CASDA EdCasts

In this special episode, Dr. Michael Piccirillo reflects on the changes he observed during his tenure as CASDA Executive Director. We discuss how COVID-19 led to schools altering practices during the shutdown period, and how some of those changes have not been sustained in response to budgetary urgency and political expedience. Mike signs off by encouraging educators to continue their work and to center students and families in their efforts.

This episode of CASDA's "Everything Education" podcast features Dr. Daina Sisk, Director of Secondary Special Education in the Ballston Spa Central School District discussing how districts can ensure their Integrated Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS-I) are aligned to support student needs above all else. Drawing upon her doctoral research and her deep experience, Dr. Sisk offers both thoughtful insights that can guide both district planning and educator practice.

In this special EdCast Eudora Brennan, a Senior at Chatham High School joins CASDA Executive Director Dr. Michael Piccirillo and Damonni Farley, Founder and CEO of Common Thread Consultants. Eudora shares her perspective on leadership, the power of student voice and the work of Chatham's DEI Club to build a more inclusive and equitable school environment. 

In this episode, Tracy Sangaré and Michele Sano, co-teachers at Latham Ridge Elementary School in North Colonie explore the foundations of strong co-teaching partnerships. They highlight the importance of modeling respectful, caring relationships for students, the importance of authentic reflection in the planning process and how co-teaching has helped them grow as educators. 

In this episode,  co-teaching partners Tracy Sangaré and Michele Sano of Latham Ridge Elementary School in North Colonie Central School District explore the foundations of dynamic co-teaching practice. They share the importance of modeling positive, respectful relationships for their students, and discuss the need for honest, reflective dialog in the lesson planning process and highlight the need for self-awareness as an essential component of strong partnerships. 

In this CASDA EdCast, Oneida Students for Antiracism members LIza, Charles, and Royalty return for a follow up one year after our first conversation. The students describe some of the work they have undertaken in the past year and communicate clear ideas for change. The depth of their insight on a range of education and social issues shows the power of authentic student voice and makes it clear that they are true leaders in the effort to build more equitable and inclusive schools. 

In this CASDA EdCast, Sepideh Yasrebi, a Ph.D. Candidate at UAlbany's School of Education and English as a New Language Teacher in North Colonie Central Schools speaks with Jerome Steele about language and language learning as a social phenomenon. She offers an analysis of ENL theory and practice that centers students' histories, identities and context through a narrative centered framework that emphasizes the fact that language emerges from and reflects lived experience. 

In this episode, Dr. Piccirillo talks to Dave Torres, a CASDA consultant facilitating the Improving Student Attendance Series: Re-engaging Students in a Post-COVID World about strategies to support students and families in school attendance and engagement. Dave shares stories and perspective from his career working in the criminal justice system and as an attendance supervisor in Saratoga Springs City Schools. Throughout the episode, he emphasizes the need to meet families where they are, "remove the educator hat," and never give up on students. 

This CASDA EdCast features Dr. Piccirillo in dialogue with special guests Amy Hawrylchak, Principal at Tech Valley High School and Shelette Pleat Principal for CTE at Capital Region BOCES on the topic of boundary crossing in leadership spaces. This concept allows leaders to move beyond their comfort zone, crossing boundaries into unknown and potentially unsettling space in order to grow personally and professionally. They discuss the benefits of taking these risks in order to better engage in educational equity work, and build more authentic, substantive relationships with both students and colleagues. Their honest exchanges model boundary crossing in practice and should encourage all leaders to move beyond the familiar and towards meaningful growth. 

This CASDA EdCast explores the benefits of enrichment-focused summer programming to meet the needs of the whole child. Mike Laster, Principal at Farnsworth Middle School and Co-Chair of the Capital Region Principals' Center joins Dr. Piccirillo to share how he plans to implement a summer program that will build on strengths, integrate SEL and accelerate student learning heading into the 2021-22 school year. They discuss the need to move beyond traditional conceptions of summer remediation, question long-held assumptions and discuss how schools move beyond "back to normal."