Mosaic Days: An Educational Leadership Podcast

Lights, Cameras in Our Classrooms?

In the next episode of Mosaic Days, Allison and Leonard review the new legislation that has hit some states requiring schools to install surveillance cameras in classrooms with students with special needs. Is it an invasion of student privacy or does it provide additional safety and protections for some of our most vulnerable students? Tune in to hear our thoughts on this new requirement in some states.

Begun the Math Wars has. How Should We Be Teaching Math in Schools?

“The Great Math Divide! Are we looking at inquiry based learning? Or are we looking at explicit direct instruction in math? Or perhaps we need to have both in the classroom.” Join us on this episode of Mosaic Days as Allison and Leonard have a discussion on the great math debate! What is the best way to instruct students in math? Do we need to focus on just direct explicit instruction, or could students successfully show growth through learning that is based on inquiry tasks and developing problem solving skills? Tune in to hear our thoughts.

Special Education Mini-Series, Part 3 of 3: Providing Support for Staff After an IEP Meeting

“Follow up! Follow up! Follow up! In many ways, this is the most overlooked. We do our planning and hold the meeting but there is still some follow up and if we don’t do it appropriately, this can get us in a lot of legal trouble.” Now that the meeting is over, Allison and Leonard discuss what should be done after the meeting, including post-meeting debrief to review strengths and concerns, creating a follow up list with who is responsible as well as Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Special Education Mini-Series, Part 2 of 3: Providing Support for Staff During an IEP Meeting

“We have to remember that our families are advocates for their children, even when the advocacy manifests as antagonistic. Keeping the focus on the student and the data are integral to a successful meeting.” Now that we have prepared for our meeting, it is the big day! Join us as we give teams tips on how to navigate those difficult IEP meetings, including managing paperwork, dealing with conflict and maintaining relationships with families.

Special Education Mini-Series, Part 1 of 3: Providing Support for Staff Before an IEP Meeting

“The better prepared you are as a team, the better supported the parent is and the smoother the process is going to be as we navigate the IEP.” Planning and preparation should always be at the forefront when teams are tasked with challenging meetings. Join us on Mosaic Days where we discuss how administrators can provide additional support and training to prepare for meetings so that we can meaningfully engage in informed decision making.