18 AUGUST 2022 By Mallory Gleich When Archway Veritas’ second-grade teacher Taylor Brown was driving home from Flagstaff one day, she was listening to a podcast in which the guest talked about the impact that his fourth-grade teacher had on him, which led to a discussion on the importance of teachers. “I thought to myself, it is interesting how we hear so much about teachers, but we rarely hear from them,” Taylor said. This episode was the inspiration behind the Teachers Talk Podcast, created by Taylor and her coworker (and best friend), Skylar Marois. Teachers Talk celebrated its first anniversary in July. The podcast is a collaborative effort inspired by Taylor and Skylar’s conversations about educational issues, ideas and encouragement. “The goal is to inspire teachers inside and outside the education world. We know that 50 percent of teachers leave the profession within the first five years. Our mission is to help retention rates by sharing best practices, experiences, and tips with others,” Taylor said. There are currently over 50 episodes available – they come out every Monday and are anywhere from 25 to 55 minutes long. Topics include intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation and its impacts on students, love and logic practices, creating a work/life balance, the importance of teaching history, the effects of praise and building student relationships. The educators are Arizona natives, with Taylor from Cave Creek and Skylar from Phoenix. Taylor moved to Arcadia after graduating from the University of Arizona in 2017. “My parents moved to Arcadia a year prior, and I fell in love with the area. I stumbled upon Veritas while driving home one day, and it was meant to be,” Taylor said. She’s taught second grade at Veritas for six years, with Skylar following close behind at five years. The two met in 2018 when Skylar started at Veritas as Taylor’s teaching assistant. “We became instantaneous friends when I heard 90s throwback jams coming from our classroom during summer prep. We have been best friends ever since,” Taylor said. Once they decided the podcast was a go, it was time to learn how to put it together. Their first order of business was obtaining equipment. “We ordered a microphone on Amazon and spent a lot of time on YouTube. I am not tech-savvy, so we spent a lot of time looking up tutorials on how to work GarageBand [a digital audio application], how to upload, how to edit; it’s a learn-as-you-go type situation,” Taylor said. The podcast debuted on July 3, 2021, with an episode focused on a growth mindset inspired by American psychologist Carol Dweck. While the podcast usually has Taylor and Skylar as its main speakers, they’ve also had several guest speakers, including coworkers, friends and other education professionals. One episode features a former teacher who has been in education for over 70 years. “Our favorite part is knowing that we have the opportunity to reach an infinite number of educators to help inspire and lift their voices,” Taylor said. “We also love when listeners reach out and tell us how an episode may have impacted them or how they have implemented something new since listening.” “The feedback has been so affirming,” Skylar said. “Our love language is words of affirmation, so when people tell us that they loved an episode or would like help with a specific area, we are always overjoyed!” Upcoming episodes include “how to prepare for the first days of school” and “how to cope with behavioral challenges.” Teachers Talk is available on all podcast platforms. Let’s hear it for – and from – the teachers When she first started working at Veritas, Skylar was Taylor’s teaching assistant. The two bonded over a mutual love of throwback jams, and are now best friends and co-podcasters. PHOTO COURTESY OF TAYLOR BROWN By Mallory Gleich Arcadia High School and Hopi Elementary welcomed new principals for the 2022-23 school year, so we reached out to get the scoop on the latest faces in the neighborhood! ARCADIA Dr. Janelle Danskey is originally from Oregon, having grown up there for 35 years until moving to St. Louis to be closer to her sister – but when she suddenly moved to Sacramento, Danskey promptly decided to head to sunnier skies. Phoenix was at the top of her list. “Phoenix is practical. Here, I can drive anywhere; it’s a large metro area with many activities; the weather is great. The quality of life, and the options, are so exciting,” Danskey said. She attended Willamette University and received a Bachelor’s in History and a Master’s in secondary teaching. Danskey then received her Doctorate in Educational and Organizational Leadership through the University of Portland. She said that she’s always wanted to be a teacher – but at first, she was taking classes to go into English teaching. In her sophomore year, she switched gears to history instead. Danskey said that after she decided to move to Arizona, she began looking for positions in the Scottsdale area and lucked out when she saw that Arcadia was hiring. She explained that the process of becoming a faculty member is different for each position – because there are fewer principal positions, it’s a more challenging hire. In terms of essential qualities for a principal, Danskey cited one thing above all: moral imperative. “It’s something I believe in deeply. We’re responsible for meeting all students’ needs so we can support their developing knowledge and the skills they need to be successful and recognize that our world is changing rapidly,” Danskey said. She explained that educators’ jobs include preparing students for careers and situations that don’t exist yet. “I think that requires a different focus. We’re looking at adaptability, skills, attributes, rather than only focusing on content,” she said. “We want to explore what they’re passionate about, instill belonging and build a place where students have empathy for one another. That’s why I’m in education.” Danskey is most excited to meet the staff and students when school resumes in August. She plans to continue the coffee chats implemented by the previous principal. “It’s crucial to connect with the community, partner with the parents and make sure we keep open lines of communication,” Danskey said. HOPI Anne Plenkovich hails from Seattle and made the move to Arizona in June. Plenkovich has a Bachelor’s in Psychology and Elementary Education from Western Washington University, a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Lesley College, and a second Master’s in Education Leadership from the University of Washington. To apply for the position, she participated in interviews with teams representing the district office, district community and school community. “The process and questions posed through the interview say a lot about the leadership and direction of the district, and it was another affirmation that Scottsdale Unified and Hopi Elementary were going to be a great fit for this next season of my leadership journey,” she said. Regarding the most important qualities a person in the education industry should have, Plenkovich believes that leaders should know what they value, lead from core beliefs, and have a clear vision to ultimately inspire others. “I also believe that building from strengths takes you much further than building from deficits and that relationships and people come first,” she said. “Within a school community, every student, staff, and family should feel a sense of belonging and understand how they contribute uniquely to the heart of the school.” She hopes to continue strengthening Hopi’s community and elevating academic achievement by spending time in classrooms and getting to know students, staff and parents as much as possible. “I was so encouraged by the positive environment and warm welcome from everyone. I can’t wait to get to know this amazing community, learn more about what is working, and where there may be opportunities to grow and strengthen,” she said. Gearing up for student and community success Dr. Janelle Danskey Anne Plenkovich