Ethical Schools

We speak with Michele Washington, longtime early childhood lecturer at Lehman College, about expertise at the preschool level. Head Start, pre-K, and 3-K teachers can support children and families in myriad ways once parents or guardians trust them. Cultural humility is essential;  teachers need to understand and respect their children’s families and communities.

Overview

00:00-00:57 Intros

00:57-02:26 Why are early childhood educators undervalued?

02:26-03:10 Major crises in early childhood

03:10-03:57 UPK and 3-K (NYC)

03:57-05:01 Losing teachers to Department of Education schools

05:01-05:59 Teachers’ relationships with families

05:59-08:08 Knowing students’ communities

08:08-10:20 A deficit lens and overcoming it

10:20-12:04 Transition from working with 3- and 4-year olds to infants and toddlers

12:04-16:16 Early childhood as “women’s work”

16:16-18:30 Culturally responsive education

18:30-20:13 Graduate schools and culturally responsive education

20:13-22:47 Ethical decision-making for early childhood educators

22:47-25:25 Being a second home

25:25-27:43 Responding when there is a serious disagreement between a teacher and a parent or guardian

27:43-29:01 Outro

Transcript

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Soundtrack by Podington Bear

We speak with Mark Lieberman, Education Week tech reporter. Pasco County FL schools give the sheriff records of students deemed “destined to a life of crime.” NYS Education Department funded facial recognition of school visitors to schools. Hackers hold district data hostage for ransom. We discuss legal and ethical privacy issues in the age of tech, including the dilemmas for teachers if a “D” leads to a police database.

Overview

00:00-00:38 Intros

00:38-05:31 Pasco County schools turn over student list of “at-risk” students “destined to a life of crime” to sheriff’s office

05:31-7:14 Consequences of being on the list

7:14-09:26 Potential racial disparities

09:26-11:59 Federal Education Records and Privacy Act

11:59-14:35 Community response to the list

14:35-16:20 What we don’t know about data use

16:20-18:38 Ethical questions for teachers

18:38-22:08 Impact on trust in school communities

22:08-25:56 Facial recognition

25:56-30:23 Video conferencing platforms

30:23-34:51 Cybersecurity concerns

34:51-39:06 Student directories

39:06-40:30 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode. 

Soundtrack by Podington Bear

We speak with Dan Callahan, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education in Peekskill City School District, 45 minutes north of Manhattan. The low-income district in wealthy Westchester is 70% Latino, including many students from immigrant families. We discuss how the district has adapted to rapid demographic changes and schools’ role in helping students meet challenges. Mr. Callahan reflects on the decisions he and his staff make that impact students’ lives in very concrete ways, and the tension between consistency, applying the same rules for all students, and specificity, looking at the totality of circumstances in each individual case.  

Overview

00:00-00:36 Intros

00:36-02:31 Peekskill and its demographics

02:31-03:36 How Peekskill schools have adapted to changing demographics

03:36-08:15 Ethics-infused decisions—balancing competing needs

08:15-08:48 Student data system

08:48-11:11 Addressing inequities systemically

11:11-13:35 Equity in student competitions with wealthy districts

13:35-15:04 BOCES

15:04-17:37 District equity audit

17:37-20:13 Immigrant family/school relationships

20:13-22:47 Helping to ease family tensions between immigrant parents and their U.S.- raised children

22:47-27:21 Culturally responsive education

27:21-30:18 Reducing suspensions and disproportional suspensions of Black boys/young men

30:18-32:17 Advice to a new superintendent or assistant superintendent

32:17-34:01 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

Credits

Soundtrack by Podington Bear

Photo from twitter.com/PeekskillCSD

We speak with Beacon PTA members Toni Smith-Thompson and Robin Broshi about NYC’s new requirements and the school’s proposed admission plan. Then we listen back to last June’s interview with activist students from the Beacon Union of Unions.

Overview

00:00-00:53 Intros

00:53-05:37 What has happened with admissions in NYC and at Beacon since last school year

05:37-15:45 Current status at Beacon; plans for admissions for 2021-22 school year

15:45-18:49 Stakeholder consensus

18:48-19:31 School Leadership Team

19:31-23:00 Need for school culture changes beyond admissions

23:00-23:23 TRANSITION TO ENCORE INTERVIEW WITH BUU STUDENTS

23:23-23:56 Intros

23:56-29:03 Students’ experiences at Beacon

29:03-35:52 Student demands

35:52-38:22 Anti-racist curriculum

38:22-39:33 Teens Take Charge

39:33-41:35 What teachers need to do in making change

41:35-44:42 First Beacon demonstration in Fall 2019

44:42-50:35 December incident, response planning, and sit-in

50:35-54:10 Sit-in’s impact on relationships among students and with teachers

54:10-56:31 Sources of support for students’ June demands to administration

56:31-57:14 Administration’s response

57:14-59:23 Talking with students at other schools

59:23-1:00:18 Connections with Movement for Black Lives

1:00:18-1:00:53 Whites must choose between being racist or anti-racist

1:00:53-01:02:23 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode. 

Credits

Soundtrack by Podington Bear

Picture from beaconschool.org

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

Soundtrack by Podington Bear