When our kids talk about the latest social media trends, it can feel like they’re speaking a foreign language. Founder and CEO of the Social Institute, Laura Tierney, joined the show to help us understand how we can best support our children in navigating the current social media landscape. She highlights the importance of positive social media education and shares how technology can support our children’s mental health and even their study habits. 

Resources:  

• Explore the Social Institute’s family resources and watch recordings of their recent webinars 
• For more information, check out Schools and Social Media: A Survey of NSPRA and CoSN Members from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) 
• Look back at our episode with Dr. Sameer Hinduja, Social Media & Cyberbullying 101  
• Follow the Social Institute on social media at @TheSocialInst and Laura Tierney at @SoLaur 

While segregation may seem like a thing of the past, it’s still a major issue affecting our schools today. We spoke with Stefan Lallinger, executive director of Next100, to explore why schools aren’t more diverse and how we can advocate for systemic change. He also shares his insight on the upcoming Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action and its implications for the future of K-12 education.

Resources:

• Read the Century Foundation’s article, “The Benefits of Socioeconomically and Racially Integrated Schools and Classrooms” and explore School Segregation in Cities Across America Mapped
• Learn about the Century Foundation’s Bridges Collaborative which is reigniting a nationwide movement for integrated schools and diverse neighborhoods
• From the Archives: For those of you looking to dive deeper into issues of racial equity in education, listen to our episode with Dr. Shawn Jones 
• Follow Stefan Lallinger on social media at @StefanLallinger

We often ask kids what they want to be when they grow up, but how often do we help them figure out the answer? We invited Jean Eddy, Executive Director of the American Student Assistance (ASA) and ASA’s “Solve It” contest winner and high school student, Elliana Cabellon to talk about career exploration. They share how families can help kids follow their passions, plan for their futures and explore STEM career pathways.

Resources:

• Learn more about career exploration at ASA.org and use the Futurescapes tool with your kids to explore pathways you’ve never considered before!
• Visit PTA.org/PropellingOurWorld to discover easy and fun design challenges that demystify engineering for students and their families
• Read “STEM Careers: Introducing Kids to Innovation” in PTA’s Our Children online magazine

Is your school district prioritizing Family-School Partnerships? The Director of Family-School Partnerships at Colorado Department of Education, Darcy Hutchins, shares how states and districts can embed best practices into their protocols to ensure strong family-school partnerships. She also offers advice for where families can look for information about policies affecting their own communities.

• Check out National PTA’s new advocacy resource, Strengthening Family-School Partnerships through Education Policy
• Explore National PTA’s updated National Standards for Family-School Partnerships
• Read through the Colorado Department of Education’s Framework for Family-School Partnerships and their Promising Partnership Practices

What goes into a school rating? School ratings often leave families feeling confused, wondering what a singular number tells them about the quality of a school. To get to the bottom of this, our hosts interviewed Jon Deane, CEO of GreatSchools.org who shares how families can use school ratings as a starting point for making informed choices for their child’s education.

Resources:

• Check out this Parents Magazine article, “What Do Public School Rankings Really Mean?”
• Learn more about GreatSchools.org and their college success award
• Follow GreatSchools.org at @GreatSchools