In this episode, we are joined by two school principals, Sarah Larson of Elvehjem Elementary and Jaclyn Smith of Gompers Elementary as they discuss how they’re implementing LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) instru

Equity in Early Literacy Instruction, Episode 2

Mar 9th, 2021 21m

Join us as we discuss the significance of LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training for MMSD educators, a professional development opportunity we are providing our school leaders to meet the literacy needs of our

Equity in Early Literacy Instruction

Feb 8th, 2021 51m 46s

MMSD is prioritizing equity in early literacy to ensure all of our students are literate and can read according to grade level. We know that literacy instruction is not one-size-fits-all, which is why our district leaders and educators are work

Teaching America’s Untold History in the Classroom and Community

Apr 12th, 2020 16m 19s

Have you heard about the New York Times Magazine’s 1619 Project? It’s a compilation of research, readings, podcasts, videos and visual storytelling that examine the many ways the legacy of slavery continues to shape and define life in America.

High Quality Materials as an Equity Strategy

Mar 2nd, 2020 18m 16s

Our monthly podcast series for current literacy topics is underway! This episode features staff from the Department of Public Instruction and addresses why high-quality materials are an important piece in providing equitable access and instruct

Black Lives Matter At School Week of Action

Jan 29th, 2020 29m 38s

This week on the MMSD Voices podcast we talked to an elementary school educator and a Madison Teachers, Inc. union leader inspired and enthusiastic about our district’s involvement in the national initiative, Black Lives Matter at School Week o

Project SOAR: What They See Is What They Will Be

Jun 6th, 2019 23m 1s

Project SOAR (Student Opportunities, Access and Readiness) is a program where volunteer mentors from the 100 Black Men of Madison organization give their time to help middle and high school aged African American male students navigate through s

Cracking the Code at Mendota Community School

May 29th, 2019 12m 55s

Reflections from teachers retiring from Madison public schools

May 1st, 2019 34m 13s

Madison West High School alum Evan Halpop sits down with three retiring teachers – his kindergarten teacher Shari Lunde, West Latin teacher Gale Stone, and special education teacher Nancy Banaszak Lambert – to hear their memories, insights, and

"I like the way the Earth rotates. It really makes my day."

Apr 30th, 2019 9m 28s

Did you know that the Madison Metropolitan School District has a planetarium? Nestled inside James Madison Memorial High School on the far west side of Madison is a multimedia theater simulation of our day and night sky. Offering monthly public

Project Soapbox: The Final Round

Mar 22nd, 2019 29m 46s

Project Soapbox, a public speaking competition facilitated by Mikva Challenge, calls young people to speak out on issues that affect them and their communities. In this episode, you'll hear the top ten finalists' speeches from the March 14 comp

Project Soapbox: The Experience

Mar 22nd, 2019 11m 56s

Project Soapbox, a public speaking competition facilitated by Mikva Challenge, calls young people to speak out on issues that affect them and their communities. We went out to the Overture Center on March 14 to get a closer look at the competit

Foundations of Leadership: Sherie Hohs

Feb 21st, 2019 16m 25s

Welcome to the MMSD Voices podcast, where we go into our public school community in Madison, Wisconsin, and hear directly from the voices of our students, staff, and families. In this episode Tony Rodriguez chats with MMSD LGBTQ+ Lead, S

Your Success Is In Your Hands

Feb 6th, 2019 15m 10s

Have you ever wondered what it's like being a high school counselor? Our communications team sat down with Madison West High School Counselor Jabalja Gussine in celebration of National School Counseling Week to discuss a day in the life of a hi

"I'm here as a reminder that students can achieve anything"

Feb 5th, 2019 16m 15s

Dad of three, electronics engineering guru, travel enthusiast, Memorial High School graduate and Cherokee Heights Middle School Counselor Nehemirah Barrett talks with us as we celebrate both Black History Month and National School Counseling We

Don't Touch My Hair

Feb 4th, 2019 19m 22s

Madison La Follette High School freshman Lilyana Sims has performed her original, award-winning spoken word speech, “Don’t Touch My Hair,” at the Overture Center and at UW-Madison, in Washington D.C. in front of the White House and at the Kenne

The Legacy Builders

Jan 4th, 2019 31m 25s

Do you have to "arrive" before you can leave behind a legacy? Or can you bring others along on your journey, while at the same time creating a legacy for young people? Anthony Cooper, Sr., Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Reentry Se

Rudy Bankston and Nichelle Nichols talk about Black Excellence

Jan 2nd, 2019 33m 37s

How can we ensure that everyone in the Madison community creates spaces for black youth to demonstrate and grow into their greatness? How can we create a trustworthy space for everyone – especially those who may be guarded or skeptical of the d

Update on improvements to our Behavior Education Plan

Dec 31st, 2018 22m 20s

Five years ago, our district shifted from an approach to student behavior that relied heavily on punishment to one rooted in teaching and learning. The approach of our Behavior Education Plan aims to reduce exclusionary practices and establish

Community Conversations on Black Excellence

Dec 21st, 2018 32m 55s

Today we have another episode for you focused on Black Excellence. It’s a community conversation led by Nichelle Nichols, our Executive Director of Family, Youth and Community Engagement and Henry Sanders, CEO and publisher of Madison365. You

I Can Relate!

Dec 13th, 2018 22m 48s

“I’ve never met a parent who doesn’t care about their children’s education. It’s the assumptions we make when families don’t show up to school in the way we might traditionally expect they would.” Last year, some volunteer tutors in Madison pub

Culturally Responsive Tutoring

Dec 13th, 2018 22m 48s

It Takes a Village (to change school start + dismissal times)

Dec 12th, 2018 12m 13s

In today’s episode, former MMSD Chief of Schools Dr. Mike Hertting, with the help of Hywania Thompson, answers some of the top questions from families about school start and dismissal times. *** Credits: Intro/Outro music by MicroSchool student

Building Trust, Breaking Through

Dec 11th, 2018 20m 39s

Listening, caring, building trust, and knowing each student individually. These are among the pillars of “culturally responsive teaching.” In this piece, we take you inside a classroom at O’Keeffe Middle School in Madison, Wisconsin, to see how

Happy Coming Out Day!

Dec 10th, 2018 9m 55s

On National Coming Out Day, we celebrate coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, (LGBTQIA+) or as straight allies. And as a school district, we celebrate our out students, staff and families and provide supp