First hour: First-year teachers on their experiences in the classroom and the state of the teaching profession
Second hour: Discussing the state of the opioid epidemic at the local and national levels
With the 2018-2019 school year in the books, we sit down with teachers who just finished their first year in the classroom. We talk to them about the state of the teaching profession, the challenges and bright spots of working in the field, and what they learned during their first year on the job. In studio:
- Susan Spencer, algebra and geometry teacher at Rochester Prep High School
- Kari McCree, English Language Arts teacher at Anna Murray-Douglass School No. 12
- Stefan Cohen, director of the Career in Teaching Program at the Rochester City School District
Then in our second hour, according to new data, the number of deaths from opioid overdoses in Monroe County decreased for the first time since 2015. Nearly 200 people died from overdoses in 2018. Monroe County Public Health Commissioner Michael Mendoza says the use of overdose reversal drugs like naloxone is a primary reason for the decline, but he also says long-term solutions are needed to combat the epidemic. Several Democratic presidential candidates have released their plans for addressing the crisis. This hour, we explore the state of the opioid epidemic both at the local and national levels, and our guests discuss if they think the proposed policies could be effective. In studio:
- Dr. Michael Mendoza, M.D., Monroe County Public Health Commissioner
- Dr. Michael Apostolakos, M.D., chief medical officer for the University of Rochester Medical Center
- Laura Garrison, vice president for development WXXI and The Little Theatre, who has experienced long-term chronic pain
