December 14, 2022
These top listens from 2022 examine a wide range of pressing issues facing school communities, including building cultures of well-being for students and educators and addressing disproportionality in special education. Be sure to listen and subscribe!
Leading Voices
WestEd’s experts, along with leading scholars and practitioners in the fields of education and human development, discuss ways to help every learner to thrive in school, career, and life—from educator well-being and racial disparities to evidence-based approaches to research, evaluation, professional learning, and technical assistance.
In each episode, host Danny Torres welcomes WestEd’s experts to discuss the most pressing and enduring issues in education and health and human development. Drawing from evidence, research, and extensive experience, guests offer innovative and actionable strategies for ensuring success for every learner.
- Episode 1: Adult Well-Being and Creating a Culture of Care
- Episode 2: Amplifying Student Agency with Formative Assessment
- Episode 3: Sustaining Education Leaders of Color
Budgeting for Educational Equity
Host Jason Willis, WestEd’s Director of Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation, welcomes education leaders and practitioners to discuss funding, education improvements, and strategies to advance resource equity across all levels of California’s public education system. Guest speakers share their expertise, discuss the tools they’re using, what’s working, and what they’ve learned. Join us to learn what experts and colleagues are doing every day to ensure the equitable allocation of resources. This series will also present helpful briefs and worksheets to encourage usage and implementation of the ideas discussed.
- Episode 8: Don’t Just Accelerate, Navigate: One School District’s Approach to System Improvement and Equity During the Pandemic
- Episode 9: Key Ingredients for Making Good Decisions – Especially When You’re in the Pressure Cooker
General Soup
Hosts Sara Doutre, Senior Program Associate on WestEd’s Special Education Policy & Practice team, and Susan Hayes, Senior Program Associate and Project Director at WestEd, dive into the world of state special education accountability and support systems, also known as general supervision—aka “General Soup.”
Join them as they talk with state special education staff about their successes and challenges in developing, implementing, and evaluating results-based accountability and support systems. They also share resources to help states move towards improving outcomes for students with disabilities and drop a few jokes about soup.
Schools on the Move Series
Schools on the Move highlights innovative and promising school practices across the country that enhance outcomes for students with disabilities and create teaching and learning opportunities for educators.
Join hosts Matt Navo and Jana Rosborough from the National Center for Systemic Improvement and Dr. Annie Sharp of Fresno County Superintendent of Schools as they speak with experts in the field, spotlighting a new school in a different state with each episode.
- Episode 3: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Improving Outcomes for Students with Disabilities
Beyond SEL Audio Gallery
Across the country, teachers and leaders value well-being, connection, and equity and see it as foundational to their school communities—however, many struggle with how to provide these for students, staff, and families. The Beyond SEL audiocast series is designed to help educators equitably serve the whole-person needs of their communities.
Listen to stories from a public school or district across the United States, describing their innovative, evidence-based approach to this work. Each story is accompanied by a companion brief and an implementation guide to help you adapt these practices for your school.