Ethical Schools

We speak with University of South Carolina law professor Derek Black about the history of education as a core government service and the current wave of voucher laws in red states. Professor Black argues that these will permanently reduce education funding levels and threaten the very existence of public schools. We also talk about the #RedforEd resistance and the need to substantially increase funding for schools with many low-income students. 

Overview

00:00-00:48 Intros

00:48-01:38 Why “Schoolhouse Burning” is subtitled “Public Education and the Assault on American Democracy”

01:38-03:38 Importance of Reconstruction for government role in education

03:38-06:13 Commitments to education in state constitutions

06:13-08:25 Tension between schools as reproducing social structures and vehicles for social mobility

08:25-16:35 How to achieve equity in school funding

16:35-18:49 Recent voucher laws around the U.S.

18:49-20:47 Vouchers and parochial schools

20:47-22:54 Impact of proliferation of charter schools

22:54-25:02 Why now for vouchers?

25:02-27:08 Why today’s battles over charters and vouchers are undermining the concept of public education

27:08-29:07 Libertarianism and the idea of removing government from education

29:07-30:19 Privatization and race

30:19-33:29 Reducing taxes on the wealthy and long-term reduction in public funding for education

33:29-36:23 Significance of #RedforEd teachers’ strikes

36:23-37:42 Low income parents and charters/vouchers

37:42-39:57 Building a movement that can fight against charter and voucher movements

39:57-42:27 Beyond funding, need for diverse schools 

42:27-45:31 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Book Schoolhouse Burning: Public Education and the Assault on American Democracy by Derek W. Black

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

We speak with Betty Collins, eighth grade teacher in Tulsa County, Oklahoma. Ms. Collins speaks about conservatives’ hostility to Critical Race Theory, which looks at the role of systemic racism in US history. We discuss a just-enacted law in Oklahoma that tries to ban teaching history that may make any students “uncomfortable” and how unions and educators are responding.

Overview

00:00-00:46 Intros

00:46-01:10 Union School District, Tulsa County

00:10-02:10 HB 1775

02:10-02:44 Why HB 1775 was passed

02:44-03:59 Critical Race Theory: Misunderstandings and opposition

03:59-05:07 Educators’ responses to HB 1775

05:07-06:11 Range of the law’s impact in different districts

06:11-08:33 Teaching about Blacks and Native Americans through a Critical Race Theory lens

08:33-09:35 Penalties for teaching accurate history?

09:35-10:30 Relationship between HB 1775 and the state educational standards

10:30-11:07 Black and brown students’ discomfort at their true history not being taught

11:07-12:40 Responding to a parent who doesn’t want their child to be “uncomfortable”

12:40-13:05 When Betty Collins learned about the Tulsa Race Massacre

13:05-14:04 Becoming politically engaged through #RedforEd

14:04-16:24 Encouraging students to be civically engaged

16:24-17:13 #RedforEd

17:13-19:00 Oklahoma’s low school funding levels

19:00-21:51 Impact of George Floyd’s murder

21:51-23:00 Anticipated responses of teachers unions and other educators to HB 1775

23:00-25:23 How Oklahoma schools teach about Native Americans in Oklahoma

25:23-27:45 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

Painting “The Trail of Tears” by Robert Lindneux (1942) 

We speak with Anisa Heming and Corey Metzger of the U.S. Green Building Council and ASHRAE about a new report on schools’ efforts around the country to protect against COVID-19 by improving indoor air quality. Like so much else about schools, air quality comes down to resources, in this case, for infrastructure and maintenance. Also, there has been no central source of reliable information for district administrators. While COVID-19 has drawn our attention to air circulation and ventilation, there are other reasons to be concerned about air quality. Not only are there other airborne pathogens, but studies show that learning improves with better indoor air quality.

Overview

00:00-01:07 Intros

01:07-02:18 Center for Green Schools and ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force Schools Team

02:18-03:39 “Preparation in the pandemic: How schools Implemented air quality measures to protect occupants from COVID-19”

03:39-05:07 Importance of air quality

05:07-08:28 Air quality and student performance; CO2, VOCs

08:28-18:57 ASHRAE’s and Center for Green Schools’ recommendations for air quality

18:57-23:59 Obstacles to improving air quality

23:59-25:58 Standards and code requirements

25:58-27:14 Impacts of building ages and funding

27:14-29:15 Structural inequities in  funding—construction, renovation, and maintenance

29:15-32:33 Big cities and rural districts—common funding issues

32:33-35:12 Difficulties in obtaining information and guidance

35:12-36:45 Equity issues in the future

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode.  

References

Report “Preparation in the Pandemic: How Schools Implemented Air Quality Measures to Protect Occupants from COVID-19” by the Center for Green Schools, with technical support from ASHRAE.

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

Photo by Allison Shelley of images.all4ed.org

We speak with Dr. Linda Nathan of the Center for Artistry and Scholarship and the Perrone-Sizer Institute for Creative Leadership about her experience in creating progressive schools. Dr. Nathan says all teachers, no matter their subject areas, should have expertise in teaching reading and students with moderate disabilities. The arts are central to her educational vision. Dr. Nathan talks about how to achieve predictable and collaborative authentic assessment of student work and how to deal with standardized test requirements when necessary. She also describes why “grit” is not enough for student success when students are caught in the insidious web of a racist system.

Overview

00:00-00:37 Intros

00:37-02:35 Changes at the Center for Artistry and Scholarship and Perrone-Sizer Institute

02:35-06:54 Why the outdoors is so important in an educational vision

06:54-08:42 Joy, wellness, and rigor

08:42-13:07 Why grit is not enough 

13:07-15:47 School systems pervaded by White supremacy

15:17-18:07 The Boston Arts Academy and Perrone-Sizer vision of education

18:07-21:44 Preparing teachers to work at a school like Boston Arts Academy

21:44-25:08 Measuring student success

25:08-29:12 Markers of success on graduation

29:12-31:15 How colleges need to better support students

31:15-36:39 How a principal can support and sustain faculty and the school’s vision in an unsupportive district

36:39-40:50 Dealing with high-stakes testing

40:50-44:58 Dialoguing with parents who disagree with what the school is doing

44:58-47:19 Steps to avoid teacher/administrator burnout

47:19-50:02 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

Image from lindanathan.com

We speak with Dr. Daman Harris and Dr. Inger Swimpson of Building Our Network of Diversity, the BOND Project, in Montgomery County MD,  which provides spaces for Black and Latino men to support one another in their teaching and their lives. Although having Black teachers benefits Black and white children alike, U.S. schools have few Black teachers, and even fewer Black men. BOND works to make schools better places for boys of color, making it more likely that they’ll go into teaching, and better for Black men, so they’ll be more likely to stay in teaching. Networks and partnerships, especially with HBCUs, are crucial.

Overview

00:00-00:51 Intros

00:51-06:32 The BOND Project

06:32-08:19 BOND’s relationship with schools

08:19-13:09 How to make schools better for Black boys/young men

13:09-13:49 Untapped potential of men of colors as teachers

13:49-18:36 Recruiting teachers of color

18:36-24:01 Similarities/differences in challenges Black men and women face as teachers

24:01-26:19 Similarities/differences in Black and Latino men’s experiences as teachers

26:19-31:10 Distinction between equity and anti-racism

31:10-34:30 How BOND generates conversations about race in Montgomery County

34:30-36:36 Liberatory consciousness

36:36-42:35 Recognizing students’ strengths and teachers; successes even when test scores are low

42:35-46:04 Teachers with a deficit mindset can change

46:04-49:13 Impact on girls of Black men as teachers

49:13-51:45 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode.