All Episodes

The Sweeney Family Business is all about caring for and building up people. Over the last decade, it’s become even more focused on helping, specifically through education. What started with Kiera Sweeney becoming a Sierra Middle School teacher, soon became three members of the family, with her father, Sean, and then her sister, Delaney, also becoming teachers. In fact those two teach at the same school, Bear Canyon Elementary in Highlands Ranch. Soon another member of the family will be added by marriage. In this episode, we’re going to hear from the tight-knit, fun-loving and fully supportive Sweeney family about how much teaching means to them.
If you want to admire a family that can work together, laugh together, and generally embody the love for community that makes DCSD a top destination, listen to this episode – and get ready to smile.
Guests this week: 
Delaney Sweeney, Bear Canyon Elementary kindergarten teacher
Sean Sweeney, Bear Canyon Elementary PE teacher
Kiera Sweeney, Sierra Middle School drama teacher
Resources
Bear Canyon Elementary
Sierra Middle School
About DCSD
Excellence meets opportunity in Douglas County School District. We're not just the third-largest school district in Colorado; we're a community dedicated to helping every student discover their unique talents and reach their full potential.
DCSD is the TOP-scoring district in the Denver/Metro area for the second year in a row (first time in a decade).
Our graduation rate is 93.6% (the highest in the Denver/Metro area).
We are one of the only districts in the country to have met or exceeded our 2019 (pre-pandemic) scores in every subject and every grade for two years in a row.
The Class of 2025 earned more than $113 million in scholarships and saved over $20 million in college expenses through DCSD's concurrent enrollment partnerships.
DCSD offers 76 Career and Technical Education and Concurrent Enrollment Pathways (including Trades) and is one of the leaders - nationwide - in "blurring the lines" between PK-12, higher education and industry.
With 92 schools spread across the 850 square miles of our nationally renowned county, we have options galore. Whether you're looking for a comprehensive neighborhood school, a charter school with specialized curriculum, or support for students with special needs, we've got you covered. 
Interested in learning more? Take a look at the webpage where we answer the question Why DCSD?

At ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch, Brad Johnson is a mainstay as a history teacher and state-championship winning coach. His daughter, Annabeth Johnson, also teaches history and coaches at ThunderRidge. The father and daughter teachers are at opposite ends of their careers, but both are all about making a difference in students’ lives through education.
In this episode, Mr. Johnson and Ms. Johnson talk about their unique working relationship, how they inspire and mentor each other, and how much they appreciate the ThunderRidge community.  
Guests this week: 
Brad Johnson, American History teacher
Annabeth Johnson, American History teacher
Resources
ThunderRidge High School

In this episode, host Amy Pfister welcomes special guest, Dr. Matt Hadeed, chair of pediatrics at HCA HealthONE Sky Ridge, which is the sponsor of Parent University. Dr. Hadeed is a leader in pediatric health and development, and he has worked with countless families to build routines that support children’s physical and emotional well-being.
Dr. Hadeed shares his expertise on what kids really need when it comes to sleep, nutrition and daily habits — and how parents can set up their children for success both in and out of the classroom. Whether parents are navigating picky eating, bedtime battles, or just want to make healthier choices as a family, this conversation is full of practical, science-backed guidance.
Guests this week: 
Dr. Matt Hadeed, chair of pediatrics at HCA HealthONE Sky Ridge
Resources
HealthyChildren.org - The American Academy of Pediatrics Parenting Website
HCA HealthONE Sky Ridge – Parent University sponsor

AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination, exists to help students, and in this final episode of our AVID miniseries, we get to hear from former students who went through the program and can attest, with first-person experience, how much it helped them. 
So far in this miniseries, we’ve heard the district perspective and the school-level perspective and, in both cases, the viewpoints of administrators and educators. But what about the people who are supposed to benefit from this program? That’s why we reached out to a couple of graduates of the Legend High School AVID program. Zoe (Class of 2016) and Liv (Class of 2021) are now fully embarked on their respective careers, and in this conversation they tell us how AVID helped prepare – and push – them as they chased their goals and dreams. 
Liv and Zoe talk about why they needed the AVID program, how it gave them tools as well as a supportive community so they could grow as students, how it prepared them for college and careers, and how every day they still use what they learned several years ago. 
Listen to this episode, and you’ll hear about resilience, collaboration, perseverance, confidence, achievement and so much more.
Guests this week: 
Zoe, 2016 Legend High School graduate
Liv, 2021 Legend High School graduate 
Resources
AVID homepage 
The AVID College and Career Readiness Framework 
AVID National data 
AVID in Colorado data
Current AVID Schools in DCSD:
Legend High School
Ponderosa High School
VALE High School
Cresthill Middle School
Sagewood Middle School
Franktown Elementary School
Frontier Valley Elementary School

AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a highly regarded, comprehensive educational program which has been used in schools all over the U.S. for 45 years. 
In one DCSD feeder system, students can learn AVID-based skills throughout their K-12 journey: first at Franktown Elementary, where AVID concepts are infused throughout all grades and subjects, then Sagewood Middle School and Ponderosa High School, both of which have AVID elective classes and more.
In this episode, the principals from all three of those schools talk about how AVID makes a difference for all ages of students – plus parents, teachers, and principals building an identity for their schools. 
From elementary students learning “You can do hard things” to middle schoolers starting to think about careers and college, to high schoolers mastering the skills to excel in each, these school leaders are helping pave the way to success for students with all kinds of learning styles and abilities. This whole conversation carries the core AVID message of “empowerment to unlock every student’s greatness.”
This is the second of three parts of the DCSD Notebook podcast miniseries focusing on the AVID program, which is used at several schools in Douglas County. The previous episode focused on the core aspects of the program and its implementation at the district level. This one is at the school level, and our next episode will have DCSD graduates talking about their experiences at the individual level and how AVID prepared them for the real world. 
Guests this week: 
Chandra Baca, Franktown Elementary School principal
Sarah Fields-Hasler, Sagewood Middle School principal
Ryan Hollingshead, Ponderosa High School principal
Resources
AVID homepage 
The AVID College and Career Readiness Framework 
AVID National data 
AVID in Colorado data
Current AVID Schools in DCSD:
Legend High School
Ponderosa High School
VALE High School
Cresthill Middle School
Sagewood Middle School
Franktown Elementary School
Frontier Valley Elementary School

If you could learn how to learn better or, if you have kids in school,  help them unlock proven strategies to ensure they get the most out of school, would you want to hear more about that? 
Here on the DCSD Notebook podcast from the top-scoring school district in the Denver area, we’re going to devote the next three episodes to a deep dive into the AVID program.
In this episode, we’re going to start at the 10,000-foot level and learn what Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, is. DCSD’s co-director of the program, Gordon Mosher, who’s going to tell us the why, the how and the what of this program which can literally change the course of a student’s life – from someone who does OK but could achieve so much more if they were equipped, challenged and guided to embrace their potential. 
In our next episode, we’ll drill down a little deeper and have a conversation with three principals in Parker who can tell us what AVID looks like at the elementary, middle and high school levels. 
 
Then, in the third episode, we’re going to hear from DCSD graduates who went through the AVID program and can tell us how it helped them go forward into college and careers with confidence.
 
Guest this week: 
Gordon Mosher III, executive director of schools for Choice Programming and DCSD co-director of AVID
Resources
AVID homepage 
The AVID College and Career Readiness Framework 
AVID National data 
AVID in Colorado data
Current AVID Schools in DCSD:
Legend High School
Ponderosa High School
VALE High School
Cresthill Middle School
Sagewood Middle School
Franktown Elementary School
Frontier Valley Elementary School
Glossary for this episode
AVID: Advancement Via Individual Determination
Metacognition: According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: awareness or analysis of one's own learning or thinking processes.
WICOR: Acronym for AVID teaching and learning strategies which stands for Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, Reading

In this episode, host Amy Pfister and her guest Nikki Brooker, founder of YANA — You Are Not Alone, are talking about something that so many parents experience but don’t always talk about — how to find your community (as a parent) during your child’s school years.
YANA is a local nonprofit which Brooker created to help parents connect, share, and realize that none of us are meant to do this journey in isolation.
This conversation is all about why finding community matters, how schools can help foster those connections, and simple steps parents can take to feel more supported — right here in Douglas County and beyond.
Resources:
YANA website 
Let’s Be Real Podcast: Mama Journeys (Note: This podcast, produced by YANA, features difficult subject matter and frank discussions; listener discretion advised)
About Parent University
Parent University is a special edition of DCSD Notebook and will appear in this feed monthly. For several years, Parent University has provided training, information, and resources for parents and caregivers. By partnering with community organizations and other agencies to equip families with additional knowledge, skills and resources, Parent University supports and empowers parents and caregivers to become leaders and advocates for their children's learning. This year, Parent University has transitioned from a live Zoom meeting to a podcast format to allow parents to listen to the conversations at their convenience; provide time and accessibility for guests to delve deeper into conversation; and save staff time with streamlined production. 
Thank you to our Parent University podcast sponsor, HCA HealthONE Sky Ridge for their continued support and partnership.

School psychologists play an important role in providing Pre-K through 12th grade students mental health services including evaluations, counseling, academic and behavioral intervention, safety assessments and support, and crisis response. They are trained in psychology, child development, and education. The growing mental health crisis, paired with an increased need for school psychologists, has resulted in a shortage. 
Many doctoral school psychology programs only admit a handful of students each year. Additionally, according to the Colorado Department of Education, in 2023 there were 1,635 people who held a school psychology license with 616 of these people not working in school psychology roles, resulting in 37.7% of the potential workforce working in other professions. 
One of the most promising strategies to recruit and retain school psychologists working in schools is a “grow your own program.” 
In August, DCSD’s team of mental health professionals earned a rare accreditation after a long and thorough process. The accreditation is retroactive for the 2024-25 school year.
DCSD is part of the Colorado School Psychology Internship Consortium. This is a collaborative effort of the DCSD, Aurora Public Schools, and the University of Colorado Denver to pool and share resources for the purpose of creating a high-quality doctoral internship opportunity that meets the unique clinical and workforce needs of the Denver metropolitan area. The aim is to prepare and retain doctoral school psychologists to provide responsive behavioral and mental health care to children, adolescents, and families in school settings. 
DCSD doctoral interns become a licensed psychologist in addition to getting their school psychology credential, and American Psychology Association accredited internships provide high-quality training in clinical practice and specialties. Programs are required to go through a rigorous process to become accredited. DCSD's program, as part of the consortium, has received full accreditation for the next 10 years. This important distinction attracts top doctoral students from across the country, as most graduate programs require an accredited internship. DCSD's program grows sought-after professionals who often are hired on after they complete their internship. This accreditation enables graduates to have a streamlined path to licensure, a supportive introduction to the district, and highly trained supervisors furthering their development into the profession.
A doctoral graduate student attends a four- to six-year program dependent upon whether they already have earned their masters degree. To obtain an internship they go through a stringent match process, similar to the process for placement of medical residents. There are approximately 782 psychology internships in the country with only 17 school district internship programs; and 24 internship programs in Colorado with only 2 school district programs. The only one in the Denver Metro area is in DCSD. 
This episode is highlighted by the leader of the district’s mental health team and originator of the newly accredited program, as well as a doctoral intern and his experienced mentor.  
Guests this week: 
Dr. Stephanie Crawford-Goetz, DCSD Director of Mental Health
Dr. Ryan Trowbridge, School Psychologist at Cresthill Middle School
Joel Flores, School Psychologist Intern
Resources
DCSD Mental Health Support and School Providers
 

In any school district, student engagement and involvement can be seen as a three-legged stool of academics, activities and athletics. In DCSD, two of those three legs are supervised, along with student leadership, by our guests for this episode: Derek Chaney, director of Activities, Athletics, and Student Leadership, and Brad Wiidakas, assistant director for the department. Both have been with DCSD for decades, and Chaney is retiring after this school year. This super-sized episode is both a tribute to Chaney’s leadership and accomplishments as well as a deep dive into the hard work and long hours that both men invest in an organization with countless moving parts but a simple, straightforward mission: “It’s all about the kids.”
Guests this week 
Derek Chaney, director of Activities, Athletics, and Student Leadership
Brad Wiidakas, assistant director of Activities, Athletics, and Student Leadership
Resources
DCSD Athletics webpage
DCSD Activities webpage
Students and Coaches in the News

This is the second of two chapters in the DCSD Notebook regarding bullying prevention. October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and this Parent University episode, hosted by Community Relations Coordinator Amy Pfister, features three members of the DCSD Health, Wellness and Prevention team. They discuss ways they, as professionals as well as mothers, deal with the challenges presented by bullying. 
Guests:
Dr. Kelli Smith, director of Health, Wellness and Prevention
Trena Hand, Health, Wellness and Prevention lead
Hope Ebel, Health, Wellness and Prevention lead
Resources Mentioned:
“The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness” by Jonathan Haidt
DCSD Bullying Prevention webpage
Parent University anti-bullying presentation from 2024
Next Month: 
Our November Parent University podcast, "Community Matters" will explore the power of community and how parents can build stronger connections with one another. Joining us will be a representative from the local nonprofit, YANA. We invite you to submit your questions about fostering community and collaboration here as your voice helps shape the conversation!
About Parent University
Parent University is a special edition of DCSD Notebook and will appear in this feed monthly. For several years, Parent University has provided training, information, and resources for parents and caregivers. By partnering with community organizations and other agencies to equip families with additional knowledge, skills and resources, Parent University supports and empowers parents and caregivers to become leaders and advocates for their children's learning. This year, Parent University has transitioned from a live Zoom meeting to a podcast format to allow parents to listen to the conversations at their convenience; provide time and accessibility for guests to delve deeper into conversation; and save staff time with streamlined production. 
Thank you to our Parent University podcast sponsor, HCA HealthONE Skyridge for their continued support and partnership.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and the DCSD Notebook will have two chapters. This week's chapter features a panel of district and school leaders discussing what bullying is and what it isn’t; how schools work with families to investigate and address issues of bullying; resources available to parents; and the legal requirements that all schools face when dealing with these complex issues. 
Next week’s chapter will be Part 2 of our bullying coverage. It will be a Parent University episode with host Amy Pfister interviewing a panel of DCSD leaders who also happen to be mothers of students who span the age range from elementary to high school. They will do an even deeper dive into the resources and efforts the district uses every day to make schools as safe and welcoming as possible.
Guests this week: 
Erin Kruse, executive director of schools for DCSD’s Castle Rock region
Jarod Nicholson, principal of Mesa Middle School
Trena Hand, the district’s health, wellness and prevention lead
Links and resources:
DCSD Bullying Prevention webpage
DCSD Bullying Reporting form
Safe2Tell – Report anonymously. Any time. Any day. Visit the website or call: 877-542-7233 
FERPA – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, mentioned in the episode, provides certain rights for parents regarding their children’s education records.

In this month’s edition of Parent University, we’re talking about one of the best community spots around — the public library! If you think the library is only about checking out books, you’re missing A LOT. The library is full of fun programs, cool resources, and opportunities that can support children’s learning and give families new ways to connect.
Our guest is Jaime Gotlieb, community services and partnerships manager from Douglas County Libraries, talking about the many amazing programs, resources and events at the library and how Douglas County families can get involved.

Kindergarten teachers have an incredibly important job: They teach small children how to become students and get the most out of school (not to mention welcoming parents into the school community). Is that pressure or a treasured privilege? Listen to the genuine joy and laughter from a pair of kindergarten teachers from Bear Canyon Elementary, along with their inspiring principal, and you’ll have the answer pretty quickly: There’s nowhere they would rather be than in the classroom.
Guests: Bear Canyon Elementary Principal Allison Sullivan and Kindergarten Teachers Megan Harris and Samantha Banis

Guest: Ashley Sommers, Executive Director of The Foundation for Douglas County Schools
Topic: As the official nonprofit partner for DCSD, The Foundation for Douglas County Schools is active year-round in support of students and educators, from back-to-school supply drives to the Apple Awards, Perseverance Scholarships and much more.
Notes: 
The Foundation’s Three Pillars
Apple Awards (nominations open Sept. 15, 2025)
Perseverance Scholarships
Opportunity Grants (application window opened Sept. 2, 2025)
Chapters (PTOs and Booster Clubs)

Guest: Lisa Stull, Licensed Clinical Therapist and Owner of Parker-based practice, Comprehensive Counseling Solutions.
Topic: Tools and tips for parents to help children who have anxiety over the start of the new school year.
Notes 
Download a four-page resource guide from CCS titled Back-to-School Anxiety: A Parent’s Guide to Support & Resilience 
CCS is hosting a live and virtual “Back to School” workshop from 6-8 p.m., Sept. 5. Here’s a flyer with more details. Attendance is free.  Register by emailing them or by phone at 720-766-7290.
Next Month
The October episode of Parent University will feature a guest from Douglas County Libraries. To ask a question for that episode or to suggest a topic of interest for a future Parent University episode, please fill out this form. 
 
About Parent University
Parent University is a special edition of DCSD Notebook and will appear in this feed monthly. For several years, Parent University has provided training, information, and resources for parents and caregivers. By partnering with community organizations and other agencies to equip families with additional knowledge, skills and resources, Parent University supports and empowers parents and caregivers to become leaders and advocates for their children's learning. This year, Parent University has transitioned from a live Zoom meeting to a podcast format to allow parents to listen to the conversations at their convenience; provide time and accessibility for guests to delve deeper into conversation; and save staff time with streamlined production. 
Thank you to our Parent University podcast sponsor, HCA HealthONE Skyridge for their continued support and partnership.