Extra Help with InsideSchools

During this episode, InsideSchools+ staff review the recent news blitz around NYC’s $635 million curriculum and programming initiatives.  We welcome back Tom Liam Lynch to share his experience and talk through the N.Y.C. Universal Academic Recovery Plan.

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RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE

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Please tell us what you think. We LOVE feedback. Here are a few of the main ways to reach us: InsideSchools, our flagship website  // Our InsideSchools+ Community or our Facebook Page  // Tweet, tweet: Over on Twitter // Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter // SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS via 60 second voice message

Extra Help is BACK! During this show, Tom, creator and host of Season 1 of Extra Help, and Tanishia, host of Season 2, discuss the intended function of Extra Help, its connection to the work of InsideSchools, and the goals for the new season.  In addition, the two will discuss current news headlines that take us into the opening of schools for the 2021-22 school year.

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This week marks the end of the school year in New York City. And with the end of the school year comes the end of this season of Extra Help. In this episode, Tom Liam Lynch reflects briefly on the first season of the podcast, lay out all the unknowns facing NYC families with the new school year just two months away, and give a little glimpse into what is up next for InsideSchools. 

Resources: InsideSchools/CNYCA report on DOE response to Covid-19 via remote learning

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Please tell us what you think. We LOVE feedback. Here are a few of the main ways to reach us: InsideSchools, our flagship website  // Our InsideSchools Facebook Page  // Tweet, tweet: Over on Twitter // Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter // SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS via 60 second voice message

This past week, the NYC Department of Education has been burning the midnight oil. Last Thursday, the Chancellor held a virtual meeting for all principals and superintendents updating them on current status and future plans for the school system. That same evening, the teachers union sent a message to its union 75K members about what to expect in the coming year. Sometime on Monday, the city published the results of its remote learning survey for families WHILE ALSO launching a new survey asking parents for their input on re-opening in September. And somewhere in the middle, the Chancellor sent out an email to families. In this episode, Tom Liam Lynch walks listeners through what's been going on--and shares what it might mean for the weeks, months, and year ahead. 

Resources: Re-opening schools survey  // Remote learning survey results (NOTE: the survey results were live on 6/15/2020 but unavailable on 6/18/2020; when they are re-posted, it should be to the original URL)

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Please tell us what you think. We LOVE feedback. Here are a few of the main ways to reach us: InsideSchools, our flagship website  // Our InsideSchools Facebook Page  // Tweet, tweet: Over on Twitter // Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter // SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS via 60 second voice message

New York City has erupted in recent weeks in response to the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed while being restrained by police in Minneapolis, and far too many other similar events in our city and nation. Under the banner of #BlackLivesMatter, protests sprouted up throughout the city in every borough and across the world. 

For teachers and families who had been mostly concerned about how to sufficiently complete the academic year online, there was now an unanticipated reality to address in school: widespread civic action in response to systemic racism that targets Black Americans. This raises an important question: How can schools respond to these immediate events and to the wider social injustices? As we explored in the last episode, the city has invested heavily in culturally responsive-sustaining education, which should provide some guidance. But does it do enough to help schools account for their roles in perpetuating inequity and racism? In this episode, Tom Liam Lynch talks with Dr. David Kirkland, Executive Director of the NYU Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools. 

Resources: The CRE HUB // CR-SE reports and guides mentioned // "What is Racism?" blog post

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Please tell us what you think. We LOVE feedback. Here are a few of the main ways to reach us: InsideSchools, our flagship website  // Our InsideSchools Facebook Page  // Tweet, tweet: Over on Twitter // Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter // SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS via 60 second voice message

One of the hallmarks of the de Blasio Administration's education agenda has been "culturally responsive-sustaining education." With an emphasis on teachers appreciating students cultural backgrounds, identities, and histories, CRSE was in full swing across the school system. There were books purchased, workshops given, and schools began implementing new practices. And then Covid-19. And then remote learning. In this episode, Tom Liam Lynch interviews Dr. Gholdy Muhammad from Georgia State University, who led many of the CRSE workshops for NYC schools. 

Resources: Cultivating Genius [book] // Sample Lesson // TOBTR Interview // ACE-ED Article // EduTalk Interview // Language Magazine Article

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Please tell us what you think. We LOVE feedback. Here are a few of the main ways to reach us: InsideSchools, our flagship website  // Our InsideSchools Facebook Page  // Tweet, tweet: Over on Twitter // Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter // SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS via 60 second voice message

There’s a report making its way around social media about a new survey. The survey asked over 500 K-12 teachers and 400 parents of K-12 students a series of questions about their experiences remote learning and their feelings about returning to school in the fall. 20% of teachers said they are unlikely to return to the classroom in September, concerning some that there’s a flood of resignations on the horizon. And 60% of parents said they would rather pursue at-home learning instead of sending their children back in the fall. In this episode, Tom Liam Lynch explores what this survey does and doesn't mean for New York City schools.  

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Please tell us what you think. We LOVE feedback. Here are a few of the main ways to reach us: InsideSchools, our flagship website  // Our InsideSchools Facebook Page  // Tweet, tweet: Over on Twitter // Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter // SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS via 60 second voice message

NYC officials are beginning to signal that remote learning could continue into the fall. That means parents, teachers, and administrators are going to have to work together to make remote learning more than just a stopgap measure. What does it mean to teach remotely and well? In this episode, Tom Liam Lynch interviewed Kaitlyn Zwicke, a math teacher at Queens High School for Information, Research, and Technology. They talked about the challenges of teaching remotely, and why students' social emotional needs are as important (if not more) than academics.  

(NOTE: A special thanks to New Visions for Public Schools for collaborating with InsideSchools on this episode.)

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Please tell us what you think. We LOVE feedback. Here are a few of the main ways to reach us: InsideSchools, our flagship website  // Our InsideSchools Facebook Page  // Tweet, tweet: Over on Twitter // Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter // SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS via 60 second voice message 

When Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York State was partnering with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to "reimagine" the future of public education, critics were quick to raise alarm. In this episode, Tom Liam Lynch responds to a question from listener Chrissy from the Bronx, who is worried about the billionaire's involvement.  Why are some stakeholders concerned that the Gates Foundation is involved in New York? What are some of the ways this might unfold? How do parents and teachers make sense of it all? That and more on this episode. 

Links: Gov. Cuomo announcement // Diane Ravitch commentary // Gates Foundation annual letter

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Please tell us what you think. We LOVE feedback. Here are a few of the main ways to reach us: InsideSchools, our flagship website  // Our InsideSchools Facebook Page  // Tweet, tweet: Over on Twitter // Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter // SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS via 60 second voice message

NYC schools will almost certainly have some form of remote learning come September. Whether it is 100% online or some hybrid model with alternating day schedules is left to be seen. But if we know remote learning is here to stay, it is high time for the City to establish a NYC Virtual School. In this episode, Tom Liam Lynch shares what a virtual school is, how it would work, and why it's more ready for launch than you might think. 

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Please tell us what you think. We LOVE feedback. Here are a few of the main ways to reach us: InsideSchools, our flagship website  // Our InsideSchools Facebook Page  // Tweet, tweet: Over on Twitter // Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter // SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS via 60 second voice message