If you like what you hear today, sign up for my Substack newsletter. If you have a story worth sharing, email me [email protected] I visited several schools in Finland in 2015 as part of a school trip. There were a few things that really struck me. One was the fact that becoming a teacher in Finland was as competitive as becoming a doctor. Another was that students were in control of which teachers they had—they literally got to choose their teachers. And finally, I was impressed with the ...
Dec 16, 2024•25 min•Season 2Ep. 3
If you like what you hear today, sign up for my Substack newsletter. If you have a story worth sharing, email me [email protected] A few years ago, we hired a teacher from Texas, who struggled for months to find housing in Camden or Rockport, Maine. Despite two house hunting trips she found nothing. With her Texas home sold, she temporarily moved to Minnesota to stay with her father, while continuing her search. In mid-July, she arrived in Maine with her family and all her belongings, but ...
Dec 02, 2024•30 min•Season 2Ep. 2
If you like what you hear today, sign up for my Substack newsletter. If you have a story worth sharing, email me [email protected] Today's guest is a woman in high demand this time of year. Clare Galloway is a college consultant who works with students mainly from the New England and New York area. She was an assistant dean of admissions at Colgate for two years, and then in the same position at Bates College for two more years, before becoming the Director of Overseas Admissions for the U...
Nov 18, 2024•28 min•Season 2Ep. 1
My guest today is Camillo who is coming up on the end of first grade. I first met Camillo when I was visiting the elementary school last fall. He was friendly, outgoing, and dare I say dapper. A few months later he starred as the host in a video created for the school board to understand the elementary school schedule. Not long after that I was sitting at a high top in a local coffee shop one weekend when he came right up to me with a formal greeting. Again I had a great conversation with him. H...
Jun 07, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Today’s guest is Jane Self. She has worked as the assistant to a string of four different principals over the past twenty years at Camden Hills Regional High School. She is acutely attune to school operations and many consider her to be the de facto second principal. She had two children go through the school system and she rides her bike to work most days. She’s been a force of strength, stability and stamina, and this is her last season with the district as she retires at the end of this year....
May 23, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 26
My guest today is Lucas who is currently an eighth grader in middle school. Most middle schoolers, at this point in the school year are ready to leave middle school behind and eager to start high school. That cycle happens all over again when they are seniors in high school and then again when they are seniors in college. Developmentally they are exactly where they should be, ready to move onto the next step in life. I don’t know Lucas, so I’m eager to find out what is important to him, what his...
May 13, 2024•11 min•Season 1Ep. 25
My guest today is Tanya Young, a woman who has been a school counselor for over twenty years and has been in our middle school for over fifteen years. In that time, she has seen and heard at all. From teaching sex education to making home visits to supporting anxious students on overnight field trips, Tanya has extended herself in ways that many people are never required to. Her expertise and experience, her nurturing nature, and her ardent advocacy for students are instrumental in the success o...
Apr 28, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 24
My guest today is Alison Babb-Brott. This is her second year teaching first grade in our school district though she’s been teaching for about a decade. Her family has a rich history in our town. Her great great grandfather was superintendent of the Knox Woolen Mill in downtown Camden from 1889 to 1956. He worked at the mill for total of 70 years. When I moved to Camden as a child in 1974, Ali’s grandfather was superintendent of the very same mill. I became good friends with Ali‘s mother and her ...
Apr 12, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 23
On today’s episode I’m talking with two high school boys: Mac Pierce, a sophomore and Finlay Fitch, a junior. Both are on the soccer team and Mac is my cousin’s son. We’ve lived in the same community his whole life so he’s like a nephew to me. We are going to talk soccer, phones and get some insight into being a teenage boy in high school.
Mar 28, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Today’s guest, fifth grade teacher Heather Butler, is the epitome of teaching excellence. She is highly skilled instructionally and has a spark in her eye that makes her students feel valued and loved. She’s the kind of teacher that parents pray for their child to end up in her class. We are so fortunate that she applied for an opening that we had three years ago.
Mar 15, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 21
I feel like I have known Kristi Hardy-Gilson for my entire life. We both grew up locally and my now grown children both had her as their multiage teacher for three years. She is the teacher that parents want their children to have but it has not always been easy for her. The field of education has changed significantly since she started and she has witnessed many leaders come and go. That can take its toll. We will talk today about both her highs and her lows.
Mar 01, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 20
There are events in history, whose timestamp leaves an indelible mark on us. Etched into our memory is exact moment JFK was killed, when the planes crashed into the twin towers, or the day you laid eyes on the love of your life. Well, one of those memories for me was the day I met Jaime Stone, today’s guest. She is in her 10th year as principal at our middle school. To say Jaime is an inspirational and transformational leader seems like an understatement. She is truly exceptional. She is one in ...
Feb 15, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 19
There are events in history, whose timestamp leaves an indelible mark on us. Etched into our memory is exact moment JFK was killed, when the planes crashed into the twin towers, or the day you laid eyes on the love of your life. Well, one of those memories for me was the day I met Jaime Stone, today’s guest. She is in her 10th year as principal at our middle school. To say Jaime is an inspirational and transformational leader seems like an understatement. She is truly exceptional. She is one in ...
Feb 01, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Today's episode marks a couple of firsts for me. It's the first occasion where I'll be hosting not one, but two guests on this podcast. Additionally, it's the first time I'm engaging in a conversation with individuals whom I haven't met before. Embracing change, I've decided to roll with it. What could possibly go wrong, right? My guests, Caroline and Danika, are a junior and senior in our high school's alternative education program called Zenith. The Zenith program fosters a close-knit communit...
Jan 18, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 17
My guest today is Ellen Curtis, a special education paraprofessional or educational technician at our middle school for 30 years. She provides individual in-class support and small group instruction to students who need an extra academic lift. She’s also been involved in our theater program for the past 12 years and has taken care of many of her coworkers’ dogs when they are out of town.
Jan 04, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 16
I feel like we hit a jackpot when we hired Heather Bowen to lead our bold new nature-based PreK program. Some might say we stole her from a wonderful local (but private) preschool program in our community. Her love of children and belief in the outdoors as an effective classroom run deep in her veins. I am excited to talk to her about that experience.
Dec 14, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Today, I’m joined by Joel Gabriele, a 2011 graduate of Camden Hills. During his time in our school system, Joel played a crucial role in our basketball success, notably during the years when we were a dominant force in the sport. I vividly recall Joel’s eighth-grade year, a time when our middle school had to form two eighth-grade basketball teams due to the high number of students participating. Remarkably, we finished first and second in our league that year. His high school years were equally ...
Nov 30, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 14
A huge sacrifice I made moving into district leadership was a direct connection with students. Building relationships with students had always been one of my greatest strengths and I miss it. Consequently, I always love having student guests on this podcast. Today’s guest is high school junior Tula Bradley-Prindiville. In many ways Tula is a typical well-rounded and high achieving student, taking all honors and AP courses, getting good grades, and pursuing interest in the arts. However, she is a...
Nov 18, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 13
I remember the year Kristen started working in our district. I was a slightly seasoned math teacher, and she was a hip, young, twenty-something. She is not quite as young, but she is just as hip. Kristen teaches art at our middle school, and she has created an incredibly welcoming environment where students explore their creative sides in so many mediums. From sgraffito to glass mobiles to traditional drawing and painting. I have dreamed about taking her class for years because it has always fel...
Nov 02, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Marcus Mrowka is the current chair of the school board for one of the districts where I am Superintendent. He has been on the board for four years and cares deeply about education. He moved to the midcoast after living and working in Washington, D.C. for twenty years. Marcus used to be the Communications Director for the American Federation of Teachers. Shortly after moving to Maine, he became the Communications Director for the Maine Department of Education. Marcus is an incredibly kind, though...
Oct 19, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Today’s guest is Maggie Massengale. I wanted to invite her in because she shined so brightly as a custodian, and I also wanted to hear about her transition to becoming an administrator. Maggie was a beloved middle school custodian for 23 years. During her time there, she wore many hats including track and cross-country coach and athletic coordinator. Students truly adored her. Her hard work and dedication paid off last spring when she was promoted to become the assistant director of transportati...
Oct 05, 2023•15 min•Season 1Ep. 10
My guest today is Imogen. I first met Imogen last spring at our elementary school when she was a 4th grader. I had a fascinating conversation with her. Months have passed since that time. Summer vacation is coming to a close and school actually starts next week. Imogen will be starting 5th grade in our middle school. In this episode we will hear her perspective of elementary school, what a 10 year old does during the summer time and whether she is nervous to be headed to the big leagues--middle ...
Sep 21, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Today’s guest, Scott Kady, is a rare specimen: a fourth-grade classroom teacher who is male. Only 11% of elementary teachers in this country identify as male. At our elementary school, only two out of the thirty-five teachers are men. We need more of them. All elementary students need male role models in a school setting. Scott has been in our district for five years and thank goodness he followed his wife (who is also a teacher) to our school district. Scott is patient, kind and into science. H...
Sep 07, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 8
My guest today, Debbie Merchant, raised three boys in our community and is a tennis pro at the local indoor courts. She is an amazing tennis player as are her three sons. She is a local legend and even gave a lesson to John Travolta when he was in the area. We were incredibly lucky that a fellow tennis buff convinced her to become a bus driver. Her bright smile is just what students need to start their days.
Aug 24, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 7
My guest today is Nell Dailey. Nell grew up in Maine and began her career in education as a social studies teacher at our high school. She is an exceptional teacher who has an unparalleled love of adolescents. After 18 years in the classroom, she sent herself to the principal’s office. She moved into administration where she is now assistant principal and has never looked back. I wanted to uncover what that transition was like for Nell.
Aug 10, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 6
My guest today is Ella, a spunky and confident sixth grader who was a mere two weeks away from summer vacation when we sat down for a chat. Ella is already force to be reckoned with on the tennis court, but where she truly shines is with her voice on the stage. I was tempted to ask her to sing for us but resisted—we will have to wait for that. You will definitely hear her spirit in this conversation.
Jul 27, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Today’s guest, Noah Holt, graduated from Camden Hills in 2013. I actually went to high school with Noah’s mother, had a son who graduated with Noah, and have a son named Noah, so there are many connections between us. That is not why I asked to him come talk to me today, however. This is Noah’s first year of teaching and I was thrilled he came back to his hometown as our Latin teacher. Noah dropped out of a prestigious PhD program when he got a call from the high school department head asking if...
Jul 13, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Bill Anderson has been in education for a long time. He tutored for 27 years before becoming a teacher, starting his career before half of our staff was even born. For the past 17 years, he has been at our high school, as a special education teacher. He has a penchant for those who struggle and he has witnessed a lot of change over his career. I wanted to tap into his wisdom and his love of students, so I invited him in for a chat.
Jun 29, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Katie Bauer is one of my closest friends. We met on Hurricane Island when I was an intern in the Bosun’s Locker, working under her. She stayed in the area and I eventually returned. She was an award-winning teacher for years in our district, first teaching at the elementary school and ending her teaching career at the middle school where I was principal. About seven years ago, she and her husband took a great leap of faith and relocated to Eluethera where she became principal of a small, private...
Jun 15, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 2
For the inaugural episode, I wanted to have a conversation with a student. I first met Will at his 8th grade promotion ceremony where he was a speaker. I was blown away by his maturity, insight, and intellect. I was so struck that I introduced myself to his parents and expressed my appreciation for his incredible speech. What I saw then played out fairly seamlessly during his four years in our high school. He is a senior this year and is graduating as valedictorian of his class, headed to Dartmo...
Jun 01, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 1
