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Who gets identified as gifted in elementary school? Who takes Algebra I in middle school? Who takes Advanced Placement classes in high school? In this episode we spoke with Andrea Herndon (Hanover County Public Schools), Beverly Fludd-Flanagan (Petersburg City Public Schools), and Chris Parthemos (Virginia Commonwealth University) about two new dashboards from MERC that depict advanced coursework participation across K-12 in the MERC region and Virginia. Listen to learn more about how these dashboards inform the work of local educators and click below to access the dashboards. https://merc.soe.vcu.edu/projects/equitable-access-and-support-for-advanced-coursework/#Dashboards

In this episode we spoke with Dr. Julie Ellis (Bridging Communities Regional Career and Technical Center/Governor’s STEM Academy), Dr. Maggie Hartley (The National WWII Museum in New Orleans), Dr. Therese O’Dea (New Kent County Public Schools), Dr. Kate Puschak (Loudon County Public Schools) & Dr. Erin Sturgis (Virginia Department of Education)about strategies for staffing K-12 schools for student mental health supports. The conversation is based on their capstone report for the VCU School of Education available here: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/edd_capstone/12/ The executive summary is available on the MERC website: https://merc.soe.vcu.edu/projects/mental-health/#Report

Among the critical functions of K-12 schools, they are positioned to support the mental health needs of their students, faculty, staff, and families. To discuss how the research on this topic relates to everyday practice, we spoke with Patrice Beard(Mental Health Liaison for the Center for Family Involvement at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Partnership For People with Disabilities), Laura Early (Coordinator of Psychological and Diagnostic Services in Chesterfield County Public Schools), Amy Johnson (Student Support and Wellness Specialist in Henrico County Public Schools), Matt Shenker (Head of Experience for Pathly, Inc), Erica Daniels (School Counselor at Vernon Johns Middle School in Petersburg City Public Schools), and Felicia Friend-Harris (School Psychologist and Lead Educational Diagnostician for Richmond Public Schools). Hosted by David Naff (MERC Associate Director and former High School Counselor).

Authors of a recent systematic literature review discuss their findings related to the mental health impacts of COVID-19 on PK-12 students. Guests include David Naff (MERC Associate Director at Virginia Commonwealth University), Jenna Darby (Research and Evaluation Specialist in Chesterfield County Public Schools), Shenita Williams (Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University), and Melissa Yeung (Student Services Coordinator for the School of Physical Therapy at Bowling Green State University). Click below to access the full article from AERA Open: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/23328584221084722

This episode pulled together experts from throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia for a discussion about who takes dual enrollment classes in high school. Guests include: Lori Dwyer (Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs at Reynolds Community College), Jenna Lenhardt (Recruitment Specialist for the VCU School of Education), David Naff (MERC Associate Director), Patricia Parker (Director of Transfer Virginia for SCHEV and VCCS), Taylor Reahard (Dual Enrollment Instructor at Goochland High School in Goochland County Public Schools), Allen Riddle (Director of Dual Enrollment at Reynolds Community College), and Addisyn Winston - 12th grade student at Goochland High School in Goochland County Public Schools). Check out the research brief that accompanies this episode here: https://merc.soe.vcu.edu/reports/published-reports/who-takes-dual-enrollment-classes/

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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).

In this episode we discuss the importance of learning from students and centering student voice in the classroom and curriculum. Guests include Fantasy Lozada (VCU/MERC - Host), Elizabeth Murray (Social Studies Teacher, Tuckahoe Middle School - Henrico), Brewster Brown (School Counselor, Tuckahoe Middle School - Henrico), Shannon Macaulay (English/Language Arts Teacher - Meadowbrook High School - Chesterfield), Vicky Brucker (English/Language Arts Teacher - Quioccasin Middle School - Henrico)

In this episode we discuss the importance of building a community of culturally responsive teachers at your school, and taking the long view when doing this work. Guests include Hillary Parkhouse (VCU/MERC - Host), Heather Dawson (English/Language Arts Teacher, Quioccasin Middle School - Henrico), David Glass (Social Studies Teacher, Meadowbrook HIgh School - Chesterfield), Kevin Socha (Dean of Students, Meadowbrook High School - Chesterfield), and Jenny Smith (English/Language Arts Teacher, Quiocccasin Middle School - Henrico).

In this episode, students share their thoughts on the importance of culturally responsive teaching and why it is important to their success. Guests include Winfred Walker (MERC/VCU - Host),Cyndi Young (MERC/VCU - Host), Abigail Tailor (Monacan High School - Chesterfield), and Matthew Cherici (Monacan High School - Chesterfield)

Jenna Lenhardt, Mitch Parry, David Naff, and Virginia Palencia from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education discuss findings from a recent MERC report titled Analyzing Advanced Placement: Making the Nation's Most Prominent College Preparatory Program More Equitable. In our conversation we discussed the history and trajectory of AP, enduring racial and socioeconomic disparities in the program, the short and long-term implications of those disparities, and what policies and practices help to address them.

We spoke with Dr. Virginia Palencia from the VCU School of Education about her dissertation research focused on access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses across the Commonwealth of Virginia.