Forget What You Learned: Reimagining Education for Today's Families

Host Cory Greenberg talks with Anne Boswell, the Admissions Director for a small school in the San Francisco Bay area serving students with dyslexia and twice exceptionality. Athena Academy has a unique formula that combines a cutting edge, research-based approach to dyslexia education with project-based learning, a buzzword you’ve probably heard but could use a little dissection - what IS it, really? And why does it work so well to empower students to love learning, especially when combined with Athena’s multi-age classroom and truly individualized approach? Anne is so knowledgeable about the challenges all our students are facing within the traditional system and shares some ideas of how large, public districts can actually implement what they’re doing on a much smaller scale. Brought to you by Tutor Corps and Pacific Preparatory. 

Full episode notes available at www.forgetwhatyoulearned.com. 

Host Cory Greenberg is joined by two guys with 30+ years of experience in the education world, and together, they run a little school in the Los Angeles area that is truly progressive, truly cutting edge in its approach to learning. Jim Hahn and Jon Cassie dive into what makes the Qualia School an intellectual playground, as they call it. Their mission is to raise adults capable of critical thinking and problem-solving, fit for the needs of today’s modern job market, as well as to equip them to be fulfilled, self-reflective people. They argue that the pace of social, cultural, technological change we live with necessitates this focus on deeper learning and critical thinking so that, in Jon’s words, we aren’t stuck with adults totally incapable of charting their own course. Brought to you by Tutor Corps and Pacific Preparatory. 

Full episode notes available at www.forgetwhatyoulearned.com. 

Host Cory Greenberg talks about neurodiversity within our traditional education system, and especially what it’s like for kids who are considered twice-exceptional. 2e kids have what can be a really challenging, puzzling mix of both learning differences AND giftedness. Our guest today, Sam Young is himself 2e and shares his own story of surviving school and how it inspired him to return to the classroom and then start his own company to support the unique needs of 2e kids. Overall though, we dive into the deficit-based, outdated approach of our current system, and Sam offers some startlingly simple insights into why it just does not work for 2e kids, let alone the masses. Brought to you by Tutor Corps and Pacific Preparatory. 

Full episode notes available at www.forgetwhatyoulearned.com. 

Making a special appearance on the podcast is Host Cory Greeberg’s oldest kiddo, who joins Cory and Producer Staci to grill him about his own school experience so far. He talks about the stress of middle school for himself and his peers, what he sees as some of the shortcomings of a traditional education system, and describes his ideal school. Spoiler: he wants more choice, and more free time to explore what really ignites his passion for learning. Brought to you by Tutor Corps and Pacific Preparatory. 

Full episode notes available at www.forgetwhatyoulearned.com. 

Host Cory Greenberg talks about highly selective colleges and the absolutely brutal world of college admissions. Irena Smith, whose book The Golden Ticket lays bare the effect the current system can have on families everywhere. She believes that the Ivy League acceptance letter can create a kind of tunnel vision that ignores real cracks in our kids’ well-being. We talk big-picture here: the need to redefine the idea of success, and for all of us parents to reflect on how we can support our kids through their school years and come out the other side in one piece.  Brought to you by Tutor Corps and Pacific Preparatory.
Full show notes available at www.forgetwhatyoulearned.com. 

Host Cory Greenberg tackles a heavy topic: the epidemic of childhood anxiety. Dr. Karen Wilson, pediatric neuropsychologist and founder of ChildNEXUS, offers this stark statistic: anxiety is the most common mental health challenge and disorder in childhood. And it’s on the rise. We dive into the WHY, because it may sound obvious, but we don’t think we can start to address a problem like this without pinpointing the source. Spoiler: We think it has something to do with our education system. You’ll also hear from Dr. Wilson some specific action steps you can take as a parent to parse out the difference between worries and anxiety, and how to help your kids if they’re struggling, both at home and as an advocate at your child’s school. We do want to advise that this may not be an appropriate episode for little ears. Brought to you by Tutor Corps and Pacific Preparatory.
Full show notes available at www.forgetwhatyoulearned.com. 

Host Cory Greenberg unpacks a concept you don’t hear much about: if the future is female, what does that mean for our young boys? She talks to Josh Horwatt, a brilliant and funny educational therapist in the Los Angeles area, who’s been tackling this question both in his own home as well in his practice. They dive into the science a little bit - the truth is boys develop those executive functioning skills a year or so later than girls, but the expectations of focus, planning and organization are equally distributed. What do boys need within the education system that isn’t being addressed? What do you do when they come home and ask you, “What is the point of all this?” This is a lively conversation about raising boys today and helping them survive school. Brought to you by Tutor Corps and Pacific Preparatory.
Full show notes available at www.forgetwhatyoulearned.com. 

Host Cory Greenberg speaks with Komal Shah, a former classroom teacher who stepped outside of the system to look at it with a microscope. She found a system built around a goal of external marketable success, rather than a student's inner fulfillment. They talk about how our institutions were actually built on the factory model, preparing our youth to assemble products or follow a scripted procedure, not to innovate and solve the problems of today's world. Now the drum beat of grades, test scores, acceptance to top colleges is squashing our kids' love and thirst for learning. What the heck do we do about it? Brought to you by Tutor Corps and Pacific Preparatory.
Full show notes available at www.forgetwhatyoulearned.com. 

Host Cory Greenberg and producers Staci Stutsman and Mel Nichols introduce you to the show, discuss what led them to create this project, and invite listeners to dream with them as they interrogate the current state of K-12 education and ask you to think beyond the status quo. 

Brought to you by Tutor Corps and Pacific Preparatory. 

Forget What You Learned is a place for families to thoughtfully evaluate the contemporary educational landscape. We empower you to challenge your own thinking and the status quo of today’s traditional school system, and ask the question: are my kids thriving? Host Cory Greenberg chats with innovators, experts and other parents who are changing the conversation, inspiring families to reimagine what educational success looks like today. Season 1 premiers August 15, 2023.