Ethical Schools

We speak with Dr. John Pascarella, Chief Academic Officer of K-12 Professional Learning at USC Race and Equity Center. The Center works with schools to identify disparate outcomes for students and strategies to eliminate them. Dr. Pascarella discusses the need for educators to stand up against systemic bias as it occurs in daily school life. He points out that we need to be aware that we are all inevitably involved in differential power relationships and offers suggestions for teachers engaging in ongoing self-reflection.

Overview

00:00-00:37 Intros

00:37-01:39 USC Race and Equity Center

01:39-03:49 What precipitates involvement with a district or school?

03:49-06:48 What happens when people from a school ask the Center for involvement?

06:48-10:53 Conditions for involvement

10:53-15:31 Defining implicit bias

15:31-17:52 Individual and systemic bias

17:52-23:57 Ways of addressing both individual and systemic bias

23:57-29:37 Strategies for working with teachers who are resistant

29:37-33:16 What happens when school leaders leave

33:16-37:02 Racial Equity Leadership Academy and COSAs project in LA Unified School District

37:02-41:41 Parent involvement

41:41- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode. 

References

USC Race & Equity Center website

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

We speak with Al Kurland, longtime leader of out-of-school-time programs in Upper Manhattan’s Washington Heights. Mr. Kurland founded youth  programs that help teens to “rewrite their stories” with the support of adult and peer mentors. He collaborated with other local youth organizations, creating a cluster of empowering and horizon-broadening experiences for students, helping many expand “tunnel vision.”

Overview

00:00-00:39 Intros

00:39-04:50 Washington Heights community and its youth

04:50-09:05 What made programs successful

09:05-12:48 The Dreamers

12:48-15:15 Teens changing from fatalism to purpose

15:15-17:47 Teen-centric programming and its impact on young people

17:47-23:01 Increased isolation of teens in “modern” compared to traditional societies

23:01-27:38 Meaningful rites of passage

27:38-33:06 Storytelling, mentors, co-mentors

33:06-35:03 How schools can enhance adolescents’ sense of efficacy; action civics

35:03-39:35 Suggestions for starting a youth program

39:35- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

We speak with independent journalist Audrey Watters, author of “Teaching machines: The history of personalized learning,” about the origins of teaching machines and the pedagogies that incorporate mechanical devices for teaching and learning. Ms. Watters explains how BF Skinner’s emphasis on behaviorism, in combination with commercial opportunism, has led in some cases to the supplanting of teachers by computer software.

Overview

00:00-00:37 Intros

00:37-01:33 Significance of the book title

01:33-04:19 What personalized learning is

04:19-05:40 Teaching machines and today’s computers

05:40-09:06 Encouraging students to find their interests: how humans are better than computers

09:06-10:29 How choices are presented in personalized study tools

10:29-12:10 Responsibility of adults to help students experience things they don’t even know they don’t know

12:10-15:35 “Dewey lost and Thorndike won,” “Skinner won and Papert lost”

15:35-17:58 B.F. Skinner

17:58-21:04 Economics of technology in schools

21:04-26:38 “Technology shapes education; education shapes technology and capitalism and white supremacy shape both”

26:38-30:01 Algorithms and their problems

30:01-32:35 Can software be a useful supplement to constructivist or project-based learning; why don’t we invest in humans?

32:35-34:39 Underlying reasons why Dewy and Papert lost to Thorndike and Skinner

34:39-36:51 Education is the “practice of care”

36:51-40:23 Lessons from the pandemic

40:23-44:30 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

Image: Columbia University (YouTube channel)

We speak with Dr. Rosa Rivera-McCutchen, associate professor of leadership studies at Lehman College, CUNY, about the importance of school leaders and teachers practicing radical care, including listening with intent and addressing skill gaps with honesty. Dr. Rivera-McCutchen talks about the importance of teachers getting to know the life of the neighborhoods around their schools.

Overview 

00:00-00:50 Intros

00:50-02:57 Meaning of the book title, ”Radical Care”

02:57- 04:55 Five components of radical care

04:55-08:00 Creating a culture of radical care

08:00-10:27 Graduate students’ reactions to going on walking tours into the communities of their schools

10:27-12:21 Listening, reflecting, not selling students short

12:21:16:45 How principals can create authentic relationships with staff

16:47-20:07 Working and talking with teachers who are burned out or not interested in change

20:07-23:38 Balancing demands for excellence with realities of skills gaps

23:38-31:16 Talking with graduate school students, teachers, students about gaps in their skills

31:16-34:53 How school leaders can leverage their power strategically for change

34:53-38:09 Hw school leaders can avoid burnout

38:09-43:40 Need for change in teaching and leadership education programs

43:40- Outro

Transcript

Click here to listen to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Book “Radical Care: Leading for Justice in Urban Schools” by Dr. Rosa Rivera

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

We speak with Dr. Richard Price, associate professor of political science at Weber State University, about recent attempts to ban books, especially those about GLBTQIA+ people and people of color, from classrooms and school libraries across the country. (Spoiler alert: it’s not only in red states). Dr. Price offers strategies for teachers, principals, and school districts for responding to book challenges.

Overview

00:00-00:40 Intros

00:40-01:27 Becoming involved in anti-censorship work

01:27-02:36 Anti-diversity activists: who they are and what materials they target

02:36-03:43 Where book challenges are taking place

03:43-06:22 Current censorship efforts compared to past ones

06:22-09-07 Challenges, district responses, and outcomes

09:07-12:17 Steps administrators and teachers can take when there are complaints

12:17-14:10 Mechanics of opt-outs

14:30-16:06 Training and resources for teachers

16:06-18:18 Objections to “white savior” books or books with the N-word

18:18-20:06 Self-censorship

20:06-22:33 Responding to challenges based on N-word

22:33-26:46 Roles of American Library Association and other resource organizations

26:46- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode. 

References

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

We continue our conversation with LaToya Baldwin Clark of UCLA School of Law. Dr. Baldwin Clark explains how the special education system advantages White middle class families. Poor families and families of color tend to lack cultural capital to navigate the system and advocate effectively for their children. While resources flow to White children with special needs, Black children tend to be stigmatized and placed in more restrictive settings. Dr. Baldwin Clark offers recommendations.

Overview

00:00-01:00 Intros

01:00-01:54 Racial disparities in special education

01:54-06:41 How White parents/children benefit from social and cultural capital in special education process

06:41-08:59 Parental participation fails to protect Black children from segregation in special education placements

08:59-14:01 Process of mandated parental participation exacerbates/legitimizes racial inequities

14:01-20:22 Racial breakdown of children placed in more or less restrictive special education environments; greater physical segregation of Black children

20:22-21:53 Suspensions and expulsions

21:53-24:13 Recommendations for change

24:13-28:42 Disproportional suspensions of Black youth; biases and stereotypes of Black girls

28:42-29:51 Responsibility of school districts to ensure White middle class students do not get more resources

29:51-32:46 Need to educate White middle-class parents about equitable distribution of resources

32:46-34:15 Outro

Transcription

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

We speak with Dr. LaToya Baldwin Clark, assistant professor at UCLA School of Law. Dr. Baldwin Clark explains how school boundaries are used for racial exclusion. In many cases, schools don’t just reflect, but cause, segregated neighborhoods. Dr. Baldwin Clark argues that closing the education gap isn’t just about bringing up the bottom, but bringing down the top as well. Parents, teachers, and administrators need to work together to prevent children from benefiting from unearned privilege. Inequality is intrinsically detrimental.

Overview

00:00-00:57 Intros

00:57-03:12 Schools are not preparing all students to be lifelong learners

03:12-13:16 Education as property; cultural and social capital

13:16-15:28 Schools as community enterprises

15:28-18:20 “Schooling in Capitalist America;” caste; legacies of slavery

18:20-21:32 Enforcement of school district boundaries

21:32-25:28  School segregation and housing segregation

25:28-28:20 “Bringing up the bottom and bringing down the top”; reducing the relative distance between the bottom and the top

28:20-31:30 Making the gap less consequential

31:30-35:10 What Culver City (CA) is doing to address inequality in a relative way

35:10-37:44 Implications for Black students when “good schools” look like “White schools”

37:44-40:50 Aggressions and microaggressions in predominantly White schools

40:50-42:15 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode. 

References

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

We speak with Dr. Deb L. Morrison, research scientist at the University of Washington School of Education, about centering climate science throughout the K-12 curriculum. Dr. Morrison talks about ClimeTime, a Washington State-funded program that teaches how to engage in climate science and climate justice education across disciplines, and describes nationally-available resources. She emphasizes the importance of integrating society, technology, and science education and says that climate science can be taught even in very conservative areas through place-based education, addressing what matters to kids in their communities.

Overview

00:00-00:35 Intros

00:35-03:32 ClimeTime: What it is, how it is funded

03:32-06:05 Climate change education and climate justice

06:05-07:36 Mentorship, all of us learning

07:36-10:34 Project-based learning; action civics

10:34-13:02 Teaching science as it actually works

13:02-16:54 Engaging conservative communities while teaching climate science

16:54-18:44 Socioecological systems; humans’ relationships with each other and with nature

18:44-19:57 The doughnut economy

19:57-22:05 Society, technology & science (STS) as an interdisciplinary field

22:05-26:28 Examples of teaching STS, place-based learning

26:28-29:13 Collaborations among colleges in Washington and Oregon

29:13-33:32 Resources for teaching climate change, including industrial farming

33:32-37:38 Action for Climate Empowerment at national and international levels

37:38- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode.

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

We speak with Katie Worth, investigative journalist and author of Miseducation: How Climate Change is Taught in America. Ms. Worth explores what children across the country are taught, or not taught, about climate change. In 24 states, oil and gas company representatives teach children about the wonders of fossil fuels, downplaying or denying their climate impacts. With an eye on sales in Texas, textbooks falsely depict a scientific debate over climate science, and often cover it in the last unit of the last chapter.

Overview

00:00-00:46 Intros

00:46-02:33 Patterns in what children are (and aren’t) being taught about climate  change

02:33-03:30 Pre-service training about teaching climate change

03:30-04:52 Climetime in Washington state

04:52-05:55 Professional development resources

05:55-08:22 State science standards and climate change

08:22-12:24 Textbooks and climate change

12:24-15:20 Public/private partnerships that provide climate change programming

15:20-18:47 Oklahoma’s Energy Resources Board

18:47-22:08 Pressures teachers face in teaching accurate science

22:08-25:43 Cloaking religion in academic sounding language

25:43-27:44 Discovery Institute

27:44-29:45 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode.

References

Book Miseducation: How Climate Change Is Taught in America by Katie Worth

We speak with Dr. Daniel Schugurensky and Tara Bartlett of Arizona State University and Madison Rock of the Center for the Future of Arizona about school participatory budgeting in Arizona and worldwide. Students, and sometimes parents and school staff, determine how a pool of money will be spent. By participating in democratic, meaningful decision-making, students become acclimated to civic engagement. Trust and other positive elements of school climate increase as well. 

Overview

00:00-01:04 Intros

01:04-04:36 Overview of School Participatory Budgeting (SPB)

04:36-05:17 Arizona State University involvement

05:17-08:58 Roles of teachers and administrators

08:58-10:37 Amounts and allocations of money

10:37-16:20 Models of student participation

16:20-19:29 School day and afterschool activities; registration of students as adult voters

19:29-21:52 Roles of external organizations

21:52-23:00 Timespans of SPB processes

23:00-24:21 Changes in the school

24:21-31:05 Design factors for effectiveness

31:05-36:41 Impacts on student engagement during and after the SPB processes

36:41-38:42 “Mini-public”: involving all students, especially those beyond the “usual suspects”

38:42-42:58 Phoenix Union H.S. District (PUHSD) PB for alternatives to police school resource officers

42:58-45:03 Public response to PUHSD PB project

45:03-47:30 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the transcription of this episode. 

References

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear