PODCAST · education
WASB Connection Podcast
by WASB
A podcast for members of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and others about a wide range of educational issues they consider as elected officials.
Episodes
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49. Legislative Session Wrap-Up
Public education has been a major topic during the current legislative session, which is now just weeks away from concluding. The WASB has tracked more than 300 bills this session. Reading instruction, school safety, licensure changes and student health have all been at the center of legislative...
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48. The 2024 State Education Convention
This episode, a special commemoration of the 2024 State Education Convention, includes the speeches of Gov. Tony Evers as well as the incoming and outgoing presidents of the WASB, Mike Humke of Dodgeville and Rosanne Hahn of Burlington. You can find a copy of Mike's presentation here. Rosanne's...
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47. The Roles and Duties of School Board Officers (Rerun)
This episode, a rebroadcast from March 2021, focuses on the roles and duties of school board officers — president, vice president, treasurer and clerk. We spoke about with a WASB attorney and governance consultant about the legal requirements for board officers as well as the duties enshrined in...
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46. Sean Covey’s Insights on School Leadership
After serving as the starting quarterback for Brigham Young University, Sean Covey started being invited to speak to children. He spoke at hundreds of schools, and the time he spent around kids and teens gave him an idea of the challenges they were going through. Sean would go on to write about...
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45. Lessons From Leaders: A Conversation With Convention Keynote John Quiñones
This month's episode of the podcast features an interview between 2024 State Education Convention keynote John Quiñones and Michael Lyons, an author and speaker based in the Philadelphia area. They spoke in 2020 about John’s story, including how he went from a childhood of farm labor to the…
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44. A Deep Dive Into School Board Accountability
In this episode, we’ll be helping you see a familiar concept in a new way. You already understand what school board accountability means, but we'll go in-depth on what this means in practice — and it's about more than dollars and cents. We’ll talk with Stratford Board President Chris Dickinson…
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43. Keeping an Eye on Your School District’s Finances
Our latest episode covers ground that is familiar to all school board members: the regular review of school district financial information. The purpose of these financial reports is simple: to convey the school district’s financial health, now and in the foreseeable future. They’re also a great...
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42. A Chat With the WASB's New Executive Director
The Wisconsin Association of School Boards has a new executive director — only the fourth in our 100-year history. Today, we’ll talk to Dan Rossmiller about his past and the future of the WASB. You may already know Dan — he’s been government relations director at the WASB since 2006 — but he’s...
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41. Engaging Students in a Real-World Challenge
The Renew Our Schools Energy Challenge, sponsored by two Wisconsin organizations, asks students to measure their schools' energy use and find ways to reduce it. It’s a way for kids to learn by doing while helping their schools save money. We'll learn about that program and how your district can...
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40. What Loving Relationships Mean to Kids
Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, a Madison pediatrician, says that what happens to a child in their first few years of life can have profound consequences for their school years and beyond. Dr. Navsaria is the keynote to the 2023 Summer Leadership Institute, a two-day conference held in Green Bay July 14 and...
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39. How School Boards Can Boost Student Achievement
A great teacher, we all know, can change the course of a child’s life. The same is true of school board members, as well. They have a different role, but the choices school board members make can help their district’s students reach their potential. So, how does that happen? The work of a school...
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38. Exploring Emergency Educator Licenses
When a school district can’t find a licensed educator, they may hire an unlicensed person with certain conditions. This is commonly referred to as an emergency license, and they also can be used by counselors, social workers, librarians and school administrators. The number of these licenses has...
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37. Legislative Update: A New Two-Year Budget
Wisconsin lawmakers are creating the next two-year budget. It will have a major impact on the opportunities school districts can offer their students. This month, we hear from the WASB government relations team — Dan Rossmiller and Chris Kulow — about what’s happening in Madison and how education...
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36. The Governor and State Superintendent Address the State Education Convention
The 102nd State Education Convention is over, and we’re hoping attendees will be thinking and talking about it for months. This month, we’re sharing two speeches from the convention. First, we’ll hear from Governor Tony Evers, who made his 38th appearance at the convention. After that, we hear…
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35. Wisconsin Combats the Referee Shortage
It’s getting more and more difficult to find and keep referees for youth sports. And without refs, kids can’t play. Today, we talk to two women who are at the center of Wisconsin's effort to recruit and retain these officials. They are Kate Peterson Abiad, assistant director of the Wisconsin...
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34. Working Better Together
Have you ever struggled to persuade colleagues to see things your way? Has your hand ever hovered over the "send" key after you finish a difficult email? Or maybe you've been challenged to find the right words with a fellow school board member. Sarita Maybin may be able to help. She’s an author,...
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33. What’s Trust Got to Do With It?
David Horsager believes that successful people, companies, schools and other institutions have one thing in common: they’re trusted. And when they struggle, he believes a lack of trust is usually the root cause. He’s the keynote speaker for the first general session of the 2023 State Education...
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32. A Fall Wisconsin School Board Tradition Continues
Every fall, the Wisconsin Association of School Boards travels around the state to provide an update to members and give them an opportunity to share a meal. Fall Regional Meetings are once again underway. This month’s episode is a mini-regional meeting in podcast form. We’ll start by taking a…
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31. Reversing the Teacher Shortage One Student at a Time
Plenty of students want to serve as educators. But they face challenges, not the least of which include negative reactions from their friends and family. A Mauston teacher is working toward a solution. She's encouraging students to pursue education careers through Educators Rising, a national…
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How To Keep Improving as a School Board
School boards spend a lot of time continuously improving their school district. But they may not devote as much time to understanding their own strengths and weaknesses. In this episode we discuss the Annual Board Development Tool with Shelley Burns, board president at Mequon-Thiensville, and Rob...
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How Are Districts Spending Federal Relief Funds?
Wisconsin school districts have or will receive almost $2.4 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds. They’re using this one-time money to purchase technology, directly respond to the pandemic and adapt in the long term. The Wisconsin Policy Forum recently released a report offering the first...
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How to Be a Servant Leader
Leaders put others before themselves. That's the core of the concept of servant leadership. In today's episode, we talk to Tom Thibodeau, an associate professor at La Crosse-based Viterbo University, about what servant leadership means and how it applies to school leadership. Tom is the founder…
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Building a Solid Foundation for New School Board Members
Newly elected school board members are taking their oath of office this month. In an effort to help them be effective as quickly as possible, the WASB holds gatherings across the state for new board members every April. This year, the gatherings are Tuesday through Thursday, April 19-21. Find...
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Social Media Guidance for School Board Members and Legislative Update
Our latest episode tackles two topics: practical and legal ways to use social media along with an update on the recently concluded legislative session. First, we hear from WASB Associate Executive Director and Staff Counsel Bob Butler on using social media without violating the law or common…
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Highlights from the 2022 State Education Convention
We've included highlights from the student music performances, general sessions and keynote speakers. We also asked attendees — presenters, students, education leaders and exhibitors — about why they come to the convention. The student video team's video summary of the convention is available…
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The School Leadership Team: A Conversation With Wisconsin's Superintendent of the Year
School boards govern their districts in partnership with a superintendent. Each person understanding their role is a key part of the team working effectively. We talk to Mary Pfeiffer, Wisconsin Superintendent of the Year and superintendent of the Neenah Joint School District, about the…
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Episode 23: Preparing the Next Generation to Pivot
Ravi Hutheesing is no stranger to change. As life threw him curve balls, he pivoted from rockstar to aviator to cultural diplomat. He believes children of the future will increasingly have to make pivots of their own, a message he's bringing as a keynote speaker at the 2022 Wisconsin State...
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Bonus Episode: Managing Challenging School Board Meetings
School boards meet to conduct business. At the same time, these meetings are a chance for the public to weigh in. Balancing these aims isn't always easy during tumultuous times. The Wisconsin Association of School Boards in October held a three-part webinar series about managing challenging…
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Episode 22: Promoting Diversity on Our School Boards
School boards are hardly unique in that candidates are often drawn from similar social and political networks. This can lead to a lack of school board member diversity across many characteristics, including race, gender, class and age. This episode includes a discussion with researchers about how...
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Episode 21: Conflict Resolution
Navigating conflict has always been part of school leadership. But what should we do when incivility runs rampant and compromise seems impossible? We talk with a longtime mediator and WASB consultant, Cheryl Stinski, and Waupaca School Board member Betty Manion. We'll talk about why conflict can…
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Episode 20: COVID Relief Funding
With the help of the Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials, we assembled a group of experts in school finance to talk about federal COVID relief funds and preK-12 education. We discuss how this money can be spent as well as some best practices and mistakes to avoid. We noted the DPI...
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Episode 19: Toward Effective Governance
We know good teachers and good principals help kids learn. We talk about how school board-superintendent teams can have the same effect. Retired superintendents and WASB consultants Dan Nerad and Fran Finco break down effective governance. We talk about the parts of effective governance and the...
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Episode 18: Culturally Responsive Teaching in Lac du Flambeau
To understand culturally responsive teaching, we went to a school district that sees this practice as a core part of its mission. Dr. Larry Ouimette is administrator of the Lac du Flambeau School District, a majority American Indian rural district in northern Wisconsin. In April he wrote a story…
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Episode 17: A Lesson in Communications That Engage
Elmbrook Schools are in one of the most competitive education markets in the state, so communications that engage and build relationships with employees and families are critical. The district led a popular State Education Convention session on engagement, and we sat down with Chris Thompson, the...
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Episode 16: The Duties of School Board Officers
Wisconsin school boards generally must select a president, vice president, treasurer and clerk from among their ranks. We talk about what each of these roles entails, including legal requirements and the extra duties enshrined in boards' policies and practices. For those who'd like to go deeper,...
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Episode 15: The State of COVID
This episode is a conversation with Louise Wilson, state school nurse and health services consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Instruction. We discuss what we've learned about COVID, vaccine rollout and more. We also discuss plenty of resources to stay informed: COVID-19 activity by region...
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Episode 14: Legislative Update — Vaccines, COVID Relief and More
Given the fast pace of news in Madison and Washington, D.C., this episode will be an update on education news at the state and federal levels. We discuss how the latest COVID-19 relief money is being given to schools, vaccines and more. As always, subscribe to the WASB Legislative Update blog for...
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Episode 13: Wisconsin's Teachers of the Year
This episode features conversations with three of Wisconsin's teachers of the year. Trisha Kilpin, Greendale School District, school social worker. Derrick Meyer, Amery High School, School District of Amery, agriscience and driver’s education teacher. Susan Richardson, Milwaukee German Immersion...
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Episode 12: Preview of the 100th State Education Convention
As a virtual experience, the 100th Wisconsin State Education Convention, to be held Jan. 20-22, will be different from all those that have come before it. We wanted to give attendees an idea of what to expect, so this episode begins with a conversation with WASB Communications Director Sheri...
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Episode 11: Coping With Stress
Stress has always been part of being a board member. But the pandemic is requiring education leaders to make tough decisions that may prompt criticism from their community. This episode is a conversation with WASB consultants Louise Blankenheim and Cheryl Stinski, who are developing a 2021 State...
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Episode 10: Educational Equity
This episode focuses on educational equity. It begins with an overview of the issue from Wisconsin Association of School Boards consultants Louise Blankenheim and Dan Nerad. They also talk about specific ways that boards and districts can create more equitable schools. Starting at 18:25, we talk…
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Episode 9: Conversations With Three Female Superintendents
A number of long-serving female superintendents are retiring. We caught up with three of them to talk about their path to leadership, their lessons learned and how others can follow in their footsteps. Deb Kerr, School District of Brown Deer Michelle Langenfeld, Green Bay Area Public Schools Pam...
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Episode 8: Introduction to the Title IX Overhaul
Title IX, the federal anti-sex discrimination law, is undergoing major changes that affect virtually every school district in the country. In this episode, we spoke with two WASB attorneys about the changes: Associate Executive Director and Staff Counsel Bob Butler and Staff Counsel Dan Mallin.…
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Episode 7: Conversations With Board Members of Color
This episode features interviews with three school board members of color, in order: Marilyn Ruffin of Sun Prairie, Gloria Reyes of Madison and Tricia Zunker of Wausau. To learn more about Sun Prairie’s BEAM Awards, visit its Facebook page. More information about the book Reyes recommends, “We…
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Episode 6: The New Board Member Experience
New school board members often face a steep learning curve. This episode includes three conversations meant to help new members find their footing. First, we talk with Bob Butler, WASB associate executive director and staff counsel, about the WASB New School Board Member Handbook. Then we talk…
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Bonus Episode: A Discussion About the Link Between Board Governance and Student Success
This bonus episode comes to us from the Texas Association of School Boards. If you like education podcasts, check out TASB Talks wherever you listen or go to their website. This episode is a conversation with Paul A. Johnson, a researcher who studies the connection between school boards and…
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Episode 5: Onboarding New Members
This episode features an interview with WASB consultant and 43-year education veteran Fran Finco. Learn more about him here. Learn more about the New Board Member Gathering webinars, which will be held the evenings of April 21, 22 and 23:...
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Episode 4: Teacher retention
Episode 4 of the WASB Connection Podcast focuses on how districts are addressing the teacher shortage by making their districts better places to work. First, WASB members can learn more about the issue of teacher retention by downloading this presentation, given before last year's Fall Regional...
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Episode 3: The State Education Convention
This episode covers the 99th annual Wisconsin State Education Convention, held Jan. 22-24 in Milwaukee. Photos are now available online, including one of Southern Door County School District student Luke Bousley (featured at 9:23). A photo of Kettle Moraine High School student Peter Kopperud...
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Episode 2: Convention Conversations
This episode features conversations with two Wisconsin State Education Convention speakers. The first is Dr. David Schuler, the 2018 Illinois and national Superintendent of the Year. We talked about his district's college, career and life readiness program, which will be the subject of a...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A podcast for members of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and others about a wide range of educational issues they consider as elected officials.
HOSTED BY
WASB
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does WASB Connection Podcast have?
WASB Connection Podcast currently has 51 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is WASB Connection Podcast about?
A podcast for members of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and others about a wide range of educational issues they consider as elected officials.
How often does WASB Connection Podcast release new episodes?
WASB Connection Podcast has 51 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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You can listen to WASB Connection 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 WASB Connection Podcast?
WASB Connection Podcast is created and hosted by WASB.
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