Ethical Schools

We speak with Meira Levinson, Professor of Education at Harvard, about her website justiceinschools.org and books of “hard cases,” designed to help educators and youth workers think about the ethical implications of their decisions. Often, there are no perfect solutions, and  these decisions can have far-reaching consequences in children’s lives. A former teacher herself, Meira would like teachers to be able to consult with specially trained school ethicists.

Overview

00:00-00:43 Intros

00:43-3:50 Justice in Schools (justiceinschools.org)—what it is and why Meira Levinson started it

03:50-08:49 Why cases in case studies must be hard

08:49-16:14 Scenarios

16:14-17:32 Writing and researching the cases

17:32-21:05 Variation in cases among regions and countries

21:05-22:44 Who and how people are using the cases

22:44-24:10 No cost to users except for multi-media version

24:10-28:52 Defining success

28:52-30:52 Out-of-school-time cases

30:52-38:43 Involvement of students and parents

38:43-39:15 Unknowns about outreach

39:15-41:00 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode.

Ellen McHugh, long time activist and Public Advocate Williams’s appointee to the NYC Citywide Council on Special Education, delves into the challenges facing parents of students with special education needs. Ethical relationships among educators, parents, and the students themselves are crucial to these students’ success. Too often educators minimize the importance of parental input even though the law requires that they be equal partners in their children’s educational planning. Remote and hybrid learning has added new obstacles to and opportunities for partnerships between parents and educators.

Overview

00:00-00:43 Intros
00:43-02:25 Parent to Parent
02:25-04:08 Deficit model
04:08-06:18 Impact of deficit model on teaching
06:18-09:18 Looking at a child as a whole person
09:18-15:35 Respect for parents
15:35-19:43 Effects of the shift to remote learning
19:43-20:48 Program Adaptation Document (PAD)
20:48-23:26 Integrated Co-Teaching class
23:26-32:30 PAD, continued
32:30-33:55 Issues of support during pandemic
33:55-43:39 Relationships between NYC’s District 75 schools and district schools
43:39-49:26 Ethical relationships
49:26-51:00 Outro

Transcription

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

Credits

Photo Parent To Parent NYS

Soundtrack by Podington Bear

We speak with Mica Pollock about US vs Hate and Schooltalk. Student anti-racism messaging in any medium can catalyze youth activism. Comments embedded in teachers’ everyday communication can impact students’ lifetime trajectories. 

Overview

00:00-00:45 Intros
00:45-03:07 What US vs. Hate is designed to do
03:07-05:57 Impacts
05:57-09:11 How US vs Hate deepens the conversation
09:11-11:23 Student messages and memes
11:23-14:14 US vs Hate resources for educators
14:14-18:19 On-ramp in high school and college
18:19-20:41 How to become involved in US vs Hate
20:41-23:25 How to approach US vs Hate in unsupportive schools
23:25-27:41 Messages in all media
27:41-29:20 Coordinated mutual support
29:20-33:08 Influence of Movement for Black Lives on anti-racist education
33:08-37:16 Schooltalk—language in schools
37:16-40:53 Anti-racist education and ethics
40:53-43:47 Roles of principals and system leaders
43:47-45:40 Home-school communication
45:40-46:29 Appreciations to colleagues
46:29-48:00 Outro

Transcription

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Discover more about #USvsHate on usvshate.org

Credits

Photo by Alexis, Youth Vote Winner for Poster – #USxsHate Spring 2019 

Soundtrack by Podington Bear

We welcome back Monica Chen of Factory Farming Awareness Coalition. She describes the animal-agricultural complex that exploits workers in meatpacking plants and animals in factory farms and devastates communities and the environment. Monica introduces FFAC’s culturally-competent virtual lessons and presentations for students from middle school through university, customized for all subject areas.  Students who want to become social justice activists, with food as the hub that connects worker rights, sustainability, and environmental racism can apply to FFAC’s intern program.

Overview

00:00-00:52 Intro

00:52-03:29 Definition and origin of factory farms (FF)

03:29-05:27 Impact of FF on climate change

05:27-06:07 Methane from cows and climate change

06:07-08:17 Depletion and pollution of natural resources

08:17-09:31 Water use and drought (particularly in California)

09:31-12:33 Chickens

12:33-13:52 Pigs

13:52-16:20 Meatpacking plants

16:20-19:16 Factory Farming Awareness Coalition (FFAC) programming for classrooms and distance learning

19:16-22:12 Tailoring content area presentations

22:12-24:05 FFAC’s intern program

24:05-25:52 Relationship of FF to spread of infectious diseases

25:52-27:15 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Credits 

Photos: Canva and FFAC

Soundtrack: Podington Bear

Social studies teacher David Edelman and student Raúl Baez speak about their class’s “Virtual Walking Tour of Slavery in New York City” and other projects in which students become teachers. David’s goal is to instill curiosity and encourage students to connect history to their lived experiences. He shares suggestions for virtual teaching and teacher collaboration.

Overview

00:00-00:47 Intros
00:47-03:34 Why teach history
03:34:06:03 “Cagebusting classrooms” website
06:03-07:28 Student testimony at City Council
07:28-10:20 Objective of Virtual Walking Tour of Slavery
10:20:11:09 Tour’s creation and meaning
11:09-12:03 Impact of going virtual
12:03-14:21 Background of the tour; why it’s exciting
14:21-17:32 How the tour changes ways of seeing the city
17:32-18:06 Students as teachers
18:06-23:40 Connecting with George Floyd’s murder and the Movement for Black Lives
23:40-27:40 Connecting local history to current events
27:40-30:04 Language of ethics
30:04-34:18 Establishing rapport when the semester starts online
34:18-40:25 Suggestions for collaboration among teachers
40:25-41:19 Takeaways for students
41:19-42:11 Why history is interesting to students
42:11-43:30 Outro

Transcription

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

To find more information about David’s projects, go to cagebustingclassrooms.com

Credits 

Photo by NYPL Digital Collections

Soundtrack by Podington Bear