Ethical Schools

Last year we interviewed Mark Santow, one of the plaintiffs suing the State of Rhode Island under the 14th Amendment for failing to provide some students civics curricula and other components of an adequate education. After we revisit our interview, Dr. Santow updates us on the suit and reflects on the lawsuit’s particular relevance at a time of pandemic and the Mobilization for Black Lives.

Overview

00:00-00:43 Update intro

00:43-02:03 Intros

02:03-06:50 Cook v Raimondo lawsuit background

06:59-08:31 A constitutional right to an education

08:32-10:11 Why Rhode Island and why now

10:12-11:55 Lack of civics and unequal funding

11:56-15:06 A vision of a civics curriculum

15:07-17:44 Role of ethics/ethical decision-making in a civics course

17:45-20:08 Federal courts’ resistance to accepting adequate education as a constitutional right

20:09-21:51 Relationship to slavery/race

21:52-24:47 Can education system compensate for economic inequality

24:48-26:51 Civics as center of entire curriculum could be transformative

26:52-29:29 Public organizing and the lawsuit

29:32-33:17 State of the litigation

33:18-37:05 Relationship to Movement for Black Lives

37:06-38:05 Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode. 

References

Credits

Photo by Koshu-Kunii/Unsplash

Soundtrack by Podington Bear

Toni Smith-Thompson, Senior Organizer at NY Civil Liberties Union, discusses the importance of replacing police presence in schools with restorative practices. Toni envisions ethical schools, in which all students feel both appreciated by and accountable to school communities, and conflicts are resolved internally. Students returning to school, many of whom will have experienced trauma associated with the pandemic and police violence, will need nurturing, not punitive measures.

Overview

00:00-00:52 Intros

00:52-04:10 It’s disingenuous to say “Black people want more cops”

04:10- 06:15 School safety officers in 2020 NYC budget agreement 

06:15-07:25 School safety officers and principals

07:25-08:36 School based arrests: school safety officers and 911 calls

08:36-10:25 Moving past the default to policing

10:25-13:38 Services children will need and will they get them?

13:38-21:39 Where will the help children need come from?

21:39-23:18 Will adults in schools be prepared to respond to social-emotional needs and to academic requirements?

23:18-26:07 The goal is police-free schools

26:07-31:39 What does a restorative school community look like?

31:39-33:15 Outro

Transcription

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

Credits

Photo: facebook.com/nyclu

Soundtrack by Podington Bear

Zahava Stadler, Policy Director of EdBuild, explains how housing discrimination and state funding policies disadvantage Black and low-income districts. EdBuild has reported on funding schemes throughout the country, documenting a $23 billion annual funding gap between White districts and districts of color. Ms. Stadler describes how states could allocate education dollars more equitably, benefitting at least 70% of students.

References

Access EdBuild’s knowledge base and tools on the website: edbuild.org

Overview

00:00-00:48 Intros

00:48-02:26 How schools are funded in most of the country

02:26-05:02 How reliance on property taxes shortchanges Black and other communities of color; impact of housing discrimination

05:02-08:23 Gerrymandering of school districts to advantage affluent communities

08:23-11:14 Examples of Indianapolis and Columbus school districting boundaries

11:14-13:44 Micro districts

13:44-16:23 Shifting school district funding to county or state levels to eliminate some of the inequalities; 70%+ of students would benefit

16:23-20:12 Funds from outside the formulas exacerbate inequalities

20:12-23:42 Problems with funding formulas

23:42-27:41 What EdBuild accomplished before closing and what is left to do

27:41-30:46 EdBuild reports and tools

30:46-32:39 Relationship of school funding issues to Movement for Black Lives; $23 billion annual funding gap between predominantly White districts and districts of color

32:39-34:30 Outro 

Transcription

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode.

Credits

Photo: facebook.com/neatoday

Soundtrack by Podington Bear

Dr. Michelle Fine speaks about better alternatives to standardized tests for students to demonstrate college-readiness. NYC’s Consortium Schools, which use Performance Based Assessment Tasks, collaborated with CUNY to open CUNY’s 4-year colleges to more low-income Black and Latinx applicants.  Students, especially Black males, did better at college than test score-admitted peers. Dr. Fine calls for democratic school cultures based on student initiated work and collaborative revision.

References

Overview

00:00-00:37 Intros

00:37-02:18 Connections between school inequities and Movement for Black Lives

02:18-04:02 Privilege of White supremacy

04:02-14:28 CUNY admissions policies; description of Consortium schools; CUNY/Consortium pilot

14:28-20:42 Comparison of Performance Based Assessment Tasks and standardized tests; Consortium culture based on PBAT

20:42-25:26 Impact on CUNY of change in admissions policies

25:26-30:41 Importance of learning to revise

30:41-32:04 “Doors” to higher ed; PBAT as a “door.”

32:04-33:35 Why opening access to 4-year CUNY schools is so important

33:35-36:34 Varieties of strategies to replace high-stakes tests

36:34-43:31 What’s next

43:31-45:00 Outro

Transcription

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

Credits

Photo: facebook.com/urbanacademy

Soundtrack by Podington Bear

Manhattan’s Beacon High School students are fighting for racial equity in NYC’s highly segregated school system. Three student activists talk about their experiences in the elite public school, the student-led demonstrations and teach ins, and the Beacon Union of Unions’ comprehensive list of demands.

References

Beacon’s Union of Unions: click here to see their Policy Demands

Overview

00:00-00:47 Intros

00:47-05:54 Students’ experiences at Beacon

05:54-12:41 Student demands

12:41-15:12 Anti-racist curriculum

15:12-16:24 Teens Take Charge

16:24-18:27 What teachers need to do in making change

18:27-21:34 First Beacon demonstration in Fall 2019

21:34-27:26 December incident, response planning, and sit-in

27:26-31:01 Sit-in’s impact on relationships among students and with teachers

31:01-33:23 Sources of support for students’ June demands to administration

33:23-34:06 Administration’s response 

34:06-36:15 Talking with students at other schools

36:15-37:10 Connections with Movement for Black Lives

37:10-37:40 Whites must choose between being racist and anti-racist

37:40-39:14 Outro

Transcription

Click here to see the full transcription of the episode. 

Credits

Photo: facebook.com/teenstakechargenyc and NYC Daily News

Soundtrack by Podington Bear