MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) — Madera Unified School District is turning to a new platform to keep families informed, launching a podcast aimed at explaining school safety efforts, student support programs and district policies.
In a newly created studio space at a district office building, Assistant Superintendent of Student and Family Support Services Prince Marshall and Director of Safety and Security Lawrence Fernandez sit behind a microphone as co-hosts of the new podcast, “Safety Time with Prince and Lawrence.”
“We saw it as another way, another pathway for our community members and staff members to learn more about the work that’s going on behind the scenes related to safety and a lot of the programs that our community’s children are involved in,” Marshall said.
The first episode was released during the last week of September and focuses on topics including emergency preparedness, crisis intervention and the various safety measures already in place throughout the district.
Fernandez said one goal is to increase transparency and make sure families understand the work being done to support students.
“We need to communicate to our community all of the great things that we’re doing,” Fernandez said. “They don’t know it a lot of times, but we know that we’re doing them.”
Future episodes are expected to highlight programs such as Titan, the district’s emergency communication system, and the STOPit reporting platform, which allows students and families to anonymously report concerns by text message or online submission. The podcast will also explore initiatives such as the district’s therapy dog program and other student support services.
Marshall said topics will often be driven by questions and concerns raised by parents and community members.
“We’re looking at commonly asked questions about ‘what does the district have?’ or ‘what is the district doing about X, Y and Z?'” Marshall said. “For most of those, we have an answer for that.”
District leaders believe the podcast format offers a convenient way for busy families to stay informed without reading lengthy reports or attending meetings.
Fernandez said parents can listen while commuting, exercising or doing chores around the house, making district information more accessible.
“I really believe that parents want to send their children to a safe learning environment, and safety is paramount for them because they’re not there,” Fernandez said. “Our jobs are to be that parent and provide that safe learning environment, so we want to show them how safe our schools are and what are the things that we have in place to ensure that their children are safe when they’re with us.”
The district plans to release new episodes monthly. The first episode of “Safety Time with Prince and Lawrence” is available now on the Madera Unified YouTube channel and major podcast platforms.
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