Join NFHS Coordinator of Sports, Jessie Benner as she speaks with MK McGee, a Nebraska high school basketball official and creator of “Her Call.” McGee highlights ways officials can educate and motivate one another and the importance of creating a community of support for female sports officials.

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Maggie Berthiaume is the Director of Debate at Woodward Academy in Georgia. She is a past recipient of the National Debate Coaches' Association Educator of the Year Award and the Georgia Forensic Coaches' Association Debate Coach of the Year Award. She has been on the NDCA and GFCA Executive Board and was a member of the editorial board of Contemporary Argumentation & Debate.

As someone that has excelled as a debater herself and now teaching debate in Georgia, Maggie brings an excellent perspective on many things within the education landscape. Listen to this conversation as we discuss:

• What inspired Maggie to pursue a career in debate education
• How her teaching leads to connections with every student that comes in her classroom
• What sets a good debater apart from a great debater
• Her opinion on how to increase participation in speech and debate programs

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Sean King is the Executive Director of USBands and has been a member of the USBands team for 27 years. Since 2020, he has overseen the transition of the organization from one parent non-profit to a program offering of BD Performing Arts, a non-profit organization based in Concord, CA.

Sean has been responsible for aligning organizational and operational cultures as well as the team building, strategy and communications for the largest scholastic music organization in the United States consisting of nearly 200 events in 20 states in excess of 700 participating schools and overall attendance of 300,000 individuals annually. He is a former Director of Marketing and Communications, a founder of an advertising agency, and someone who continuously empowers arts across the nation.

As the NFHS is welcoming USBands as an official corporate partner of the NFHS and a founding corporate partner of NFHS Performing Arts, listen as we discuss:

• Why people should care about bands across America
• The mission of USBands
• Ensuring inclusivity and support for diverse groups within the organization
• Messaging given to educators and students alike when adjudication is successful
• Ways in which USBands collaborates with schools, directors, and other organizations to further music education and performance

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Amy Perras is the Instructional Supervisor for Music, Art, and Library Media for Milford Public Schools in Connecticut, a role she took on after spending 14 years teaching PK-12 instrumental, choral, and general music. In addition to her work in Milford, Amy is the President of the Connecticut Arts Administrators Association and the NFHS Music Advisory Committee Chair.

As we get to learn from Amy about her background in music and music education, listen while we discuss:

• Her lifelong intrigue with Disney
• The role of a district arts administrator and why it’s such an important role
• How her background in education has assisted her in her current role
• The main goals she has as the chair of the NFHS Music Committee
• Why support systems are crucial for success

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Join NFHS Coordinator of Sports, Jessie Benner as she speaks with Becky Moran, NIAAA Associate Executive Director on the importance of encouraging support of female athletics. Moran explains what it means to her to be a woman in sports and how we can create a positive narrative around female sports and activities.

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Host Ken Burke is joined by Eric Arnold, Program Director for the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) Executive Institute at Western Illinois University. As someone who has so much experience with emergency action plans and campus safety, there are few people that know more than Eric on these issues and topics.

Throughout this conversation, Eric shares stories, lessons-learned, and strategies that could help substantially in ensuring campus and event safety, no matter the location or size. Listen now and hear more about:

• Developing and implementing emergency action plans
• Initial steps he would suggest to administrators and event coordinators
• The most effective strategies he has implemented or observed
• Success stories of interventions or programs that significantly improved security
• Challenges that have emerged in the realm of school safety with the rise of digital platforms and social media

Join NFHS Coordinator of Marketing and Social Media, Olivia Jennings as she speaks with NFHS Director of Sports, Julie Cochran on the origin and evolution of the Women in Leadership team. Cochran explains how she identified the need and began to create the program and the ways in which it has grown to serve our member states around the nation.

On this episode of The Stage, host Ken Burke speaks with Ramon Rivera, Mount Vernon School District Mariachi Director, Mariachi Artist, and 2023 Washington State Music Educator of the year. Ramon Rivera began teaching Mariachi in the late 90s and brings a wealth of knowledge on the subject and on educating to this conversation.

As he leads and educates students through music, he has built the most extensive Mariachi Program on the west side of the state of Washington in the Mount Vernon High School Mariachi & Folklorico program with over 200 students enrolled.

Talking points for today's discussion:

• How he initially became interested in music education
• The unique benefits that mariachi music and Folklorico brings to students
• Letting students pursue their passions and any activity they want
• How he has seen mariachi music education positively impact cultural awareness and appreciation
• Ways in which parents and communities can support the growth of music education
• Success stories about students whose lives have been positively impacted by their involvement in mariachi music education

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