This week, we’re talking with our colleagues in Hudson City Schools about their work on educational equity. For those who don’t focus on this regularly, here’s how the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce defined it back in 2020:

Each child has access to relevant and challenging academic experiences and educational resources necessary for success across race, gender, ethnicity, language, disability, family background and income.

Like some of our other topics for this season, having a focus on educational equity in and of itself is not necessarily an innovation - many districts have stepped up to tackle this challenge. We are excited to showcase the work of Hudson City Schools because we have been impressed with some of the creative things they have done to learn, listen, and truly center educational equity in some of the district’s basic functions. 

About Our Guests: Kelly Kempf, Director of Pupil Services and Nyree Wilkerson, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator, Hudson City Schools

Additional Resources:

Hudson High School's You Belong student voice video (7min)

Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity: The Keys to Successful Equity Implementation (book)

Guiding principals for language/equity in RTI:

In this episode, we are going to talk about one of the biggest innovations in the world right now, artificial intelligence or AI. We're sure this isn't the first time you're hearing of it or consider how it can be applied in an educational setting. Much of what is being discussed about AI in education is, of course, focused on its teaching and learning applications… which makes sense, given our core mission as educators. In this episode, we take a different approach and explore how AI can be used by administrators to help them be more effective and innovative in their leadership capacities.

Host: Dr. Jenine Sansosti, Director, SST8

Guest: Corey Hoynacke, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Summit Educational Service Center

Additional Resources:

Newsletters/email subscriptions:

AI Policy in Education (Resources and Links) - Google Doc managed by Corey

In this week's episode, Michelle Smith and Heidi Kerchenski from our team are talking with colleagues in Green Local Schools about an extremely creative and impactful partnership they have developed with the Starbucks Coffee location in their community.  What started as Starbuck's general interest in supporting the local district has grown into a robust partnership in so many innovative ways, including recognizing staff members doing outstanding work in PBIS and highlighting students that exemplify the Safe, Kind, and Responsible expectations of the district. So if you don’t have a cup of coffee in your hand - maybe pause this and get one before listening.

Co-Hosts: Michelle Smith and Heidi Kerchenski, SST8 consultants

Guests: Erica Bauer, District PBIS Coordinator, Green Local Schools; Jaymz Keller, Starbucks Coffee, Green Ohio

This week, we are discussing the many strategies utilized in Akron Public Schools to create consistency and high-fidelity implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (otherwise known as PBIS). Nearly every district we work with, of every size, situation, and location, finds that it is extremely challenging to get all buildings doing the same thing - or at least meeting district non-negotiables that keep everyone aligned to the same set of priorities. And of all the districts are who making the shift to a district-wide focus, only one in Region 8 has a whopping 47 buildings to coordinate, and that is Akron Public Schools. Today, we're talking with Nicole Hassan, APS Coordinator of School Climate, and Taylor Hair, APS District Instructional Specialist, about the many creative strategies their district uses to make this happen.

Additional Resources:

District Systems Fidelity Inventory (DSFI; website and resource download)

In this episode, we’ll shine the spotlight on the work of Woodridge Local Schools in Summit County. SST8 has had the great privilege of partnering with Woodridge Local on the development of Early Warning Systems to increase graduation and reduce dropout, through a state project called Each Child on Track. Using a tiered model,

Co-Hosts: Mike Kaschak and Helen Brophy, SST8 Educational Consultants

Guests: N’ecole Ast, Superintendent; Joel Morgan, Assistant Superintendent and Director of Academic Services, and Caitlyn Sabo, Director of Pupil Services.

Additional Resources:

Ohio Each Child on Track Theory of Action

Co-Host: Pam Kennedy, SST8 Regional Literacy Specialist

Guests: Sheila McGhee, Director Barberton Preschool; Raetina Giovanini, Intervention Specialist

Today, as we continue to delve into the huge priority of chronic absenteeism, we want to shine the spotlight on Springfield Local Schools in Region 8. Springfield is a district just outside of Akron that had a huge hill to climb in terms of increasing student attendance, with more than 4 in 10 students chronically absent (meaning they were absent for at least 10% of school days) in 2021-2022. By working systematically through the Ohio Improvement Process and systemically across their entire district, Springfield saw stunning improvement in their chronic absenteeism rate in just one year. SST8’s Frank Gant talks with Michelle Warner and Todd Lovell, two administrators from Springfield Jr/Sr High about the MANY things they did as a district and a building to make this happen. You'll quickly learn that data and decision rules aren't enough - building stronger relationships with students and families is at the heart of attendance work as well.

Co-host: Frank Gant, SST8 Educational Consultant

Additional Resources:

Attendance Playbook (PDF) from Attendance Works - evidence-based strategies for addressing chronic absenteeism

Root Causes of Attendance from Attendance Works website - overview and downloadable worksheet

We're kicking off Season 10 with a focus on chronic absenteeism, a topic that has garnered increasing attention and concern over the past few years. Today, SST8’s own Frank Gant will talk to Zach Miley, Wellness Initiatives Coordinator at Summit ESC - two regional leaders working individually and collaboratively to help area districts identify the barriers to attendance as well as the strategies and partnerships necessary to get more kids in school more often.

Resources:

Men Who Talk Heal - Zach's podcast

Ohio's Whole Child Framework

Ohio Attendance Task Force Recommendations Report

As we wind down the school year, we know that folks have been giving it their all for a very long time and may be feeling tired - or even, a bit uninspired. But when we at SST8 look around, we see no shortage of inspiration in the creative and innovative ways our local colleagues are tackling today’s challenges and opportunities in education. So this season, we are bringing you another series of interviews - still talking to educators across the region, for the most part - but this time thinking about how we can shake things up to improve education in our community. We’ll answer questions about things you might never have thought to ask, like:

And many other exciting topics to come.

So get ready for a new season of 8 with 8 - Eight Great Educational Innovations - coming to Anchor and all other podcast platforms on Friday, April 12. See you soon!

Check out a BONUS episode of 8 with 8, where we re-air another great educational podcast: Take the Lead, an Ashland University Professional Learning Podcast. We were delighted to have SST8’s own Pam Kennedy (Regional Early Literacy Specialist or RELS) invited to be on Take the Lead recently. She was so excited to share about the great literacy work going on statewide and in region 8. The Take the Lead podcast is produced by students in the Modern Communications through Media Production career program at Cuyahoga Falls HS, a featured part of the Six District Compact. Be sure subscribe to the Take the Lead podcast on your favorite podcasting platform or listen at

Co-Host: Dr. Dave Silverberg, Northeast Director of Professional Learning Services, Ashland University.