Education, particularly K-12, is being transformed at the federal level, with programs cut, shifted to the states, or absorbed into other federal departments. But most of the work shaping children's education occurs at the state, city and town levels on local boards of education. In this episode of IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us, we are joined by a 17-year veteran of a community BoE, Penny Rashin, who was bitten by the "education bug” after a career in law.

In New Canaan, “education IS the business of the town,” serving the vital schooling needs of youths, and managing the impact of evolving technologies like social media and AI “for the good” of education. “Our job is to make sure the town’s resources and policies give students the skills they need to be successful: technology, social and emotional learning, and knowledge.” Plus offering vast activities in clubs and sports because “you just don’t know what will be the spark.”

Critically, the community is an essential “partner” through public school board meetings or special referendums that, she says, can get contentious, but “it’s good to be feisty! These are important issues in the lives of children.”

This has earned New Canaan’s school system the number one rank in Connecticut – and the 30th best in the US. Perhaps after hearing Penny’s story, listeners might consider running for their local board of education. It’s rewarding and essential to "getting education right" for future generations, and Penny reminds us that “the power is with the voters” – true words for the times.

Episode Notes:
-More about this episode and Penny Rashin's full bio can be found at https://www.citizenartscreative.org/intheirwords
-More about the New Canaan Board of Education can be found at https://www.ncps-k12.org/page/about-the-board-of-education/
-National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) https://www.nsba.org/home
-Music credit: Frederic Chopin, Waltz in B minor. Music by Nesrality from Pixabay
-CITIZENARTS essential mission is to foster greater understanding of civic issues. We'd love to hear from you about this topic! Email [email protected] and follow us on Instagram @citizenartsedu, Facebook @citizenartsedu, Bluesky @citizenarts.bsky.social, Twitter/X @citizenartsedu, Threads @citizenartsedu
-We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit educational organization. Visit https://www.citizenarts.org/podcasts to access our growing selection of civics-related and historically significant programs. These include:
Hungary’s Cautionary Tale - How Autocrats Broke Democracy; MARCH, an audio drama based on an historically documented moment of Hitler’s rise to dictatorial power; and Liberty vs. Tyranny: Czech Views on Ukraine, Freedom and Democracy Shaped by Strife with Russia
-CITIZENARTS podcasts are presented courtesy of gabbegroup Productions. Copyright © gabbegroup Productions

They say all politics is local. And you can't get much more local than the county, one of America’s original forms of government that dates back to 1634 when the first county governments (known as shires) were established in Virginia.

In this episode of IN THEIR WORDS, we're joined by Janeé Hanzlick, Johnson County (KS) Board of County Commissioners, District 4. Commissioner Hanzlick explains how county government fits within the vast, often puzzling structure of state governance, melding with the towns, cities, schools, sheriffs and others.

Thoughtful, empathetic, devoted to the community she serves, the former CEO of Safehome, Johnson County’s domestic violence agency, takes the barbs of sometimes angry, frustrated, even armed constituents – that increasingly come with being a public official nowadays.

"Sometimes we get it wrong," she says, "but we're trying to leave things better than we found them. This opportunity is a privilege, not an entitlement or source of self-identity. When my time is up, I'll do my best to help prepare the next person to have that privilege."

Episode Notes:
-More about this episode and Commissioner Hanzlick's full bio can be found at https://www.citizenartscreative.org/intheirwords
-National Association of Counties (NACO) website: https://www.naco.org/
-Two books Commissioner Hanzlick recommends to learn more about county government:
Governing on the Ground: The Past, Present, and Future of County Government by Peter Golden. Archway Publishing, 2023. (https://www.archwaypublishing.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/844620-governing-on-the-ground)
And
Now What?: A Practical Guide for Newly Elected Officials by Larry Tramutola.  Mill City Press Inc., 2013. (https://www.amazon.com/Now-What-Practical-Elected-Officials/dp/1935204866)
-Music credit: Frederic Chopin, Waltz in B minor. Music by Nesrality from Pixabay
-CITIZENARTS essential mission is to foster greater understanding of civic issues. We'd love to hear from you about this topic! Email [email protected] and follow us on Instagram @citizenartsedu, Facebook @citizenartsedu, Bluesky @citizenarts.bsky.social, Twitter/X @citizenartsedu, Threads @citizenartsedu
-We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit educational organization. Visit https://www.citizenarts.org/podcasts to access our growing selection of civics-related and historically significant programs. These include:
Hungary’s Cautionary Tale - How Autocrats Broke Democracy; MARCH, an audio drama based on an historically documented moment of Hitler’s rise to dictatorial power; and Liberty vs. Tyranny: Czech Views on Ukraine, Freedom and Democracy Shaped by Strife with Russia
-CITIZENARTS podcasts are presented courtesy of gabbegroup Productions. Copyright © gabbegroup Productions

Mention of the word “sheriff” may conjure up iconic names of fabled lawmen like Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok and Pat Garrett. But the role of a sheriff actually dates back to 700 AD in England and came to the US with the early colonists. Today, more than 3,000 sheriffs serve in 47 states (Dare we say, who knew?)

In this episode of IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us, we are honored to be joined by Greg Champagne, Sheriff of St. Charles Parish, LA and president of the National Sheriffs' Association.

Sheriff Champagne oversees a force of over 375 officers with far-reaching responsibilities encompassing all dimensions of public safety. The people are his constituents – and they speak with their ballots, re-electing him to his eighth term, with the last four uncontested.

Sheriff Champagne shares how the 21st century sheriff’s officers undergo state-of-the-art training to confront challenges never imagined even 20 years ago – continually adapting modern methods to meet daily demands. Officers, for example, are now equipped with virtual reality glasses enabling them to “see” what a person in crisis is experiencing, whether due to a developmental condition, mental health issues or drugs/alcohol. This has helped create better real-time understanding to defuse potentially combustible situations. 

If he could change anything, Sheriff Champagne would “reset the biases and fixed opinions against law enforcement.” He urges “open-mindedness as the truth will come out.”

Oh, and he plays a mean trumpet, too – though not as often as his time in a college marching band. Still, he jams occasionally on stage and is honored to play “Taps” at military funerals as part of Bugles Across America.

Join us to learn more about this oldest continuing non-military law enforcement profession in the US. Hopefully it’ll give you new appreciation to "Support Your Local Sheriff!"

Episode Notes:
-More about this episode and the IN THEIR WORDS podcast series can be found at https://www.citizenartscreative.org/intheirwords
-Sheriff Greg Champagne's full bio: https://www.stcharlessheriff.org/258/Sheriff-Greg-Champagne
-More about the National Sheriffs' Association: https://www.sheriffs.org
-Music credit: Frederic Chopin, Waltz in B minor. Music by Nesrality from Pixabay
-CITIZENARTS essential mission is to foster greater understanding of civic issues. We'd love to hear from you about this topic! Email [email protected] and follow us on Instagram @citizenartsedu, Facebook @citizenartsedu, Twitter/X @citizenartsedu, Threads @citizenartsedu
-We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit educational organization. Visit https://www.citizenartscreative.org/podcasts to access our growing selection of civics-related and historically significant programs. These include Hungary’s Cautionary Tale - How Autocrats Broke Democracy; MARCH, an audio drama based on an historically documented moment of Hitler’s rise to dictatorial power; and Liberty vs. Tyranny: Czech Views on Ukraine, Freedom and Democracy Shaped by Strife with Russia
-CITIZENARTS podcasts are presented courtesy of gabbegroup Productions. Copyright © gabbegroup Productions

Ever wonder what a coroner or medical examiner actually does? Bobbi Jo O’Neal, coroner of Charleston County, SC, explains that the job goes well beyond what we’ve witnessed in true-crime homicide dramas. From identifying cause and manner of death, to working with families through grief, assisting law enforcement, or playing a pivotal role in battling the opioid crisis, coroners provide essential community public services every day.

Show Notes:
-More about this episode and the IN THEIR WORDS podcast series can be found at https://www.citizenartscreative.org/intheirwords  
-Coroner Bobbi Jo O'Neal's biography: https://www.charlestoncounty.org/elected/bio-coroner.php
-Learn more about some of the topics discussed from these resources provided by Coroner O'Neal
Charleston County Coroner's Office: https://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/coroner/index.php
Charleston County Coroner's Office Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/charlestoncoroner
International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners: https://theiacme.com/
South Carolina Coroner's Association: https://www.southcarolinacoroners.org/
Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations: https://thecfso.org/
National Association of Medical Examiners:  https://www.thename.org/
International Association of Forensic Nurses: https://www.forensicnurses.org/
Academy of Forensic Nursing:  https://www.goafn.org/
-Music credit: Frederic Chopin, Waltz in B minor. Music by Nesrality from Pixabay
-An essential mission at CITIZENARTS is to foster greater understanding of civic issues. We'd love to hear from you about this topic! Email [email protected] and follow us on Instagram @citizenartsedu, Facebook @citizenartsedu, Twitter/X @citizenartsedu, Threads @citizenartsedu
-We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit educational organization. Visit https://www.citizenartscreative.org/podcasts to access our growing selection of civics-related and historically significant programs. These include Hungary’s Cautionary Tale - How Autocrats Broke Democracy; MARCH, an audio drama based on an historically documented moment of Hitler’s rise to dictatorial power; and Liberty vs. Tyranny - Czech views on Ukraine and democracy shaped by strife with Russia
-CITIZENARTS podcasts are presented courtesy of gabbegroup Productions. Copyright © gabbegroup Productions

DAs serve a vital role in our court system by ensuring justice and equality under the law for all citizens. In this episode of IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us, CITIZENARTS is honored to spotlight William “Fitz” Fitzpatrick, the eight-time elected DA of Onondaga County in the State of NY that includes Syracuse, one of the state’s largest cities, and is part of a judicial system that is among the oldest continuing courts in the US dating back to the late 1600s.

The caseload is vast, from homicides and special victims, to narcotics and racketeering. About the office’s economic crime bureau, he says “I’ve never seen such an influx of thieves and con artists – especially targeting senior citizens.” DA Fitzpatrick’s judicial innovations establishing best practices are now being used in 30 states and his leadership in codifying ethics standards reflect his core tenet that “prosecutors must be leaders not followers.”

He calls himself “a prosecutor born to solve homicides – to get justice for his brothers and sisters – and to keep the community safe.” A book on the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh’s baby son in the 1930’s “hooked” then 11-year old DA Fitzgerald with its breakthrough forensic evidence, which ultimately became “a lifelong career passion.”

Peers in the New York State DA Association have named him prosecutor of the year, and the New York State Bar Association voted him outstanding prosecutor. His constituents have reaffirmed their support by electing him district attorney for more than three decades.

DA Fitzpatrick reflects on proud moments, including a sudden infant death (SIDs) case that garnered national headlines proving a mother had murdered her five children at different times. After convicting her and discrediting a “quack” SIDs expert, SIDs cases dropped by 50% in the US.

Please join us for a riveting look at the high-stakes world of prosecuting defendants – many accused of heinous crimes -- including a courtroom moment when “Fitz” caught a defendant's incriminating verbal syntax slip-up that could’ve come straight out of a true crime TV drama. Justice served!

EPISODE NOTES
More can be found at https://www.citizenartscreative.org/intheirwords

District Attorney William Fitzpatrick's full biography: https://da.ongov.net/bio/

Learn more about the role of District Attorneys: https://ndaa.org

Revisit Fitzpatrick's Op-ed calling for the (now standard) practice of videotaping interrogations following his successful prosecution of Hubert “Mad Dog” Allen: https://www.syracuse.com/opinion/2010/12/onondaga_county_district_attor.html

Check out the Campbell Conversations, hosted by Grant Reeher, Director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute at Syracuse University, for insightful conversations with writers, politicians, activists, public officials, and business professionals whose work affects public life: https://www.wrvo.org/show/campbell-conversations-0

An essential mission at CITIZENARTS is to foster greater understanding of civic issues. We'd love to hear from you about this topic! Email [email protected] and follow us on Instagram: @citizenartsedu, Facebook: @citizenartsedu, Twitter/X: @citizenartsedu, Threads: @citizenartsedu

We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit educational organization. Visit https://tinyurl.com/CApodcasts to access our growing selection of civics-related and historically significant programs. They include MARCH, an audio drama about Hitler’s rise to dictatorial power; Liberty vs. Tyranny: Czech Views on Ukraine, Freedom and Democracy Shaped by Strife with Russia; and A More – or less – Perfect Union, a nationwide debate about hyper-critical social, civic and political issues in the U.S.

CITIZENARTS podcasts are presented courtesy of gabbegroup Productions. Copyright © gabbegroup Productio

With so much news centered on laws being passed by state legislatures, many with heated controversy, we turned to the 10th Amendment of the US Constitution:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

So anything not explicitly allowed or prohibited by the federal government is up to "We the People"? Reproductive choice? Voter rights? Firearms? Healthcare? Infrastructure? Marijuana? All of it.

Yes. We the People – via our legislatures – decide what goes or doesn't go. And the make-up of those bodies have the power to enact laws on the multitude of civil and other rights that have significant or profound impact on our everyday lives.

In this new episode of our CITIZENARTS’ series IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us, we talk to New York State Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, who ensures the voices of her constituents are heard loud and clear. 

Assemblymember Simon is a self-described lifetime fighter for equal rights and is nationally recognized expert on, and advocate for, the rights of people with disabilities. She is an exemplar of community activism who’s been elected to state government with over 90% of the vote in her Brooklyn community.

Join us for an engaging discussion with this fighter from Brooklyn who gives us an insider's view of the sometimes rough and tumble workings of state legislature – and how the 10th Amendment is relevant to our lives.

EPISODE NOTES:
More about IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us can be found at https://www.citizenartscreative.org/intheirwords

Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon's New York State Assembly web page: https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Jo-Anne-Simon

More about Extreme Risk Protection Order (NY’s Red Flag Law), sponsored by Assemblymember Simon: https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Jo-Anne-Simon/story/101929

Text and discussion of the 10th Amendment, which gives states the power to legislate matters that don't conflict with the US Constitution: https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-10/ 

Civic education is important but disappearing, as evidenced by a recent assessment: https://www.npr.org/2023/05/03/1173432887/history-and-civics-scores-drop-for-u-s-eighth-graders-on-national-test

An essential mission at CITIZENARTS is to foster greater understanding of civic issues. We'd love to hear from you about this topic! Email [email protected] and follow us on Instagram: @citizenartsedu, Facebook: @citizenartsedu, Twitter: @citizenartsedu, Threads: @citizenartsedu

Music credit: Frederic Chopin, Waltz in B minor. Music by Nesrality from Pixabay

CITIZENARTS will be most grateful if you subscribe to, rate and review our podcasts.

We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit educational organization. Visit https://tinyurl.com/CApodcasts to access our growing selection of civics-related and historically significant programs. They include MARCH, an audio drama about Hitler’s rise to dictatorial power; Liberty vs. Tyranny: Czech Views on Ukraine, Freedom and Democracy Shaped by Strife with Russia; and A More – or less – Perfect Union, a nationwide debate about hyper-critical social, civic and political issues in the U.S.

CITIZENARTS podcasts are presented courtesy of gabbegroup Productions. Copyright © gabbegroup Productions. All rights reserved.

In the newest episode of the CITIZENARTS’ series IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us, we focus our lens on the U.S. judicial system and meet Justice Adrienne Grover of the California 6th District Court of Appeal. Justice Grover -- a self-described “nonjudgmental judge” -- speaks definitively and inspiringly in a time of mounting misinformation, distortion and hyperbole aimed at the role of law and our judiciary.

As Justice Grover puts it: “You are just confronted with so much humanity in each case; ultimately you come away with a deep appreciation for the human condition.”  Justice Grover presides over a vast array of cases: the CA Courts of Appeal see the largest number of decisions appealed to the state supreme court and to the U.S. Supreme Court. The 6th District alone decides over 900 appeals and disposes of 500 writ petitions annually.

We are grateful to Justice Grover for expanding our insight into and deepening our knowledge of the essential role justices perform at the state level. We learned so much spending time with the justice – and expect you will too.

EPISODE NOTES:
More about IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us can be found at https://www.citizenartscreative.org/intheirwords

Details about the California 6th District Court of Appeal: https://www.courts.ca.gov/3009.htm

Associate Justice Adrienne Grover biography: https://www.courts.ca.gov/21533.htm

Civic education is important but disappearing, as evidenced by a recent assessment: https://www.npr.org/2023/05/03/1173432887/history-and-civics-scores-drop-for-u-s-eighth-graders-on-national-test

For more on civic education, check out this NPR interview with Richard Haass, former diplomat and president of the Council of Foreign Relations, about his new book, The Bill of Obligations, The Ten Habits of Good Citizens.
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/24/1150942762/in-new-book-haass-explores-the-obligations-we-have-to-one-another-and-the-countr

An essential mission at CITIZENARTS is to foster greater understanding of civic issues. We'd love to hear from you about this topic! Email [email protected] and follow us on Instagram: @citizenartsedu, Facebook: @citizenartsedu, Twitter: @citizenartsedu.

Music credit: Frederic Chopin, Waltz in B minor. Music by Nesrality from Pixabay

CITIZENARTS will be most grateful if you subscribe to, rate and review our podcasts.

We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit educational organization. Visit https://tinyurl.com/CApodcasts to access our growing selection of civics-related and historically significant programs. They include MARCH, an audio drama about Hitler’s rise to dictatorial power; Liberty vs. Tyranny: Czech Views on Ukraine, Freedom and Democracy Shaped by Strife with Russia; and A More – or less – Perfect Union, a nationwide debate about hyper-critical social, civic and political issues in the U.S.

We'd love your feedback.  Email [email protected] and follow us on Instagram: @citizenartsedu, Facebook: @citizenartsedu, Twitter: @citizenartsedu.

CITIZENARTS podcasts are presented courtesy of gabbegroup Productions.  All rights reserved.

What does a state Secretary of State do? The headlines are all about certifying elections. But there’s a lot more to it. IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us, a new podcast series from CITIZENARTS, kicks off with Steve Hobbs, the Secretary of State of the great State of Washington. In a candid, informative, sometimes provocative conversation, Secretary Hobbs discusses his many roles – from helping to ensure election integrity by controlling misinformation and cyber security to  protecting freedom of speech in libraries to issuing credentials for corporations and charitable organizations. Critically important, multi-functional public services – the apt bailiwick for Steve Hobbs, a self-described “extreme centrist.”

EPISODE NOTES:

More about IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us can be found at https://www.citizenartscreative.org/intheirwords

Details about the Washington Secretary of State’s responsibilities: https://www.sos.wa.gov/office/office.aspx

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs biography: https://www.sos.wa.gov/office/secretary-of-state-steve-hobbs.aspx

For more on civic education, check out this NPR interview with Richard Haass, former diplomat and president of the Council of Foreign Relations, on  his new book, The Bill of Obligations, The Ten Habits of Good Citizens.
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/24/1150942762/in-new-book-haass-explores-the-obligations-we-have-to-one-another-and-the-countr

Music credit: Frederic Chopin, Waltz in B minor. Music by Nesrality from Pixabay

CITIZENARTS will be most grateful if you subscribe to, rate and review our podcasts.

We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit educational organization. Visit https://tinyurl.com/CApodcasts to access our growing selection of civics-related and historically significant programs. They include MARCH, an audio drama about Hitler’s rise to dictatorial power; Liberty vs. Tyranny: Czech Views on Ukraine, Freedom and Democracy Shaped by Strife with Russia; and A More – or less – Perfect Union, a nationwide debate about hyper-critical social, civic and political issues in the U.S

We'd love your feedback. Email [email protected] and follow us on Instagram: @citizenartsedu, Facebook: @citizenartsedu, Twitter: @citizenartsedu.

CITIZENARTS podcasts are presented courtesy of gabbegroup Productions.  All rights reserved. 

Here’s CITIZENARTS founder Jim Gabbe with a word on our newest podcast series, IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us. In interviews with key local and federal “public servants,” we shed light on how their work may be often little understood but has an immediate, direct impact on our daily lives.

EPISODE NOTES:

More about IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us, including links to download, can be found at https://www.citizenartscreative.org/intheirwords