Ethical Schools

We continue our conversation with Grace Alli Brandstein, a school improvement and instructional coach supporting struggling high schools in the Bronx. This week, Ms. Brandstein focuses on humane, antiracist education, and explains Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s construct of literacy as identity, skills, intellect, criticality, and joy. She also speaks about the conditions for successful adult learning, giving teachers the training they need to lead one another and the space to coalesce around a shared vision, expectations, and protocols.

Overview

00:00-00:58 Intros

00:58:-03:59 Coaching: whom, theory of action, teachers’ feelings

03:59-09:56 Key elements of school improvement

09:56-13:12 Adult learning

13:12-15:04 Self-reflection and culturally-responsive teaching: importance of knowing the “why”

15:04-21:30 Culturally responsive education in practice; Dr. Gholdy Muhammad

21:30-29:36 Examples: a biology lesson on testosterone;  Project Soapbox; Facing History; 1619 Project; NY Times writing curriculum

29:36-34:00 Bettina L. Love: We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom

34:00-35:35 Culturally responsive education: Adult learning, classroom level work, systemic change

35:35-37:45 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode. 

References

• Book “We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom” by Bettina Love
• Book “Meeting Wise: Making the Most of Collaborative Time for Educators” by Kathryn Boudett and Elizabeth City
• Facing History
• New Visions for Public Schools
• NYTimes “Teach Writing With The New York Times: A Free School-Year Curriculum in 7 Units”
• NYTimes 1969
• Dr. Gholdy Muhammad Linktr.ee

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

We speak with Grace Alli Brandstein, an improvement and instructional coach with the New York City Department of Education. Ms. Brandstein works with Bronx high schools that the State has designated as needing support. This is part one of a two part interview. Today, we discuss challenges teachers and students at these schools face, and their everyday achievements. Ms. Brandstein talks about the impacts, both positive and negative, of being rated as needing improvement, especially the pressure it puts administrators, teachers, and students. Next week, Ms. Brandstein talks about abolitionist education.

Overview

00:00-01:10 Intros

00:10-02:37 State Ed criteria for schools being in need of “Support and Improvement”

02:37-04:03 Ethical issues of categorization

04:03-10:13 The Renewal Program successes and weaknesses

10:13-13:48 Impacts on students and teachers of being on State lists

13:48-17:31 Effects of pandemic freeze on standardized testing

17:31-19:50 Alternatives to high-stakes testing

19:50-24:23 ELA Regents and English Learners

24:23-26:54 Other obstacles students face

26:54-29:54 Teacher turnover

29:54-32:43 Keeping experienced teachers

32:43-35:51 Parking; resources

35:51-38:08 Principal turnover

38:08-40:31 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this interview. 

Credits

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

Photo from Greenhouse Schools by TNTP (2012)

We speak with Dr. Marsha Daria of Western Connecticut State University. Dr. Daria teaches undergraduate courses in the Department of Education and Educational Psychology. She explains how in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, the department reconfigured its curriculum to center social justice, equity, and self-reflection. She discusses the department’s recruitment initiatives to increase teacher candidate diversity.

Overview

00:00-00:29 Intros

00:29-02:44 Western Connecticut State College and its community

02:44-05:14 Westconn education department re-evaluation after George Floyd murder and subsequent movement

05:14-07:06 Social justice and equity assessment; self-reflection

07:06-07:53 Biases

07:53-08:25 Balancing academic and practical experience

08:25-09:46 Responding to “I’m not racist.”

09:46-15:27 Outreach and recruitment to Danbury students: 5th graders, and recruitment of high school students to go into education

15:27-16:37 Forthcoming article in The School-University Partnership Journal

16:37-17:00 Pushback?

17:00-18:19 Recruitment of faculty of color

18:19-19:12 Why college undergraduates are less diverse than Danbury schools student body

19:12-20:06 Challenges with teacher candidates

20:06-21:59 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode.

Credits

Soundtrack by Poddington bear

Photo from wcsu.edu/education/

We speak with Jillian McRae and Sam North, English and history teachers at Ossining (NY) High School, and their student, Alaysha. For 15 years, Sam and Jillian have co-taught a college-level course called “racism, sexism, and classism: a popular approach.” They focus on pervasive systems of power, and encourage students to discuss their own experiences of privilege, disadvantage, and intersectionality.  

Overview

00:00-00:46 Intros

00:46-01:54 Ossining’s demographics

01:54-03:35 Latiné as an alternative to Latinx or Latino/a

03:35-06:27 Origin of SUNY Racism, Classism, & Sexism course

06:27-09:16 Why students take the course

09:16-10:37 “Popular approach” in the course title

10:37-14:26 Curriculum

14:26-17:02 Avoiding “losing” students during controversial topics

17:02- 18:47 Student conversations outside of class

18:47-21:15 Impact on other classes

21:15-23:47 Impact on ethical thinking

23:47-25:52 Religion

25:52-28:15 Materials

28:15-28:25 Alaysha: what she values in the course

28:25-31:59 Conversations in class; for example, relationships between Black boys and Black girls

31:59-35:23 Teachers modeling relationships for students 

35:23-40:23 Ossining: Increasing equity and implementing culturally responsive education

40:23-43:15 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode. 

References

Credits

Images taken from “Jillian McRae and Sam North: Race conversations in the classroom”, a video directed by Manauvaskar Kublall (Future for Learning Vimeo) 

Soundtrack by Podington Bear

Dr. Bradley Carpenter, associate professor of educational leadership at Baylor University, speaks about developing and supporting antiracist school principals. Very few leadership prep programs prioritize or embed antiracism principles or practices. A principal committed to centering antiracism needs to have a full equity audit of existing curriculum and practices and to lead faculty members through the emotionally laborious process of examining everyone’s own privileges and biases. The principal also needs to build support from above. Antiracism is an organizing principle, not an end point. 

Overview

00:00-00:51 Intros
00:51-04:30 What antiracist school leadership looks like
04:30-10:00 Prioritizing antiracism in leadership preparation programs
10:00-12:26 Support needed by antiracist principals
12:26-15:30 Support networks
15:30-21:55 What making change in the school looks like
21:55-25:25 Professional development
25:25-25:27 Incorporating antiracism into discipline policies and curricula
28:47-34:00 Dealing with structural inequities
34:00-35:46 Antiracism education for “nice white parents”
35:46-37:33 Standing up to overtly racist forces
37:33-39:00 Antiracism and retaining teachers of color
39:00-41:03 Self-care
41:03-42:31 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear