No Wrong Answers

If reading is fundamental, why do so many American kids struggle with it? Emily Hanford from American Public Media explains. Plus, we know about the achievement gap, but what about the homework gap.

The national teacher of the year calls the detention of migrant children at the border “abuse” and an “atrocity”. But she says teachers can do something about it. Plus, as American cities are becoming less segregated…are schools following suit?

A Kansas teenager is set to graduate from his high school, and Harvard University this spring…at the same time. We have a whole lot of questions. Plus, is your school a happy place? Does it need to be in order to be successful? Our teacher’s answers might surprise you.

Discipline. Our teachers say their schools are starting to get it right. Now, Betsy DeVos is getting involved. Plus, the old tensions between charter schools and district schools is back in the headlines after a charter school strike in Chicago. And, how what month your child is born in affects whether they’re diagnosed with ADHD.

Can civics class save American democracy? Our teachers say the perennial debate has a new look after Trump’s election. Plus, schools are inequitable but, it turns out, so are PTAs. How this inequality changes the dynamic in schools. Finally, the epidemic of absenteeism.

Retirement. If you’re a young teacher you might not be thinking about it much, but our veteran teachers say you should start right now. Plus, tis the season for snow days. Students and teachers love them, right? Why snow days can be so disruptive. And, homework in kindergarten…is that too young?

There is a growing schism among education reformers. One side says schools should be held account for their performance…even to the point of closing them down. The other believes we should give them more resources and funding to see what happens. This conflict has come to a dramatic point in New York City with an initiative called Renewal. New York Times reporter Eliza Shapiro talks with us about what this all means for education reform efforts across the country.

Now that there are artificial intelligence news anchors…are A.I. teachers on the horizon? Plus, a group nazi salute in a prom photo is the latest subject of internet outrage. But what should educator’s reactions be when their students do dumb offensive things?

The teaching profession notoriously has trouble recruiting and retaining teachers of color. We discuss why that is and what can be done about it. Plus, a new digital divide…it’s not about having too little technology, but having too much.

It’s one of the most difficult topics to discuss in schools: white fragility. And yet, it has major seen and unseen effects on faculty and students. This week, we talk with Robin DiAngelo—the woman who coined the term “white fragility”—about what educators can do to address it in school.