Getting to the Core Podcastswith Wayne RESA
Where Pedagogy Meets Practice
A Podcast by Educators for Educators

Welcome to Wayne RESA's podcast page.  Here you will find the current and past episodes, along with resources and transcripts for further exploration of the topics covered.

Latest Episode

S4.E5 - Curating Joy is an Integral Part of Teaching with Dr. Rema Vassar With Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Dr. Rema Vassar

Wayne State Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Dr. Rema Reynolds Vassar joins our podcast team, Getting To The Core to discuss the current challenges of teaching and learning in urban communities today.

S4.E4 - Climate and Culture is the Backbone of a Successful School Year. A Conversation with Our Core Team and Diversity and Equity Consultant Dr. Jay Marks With author and presenter, Jessica Sprick from Safe and Civil Schools

The Getting To The Core team sits down with Diversity and Equity Consultant, Dr. Jay Marks to discuss these essential elements to kick the year off successfully.

S4.E3 Addressing Chronic Absenteeism With author and presenter, Jessica Sprick from Safe and Civil Schools

Chronic absenteeism is a widespread issue in schools and districts across the country. It has raised concerns about academic rigor, student behavior, and performance. In an interview with Getting To The Core, author Jessica Sprick discusses best practices that have been effective in addressing these concerns.

S4.E2 - Restorative Practices with Dr. Keisha Allen

The Executive Director of BFDI Training Institute, Dr. Keisha Allen joins Getting To The Core to discuss the power of Restorative Practices from a facilitator’s perspective

S4.E1 - Kentwood Shares Their Early Adoption Views on Restorative Practices

The importance of attendance and behavior in student academic success has been well established. Research has shown that positive relationships play a significant role in improving attendance and reducing behavioral issues. As a result, many schools have embraced Restorative Practices, a field within the social sciences that focuses on strengthening relationships between individuals and building social connections within communities.

S3.E6 - Homeless Education, McKinney-Vento and Special Populations with the Special Populations Team at Wayne RESA

As we recognize National Homeless Awareness Week this month we will be providing some information about the Special Populations Team at Wayne RESA, the McKinney-Vento Law, Homeless Awareness and why raising awareness on this subject is so important.

S3.E5 - Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Process (MiCIP): A new way to assist with district School Improvement With hostMarvin Franklin, Educational Improvement Consultant at Wayne RESA. and guests Nekeya Irby and Kimberly Murphy, Educational Improvement Consultants at Wayne RESA

Today's content will be about continuous improvement. The State of Michigan has revamped our school and district planning to be more reflective, intuitive and responsive to the needs of staff and students.

S3.E4 - Augmentative and Alternative Communication With host Kyle Gnagey joined by Pam Cunningham, Amber Wade and Laura Begley, Assistive Technology Consultants at Wayne RESA,

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that “communication” encompasses so much more than language we speak, hear, or read. While language is one form of communication, humans communicate in numerous other ways with their body, eyes, hands, sounds, actions, and more.

S3.E3 - Journey Towards Understanding

In Social Studies, our core—the essence of what we do—is to develop informed and engaged citizens. We want students that not only have content or disciplinary knowledge of the world around them, but the skills of how to apply that knowledge and the desire to do so.

S3.E2 - Stop Calling it "Daycare" A conversation with our host Kyle Gnagey and Beth Garza and Carissa Orr, Early Childhood Consultants at Wayne RESA

It’s not day care, it’s early learning. It's about providing quality, experience-based learning opportunities during the crucial, early developmental years of our children's lives.

S3.E1 - Culturally Responsive Mathematics Guests Jennifer Banks, Ph.D., Director of Instruction, WISD, Yarisha Johnson, Mathematics Education Consultant, Oakland Schools and Cherron Ramsey, Mathematics Education Consultant, WRESA.

Using the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM.org) definition, Culturally Responsive Mathematics seeks to promote a positive mathematical identity in students by providing tasks that are relevant, personal and meaningful to students.

S2.E7 - Talking is Teaching: Chelsea Clinton Visits Detroit Host Kyle Gnagey is joined by Kathleen Alessandro and Carmen Colón of Great Start Detroit/Wayne,

“Talking is Teaching” is a community literacy campaign conceived by the Clinton Foundation’s Too Small to Fail Initiative. In 2018, Great Start Detroit/Wayne became the first “Talking is Teaching” site in Michigan. Since then, the movement has grown and expanded to dozens of community organizations.

S2.E6 - What is High Quality Social Studies Instruction? Host Jason Siko sits down with David Hales, Social Studies Consultant at Wayne RESA

Do you remember all the facts you learned in your history or geography classes? Does it still matter?

S2.E5 - Pandemic Learning: What Do Our Kids Think? Rather than having guests discuss issues related to education, we are going to hear from children…the ‘core’ of our mission here at Wayne RESA.

Since schools first shut down in the spring of 2020, our students have experienced things that none of us really imagined, from emergency remote teaching, social distancing, packets being sent home, Zoom classrooms, wearing masks, and an ever changing set of circumstances.

S2.E4 - Ready to Launch: Career Counseling for Post-Secondary Success Host Brad Minton With Wayne RESA Career Counselors Brad Minton, Tanji Lilly, and Chris Ferrell.

In this episode we discuss how the Ready to Launch program assists local districts and students (and their parents!) by accelerating students' exposure to career resources.

S2.E3 - Rigor and Resilience: How SEL Is Embedded in the Arts Kyle Gnagey is joined by Heather Vaughan-Southard (MAEIA), Brenda Bressler (Music Educator), and Susan Briggs (Art Educator)

In this episode the group discusses the role of Arts Education in social emotional learning (SEL).

S2.E2 - Culture, Climate, and COVID-19 Host Jason Siko is joined by Ginni Winters, a School Culture and Equity Consultant at Wayne RESA, and Dr. Velicia Humes, a School Climate Consultant at Wayne RESA

Discuss school culture and climate, and how the pandemic has brought to light issues that can occur when the culture and climate of a school is not conducive to learning.

S2.E1 - Getting To Know Dr. Colbert Ellen Vorenkamp and Jason Siko Interview Dr. Daveda Colbert, Wayne RESA's new superintendent

Dr. Colbert's background, journey to Wayne RESA and her version for the county.

S1.E6 - Redefining Summer Learning Dr. Ellen Vorenkamp sits down with RESA Instructional Technology Consultants Judy Bowling and Jason Siko

A discussion about innovative learning strategies for summer learning that are no-tech, low-tech, and high-tech. 

S1.E5 - Looking Back and Stepping Forward With Wayne County Superintendents Melissa Wilson sits down with Randy Liepa (Superintendent - Wayne RESA), Andrea Oquist (Superintendent - Livonia Public Schools), and Terry Dangerfield (Superintendent - Lincoln Park Public Schools)

A discussion of the past school year, and what's on their wish list with respect to changes that they hope remain once the pandemic is behind us.

S1.E4 - Using Research To Combat Chronic Absenteeism Ellen Vorenkamp chats with Joe Musial, Cindy Cook, Jolia Hill, and Marvin Franklin

A discussion about how Wayne RESA's Attendance Resource Team (ART) uses research and data to help combat chronic absenteeism.

S1.E3 - Connecting With Students Online A discussion with Michelle Wagner and Stephanie DeVee

Creative ways to make connections with students in a remote environment.

S1.E2 - Feedback and Assessment With Wayne RESA consultants Melissa Wilson, Ellen Vorenkamp, Nathan Spencer, and Jason Siko

The importance of feedback and assessment, and how educators can adapt current classroom practice to the remote environment.

S1.E1 - Remote Learning As an Educator and Parent With Wayne RESA Consultants Rich Bacolor, Kristi Hanby, and Michelle Wagner

A discussion regarding the challenges they face as both educators and parents in the current remote learning environment.

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