VPA Podcast

About: The VPA Podcast was started in the winter of 2019. Original artwork by Montpelier High School Student-Class of 2022, Lili Ecklund Gustavson. Production and editing by Mallori Longevin and music title, Fate, by FreeBeats.io. Our hosts are Mike McRaith and/or Lauren Thomas of the VPA. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

  • Part 3: Vermont: Diversifying the Educator Workforce Series, with Glennys Sánchez and Leah Tuckman

    In this episode, we talk with Glennys Sánchez and Leah Tuckman of the Great Schools Partnership. We talk about the research and reports that have been conducted the past few years in regards to the needs for diversifying the educator workforce in New England including the Call to Action for Increasing the Racial, Ethnic, and Linguistic Diversity of the Educator Workforce (2020) and the Regional Landscape Report Snapshot (2022). Now, with support from the BARR Foundation, the Great Schools Partnership is hosting a series of Community of Practice convenings with different stakeholders from around New England. Those convenings aim to bring together and support leaders to facilitate sharing, collaboration, and coordination across the region to work towards a common goal: accelerating efforts to diversify the educator workforce. 



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  • Part 2: Vermont: Diversifying the Educator Workforce Series, with Mikaela Simms 

    Part 2, Vermont: Diversifying the Educator Workforce Series, with Mikaela Simms 

    Mikaela Simms has been working as the Diversity Coordinator for the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union for more than a decade. She is the co-director of the Spark Teacher Education Institute, and has been on the planning team for the VPA’s Equity Practitioner’s Network since the fall of 2020. She also works with Indigo Radio and co-hosts In The Company of Black Women. In late 2019, Mikaela founded the Vermont Educators of Color Association which has had support and collaboration with the Education Justice Coalition of Vermont to hold in-person convenings, and issued the Vision Document for Sustaining Educators of Color in VT in the spring of 2022. In this conversation we talk with Mikaela about all of this and what might be meaningful steps for comprehensive action on Diversifying the Vermont Educator Workforce and more.

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  • Part 1: Vermont: Diversifying the Educator Workforce Series with Lashawn Whitmore-Sells

    Part 1 Vermont: Diversifying the Educator Workforce Series with Lashawn Whitmore-Sells

    In Part 1, Mike talks with Lashawn Whitmore-Sells. Lashawn has been a teacher and school leader of color in Vermont since 1992. She currently works in the Champlain Valley School District as a Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) coach in Shelburne Community School. In this conversation Lashawn shares some of her own history with helping to lead past recruitment and retention work for diversifying the educator workforce in Vermont. She shares insights about what has worked and what has not worked in previous initiatives and provides suggested guidance for Vermont-specific recommendations for current efforts. 

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  • Episode 22 – Ronn Nozoe

    Ronn Nozoe is a lifelong educator and the Chief Executive Officer of NASSP, an organization dedicated to transforming education through school leadership. Nozoe previously served as associate executive director and interim executive director at ASCD where he led the development of their Whole Child Network and Activate, an online professional development library of resources. Prior to this, Nozoe was deputy assistant secretary for policy and programs at the U.S. Department of Education, where he worked on initiatives to build state and local capacity in the areas of teacher quality, school safety, rural education, and migrant and Indian education. In his home state of Hawaii, Nozoe served as deputy state superintendent from 2010–15, during which time he amplified principals’ voices in statewide decisions with the creation of the Deputy’s Principal Roundtable; and leveraged federal Race to the Top funds and School Improvement Grants to increase statewide achievement, graduation rates, and college enrollment. Prior to that, he served as district superintendent of the Farrington/Kaiser/Kalani complexes, and as a principal, vice principal, and teacher in various schools across the state. Nozoe holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in education and teaching, both from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

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  • Sidelines Conversation – Rob Miller

    Rob Miller is a master’s Crossfit athlete, father of two and four-time cancer survivor. He grew up in South Africa playing any sport he could. His love of sports helps drive him in his career and the constant pursuit of his goals. We talked about athletes making great employees and how he uses many of his athletic endeavors in his business world.

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  • Sidelines Conversation – Mike Tromello

    Mike Tromello is a man who wears many hats. When I first met him, he was the strength and conditioning coach for Harvard Westlake and assisted with their water polo team, whilst creating an incredible gym. Mike is in a constant state of growth and personal development. He coaches top CrossFit and Hydrox athletes but has also transcended back into the world of youth football coaching his son’s football team. We discuss all these things and the metamorphosis between being a collegiate football player and developing a successful gym’s climate and culture. There are nuggets of gold within this podcast, so if you’re looking for helpful tips on coaching, mindset, or developing culture and climate, this is a great listen for you!

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  • Episode 19 – Dr. Wendi Williams

    In this episode, Mike talks with celebrated psychologist and educator, Dr. Wendi Williams. Dr. Williams’ career spans two decades and features important research and writing, recently becoming Provost at Fielding Graduate University, previously as the Dean of the School of Education for Mills College, and much more. 

    In her words, she “has committed her life’s work to educate clinicians, teachers, institutions, policymakers, advocates, and the general public. Her work threads the intersection of psychology and education with black women’s liberatory leadership practices by which to understand our everyday lived experiences. We talk about the inspiration she draws from the women in her family, adrienne maree brown, Octavia Butler and bell hooks, the importance of balance and being grounded in our bodies for equity leadership, the challenges around paces and modes in justice-centered leadership, and I share some of my favorite Dr. Wendi Williams quotes back to her for her to elaborate on. A head’s up that the recording ends a little abruptly as we lost track of time a bit–but as you listen to the knowledge, joy, and care that Dr. Williams brings to all of her work, including in this episode– we think you’ll be like us and want to hear more.



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  • Episode 18 – Dr. Delaney Ruston of Screenagers

    In this episode we talk with filmmaker and primary care physician, Delaney Ruston. Delaney is most well known for her films, Screenagers, and Screenagers–The Next Chapter. These films have been screened widely, aired on PBS, and were at the forefront of advocacy campaigns, including with the World Health Organization. For her work in using films to build movements, Delaney has won several awards including Harvard’s McLean National Council Recognition Award and New York’s Fountain House Advocacy Award. You can learn more about her work and films at: https://www.screenagersmovie.com/

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  • Sideline Conversations – Katie Tromello

    On this episode of Sideline Conversations we spoke with Katie Tromello. Katie is a licensed therapist in Southern California who works with student-athletes. As a former professional athlete, she utilizes her skills and athletic qualities in her professional life. We dug into the ideas of being perfect and how being your authentic self can be liberating.

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  • Sideline Conversations – JJ Castillo

    Introducing Sideline Conversations: a podcast for those that are interested in athletics and sport. We’re hoping to connect with those who were athletes, are athletes or work with athletes, to build some connection between what athletes go through and how it connects to their life and their career. We’re looking to see how athletics connects to everyday lives and hoping that the guests we are able to cultivate and bring in can bring some insights and some revelations to many of you and maybe some connections that you also feel in your day to day life.

    My first podcast is with a former student-athlete of mine from La Quinta, California, JJ Castillo. I thought of JJ for this because he is an incredible soccer player and a first generation Mexican American. His dreams of playing professional soccer didn’t pan out but his journey evolved into working in the soccer industry in a different way! His story and outlook is so positive, give it a listen!

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