Getting to the Core with Wayne RESA

The "Getting to the Core of Wayne RESA" podcast features Dr. Jennifer Banks (Washtenaw), Yarisha Johnson (Oakland), and Cherron Ramsey (Wayne County), the trio behind Tri-County Culturally Responsive Mathematics, who have transformed a pandemic-era vision into a five-year movement serving nearly 850 students. These three educators are proving that culturally responsive pedagogy combines rigorous mathematics with meaningfu...

Dr. Aaron Johnson's interview examines how traditional education systems often fail to connect with the lived experiences of students, particularly young Black males, emphasizing the need for more culturally relevant teaching approaches. He advocates for educational environments that authentically value students' existing knowledge and identities rather than imposing disconnected academic standards. The discussion highlight...

This podcast episode delves into the origins, evolution, and impact of Wayne RESA's "Cultivating Genius" programs, focusing on culturally responsive instruction for Black children. It emphasizes the importance of addressing educator biases, understanding the holistic needs of Black students, and creating empowering and healing learning environments. The discussion honors the legacy of the late Ginni Winters, a key figure in the pro...

Dr. Jay Marks, a renowned educator, discussed his work on anti-racism, social justice, and cultural proficiency. He highlighted the legacy of Dr. Ginni Winters, emphasizing her impact on education and equity. Marks stressed the importance of radical love, self-awareness, and accountability in education. He shared examples of successful community partnerships, such as the Social Justice Project in Oakland County, which improved dive...

Recently, our team at Wayne RESA had the pleasure of discussing the Strategic Planning process of Kentwood Public Schools with their leadership team, including Veronica Lake, Suni Joy, Andrew Telvin, and Carrie Tellerico. One of the key initiatives of their plan was the district-wide adoption of Restorative Practices. This approach has been proven to foster positive relationships and promote a sense of community within the school.

As we recognize National Homeless Awareness Week this month, we will be providing some information about the Special Populations Team at Wayne RESA, the McKinney-Vento Law, Homeless Awareness and why raising awareness on this subject is so important. We will be discussing what some common signs of homelessness are, the barriers that students experiencing homelessness face, how districts and PSAs can support their McKinney-Vento eli...

Wayne RESA Presents: Getting to the Core - MiCIP.  

Today's content will be about continuous improvement. The State of Michigan has revamped our school and district planning to be more reflective, intuitive and responsive to the needs of staff and students. The process of district and school improvement is meant to be used for setting and aligning goals and expectations to the district and schools mission and vision.  The...

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that “communication” encompasses so much more than language we speak, hear, or read. While language is one form of communication, humans communicate in numerous other ways with their body, eyes, hands, sounds, actions, and more.

“AAC, or Augmentative and Alternative Communication, refers to any form of communication that we use. So not just our mouth words. It could be our gestures…It encompasses forms...

In Social Studies, our core—the essence of what we do—is to develop  informed and engaged citizens. We want students that not only have  content or disciplinary knowledge of the world around them, but the  skills of how to apply that knowledge and the desire to do so.

As supported by our recent change in the Michigan social studies  standards in 2019, students must be exposed to a more comprehensive and  in...

It’s not day care, it’s early learning. It's about providing quality, experience-based learning opportunities during the crucial, early developmental years of our children's lives.

Join us as we talk with Beth Garza and Carissa Orr, Early Childhood Consultants at Wayne RESA, about the importance of high quality childcare programs like Strong Beginnings and the Great Start Readiness Program, and how parents can find the best opportu...

What is “Culturally Responsive Mathematics?”

Using the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM.org) definition, Culturally Responsive Mathematics seeks to promote a positive mathematical identity in students by providing tasks that are relevant, personal and meaningful to students.

What does this approach look like, how does it differ from previous approaches to teaching mathematics, and how are students in Washtenaw, Oak...

On May 16, 2022, Great Start Collaborative Detroit/Wayne had the distinct pleasure of hosting Chelsea Clinton on a “Talking is Teaching” tour of Detroit and Wayne County. With some support from Wayne RESA’s Communications Department, Great Start Detroit/Wayne successfully planned and executed a fabulous tour of four community organizations that exemplify the mission and approach of this early childhood literacy campaign. Joining us...

Do you remember all the facts you learned in your history or geography classes? Does it still matter?  Are you an actively engaged, responsible citizen? In this episode, we sit down with David Hales, Social Studies Consultant at Wayne RESA, to discuss changes to the social studies curriculum over the past few years. Yes, facts and knowledge do matter, but we also need to learn the tools to use them to engage civically. David d...

Since schools first shut down in the spring of 2020, our students have experienced things that none of us really imagined, from emergency remote teaching, social distancing, packets being sent home, Zoom classrooms, wearing masks, and an ever changing set of circumstances. The 2020-2021 school year was unlike anything we had ever seen. This school year has also been different, and while we’re never going back to 2019, things are sl...