Ethical Schools

We speak with Albert Fox Cahn and Sarah Roth of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, or S.T.O.P., about the increasing use of surveillance technology to track students. Claiming their technology can predict who will be a threat to themselves or the school, companies market programs that report to school officials on students’ keystrokes, words, and behaviors. School officials can provide it to law enforcement or parents.

Overview

00:00-00:41 Intros
00:41-02:27 Who is surveilling K-12 students and why?
02:27-05:49 Who is collecting the data, where it goes, how it impacts students?
05:49-08:03 Implications of students self-identifying as queer in Florida and elsewhere
08:03-10:08 How are risk factors determined?
10:08-12:37 Surveillance technology and School Resource Officers (SROs)
12:37-14:18 Are parents aware of their students’ surveillance?
14:18-16:28 Legal challenges
16:28-18:26 Using FOIA/FOIL to get information about surveillance
18:26-21:16 Facial recognition
21:16-21:40 Gaggle as enhancement to SRO in Minneapolis
21:40-23:51 Biases
23:51-24:45 Federal promotion of surveillance
24:45-27:39 Adoption of technology in classrooms and for measuring “productivity”
27:39- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Surveillance Technology Oversight Project S.T.O.P. website

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

We speak with Lee Schere, Director of Teaching and Learning at the Office of K-16 Initiatives of CUNY about the Debating U.S. History Program, an inquiry-based curriculum and teacher learning program. Students learn that history is not one set of agreed-upon events and interpretations. Though designed for NYC schools, the curriculum is available free to teachers everywhere.

Overview

00:00-00:37 Intros
00:37-02:42 Debating U.S. History
02:42-04:58 Why CUNY developed a high school course
04:58-06:32 Why this is a more ethical way to teach history
06:32-08:23 Examples of inquiry-based learning
08:23-12:28 Differentiation in working with documents for students at different reading levels
12:28-14:23 Key skills and strategies
14:23-17:41 Historiography and uncertainty
17:41-19:20 Students grappling with ethical questions
19:20-20:53 Program logistics
20:53-23:03 Collaboration with ELA teachers
23:03-24:00 How schools become part of the program
24:00-26:14 Regents exam
26:14- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode. 

References

CUNY K16 Initiatives: Debating US History (website)

We speak with Mike Gottesman, founder of New Jersey Public Education Coalition (NJPEC), a grassroots organization that educates and activates NJ citizens in school districts to protect the integrity of schools from conservative extremist groups. NJPEC organizes on-the-ground support for community members and provides information for school board candidates. In its first year, the Coalition has grown to 1500 members along with subject matter experts and partner organizations.

Overview

00:00-00:42 Intros

00:42-02:19 Reasons for starting NJ Public Education Coalition

02:19-03:35 Hot button issues

03:35-05:11 Sex ed curriculum issues

05:11-06:19 10 committees/tactics

06:19-09:45 Observing districts, engaging parents

09:45-11:17 Educational road shows

11:17-12:47 Engaging seniors

12:47-13:20 Title IX

13:20-16:16 Examples of engagement in districts: Millstone, Hamilton

16:16-18:24 School board meetings

18:24-19:28 Working with (but not endorsing) school board candidates

19:28-24:22 Contacting legislators, drafting legislation

24:22-26:24 Increasing voter turnout

26:24-27:46 How to contact NJPEC

27:46-28:41 Contacts with groups in other states

28:41- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Photo by NJPEC

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

Lynne Einbender and Susie Rolander, reading and literacy faculty at Bank Street College, talk about supporting children’s learning to read and the components of a full-fledged language arts program. One size does not fit all: children with different strengths and experiences have a spectrum of needs.

Overview

00:00-00:43 Intros

00:43-03:01 What do its advocates mean by the “science of reading?’

03:01-06:44 Effective ways to support children in learning to read and acquiring literacy

06:44-10:30 Balanced literacy

10:30-13:39 Learning to read and learning to write

13:39-15:21 Effects, if any, on “science of reading” laws on student achievement

15:21-20:13 Best ways to help more children become proficient readers

20:13-22:31 Lucy Calkins’s Reading Workshop and Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention system

22:31-23:41 Recommended resource—“Shifting the Balance” by Jan Burkins and Kari Yates

23:41-27:35 Children with special needs

27:35-30:28 Equity

30:28- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Article “The Science of Reading and the Media: Is Reporting Biased?”

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

Dr. Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI, Public Religion Research Institute, analyzes current “parents’ rights” campaigns and their precedents. At a time of demographic change, conservative Christians seek to ban books and curricula that conflict with their educational agenda. Dr. Deckman discusses the use of social media and the importance of where people get their news in shaping these battles. PRRI’s polling data show what parents and the public think about school issues.

Overview

00:00-00:58 Intros

00:58-07:00 Demands of “parental rights” activists

07:00-09:32 Historical “parental rights” campaigns

09:32-11:00 Relationship of campaigns to weakening funding or support for public schools

11:00-12:49 Parents’ opinions about these campaigns

12:49-14:30 Role of Fox News and social media in campaigns

14:30-15:38 Social media use by activists opposing these campaigns

15:38-22:42 Relationship of these campaigns to race and racism

22:42-23:31 Impact of demographic change

23:31-25:22 Are these “winning issues:” for candidates?

25:22-25:56 Why issues will continue

25:56-27:43 PRRI’s work and how people can access it

27:43- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode.

References

Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) website

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

We speak with Justin Cohen, whose work focuses on the intersections of education, race, privilege, and public policy. Cohen’s recent book is Change Agents: Transforming Schools From the Ground Up. He looks at ways a faculty can systematically improve its school. Knowing the community and having honest and difficult conversations about race are critical.

Overview

00:00-00:33 Intros

00:33-01:44 What Change Agents is about

01:44-03:55 Results-Oriented Cycles of Inquiry (ROCI)

03:55-04:31 School Organizing as a form of community organizing

04:31-10:25 Conversations about race

10:25-13:54 A fishbowl exercise about race that went wrong and what happened after that

13:54-16:46 Achieving early wins

16:46-19:39 What accountability can mean

19:39-23:06 Strategies for improving school-parent communication

23:06-24:05 Working on listening as a school

24:05-26:33 Improving existing schools vs. starting new ones

26:33-29:46 Urgent policy changes

29:46-31:11 Relevant Ethical Schools episodes

31:11- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Book Change Agents: Transforming Schools From the Ground Up by Justin Cohen 

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

We speak with Arlene Goldbard, writer, visual artist, speaker, social activist and consultant,  whose most recent book is “In the Camp of Angels of Freedom: What does it mean to be educated?” An autodidact from a working-class background,  Arlene challenges “the certainty that academic qualifications are the best measure of ability.” She interweaves the stories and portraits of her “angels,” her personal story, and a critique of standard narratives of education. We talk with her in particular about two of her “angels,” Paulo Freire and Paul Goodman.

Overview

00:00-00:38 Intros

00:38-02:41 What “In the Camp of Angels of Freedom: What It Means to be Educated” is about

02:41: 03:55 Definition of auto-didact

03:55-05:39 Project-based education/Action civics/“What Would YOU Do?”

05:39-07:12 Removing bachelor’s degree requirement from State jobs

07:12-09:03 Advice to high school students about options

09:03-10:34 When is a liberal arts education valuable beyond credentials?

10:34-20:42 Alternative ways to expand horizons beyond/in addition to college

20:42-25:28 K-12 education

25:28-27:31 Paulo Freire

27:31-31:18 Paul Goodman

31:18-32:50 Cultural citizenship

32:50- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

Visual artwork by Arlene Goldbard “We Burn” (2019)

We speak with Sarah Eblen and Reginald Berry Jr., former middle school teachers and now district coordinators for the restorative justice program in the Kansas City Public Schools. Eighty percent of RJ is community building and 20% conflict resolution. When there is a conflict, the RJ process ensures that everyone — students, teachers, and parents — feels heard. Since the program started, classroom behavior problems have decreased, students’ out-of-school relationships have improved, and teacher satisfaction with the disciplinary process has increased.

Overview

00:00-00:41 Intros
00:41-01:04 Journey from teaching to overseeing systemwide restorative justice (RJ) program
01:04-04:07 Program logistics
04:07-05:17 Training
05:17-09:00 Major tools of RJ
09:00-10:28 Where does the community building occur?
10:28-12:57 Impact on student behavior
12:57-14:16 Discipline disparities
14:16-16:36 Effects on teachers’ practice
16:36-19:50 Revised Code of Conduct
19:50-21:04 Coping with teacher or principal turnover
21:04-22:43 Impact beyond the school
22:43-27:52 When students get conflicting messages from home and school
27:52-29:45 Funding
29:45-32:10 Where to get more information n RJ training
32:10- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode. 

References

Soundtrack by Podington Bear

We speak with Dr. David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, NBJC, about the challenges faced by Black LGBTQIA+ students. Most young people at this intersection live in the South among other Black people, not in secular, gay-friendly cities like San Francisco or Hollywood.These young people face economic and cultural barriers to accessing mental health services, Dr. Johns explains how, rather than telling these students what sorts of support they need, adults should ask them. 

Overview

00:00-00:44 Intros

00:44-02:50 Definition of Same Gender Loving (SGL)

02:50-07:58 Black young people’s mental health

07:58-13:28 Suicide rates, trauma, white supremacy 

13:28- 19:41 Cultures of mental health and self-care, religious institutions, access to mental health resources

19:41-27:38 LGBTQIA+  youth, Black traditions and religious institutions, supports and challenges

27:38-36:00 Legal protections against bullying and harassment

36:00-39:34 Doing the work that needs to be done in schools

39:34-43:15 National Black Justice Coalition, its work, and policy agenda

43:15-45:27 The Equality Act

45:27-48:13 Where NBJC works, partnerships

48:13-53:12 What school administrators and teachers can do to better support Black LGBTQIA+ students

53:12-55:17 Graduate schools of education

55:17-57:56 LGBTQIA+ and SGL  folks who are older

57:56-59:19 Immigrant students

59:19- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

We speak with Lev Moscow and Richard Miller, veteran high school teachers, about the panic around the release of chatGPT. The AI tool produces respectable essays that students can pass off as their own. The best teachers already focus on process, and chatGPT could force all schools to change their approach.

Overview

00:00-00:34 Intros

00:34-01:38 First reaction to ChatGBT?

01:38-03:37 Influence on teaching

03:37-05:54 Challenges and opportunities

05:54-14:47 Examples of reimagining education to engage students and avoid  pitfalls of chatbots

14:47-17:13 Structuring essays, research skills, JSTOR

17:13-19:30 Kids getting over

19:30-21-23 Some benefits of chatbots for teaching essay writing

21:23-22:58 Cheating before chatbots

22:58-25:50 Impact of technology; Neil Postman, David Graeber , Keynes

25:50-27:06 Financial impacts of  chatbots on teachers’ jobs

27:06-28:48 De-skilling,, non-fungible ideas

28:48-31:15 Ways teachers could use chatbots to assist students with essays

31:15-35:31 Role of homework, quizzes, classroom discussion

35:31-36:53 How language classes could use language in community settings

36:53-49:31 Mechanics of detecting cheating with chatbots or otherwise

49:31-44:28 Additional examples of engaging students

44:28- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode.  

References

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear. Photo by DeepMind on Unsplash.