School safety is a top priority in all Tennessee school districts and is a topic of conversation on a local and state level. In this podcast episode, we are speaking with Rutherford County Director of Schools, Bill Spurlock, Rutherford County Board Chair, Jim Estes, and Rutherford County School Safety Director, David Crim as to how school safety is implemented on a local level. We are also speaking with Mike Herrmann, Senior Director of School Safety and Transportation at the Tennessee Department of Education, to hear how the state supports local school districts by providing additional resources to help these districts meet their school safety goals.

STOPit App

TN Department of Education Resources Page

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September is mental health awareness month, and on today’s episode, we are speaking with Dr. Nicole Cobb, faculty member at Vanderbilt University, as to what all board members and school personnel should know about spreading awareness on mental health awareness in their school district. Join us as Dr. Cobb discusses the different ways a school district could incorporate this in their day-to-day operations.

Helpful Links and programs: 

MentalHealth.gov

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Mental Health Curriculum in Schools

SCL Program, Community Mental Health Agencies, Restorative Justice and Practices

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September is mental health awareness month, and on today’s episode, we are speaking with Metro Nashville Public Schools staff, Dr. Tony Majors, Chief HR Officer; Debra McAdams, Exec. Dir. of Exceptional Ed.; and Kyla Krengel, Dir. of Social & Emotional Learning as to how mental health awareness is incorporated in to all Metro Nashville schools. Mental health affects all school districts, and our hopes for today’s discussion is that ideas are fostered and questions are asked as to how board members and school personnel can make this a bigger discussion within their school system.

Under The Surface Video

Mental Health First Aid

Tennessee Family Resource Centers

Pure Edge, Inc.

Vanderbilt University Grant Funding Resources

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Jennifer White will provide insight on Collaborative Conferencing and identify key components that staff and management need to successfully conduct this form of communication. Co-host, Jenna Zwan is also asked a series of questions to test her knowledge on the topic, and her answers are anything but correct. Tune in to share some laughs and learn how to use Collaborative Conferencing in your school district. 

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The Tennessee Digital Resources Library is an online resource for school districts across the state to access digital educational content for free. On today’s episode, we are speaking with Tammy Grissom, Executive Director of the Tennessee School Boards Association; Todd Svec, Vice President and General Manager of the Tennessee Book Company; and Donna Wright, Superintendent of Wilson County Schools, as to why the creation of this digital library was necessary and why all school districts should utilize this free resource within its classrooms.  

For more information as to how your school district can start using this resource today, please access the below link or call TSBA at 615-815-3900.

https://www.tndigital.org/#/

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This episode features, Randall Bennett, TSBA Deputy Executive Director & General Counsel as he discusses the importance of Robert’s Rules of order and how it is used to conduct School Board Meetings.

https://tsba.net/policy/parliamentary-procedure/

Recommended Books: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Robert’s Rules; Robert’s Rules for Dummies

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Today we discuss OPEB liabilities, the affects it can have on school districts, and the TSBA OPEB Trust. Tune in to learn why this topic is important and what you can do to pre-fund these liabilities. 

Our special guests are as follows:

Randall Bennett, TSBA Deputy Executive Director & General Counsel

Mark Hansen, Collierville School Board Chairman and a TSBA OPEB Trustee

Comptroller Justin Wilson and Deputy Comptroller Jason Mumpower with the TN Comptroller of the Treasury

TSBA OPEB Trust Brochure

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Mark Reeves, Assistant Executive Director with the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) explains what the InSideOut Initiative is, and its purpose to transform the current “win-at-all-costs” sports culture where the value is often defined by the scoreboard, into one that defines and promotes sports as a human growth experience.

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This episode features Robert Greene, Superintendent of Dayton City Schools and Chris Henson, Chief Operating Officer of Metro-Nashville Public Schools as they discuss the role of board members in the budget process and how it relates to the board’s mission and vision for the school system. 

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During this episode the TSBA Staff Attorneys are in the hot seat as they answer legal questions that are asked of them on a daily basis.

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