Best School District Finance Podcasts (2025)

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Episode #2 Discussing the word 'Permanent' in the Permanent Improvement Levy 17:20

5d ago17:20

17:20

Episode #2 Summary: Supt. Scot Prebles and Treasurer Meghan Rohde take a deeper dive into the Finance + Facilities for the Future Plan and the new, no tax increase Permanent Improvement Levy, focusing on the word "permanent" and what that means. Send us a textBy Bay Village Schools

1
29. Kaitlin Lemke candidate interview [TOSA] 27:42

11d ago27:42

27:42

My interview questions Kaitlin's website Her campaign Facebook page Her campaign phone number

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30. Heidi Bach candidate interview [TOSA] 19:38

11d ago19:38

19:38

My interview questions Heidi's website Her campaign facebook page Her campaign instagram

1
28. What We Mean By Public Education [STATEWIDE] 21:21

13d ago21:21

21:21

For Public Schools Week, here, I got a little worked up.

1
Episode #1 Introductions and an Overview of the Finance + Facilities for the Future Plan 11:54

14d ago11:54

11:54

Episode #1 Summary: Introducing the podcast, and an overview of the Finance + Facilities for the Future Plan and the new, no tax increase Permanent Improvement Levy. Send us a textBy Bay Village Schools

1
26. Sarah Burzynski candidate interview [TOSA] 22:48

18d ago22:48

22:48

My interview questions Sarah's campaign website Sarah's email address Sarah’s Facebook page

1
27. Shannon Malnory-Silbernagel candidate interview [TOSA] 23:52

18d ago23:52

23:52

My interview questions Shannon’s campaign email Shannon’s campaign website Shannon’s Facebook page

1
24. Chris Merker candidate interview [TOSA] 28:00

25d ago28:00

28:00

My interview questions Chris's links: Hiswebsite HisFacebook page Hiscampaign email address Findings fromhis survey of the community

1
25. Jason Wautier candidate interview [TOSA] 46:02

25d ago46:02

46:02

My interview questions Jason's links: Hiswebsite Hisfacebook page Hisemail address Hiscampaign phone number

1
22. Chris Bauer candidate interview [TOSA] 21:35

1M ago21:35

21:35

My interview questions Chris's links: His bio His facebook page His website His email address

1
23. Troy Woodard candidate interview [TOSA] 19:26

1M ago19:26

19:26

My interview questions Troy's links: His campaign phone number His email address His facebook page His website

1
21. A Citizen's Guide to Your District's Finances [STATEWIDE] 33:30

1M ago33:30

33:30

How are voters supposed to know whether a school district has been spending tax dollars responsibly? How are community members supposed to evaluate a district's claim that it needs a referendum? This episode gives you some public resources to start with -- what's driving cost increases and where are they occurring? How have revenue sources changed …

1
20. Why Shiny Reforms Often Fail 32:03

2M ago32:03

32:03

In this episode, I'm basically giving an academic paper on how our default approach to improving schools gets something wrong about how we inherit values and practices from the past and how we project them into the future. Is it nerdy? Extremely. Enjoy!

1
19. BONUS: What We Can and Should Expect from School Boards, with Rachel White 57:59

2M ago57:59

57:59

School Board elections are coming up in April, and so I invited a national expert on district leadership to talk about what boards do, how they do and should work with district administrators, and how boards respond to community members, parents, and teachers. LINKS: My contact info, again

1
18. State Report Cards and Thoughtful Accountability 42:34

3M ago42:34

42:34

In this episode: What data (from which years) goes into state report cards How "achievement," "growth," "target groups," "on-track-to-graduation," "chronic absenteeism," etc. are technically defined How different stakeholders can/should interpret state reports Just to keep it interesting, does WSTEM have "incubator" value? Why or why not? LINKS: Wa…

1
17. So What's Next? 33:11

4M ago33:11

33:11

In this episode: What the passage of the referenda means for us What the district is doing and can do more of in building trust What makes participation in local school gov't difficult and what we can do about it. A surprising amount of Hannah Arendt. LINKS: My contact info The district's long-range facilities plan WSD facilities referendum project…

1
16. BONUS: Why Local School Accountability Matters, with Jack Schneider 45:19

4M ago45:19

45:19

University of Massachusetts professor Jack Schneider joins us to talk about what local school governance does for us as citizens, how to do it well, and what stands in the way. LINKS to stuff we've written together: "Putting the Public Back Into Public Accountability" (Kappan) "In Praise of Ordinary Measures" (Educational Theory) Educational Accoun…

1
15. BONUS: How to Change State Policy, with Heather DuBois Bourenane and Jenni Hofschulte 38:10

4M ago38:10

38:10

Okay, if every local district is in the same bind, and taxpayers and schoolkids everywhere are being pitted against each other, then how do we get together and apply pressure on the state? I'm joined by two folks who've been organizing pressure campaigns and harnessing the kind of anger we're seeing in our community for a long time: the Wisconsin P…

1
14. Back to Basics (feat. Zombie Ideas for Halloween) 45:58

5M ago45:58

45:58

In this episode: What the referenda are asking for What the money will be used for What effects can we expect if they pass What are the plans if they fail? Why our community loses no matter which way the vote goes. And of course: What the state might do to help, and why it has to. LINKS: ADA standards (the law), since people keep asking. MDRoffers …

1
13. BONUS: School Finance and Reciprocal Accountability, with Chris Saldaña 53:28

5M ago53:28

53:28

UW-Madison's Chris Saldaña joins us to talk about Wisconsin's school finance regulations in comparison to other states' policies, and we think through some ideas we've considered before, around the way that local institutions--including citizen groups and taxpayer organizations--might hold states or local institutions accountable themselves. LINKS:…

1
12. BONUS: Trust, Legitimacy, and Local School Governance, with Kathleen Knight Abowitz 58:24

5M ago58:24

58:24

Kathleen Knight Abowitz joins us to talk about her recent research into school board members in her home state of Ohio, the squeezes that school leaders find themselves in between state pressures from above and constituent demands from below, and how easy it is to forfeit local trust and how hard it is to rebuild. LINKS: Kathleen's Publics for Publ…

1
11. October Surprises 21:45

5M ago21:45

21:45

In this episode: Bipartisan agreement(?!) between Tosa representatives on increasing special ed funding? Facilities referenda, 20-year bonds, and time-indexed community-building How did our $4m budget mistake happen, and what does it mean? Are upgrades to ADA standards "needs" or "wants"? LINKS: WSD School Board budget presentation (10/9) WSD 2022-…

1
10. What Gets Cut If the Operating Referendum Fails? 30:11

5M ago30:11

30:11

In this episode: I correct myself to say MUHS does indeed enroll student with disabilities I go through the district's published plans to save $14m annually in case we vote down the operating referendum I acknowledge and go through the facts that (a) total state aid to WSD has indeed kept up with inflation and (b) spending on administration rose by…

1
9. Teacher Compensation 37:59

5M ago37:59

37:59

In this episode: Can we fix our budget issue by cutting administrators rather than teachers? Why are teachers suddenly having their raises wiped out by new healthcare contributions? How do we cut our expenses without affecting our teachers? Can we boost revenue by robbing casinos instead? LINKS: Wisconsin Policy Forum report on teacher pay (Nov, 20…

1
8. Open Enrollment, Part Two 35:23

6M ago35:23

35:23

In this episode: The correct tax impact of our two referenda Does Open Enrollment "solve MKE's problems?" School Choice and (State-)Constitutional Promises Resident Enrollment Projections and National Population Decline Show notes! Comprehensive revenue (select district from dropdown) (Also, if we WERE interested in a low-cost, politically-inexpens…

1
7. Open Enrollment, Part One 38:58

6M ago38:58

38:58

In this episode: The recent "merger" revelation and what it means The history of school district boundaries and the things they separate How and why Open Enrollment and Chapter 220 were created What we have gained from OE over the years and what we hope to gain by drawing it down Show notes: WSD merger stuff Special school board meeting to release …

1
6. What's This About Middle Schools, Now? 30:44

7M ago30:44

30:44

In this episode: WSD's long-range facilities plan How and why junior highs emerged How and why middle schools replaced them What happened when K-8 models became popular Will 6th graders do okay in elementary schools? What does the research say about 7-12 models? Contact me with questions! References/Bibliography (or: my browser tabs for the last tw…

1
5. The Politics of Educational Research 29:37

7M ago29:37

29:37

In this episode: Important background for interpreting educational research How we deal with value pluralism and fundamental uncertainty How educational research responds to and provokes anxiety and moralizing How we can avoid enmity and grift as we argue about research Contact me!

1
4. BONUS: Conversation with Matthew Kelly 50:51

8M ago50:51

50:51

In which an expert on the history of education finance talks about the evolution of school funding, the different options that we've seen over time, and the various advantages and drawbacks of each. LINKS: Matt's book, Dividing the Public Boston Globe piece on conservative school boards in WI Arrowhead Union HS District's testimony to legislature. …

1
3. Footnotes and Headlines 34:17

8M ago34:17

34:17

In this episode: More details on revenue limits and state aid Explaining Tosa's increase in state aid next year Statewide impacts from Milwaukee's referendum Special education funding and revenue limits LINKS contact me! Wisconsin Uniform Financial Accounting Requirements legislative fiscal bureau brief on revenue limits 2023-2024 July 1st estimate…

1
2: The Plans and the Questions 34:18

8M ago34:18

34:18

In which we talk about the specifics of the referendum questions we'll see on our ballots in November and the district's plans relating to the proposed funding. With additional complaints about state-level policy that pits housing affordability against school funding and some wonkery about the difference between recurring and non-recurring referend…

1
Trailer: The Referenda 0:53

9M ago0:53

0:53

In November 2024, voters in our leafy suburb of Milwaukee will join the majority of Wisconsin school districts in having to approve a sizable local tax levy or else suffer draconian cuts to its public schools. This series looks at how we got here and what we can do about it, beginning with voting on the referendum. Hosted by: Derek Gottlieb (derekg…

1
1: The Basics 29:07

9M ago29:07

29:07

In which we cover the fundamentals of the Wauwatosa School District budget situation, of school finance in Wisconsin as a whole, of property tax and referendum mechanisms, and of revenue-limit legislation. LINKS to cited sources: General WI Educational Funding State Aid to WI School Districts (source: Legislature pub) Referenda-use in Wisconsin (Fo…

1
Episode 5: Building Stronger Foundations 18:44

11M ago18:44

18:44

Embark on a journey with me, Phil Stover, as we navigate the often-overlooked symphony of public education departments and their crucial role in shaping our students' futures. Our latest episode of "Dancing in the Mind Fields" unveils the concept of 'intentional integration' and 'pastoral teachers," concepts close to my heart for uniting the instru…

1
Episode 4: Faithful and Flourishing School District Employees and Stakeholders 21:28

11M ago21:28

21:28

Discover the secret sauce that makes an educational district employee and stakeholder not just good, but truly exceptional. Join me, Phil Stover, as we traverse the landscape of public education, pinpointing nine key traits that mark the difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary. From the diligence of food service workers to the strateg…

1
Episode 2: How are the Children? 19:05

12M ago19:05

19:05

This episode, the second of year one delves into the background of the question "how are the Children? It also explores the concept that the entire district, as a system, either helps or hinders the school sites by means of the culture, climate, and consistency that it creates. This episode explains my commitment to the concept that the entire dist…

1
Episode 3: Defining the District 19:29

12M ago19:29

19:29

In episode 3 of year 1 we look at the variety in public school districts in the United States. I point out the scarcity of studies on how the district as a whole impacts student learning. Distancing mechanisms are constructs that inhibit student learning and lead to what I deem "tribal markings" within districts. Even within, let alone between dist…

1
Episode 1: An Introduction to Dancing in the Mind Fields of Public Education 18:48

12M ago18:48

18:48

This podcast is the first episode of the first year of our series of podcasts. In it, Phil Stover provides an introduction to the concept of Dancing in the Mind Fields of Public Education in the United States. Phil provides an overview of his background working in more than 100 districts and institutions of higher learning. This initial podcast pre…

1
Episode 15 | The Warrior Path Podcast 13:21

5y ago13:21

13:21

1
Hiring new principals | Mario's Minute 0:53

5y ago0:53

0:53

1
Improving student behavior and culture | Mario's Minute 1:31

5y ago1:31

1:31

1
A special look at the district's finances | Part 1 of 4 12:54

5y ago12:54

12:54

5+ y ago0:50

0:50

Mario's Minute is a segment where Huber Heights City Schools superintendent Mario Basora shares his thoughts with the school community. This segment, Mario details how he will accomplish one of his goals of observing, listening, and learning as the new HHCS superintendent. Give Mario your feedback at bit.ly/warriorpathsurvey.…

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School District Finance Podcasts

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