Monday, October 29, 2007

Mid-Year Break / Call for Topics

It was about 6 months ago when I formally announced to my family that I intended to be the host of my own radio show called Inside Michigan Education. I remember the puzzled looks, the slight tipping of the heads, and the casual way my wife said, "oh really...?" This was probably because it was about 7-years ago when I similarly announced my intention to start my own business; a decision which gave us what we now fondly refer to as "the lean years".

Fortunately, starting up Inside Michigan Education did not require me to quit my day job, and in fact, we now rent out our podcast studio as a way of covering the costs of putting on the show. It's not profitable, but at least it's not a loss either. And, since the goal of the show was to provide a casual venue for fellow Michiganders to meet people with a passion for education, I am fairly pleased with the results.

There is however one part of the show which I would like to change, and to be successful, I will need your help. You see, so far, I have been solely responsible for selecting the people who I interview. While that is ok to get the show started, it seems to me that a better process would be to hear from you, our listeners, about what you would find interesting.

So please, take a few minutes to pass along some feedback. Tell me about someone you think I should talk to, or a topic you think is important, and I will try my best to set up the show.

Thank you for your support, and I am looking forward to the rest of our first year on the show. Until next week, this is Rob Huisingh with Inside Michigan Education.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Interview with Mr. Thomas White of the Michigan School Business Officials

In this week's interview we talk to Mr. Thomas White, Executive Director of the Michigan School Business Officials (also known as MSBO). While many people might not be used to seeing the words Michigan School and Business Officials together, Tom assures us that in many cases schools are a community's biggest business.

"Most people understand the curricular side of education, but there is a business behind that curricular side; whether it's transportation, food services, managing facilities, which are multimillion, hundreds of millions of dollars in terms of their value, and that's what our members do. They do all those things. They do the auditing, accounting, and payroll, and purchasing, and all the things that keep a school going."

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Enjoy the podcast! If you have a comment or question for the podcast or an idea for a future post send an email to podcast@insidemieducation.com.

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Monday, October 15, 2007

Interview with Mark Thomas regarding the American Diploma Project Network's Next Generation State Assessment and Accountability Systems Advisory Group

This week we talk with Mr. Mark Thomas, Principal at Northview High School regarding his participation in the American Diploma Project Network, an initiative of Achieve which includes 30 states that are dedicated to making sure every high school graduate is prepared for college or work. Together, Network members are responsible for educating more than half of all U.S. public school students.

Mark is the only principal in the 29 member Advisory Group and he shares his insights following the meetings in Washington D.C. this past September.

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Enjoy the podcast! If you have a comment or question for the podcast or an idea for a future post send an email to podcast@insidemieducation.com.

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Monday, October 8, 2007

Interview with Lynn Boyd of the Every 15 Minutes Program

This week we talk with Lynn Boyd, a concerned parent in the North Muskegon Public School District. In May of 2007, just weeks before Prom, Lynn orchestrated an event called "Every 15 Minutes". During those two days she helped an entire high school come as close as anyone would care to get to experiencing a real alcohol related traffic fatality.

The event is unique in its design and powerful in its impact. Lynn shares information about the program as well as her experience bringing about its first ever production here in Michigan.

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Enjoy the podcast! If you have a comment or question for the podcast or an idea for a future post send an email to podcast@insidemieducation.com.

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Monday, October 1, 2007

Interview with Dan Pappas of the Michigan Institute for Educational Management

In this week's episode we talk to Dan Pappas, Executive Director for the Michigan Institute for Educational Management (MIEM) and the Associate Director for the Michigan Association of School Administrators (MASA).

Dan gives us insight into how the Michigan Institute for Educational Management supports professional development activities for educational leaders in Michigan. With more than 66 scheduled events between now and May, the organization provides information to more than 10,000 front line educational leaders.

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Enjoy the podcast! If you have a comment or question for the podcast or an idea for a future post send an email to podcast@insidemieducation.com.

Show your support for Inside Michigan Education by subscribing to the weekly Podcast.