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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• Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!
• https://www.nfhs.org/
• Know someone who would be a great guest? Email: kburke@nfhs.org