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Dave Edwards, PhD (ABD), MAT, is a queer person and career educator who has served in almost every role in preK-12th grade school communities. After getting started as a special education paraprofessional in an Autism classroom in Saint Paul Public Schools, he served as a special education teacher, middle/high school classroom teacher, special education coordinator, Dean of Students, and Assistant Head of School. From 2015-2018, Dave made the jump to higher education as lead instructor for the nontraditional teacher licensure program in Emotional Behavior Disorders at the University of MN Twin Cities.He was an undergraduate and graduate professor in the teacher preparation program at Hamline University from 2018 to 2020 before devoting his efforts full-time to Gender Inclusive Schools. Dave is the proud parent to a transgender daughter, and his family's experience with the discrimination she experienced in kindergarten directly informs his vocation of helping school communities create safe learning environments.Dave serves on the board of the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition and his family is heavily involved with Transforming Families MN.Gender Inclusive Schools provides parent and educator training to proactively create safe learning environments for LGBTQ+ young people. We specialize in facilitating full-staff professional development sessions on a variety of equity topics, providing small group consultations, collaborating on support for individual students, and school-board policy development.During the 2023/2024 school year, Gender Inclusive Schools supported educators in over 75 different school communities across the United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia.https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/gender-inclusive-school/https://www.graduateprogram.org/2024/10/making-your-classroom-more-gender-inclusive/https://www.genderinclusiveschools.orghttps://www.mapresearch.org/news/policy-spotlight-conversion-therapy-bans-releasehttps://www.notion4teachers.com/blog/fostering-gender-inclusivity-educator-strategieshttps://www.highereddive.com/news/trump-executive-order-diversity-equity-inclusion-colleges/738052/https://www.genderinclusiveschools.org/educator-pd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mad Hatter Wellness creates a comprehensive sex ed and health curriculum that educates and empowers people with intellectual disabilities and their support systems. They work with people of all abilities and specialize in health and sex education for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They train families, caregivers, educators, and direct support professionals. For the past 20 years, Katie Thune has worked with children and adults, both with and without disabilities. Her mission is to help people improve their quality of life. In her 12 years working as a school teacher in Saint Paul Public Schools, her most rewarding work was helping a child join Special Olympics or teaching a student mindfulness techniques at home. Katie founded Mad Hatter Wellness in 2013. She has her Teaching License in Health Education, and Special Education K . 12, as well as her MA in Education: Development Disabilities. She also has her Autism Spectrum Disorder Teaching Certificate. For more information about Visible National Trust or to see more of Eric's content: Web: https://visiblenationaltrust.com/ Waypoints: https://waypoints.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-jorgensen-visible-national-trust/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/abcs-disability-planning/support
Cherise Ayers was president of the student council at Central High School in St. Paul in the late 1990s. Two years ago, the St. Paul native returned to Central in a very different leadership role: as principal.Central is the oldest high school in Minnesota, founded in 1866. Known for strong academics, it was one of the first schools in the state to offer an international baccalaureate diploma program. Its graduates, including Ayers' classmate St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, have gone on to be prominent leaders in business, education, sports and politics. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Ayers about returning to lead her alma mater, her vision for the school and what it's like to follow in the footsteps of longtime Central High School principal Mary Mackbee, who retired in 2019.Guest: Cherise Ayers was named principal of Central High School in St. Paul in 2022. She graduated from Central in 1997 and holds a bachelor's degree in English from Spelman College and a master's degree in secondary education and teaching from Brown University. A lifelong educator, she's worked as a middle and high school English teacher in Georgia and Minnesota, as dean of students for Richfield Public Schools, as an assistant principal in Saint Paul Public Schools and as an equity supervisor and interim principal for the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District.Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
This week's headlines include updated EPA regulations for light- and medium-duty vehicles. Will McDermott, head of student services for First Student, shares how the FirstServes program aims to bridge the gap between the ride to school and the classroom experience. “There were some wet, heavy flakes coming down, kind of that picturesque city snowfall… three hours later, you couldn't see out our windows.” AASA Superintendent of the Year award winner Dr. Joe Gothard and Transportation Director Ben Harri from Saint Paul Public Schools in Minnesota take us behind the scenes of the mechanics and partnerships required for student busing, including post-pandemic and inclement weather adjustments. Read more about leadership.
Transportation lighting and safety company Clarience Technologies acquired safety technology company Safe Fleet and a Super Bowl ad slammed Tesla's full-self driving mode used around school buses. Tony and Taylor share highlights from the School Superintendents Association's National Conference on Education, where top level student transportation conversations took place and Dr. Joe Gothard of Saint Paul Public Schools in Minnesota was named this year's Superintendent of the Year. Read more at stnonline.com/tag/superintendent.
On this episode of Highest Aspirations, we take a deep dive into how professional learning can help create and nurture the skillsets and the mindsets educators need to best serve multilingual learners. We challenge the often idealized assumption that “every teacher is a teacher of language” and explore ways to make that a reality rather than a desired state. We also talk about how effective leadership be used as a means to overcome issues teachers are facing like fatigue, burnout, and working in silos. Finally, we highlight some ways schools can leverage partnerships within the community to navigate teacher shortages and build their diverse educator pipeline. To help us address some of these complicated topics, we brought in Dr.Sarah Schmidt de Carranza. Sarah has been has been an educator in Saint Paul Public Schools since 2003. She achieved National Board Certification in Teaching English as a New Language in 2009, and successfully re-certified in 2019. She joined the Saint Paul Public Schools Office of Multilingual Learning as a supervising administrator in 2019, and has served as the Executive Director of the Office of Multilingual Learning since 2021. For additional free resources, episode takeaways, and more, visit our blog. Download the full episode transcript here. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/highest-aspirations/message
Get the book, The Principal's Backpack: Tips and Tools for Managing Yourself (So You Can Manage Everything Else) Visit the LeadersHike website About the Author Nancy Karlin Flynn, EdD, has been an administrator in the Saint Paul Public Schools for twenty-four years, serving as an elementary, junior high, and middle school principal. She is passionate about coaching, mentoring, and reflecting on leadership practice with aspiring principals as well as those with all levels of experience as school leaders. Based on the ideas in her new book, Nancy created LeadersHike!, a professional learning workshop for school leaders that combines her passion for coaching and her love of nature and hiking. Flynn has written for LeaderTalk, Educational Leadership, Leading and Learning With Technology, and other technology-related journals. She holds a doctorate in educational administration and policy from the University of Minnesota.
Saint Paul Public Schools Chief of Operations and Administration Jacqueline Turner talks about the School Choice Fair is happening in less than week. The event is Saturday, December 9, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.Saint Paul RiverCentre (175 Kellogg Boulevard West, St. Paul, MN 55102)For more information https://apply.spps.org/school_choice_fair
In order for a community to buy into what a school distract wants to do, it has to be engaged in the process. While that might sound impossible, the guests on this episode are proof that there is a productive bridge that you can build between a community and its schools. Joining the podcast are Tom Parent from Saint Paul Public Schools as well as Meg Parsons and Heidi Neumueller from Cuningham. They talk about the power and possibility of inviting stakeholders into the process of school design. They share a broad vision for interacting with the community as well as specific ideas that have helped them shape their schools for the better. To see what the panel is talking about during the podcast, visit the following two pages: Interactive Map of Facility Prioritization for Improvements Inclusive Restrooms: Private ● Secure ● Safe Tom Parent, AIA, serves as the Executive Director of Operations and Administration for Saint Paul Public Schools, Minnesota's largest urban school district, where he oversees 9 departments and numerous staff. His primary focus is on the involvement of communities in strategic planning of built environments, an effort that earned him recognition from the International Association of Public Participation. He is a licensed architect with significant experience in educational and non-profit settings. His credentials include being a 2013 Hubert H. Humphrey Policy Fellow at the University of Minnesota. Margaret (Meg) Parsons, FAIA, NCARB, ALEP, LEED AP BD+C, ALEP, is a licensed Architect and Principal at Cuningham, a 320-person firm with six US locations. Since 1989, she has focused on educational projects, assisting schools with facility planning and community engagement, and leading efforts on numerous projects including the Facility Master Plan for Saint Paul Public Schools. She was elevated to the American Institute of Fellows (FAIA) in 2020 and is an Accredited Learning Environment Professional (ALEP) through A4LE. Parsons, who's licensed in 14 states, is a published author, former guest lecturer at San Diego State University, and serves as the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Region 4 Board Director, and the Board Chair of Cuningham. Heidi Neumueller brings a combination of commitment, drive, and sensitivity to each project. She is adept at leading immersive workshops, engaging with clients and user groups, to transform their vision and needs into active environments for learning. Heidi is leading conversations across the country based on her research of the key design components that contribute to safety and security of inclusive restroom design. Heidi is the 2018 recipient of the AIA Minnesota Young Architect Award. Learn more about creating better learning environments at www.Kay-Twelve.com. Kevin Stoller is the host of the Better Learning Podcast and Co-Founder of Kay-Twelve, a national leader for educational furniture. Find out more about Kevin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinstoller/ For more episodes of the Better Learning Podcast, visit https://www.betterlearningpodcast.com/ Who made this episode possible? Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) - https://www.a4le.org/ Education Leaders' Organization - https://www.ed-leaders.org/ Second Class Foundation - https://www.secondclassfoundation.org/
Join host Dr. Sylvia as she engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Chauntyll Allen, a remarkable individual dedicated to disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline. As an activist, educator, and elected official, Chauntyll has made significant strides in advocating for racial equity and social justice within the education system. During her time working with special education students in the Saint Paul Schools, Chauntyll witnessed the troubling emergence of the school-to-prison pipeline. Motivated to effect change, she took action and successfully secured a seat on the St. Paul School Board in 2020. Since then, she has become a respected leader, working tirelessly to transform policies and practices that perpetuate inequity. In this episode, Chauntyll shares her inspiring journey, from her experiences as an educator and a dedicated activist within the Black Lives Matter movement to her current role as a School Board Director for Saint Paul Public Schools. She also holds the esteemed position of Director of Criminal Justice Policy and activism at the Wayfinder Foundation in Minnesota, where she continues her advocacy for youth and social justice. Through personal tragedy, Chauntyll has found the strength to channel her experiences into positive change, empowering and uplifting others along the way. Join us as we explore her incredible story and learn how she is making a lasting impact in the fight for a more equitable education system and society as a whole.
If you're a high school or college student looking for a job, now is a good time to apply for one. The pandemic has had lasting effects on jobs for pretty much everyone, and in some ways that has opened up opportunities for teenagers and young adults. The unemployment rate for teenagers ages 16 to 19 was under 10 percent last summer, the lowest it has been since Nov. 1953. MPR News host Angela Davis spoke with guests who help teenagers and young adults find work. We talked about the job market for this age group and tips for how they can land jobs. Job resources: CareerForce MN 218 Trades jobs ARCHS MN Elevate Futures Guests: Elena Foshay is the director of workforce development for the City of Duluth. Her agency is the lead partner at CareerForce in Duluth, which is part of a statewide career development and matching resource that works with employers and individuals, including teens and college students. Amanda Justen is the Minneapolis Public Schools program strategy manager at Achieve Twin Cities. The organization partners with that school district and Saint Paul Public Schools to help students plan for their careers and postsecondary education. Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor at Marketplace, American Public Media's nationally syndicated public radio business and economic programs. He's also a senior economics contributor at MPR News. Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
Becky McCammon is a circle keeper, coach, and collaborator and former restorative practice program coordinator at Saint Paul Public Schools. She loves haiku poems, effusive text messaging, and, most especially, having been a middle and high school English teacher for 14 years.Check out our LIVE EventsSend us feedback at media@amplifyrj.comJoin our Mighty Networks platform to connect with other people doing this work!Rep Amplify RJ Merch You can connect with Amplify RJ:Email list, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Website, Reading list, YouTube, and TikTok!SUPPORT by sharing this podcast, leaving a rating or review, or make a tax-deductible DONATION to help us sustain and grow this movementSupport the showSupport the show
Everyday Nonviolence: Extraordinary People Speaking Truth to Power
In this episode, the Everyday Nonviolence podcast explores the painful history of Indigenous Boarding Schools. We also share examples of what is being done by faith communities to address the harm caused by these church-run schools. Host Diane Sandberg speaks first with Paula Palmer, Co-Director of “Toward Right Relationship with Native Peoples,” about her research into Quaker-run schools and the multi-generational damage these institutions wrought on Native communities. In a second conversation, Elona Street-Stewart, Ruling Elder and synod executive in the Presybterian Church (USA), talks with Diane about Restorative Actions, a Twin Cities initiative that invites predominantly white churches to voluntarily return the wealth that they accrued from systemic inequities back to Afro-American and Indigenous communities. Both guests offer a variety of ways for individuals and religious communities to support and learn from Indigenous people. ABOUT THE GUESTS Paula Palmer is a sociologist, writer, and activist for human rights, social justice, and environmental protection. As co-director of Toward Right Relationship with Native Peoples, a program of Friends Peace Teams, she created and facilitates workshops on the “Roots of Injustice, Seeds of Change: Toward Right Relationship with America's Native Peoples” (for adults) and “Re-Discovering America: Understanding Colonization” (for middle schools and high schools). As the 2016 Pendle Hill Cadbury Scholar, she conducted research and produced articles and videos about the role Quakers played during the era of the Indian Boarding Schools. Paula is a recipient of the Elise Boulding Peacemaker of the Year Award from the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center; the Jack Gore Memorial Peace Award from the American Friends Service Committee; the International Human Rights Award from the United Nations Association of Boulder County; and the Multicultural Award in the “Partners” category from the Boulder County Community Action Programs. For more information about the Toward Right Relationship ministry, please see friendspeaceteams.org/trr Elona Street-Stewart, a Delaware Nanticoke tribal member, is a Ruling Elder and Executive of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Synod of Lakes and Prairies following 20 years of service as synod staff for racial ethnic ministries and community empowerment. She has served on numerous Minnesota boards and Indigenous community organizations, including the Board of Education of Saint Paul Public Schools and the MN Council of Churches. In June, she was elected Co-Moderator of the 224th General Assembly (2020), Presbyterian Church USA, along with Gregory Bentley, pastor of Fellowship Presbyterian Church, Huntsville, Alabama, becoming the first American Indian to this position. Macalester College conferred an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for Elona in June 2021. A 37-year resident of Minnesota, she and her husband have four adult children and 4 grandchildren. More information about the Restorative Actions Core Team is available here: https://restorativeactions.org/ Music generously donated by bensound.com
Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans. The host for this show is Chang Wang. The guest is Sia Her. Sia has been executive director of the Council since 2013. Before joining the Council, Sia served as Education and Training Department Manager at the Hmong American Partnership and as campaign manager for the successful Saint Paul Public Schools' "Strong Schools, Strong Communities" levy referendum. She holds a master's degree in public policy from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a bachelor's degree in political science from Macalester College. Sia manages all operations and projects, and develops and implements strategic and well-informed plans to ensure that the Council delivers on its statutory duties. In this episode of "A Nation of Immigrants," Sia Her shares her life story, professional career, and reflections on diversity and inclusion. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6m0sDYgbpbsi65EHVp8ynG8 Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.
Jeremy Striffler began his career in commercial real estate in 2006 at Vornado Realty Trust in New York City supporting their retail leasing and marketing efforts. After completing his M.B.A, he joined the Minneapolis office of Cushman & Wakefield in 2011 as a member of their retail consulting practice. In 2014, he transitioned over to the Occupier Services group where he provided lease, buy, and sell services for corporations, nonprofits, and education organizations, supporting site selection, client relations, and project management. Some notable past clients include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Fairview Health Services, Land O'Lakes, U.S. Bank, TCF Bank, Volunteers of America, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Further, Jeremy guided and collaborated with public school districts, such as Saint Paul Public Schools, Osseo Area Schools and Anoka-Hennepin School District, and charter schools, including KIPP and Metro Deaf Charter School, to align their real estate strategy and decisions with their mission and vision. Jeremy transferred to the Austin, Texas office in 2020. In September 2021, Jeremy joined the Austin Independent School District as their new Director of Real Estate. Austin ISD educates more than 74,000 students through 125 diverse school communities. In total, the Austin ISD portfolio consists of over 12.7 million square feet situated on 1,835 acres of land all located within the City of Austin. In his current role, Jeremy is responsible for the professional direction and strategic leadership of the District's long-term real estate portfolio as it aligns with the Long-Range Facilities Plan. Jeremy has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Colgate University and a Master of Business Administration from St. John's University. Outside of work, Jeremy focuses his community involvement on the issue of food insecurity. From 2010-2020, he volunteered and was on the board of Loaves & Fishes Minnesota, serving as Board Chair from 2018-2020. Locally, over the past year in Austin, he has been involved with the Central Texas Food Bank and now serves weekly as a Warehouse Volunteer Leader. The Moorhead Team is excited to bring you information about investing in real estate in the Central Texas area! More information can be found a our website at www.themoorheadteam.com and our YouTube page The Moorhead Team. We're always aiming to bring you great free content about investing in real estate in Austin, TX!
Is it time we rethink the K-12 model? Our education system needs some major updates, including more flexibility, greater focus on student identity, and a college and career readiness plan that starts in kindergarten. In this episode, we continue our conversation with Dr. Joe Gothard, Superintendent of Saint Paul Public Schools, exploring these points and more in a discussion around career readiness.Among a plethora of insights, Dr. Gothard shares his unconventional idea of the 12-Hour School Day. Could it really be a solution to providing students with more access to work-based learning, more flexibility in their coursework, and make it easier for them to work, be involved in after-school activities, and take classes that they're excited about?Listen to find out!If you missed our last episode with Dr. Gothard, we talked about building systemic equity into a large urban district that is primarily made up of minority students and families. You can listen here: https://techedpodcast.com/building-systemic-equity-in-urban-education/
We air the first of three guest episodes from Gender School: Smash the Cis-tem. OutFront Youth Researchers Tori, Kai, and Bisandi have a conversation about what they wish we had access to in schools in order to make the spaces more gender inclusive and talk through the question, what is it that actually makes school environments inclusive and safe for Trans and Non-binary students? With the help of Leah Jordan, the Inclusion and Equity Policy Coordinator for Saint Paul Public Schools, they discuss and shed more light on what gender inclusion policies actually are and what they do for students across MN.RESOURCES:OutFront Gender Inclusion Project: https://www.outfront.org/educationalequity#gender-inclusion-projectSaint Paul Public Schools: Out for Equity Also - PLEASE take our listener survey https://tinyurl.com/Survey-qch. We want to hear from you!
We air the first of three guest episodes from Gender School: Smash the Cis-tem. OutFront Youth Researchers Tori, Kai, and Bisandi have a conversation about what they wish we had access to in schools in order to make the spaces more gender inclusive and talk through the question, what is it that actually makes school environments inclusive and safe for Trans and Non-binary students? With the help of Leah Jordan, the Inclusion and Equity Policy Coordinator for Saint Paul Public Schools, they discuss and shed more light on what gender inclusion policies actually are and what they do for students across MN. RESOURCES: OutFront Gender Inclusion Project: https://www.outfront.org/educationalequity#gender-inclusion-project Saint Paul Public Schools: Out for Equity Also - PLEASE take our listener survey https://tinyurl.com/Survey-qch. We want to hear from you!
Becky McCammon is a circle keeper, coach, and collaborator and former restorative practice program coordinator at Saint Paul Public Schools. She loves haiku poems, effusive text messaging, and, most especially, having been a middle and high school English teacher for 14 years.You will meet Becky McCammon (1:32) and hear about how she got started in restorative justice (6:14) and her experience in circles (12:50). She shares her experience in moments of resistance (23:33) and she discusses community building, compensation, and capitalism (34:44). Finally, she answers the closing questions (52:52).Make sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share!Contact, Learn More, Support Becky:Website: www.restorativelyyours.com/ Other plug Get your copy of “Restorative Practices at School”https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Restorative-Practices-at-School/Becky-McCammon/Books-for-Teachers/9781646040001 Watch clips of the podcast: http://youtube.com/c/amplifyrj See all our workshops and courses at http://amplifyrj.com/learn Future Ancestor Collective (Community Gatherings): http://tiny.cc/ARJcommunity Rep Amplify RJ Gear at http://amplifyrj.threadless.com You can connect with Amplify RJ:Email list: http://tiny.cc/ARJemail Instagram: http://instagram.com/amplify.rjLinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/restorative-justice Facebook: http://facebook.com/amplifyrjTwitter: http://twitter.com/amplifyrjWebsite: http://amplifyrj.comReading list: http://amplifyrj.com/reading-list
Summer school terms like “COVID slide” and “pandemic learning loss” are getting a lot of play these days. In Minnesota, we won't know how a full-school year of interrupted learning affected student academic skills until standardized test data is released in August. But, anecdotally, we know many students lost momentum, especially low-income students and children who rely on school routines and school support for stability. Early test scores from other states confirm that students are lagging in reading and math. MPR News guest host Nina Moini talks about how educators and families are using summer months to help students catch up, recover credits they need to graduate and get excited about school again. Guests: Stephanie Graff is assistant commissioner for the Office of Educational Opportunity at the Minnesota Department of Education. She's also a former math teacher. Adam Kunz oversees summer programs for Saint Paul Public Schools. He previously managed St. Paul's alternative high school program Gateways to College and taught high school English. Nicole Hernandez is the youth development director at Children's Defense Fund Minnesota where she oversees Freedom Schools summer and afterschool programs.
St. Paul 350 and the East Side Freedom Library host an SPPS School Board candidate forum on climate action. SPPS has a fantastic opportunity to make a major impact on Saint Paul's energy generation, as well as a major impact on our students. To view the video: https://youtu.be/iRwSn6zX_lU
Newly-elected Representative John Thompson has long been driven to help his East Saint Paul community by speaking at committee hearings for years, especially empowered by the police killing of his friend Philando Castile, with whom he worked for Saint Paul Public Schools. On this episode, Rep. Thompson discusses his diverse community’s educational needs, legislators’ perception of him as an “activist,” takeaways from his campaign controversy in Hugo, and much more. Plus, listen to the end to hear the Chicago Cubs fan’s favorite cold one stop in his district! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kirstie Doar is power cleaning Saint Paul Public Schools. Plus, Jack is back!
The first episode of four commemorating Black History & Culture hosted by Ujamaa Place CEO Otis Zanders, feature community leaders covering issues that impact the quality of life in the African American community. Community leader Mary K. Boyd, Founder/CEO of MKB & Associates discuss the cultural value of education. Guest Bio: Mary K. Murray Boyd is President and CEO of MKB & Associates, Inc., an education and human services consulting business. Ms. Boyd has extensive experience in management, leadership, communications and coalition building, serving in a variety of roles professionally and in the Saint Paul community. She held several positions in the Saint Paul Public Schools beginning as a teacher’s aide and retiring in 2001 as an Area Superintendent. Since retiring from Saint Paul Public schools, Boyd has served in three interim positions, Manager of Ramsey County Child Protection, Director of Ramsey County Community Human Services Department’s Family and Children’s Services Division and Dean of the Graduate School of Education at Hamline University. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of St. Thomas and at the University of Minnesota.
Aaron Benner is the Dean of Students at Cretin-Derham Hall and a lifelong educator. In 2019 Aaron was awarded $525,000 in a settlement with Saint Paul Public Schools, where he had taught for over a decade. In this podcast we talk about his path to becoming a teacher and the events that led to him suing Saint Paul Public Schools. If you'd like to ask one of our guests a question that will be aired on a future show, simply call (612) 352-9177 and leave a message. (Yeah, we know, that's a Minneapolis area code, but it still works.) Please know that when you leave a message it may be used, in whole or in part, on a future podcast episode. Feel free to email the show with questions or comments at saintsmalltalk@mnpodcasting.com. Visit our web site, if you have not already, at https://saintsmalltalk.buzzsprout.com/ (saintsmalltalk.com). Please hit subscribe on whatever podcast source you found us on and rate and review our show. We love to hear feedback. Saint Small Talk is recorded at the studios of Minnesota Podcasting located on Snelling Avenue in St Paul, MN. Find them online at https://www.mnpodcasting.com/ (mnpodcasting.com).
Meet 31 CIO of the Year® Finalists for the TwinCitiesCIO ORBIE® Awards, held September 18, 2020.Idrissa Davis - Saint Paul Public Schools,Rahoul Ghose - ECMC Group,Dr. Casey Gordon - College of Saint Benedict,Jim Jones - Great River Energy,Michael Thyken - CaringBridge,Tarek Tomes - State of Minnesota,Alan Abramson - HealthPartners,Shahid Alam - BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota,Francois Charette - Optum,Mark Gingrich - Surescripts,Cris Ross - Mayo Clinic,Wade Anderson - Bay & Bay Transportation,Mark Bradley - Robins Kaplan LLP,Gary Inman - Bell Bank,Carey Smith - Constellation Mutual,Steve Swenson - Wolters Kluwer,Ben Davis - Cambria,David Hirschkorn - Eide Bailly LLP,Dennis Keane - Red Wing Shoe,Rachel Lockett - Pohlad Companies,Shawn Quant - Piper Sandler Companies,Troy Cardinal - RSM US LLP,Sid Gandhi - Securian Financial,Randy Kupper - Ameriprise Financial,Mike McGuire - Delta Dental of MN & Abōva Technologies,Hunter Saklad - Sleep Number,Julius Chepey - APi Group,Tammylynne Jonas - Self Esteem Brands,Bob Olson - Aon,John Pelant - CWT,Kurt Svendsen - The Toro Company,Host: Evan McLaughlin, evanm@inspirecio.com,TwinCitiesCIO Executive Director: Christa Oglivy, christao@inspirecio.com
Al Levin is an assistant principal at a PreK-8 school in Saint Paul Public Schools. He has been in education for over twenty years, the past fourteen years as an administrator. He is married, has four children and a puppy. But he is also a person who has recovered from two major bouts of depressive disorder.Al Levin is an assistant principal at a PreK-8 school in Saint Paul Public Schools. He has been in education for over twenty years, the past fourteen years as an administrator. He is married, has four children and a puppy.But he is also a person who has recovered from two major bouts of depressive disorder, one of which was quite debilitating for nearly six months of his life. Through this experience, he has become very passionate about learning more about mental health and supporting others with a mental illness, particularly men with depression. He joins Dr. Bond to talk about his blog and his podcast, being kind to yourself during depressive episodes, and working to dismiss the stigma around mental health in general, but particularly for men. Listen to Al's podcast The Depression Files here.
Al Levin is an assistant principal at a PreK-8 school in Saint Paul Public Schools. He has been in education for over twenty years, the past fourteen years as an administrator. He is married, has four children and a puppy. But he is also a person who has recovered from two major bouts of depressive disorder.Al Levin is an assistant principal at a PreK-8 school in Saint Paul Public Schools. He has been in education for over twenty years, the past fourteen years as an administrator. He is married, has four children and a puppy.But he is also a person who has recovered from two major bouts of depressive disorder, one of which was quite debilitating for nearly six months of his life. Through this experience, he has become very passionate about learning more about mental health and supporting others with a mental illness, particularly men with depression. He joins Dr. Bond to talk about his blog and his podcast, being kind to yourself during depressive episodes, and working to dismiss the stigma around mental health in general, but particularly for men. Listen to Al's podcast The Depression Files here.
Editor’s note (Oct. 16, 2020): This conversation, originally scheduled for Oct. 12, was postponed until Oct. 19 because of live coverage of the Supreme Court confirmation hearings. School is where we go to learn writing, math and social studies. But for some students in our state, it's also a place to learn about their culture. Some Minnesota school districts are home to Native American education programs, where Native kids can learn Indigenous languages, art forms and history. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two educators who lead these programs about why they’re so important to have in public schools. She also talks with an activist with Rock the Vote Native Style about voter registration and turnout, and what motivates Native voters. And MPR senior economics contributor Chris Farrell shares an update on the particulars of our struggling national economy. Guests: Gerald White is the Anishinaabe education coordinator and an Ojibwe instructor for Deer River Schools in Itasca County. John Bobolink is the director of American Indian education for Saint Paul Public Schools. Christian Taylor-Johnson is an organizer with Rock the Vote Native Style. Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for MPR.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I'm Marie Rock. Coming up...The 2020 Native American College Fair goes virtual…And Lt Governor Peggy Flanagan talks about the significance of the Native vote….Here's reporter Leah Lemm with these stories...STORY #1: 2020 NATIVE AMERICAN COLLEGE FAIRReporter: For many High School Juniors and Seniors, graduation and beyond is just around the corner. For seven years now, the Native American College Fair has been providing Twin Cities Native youth and their families an opportunity to learn more about colleges, universities and training programs. A representative from Saint Paul Public Schools on a video released last year... talked about what makes this college fair unique. Speaker 1: (00:11) They're given an opportunity to meet college representatives from colleges that offer either American Indian studies programming or specific American Indian supports on campus. So it's a little bit different than your typical college fair. Reporter: Last year, several hundred students attended the fair that was held at the University of MN St. Paul Student Center, but this year to protect everyone's health, the college fair is going virtual.The website will be live at least through the month of October, starting on Friday October 9th.Scholarship opportunities, Videos with information provided by colleges, universities and financial aid opportunities will be on the site. As well as videos created by a variety of Native professionals and college students, and a recorded panel of college students discussing their educational experiences. Though the fair is virtual, it allows for even more colleges and students to participate - those who normally couldn't due to distance. Find the link to the virtual college fair on the Native American College Fair facebook page. //the site name is really long :(//STORY #2: NATIVE VOTE WITH LT GOV PEGGY FLANAGANNext, the importance of the Native vote with Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan.Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan: (17:01) this election year is literally the most important of our lifetime.Reporter: November 3rd is coming up quick. Presidential election, and state and local seats are on the line. It may not be a tribal election, but non-tribal elections affect tribes and Native people, and related policies.Here's a portion of my conversation with the Lt Gov on the weekly Special Edition of Mn Native News. COVID 19 community conversations.Leah: I know growing up, I heard family members, especially native family members talk about just really not wanting to vote. It's not always true, but a lot of times, um, the native vote isn't one that is sought all the time or Indian country. Isn't something that's necessarily brought up in one's platform. Can you talk a little bit about the importance of the native vote?Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan (11:04): I totally hear when folks say, you know, like I don't vote in that system, that's on our system and I can, I can feel that because these, you know, every day I get up and I walk into the Capitol and I walk into a system that was not created by us or for us, it was like literally created to eliminate us and it's heavy. And so, you know, we all sort of carry that with us as we're, we're living and working in a society that oftentimes was not created with us in mind.Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan (09:33): It's been exciting to watch just the evolution of civic engagement in Indian country. I think for a long time, we saw especially our neighbors in South Dakota when native folks were registering and turning out to vote, they were flipping US Senate seats, congressional districts. And we've seen that happen here in Minnesota. We get, we have the power to influence elections when we, when we turn, turn out. So we started off sort of seeing that.Reporter: More of my conversation with Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan can be found on our website Minnesota Native News DOT ORG, that's M-N Native News DOT ORG, the program is COVID 19 Community Conversations.And you can find more information about the Native Vote at Native Vote DOT ORG. Native Vote is a non-partisan initiative from the National Congress of American Indians.On the site, you can see more data about Native Voting and learn how to register to vote.Again that's at Native Vote DOT ORG.For MN Native News, I'm Leah Lemm.
If you were to hear me talk with youth in The Poetry LAB you would know how I need them, this work. If you were to see me sitting in front of my computer, typing their poems and editing their recordings, long into the evening hours, then you would know how I am changed by them, their stories. A 16-year-old girl who acts like she doesn't care, volunteers to read her poem, and lets loose her story of rape, leaving a long line of silence in her wake. Wow. Powerful, I say. Have you told anyone this before? No, she says, through her hard shell, now cracked. I'm over it. Because of poetry, I can let it go. Because of poetry, people can know now. Because of poetry, I can begin to trust. Because of poetry, I can tell my truth to you. Drop by any day next week and discover them, fiercely pulling stories from their backpacks, notebooks holding truths screaming to be heard. Drop by any day next week. I'll be there, writing poems with kids. I'll let you witness transformation, Theirs, and my own. — The Work poem by Mary Tinucci, The Poetry LAB founder Valeria interviews Mary Tinucci the author of A Daily Gratitude Journal: Think in Possibilities Mary Tinucci is a clinical social worker in St. Paul, MN. During her 24-year career in St. Paul Public Schools (1991-2015), her individual and group work practice focused on youth in special education who struggled with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD); lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, staff and families; youth in foster care, and middle school youth struggling with depression. During her 24-year career in Saint Paul Public Schools, Dr. Tinucci was an innovator, initiating and designing programs to serve the most marginalized students. In 1994, she designed and implemented Out For Equity, the third district-wide school-based LGBTQ program in the country. This program continues today, serving the needs of LGBTQ youth & adults in St. Paul Public Schools. In 2004, she created The Poetry LAB, (later known as The LAB) an arts and wellness-based special education program for youth with emotional/behavioral disorders. This program employed the therapeutic use of spoken word/poetry, visual art, music and experiential wellness with at-risk youth. From 2003 - 2018, Dr. Tinucci was also an adjunct faculty member in the School of Social Work at St. Catherine University and University of St. Thomas (SCU/UST). Since May of 2018, Dr. Tinucci has been teaching full-time as a Core Faculty member in the Barbara Solomon School of Social Work at Walden University. Through her private practice, Think In Possibilities, she provides clinical supervision for social workers pursuing next-level social work licensure and facilitates Writing Circles/Support Groups. She also provides training, strategic planning support, team meeting facilitation, and consultation for school staff, teachers, social service providers, and mental health workers on topics relevant to social work practice including: LGBTQ youth and school issues, educational stability for youth in foster care, and the therapeutic use of poetry and creativity as a tool of mental health for youth and adults. To learn more about Mary Tinucci please visit her website: www.thinkinpossibilities.com For Intro-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/aquestforwellbeingpodcast Podcast Page: https://fitforjoy.org/podcast — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life to the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well. ** Bio intro and outro one by Heidi Lynn Peters.
Individuals with disabilities are 7 times more likely to be victims of sexual assault, yet they typically are not taught about their bodies nor boundaries for themselves and others. How can we begin these much needed conversations? To help us navigate this space is Katie Thune. Katie is an educator, author, and advocate for people with disabilities. She has her Teaching License in Health Education, and Special Education K – 12, as well as her MA in Education and worked as a teacher for Saint Paul Public Schools for 12 years. She has done extensive curriculum writing on relationships and sexuality education that can be found, along with other resources, on the website sexualityforallabilities.com In this episode Katie shares foundational things we can be teaching our loved one such as consent, rules and guidelines around some of the grey areas, public vs private spaces, compliance vs appropriate non compliance, and necessary vs exploitive touch. Related Episodes: Episode 69: Self Determination with Complex Communication Needs with guest Karrie Shogren, PhD. Episode 66: Advocating Against the Sexual Assault Epidemic with guest Julie Neward of Natalie’s Voice Episode 44: Sexual Assault Risk Reduction with guest Nora Baladerian, PhD, director of the Disability and Abuse Project
2019 marks 50 years of Ethnic Studies as a living entity in both higher education and K-12 schooling sites. The life of Ethnic Studies continues to breathe into existence through the arduous labor of young people, their families, and their communities across the country who have dared to wage love and leadership to structurally integrate culturally relevant curriculum into students’ daily educational experience. In this episode we will hear from youth organizers members of Student Engagement Advancement Board (SEAB), working towards Ethnic Studies in classrooms across Saint Paul Public Schools district. We will also hear from Elexia Reyes-McGovern, teacher, scholar, activist, and co-author along with Tracy Lachica Buenavista of the article Ethnic Studies with K - 12 Students, Families, and Communities: The Role of Teacher Education in Preparing Educators to Serve the People. Episode Graphic by AYPAL
Trending News: Nazi Salute in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Reading books is so yesterday. Germany doesn’t need bake sales to fund public schools. Huh? Feature Interview: Dr. Joe Gothard. Superintendent. Saint Paul Public Schools. What’s it take to lead 38,000 students, 6,500 teachers in 67 schools? A SUPERintendent! What Would Matt Damon’s Mom Say about “playing” superheroes?... Read more »
Gayle J. Smaller is Executive Director of the New Lens Mentoring Society, which he created in 2014 to close the opportunity gap between students of color and their white peers in Saint Paul Public Schools. Gayle draws on his vast experience as a teacher, principal, and educational consultant and uses a unique multi-generational mentoring and experiential approach to closing the achievement gap. Born and raised in North Minneapolis in a family well-known for its commitment to education and civil rights, Gayle is also a spoken-word artist and poet. He holds a B.S. in Designing K-12 Alternative Learning Environments and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota.
Lynn Broberg grew up in Stillwater, Minnesota doing some of the normal things that kids from Minnesota do. During the summers, you could find her on the soccer field, and in the winters, on the ice with her hockey team. After high school graduation, Lynn attended the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish. After college graduation, Lynn eventually found herself immersed in the field of child and school nutrition. She's currently the Business Systems Manager for Nutrition Services at Saint Paul Public Schools, and recently earned her School Nutrition Specialist (SNS) credentials. School nutrition isn't the only thing that Lynn eventually found herself immersed in. As a celebration of her 30th and her aunts 45th birthdays, Lynn made her first tandem skydive on September 17, 2005. Because of her nerves, it was a jump she almost did not make. Fast forward 11 years, and you'll find Lynn at a drop zone almost every weekend adding to her over 3,000 skydives and five world records in large formation skydiving. Listen in as Lynn describes what it's like to jump, how she handles the risks of skydiving, what it's like to be a female in a male dominated sport, and how skydiving has change her life on the ground. If you want to stay up-to-date on future episodes or you want access to our Spotify Power Playlist, sign up at www.careerkindling.com
On July 6, 2016, the school nutrition community suffered the tragic loss of one of its own when Philando Castile was shot by police during a routine traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Philando—a.k.a. "Mr. Phil" and "Mr. Rogers with dreadlocks"—was the beloved 32-year-old cafeteria supervisor for the J.J. Hill Montessori School in Saint Paul. In this special episode, produced in collaboration with Saint Paul Public Schools, we hear about Philando from his colleagues and his mother, Valerie Castile. They join us in mourning, and in celebration of a life well lived and a job well done. Image: Student letter posted outside J.J. Montessori School, Saint Paul: "This year I was going to give you a gift but then you dided but Im giving you a gift anyway! You hade the biggest heart ever I rilly miss you. I rilly rilly miss you Your the best lunch man we ever could have I wish you were alive. You have Rainbows in your heart!"
Daisy Dyer Duerr joins Justin Baeder to discuss preparing all students for success in today's digital world.Interview Notes, Resources, & LinksFollow Daisy on TwitterRead Daisy's blogAbout Daisy Dyer DuerrDaisy Dyer Duerr is the K-12 principal of Saint Paul Public Schools in Saint Paul, Arkansas. She is the 2014 NASSP Digital Principal, and is a popular blogger and Twitter presence for school leaders.