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 and ideas in public PK-12 education.
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How coherent are policies about teacher retention?
Featuring Jesse Senechal (MERC Director, VCU SOE), Andrene Castro (Assistant Professor, VCU SOE, Department of Educational Leadership), Adria Hoffman (Anna Lou Schaberg Professor, VCU SOE, Department of Teaching and Learning), and Andy Armstrong (Assistant Superintendent of Administration, Goochland County Public Schools).
The Promise of Public Education: College in a New Era
Jose Alcaine (Director of Research Services, VCU SOE) spoke with Sera Lee (Pharmacy Student at VCU), Paige Elizabeth (Sophomore at VCU), and Sofia Alcaine (Sophomore at CNU) about the future of higher education during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Promise of Public Education: Special Education in a New Era
Michelle Thompson (Occupational Therapist, Richmond) spoke with Tonya Epps (Elementary Intensive Support Self-Contained Teacher, Richmond), Kathryn Smith (Director of Exceptional Education, Henrico), and Serra De Arment (Assistant Professor of Special Education, VCU SOE)about what they have learned about special education during the pandemic.
Promise of Public Education: Digital Equity in a New Era
David Naff (MERC Associate Director, VCU SOE) spoke with Jon Becker (Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, VCU SOE), Matt Caratachea (Coordinator of Technology Integration and Innovation for Goochland), Andrew Harris (MERC Research and Evaluation Assistant, VCU SOE), and Joy Washington (School Librarian at Cool Spring Primary School in King William) about how to promote digital equity through the lens of access, use, and outcomes. Corresponding reports are available at merc.soe.vcu.edu/reports.
The Promise of Public Education: High School in a New Era
JoAna Smith (Dean of Students, L.C. Bird HS in Chesterfield) spoke with Caleb Kenney (class of 2021 graduate from Douglas Freeman HS in Henrico), Milagros Torres (Sophomore at L.C. Bird HS in Chesterfield), Mischa Roeung (Senior at Mechanicsville HS in Hanover), and George Hewan (Assistant Principal at Woodson HS in Fairfax) about their experiences over the past year and a half and how high schools should be different moving forward.
The Promise of Public Education: School Leadership in a New Era
Brian Maltby (Disciplinary Hearing Review Officer in Hanover) spoke with Monica Murray (Principal of John Marshall HS in Richmond), Christopher Martinez (Principal of Patrick Henry HS in Hanover), Robert Lowerre (Director of Maggie Walker Governor's School), and Jon Becker (Associate Professor of Educational Leadership in the VCU SOE) about the role of the school principal during and after a pandemic.
The Promise of Public Education: Student Services in a New Era
David Naff (MERC Associate Director, VCU SOE) spoke with James Carrigan (School Social Work Supervisor in Hanover), Erica Daniels (School Counselor at Vernon Johns Middle School in Petersburg), Donna Dockery (Director of Clinical Practice and an Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling and Special Education, VCU SOE), Alex Peskin (Junior at Goochland High School in Goochland), Shenita Williams (School Social Worker in Henrico), and Lauren Wynne (Coordinator of Counseling Services in Chesterfield) about how school counseling, social work, and student services overall have been impacted by the events of the past year and a half, and discussed their vision for student services moving forward.
How Can Principals Support Teacher Retention?
This episode describes key findings from two MERC reports, one focused on the role of the school principal in teacher retention and the other sharing an analysis of data from the Virginia Department of Education Working Conditions Survey from 2019. Featuring Jesse Senechal (MERC Director, VCU SOE), Jonathan Becker (Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Educational Leadership), Valerie Robnolt (Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Teaching and Learning), Lauren Grob (Student, The College of William and Mary), and John Marshall (Principal, Douglass Freeman High School, Henrico County Public Schools).
The Promise of Public Education: Teaching in a New Era
Jesse Senechal (MERC Director, VCU SOE) spoke with Deanna Fierro (Math Teacher at Tuckahoe Middle School in Henrico), Patricia Woodberry (Gifted and Talented Teacher in Richmond), Stacie Taylor (Teacher, Bell Creek Middle School in Hanover), and Terry Dozier (former Director of the Center for Teacher Leadership and Richmond Teacher Residency in the VCU SOE) about how the teaching profession has changed over the past year and a half and what it could be in the future.
Advice for Culturally Responsive Teachers: Learn, Unlearn, and Take Risks
In this episode we discuss the importance of professional reading, self-awareness, and continuous reflection for developing as a culturally responsive educator. Guests include Jesse Senechal (MERC/VCU - Host), Victoria Parent (English/Language Arts Teacher, Monacan High School - Chesterfield), Clarissa Adkins (English/Language Arts Teacher, Meadowbrook High School - Chesterfield), and Ricky Ellestad (Math Teacher, Monacan High School - Chesterfield).