the place, really. We call ourselves a family, we're really an international family because we have over 38 different languages spoken in our school.Ellen Willoughby (03:15):Wow.Katrina Bailey (03:16):And our students come from all over, all over the US, all over the world. We have lots of students that are from India, we have lots of students from Europe, Latin America, Mexico, right here in the US around the Austin area. So our school really has a really international feel to it. We went through a period of time where we grew really quickly to following most of what's happening in the Austin area, where we were adding probably anywhere between 40 to 70 students a year. So we had this really fast growth from a school of less than 700 to close to 900 last year, really quickly. And so that is a really unique context for us too because we had to learn to adapt really quickly to the students and the experiences they were bringing into our school and it's been fun.Katrina Bailey (04:06):It's been really fun and enjoyable to see our students adapt and learn from each other and our staff adapt in our community. It's such a welcoming community in the Austin area and part of Round Rock. I always say that it's unique, it's a little hidden gem hidden back... It's a neighborhood school and it's a hidden gem, it's just a wonderful place to be.Ellen Willoughby (04:28):That's great. And just the incredible amount of diversity that your campus has, has to be just such a unique and really amazing experience not only for the students, but also for the staff.Katrina Bailey (04:43):Right, right, right. And in our staff too there's so... The unique thing about our staff is that they are truly... their desire to know their students is truly authentic. And I think that that is the piece of being culturally responsive that's important is that we are authentic in our approach to wanting to know our students because we know how important that is. And I think it's not maybe necessarily unique to our school, but I think that it's what makes our school great. In that our approach to getting to know our students is authentic because it really comes from a place of really wanting to know so that we can be our best for students.Ellen Willoughby (05:23):That's awesome. So I want to start out with some data that I found, that's going to lead us into to our next question. So according to The Hechinger Report, it's a national nonprofit newsroom and they report on just education. And they said that educators who run US schools aren't a diverse group, that almost 80% of the nation's 90,000 principals are white and only 11% are black and 8% are Latino and this is all according to federal data. And so that doesn't come close to reflecting the demographics of the nation's 50 million public school children who are 46% white, 15% black, 28% Latino, and 6% Asian. So what are your thoughts on this data, especially related to creating culturally responsive schools?Katrina Bailey (06:14):My mind immediately goes to the narrative that we're creating. If we think about leadership roles and positions in general, whether it's race or gender or whatever context we want to look at leadership, I think that we create a narrative that it is... when we look at those numbers, we're creating a narrative that maybe leadership isn't for certain groups. And so I think that that's one that we have to recognize that that there is a cultural mismatch, and we have to disrupt that narrative.Ellen Willoughby (06:45):Definitely.Katrina Bailey (06:46):And students do need to see themselves as leaders and the best way to do that is to diversify the leadership, not just the teaching staff, but also those that are in leadership positions within our school. Like I said, and my mind it immediately goes to disrupting that narrative that leadership is bound to a race or a certain gender. And so it's our job as leaders in the education field to advocate. And I think that it goes bigger than just the school system, I think it goes bigger to... I think it reaches across the preparation programs, the recruitment of a diverse group into education, I think it's important. So I think it's something that we need to recognize as a problem of practice I should call it, a problem of practice and that we do need to diversify so we can disrupt that narrative.Ellen Willoughby (07:40):Great. And I absolutely agree that it has to start from the recruitment piece of university and getting a diverse population into the profession. Absolutely.Ellen Willoughby (07:58):If you like what you hear in this episode, hop on over to whatever platform you use and give us a rating and review, it really helps people find our podcast. And lets us know what we're doing right and what we can approve upon. And of course, don't forget to mention this to your colleagues. Thanks. Now let's get back to the show.Ellen Willoughby (08:20):So as a campus principal, where do you start? And if we're looking at schools that have been in existence for a long time or even new schools who have just been going along with the status quo, and are really wanting to examine how they are meeting the needs of the various diverse populations of their schools, so what would you recommend?Katrina Bailey (08:48):I think there are some really basic things we can start to do as campus principals and leaders in approaching the work. I think one is just starting with recognition first, I think recognizing and I think we're already there. We recognize that this is a need. And so I think we're there and we understand it and how do we best approach it. And so for me, I think I look at the different practices that I have on my campus. I look at who I am hiring on my campus so that we can start to diversify. And I work with all of my stakeholders, my staff, I think it's important to build the capacity there because the teacher is the most important factor. The teacher is the program, we say that. And so I think it starts with building the capacity and the staff as well as a starting point.Katrina Bailey (09:39):And I think my hiring committee that when we sit down and we build a profile of what our campus needs, we look at our campus demographic data and we look at who's voice needs to be brought to the table and how we need to diversify our staff. And I think it starts at the hiring practices, I think it starts at the professional development because we control that as leaders. We control what professional development is in front of our teachers. We control the hiring practices. So there are some very basic things that we can do. We control the type of resources that we purchase in our school and ensuring that if I'm purchasing literature from my library, that I am vetting that. And then I'm vetting that I have diverse literature that my students can choose from.Katrina Bailey (10:20):So I think that there are some basic things that can happen at the campus level that maybe we can't control the larger context individually, but we can control the local context very easily. And there are some steps that we can take and I think part of that is starting with self too while we're growing self in the process there are some small moves that we can make because we do control a lot of our local context and how we approach the work.Ellen Willoughby (10:45):And so thinking about that, we know that this work is really highly emotional. Like if you're really digging into this and really looking at yourself and where you stand, and then wanting to grow that with your teachers and to help them build their own knowledge base and understanding of how to serve their students in the best way possible. How do you handle pushback or resistance from teachers and staff on the campus?Katrina Bailey (11:18):That is a challenge, this is definitely a challenge. But I think that part of that too is recognizing that in order to approach this work, we have to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Culturally responsiveness and helping others recognize the importance in that work, and recognizing that it starts with self because a lot like I said, a lot of the work starts with self makes people feel really uncomfortable. There are certain topics that are just uncomfortable to talk about and race being one of them. Race, ethnicity, anything that is like I said, said to disrupt that narrative it makes people uncomfortable. So I think that we have to recognize that the work is going to be uncomfortable. And I think we speak to that, whenever you start this work, you speak to, "Today, we're going to be focused on XYZ topic." And recognizing and inviting that it is going to be uncomfortable for us to talk about this, but really bridging back to the why.Katrina Bailey (12:14):Why is this important? And when we look at the data, the data is pretty consistent across multiple context. Whether it be school or whether it be home ownership, or whether it be who has leadership and power and who's in different positions that that data is consistent. And so I think it's bridging back to the why and the why of the work. And I think when we start there, one with the why, and recognizing that our approach to this work is going to be uncomfortable and we have to make it a safe space too. When somebody tells me that they're uncomfortable with something or that they don't understand something, I have to as a leader recognize where they are on that continuum and continuing to work with, and even differentiate myself as a leader and my approach to supporting and growing my teachers and my staff in this work. And even community, right?Ellen Willoughby (13:13):Right.Katrina Bailey (13:15):Community is important in that I think it's really easy for us to just say we were going to fix the school piece, but I think the community has to also understand that why piece too because I think that that could also be a barrier to the work.Ellen Willoughby (13:28):Definitely. And I think in our current times where a lot of people in a really great way are really looking at where they stand and how they react to things such as the work of becoming anti-racist. And I think that that can sometimes... obviously, it can be very, very uncomfortable. And I think having the community really be a part of that conversation as well, just continues to help push the equity that we need in our schools and in our cities and our country.Katrina Bailey (14:09):Right. Right. Absolutely. I think creating equitable outcomes is something that I think we all agree on. And I think that when we start there with our why we all want the same thing, where we should. If we all came into to education to have better outcomes for all students. And I think if we could center on that and recognizing that there are ways to do this that are comfortable and some that are very uncomfortable, but I think that it's just recognizing and centering on that we all want what's best for students.Ellen Willoughby (14:42):Great. Thank you for that. So the next question, and this is a question... So I did another interview with another principal, she is a white principal and has worked really hard to build culturally relevant schools. And so I wanted to have that conversation with her as well. And one of the big things she and I worked together, and we found that there was a big gap in how campuses or schools are handling behavior interventions. So what does being culturally responsive mean when it comes to behavior interventions and discipline, and what does that look like? Because we know, the data shows that that black boys especially are suspended at a much higher rate than any other population in the school.Katrina Bailey (15:32):Right. I think it takes advocacy. I am a black principal and I've been doing this for about seven years now and you're absolutely correct. What we see is boys in general, but especially black boys and the approach to it is different. And it's interesting... I was having a conversation with another principal we were looking at some data, and it was specific to discipline data. And we were looking at an equity audit and it was showing the different reasons why students get referrals. And one was for African-American males it was aggressive action, for white males it was horseplay. And so that's something that I felt like was really important to pull out and recognize with my staff. When we are writing referrals for behavior, how do we view when we perceive that behavior.Katrina Bailey (16:29):Because for this group of students we're viewing it as an aggressive action. But for this group of students, which may be the exact same behavior, we are approaching this as, "Well, it was just horseplay." So even how we view students through that lens, and we can say we're colorblind and we don't see race, but our data says that we do. And I can tell you that that's how we approached it on our campus is just pulling up that data and seeing that people see the same things that we see and people do, like our staff they do, they recognize that. And we begin to have a conversation about it because we can't really argue with data. And then we start to vary our approaches to it, is restorative practice better.Katrina Bailey (17:14):Because as a campus principal, there's nothing worse than having a student come to the office... And I can tell you, my approach to students is very different because when they come to me, I'm not upset with them with what they did because they didn't do it in my office or in my classroom, they were in a classroom and they're coming to me to have a conversation about it. So the worst thing I can do is send them back into the classroom where a teacher's not ready to receive them. So one of the things in our approach is using that restorative practice piece and that we have to fix what's broken. If you're going to come to me, we're going to talk through what it is but really who you need to repair this relationship with is the teacher. And the needs to repair relationship with you because it's also recognizing that yes the behavior may have been wrong, but there's always a cause.Katrina Bailey (17:58):And maybe in some cases we didn't recognize really what the cause of that behavior was. But one of the approaches that we've varied in trying to change our discipline data and our approach and how teachers see things is really helping the teacher and the student repair that relationship. So after I have a conversation with the student and some time has passed, I go and I relieve that teacher, so that that teacher and student can fix what was broken. And sometimes that's facilitated by another administrator or counselor to facilitate the conversation between the two, so that that relationship can be repaired and the student can come back into class and feel safe and comfortable. And the teacher can feel that too because that's important. We don't want to send a student back into the classroom and the teacher not be ready to receive them and the message that that sends to the student is, "I'm not wanted here." Which can lead to further behavior.Katrina Bailey (18:53):So that restorative piece, I think is important and our traditional approach to how we handle this area... Issues of discipline are important too. And so it's not keeping a student in the office the rest of the day because the teacher's not ready to receive them, and then sending them back and never have an opportunity to repair that relationship. That's important. And it really also helps the teacher, what I've noticed is that it helps the teacher see the student as a student, who is still learning and adapting and growing. Because they are, they're still developing and growing their social skills and they're still developing and growing in lots of different ways. And the most important place for them to be is in the classroom.Ellen Willoughby (19:35):Right. Most definitely.Katrina Bailey (19:36):And so we have to work towards that approach.Ellen Willoughby (19:40):And I love that it's restorative for both, it's about the teacher learning as much as it is about the student learning. And I just can see how valuable that is. I'm thinking back to my time in the classroom of like, "Wow, how great it would be to have had that opportunity to sit down with a student, and have that conversation outside of the classroom in a safe environment for them." And the learning that comes from both parties for sure.Katrina Bailey (20:13):Correct. Absolutely.Ellen Willoughby (20:15):So I would love to hear from you about what are some of the things that you have done to increase your own knowledge about creating a culturally responsive school?Katrina Bailey (20:25):Oh my gosh. Lots of professional development around it, one of the best workshops that I've had the opportunity to attend and actually it was a summit. Our district did a summit with a professor from the University of Texas, Dr. Terrence Green. And it was really this kind of... It varied my approach to the work because I think that going back to what we talked about earlier is people being uncomfortable with the work. There was one message that he said that resonated with me, especially being a black woman principal and trying to approach the work with my staff who is 80% white females and trying to approach that work. And understanding the importance that it's not just me feeling like it's important and me recognizing that this work is important but all of us. And there was one statement that he gave to us that has resonated with me and it has guided my approach to this work. And it was, "It's not your fault, but it's our responsibility." We didn't create this education debt that some of our students are experiencing.Katrina Bailey (21:37):We didn't create the achievement gap, if that's what we want to call it. We didn't create the disparities that exist within the data, but we are here now and it's our responsibility to fix it. So lots of training in culturally responsiveness and how we approach the work. I love the book, How to Be an Antiracist. I love anything that I can get my hands on that gives me a nugget that I can use with my teachers and my staff, so that it stays fresh and I always have a tool in my toolbox to be able to use when I'm trying to guide them in the work too. And so again, I think that just that one statement has varied my approach to the work, and I think it allows people to safely enter the space of doing the work with me. That I'm not saying that it's your fault, but it's our responsibility together to help close these gaps and the disparities that we see so that we can create equity and outcomes for students.Ellen Willoughby (22:38):And that's just such a powerful statement, you can't argue with that that's for sure. For sure. And I know now we're so lucky to have so many different resources you talked about the book, How to Be an Antiracist. There's just so much information out there now that is really, really helpful for teachers, leaders, everybody on the street to pick up and really be able to do this important work. So thinking about, so we've obviously been in COVID times for 10 months, how has that impacted the culturally responsiveness of the work that you all do on campus or virtually?Katrina Bailey (23:22):Oh, wow. For sure. I think it's even more important. I think our teachers see the importance because now you have a bird's eye view into students' homes that we may not have necessarily had before. And we can see the different tools and resources that students have or don't have in their ability to fully participate in school. And so I think it furthers the conversation along and I think it furthers along our why. We have students whose families can hire a tutor to be at home with their students all day long and learn virtually and participate virtually in school. We have some students who the parents try to balance work and keep their students safe at home. And then we have some students, some parents who have really no options, but they maybe not want to send their students back to school in person, but they really had no choice.Katrina Bailey (24:21):We look at access of this kind of resources, do you have a book at your home to read? So it's easy for us to say, "I want you to read for 20 minutes and I want you to have a response on this." But what if I don't have a book in my home to read and plus I really think that teachers start to see... I think we know it, but I think we really start to see those disparities and how huge those gaps are and just access to resources and equity. And so I think that that equity conversation continues to come up. How do we create a balance so that everybody is able to participate and that they get what they need. And so I think our teachers have started to use their resources differently.Katrina Bailey (25:01):We have a 100 of parent volunteers on our campus who want to help and they want to be partners in this work, so then we start to use parents differently too. I got to get books to the students homes, so then we start to use our parent volunteers differently, "Can you go and deliver these books? Can you be the volunteer for my classroom who delivers books to students classrooms who may not be able to come to the school to get them or receive them." We start to really see our students in different ways. So our district even this is pre-COVID, our district last year started to see... Took a real investment in not just the campus library, but our campus literacy libraries. And that's where we pull books to do small group instruction with students and really wanting to diversify that.Katrina Bailey (25:50):And what was interesting is we had a team that was actually going through our literacy library and trying to get things organized because we had $10,000 worth of books coming in-Ellen Willoughby (26:00):Oh, wow.Katrina Bailey (26:01):... actually, probably even more than that. And really seeing some of the books that we had in there, how maybe inappropriate they may have been for families and for a lot of different reasons. And they felt empowered to come and say, "I don't really think that these books are appropriate for us to have in the literacy library. And we need more of maybe this, or we need to have books that are more representative of our families."Katrina Bailey (26:27):And families live different ways too and so our teachers start to recognize all of those things. And it's beautiful, it's a really beautiful... Part of the work is, it's beautiful when things starts to click and it starts to become more organic. And it's not top-down we have to do this, but it starts to become more organic because your staff starts to see this as a need, and that it's necessary, and that it's important. And it improves our overall bottom line and again, it just goes back to equitable outcomes for students.Ellen Willoughby (27:00):That's awesome. And that investment, you see the value of that investment and the impact that it has on students, which is amazing. We just have one more question and then we'll move into our little seven short answer questions.Katrina Bailey (27:16):Okay.Ellen Willoughby (27:17):So the last question I have is I would love to know what advice would you give to leaders... Actually, I think we kind of talked about this who are just creating culturally responsive schools. Let me think of another question real quick. Or is there any other thing that you feel is important that you share with our listeners today?Katrina Bailey (27:44):If we want to in essence create the kinds of schools that we hope like in our visions, we have these beautiful vision statements. But I think the thing for leaders to recognize is ensuring that when we speak those vision and mission statements, that they include all students. And when we say all that we truly mean all. And that we truly have that responsibility and I think that it takes courage right now to be a leader in schools.Ellen Willoughby (28:12):Most definitely.Katrina Bailey (28:15):For a lot of different reasons. And especially to lead in the context and where we are pre COVID, during COVID, and after COVID, it's going to take courage to continue the work. And so it's my advice to leaders is to stay the course, to have courage because were all in this together and our students need it.Ellen Willoughby (28:34):That's beautiful. As we do with each podcast episode, I'm going to end with our seven short answer questions with an educational twist. So as an educator, what keeps you up at night?Katrina Bailey (28:48):I think over... Excuse me, I'm going to-Ellen Willoughby (28:53):No, that's okay.Katrina Bailey (28:54):... repeat that question. What keeps me up at night is whether or not I've made the best decision for students.Ellen Willoughby (29:01):As an educator, what allows you to sleep soundly?Katrina Bailey (29:08):Knowing that I am putting forth my best every single day.Ellen Willoughby (29:12):What sound or noise do you love to hear in a school.Katrina Bailey (29:16):Student laughter.Ellen Willoughby (29:17):What sound or noise do you hate to hear in a school?Katrina Bailey (29:21):Violence.Ellen Willoughby (29:22):What is your favorite word in education?Katrina Bailey (29:25):Equity.Ellen Willoughby (29:27):What is your least favorite word in education?Katrina Bailey (29:30):Achievement gap.Ellen Willoughby (29:32):Who was your favorite teacher and why?Katrina Bailey (29:35):Oh my gosh. I think I would have to say my favorite teacher in school with Ms. Hall. She was my fourth grade teacher at Grove Valley Elementary in Austin ISD. And she was my favorite teacher because she one day asked me to get up and read my writing in class. And I was a great student in school, I'll say, but it was in that moment that I truly felt like somebody saw me and they were recognizing my brilliance and what I brought into their learning environment, that they saw enough to have me share my thoughts and the work that I wrote on my paper with my peers. And to me that is important, that somebody recognizes and sees all of the students in their classroom.Ellen Willoughby (30:26):Thank you so much for sharing that. And Katrina I want to thank you so much for just sharing your wealth of knowledge, and really being an inspirational leader for our podcast listeners.Katrina Bailey (30:38):Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate being here today.Ellen Willoughby (30:42):Awesome. If you like what you hear in this episode, hop on over to whatever platform you use and give us a rating and review. And of course, don't forget to mention us to your colleagues. Thanks.

Join Sunshine Parsons from Stony Point HS, and Stephanie A. Garfias from Chisholm Trail MS as they share their learning and experience with Assistant Director for Visual and Performing Arts, Tim Lowke.

Visual Arts teachers, Pam Arnold of Forest Creek ES and Michelle Dickens of Teravista ES, sit down with Tim Lowke of our Round Rock ISD Fine Arts Department to share their experiences teaching our youngest students.

This episode is a bit of a continuation from last week's conversation on Texas. We are thrilled to have Texas State Legislator James Talarico join us to chat about Texas, his theology, and how he's called to govern during these times. Representative James Talarico is a former education non-profit leader and public school teacher elected to serve House District 52 in the Texas House of Representatives. He was born in Williamson County, where he attended Round Rock ISD schools and graduated from McNeil High School. Rep. Talarico earned his bachelor’s degree in Government from The University of Texas at Austin and his master’s degree in Education Policy from Harvard University. Upon graduation, Rep. Talarico taught 6th grade at Rhodes Middle School on the Westside of San Antonio. He later became the Central Texas Executive Director of a nonprofit dedicated to equipping classrooms with innovative technology. He currently serves as the youngest member of the Texas Legislature, sitting on the Calendars Committee, the Public Education Committee, and the Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee. In his first term, Rep. Talarico helped write historic school finance reform legislation that infused Texas schools with $11.6 billion in new education funding. Outside of his role as a legislator, Rep. Talarico is an education consultant, crafting and implementing education solutions across Texas. To support this podcast, please visit www.kindful.activistheology.com. To follow Activist Theology on Twitter: @activistheology To follow Activist Theology on Instagram: @activistheology To follow Activist Theology on Facebook: @activistheology To be in touch with Dr. Robyn: robyn@activistheology.com or @irobyn To be in touch with Rev. Anna: anna@activistheology.com or @unholyhairetic

This episode is a bit of a continuation from last week's conversation on Texas. We are thrilled to have Texas State Legislator James Talarico join us to chat about Texas, his theology, and how he's called to govern during these times. Representative James Talarico is a former education non-profit leader and public school teacher elected to serve House District 52 in the Texas House of Representatives. He was born in Williamson County, where he attended Round Rock ISD schools and graduated from McNeil High School. Rep. Talarico earned his bachelor’s degree in Government from The University of Texas at Austin and his master’s degree in Education Policy from Harvard University. Upon graduation, Rep. Talarico taught 6th grade at Rhodes Middle School on the Westside of San Antonio. He later became the Central Texas Executive Director of a nonprofit dedicated to equipping classrooms with innovative technology. He currently serves as the youngest member of the Texas Legislature, sitting on the Calendars Committee, the Public Education Committee, and the Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee. In his first term, Rep. Talarico helped write historic school finance reform legislation that infused Texas schools with $11.6 billion in new education funding. Outside of his role as a legislator, Rep. Talarico is an education consultant, crafting and implementing education solutions across Texas. To support this podcast, please visit www.kindful.activistheology.com. To follow Activist Theology on Twitter: @activistheology To follow Activist Theology on Instagram: @activistheology To follow Activist Theology on Facebook: @activistheology To be in touch with Dr. Robyn: robyn@activistheology.com or @irobyn To be in touch with Rev. Anna: anna@activistheology.com or @unholyhairetic

Young parents can face many difficult challenges, making support incredibly important. Join William and Sarah as they welcome Karen Confer and Deana Boggess to discuss the complexities of young parenthood, how domestic violence can affect young families and what supporting young parents should look like. For more information on the Round Rock ISD's teen parent program, please visit: https://stateandfederal.roundrockisd.org/counseling-services/teen-parent-program/. If you would like to continue the conversation, e-mail Sarah and William at prevention@tcfv.org.

This week we are sharing two excellent professional development resources below. One gives a brief overview and then dives into some specifics around facilitating the synchronous and asynchronous portions of your teaching block. The other resource linked below shares several ideas around creating voice and choice for students as they navigate assignments and demonstrating mastery within Schoology. The presenters share some technical ideas and walk you through exactly how to set up assignments and folders in a way that allows students and teachers more personalization. Enjoy them both and we will be back with another interview/feature or Round Rock ISD teachers next week! Thought Exchange General-Distance-Learning/Success-with-Schoology-Effective-Blended-Learning-Practices Concurrent Instructional Strategies  

Join us for Part 2 of our discussion about facilitating civil discourse in classrooms throughout Round Rock ISD. Miss part 1? Check it out here: https://youtu.be/u4gVp9-IGF8

This is an internal communication program for Round Rock ISD.

What makes a good leader? How can I be a leader in my college? How can I be a leader when I’m teaching? These questions and more are going to be explored in the latest series of Not Your Forte titled, “Habits of Successful Music Educators”. Join Dr. Payne, Eric and an assortment of guests for this seven part series as we all look to become better leaders for ourselves, for our peers and for our future students.Join the hosts of Not Your Forte once again as we invite Mr. Jager Loyde, the Assistant Director of Fine Arts over Instrumental Music in Round Rock ISD in Round Rock, Texas. This weeks episode will continue our focus on developing interpersonal relationships as a leader by learning how to seek to understand first and then be understood.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/notyourfortepodcast)

Representative James Talarico is a former education non-profit leader and public school teacher elected to serve House District 52 in the Texas House of Representatives. He was born in Williamson County, where he attended Round Rock ISD schools and graduated from McNeil High School. Rep. Talarico earned his bachelor’s degree in Government from The University of Texas at Austin and his master’s degree in Education Policy from Harvard University. Upon graduation, Rep. Talarico taught at 6th grade Rhodes Middle School on the Westside of San Antonio. He later became the Central Texas Executive Director for Reasoning Mind, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping classrooms with innovative technology. He currently serves as the youngest member of the Texas Legislature, sitting on both the Public Education Committee and the Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee. In his first term, Rep. Talarico helped write historic school finance reform legislation that infused Texas schools with $11.6 billion in new education funding. Outside of his role as a legislator, Rep. Talarico works for MAYA Consulting, crafting and implementing education solutions across Texas. We are proud to be sponsored by Stone Oak Property Management. Stone Oak is a residential property management company based out of central Texas. We serve real estate investors by providing an exceptional living experience for the residents that live in our properties. We provide rental property management & portfolio growth in order to create generational wealth and financial freedom for everyone we work with. Learn more about Stone Oak at: https://www.stoneoakmgmt.com/ YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhJ7Ul76uvs PODCAST: https://apple.co/2NTQUWA INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/tre_homes_/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TRE.Homes.ATX/ TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/TRE_ATX Find out how much your house will rent for here: https://www.stoneoakmgmt.com/cma-request --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ywff/message

Challenges Women of Color Face While Climbing the Ladder In this episode, herdacious host Lorelei Gonzalez chats with Diana Maldonado to discuss how women of color climb the professional ladder and building the relationships needed to do so. Diana talks about breaking away from the societal expectations set for Latina women, finding mentors to emulate, networking in vulnerable environments, and the benefits of diversity to an organization’s growth.Host: Lorelei Gonzalez Co-host: Diana MaldonadoDiana Maldonado is the first Latina in Williamson county to be elected to the Texas Legislature and the first Latina school board president for Round Rock ISD. After her time in politics Diana transitioned to finance and now strives to help women of color in the industry gain professional opportunities. Things you will learn in this episode (chapter markers available): Climbing the ladder as a woman of color 1:43 Handling vulnerability by building networks 6:00 Creating opportunities with diversity and inclusion 7:18Overcoming society’s expectations 9:04Navigating cultural barriers 14:11Starting to climb the ladder 17:09 Finding a mentor 19:10 Growing individually 20:43 Moving forward through challenges 23:23Developing support systems 25:08 Paying it forward 26:30Femme fact: Carol Elizabeth Moseley Braun 30:02 Resources mentioned in this episode: Daring Greatly by Brené Brown (Book)Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas (Non-profit organization)Link to show transcript hereEpisode sponsors: HERdacity Moonray Looking for additional resources on this topic? Check out our blogpost “All Girls Considered | Leadership Spotlight” Loved what you heard on herdacious and want to share with friends? Tag us and connect with HERdacity on social media:Twitter: @herdacityFacebook: @HERdacity Instagram: @herdacityLinkedIn: HERdacity For up to date information on HERdacity events, webinars, podcasts, and community activities, join our newsletter here. Disclaimer: While we appreciate the support of our speakers and sponsors in making herdacious possible, our content has been curated with integrity and honesty.Support the show (http://herdacity.org/donate/)

How might ELL and LOTE teachers provide low stress opportunities for output? How is the concept of productive struggle different in the ELL and LOTE classroom and what can these groups learn from each other? What is the role of motivation in language learning and how might cultural input and technology help boost it? We discuss these questions and more in part 2 of our conversation with Anna Matis. Anna Matis is an educational consultant and the product development manager for Seidlitz Education. Her love of language learning stems from childhood experiences as an immigrant and ESL student herself from Budapest, Hungary. Being proficient in multiple languages, she is passionate about second language acquisition for all ages, sheltered instruction strategies, and research pertaining to heritage language learning and long-term ELLs. She has led professional development, coached teachers, and created educational products for both teachers and administrators working with ESL students. She has presented locally and nationally on best practices for quality ESL instruction, as well as effective training strategies when working with English language learners. Anna recently published the book 7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive Foreign Language Classroom for LOTE teachers with John Seidlitz, and also co-authored Boosting Achievement: Reaching Students with Interrupted or Minimal Education. She began her foreign language teaching career as a high school French teacher at Aldine ISD in Houston, TX, and has worked as an ESL Instructional Coach in Round Rock ISD. Anna has an M.A. in Foreign Language Education from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. in Communication Studies and Art History from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX. She joined Seidlitz Education from Region 13 ESC, where she served a dual role of Bilingual/ESL Specialist and Program Manager for the Bilingual/ESL team. Be sure to subscribe to Highest Aspirations wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss this episode or any of the others we have coming up! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/highest-aspirations/message

Do teachers of languages other than English (or LOTE teachers) collaborate enough? What are some ways these educators could learn from one another to help build better language programs for all students? What are some common misconceptions about what it means to be a “good language teacher” and how might understanding them help our students achieve greater language competency? We discuss these questions and much more in Part 1 of a 2 Part conversation with Anna Matis. Anna Matis is an educational consultant and the product development manager for Seidlitz Education. Her love of language learning stems from childhood experiences as an immigrant and ESL student herself from Budapest, Hungary. Being proficient in multiple languages, she is passionate about second language acquisition for all ages, sheltered instruction strategies, and research pertaining to heritage language learning and long-term ELLs. She has led professional development, coached teachers, and created educational products for both teachers and administrators working with ESL students. She has presented locally and nationally on best practices for quality ESL instruction, as well as effective training strategies when working with English language learners. Anna recently published the book 7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive Foreign Language Classroom for LOTE teachers with John Seidlitz, and also co-authored Boosting Achievement: Reaching Students with Interrupted or Minimal Education. She began her foreign language teaching career as a high school French teacher at Aldine ISD in Houston, TX, and has worked as an ESL Instructional Coach in Round Rock ISD. Anna has an M.A. in Foreign Language Education from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. in Communication Studies and Art History from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX. She joined Seidlitz Education from Region 13 ESC, where she served a dual role of Bilingual/ESL Specialist and Program Manager for the Bilingual/ESL team. In Part 2 of our conversation, we’ll talk more with Anna about creating low stress opportunities for language output, the role of motivation in language learning, and the importance of infusing cultural connections into instruction. Be sure to subscribe to Highest Aspirations wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss this episode or any of the others we have coming up! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/highest-aspirations/message

On this episode, we sit down with Elementary Math Curriculum Coordinator, Brian Bushart. Brian has led the direction of elementary math in Round Rock ISD for the last four years and his impact on teaching and learning for thousands of students continues to grow every day.

Join five leaders from around Round Rock ISD for a conversation about social & emotional learning, mental health, time management, and investing in yourself. 

I'm currently in Austin, TX at SXSW working with Canon and the John Lennon Bus. We're doing a project with students from Round Rock ISD and the one and only George Clinton! Make sure you follow the John Lennon Bus - all of their student projects are posted on their channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/johnlenn... This video is sponsored by Canon Twitter: http://twitter.com/tedforbes Instagram: http://instagram.com/tedforbes Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aop.podcast Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tedforbes Website: http://theartofphotography.tv And get on our mailing list to stay up to date on photography news and the latest episodes: http://theartofphotography.tv/about/mailing-list/ Ted Forbes The Art of Photography 3100 Main St #135 Dallas, Texas 75226 Thanks for watching - if you like this video, remember to share it with your friends! My name is Ted Forbes and I make videos about photography. I’ve been making photographs most of my life and I have a tremendously deep passion for photography that I want to share with you on YouTube. The Art of Photography is my channel and I produce photography videos to provide a 360 degree look into the world of making images. We all want to get better so lets do this together! I make videos covering famous photographers, photography techniques, composition, the history of photography and much more. I also have a strong community of photographers who watch the show and we frequently do social media challenges for photographers to submit their own work. I feature the best and most interesting on the show when we do these so come check it out and get involved!