Common Ground Education Podcast CommonGround Education Podcast

Dr. Curtis McMurtrey earned PhD in both Microbiology and Immunology. His studies included immune responses to Tuberculosis, Dengue virus, T. gondii, and HIV.
Currently He is the Director of Immunoproteomics a PureMHC. Up until recently they’ve worked on designing vaccines for certain types of cancer. When COVID hit pharma switched gears to study SARS-CoV-2.

In this episode we going into detail about the virus, mask efficiency, issues around ventilation, common misconceptions, latest research implications, latest updates on vaccines and when they may be available and returning back to school from an immunologist perspective.

Intro, (3:19) Explanation of current work, (4:45) Expert perspective on Covid-19, (8:32) The efficiency of masks, (15:02) Latest Research, (17:54) False reporting of Covid-19?, (21:15) Thoughts on returning to school, (25:30) How long does it take to be infected in a room with Covid-19? (28:00) Upcoming Flu season, (31:30) What if schools don't follow recommendations?, (34:15) Ventilation Systems in buildings, does it matter? (36:30) Update on latest Vaccines (42:43) Estimated time for vaccines. Will there be enough? (46:08) Summary

Ali Hearn and I recorded this episode on May 20th and I had planned to release it the next week. That week the unjust killing of George Floyd occurred and I felt that it was not appropriate to release a podcast at that time. I did not want to be a distraction to a very important movement. With that said, I wanted to create a podcast of two school social workers working through the difficulties that COVID-19 presents and the positive and negative pieces that comes with that process. This is just a snippet of our conversation. We have learned so much since May 20th but I thought it was still important to digitally mark this time in history.

@heyalihearn
heyalihearn.com

In partnership with School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA), Common Ground was fortunate to host Dr. Raines. Dr. Raines specializes in the ethics (among other things) and has a wealth of experience to share with us. In this podcast, Dr. Raines addressed ethical issues we are facing during this pandemic and offers some observations that may be helpful.

James C. Raines, Ph.D., calls himself an accidental academic with the heart of a practitioner. He has been President of the Illinois Association of School Social Workers, Midwest Council of School Social Workers, and the School Social Work Association of America. He has written four books published by Oxford University Press, most recently Evidence-based practice in school mental health: Addressing DSM-5 disorders in schools. He was the Department Chair of Health, Human Services and Public Policy at California State University Monterey Bay from 2010 - 2016. He is currently a full professor of social work and teaches courses in ethics and social work practice.

In this episode, we are joined by Brianne Jonathan, BCBA and former special education teacher. Brianne brings in-depth knowledge to the process of writing/facilitating Functional Behavioral Assessments and practical educational experience that gives her a unique and powerful perspective. In this episode, we review each section of a school based Functional Behavioral Assessment and include best practice tips for writing a legally defensible assessment.

In another fantastic collaboration with School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA), we feature Dr. Laurel Thompson, student services director of Broward County which includes Stoneman Douglas in Parkland. After the tragedy in Parkland, Dr. Thompson (former social worker) led efforts to reduce violence in her school district. On this episode, Dr. Thompson inspires and informs social workers and educators on the violence prevention in her district.

https://www.browardschools.com/Page/51565
https://www.browardschools.com/Page/32439

Common Ground is pleased to host Jackie Salemi, Superintendent of Recreation, from Fox Valley Special Recreation Association. This AMAZING organization provides a diverse range of year round recreational activities to enable residents with disabilities to experience active, healthy and playful lifestyles. To learn more, go to Fvsra.org. Find them on twitter @FVSRA. This podcast is for parents, participants and those looking for employment in this field!