The School Perceptions Podcast

The School Perceptions team

A place to share the inside scoop on the successful things schools are doing to confront their most pressing challenges.

  1. 19 May

    37. Why Involve Your Community At All?

    Jack Schneider joins us from UMass-Amherst to talk about what community members have to offer local schools beyond tax dollars, and what schools have to offer community members beyond test scores (to coin a phrase). You can email him with follow-ups, as he offers in the episode. We talked about an article ("In Praise of Ordinary Measures") on the show, so here is that resource, and here are a few other pieces we've collaborated on over the past several years. "Democracy in Action" (2023) American School Board JournalEducational Accountability 3.0: Beyond ESSA (2023). National Education Policy Center"Are Locally Elected School Boards Really Failing? (2022). Education Next

    47 min

  2. 5 May

    36. Why Integrity > Fidelity in Research Implementation

    Cara Jackson, recent President of the Association of Education Finance and Policy (AEFP), joins us to talk about her presidential essay and what she's learned over two decades of work in the "evidence-informed education ecosystem" about what it takes for policymakers, school leaders, and classroom teachers to their very best for their students. Additional links to things we talked about: High-dosage tutoring implementationImmigration enforcement and student outcomesStandards of Excellence for Outcome-Based Contracting

    36 min

  3. 28 Apr

    35. How Does Career Education Work Out for Students?

    Professor Jay Plasman, of Ohio State, joins us to talk about a recent report he published with the Fordham Institute, entitled "College or Career Readiness: Postsecondary and Labor Market Outcomes for Ohio High School Students Earning Industry-Recognized Credentials." The full report is available for download, as well. It turns out that industry-recognized credentials pay off in some industries more than others, that they pay off bigger when credential-earning is tied to CTE course-taking, and that IRCs do not necessarily lead students to enroll in college at higher rates. Interesting findings!

    34 min

  4. 21 Apr

    34. Tying Staff Engagement to Continuous Improvement

    Superintendent Kyle Luedtke, of Frederic, joins the podcast today to talk through his well-honed approach to improving staff engagement, and using that positivity to drive educational growth.

    39 min

  5. 19 Apr

    33. April 2026 Referendum Recap

    Our VP of research stops by the podcast to talk about what happened in Wisconsin referendums in the Spring of 2026. How did this April compare to previous Aprils? What trends are we seeing? What does it all mean? I promised to link to Rob's dissertation, in case anyone wanted the deepest deep dive into Wisconsin referendum trends up to 2020.

    51 min

  6. 4 Apr

    32. How Does District Consolidation and Dissolution Work in Wisconsin?

    Bob Soldner sits down with Derek to talk about the processes, actors, and decisions involved when Wisconsin school districts need to fold or join their neighbors in order to provide a quality education. What role do finances play? Will taxpayers in those districts save money? What things ought district leaders and community to think about?

    36 min

  7. 24 Mar

    31. A Process to Trust: Guided Strategic Planning

    Veteran guests Ross Herdina and Dennis Pauli are back with us in this episode to talk us through The strategic challenges school districts are facingHow facilitated planning processes can helpHow facilitation works in practiceAnd how high-level plans are connected to ground-level practice.For more information on our School Perceptions Strategic Planning offer, please contact us.

    25 min

  8. 10 Mar

    30. From Surveys to Strategy

    Today we dive back into strategic planning, with Janell Bullard from Paynesville Area Schools (Minnesota) and Zack Fugate of Unity School District (Wisconsin). You’ll hear how strategic planning can help districts: • Gather meaningful community feedback before making major decisions• Engage staff, parents, students, and community members in planning conversations• Turn survey results into actionable priorities• Build trust through transparency and follow-through• Create a roadmap for future decisions about programs, facilities, and opportunities for students We're launching a new service called SP Squared -- School Perceptions Strategic Planning. Reach out to us to learn more!

    27 min
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About

A place to share the inside scoop on the successful things schools are doing to confront their most pressing challenges.

Information

  • Creator
    The School Perceptions team
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The School Perceptions team
  • Show Website
    The School Perceptions Podcast

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