Martin Odima
Mark Brown / University of St. Thomas

Podcast: Remixing Education with Guest Marcy Doud

Host Martin Odima Jr. '13 MA talks with guest Marcy Doud, an upcoming superintendent of District 287 in Minnesota. She currently serves as the assistant superintendent of special services in Saint Paul Public Schools, and talks about the importance of establishing and maintaining models and systems that support students with disabilities.

Q. In our district, what systems are present to establish, maintain and repair relationships? How does this align with your vision in a district?
A. Being in the district for 18 months, I'm not sure I'm going to be representing all of the systems that might be in place. Whatever system you choose, the system to me is not "system A, B, or C," it's about "does it align with your belief system?" Can you authentically put yourself into the conversation with students and listen?

Q. How does the district foster inclusion and belonging for students with disabilities?
A. I think, first of all, we have to break down the systems of the way it's been done in the past. ... A great system that is breaking down in speech pathology is the practices for articulation would be two to three times a week. What we know now is that takes a student out of general education, so what's more important is five minutes every day, checking in a general location and working on articulation for five minutes. It actually has a greater outcome than pulling the student out, disrupting their core education, and then putting the student back in.

Listen to their conversation here: