PODCAST · education
The School Perceptions Podcast
by The School Perceptions team
A place to share the inside scoop on the successful things schools are doing to confront their most pressing challenges.
Episodes
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50. Community engagement, trust-building, and tax tolerance (WASBO presentation)
This is a video episode (an optional component) because it is the podcast version of a WASBO presentation from Thursday, Oct 8th, 2026. In this episode, Derek presents some survey-based research on Wisconsin communities' tax tolerance relative to various levels of referendum asks, discusses the...
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49. Watering Parent Confidence Daily
Steve Considine, superintendent of the School District of Baraboo, joins us to talk about how he does what he does. Steve came up through Baraboo: middle school social studies teacher, then an administrator in Lake Mills, then back as Baraboo High School principal. What drew our attention was a...
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48. Forward Together (w/ WASDA's Damian LaCroix)
Derek talks with Damian LaCroix, who became executive director of the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators (WASDA) on July 1 after 33 years in public education, including nearly 20 as a superintendent in Howard-Suamico. Derek raises a pattern out of a summer spent in the data:...
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47. Which Improvement Approaches Really Work and Why?
We're joined today by Harvard's Jal Mehta and Radford's Max Yurkovsky to discuss their new book, A Chance to Solve Their Own Problems: Inside the New Methods to Remake Public Schools. Their project was motivated by a fascinating question: Why do reforms sometimes work? The resulting book splits…
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46. What Surveys Can Tell You That Nothing Else Can
A summary of a summer's worth of research on all of our climate surveys and what they mean for the outcomes that districts and states tend to track, with a bonus section on Wisconsin referendums -- what impacts they have on various outcomes, how our surveys predict passage and vote share, and so on.
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45. There's a Lot of Hope in this Survey Data: Student Engagement through the Pandemic
Dr. Ashley Carey joins us to talk about her recently-published study on students' experience of the Covid years. Tracking student survey data across six years and nearly 100,000 survey responses from Massachusetts schools, Ashley ranges from the specific findings of her paper to broader questions...
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44. You Can't Walk Up to a Stranger and Ask Them for Money
This week, Mia Trippi, Senior Director of Public Affairs at Mueller Communications, joins us to unpack how public institutions build — and lose — the trust that makes hard conversations possible. She talks about why the act of communicating sometimes matters more than what you're actually saying,...
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43. If You Want to Predict Teacher Retention, Ask... Parents?
We're not out of the nerd woods yet, folks! Continuing in our summer deep-dive series into our own survey data, today we're testing candidate predictors of teacher retention. We have now sorted through literally every response to each staff, student, and parent survey we have run from the fall of...
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42. Why Are Staff So Unhappy with Discipline?
Across every kind of district, "Our school's discipline policies and practices are effective" remains one of the lowest-ranked items on our staff surveys. It's been that way for five years (at least). Even as the average rating improves, its place in the pecking order of staff concerns does not....
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41. Five Trends We're Seeing in Our Surveys
Rob DeMeuse is back for a deep dive into five years of survey data from staff, students, parents, and community members across the districts we work with! No special focus -- just two research nerds talking about what our data has been telling us lately and what it might mean. For more background...
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40. The Fish Fry Rule, or Why We Survey Like We Do
By popular demand (as measured by frequently-asked questions), I invited Rob DeMeuse and Scott Girard to stop by the old podcast studio to talk a little bit about the survey methodology we use, and why we use it rather than other approaches. In a lot of ways, this conversation expands on a blog...
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39. What Works to Address Absenteeism?
Jeremy Singer, professor at University of Michigan-Flint, talks to us about his exhaustive study of how principals are stemming the tide of absenteeism -- what's proving effective, and what isn't? (It's a big deal! The Hechinger Report wrote it up too!) A related piece, coming out of the same...
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38. What Should New Board Members Know about School Finance?
With a host of new school board members taking their seats after April elections, Mike Barry and Danielle Bosanec of WASBO stopped by to talk about what makes school finance difficult to understand, what sorts of questions board members should be asking, and what degree of budgetary flexibility...
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37. Why Involve Your Community At All?
Jack Schneider joins us from UMass-Amherst to talk about what community members have to offer local schools beyond tax dollars, and what schools have to offer community members beyond test scores (to coin a phrase). You can email him with follow-ups, as he offers in the episode. We talked about…
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36. Why Integrity > Fidelity in Research Implementation
Cara Jackson, recent President of the Association of Education Finance and Policy (AEFP), joins us to talk about her presidential essay and what she's learned over two decades of work in the "evidence-informed education ecosystem" about what it takes for policymakers, school leaders, and…
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35. How Does Career Education Work Out for Students?
Professor Jay Plasman, of Ohio State, joins us to talk about a recent report he published with the Fordham Institute, entitled "College or Career Readiness: Postsecondary and Labor Market Outcomes for Ohio High School Students Earning Industry-Recognized Credentials." The full report is available...
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34. Tying Staff Engagement to Continuous Improvement
Superintendent Kyle Luedtke, of Frederic, joins the podcast today to talk through his well-honed approach to improving staff engagement, and using that positivity to drive educational growth.
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33. April 2026 Referendum Recap
Our VP of research stops by the podcast to talk about what happened in Wisconsin referendums in the Spring of 2026. How did this April compare to previous Aprils? What trends are we seeing? What does it all mean? I promised to link to Rob's dissertation, in case anyone wanted the deepest deep…
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32. How Does District Consolidation and Dissolution Work in Wisconsin?
Bob Soldner sits down with Derek to talk about the processes, actors, and decisions involved when Wisconsin school districts need to fold or join their neighbors in order to provide a quality education. What role do finances play? Will taxpayers in those districts save money? What things ought...
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31. A Process to Trust: Guided Strategic Planning
Veteran guests Ross Herdina and Dennis Pauli are back with us in this episode to talk us through The strategic challenges school districts are facing How facilitated planning processes can help How facilitation works in practice And how high-level plans are connected to ground-level practice. For...
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30. From Surveys to Strategy
Today we dive back into strategic planning, with Janell Bullard from Paynesville Area Schools (Minnesota) and Zack Fugate of Unity School District (Wisconsin). You’ll hear how strategic planning can help districts: • Gather meaningful community feedback before making major decisions • Engage…
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29. What's Up and What's Down in Our Surveys So Far?
VP of Research Dr. Rob DeMeuse joins Derek to talk about trends in the staff, student, and parent survey data we collected during the first semester of this school year. Spoiler: lots of items are trending in the right direction!
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28. You've Got Your Data: Now What?
Grand Meadow (MN) District Administrators Paul Besel and Phil Strong sit down with SP's Daren Sievers and Agile Ideas Leadership's Shannon Helgeson and Ross Herdina to talk about their experience using rich data and external facilitators to guide continuous improvement. See this handout for more…
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27. Needs Aren't Going Away: Getting Facilities Right
In this episode, Kit Dailey from EUA, Erika Freeman from Findorff, and Megan Prestebak from Miron discuss the facilities challenges that Wisconsin school districts are facing, the solutions that communities are considering, and the processes of communicating, planning, and executing school…
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26. WASB Round-Up
We brought our recording equipment to our booth, and we asked board members, superintendents, other vendors, and parents to sit down with us and share what's going on in their districts. Lots of exciting stuff happening around the state -- take a listen!
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25. WASB Preview '26
Next week, school leaders will flock to the Baird Center in downtown Milwaukee to share what's working for them and learn from one another. We've put together a preview of nine sessions we're particularly looking forward to. The whole program is available here. In this episode: 1:57-8:30--Emily...
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24. Clarity, Communication, Consistency: Implementing Cell Phone Policies Well
Alyssa Burrage and Luke Pinion join Derek to talk about their districts' experiences with designing and rolling out personal communications devices policies over the last several years. What gave rise to the need, how did it all go, what have been the effects so far, and what advice might they…
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23. Why Ban Phones? A Data Deep Dive.
In this episode, Derek reviews the research literature on the effects of implementing a personal-devices policy in schools; and then Rob joins the conversation to talk the things that staff, students, and parents want a phone ban to achieve -- and they're not the same! If you're interested in...
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22. From Chaos to Consistency in Hastings Middle School
Tammy Champa sits down with Derek to talk about her experience with transforming school climate in Hastings, Minnesota.
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21. Getting Pay Scales Right after Act 10
Here we revisit the impact of Wisconsin's landmark Act 10 legislation, which gave Wisconsin district leaders unprecedented flexibility to experiment with teacher compensation. Dr. Steve Kimball, from the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, talks about WCER's recent follow-up study, tracking...
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20. Responsive Leadership and Response Rates
Superintendent Liz Freeman joins us from the Cedar Grove-Belgium School District to talk about using survey data to build trust, engage the community, and drive improvement. Visit our website to see the various survey tools available for you to use!
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19. Data Detective Work
Dr. Stephen Plum, superintendent of the Kettle Moraine School District, joins us to talk about the task of triangulating staff, student, and parent survey information -- and putting it all together with attendance and achievement data -- in order to improve parent engagement, staff compensation,...
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18. Discipline Is a Lesson
Roy de la Garza, veteran school leader with experience in the Houston Independent School District and Carlsbad Municipal Schools, joins us to share what he's learned about how to improve student behavior, staff buy-in, and school climate all at once. For our suite of tools to help district and...
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17. Build Trust Before You Need It: How School Boards Can Help New Superintendents Set the Tone
Steve Schroeder, of the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, and Kelly Thompson, of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, join Derek to talk about what makes for great board/superintendent relationships and how those can go awry. Use our leadership tools to help get or to help…
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16. Don’t Do Math in Public: How to Talk School Finance with Your Communities
Elise Murn and Kevin Mullen, of Baird’s Wisconsin School Financing team, join us to share their experiences and advice when it comes to informing concerned citizens about districts' financial situations. Hear about: Topics, questions, and responses that can derail community conversations The nuts...
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15. Decoding the 2025-2027 Wisconsin Budget, with Anne Chapman
In which Anne tells us all about what's new and different in Wisconsin's new biennial budget, what it means for schools and taxpayers, and what kinds of topics of conversation we can expect to hear popping up in communities around the state. For more on WASBO, where Anne is the Research Director,...
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14. You Can't Improve Discipline in Isolation
Wendell Quesinberry, Administrator of Tomahawk School District, sits down with Derek to talk details about how Tomahawk improved staff and student perceptions of school discipline policies over the past few years. It involves strategic planning, cascading leadership, and of course lots and lots…
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13. How Community Engagement Built a Welding Academy, a Health Program, and Trust
Wade McKittrick, of Montevideo Public Schools and BetterU Solutions, shares how his Minnesota district flipped the script on school improvement. From student-led healthcare pathways and a thriving welding academy to community mental health initiatives that changed lives, Wade walks us through how...
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12. On the Uses of Summer (for Planning), with Aaron Tarnutzer
McFarland’s Aaron Tarnutzer joins us to discuss how, why, and with whom to take the summer months to analyze and plan for the future. Find more of our, well, findings at our Resource Center, and see our website for more information on the survey tools we offer.
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11. Deep Diving into Our Data, with Rob DeMeuse
Our VP of Research joins us once again, this time to talk about what we've learned from analyzing ALL of the staff, student, and parent surveys we conducted over the 2024-2025 academic year. There's good news, there's a little bad news, and there's some weird news, too. Subscribe to our Resource...
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10. We're in the Buffet Business: Strategic Planning amid Multiple Goals and Stakeholders
In this second half of my conversation with Ted Neitzke, we talk about the educator career ladder, managing conflict within systems, avoiding the dynamics of "reform churn," and so much more. You can hear more of Ted on his Smart Thinking podcast, you can subscribe to our own newsletter for our…
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9. From Binders to Bylaws: The Evolution of Strategic Planning, with Ted Neitzke
In part one of this two-part episode, leadership expert Ted Neitzke sits down with us to talk about the Baldrige Excellence Framework, the human need for structure and status, and how to draw upon "legacy experts" in the developing a strategic plan. Give Ted's Smart Thinking podcast a listen, if...
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8. It's All Relationships: How to Build Career Academies, with Eric Burke and Lexi Allen
The School District of Rhinelander's Eric Burke and Lexi Allen join us to talk about how they're expanding postsecondary pathways. Learn more at their Academic and Career Planning website, and find additional information about their Partners in Education program here, too. To stay on top of what…
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7. School Stores and Life Skills, with Kim Smessaert and Phil Ourada
Under Kim Smessaert's guidance, Slinger's school store, the Rookery, has become so much more than an extension of DECA. Hear how Slinger is opening doors for its students, equipping them with the skills and experiences they'll need in their early jobs--and building community cohesion all the…
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6. Strategic Planning Is a Win-Win, with Gail Gilman and Chris Thompson
Gail Gilman of the Minnesota School Boards Association and Chris Thompson of the Unified School District of De Pere sit down with us to talk about how and why to do strategic planning right. Subscribe to the School Perceptions blog for information on upcoming live recordings. And visit our...
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5. Retention is the New Recruitment, with Tonya Olson
Lake Mills Area schools received five times the expected number of applications for an open teaching position. What is going on there that makes the district one that staff want to join and stay in? Subscribe to the School Perceptions blog for information on upcoming live recordings. And visit…
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4. April Referendum Recap
Our own Scott Girard and Rob DeMeuse help us think through the Wisconsin school referendum results from April 1st. It's a wide-ranging conversation 1.) How did April 1st fit into historical trends in the state, and what is driving those trends? 2.) How does community conversation -- the…
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3. Opening Doors for Students, with Bill Foster
School Perceptions is in the business of helping schools do their jobs well. Every school wants to help kids plan for and access opportunities after graduation. Our founder, Bill Foster, joins us today to talk about our new "Opening Doors" project, which shares concrete examples of schools and...
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2. What's Going On With Superintendent Turnover? with Rachel White and Rob DeMeuse
Dr. Rachel White, founder of the Superintendent Lab, joins Derek and Dr. Rob DeMeuse to talk about what's driving superintendent transitions, who's filling those openings, and whether it's even a good idea for a new superintendent to try to "hit the ground running." Rob mentions our "pulse-check"...
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1. Superintendent Transitions, with Dennis Pauli and Anna Young
What does it take to step out of or into the superintendency well? Edgerton's Dennis Pauli and Glendale River Hills's Anna Young sit down to talk about how they prepared to exit and to enter the superintendent position. LINKS: Contact us! Our Resource Center The School Perceptions suite of...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A place to share the inside scoop on the successful things schools are doing to confront their most pressing challenges.
HOSTED BY
The School Perceptions team
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The School Perceptions Podcast have?
The School Perceptions Podcast currently has 51 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The School Perceptions Podcast about?
A place to share the inside scoop on the successful things schools are doing to confront their most pressing challenges.
How often does The School Perceptions Podcast release new episodes?
The School Perceptions Podcast has 51 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The School Perceptions Podcast?
You can listen to The School Perceptions Podcast 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 The School Perceptions Podcast?
The School Perceptions Podcast is created and hosted by The School Perceptions team.
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