WASB Connection Podcast

Public education has been a major topic during the current legislative session, which is now just weeks away from concluding. The WASB has tracked more than 300 bills this session. Reading instruction, school safety, licensure changes and student health have all been at the center of legislative proposals. This episode, we check in with the WASB’s Government Relations Team to get an update on wher...

This episode, a special commemoration of the 2024 State Education Convention , includes the speeches of Gov. Tony Evers as well as the incoming and outgoing presidents of the WASB, Mike Humke of Dodgeville and Rosanne Hahn of Burlington. You can find a copy of Mike's presentation here . Rosanne's presentation is available here . It also features the sounds of the three student musical grou...

This episode, a rebroadcast from March 2021, focuses on the roles and duties of school board officers — president, vice president, treasurer and clerk. We spoke about with a WASB attorney and governance consultant about the legal requirements for board officers as well as the duties enshrined in boards’ policies and practices.  We think this conversation is still valuable, especially considering b...

After serving as the starting quarterback for Brigham Young University, Sean Covey started being invited to speak to children. He spoke at hundreds of schools, and the time he spent around kids and teens gave him an idea of the challenges they were going through. Sean would go on to write about schools and children, including the bestseller “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.” After a career-...

This month's episode of the podcast features an interview between 2024 State Education Convention keynote John Quiñones and Michael Lyons, an author and speaker based in the Philadelphia area. They spoke in 2020 about John’s story, including how he went from a childhood of farm labor to the heights of broadcast TV. They also talk about John's hidden-camera TV show, “What Would You Do,” and...

In this episode, we’ll be helping you see a familiar concept in a new way. You already understand what school board accountability means, but we'll go in-depth on what this means in practice — and it's about more than dollars and cents. We’ll talk with Stratford Board President Chris Dickinson and WASB consultant George Steffen about the different types of accountability. If you're a W...

Our latest episode covers ground that is familiar to all school board members: the regular review of school district financial information. The purpose of these financial reports is simple: to convey the school district’s financial health, now and in the foreseeable future. They’re also a great opportunity for school board members to learn and show they’re earning the trust of parents and taxpayer...

The Wisconsin Association of School Boards has a new executive director — only the fourth in our 100-year history. Today, we’ll talk to Dan Rossmiller about his past and the future of the WASB. You may already know Dan — he’s been government relations director at the WASB since 2006 — but he’s hoping to get to know members even better.  Dan brings his experience in advocacy to the position, and he...

The Renew Our Schools Energy Challenge, sponsored by two Wisconsin organizations, asks students to measure their schools' energy use and find ways to reduce it. It’s a way for kids to learn by doing while helping their schools save money. We'll learn about that program and how your district can join. We'll hear from Oconomowoc students who participated, their teacher and a program mana...

Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, a Madison pediatrician, says that what happens to a child in their first few years of life can have profound consequences for their school years and beyond. Dr. Navsaria is the keynote to the 2023 Summer Leadership Institute , a two-day conference held in Green Bay July 14 and 15 by the Wisconsin Association of School Boards. In a preview of his July keynote, we’ll talk about...

A great teacher, we all know, can change the course of a child’s life. The same is true of school board members, as well. They have a different role, but the choices school board members make can help their district’s students reach their potential. So, how does that happen? The work of a school board to deliver a quality education to all children is called governance, and that's the focus of...

When a school district can’t find a licensed educator, they may hire an unlicensed person with certain conditions. This is commonly referred to as an emergency license, and they also can be used by counselors, social workers, librarians and school administrators. The number of these licenses has nearly tripled in the past decade, prompting the Wisconsin Policy Forum to investigate.  This episode f...

Wisconsin lawmakers are creating the next two-year budget. It will have a major impact on the opportunities school districts can offer their students. This month, we hear from the WASB government relations team — Dan Rossmiller and Chris Kulow — about what’s happening in Madison and how education leaders can contribute to the conversation. We’ll start by getting you caught up on the budget essenti...

The 102nd State Education Convention is over, and we’re hoping attendees will be thinking and talking about it for months. This month, we’re sharing two speeches from the convention. First, we’ll hear from Governor Tony Evers, who made his 38th appearance at the convention. After that, we hear from State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Jill Underly. The text of both speeches will be publ...

It’s getting more and more difficult to find and keep referees for youth sports. And without refs, kids can’t play. Today, we talk to two women who are at the center of Wisconsin's effort to recruit and retain these officials. They are Kate Peterson Abiad, assistant director of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, and Ashley Ingish, a physical education and health teacher and head v...

Have you ever struggled to persuade colleagues to see things your way? Has your hand ever hovered over the "send" key after you finish a difficult email? Or maybe you've been challenged to find the right words with a fellow school board member.  Sarita Maybin may be able to help. She’s an author, expert on communications and the Thursday keynote speaker at the 2023 Wisconsin State Education C...

David Horsager believes that successful people, companies, schools and other institutions have one thing in common: they’re trusted. And when they struggle, he believes a lack of trust is usually the root cause. He’s the keynote speaker for the first general session of the 2023 State Education Convention . Registration opens Nov. 1. In this episode, we discuss how to build trust every day, how to...

Every fall, the Wisconsin Association of School Boards travels around the state to provide an update to members and give them an opportunity to share a meal. Fall Regional Meetings are once again underway. This month’s episode is a mini-regional meeting in podcast form. We’ll start by taking a few minutes with our executive director, John Ashley, to talk about fall colors, supper clubs, member vis...

Plenty of students want to serve as educators. But they face challenges, not the least of which include negative reactions from their friends and family. A Mauston teacher is working toward a solution. She's encouraging students to pursue education careers through Educators Rising, a national group that guides young people on a path from high school through college and into their teaching careers....

School boards spend a lot of time continuously improving their school district. But they may not devote as much time to understanding their own strengths and weaknesses.  In this episode we discuss the Annual Board Development Tool with Shelley Burns, board president at Mequon-Thiensville, and Rob DeMeuse, research director at School Perceptions. The complimentary online survey is designed to...

Wisconsin school districts have or will receive almost $2.4 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds. They’re using this one-time money to purchase technology, directly respond to the pandemic and adapt in the long term. The Wisconsin Policy Forum recently released a report offering the first statewide snapshot of how district leaders have used these dollars. In this episode, we discuss this repor...

Leaders put others before themselves. That's the core of the concept of servant leadership. In today's episode, we talk to Tom Thibodeau, an associate professor at La Crosse-based Viterbo University, about what servant leadership means and how it applies to school leadership. Tom is the founder of the Master of Arts in Servant Leadership, the first master’s degree of its kind in the nation. He’s a...

Newly elected school board members are taking their oath of office this month. In an effort to help them be effective as quickly as possible, the WASB holds gatherings across the state for new board members every April. This year, the gatherings are Tuesday through Thursday, April 19-21. Find details at the event website . This month, we speak with the WASB's Ben Niehaus and Bob Butler about both...

Our latest episode tackles two topics: practical and legal ways to use social media along with an update on the recently concluded legislative session.  First, we hear from WASB Associate Executive Director and Staff Counsel Bob Butler on using social media without violating the law or common board policies. Find his story on the topic in the April issue of Wisconsin School News . WASB member...

We've included highlights from the student music performances, general sessions and keynote speakers. We also asked attendees — presenters, students, education leaders and exhibitors — about why they come to the convention.  The student video team's video summary of the convention is available here . The ESPN article that describes Milwaukee Brewers Manager Craig Counsell's story about the ch...