DCSD Notebook

Douglas County School District
  • 5.0 (3)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Extended conversations with educators, leaders and students from Douglas County School District in Colorado -- which is the Number One public school district in the Denver area, serving 61,000 students at 92 schools.  Through DCSD Notebook, listeners will gain a greater understanding of the people, processes and programs in Colorado's third-largest district. Once a month, this feed will also feature Parent University. To learn more about what makes DCSD the Top of the Class, check out the Why DCSD page.

  1. Father and Daughter History Teachers at ThunderRidge

    16H AGO

    Father and Daughter History Teachers at ThunderRidge

    At ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch, Brad Johnson is a mainstay as a history teacher and state-championship winning coach. His daughter, Annabeth Johnson, also teaches history and coaches at ThunderRidge. The father and daughter teachers are at opposite ends of their careers, but both are all about making a difference in students’ lives through education. In this episode, Mr. Johnson and Ms. Johnson talk about their unique working relationship, how they inspire and mentor each other, and how much they appreciate the ThunderRidge community.   Guests this week:  Brad Johnson, American History teacher Annabeth Johnson, American History teacher Resources ThunderRidge High School

    54 min
  2. PARENT UNIVERSITY: Sleeping & Eating Habits for Students

    JAN 14

    PARENT UNIVERSITY: Sleeping & Eating Habits for Students

    In this episode, host Amy Pfister welcomes special guest, Dr. Matt Hadeed, chair of pediatrics at HCA HealthONE Sky Ridge, which is the sponsor of Parent University. Dr. Hadeed is a leader in pediatric health and development, and he has worked with countless families to build routines that support children’s physical and emotional well-being. Dr. Hadeed shares his expertise on what kids really need when it comes to sleep, nutrition and daily habits — and how parents can set up their children for success both in and out of the classroom. Whether parents are navigating picky eating, bedtime battles, or just want to make healthier choices as a family, this conversation is full of practical, science-backed guidance. Guests this week:  Dr. Matt Hadeed, chair of pediatrics at HCA HealthONE Sky Ridge Resources HealthyChildren.org - The American Academy of Pediatrics Parenting Website HCA HealthONE Sky Ridge – Parent University sponsor

    24 min

  3. 12/17/2025

    How AVID Helps Students, Part III

    AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination, exists to help students, and in this final episode of our AVID miniseries, we get to hear from former students who went through the program and can attest, with first-person experience, how much it helped them.  So far in this miniseries, we’ve heard the district perspective and the school-level perspective and, in both cases, the viewpoints of administrators and educators. But what about the people who are supposed to benefit from this program? That’s why we reached out to a couple of graduates of the Legend High School AVID program. Zoe (Class of 2016) and Liv (Class of 2021) are now fully embarked on their respective careers, and in this conversation they tell us how AVID helped prepare – and push – them as they chased their goals and dreams.  Liv and Zoe talk about why they needed the AVID program, how it gave them tools as well as a supportive community so they could grow as students, how it prepared them for college and careers, and how every day they still use what they learned several years ago.  Listen to this episode, and you’ll hear about resilience, collaboration, perseverance, confidence, achievement and so much more. Guests this week:  Zoe, 2016 Legend High School graduate Liv, 2021 Legend High School graduate  Resources AVID homepage  The AVID College and Career Readiness Framework  AVID National data  AVID in Colorado data Current AVID Schools in DCSD: Legend High School Ponderosa High School VALE High School Cresthill Middle School Sagewood Middle School Franktown Elementary School Frontier Valley Elementary School

    39 min

  4. 12/10/2025

    How AVID Helps Students, Part II

    AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a highly regarded, comprehensive educational program which has been used in schools all over the U.S. for 45 years.  In one DCSD feeder system, students can learn AVID-based skills throughout their K-12 journey: first at Franktown Elementary, where AVID concepts are infused throughout all grades and subjects, then Sagewood Middle School and Ponderosa High School, both of which have AVID elective classes and more. In this episode, the principals from all three of those schools talk about how AVID makes a difference for all ages of students – plus parents, teachers, and principals building an identity for their schools.  From elementary students learning “You can do hard things” to middle schoolers starting to think about careers and college, to high schoolers mastering the skills to excel in each, these school leaders are helping pave the way to success for students with all kinds of learning styles and abilities. This whole conversation carries the core AVID message of “empowerment to unlock every student’s greatness.” This is the second of three parts of the DCSD Notebook podcast miniseries focusing on the AVID program, which is used at several schools in Douglas County. The previous episode focused on the core aspects of the program and its implementation at the district level. This one is at the school level, and our next episode will have DCSD graduates talking about their experiences at the individual level and how AVID prepared them for the real world.  Guests this week:  Chandra Baca, Franktown Elementary School principal Sarah Fields-Hasler, Sagewood Middle School principal Ryan Hollingshead, Ponderosa High School principal Resources AVID homepage  The AVID College and Career Readiness Framework  AVID National data  AVID in Colorado data Current AVID Schools in DCSD: Legend High School Ponderosa High School VALE High School Cresthill Middle School Sagewood Middle School Franktown Elementary School Frontier Valley Elementary School

    47 min

  5. 12/03/2025

    How AVID Helps Students, Part I

    If you could learn how to learn better or, if you have kids in school,  help them unlock proven strategies to ensure they get the most out of school, would you want to hear more about that?  Here on the DCSD Notebook podcast from the top-scoring school district in the Denver area, we’re going to devote the next three episodes to a deep dive into the AVID program. In this episode, we’re going to start at the 10,000-foot level and learn what Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, is. DCSD’s co-director of the program, Gordon Mosher, who’s going to tell us the why, the how and the what of this program which can literally change the course of a student’s life – from someone who does OK but could achieve so much more if they were equipped, challenged and guided to embrace their potential.  In our next episode, we’ll drill down a little deeper and have a conversation with three principals in Parker who can tell us what AVID looks like at the elementary, middle and high school levels.    Then, in the third episode, we’re going to hear from DCSD graduates who went through the AVID program and can tell us how it helped them go forward into college and careers with confidence.   Guest this week:  Gordon Mosher III, executive director of schools for Choice Programming and DCSD co-director of AVID Resources AVID homepage  The AVID College and Career Readiness Framework  AVID National data  AVID in Colorado data Current AVID Schools in DCSD: Legend High School Ponderosa High School VALE High School Cresthill Middle School Sagewood Middle School Franktown Elementary School Frontier Valley Elementary School Glossary for this episode AVID: Advancement Via Individual Determination Metacognition: According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: awareness or analysis of one's own learning or thinking processes. WICOR: Acronym for AVID teaching and learning strategies which stands for Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, Reading

    44 min
  6. PARENT UNIVERSITY: You Are Not Alone founder Nikki Brooker

    11/05/2025

    PARENT UNIVERSITY: You Are Not Alone founder Nikki Brooker

    In this episode, host Amy Pfister and her guest Nikki Brooker, founder of YANA — You Are Not Alone, are talking about something that so many parents experience but don’t always talk about — how to find your community (as a parent) during your child’s school years. YANA is a local nonprofit which Brooker created to help parents connect, share, and realize that none of us are meant to do this journey in isolation. This conversation is all about why finding community matters, how schools can help foster those connections, and simple steps parents can take to feel more supported — right here in Douglas County and beyond. Resources: YANA website  Let’s Be Real Podcast: Mama Journeys (Note: This podcast, produced by YANA, features difficult subject matter and frank discussions; listener discretion advised) About Parent University Parent University is a special edition of DCSD Notebook and will appear in this feed monthly. For several years, Parent University has provided training, information, and resources for parents and caregivers. By partnering with community organizations and other agencies to equip families with additional knowledge, skills and resources, Parent University supports and empowers parents and caregivers to become leaders and advocates for their children's learning. This year, Parent University has transitioned from a live Zoom meeting to a podcast format to allow parents to listen to the conversations at their convenience; provide time and accessibility for guests to delve deeper into conversation; and save staff time with streamlined production.  Thank you to our Parent University podcast sponsor, HCA HealthONE Sky Ridge for their continued support and partnership.

    42 min

  7. 10/29/2025

    Making DCSD a Destination for Mental Health Training

    School psychologists play an important role in providing Pre-K through 12th grade students mental health services including evaluations, counseling, academic and behavioral intervention, safety assessments and support, and crisis response. They are trained in psychology, child development, and education. The growing mental health crisis, paired with an increased need for school psychologists, has resulted in a shortage.  Many doctoral school psychology programs only admit a handful of students each year. Additionally, according to the Colorado Department of Education, in 2023 there were 1,635 people who held a school psychology license with 616 of these people not working in school psychology roles, resulting in 37.7% of the potential workforce working in other professions.  One of the most promising strategies to recruit and retain school psychologists working in schools is a “grow your own program.”  In August, DCSD’s team of mental health professionals earned a rare accreditation after a long and thorough process. The accreditation is retroactive for the 2024-25 school year. DCSD is part of the Colorado School Psychology Internship Consortium. This is a collaborative effort of the DCSD, Aurora Public Schools, and the University of Colorado Denver to pool and share resources for the purpose of creating a high-quality doctoral internship opportunity that meets the unique clinical and workforce needs of the Denver metropolitan area. The aim is to prepare and retain doctoral school psychologists to provide responsive behavioral and mental health care to children, adolescents, and families in school settings.  DCSD doctoral interns become a licensed psychologist in addition to getting their school psychology credential, and American Psychology Association accredited internships provide high-quality training in clinical practice and specialties. Programs are required to go through a rigorous process to become accredited. DCSD's program, as part of the consortium, has received full accreditation for the next 10 years. This important distinction attracts top doctoral students from across the country, as most graduate programs require an accredited internship. DCSD's program grows sought-after professionals who often are hired on after they complete their internship. This accreditation enables graduates to have a streamlined path to licensure, a supportive introduction to the district, and highly trained supervisors furthering their development into the profession. A doctoral graduate student attends a four- to six-year program dependent upon whether they already have earned their masters degree. To obtain an internship they go through a stringent match process, similar to the process for placement of medical residents. There are approximately 782 psychology internships in the country with only 17 school district internship programs; and 24 internship programs in Colorado with only 2 school district programs. The only one in the Denver Metro area is in DCSD.  This episode is highlighted by the leader of the district’s mental health team and originator of the newly accredited program, as well as a doctoral intern and his experienced mentor.   Guests this week:  Dr. Stephanie Crawford-Goetz, DCSD Director of Mental Health Dr. Ryan Trowbridge, School Psychologist at Cresthill Middle School Joel Flores, School Psychologist Intern Resources DCSD Mental Health Support and School Providers

    58 min

  8. 10/22/2025

    Leadership in Athletics and Activities

    In any school district, student engagement and involvement can be seen as a three-legged stool of academics, activities and athletics. In DCSD, two of those three legs are supervised, along with student leadership, by our guests for this episode: Derek Chaney, director of Activities, Athletics, and Student Leadership, and Brad Wiidakas, assistant director for the department. Both have been with DCSD for decades, and Chaney is retiring after this school year. This super-sized episode is both a tribute to Chaney’s leadership and accomplishments as well as a deep dive into the hard work and long hours that both men invest in an organization with countless moving parts but a simple, straightforward mission: “It’s all about the kids.” Guests this week  Derek Chaney, director of Activities, Athletics, and Student Leadership Brad Wiidakas, assistant director of Activities, Athletics, and Student Leadership Resources DCSD Athletics webpage DCSD Activities webpage Students and Coaches in the News

    1h 18m
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About

Extended conversations with educators, leaders and students from Douglas County School District in Colorado -- which is the Number One public school district in the Denver area, serving 61,000 students at 92 schools.  Through DCSD Notebook, listeners will gain a greater understanding of the people, processes and programs in Colorado's third-largest district. Once a month, this feed will also feature Parent University. To learn more about what makes DCSD the Top of the Class, check out the Why DCSD page.

Information

  • Creator
    Douglas County School District
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    DCSD Notebook