Educationally Speaking

Are you a student who has always dreamed of managing your own restaurant or building a house a family could call their home? Do you desire to one day own your own salon or be a lead computer programmer at a software company? Oakland Schools has a longstanding tradition of creating opportunities for all students in Oakland County and that includes those who may have an interest in garnering hands-on experiences before leaving the classroom. This episode takes a look at what our Oakland Schools Technical Campuses (OSTC) have to offer local students. 

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Due to the pandemic, and how it affected learning these past several months, there are many students who are going to need additional support and resources this school year. In particular, those conversations seem to center around English Learners.

A recent article published in Education Week pointed out that just because English Learners may need more support this fall, doesn’t mean that they are behind other students.

This podcast examines the assumptions the general population often has when it comes to our English Learners and how to dispel those assumptions.

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Host: Oakland Schools' Communications Specialist Sarah Davis

Nationwide and locally, careers in STEM, - which stands for science, technology, engineering and math - are making headlines as growing and lucrative fields for the future.

Oakland Schools has been working hard over the past several months to really begin focusing on supporting the STEM efforts of local school districts.

In this episode, we talk to the team who has created these programs to find out what exciting learning opportunities are on the horizon, as well as talk to a local elementary school principal and a student who are eager to participate in these opportunities.

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Host: Oakland Schools' Communications Specialist Sarah Davis

For our first episode of Season 3, we will be talking about what parents and students can expect for the 2021-2022 school year. Admittedly, this is a moving target because the pandemic is ongoing and things could quickly change, but, as of right now, it is looking like school districts are going to resume in-person learning.

So what will that look like? With guidance from local education experts, we will be discuss some of the key areas that parents and students may be examining upon returning to school this year.

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Host: Oakland Schools' Communications Specialist Sarah Davis

When the pandemic hit, in-person learning stopped on a dime and school districts quickly set up online learning opportunities for students. It wasn’t an easy switch, but most students and staff were able to make the transition.

And while that worked as a temporary solution for most families, there were many who were left in a lurch.

For those with children who fall in the special populations category, the change from in-person to virtual learning simply didn’t work as many of those students require face-to-face interaction for learning to occur.

Luckily, many of our local educators and consultants stepped up and when everyone else was getting behind a computer screen, they masked up, grabbed their equipment and curriculum and headed to their students’ homes, the local park… wherever it was necessary to make sure these children didn’t get left behind and still got the learning they deserve.

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Host: Oakland Schools' Communications Specialist Sarah Davis

This year, there has been a huge uptick in the amount of staff who have left the education profession. Many teachers, in particular, are retiring, but the issue is touching every aspect of the education field from superintendents to bus drivers.

In our January Educationally Speaking podcast titled "Where are they? Why students are increasingly leaving the classroom," we explored why more students have left school due to the pandemic. Now we want to look at the staff side of the equation and discuss this loss that is occurring as well as some solutions for that loss.

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Host: Oakland Schools' Communications Specialist Sarah Davis

Race and racism have always been hot button issues in our society, but recent events have really seemed to push these topics to the forefront of everyone’s mind, including our youth.

Discussing the topics of race and racism can be complicated, but it is always necessary. So how does a parent properly and effectively begin and continue this discussion with their child or children?

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Toddler - 7 years

8 years old and up

12 years old and up

Host: Oakland Schools' Communications Specialist Sarah Davis

Imagine trying to learn when your stomach is speaking louder than your teacher. It is impossible! 

Research shows that the simple act of eating school breakfast can dramatically change a child's school learning experience. In this episode, we discuss National School Breakfast Week and how it serves as a reminder that a healthy breakfast ensures students' academic well-being. 

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Host: Oakland Schools' Communications Specialist Sarah Davis

There has not been one person unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Local teachers, parents, and students are no exception. In this episode, we talk about what self-care is and how important it is to implement in our lives as often as we can. 

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Host: Oakland Schools' Communications Specialist Sarah Davis

Parents and caregivers are essential partners in supporting learning at home but what does that mean? Experts say the most important thing is to keep a love of learning alive. In an effort to help local parents and caregivers, Oakland Schools District and School Services has started a Partnerships at Home series to assist with these new learning challenges.

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Host: Oakland Schools' Communications Specialist Sarah Davis