34. Tying Staff Engagement to Continuous Improvement

39. What Works to Address Absenteeism?

Jeremy Singer [https://directory.umflint.edu/education/jersing], professor at University of Michigan-Flint, talks to us about his exhaustive study [https://detroitpeer.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Identifying-Effective-Attendance-Strategies.pdf] of how principals are stemming the tide of absenteeism -- what's proving effective, and what isn't? (It's a big deal! The Hechinger Report wrote it up too [https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-michigan-absenteeism/]!) A related piece [https://edworkingpapers.com/ai26-1390], coming out of the same research project, is going to be the subject of an Annenberg EdWorkingPapers webinar on June 17th [https://edworkingpapers.com/ai26-1390], for anyone who'd like to learn more. See also the book, Rethinking Chronic Absenteeism, by Lenhoff and Singer [https://hep.gse.harvard.edu/9781682539613/rethinking-chronic-absenteeism/], for still more.

38. What Should New Board Members Know about School Finance?

With a host of new school board members taking their seats after April elections, Mike Barry [https://www.wasbo.com/WASBO/WASBO/Professional_Development/WASBO-U/Instructors/Mike_Barry.aspx] and Danielle Bosanec [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-bosanec-phd-182616b2] of WASBO stopped by to talk about what makes school finance difficult to understand, what sorts of questions board members should be asking, and what degree of budgetary flexibility district leaders actually have. See links below for more WASBO resources! WASBO professional learning catalog [http://www.wasbo.com/catalog] School Business Calendar booklet [https://wasbo.com/images/wasbo/documents/6/handouts/2025/25-26%20School%20Business%20Calendar%20Booklet.pdf] Conferences and Standards [https://wasbo.com/WASBO/WASBO/Resources/Resources.aspx#coreanchor]

37. Why Involve Your Community At All?

Jack Schneider joins us from UMass-Amherst to talk about what community members have to offer local schools beyond tax dollars, and what schools have to offer community members beyond test scores [https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Test-Scores-Measure-Quality/dp/0674976398] (to coin a phrase). You can email him [schneider@educ.umass.edu] with follow-ups, as he offers in the episode. We talked about an article ("In Praise of Ordinary Measures" [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356473795_In_Praise_of_Ordinary_Measures_The_Present_Limits_and_Future_Possibilities_of_Educational_Accountability]) on the show, so here is that resource, and here are a few other pieces we've collaborated on over the past several years. * "Democracy in Action" (2023) [https://sc.lib.miamioh.edu/items/acee1d1c-360b-4843-892c-2fd90315e629] American School Board Journal * Educational Accountability 3.0: Beyond ESSA [https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/resource-document-beyond-essa] (2023). National Education Policy Center * "Are Locally Elected School Boards Really Failing? [https://www.educationnext.org/are-locally-elected-school-boards-really-failing-work-in-progress-multiple-purposes-forum/](2022). Education Next

36. Why Integrity > Fidelity in Research Implementation

Cara Jackson [https://obc.southerneducation.org/members/cara-jackson/], recent President of the Association of Education Finance and Policy (AEFP), joins us to talk about her presidential essay [https://direct.mit.edu/edfp/article/21/2/193/136229/Presidential-Essay-AEFP-s-Role-in-an-Evidence]and what she's learned over two decades of work in the "evidence-informed education ecosystem" about what it takes for policymakers, school leaders, and classroom teachers to their very best for their students. Additional links to things we talked about: * High-dosage tutoring implementation [https://sdp.cepr.harvard.edu/high-dosage-tutoring-toolkit] * Immigration enforcement and student outcomes [https://edworkingpapers.com/ai26-1453] * Standards of Excellence for Outcome-Based Contracting [https://connect.obc.southerneducation.org/SoE]

35. How Does Career Education Work Out for Students?

Professor Jay Plasman, of Ohio State, joins us to talk about a recent report he published with the Fordham Institute [https://fordhaminstitute.org/ohio/research/college-or-career-readiness-postsecondary-and-labor-market-outcomes-ohio-high-school], entitled "College or Career Readiness: Postsecondary and Labor Market Outcomes for Ohio High School Students Earning Industry-Recognized Credentials." The full report [https://fordhaminstitute.org/sites/default/files/publication/pdfs/college-or-career-readiness-reportweb-final.pdf] is available for download, as well. It turns out that industry-recognized credentials pay off in some industries more than others, that they pay off bigger when credential-earning is tied to CTE course-taking, and that IRCs do not necessarily lead students to enroll in college at higher rates. Interesting findings!