Voices United in Education

Ep 198 | Teens in crisis: therapy without the waiting room!

19 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailIs your child struggling with mental health issues? How do you know? How can you help them? Shawn Salamida is the President of Lakevie...

Ep 197 | Building race cars: STEM on wheels?

12 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailWhy are we turning classrooms into pit lanes? Chad Cherry is West Florida High School Electrathon Racing team coach, helping students ...

Ep 196 | More than babysitting: earning & learning

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailWhat exactly is a certified babysitter? How do both girls and boy become certified babysitters? Jennifer Smith Richardson is the Patie...

Ep 195 | Adaptive Exercise for Special Needs Students

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailWhere are individuals with mental, physical and cognitive challenges building confidence and self-esteem? Kristina Guadagnoli is the o...

Ep 194 | How is new leadership changing our middle schools?

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailDoes the principal of a school make a difference in the quality of your child’s education? Is new leadership that important? Hear wh...

Ep 193 | Can your child swim? Local AFFORDABLE option

14 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailIn Pensacola, where can K-8th graders learn to swim without soaking your wallet? Megan Oberholzer is the Aquatics Director for Escambi...

Ep 192 | What mental health support are students getting?

07 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailAccording to the CDC, nearly 1 in 5 young people ages 12 to 17 experienced a mental health disorder in 2024. Melissa Williams is the C...

Ep 191 | Academically talented middle schoolers have a new home at PHS

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailWhat are the options for your academically talented 7th or 8th grader? Amy Gordon is the Principal of Pensacola High School, where the...

Ep 190 | Sheltering students from homelessness!

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailDid you know that, on average, one child in every Escambia County classroom is experiencing homelessness? What defines homelessness mi...

Ep 189 | There is a new place for 6th graders!

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textNot all students are ready for middle school. Christine Baker is the Principal of West Pensacola Elementary School, which is trying somethi...

Ep 188 | What if I can’t afford Dr. visits for my child?

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWhat kinds of services are offered through Healthy Kids Escambia? Even the most basic needs can be critical for growing students, but for m...

Ep 187 | Success Academy: Where students rebound!

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textWhat happens when a student falls behind? Dawn Gibbs is the principal at Success Academy, where her and her team are helping students catch...

Ep 186 | AI – Supporting our Kids to be more human

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textIs your child using a companion bot? How can you help your child navigate the promise and risks of technology? Curiosity is a good place to...

Ep 185 | The REAL trick to get your kids to read

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textDo you ever wish your kid would put their phone down? How do you get them to improve their reading stamina & comprehension? Anne MacDon...

Ep 184 | Myth busting with the PTA

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textDo you have a child or grandchild in our public schools? Are you a member of the PTA? Hear what the President and Vice President of the Esc...

Ep 183 | Where do you turn if your child has cancer?

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDid you know 50 families in the Panhandle face this question every year? Jessica Siderio is the Rally Foundation Development Manager and...

Ep 182 | Vaping: Giving students a second chance

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDoes your child vape? How would being expelled change their educational trajectory? During the 2022-2024 school years, over 450 students...

Ep 181 | From F to Honor Roll: the SOAR Academy story

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFor students who struggle in school, something and someone special is accelerating them toward their diploma and career opportunities. M...

Ep 180 | Social Media: Holding big tech accountable

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIs social media designed to be addictive? Why are multiple lawsuits seeking damages for the damage it is causing to our kids? Emmie Paul...

Ep 179 | Special Olympics: Passing the torch & uniting us

06 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDid you know that Pensacola has hosted a Special Olympics event for the last 20 years? Do you know what school continues to pass the tor...

Ep 178 | Public education: Funding the future!

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhy do our public schools need a foundation? Don’t taxes fund our public schools? Jo McArthur, Executive Director of the Escambia Coun...

Ep 177 | FREE hands-on science labs on SATURDAY!

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWho would pair Saturdays with science? Who is using Saturdays to spark young minds in Pensacola? Heath Parr is the STEM teacher at Brown...

Ep 176 | CyberCoast: Want an IT job? (OR IT in Pensacola: What’s possible?)

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhere do you look for IT jobs in Pensacola? What’s the difference between IT education at George Stone vs a four year University?Snyde...

Ep 175 | K-8 together: benefits, concerns & parent feedback

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIs combining elementary & middle school a good idea? What does this look like logistically?Dr. Michael Roberts, Director of Middle S...

Ep 174 | After graduation, what’s next for students with disabilities?

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHow do you support your child’s transition into adulthood? How early should you start thinking about that?For parents of students with...

Ep 173 | The Latin legacy effect!

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhy Latin club? What does a Latin club competition look like? What unconventional methods are working for students?Dr. Dana Boddy is the...

Ep 172 | Emerald waters = big green careers for boat techs!

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHow can six different courses be taught within one program? What does computer technology have to do with boats? What benefits are stude...

Ep 171 | AI: Classroom time saver or distraction?

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHow are teachers using AI to save time in and out of the classroom? How do they mitigate cheating? Can AI make us MORE human?Sarah Walla...

Ep 170 | Pace Girls: Bringing back their spark!

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat are the magic ingredients that make behavior program benefits last? What would cause a 13-year-old girl to give up on life?Laurie R...

Ep 169 | How is orchestra the gift that keeps giving?

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIs music critical to education? What impact does orchestra have on academic performance? What influence have string musicians in pop cul...

Ep 168 | More than YouTube? New Media Academy

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textBryan Dawson is the digital media teacher at Pine Forest High School. In this episode, he shares how the New Media Academy is helping ki...

Ep 167 | KIDS ONLY Blue Angels Air Show?!

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMonica Willis is the District Military Liaison for ECPS and Bruce Cummins is the Pensacola Public Affairs Officer for NAS Pensacola. In ...

Ep 166 | An Art Academy for Autism?

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textCaitlin Rhea, Curator of Education and Public Programs for the Pensacola Museum of Art, shares how this free monthly art program for chi...

Ep 165 | Elementary to Middle School: Making it easier?

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTara Palasciano is the principal of Bailey Middle School and Amy Roby is the principal of Hellen Caro Elementary School. In this episode...

Ep 164 | Aircraft Maintenance: Shortening the learning curve

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textBill Davis is the Aviation Maintenance Technology Coordinator at George Stone Technical College. In this episode, he shares how a specia...

Ep 163 | Careers in Health: Find your calling

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textNancy Barger is the Pre-Nursing Instructor in the Health Science Academy at Booker T Washington and the 2025-2026 High School Career Aca...

Ep 162 | Is Pensacola a premier dive location?

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMatt MacGregor, Marine Science Teacher at West Florida High School, shares how a group of his students are designing Pensacola’s lates...

Ep 161 | What’s the 411 on 911 jobs?

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLee Gilreath is the Criminal Justice Academy Instructor at West Florida High School. In this episode, he brags on his students, tells st...

Ep 160 | Canvas: Updates, implementation & incoming features

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textJenn Montoya is the Learning Management Coordinator for Escambia County Public Schools. In this episode, she shares how one learning man...

Ep 159 | What's your child's learning style?

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textGloria Cane is the Owner and Executive Director of Sylvan Learning Center for Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach. In this episode, she shar...

Ep 158 | Back to school blues? Feelings, friends & communication

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textPhedra Smith is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and owner of Greenhouse Counseling in Pensacola, specializing in children and familie...

Ep 157 | Enabling disabled students in our community

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLisa Bloodworth, Director at Global Connections to Employment, and Pam Cebula, Escambia County Public Schools Program Specialist, share ...

Ep 156 | The future of media: Meet the interns!

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textClass of 2025 graduates, Bethany Gurley from Pine Forest High School New Media Academy and Mekayla Leonard from West Florida High School...

Ep 155 | Current students, future leaders? FBLA

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textJacob Hill, IB Business Management teacher at Pensacola High School, is not only seeing the future, he’s helping build it. In this epi...

Ep 154 | Love Nuggets: Insights from a top teacher

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, you'll quickly understand why Kelly Reed is the Escambia County Public Schools 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year. A ki...

Ep 153 | Welding: Sparking young minds

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textJoseph Moss is the Welding Instructor at Pensacola High School. In this episode, he shares his journey out of generational poverty and i...

Ep 152 | Auto Shop is Back?! New & improved

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSteve Harrell, Workforce Education Director at Escambia County Public Schools, shares how the new Automotive Technology Academy is openi...

Ep 151 | Dual Enrollment: Is it college and career hacking?

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHolly Busse, Escambia County Public Schools Counselor Specialist, and Lesa Morgan, Director of High Schools, talk about dual enrollment,...

Ep 150 | Workforce Ed: What if a student hosted our podcast?

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMeet Bethany Gurley, a senior in the New Media Academy at Pine Forest High School and outstanding student intern with ECPS’s Communica...

Ep 149 | Driver's Ed: More than hands at ten & two

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDr. Charmain Sutherland, Escambia County Public Schools Specialist for PE, Health, Wellness and Driver Education and Mark Humphreys, Dri...

Ep 148 | Affordable aftercare & meaningful connections

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAngela Stephens, Youth and Family Services Director for the YMCA of Northwest Florida, shares how a unique partnership with the Vickery ...

Ep 147 | What is skateboarding teaching kids?

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSean Fell, owner of Waterboyz Surf & Skate Shop, shares what kids are learn from skateboarding & why he chose collaboration over...

Ep 146 | Is mentorship the best legacy?

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, Sally Lee rejoins our podcast to celebrate the final chapter of her 25-year career in student mentorship and shares how...

Ep 145 | Girl's weightlifting: Building strong bodies & confidence

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAlicia Gifford is the girls weightlifting coach at Escambia High School, helping students build strength of mind, body & character. ...

Ep 144 | Aviation Academy: The sky is the limit

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMark Raab is the Aviation Academy Instructor at Booker T Washington High School, providing students with hands-on experience in an actua...

Ep 143 | Inspiring kids to eat their veggies

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textGreg Miller is the Farm Garden Playground Consultant at Picked at Perfection Urban Farm, working with our local schools to provide not j...

Ep 142 | Introducing: Accelerate your performance, a Studer Education Podcast

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIt's swap week! Join us as we cross-promote another local podcast: Accelerate Your Performance is hosted by Dr. Janet Pilcher, Foun...

Ep 141 | 4H: It's not what you think

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHaylee Linam is the 4H Youth Development Agent for Escambia County. In this episode, Haylee does some myth busting about 4H and shares h...

Ep 140 | Mock Trial: More than a trial run at a law career

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLisette Guttery, Instructional Coach at Pensacola High School and Stephanie White, attorney and Mock Trial coach, share how the communit...

Ep 139 | Are you ready for summer camp?

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textBrittany Hughes is the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator for Play Pensacola Parks & Recreation. In this episode, she debunks what y...

Ep 138 | The Muskogee people: bringing oral history to the classroom

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textChief Dan Sky-Horse Helms of the Santa Rosa Creek Muskogee Tribe illuminates the oral history of the Native First People of the Panhandl...

Ep 137 | Classrooms & military: mutual support?

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMonica Willis, Escambia County Public Schools Military Liaison, and Command Master Chief Jim Wallace at Naval Air Station Pensacola, sha...

Ep 136 | Vaping: Are our kids at risk?

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDr. Okan Elidemir is the Chief of Pulmonology at Nemours Children’s Health. In this episode, he shares cases of vaping injury, how add...

Ep 135 | Snowball Effect: Student success story (RECAST)

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis is one of our most popular episodes, so we wanted to recast it! West Florida High School graduates and twin brothers, Jamal and Jam...

Ep 134 | Are museums really for everyone?

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWendi Davis, Visitor Experience Manager at the UWF Historic Trust, shares how the downtown Children's Museum acts as a keeper of co...

Ep 133 | Pensacola has an archery park?

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTyler Newton is the President of the Panhandle Bowhunters and Archery Association. In this episode, Tyler talks about the Klondike Arche...

Ep 132 | Leadership & data: an unlikely power couple

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textRobin Largue served as a coach and consultant for Studer Education, coaching superintendents, school boards & educational executive ...

Ep 131 | Pensacola Mess Hall: What happens IF?

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDr. Megan Pratt is the Executive Director and Nicole Dickson is the Program Presenter at the Pensacola MESS Hall. In this episode, they ...

Ep 130 | How to avoid FASFA paperwork pitfalls

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMichael Johnston, Associate Vice President of Institutional Research and Enterprise, and Angelica Coonts, Assistant Director of Financia...

Ep 129 | What makes Global Learning Academy SO special?

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLalla Pierce is the principal at Global Learning Academy and Lauren Green is the social services navigator at Children's Home Socie...

Ep 128 | Foreign Exchange Teachers?

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textCaroline Gray is the ECPS employee services coordinator with the TPG Cultural Exchange. Johndel Aduka is one of the TPG charter members ...

Ep 127 | What’s the impact of social media on kids’ brains?

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDr. Ben Renfroe is a neurologist at the Child Neurology Center of Northwest Florida who is passionate about setting kids up for successf...

Ep 126 | Is art more than an elective?

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAlicia Gifford is 1 of 13 people in the world selected for the prestigious Art 21 Educator Program and the first from Florida. She share...

Ep 125 | Kids are worrying more! Now what?

24 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMelanie Fryou is the pediatric medical social worker at Nemours Children's Health and Erica Mack is a registered clinical social wo...

Ep 124 | Do clothes make the student?

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textCoach Marquette Oliver is the SOAR academy director and an assistant football coach at Pine Forest High School where he also played and ...

Ep 123 | NJROTC in 8th grade?

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDr. Heather Schultz, the assistant principal at Workman Middle School and Master Chief John Spaulding, the Naval Science instructor at B...

Ep 122 | Achieve Escambia: The resource concierge?

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textRuthie Noel is the Executive Director of Achieve Escambia. In this episode she explains the unique role this organization plays in the c...

Ep 121 | School Board: A calling to serve

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textPatty Hightower is the longest serving school board member in Escambia County history, representing District 4 for 20 years. She will al...

Ep 120 | Bullying: How are schools handling it?

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textKerri Coots, Director of Alternative Education, answers real parent questions about bullying in schools. You'll hear her share stor...

Ep 119 | Sensory spaces: More than a playground?

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textCathy Rudd is the Principal and Lindsay Sullivan is the Occupational Therapist at Westgate, an Escambia County Public School for student...

Ep 118 | Got a teacher's heart?

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWant to know why education is a great career path? Bill Slayton shares his teacher's heart and incredible perspective after a caree...

Ep 117 | Is my child's development delayed?

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIt’s hard to know the important milestones your child might be missing. Teresa Zwierzchowski, the Marketing and Communications Special...

Ep 116 | What does the half-cent sales tax pay for?

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textKeith Leonard, Escambia County Public Schools Superintendent, talks about the history behind the half-cent sales, how it's been spe...

Ep 115 | NIL: What's in it for the students?

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textEscambia County Public Schools Athletic Director Casey Thiele shares why the change in the Name Image Likeness (NIL) rules are important...

Ep 114 | What schools are good here?

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDenny Wilson is the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction for Escambia County Public Schools and he isn't afraid t...

Ep 113 | From Tate High to Officer of the Year

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTate High graduate, Adam Norre, who knew from a young age that he wanted to be in law enforcement. What he didn’t know is that just 3 ...

Ep 112 | Financial literacy: Setting up kids for stable futures

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textJennifer Causey is a social studies teacher at Pine Forest High School whose econ class includes a mock investing challenge. She is work...

Ep 111 | Coming together with Sue Straughn

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSue Straughn may be the most recognizable news anchor in Pensacola, but she has also been an outstanding advocate for children and educa...

Ep 110 | From inmate to outreach: Building up at-risk youth

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHassan Hills is the founder and Director of Youths Left Behind, a nonprofit working to build up at-risk kids in Escambia County. In this...

Ep 109 | What's the best way to talk with your kids about vaping?

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textJasmine Simms is a Tobacco Prevention Specialist for Tobacco Free Florida. In this episode, she shares vaping myths, why you may not rec...

Ep 108 | Learning to fail: Critical skill for success?

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis trio of guests are leveraging a school elective that turns creative problem solving into a competition. Melissa Hughes, Cheri Stoke...

Ep 107 | How is one couple changing our schools?

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDr. Kimberly Thomas and Mr. Derrick Thomas are both principals at Escambia County Public Schools on the rise—C.A Weis Elementary Schoo...

Ep 106 | Pilots in training: Landing the job

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAccording to Boeing, the pilot shortage means that over the next 20 years, we will need 200K new pilots in the US alone. Escambia High S...

Ep 105 | Should we train kids to save lives?

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textA House Bill passed in 2021 requires all public school students receive basic first aid training, including CPR. Although simply watchin...

Ep 104 | Can art inspire learning?

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textKenneth Jordan II is an award-winning artist, graduate of WFHS and alumni of McArthur Elementary School who is lending his brilliance ba...

Ep 103 | Critical thinking: Can it be taught?

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTheory of knowledge asks International Baccalaureate students, "How do you know what you know?" Dylan Patterson and Audrey Fos...

Ep 102 | How do you fix that? Not Your Grandfather’s Shop Class

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textChad Cherry is the Building Construction teacher at Northview High School. In this episode, he shares how the building technologies acad...

Ep 101 | Why Stuff the Bus?

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a text45% of Escambia County households are below the ALICE threshold - ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income, Constrained, Employed. This sq...

Ep 100 | Teachers Rock (LITERALLY)!

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWest Florida High’s Juniors went from shock to awe when they found out their AP English teacher is in a band! Joey Truncale is the lea...

Ep 99 | Costello’s: Serving Up Sandwiches & Setting Up for Success

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textChristie Costello owns Costello’s Butcher Shop & Deli in Pensacola. In this episode she shares not about what she’s selling, but...