Westchester Words: Education, EdTech, and Publishing

In this episode, Alli DeMan is in conversation with Michael Johnson, Vice President of Content for Benetech. They review some facts and myths about the requirements that publishers need to be aware of pertaining to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which becomes effective in April 2026. Tell us what you think of this episode

We're in conversation with Laura Brady, Accessibility Consultant about the importance of creating and remediating content to be accessible for all users. She shares tips and guidance for how to get on the journey towards accessibility, providing helpful resources that can serve as a useful roadmap to guide people, whether they are new to accessible publishing or have been doing this work for...

Michael Johnson of Benetech in conversation with Tyler M. Carey regarding facts and fictions circulating within the publishing industry about requirements related to the European Accessibility Act, which publishers will need to be in compliance with beginning on June 28, 2025. Tell us what you think of this episode

Emma Hudson, Content and Services Manager for Westchester Education, speaks to Stacy Scott, Head of Accessibility at Taylor and Francis to discuss accessibility in educational publishing. This episode includes some of Stacy's own experiences as a visually impaired student, what it means to create content that is 'born accessible' and offers helpful tips about what publishers should...

Rebecca Durose-Croft and Jennifer Cole explain how a global perspective is beneficial when developing content to meet the specific requirements of English Language learners. Tell us what you think of this episode

Linda Secondari, Principal and Creative Director for Studiolo Secondari returns to Westchester Words to discuss how our attention spans have been distracted by the digital world we live and work in. She also shares how to design long-form content in a more visually appealing manner so it can better engage and maintain a reader's interest. Tell us what you think of this episode

Jennifer Cole, Content Director of Literacy, Humanities and Languages returns to Westchester Words to provide an overview about Science of Reading, which many states are creating or enacting legislation on for their K-12 Education Instructional programs.  Tell us what you think of this episode

Tyler M. Carey provides an overview about trade associations, their specific publication requirements, and ways that packagers like Westchester Publishing Services can help them provide content to their members in the formats they desire and in a more efficient manner. Tell us what you think of this episode

Brian O'Leary returns to the Westchester Words podcast to tell us all the new projects BISG has been working on, how the organization provides information of value to companies and individuals throughout the publishing industry supply chain, and previews the topic/speakers for the annual meeting in late April Tell us what you think of this episode

Jada Bradley, Senior Editor of Culturally Responsive Education, and Kevin Schroeder discuss why it's important for existing and new educational content to include culturally relevant principles, and how Westchester Education works with publishers and ed-tech companies to ensure a high-quality outcome. Tell us what you think of this episode

In this episode, Jay Diskey, of Diskey Public Affairs, returns to Westchester Words to share a preview of the topics he will be discussing with Kevin J. Gray during the webinar, "2023 Federal and State Education Funding Update," hosted by Westchester Education Services  on Thursday, February 23.  Visit westchestereducationservices.com to register for this free session. Tell us what you t...

Kristen McLean of NPD Bookscan joins us to discuss how book sales ended the year for 2022 and where she expects the U.S. market will head in 2023. Tell us what you think of this episode

In this episode of Westchester Words, Kevin J. Gray, President and Chief Content Officer of Westchester Education Services has a conversation with Gina Faulk of EdGate, and Johanna Wetmore from Evotext about how working with a vendor partner network that provides complementary product development solutions can offer education publishers and ed tech firms the ability to develop their products and b...

Tyler M. Carey and Julie Willis discuss the specific needs publishers of content produced by foundations and institutional organizations require from their pre-press services provider. Tell us what you think of this episode

Jay Diskey talks about how federal and state funding, state subject adoption requirements, and other policy initiatives will shape US K-12 education in 2023. Tell us what you think of this episode

In this episode of Westchester Words, we learn about Laura Cunningham, Content Director, STEM for Westchester Education Services. She discusses her career as an educator and content developer prior to joining Westchester and also explains how the constructs of NGSS and adaptive assessments each help to provide students with learning supports to improve their understanding and lead to academic succ...

Deborah Bosley, the founder and principal of The Plain Language Group explains why it’s important for publishers of academic, professional, medical, and scientific content to express information in simple, easy to understand terms that will help them expand their audience to people who have a significant interest or benefit in reading the materials, but lack the academic background required to und...

Jennifer Cole discusses her career spanning more than two decades in educational publishing. Jennifer shares how her knowledge and experience help her lead her team of literacy and humanities content development professionals to create high-quality educational materials for Westchester's clients. Tell us what you think of this episode

Cevin Bryerman returns to Westchester Words to discuss the 2nd Annual US Book Show, PW's 150th anniversary, and other thoughts about the current state of the publishing industry. Tell us what you think of this episode

Do all the meetings you have on your calendar really need to be there? Linda Secondari can help you answer that question by sharing strategies you can use to make your meetings more effective and less frequent, putting time back in your day to get other items checked off your to-do list. Tell us what you think of this episode

A conversation with Brian O’Leary, Executive Director of Book Industry Study Group about what's on tap for the first BISG Annual Meeting to take place in person for the first time in three years, other initiatives that the group is working on, and more. Tell us what you think of this episode

A conversation with Julie Willis and Rosie Stewart of River Editorial Services (a Westchester Publishing Services UK company) about when publishers should consider outsourcing editorial services on their projects, and tips for identifying the right company for your requirements. Tell us what you think of this episode

Maria Dismondy, Founder and Publisher of Cardinal Rule Press, a children's book publisher whose catalog focuses on realistic fiction titles that embody the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, discusses what inspired her to start the company along with the strategies she and her team have used to help the business grow and remain successful. Tell us what you think of this episode

Rich Portelance, Founder and CEO of CareerPath explains why there's renewed interest in Career and Technical education, and how vocational education is different now compared to what previous generations of students may remember. Tell us what you think of this episode

Cathy Felgar, Publishing Operations Director of Princeton University Press returns to the Westchester Words podcast to provide listeners with an update about the Press' ongoing diversity and inclusion initiatives. Tell us what you think of this episode