The Getting To The Core team collaborates with Leadership Consultant, Linda Kell to discuss why it’s important for our students to have their basic needs met in order to access higher order thinking skills author Dr. Bryan Pearlman.

Wayne State Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Dr. Rema Reynolds Vassar joins our podcast team, Getting To The Core to discuss the current challenges of teaching and learning in urban communities today.

Dr. Jay Marks, a renowned educator, discussed his work on anti-racism, social justice, and cultural proficiency. He highlighted the legacy of Dr. Ginni Winters, emphasizing her impact on education and equity. Marks stressed the importance of radical love, self-awareness, and accountability in education. He shared examples of successful community partnerships, such as the Social Justice Project in Oakland County, which improved diversity education. Marks also discussed the need for institutionalized accountability and the importance of creating safe spaces for honest feedback. He concluded by advocating for courageous leadership and partnerships to address educational disparities.

Chronic absenteeism is a widespread issue in schools and districts across the country. It has raised concerns about academic rigor, student behavior, and performance. In an interview with Getting To The Core, author Jessica Sprick discusses best practices that have been effective in addressing these concerns.

The Executive Director of BFDI Training Institute, Dr. Keisha Allen joins Getting To The Core to discuss the power of Restorative Practices from a facilitator’s perspective.

Recently, our team at Wayne RESA had the pleasure of discussing the Strategic Planning process of Kentwood Public Schools with their leadership team, including Veronica Lake, Suni Joy, Andrew Telvin, and Carrie Tellerico. One of the key initiatives of their plan was the district-wide adoption of Restorative Practices. This approach has been proven to foster positive relationships and promote a sense of community within the school.

As we recognize National Homeless Awareness Week this month, we will be providing some information about the Special Populations Team at Wayne RESA, the McKinney-Vento Law, Homeless Awareness and why raising awareness on this subject is so important. We will be discussing what some common signs of homelessness are, the barriers that students experiencing homelessness face, how districts and PSAs can support their McKinney-Vento eligible students, and who you can contact should you have questions within your district and the county. Joining us are Wayne RESA Special Populations Team members; Dr. Sharrece Farris, Manager of State and Federal Programs, Charter Authorizations and Special Populations, Sabrina Rudy, Special Populations Consultant and Mary Bamrick, Administrative Assistant.

Resources:

MCAH Homeless Awareness Month Toolkit

Common Signs of Homelessness

School House Connection Common Questions

Covenant House - Sleep Out Event

Wayne RESA Homeless Education page

Wayne RESA Presents: Getting to the Core - MiCIP.  

Today's content will be about continuous improvement. The State of Michigan has revamped our school and district planning to be more reflective, intuitive and responsive to the needs of staff and students. The process of district and school improvement is meant to be used for setting and aligning goals and expectations to the district and schools mission and vision.  The goals have strategies and activities to systemically implement and address the needs of the district.  Over time the process improvement  planning has become cumbersome and compliance driven. MiCIP or Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Planning is a new and improved way to assist districts with school improvement in a way that helps to ensure that goals and expectations are being monitored and evaluated consistently throughout the school year.  There's a new platform to house the plan that's much more intuitive than any of our old district school improvement systems.  Your host is Marvin Franklin, Eudcational Improvement Consultant at Wayne RESA.  Our guests are Nekeya Irby and Kimberly Murphy, Educational Improvement Consultants at Wayne RESA.

Wayne County MiCIP University

Michigan Department of Education - MiCIP Website

Wayne RESA Educational Improvement Team