Lutheran Education Podcast

Richard Schumacher

Introducing the Lutheran Education Podcast, brought to you by Lutheran Special Education Ministries. In this podcast we’ll explore trends, issues and events surrounding Lutheran education. In each episode we’ll invite educational experts to shed light on topics that support educators, administrators and staff.

  1. May 27

    Episode 81: Donna Lucas talks about a career that's taken her across all corners of the country

    Donna Lucas, Principal at Abiding Savior Lutheran School in Lake Forest, CA, is the recipient of the 2026 Charles A. Winterstein Administrator of the Year. She joins the podcast to discuss the various stops across the country that she’s made throughout her career. Through those roles she’s embraced diversity and has learned that people from all corners of the country are still all pretty much the same. However, how she communicated and learned from colleagues changed depending on the amount of Lutheran schools there were in the areas she served. She also talks about how she went from teaching to eventually joining the administrative side of education.

  2. Apr 29

    Episode 80: Justin Fierro and Brooke Weise discuss their school's approach to special education

    Justin Fierro, Principal, and Brooke Weise, Director of Student Services at Immanuel Lutheran School in Giddings, TX, join Dr. Tracie Salgado to talk about their school’s partnership with LSEM and their unique approach to supporting their students with learning differences.

  3. Apr 15

    Episode 79: Brian Broderick talks about the state of non public school education in Michigan

    Brian Broderick, Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Non-Public schools and President/CEO of LSEM, Stacy McGhee, talk about education across the state of Michigan and MANS involvement with legislative matters in regards to being able to participate in funding and aid to non-public schools. In this conversation, Broderick, McGhee and Richard Schumacher talk about the wide range of efforts and value that MANS brings to non-public schools and LSEM.

  4. Mar 31

    Episode 78: Travis Grulke returns for a conversation on the state of Lutheran education

    Travis Grulke, the district education executive at the Michigan District LCMS and assistant to the president, makes another appearance on the podcast. Travis and Richard talk about some important topics and current events in Lutheran education as well as happenings in education across the country and within the political climate. They also chat about slowing down some of technology and AI that students have access to.

  5. Mar 17

    Episode 77: LSEM's Richard Schumacher talks about the benefits of partnering with LSEM

    Richard Schumacher,  Senior Director of Operations at Lutheran Special Education Ministries, hosts a solo podcast about LSEM – including stories from the beginnings back in 1873 when it was founded as the Lutheran School for the Deaf to where it is today serving students with various learning disabilities within their own Christian schools across the country. Schumacher talks about the value and benefits of partnering with LSEM and its flexibility in working with schools both large or small — a mission that enables LSEM to reach and serve any student within a Christian setting.

  6. Feb 17

    Episode 76: LSEM's Mindy English talks about hands-on, multi-sensory learning

    Mindy English, LSEM’s Director of Programs and Services, joins the podcast to talk about hands-on, multi-sensory learning. English spent most of her career in education in early childhood education, specifically with children from ages 0-3 through kindergarten.

  7. Feb 3

    Episode 75: Dr. Linda Hensel and Dr. Kara Bratton talk about social emotional learning

    Dr. Linda Hensel, professor of education and department chair for special education at Concordia Wisconsin, and Dr. Kara Bratton, assistant professor in the School of Education Doctoral Program at Concordia University Irvine, join the podcast to talk about social emotional learning in our classrooms. They talk about their passion in working with children on these skills in a Christian setting rather than letting outside influences like social media sway our students.

  8. Jan 21

    Episode 74: Glenn Rollins talks about recruiting Lutheran educators

    Glenn Rollins, is a manager with the Set Apart to Service initiative at the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. In that role he’s responsible for finding those who are set apart to serve in the church. A pastor at his Lutheran grade school encouraged him to consider a career in church work and from there he attended Concordia University, Seward, NE. He taught at various levels of Lutheran education throughout the years and during his time in education he realized the need for better recruitment efforts to identify new teachers.

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About

Introducing the Lutheran Education Podcast, brought to you by Lutheran Special Education Ministries. In this podcast we’ll explore trends, issues and events surrounding Lutheran education. In each episode we’ll invite educational experts to shed light on topics that support educators, administrators and staff.

Information

  • Creator
    Richard Schumacher
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    81
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Richard Schumacher
  • Show Website
    Lutheran Education Podcast