S2 Episode 1: Educators are making their voices heard at the capitol

Dr. Joe O’ Reilly shares how ASU Helios Decision Center for Educational Excellence’s research is helping schools & communities work together to boost students’ success with AZEdNews Reporter Lisa Irish. O’Reilly and Helios Vince Yanez also talk about an initiative to increase college enrollment.

With Arizona schools being closed through the end of the school year, teachers, administrators and students alike have had to adapt in order to shift to online learning. In this episode, we’ll see how various school districts are coping with these changes, and how they are helping their communities.

In this episode, AZEdNews Intern Morgan Willis speaks with Superintendent Chad Gestson to find out how schools will survive the closures. He also interviews Dawn Penich-Thacker from SOS Arizona, to see how the organization is continuing to advocate for their causes during the quarantine. 

In this episode of the AZEDNews podcast, we speak with teachers who are making their voices heard at the capitol. Since this legislative session began, multiple bills concerning education have been introduced, listen to find out what educators think of these bills.

Former Principal Richard Sanchez, talks about how focusing on building relationships with students and an emphasis on STEM principles have helped Mansfeld Magnet Middle School raise student test scores and earn the A+ School of Excellence Award from the Arizona Educational Foundation.

Retiring Principal Dr. Kathleen Root and incoming principal Brooke Williams from Laguna Elementary School, talk about how community partnerships, focus on early learning and their emphasis on STEAM has helped the Scottsdale school be named an A+ School of Excellence for the fourth time.

Deer Valley High School Principal Kim Crooks talks about the family feel on this A+ School of Excellence’s campus, how they use technology to enhance learning and how all teachers and staff strive to do what’s best for their students.

Hear what Acacia School Principal Christine Hollingsworth says is key to helping students succeed and how that’s provided at this Title I Phoenix school that has earned the A+ School of Excellence award three times from Arizona Educational Foundation.

Current legislation that provides schools more flexibility in how they deliver instruction to English Language Learners would also help more of these students graduate high school on time. Hear what Stacey Morley with Stand for Children, Lourdes Peña with Triadvocates and Leigh Jensen with Arizona School Boards Association have to say about it.

Teachers across Arizona walked-out of their classrooms late last week to protest low pay and ask the legislature to bring per-pupil funding up to 2008 levels before the recession. Now they are at the Capitol as Legislators work on the budget bills. Hear what teachers Landon Benson, Rashid Hollins, Amy Jansen, Victoria Smith, and Zoe Hyde say drew them to the #RedForEd rallies, and listen to what American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, Congressman Raul Grijalva, and Arizona AFL-CIO Executive Director Fred Yamashita had to say about it.