PODCAST · education
Supe‘s On! With Dr. Steven Cook
by Superintendent Steven Cook
In each episode, Superintendent Dr. Steven Cook serves up news and information about Bend-La Pine Schools for families, staff and community members.
Episodes
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How we're teaching our youngest learners to read
How is Bend-La Pine Schools helping our youngest learners become stronger, more confident readers? In this episode of The Supe's On, Dr. Steven Cook talks with elementary administrator Julie Richards and kindergarten teacher Emily Philips about our new science-based approach to early literacy…
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Flipping the script: The Superintendent answers our questions
This is the sixth year Superintendent Steven Cook has hosted his podcast exploring what’s happening in Bend-La Pine Schools. He’s trying something different in this first episode of the school year — taking a seat as the podcast’s guest. Dr. Cook — a former teacher, coach and school administrator…
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Preparing for the future: Life & Career Readiness Night 2026
The third annual Life & Career Readiness Night is fast approaching. It will be at Caldera High School on Thursday, April 30, 2026. More than 50 Central Oregon employers and representatives of higher education will be there to speak with students and families about a wide variety of post-secondary...
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It's Classified: What you should know about support staff at Bend-La Pine Schools
Bend-La Pine Schools employs around 900 Classified employees who are present in all aspects of District operations, from classrooms to kitchens, buses to offices, libraries to landscaping. For this episode of “The Supe is On” podcast, Dr. Cook’s guest is Jennifer Groth, Inclusion Educational...
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How our new instruction and grading system is working at one high school
Last fall we introduced listeners to a major change, in our middle and high schools, known as Standards-Based Instruction and Grading. All secondary schools will have this fully in place next school year. We’re sharing information throughout this year to explain what the standards-based approach…
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High Schools Implement New 'Silent & Away' Phone Policy
When our high school students return from winter break on Monday, January 5, Bend-La Pine Schools will be enforcing a policy that prohibits students from using or handling their phones and other personal electronic devices from the start of the first class period to the end of the last class...
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Tackling Chronic Absenteeism in Our Schools
What happens when a student is a no-show at school? Student attendance has been a major concern in schools across the U.S. the past few years, after chronic absenteeism spiked during the pandemic years. Helping students and families achieve regular attendance is a key focus of Bend-La Pine…
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New approach to grading puts the emphasis on skills
A new grading model is expanding across secondary schools this year as Bend-La Pine Schools continues its implementation of Standards-Based Grading. Some middle and high schools previously adopted it, more are implementing it this year, and all secondary schools will have it fully in place by…
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The State of Educational Technology and Artificial Intelligence
The emergence of artificial intelligence in public education has raised loads of questions for educators, administrators, students and families. We’re confronting these questions head on in Bend-La Pine Schools, as you’ll hear in our latest Supe’s On! Podcast with Superintendent Steven Cook. Dr....
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Building for tomorrow: An update on our bond projects
What's all the commotion this summer at Sky View Middle School, Buckingham Elementary, and Bend Senior High School? It's our school bond program in full swing! Bend-La Pine Schools continues to invest in our school campuses from the voter-approved bond measure in 2002. Much of the work is…
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Sources of Strength through the eyes of two student leaders
No one denies the teen years can be tough on many levels. A program in our secondary schools called Sources of Strength is helping students lean on support systems to help them through struggles big and small. Sources debuted in Bend-La Pine Schools four years ago at Bend Tech Academy, and in…
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Get ready for Fly-Up Day and Life & Career Readiness Night
For students contemplating high school and beyond, two big events are right around the corner! CTE and Elective Exploration Fly-Up Day for all 8th grade students is March 3. And on March 12 we present the second annual Life & Career Readiness Night at Caldera High School, which caters to middle…
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Digital hall pass is a game-changer at Mountain View High School
Mountain View High School has rolled out a digital hall pass this year that helps students maximize the time they’re in classrooms and engaged in learning, and reduces problems that arise when students take longer than necessary with a hall pass. Dr. Cook sits down for a conversation with…
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Go behind the scenes of our Nutrition Services operation
What’s cooking in the department that offers breakfast and lunch to 17,000 students in Bend, Sunriver and La Pine? In our latest superintendent’s podcast, Garra Schluter, Director of Nutrition Services for Bend-La Pine Schools, sits down with Dr. Cook for a chat about current trends and…
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Why Bend-La Pine Schools created a new Student Code of Conduct
This school year Bend-La Pine Schools rolled out a new Student Code of Conduct, which is available on the District website – GO HERE to read or download it. The Code of Conduct outlines how our schools respond when we have student behavioral issues that may lead to discipline, and how we are…
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One school's experience keeping student phones off and away
In Bend-La Pine Schools, we're in our third year of managing restrictions on students' personal technology during the school day. For middle school students, their phones are off and away throughout each school day, allowing them to focus fully on learning. Superintendent Steven Cook speaks with...
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A new school year with guest Deputy Superintendent Lisa Birk
In this episode of the Supe’s On! podcast, Dr. Cook sits down with Deputy Superintendent Lisa Birk. Dr. Birk is new to this role but has been a leader in our district for 13 years, including at Bear Creek Elementary, Pacific Crest Middle School and Juniper Elementary. Primary responsibilities of...
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Caldera High School's First Graduation
Three years ago we opened Caldera High School in southeast Bend, and this week the first senior class will graduate. That’s a big deal – big enough that we’ve dedicated two podcasts to it this year. Last fall we met two members of Caldera’s senior class, and this spring we meet two other students...
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Forestry and natural resources classes are CTE options at La Pine High School
Our students are connecting with their futures through Career Technical Education programs in all of our high schools. In one school, that means students are making their own axes and learning how to operate chainsaws. Today Dr. Cook visits La Pine High School, where students are able to take...
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Where Everybody Belongs: Welcoming Students at High Desert Middle School
Have you heard about WEB in our middle schools? It stands for Where Everybody Belongs and features 8th grade students volunteering to welcome new 6th graders and help them adjust to middle school life and feel welcome and included throughout the school year. In this episode of The Supe’s On!...
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Caldera High’s First Senior Class
Caldera High School is so new, this is its first year with a senior class. And what a special year this will be for the 250 members of Caldera’s Class of 2024! In this episode of The Supe’s On! podcast, Dr. Cook visits the school to meet with two of these students: Harlee Miller, a senior class...
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Reintroducing Bend Tech Academy
You may know this school from a different time, with a different name. Bend Tech Academy today is entirely different: a small but mighty “choice option” high school with an emphasis on career-technical education, preparing students for college and careers. Dr. Cook visits BTA for a chat with the...
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Some of the heroes in our schools
Winter can be a tough time of year for many families, as cold weather means increased heating bills and a need for warm clothing. When our families seek basic needs, there’s someone at school they can turn to for help: Family Access Network (FAN) advocates. On today’s podcast, Superintendent…
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How vaping is affecting our schools and what we can do to help
Vaping is impacting our schools. While we know that a majority of students are not vaping, the number who are need support. In Superintendent Steve Cook's latest podcast, he examines this topic alongside Becky Aylor, Assistant Principal at Mountain View High School, and Aimee Snyder, Prevention…
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Learn about the November bond, take a tour of Bend Senior High and learn about our incredible Lava Bear culture
Season 2 of Supe’s On! With Dr. Cook is here and today he’s covering the school construction bond on the November ballot. He goes on a tour of Bend Senior High with Principal Chris Reese to learn about 70-year-old classrooms, butterfly roofs, a boiler system run on steam and the incredible Lava...
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Support Matters: LGBTQ+ Youth in Our Schools
Did you know nearly 20 percent of middle and high school students in Bend-La Pine Schools identify as LGBTQ? It’s true … and it’s also true that students who identify as LGBTQ+ reported having the most negative experiences out of any demographic group in our schools. So what can we do to change...
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Class of 2022: Ready to Reflect
Grab your mortarboards and get ready to toss some confetti, it’s senior week on the podcast! This week, two seniors at Realms High take Superintendent Cook on a tour of their small choice high school, reflect on how the pandemic affected their high school experience and share their plans for the...
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This Pod is Poggers (did we get that right?)
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week and that means Dr. Cook is headed to a middle school classroom to celebrate two outstanding educators. Cascade Middle School math teacher Brian Kent and special education teacher McKenna Johnsen share what they love about middle school (blunt, hilarious students who...
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Even One is Too Many: Taking on Bias Incidents in Our Schools
Today’s podcast takes on a serious, disheartening subject: bias incidents in our schools. Superintendent Steven Cook, Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion Kinsey Martin and Assistant Director of Student Services Eric Powell walk listeners through what we are seeing in schools and how our...
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No Dusty Shelves
It’s School Library Month and Dr. Cook is connecting with two outstanding teacher librarians, Eila Overcash (Summit High) and Donna Layne (Mountain View High), to get an inside look at our thriving libraries. The duo share tips on how to find a book to reach even the most reluctant reader, how…
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Athletic Directors Are Getting Back On Track
In today’s episode, Dr. Steven Cook talks with two athletic directors about the moment everything changed in their worlds, how they handle ever-changing protocols, and the transformative power of athletics. Caldera’s Dave Williams and Mountain View’s Lance Haas share the importance of staying...
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What It’s like to be a School Resource Officer
What does a School Resource Officer do? Superintendent Steven Cook talks with longtime School Resource Officer Amy Ward from Bend Police Department about her day-to-day duties, how she collaborates with Bend High Principal Chris Reese, and why relationships are at the heart of everything she does.
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It’s OK to reach out for help
In this episode, Superintendent Steven Cook learns about a key local resource for mental health support for students – YouthLine, a free teen-to-teen crisis support and help line. Dr. Cook talks with two of YouthLine’s local student volunteers who share the kind of issues and challenges they are...
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BONUS: Snow is here! How to know if school is in session
Snow is here! Learn how to find out if school is in session. In this bonus clip, learn how we decide whether to delay or close schools during inclement weather (staff hit the roads at 3 a.m.!) and find out how to learn about those decisions as soon as they happen. Featuring Transportation…
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Supporting Student Mental Health
In this deep dive, Superintendent Steven Cook talks with two dynamic school counselors about why this time of year can be challenging for some families, finding our strengths, how to talk to teens about serious issues and why our students make them hopeful for the future. Thank you to Bend Senior...
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Every Student Belongs and the Importance of Uncomfortable Conversations
Today on the Supe’s on!, Dr. Steven Cook talks with Kinsey Martin, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, about new Every Student Belongs legislation, the difference between bias and hate, pushing back on the notion that our community isn’t diverse, and the importance of empathy and staying...
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Preparing for Inclement Weather and What It‘s Like Driving a School Bus
With cold, blustery weather on the horizon, it’s a good time to get prepared for inclement weather. Today on the Supe’s On! Podcast, Superintendent Cook talks with our Transportation Director Kim Crabtree about how we make decisions about when to call snow days and how our drivers prepare for...
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Executive Chef Takes us Behind the Scenes
Did you know Bend-La Pine Schools has its very own Executive Chef? On this episode Tracie Surgeon takes us into the high tech production kitchen at Bend High, where she and Superintendent Steven Cook talk supply chain issues, buying local, the surprisingly sophisticated palates of kindergartners...
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Fruit Math and Four Square: Dr. Cook Learns About Life As a Fifth Grader
Fruit math and four square: Today, in a change of pace, Superintendent Cook goes back to school and gets a taste of what fifth grade at Amity Creek is like thanks to tour guide Quinn. He learns about fruit math, the importance of four square and finds out when Quinn would advise “don’t bite...
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Directors are ready for the first day
Director of Schools play a critical role for our schools – learn what these folks do, their vision for what challenges lie ahead, unforgettable first days and whether they think families and staff can dare to get excited for the first day. Thanks to Juan Cuadros, Tammy Doty, Katie Legace and Skip...
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Return to School Planning Series Part 3
For part three of Dr. Cook's series on Return to School Planning, we flipped the script a bit and instead of Dr. Cook conducting the interview, he is interviewed by Alandra Johnson, Assistant Director of Communications for Bend-La Pine Schools. Alandra and Dr. Cook have a good conversation about...
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Return to School Planning with Tami Pike, assistant director of Health Services for Bend-La Pine Schools
This week's episode of Supe's On! With Dr. Steven Cook features an interview with Tami Pike, Assistant Director of Health Services for Bend-La Pine Schools. Tami and Dr. Cook cover a lot of ground about how the district is preparing for school in the fall with good information on masking,...
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Return to School Planning
This episode contains information about how the district is preparing for school to resume in the fall, including current information on masks, vaccinations, quarantines and summer school guidelines.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
In each episode, Superintendent Dr. Steven Cook serves up news and information about Bend-La Pine Schools for families, staff and community members.
HOSTED BY
Superintendent Steven Cook
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Supe‘s On! With Dr. Steven Cook have?
Supe‘s On! With Dr. Steven Cook currently has 43 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Supe‘s On! With Dr. Steven Cook about?
In each episode, Superintendent Dr. Steven Cook serves up news and information about Bend-La Pine Schools for families, staff and community members.
How often does Supe‘s On! With Dr. Steven Cook release new episodes?
Supe‘s On! With Dr. Steven Cook has 43 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Supe‘s On! With Dr. Steven Cook?
You can listen to Supe‘s On! With Dr. Steven Cook on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Supe‘s On! With Dr. Steven Cook?
Supe‘s On! With Dr. Steven Cook is created and hosted by Superintendent Steven Cook.
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