Texas Educators Step Up--Dr. Kevin Brown

As Texas moves into another special session, called by the governor to ram vouchers down our collective throats, Anette visits with Rev. Charles Foster Johnson again, Executive Director of Pastors for Texas Children. 

Once again, the Texas Legislature will determine whether or not Texas slides down the slippery slope of spending taxpayer dollars for the benefit of mostly affluent Texans who already send their children to private school, or sending state-funded debit cards to families who homeschool. Should the Texas House not stand firm against vouchers, the projections are that, not only will this significantly hurt public schools, it will empty the coffers of the state in short time.

Voucher and education research experts mentioned include Dr. Joshua Cowan and Dr. David DeMatthews. Education podcaster mentioned is Jennifer Berkshire with the Have You Heard Podcast. 

As Charlie points out, call your representative to stand against vouchers. Don't let Greg Abbott bully Texas into bad education policy. 

Anette has her a conversation with her dear friend, Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, in his final days as President at Amarillo College, before he takes over as Chancellor at Austin Community College. After working together for over twenty years, they've formed a strong friendship they know will continue. Moving from Badgers to River Bats, Anette wishes Russell and family the best in their new journey, As chair of the Amarillo College Board of Regents, Anette will endeavor to find a new college president for AC! Russell, thank you for being my friend.

Anette visits with Pascale Charlot, the Managing Director of the College Excellence Program (CEP) at the Aspen Institute. Amarillo College was just selected as the top college along with Imperial Valley College, both co-winners of the Aspen Prize for College Excellence. Lots of good information is shared as Anette and Pascale discuss the award and the benefits of community colleges.

Pascale is a visionary and outcomes-driven leader deeply committed to student success. An alumna of Aspen’s year-long Rising President Fellowship, Pascale plays a lead role in crafting and overseeing CEP’s strategy to develop a network of transformational college presidents who share a relentless commitment to advancing excellence and equity in student outcomes.  Chief among these programs are Aspen’s Presidential Fellowships, which have graduated over 100 presidents of community colleges that together educate over a million-and-a-half students. In the Fellowships and across CEP’s work, Pascale helps lead efforts to strengthen the inexorable connection between institutional reform and student success.

Prior to joining CEP, Pascale was at Aspen Prize-winning Miami Dade College, where she most recently served as president of the Kendall campus, the largest of the college’s eight.  Pascale was also dean of Miami Dade’s highly regarded Honors College, where she developed and implemented a pathways strategy that increased the number of first-generation students who went on to attain a bachelor’s degree.  Herself a transfer student, Pascale brings substantial expertise to one of Aspen’s core priorities: advancing post-graduation outcomes for students of color and low-income students. Demonstrable student learning, equitable talent development, and social mobility for students and families are key levers that inspire Pascale’s student-centered approach.

A graduate of Duke University and the University of Michigan Law School, Pascale also held leadership roles at both New York University and Rutgers law schools earlier in her career.

A link to the process of selecting the Aspen Prize winner can be found here.

Episode produced by Darwin Carlisle. Music by Bret Boyer.

Anette visits with public ed advocates Ted Beard and Helen Warwick, discussing the recent op-ed written by the two of them in response to one by a community outsider with questionable motives. Thanks to both Ted and Helen for their pub ed advocacy and years of service! Learn more below.

Ted Beard Bio

Theodore “Ted” Beard was elected to the Longview ISD Board in 1998 and has served in various capacities, including assistant secretary, secretary, vice-president, and twice as president.

He earned a bachelor’s in human services from LeTourneau University. Beard is a retired sergeant major from the United States Army and a combat veteran of Desert Shield/Storm, in which he was awarded the Bronze Star,  and also an Iraqi Freedom veteran. He also retired from the Social Security Administration, where he worked as a technical expert and also as a collateral duty equal employment opportunity (EEO) counselor.

Ted currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB).  Also in 2007, he was appointed to the TASB Risk Management Fund Board and currently serves as chair. He is a 2012 graduate of Leadership TASB and a past president and current member of the Texas Caucus of Black School Board Members.

Ted and his wife Rosalind are the parents of three sons and two daughters.

Helen Warwick Bio

Helen Warwick served as a Trustee for Marshall ISD for 17 years, where she served as Board President for many years. She is a proud graduate of Leadership TASB Class of 2014. Advocating for the public schools of Texas and the nation is a passion that strengthened through her involvement in the Leadership TASB program. 

Helen’s involvement with the students of Marshall ISD is extensive. She has served the students and the community through her involvement in the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Helen has held leadership positions in the PTA from the local to state levels, including campus level, City Council PTA, Area 13 PTA and the Texas State PTA Board. She has also been awarded a Texas Life Membership. Helen continues to volunteer in the classroom through the Junior Achievement program, as she has for the past 20 years. She enjoys being invited to campuses and interacting with the students.

Helen has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Masters of Education. She taught Kindergarten and worked as a substitute teacher. She also served on Site Based Decision Making Teams and School Improvement Committees as well as the Marshall ISD School Health Advisory Council. She is a past Cub Scout leader and Girl Scout leader. The Girl Scouts recognized her as an Outstanding Leader. As a Girl Scout leader, she participated in a statewide curriculum review committee.

She is also a regular volunteer with the local food pantry within Mission Marshall and serves as a tutor with the Harrison County-Marshall Literacy Council. Helen and her husband, Mike, have two children who are both proud and successful graduates of Marshall ISD.

Episode produced by Darwin Carlisle. Music by Bret Boyer.

After the governor's tour of private religious schools to push his voucher scheme, some passionate public education advocates put together a press conference to share their thoughts on this effort.

Music by Bret Boyer.

Anette visits again with friend and lifesaver Glenda Moore, founder of Kind House Ukraine Bakery in Amarillo, Texas. See how their mission and work has evolved over the past year. Recorded on the one-year anniversary of the major Russian invasion of Ukraine. Follow KHUB on Facebook to learn how to help.

Episode produced by Darwin Carlisle. Music by Bret Boyer.

Anette visits with friend and long-time Texas journalist, Evan Smith, of The Texas Tribune.  How does one interview one of the best known interviewers around? Listen and find out, and enjoy!

Evan Smith is the CEO and co-founder of The Texas Tribune, a pioneering nonprofit, nonpartisan digital news organization whose deep coverage of Texas politics and public policy can be found at its website, texastribune.org, and in newspapers and on TV and radio stations across the state. Since its launch in 2009, the Tribune has won international acclaim and numerous honors, including a Peabody Award, 23 national Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association and three general excellence awards from the Online News Association. Evan is also the host of “Overheard with Evan Smith,” a weekly half-hour interview program that airs on PBS stations around the country. A native of New York, he's a graduate of Hamilton College and Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Episode produced by Darwin Carlisle. Music by Bret Boyer.

Long-time friend and educational leader, Doug Loomis, visits with Anette about leading a school district in these challenging times, and adapting as needed to meet the needs of all students.

Throughout his 30-year career in Amarillo ISD, Superintendent Doug Loomis has made an impact across the District, working in schools in every cluster and at every level. He began as a PE teacher at Wolflin Elementary and soon found his career growing along with the students he taught, as a science and health teacher at Fannin Middle School, assistant principal of Houston Middle School and Palo Duro High School, principal of Amarillo High School and executive director of the Caprock High School cluster. For the past five years, he has been the District’s chief human resources officer.

Mr. Loomis is a graduate of Oklahoma Panhandle State University and earned a Master of Education degree from West Texas A&M University. He and his wife Gisele, a retired teacher, have been married 32 years and have two grown children. 

Mr. Loomis was named interim superintendent in October 2018 and the lone finalist for superintendent in early March of 2019. Trustees finalized his appointment on March 27, 2019.

Episode produced by Darwin Carlisle. Music by Bret Boyer.

Anette visits with friend and long-time education leader, Dr. Jim Largent. After over 30 years in public education, Jim has shared his wisdom in his new book, Leading in Chaos, which can be found here.

Dr. Jim Largent graduated high school in 1983 and attended Lamar University and Sam Houston State University. He spent 31 years in public education as a teacher, coach, athletic trainer, principal, and superintendent. 

Jim is a four-time nominee for the Texas Superintendent of the Year, was named Citizen of the Year and was given the Key to the City on his retirement.  He has written a memoir, has several published articles, and founded a consulting firm. He can be found on golf courses around the country and at www.largentconsulting.org.

Episode produced by Darwin Carlisle. Music by Bret Boyer.

Anette visits with Dr. Arthur Levine about higher education, its history, but, more importantly, the changes coming.

Arthur Levine is a distinguished scholar of higher education at New York University, a senior fellow and president emeritus of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, and president emeritus of Columbia University's Teachers College. A thought leader in higher ed for decades, Arthur is also author and coauthor of a number of books, including The Great Upheaval, discussed here.

Episode produced by Darwin Carlisle. Music by Bret Boyer.