Disruption Junction - A MAPSA Podcast: Recent Episodes
Buddy Moorehouse
A discussion of issues related to K-12 education in Michigan. Hosted by: Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union; Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs; Julie Hopper, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie; and Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
What can Michigan's charter schools be doing to produce graduates prepared for success in the workforce? MAPSA President Dan Quisenberry explores that topic and more in this fascinating conversation with one of the foremost leaders of Michigan's business community, Brian Calley.
Brian is the President and CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM), a job he assumed after serving as Michigan's lieutenant governor and a state legislator. It's an educational and thought-provoking discussion about the intersection of education and business.
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As schools work to meet the needs of EVERY student, we're here to talk about what might be a solution: individualized education and microschooling. What the heck is "microschooling"? We have some experts on hand to explain it. MAPSA President Dan Quisenberry is joined on this episode by regular co-host Bernita Bradley (who started a microschool called Engaged Detroit" and Kerry McDonald, a microschool founder and host of the LiberatED Podcast. They describe what this innovative approach is all about - and how other schools can learn from what they've discovered. Also joining the discussion is Autumn Mattson, the superintendent of Creative Technologies Academy in Cedar Springs.
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February is Career Technical Education Awareness Month, and our hosts are tackling the topic of career readiness head-on in this episode. Whether it's CTE programs that prepare students to enter the workforce directly, or teaming up with a business to help prepare them for success in college, there's a lot going on in Michigan. Our hosts are joined by some guests: Tabetha Cross and Jamie Seamen, who run the cosmetology program at Charlton Heston Academy; and Jeff Leidlein, the Senior Marketing Manager at Siemens Digital Industries Software. Hosted as always by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs. (On break for this episode.)
- Julie Buchholtz, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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Free preschool and community college for everyone in Michigan? What are the odds of that - and who’s going to pay for it? Gov. Gretchen Whitmer laid out her priorities for 2024 in her State of the State speech last week, and our panel is here to react. Our hosts are joined by Alicia Urbain, MAPSA’s Vice President of Governmental and Legal Affairs, as they discuss what these educational innovations might mean for Michigan’s charter school community. Alicia also offers a look ahead at what we might find in the governor’s upcoming budget. Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs. (On break for this episode.)
- Julie Buchholtz, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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Why have charter schools become a political litmus test for both parties, and what can charter school educators do to change the narrative? That's the topic of this no-holds-barred episode, which was recorded live in front of a standing-room-only audience at the Michigan Charter School Symposium in Troy, Michigan, on Dec. 6, 2023. Joining the panel are two former state legislators, Democrat Buzz Thomas of Detroit and Republican Daniela Garcia of Holland. Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs. (On break for this episode.)
- Julie Bucholtz, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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MAPSA President Dan Quisenberry states the obvious in this month's podcast: "We don't have enough supply to fill all the positions we have in our schools." As schools across the state cope with this problem, we look at some of the proactive efforts taking place to help solve it. Our hosts are joined this month by Melissa MacLaren, the director for MAPSA's Professional Innovators in Teaching (PIIT) program - a state-certified alternative-route program that's helping place hundreds of qualified, passionate and certified teachers in classrooms across the state.
Hosted by:
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs. (On break for this episode.)
- Julie Bucholtz, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union. (Bernita was unable to join us this month, but she'll be back next month!)
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Charter schools have been a part of the public education landscape in Michigan for nearly 30 years now, and a new research study from Stanford University makes one thing clear: They're working. Stanford researcher James "Lynn" Woodworth joins our hosts for a deep dive into the study, which showed that Michigan charter school students are gaining more than a month of extra learning every year in reading and math, and also that when it comes to charter school performance, Michigan is one of the 10 best states in the country. They discuss WHY Michigan's charter schools are doing so well and what all schools in K-12 education can take from it.
Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs.
- Julie Bucholtz, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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The Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences is known nationally for its amazing choir, which has performed at the White House and on national TV. But DAAS made headlines of a different sort earlier this when it announced that it will start paying some certified teachers $100,000 a year. WHAT? How are they doing this? How will they sustain it? What's been the reaction? And how can other schools do this? We got all the insights from DAAS' Maurice Morton and Lawrence Hood. They're thinking and hoping this is the future of education in Michigan. If you're an educator or a policymaker, this is a can't-miss episode. Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs. (On break for this episode.)
- Julie Bucholtz, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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Wait - charter schools have public boards? They sure do! And here's what a charter school board member's role is when it comes to oversight and accountability. Nicole Wells Stallworth is the board president at McDowell Preparatory Academy, a charter school in northwest Detroit that serves students in grades K-8. She joins MAPSA President Dan Quisenberry on this special episode of Disruption Junction, shedding some light on everything that charter school boards do to ensure that both taxpayers and students are served and protected.
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More than 1,000 charter school folks descended on the State Capitol on May 10 for a day of celebration and advocacy. Our hosts were all there, and they're here with their reflections on a GREAT day in Lansing. We also hear from two special speakers from that day - Principal LaTasha Goodall from UPrep Science and Math Middle School in Detroit and award-winning kindergarten teacher Vanessa Robert from Canton Charter Academy.
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As Lansing considers a budget that would slash funding for students who choose to enroll in a fully online charter school, we decided to hear from the people who would be affected the most by that - the students themselves. What do they think about being valued less by the state? Why is online learning the right choice for them? And what is life like as an online charter school student? In this episode, our hosts talk to Kofi Aatu of Detroit, a student at Michigan International Prep School; and Katherine Teng of West Bloomfield, a student at Uplift Michigan Academy.
Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs.
- Julie Bucholtz, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer unveiled her FY 2023-24 budget last week and there were a lot of interesting K-12 line items in there. The budget includes a 5% per-pupil increase for most students, but it also includes a 20% cut for online charter school students - and only those students. Is that fair or justifiable? Does the budget target charter school students, and what else is in there? Special guest Alicia Urbain, MAPSA's VP of Governmental and Legal Affairs, is on hand to break down the budget for our hosts.
Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs.
- Julie Bucholtz, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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For the first time in four decades, Democrats are in charge of all branches of Michigan's state government - and they're promising big changes in K-12 education. But with children reeling from three years of pandemic-interrupted learning loss, what should their REAL priorities be? Why is it bad policy to target charter school students and parents? As always, our hosts have a no-holds-barred discussion.
Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs.
- Julie Bucholtz, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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With the 2022 election behind us now, Democrats – who are largely influenced by the teachers’ unions – are fully in control in Lansing. What messages did the voters deliver, and what will the new power structure mean for charter schools, parents and K-12 education in Michigan? We tackled this topic in front of a standing-room-only live audience at the 2022 Michigan Charter School Symposium and even took some questions from the crowd. The result was a no-holds-barred discussion that was lively and informative.
Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs.
- Julie Bucholtz, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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The 2022 election was a monumental one in Michigan, with Democrats taking control of all the levers of state government for the first time in four decades. In this special episode of Disruption Junction, we look at how the election played out in terms of education issues. Was education really a top-of-mind issue for voters, and if so, how? And now that the Democrats are in full control, what will this mean for K-12 education and charter schools in Michigan?
We're joined by some special guests for this podcast:
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA)
- Alicia Urbain, Vice President of Governmental and Legal Affairs at MAPSA
- Adrian Hemond, a Democratic strategist and CEO of Grassroots Midwest
- John Sellek, a Republican strategist and CEO of Harbor Strategic Public Affairs
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Throughout the country, the whole issue of "parental rights" in education has become a huge source of controversy and discussion - and it's certainly been a flashpoint in the 2022 election. What role SHOULD parents have in the process? Our hosts have a no-holds-barred discussion.
Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs.
- Julie Bucholtz, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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One of the hallmarks of charter schools is that they're the most accountable of all public schools. If they aren't succeeding for students, parents will take their children elsewhere. If they aren't meeting their academic and financial goals, they have to answer to their authorizer. So, what does "accountability" mean in the charter school world? How do parents, teachers and authorizers feel about such things as standardized tests and data? And most of all, how do you define "success"? Our hosts have a no-holds-barred discussion from all sides.
Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs.
- Julie Bucholtz, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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Charter schools have unfortunately been a political issue for many people since the beginning, but it's only gotten worse. After four straight pro-charter presidents, we now have the first anti-charter president. Attacks are coming on the state and federal levels, and kids are getting caught in the middle. Charter school teachers are finding themselves avoiding any mention on social media that they work at a "charter school," lest they might open themselves up for criticism. How do we deal with this? And what questions should we be asking politicians in this election year? Our hosts have a no-holds-barred discussion.
Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs.
- Julie Bucholtz, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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The past two-and-a-half years have been like nothing we've ever seen in all phases of life, and that's certainly true in education. But what POSITIVE lessons have we learned that can make education better going forward? Our hosts have plenty of opinions and examples.
Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs.
- Julie Bucholtz, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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The U.S. Department of Education has proposed sweeping new regulations that critics say would virtually wipe out the ability for new charter schools to get federal start-up grants. Is this just the first step in an attack on charter schools by the federal government? Our hosts have some pretty strong feelings on the topic:
Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs.
- Julie Hopper, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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Should schools be required to post curriculum, field trips, reading materials and more online at the beginning of the year? A new piece of legislation in Michigan - House Bill 5722 - would require exactly that. Our Disruption Junction hosts look at the issue from all sides.
Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell, elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs.
- Julie Hopper, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
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Welcome to Disruption Junction, a podcast from MAPSA, Michigan's Charter School Association. Each month, our hosts will have a lively discussion related to all things K-12 education in Michigan.
Hosted by:
- Bernita Bradley of Detroit, the Parent Voice Director of the National Parent Union.
- Kayla Campbell,elementary educator and literacy specialist at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs.
- Julie Hopper, Academic Assessment Specialist at the Lake Superior State University Charter Schools office in Sault Ste. Marie.
- Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).
Dan Quisenberry of MAPSA, Dr. Ali Bazzi of Hamadeh Educational Services and Julie Hopper of Lake Superior State University discuss innovation in K-12 education.
Dan Quisenberry, Bernita Bradley and Kayla Campbell discuss innovation in K-12 education.