Abstract is the podcast of the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.
It features roundtable discussions with MERC study team members,
interviews with stakeholders from our partnering school divisions, and much more.
Stay tuned as we explore issues in education!
Available on the following platforms
In this episode we spoke with Alisha Bazemore (Assistant Director of Innovative Work-Based Learning Initiatives for V-TOP), Ashley Crute (Associate for Innovative Work-Based Learning Initiatives for V-TOP), and Amy Corning (Senior Research Associate, VCU Institute for Collaborative Research and Evaluation) about a recent report from the ICRE and MERC about work-based learning (WBL) in institutions of higher education and PK-12 school systems. Throughout the conversation we discussed how the findings resonate with work-based learning in Virginia, specifically through the work of the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP). The report was produced in partnership with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).
In this episode, we spoke with Christina Alga (High School Counselor in Hanover County Public Schools), Alicia Gaston (Founder of Maximizing Character), and Kim Dupre (Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports Coach) about research-based strategies for addressing school bullying since the onset of COVID-19. Throughout the discussion we reflected on findings from the MERC research and policy brief focused on school bullying prevention.
Who gets identified as gifted in elementary school? Who takes Algebra I in middle school? Who takes Advanced Placement classes in high school? In this episode we spoke with Andrea Herndon (Hanover County Public Schools), Beverly Fludd-Flanagan (Petersburg City Public Schools), and Chris Parthemos (Virginia Commonwealth University) about two new dashboards from MERC that depict advanced coursework participation across K-12 in the MERC region and Virginia. Listen to learn more about how these dashboards inform the work of local educators and click here to access the dashboards.
In this episode we spoke with Dr. Julie Ellis (Bridging Communities Regional Career and Technical Center/Governor’s STEM Academy), Dr. Maggie Hartley (The National WWII Museum in New Orleans), Dr. Therese O’Dea (New Kent County Public Schools), Dr. Kate Puschak (Loudon County Public Schools) & Dr. Erin Sturgis (Virginia Department of Education)about strategies for staffing K-12 schools for student mental health supports.
CLICK BELOW TO ACCESS PREVIOUS EPISODES OF ABSTRACT
Abstract features special series of episodes, often in connection with the Annual MERC Conference or one of our ongoing studies. Click on the links below to learn more about these projects and to hear from the stakeholders showcased in each series.
In connection with the theme of our 2021 MERC Conference, our "Promise of Public Education" podcast series brings together researchers and educational stakeholders from the MERC region to explore prominent facet in public education "in a new era."
Launched in connection with the 2019 MERC Conference, this series features initiatives in each of the seven MERC school divisions designed to advance equity for students and educators throughout metropolitan Richmond. The series features stories of experiential learning, alternative education, mentoring, adaptive physical education, professional development, student ambassadors, and literacy curricula, capturing the various ways our school divisions are working to make the educational experience more equitable for their students and educators.
Launched in the summer of 2018, this series aligns with the theme of the 15th Annual MERC Conference - Connections Accross Education: Advancing Public Education through Research and Relationships. Each episode in the series features one relationship in each of our MERC school divisions, highlighting the importance of connection and collaboration in public education.
In connection with the 14th Annual MERC Conference - Public Education at a Crossroads: Connecting Voices of Research, Practice, and Policy in a Changing World - this series launched in the summer of 2017. Over the course of 16 episodes, the Crossroads in Education series featured the perspectives of 20 local stakeholders in educational research, policy, and practice, including students, researchers, teachers, school leaders, and policymakers. Each conversation explored the purpose of public education, the challenges it faces, and what is in store for the future.
