8 with 8

This week, we’re bringing you another great interview with another great educational leader.  SST8 consultant Denise Ward sits down to talk with Jeff Ferguson, who recently retired from Tallmadge City Schools after serving as Superintendent for 15 years. This makes Jeff Summit County’s longest-serving Superintendent, and listeners with an interest in educational leadership will learn a lot from his experiences and insights.

Co-Host: Denise Ward, Educational Consultant

Dr. Marva Kay Jones, Senior Executive Director of Continuous Improvement at the Ohio Department of education, has served in many positions of educational leadership from the local to the state level.  In a candid interview with Heidi and Denise, she imparts important lessons for school leaders in this time of COVID and beyond, and advises aspiring leaders on how to stay authentic, fulfill their life's mission, and take care of themselves - so they can take care of those they are called to serve.

Co-hosts: Heidi Kerchenski and Denise Ward, Educational Consultants

Want to read/listen to what Dr. Jones is into these days?

Dare to Lead (book, audiobook) by Brene Brown

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism (book, audiobook) by Robin DiAngelo

The Culture Code: Secrets of Highly Successful Groups (book, audiobook) by Daniel Coyle

The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work and Team with Positive Energy, Jon Gordon

Assorted works of Dr. Doug Reeves

Dr. Peter DeWitt, our special guest and international speaker/author on leadership, is back for more! We had so much fun talking with from Dr. DeWitt that we didn't want it to end - so we kept going, with the goal of learning even more through his unique leadership lens. This week, he talks to us about social media literacy in the "post-truth era," social-emotional learning and educator well-being, strategies for increasing family engagement, and the importance of developing collective leader efficacy. This is part 2 of a 2-part interview; you can catch part 1 in our previous episode, which aired April 30, 2021.

Co-Hosts: Janelle Schuler, Assistant Director and Christine Ferrell, Educational Consultant  

About Our Guest and Resources

Dr. Peter DeWitt, former K-5 teacher and principal, is a school leadership coach who runs competency-based workshops and provides keynotes nationally and internationally focusing on school leadership (collaborative cultures and instructional leadership), as well as, fostering inclusive school climates. His work has been adopted at the state level, university level, and he works with numerous school districts, school boards, regional networks, ministries of education around North America, Australia, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the U.K. For more information, check out http://peterdewitt.com, where you can find out more about his upcoming books and resources. Check out some of our favorite of his works, including

We're kicking off Season 3 in a big way - we've got Peter DeWitt! He's a national and international speaker on all things educational leadership, and he has so many great thoughts on the major issues of our field: anti-racist education and equitable funding; student engagement and empowerment; making the shift from managerial to instructional leadership; and high-stakes testing. Dr. DeWitt's unique blend of stories, research, and policy insights will have you nodding your head and saying "YES!" This is part 1 of a 2-part interview. 

Co-Hosts: Janelle Schuler, Assistant Director and Christine Ferrell, Educational Consultant

About Our Guest and Resources

Peter DeWitt, former K-5 teacher and principal, is a school leadership coach who runs competency-based workshops and provides keynotes nationally and internationally focusing on school leadership (collaborative cultures and instructional leadership), as well as, fostering inclusive school climates. His work has been adopted at the state level, university level, and he works with numerous school districts, school boards, regional networks, ministries of education around North America, Australia, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the U.K. For more information, check out http://peterdewitt.com, where you can find out more about his upcoming books and resources. Check out some of our favorite of his works, including

What does training for a marathon have to do with reforming districtwide literacy instruction? In the final episode of Season 2, Why Words Matter, we share the words and insights of Region 8's Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grantee, Kent City Schools, as they lead their district in growing a literacy program based in the Science of Reading. Join Karen Rumley, Rachel Yohn, and Kristin Garner in a candid conversation with our own Annette Gross, as they share the what they've learned about defining a district vision, looking for the good, having a plan (and yet, being flexible), and so much more.

Co-host: Annette Gross, Regional Early Literacy Specialist

About our Guests: Rachel Yohn and Kristin Garner (Literacy Coaches) and Karen Rumley (Director of Instructional Programs), Kent City Schools, Ohio K-12 CLSD grant recipient 

Additional Resources:

Hard Words: Why Aren't Kids Being Taught to Read? (Podcast, ~45min)

Of ‘Hard Words’ and Straw Men: Let’s Understand What Reading Science is Really About (Article)

Ohio's Comprehensive State Literacy Development Grant (PDF)

It has been a year unlike any other.  As we prepared to launch our third season of 8 with 8, our team agreed that, more than anything, our leaders need to hear from experts who are leading the way at the national, state and local levels. We all need some inspiration right now as we wrap this year and look forward to a new start next year. We kick off Season 3 in grand fashion as we interview Peter DeWitt, international speaker and author of books such as Collaborative Leadership and Instructional Leadership. From there, we get the inside scoop from leaders at ODE and wisdom from leaders of a variety of school districts and an Educational Service Center.  Join us as we learn from these inspiring and innovating leaders! Season 3 starts Friday, April 30th.

As you think about teaching vocabulary, have you ever wondered how you can address the wide range of literacy skills and learning needs within your classroom ? In this episode, Annette and Tracy share ideas for proactively designing your lessons for student variability, using principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Every educator will be able to use these ideas, and not just for vocabulary - because variability is actually the norm across students in your classes.

Co-hosts: Tracy Mail, Educational Consultant and Annette Gross, Regional Early Literacy Specialist

Additional Resources

UDL Guidelines - CAST Center

When it comes to early literacy development, words really do matter. Join Annette Gross and Janelle Schuler to learn how these three principles - tune in, talk more, and take turns -  can guide us as we work to boost the vocabulary and background knowledge of our youngest learners.

Co-Hosts:

Annette Gross, Regional Early Literacy Specialist, and Janelle Schuler, Assistant Director

Additional Resources:

Building Early Language & Literacy Skills (book) by Lucy Hart Paulson

30 Million Words: Building a Child's Brain (book) by Dana Suskind

Read It Again PreK (curriculum supplement), from Crane Center at OSU

Project Ready (instructional materials), from Mt. St. Joseph University

Scaffolding With Storybooks (PDF) by Laura Justice, Crane Center at OSU

Debbie and Kim are back with the final installation in our 3-part mini-series on "Before, During, and After Strategies" for teaching vocabulary to older students. This episode highlights what teachers can do after instruction to reinforce learning. Spoiler alert: fun and games may be involved.

Co-hosts: Debbie Theirl, Educational Consultant and Kim Nagy, Urban Literacy Specialist

Additional Resources:

SST8 Webinar: Word Play (12 min) | Participation Guide

SST8 Webinar: Interactive Word Walls (10 min) | Participation Guide

As you may recall from last week, we’re focusing on strategies to use before, during, and after vocabulary instruction. Today, Kim and Debbie will focus on what we do DURING instruction - or how to use evidence-based teaching strategies and engaging activities to boost student learning.

Co-hosts: Kim Nagy, Urban Literacy Specialist and Debbie Theirl, Educational Consultant

Additional Resources:

SST8 Webinar: Selective Highlighting (9 min) | Participation Guide 

SST8 Webinar: Double Entry Journals (11 min) | Participation Guide