Feb 24, 2021
On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Summer Stephens and Nate Waite about district change in the Churchill County School District.
Summer Stephens is a longtime educator and superintendent that has successfully implemented systems of blended and online learning, voice and choice, self-paced learning, project-based learning, and design thinking. A specific focus of her work includes bridging the gap between courses traditionally identified as core and CTE, and, working to ensure that systems have opportunities and pathways for all students to engage in future-ready work.
Nate Waite has a background in both the classroom and in edtech and is now the Innovation and Professional Learning Facilitator for the region. The bulk of his time is spent right at Churchill, SD, where has been for the last 24 years.
Listen in as Summer and Nate talk with Tom about district change, professional learning models, and how they each continue their own learning!
Key Takeaways:
[:11] About today’s episode with Summer Stephens and Nate Waite of Churchill County School District.
[:58] Tom welcomes Summer and Nate to the Getting Smart Podcast!
[1:12] Where the Churchill County Public School is.
[2:18] Has Nate been directly working with Summer in the last two years she has been working at Churchill County?
[2:36] What was the state of learning when Summer first arrived at Churchill?
[4:25] Was the “Profile of a Learner” in place when Summer joined the team or did she develop it?
[5:56] About the different Profiles of a Learner: Critical Thinker, Inspired Innovator, Collaborative Learner, Effective Communicator, Global Citizen, and Lifelong Learner.
[8:05] Nate provides some background on why they developed the Global Citizen and Inspired Innovator profiles and what it means to be those learners.
[11:21] Summer elaborates on their change strategy at Churchill.
[13:47] The four elements of Churchill’s instructional model.
[18:06] A powerful new tool that every teacher should be using with their learners: the Well-Being Index by Turnaround for Children.
[19:01] What professional learning looks like in Churchill.
[21:10] Was 2020 the toughest year of Summer’s career?
[23:30] Nate shares about the challenges (and the silver lining) that the staff of Churchill has experienced in the last 12 months.
[25:50] What is going to be better and different in Churchill 18 months from now? What capabilities and strategies have they implemented in the last 12 months that they will continue to take forward?
[28:43] How Nate has continued his own learning.
[30:42] How Summer has continued her own learning.
[32:28] Tom Vander Ark thanks Summer Stephens and Nate Waite for joining the podcast!
Mentioned in This Episode:
Churchill County Public School
Well-Being Index | Turnaround for Children
Getting Smart Podcast Ep. 232: “Virginia Superintendent James Lane on Unleashing Innovation”
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