Chief of Academics Dr. Nicole Marble analyzes the findings of the Wauwatosa School District's Analysis of Learning Spaces, revealing the outdated state of secondary schools.
5 Jun 2025
Episode 16: Curriculum review cycle
Director of Curriculum Jessica Ebert and Chief Academic Officer Nicole Marble discuss the curriculum review cycle and its iterative process for continuous improvement in education.
27 May 2025
Episode 15: Literacy and Act 20
Elementary Literacy Coordinator Brenda Jones and Director of Curriculum Jessica Ebert discuss Act 20 and science-aligned literacy instruction in Wisconsin schools, highlighting supports for students and educators in this interview.
23 May 2025
Episode 14: Summer School
Summer School Coordinator Stephen Oliver and Superintendent Dr. Demond Means discuss Wauwatosa School District's summer programs, highlighting their enrichment and credit recovery benefits for students and families in this interview.
5 May 2025
Episode 13: Strategic Planning
As the Wauwatosa School District prepares for its next strategic plan, Director of Strategy and Continuous Improvement Jennifer Fotsch reflects on the district’s 2022-2025 strategic plan, breaks down the overall process for what it takes to create one for a school district, and emphasizes its importance. #TosaProud
“A strategic plan–for any organization, educational or otherwise–it’s important because it sets the course of action.”
“Now that we have the good infrastructure in place, we’re able to be probably even more strategic at a higher level, so our community can expect to see more focus on instruction and academic and career planning, in addition to things we might expect, like fiduciary responsibility and facilities.”
“The strategic plan really sets the tone for our organization, so it’s really important for our students, families, and staff to have good working knowledge of the plan.”
30 Apr 2025
Episode 12: Post-secondary planning
Wauwatosa School District’s school counselors help students grow in three main domains–academic, career, and social emotional intelligence. While also acknowledging that all students develop in these areas at different rates, counselors provide strategic and consistent touch points with students and families to help develop each student’s independence and a plan for success.
In this episode, Wauwatosa West High School Counselor Nicholas Becker and Director of Student Success Emily O’Connor break down how school counselors and student services play a significant role in fulfilling the goals of the Wauwatosa School District’s Vision of a Graduate and help prepare all students to become good members of society. #TosaProud
“We want to send complete human beings out into the world. They’re productive, they’re happy, they have good relationships, they also have a flexible career and a flexible mindset.” - Nicholas Becker, West High School Counselor
“How do we kind of ease that transition into the world of work and independence so that we’re helping students find the opportunities that match their skills and interests.” - Emily O’Connor, Director of Student Success (former)
“Whether students are at the top of their class and they’re doing everything that we want them to do, …or whether they’re struggling through, trying to pass, and just trying to graduate, the partnership is of the utmost importance.” - Nicholas Becker, West High School Counselor
24 Apr 2025
Episode 11: Instruction
Director of Instruction Leann Neese and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Nicole Marble talk with Superintendent Dr. Demond Means about how instructional framework supports student-centered, high-quality instruction and gives the Wauwatosa School District a common language across its system. #TosaProud
🎬🍿Fun fact: The conversation even touches on how teaching portrayals in movies compare to real-life instructional processes in Wauwatosa. #RobinWilliams #GoodWillHunting #DeadPoetsSociety #OhCaptainMyCaptain #ButPleaseDontStandOnDesks 🙃
“Excellent instruction doesn’t happen by chance. Strong student-centered instruction requires strong student-centered planning.”
“It’s really a partnership between students, staff, and families. When there is a strong partnership between all of the stakeholders, then there is a collective commitment and a collective effort to put one’s best foot forward in the learning process.”
“We want to prepare students for a future that we don’t even know exists yet.”
4 Apr 2025
Episode 10: School Safety Part 2
“Everyone in the community and the district is part of safety. It’s not one person. It’s not just students, it’s not just staff, it’s everyone.”
In this episode, Superintendent Dr. Demond Means, Chief of Pupil and Family Supports Luke Pinion, and Director of School Safety Laura Geisler discuss how everyone in the community and the district is part of safety. They define what safe and unsafe means for a school, share data that provides evidence of safer schools, and emphasize the importance of building relationships–including with our School Resource Officers–and modeling appropriate behavior and conflict resolution at all levels of community. #TosaProud
3 Apr 2025
Episode Nine: School Safety Part 1
When it comes to school safety, prevention is our strongest lever. Much of that prevention is due to processes in place that are aligned with the district’s mission, vision, and core values, along with best practices around school safety nationwide. Behind the scenes of every disciplinary case in the Wauwatosa School District, there is a lot happening in terms of strategic intervention and careful safety planning around each individual student’s needs.
In this episode, Chief of Pupil and Family Supports Luke Pinion and Director of Student Success Emily O’Connor break down how preventative processes play a significant role in school safety. #TosaProud
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"I think it's important to continue supporting the development of an atmosphere in which the rights and duties of student policies are acknowledged. So, really, all of us have an opportunity, and I think even an obligation, to seek to understand that behavior is a form of communication, and so, when students are experiencing challenges, what is that telling us and can we respond in a supportive and healthy way for that student? That's really what research demonstrates will be effective longterm is really putting in place those supports and strategies."
-Emilie O’Connor, Director of Student Success
"It's really important that we all approach these needs and these situations with a lens of curiosity and inquiry rather than judgement and making assumptions."
-Emilie O’Connor, Director of Student Success
“It's very important to know, just because a student has a piece of paper that says they're expelled, that does not equate to more safe schools. In fact, you look at Sandy Hook, Uvalde–those students had a piece of paper that said they were expelled. So even when you go that far, it is crucial that we're still doing safety planning around the student's needs.”
-Luke Pinion, Chief of Pupil and Family Supports
19 Mar 2025
Episode Eight: Secondary School Grading
Superintendent Dr. Demond Means, Chief of Academics Dr. Nicole Marble, and Director of Strategic and Continuous Improvement Jennifer Fotsch discuss the grading process at the secondary school level in the Wauwatosa School District and how it aligns with the state's academic standards.
28 Feb 2025
Episode Seven: Special Education
Superintendent Dr. Demond Means and Director of Special Education Stacy Klemm discuss the role of special education in the Wauwatosa School District and the levels of support in place to ensure all students have opportunities for success.
“We’re honoring who you are, recognizing who you are, and guiding you to build you up with the services we can provide based on what you see as your best future.”
17 Jan 2025
Episode Six: Pupil and Family Services
Wauwatosa School District Superintendent Dr. Demond Means sits down with Luke Pinion, Chief of Pupil + Family Services, to discuss the operation of a number of services and programs designed to support students, families and district staff members.
6 Dec 2024
Episode Five: November 2024
Tosa neighborhood residents and local leaders discuss community development and urban planning initiatives to revitalize and strengthen the area for future generations.
7 Oct 2024
Episode Four: Academics
Dr. Means is joined by Mr. John Mercure and Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Nicole Marble to discuss academics in the District.
12 Jul 2024
Episode Three: 2024 Referendum
Dr. Means and Mr. John Mercure discuss the two referendum questions that will appear on the November 5, 2024 ballot. Listen and learn how the funds would directly impact students.
25 Jun 2024
Episode Two: The History of Wauwatosa East High School
Dr. Means is joined by Mr. John Mercure and Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride for a tour of Wauwatosa East High School. Learn about the history of the school and the efforts taken to restore the historic entrance of the building.
6 May 2024
Episode One: School Finance
Wauwatosa School District Superintendent Dr. Demond Means talks with Ms. Anne Chapman, Research Director with the Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials to dive deep into the topic of school finance. How does it work? Who allocates funds? Why do some districts get more than others? Most importantly, how does Wisconsin's public school funding formula impact children? Click PLAY to find out!
Who has been a guest on Talking Tosa
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Dr Nicole Marble
Jessica Ebert
Nicole Marble
Brenda Jones
Stephen Oliver
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