Public Hearing

How should School Committees support public education and how can residents hold them accountable? Season 1 of Public Hearing has been about systems that impact youth; with pretty much every episode highlighting education in one way or another. In our Season Finale (woo hoo!), Josh talks with Tracy O’Connell Novick, a member of the Worcester Public Schools School Committee with kids in WPS (crazy, right?) and how we think about, fund, and prioritize issues in public education. Thanks for a great first season!

All politics is local. However, there are a lot of folx who don’t know too much about their local elected officials and what can actually be done at the local level. In this Sidebar episode of Public Hearing, Josh talks with Danaah McCallum and Doug Arbetter about the importance of voting in local elections, the challenges that many communities face, and ideas to improve our systems of government.

What are students actually looking for when it comes to changes in public education? Is our community truly centering and valuing the voices of the kids experiencing the systems that we’ve built for them? Today, we’re talking with two young organizers; both alumni of South High School in Worcester. And while we talk at a local level, this conversation echoes into so many other districts where students are working to have their voices heard. #PublicHearingPodcast

Continuing our conversation with Dr. Mariel Novas, we dive into catalyzing community connectivity, racism as smog in the air, and finding time for joy in the midst of turmoil.

More about Mariel!
More on WEC.
More on DYS.
Check out this bit on Teach for America Mass!
MEEP? Yes you heard that correctly. 

So far in Public Hearing Season 1, we’ve talked with people working across different systems including public education, juvenile justice, and child welfare as well as with individuals who have lived some of these experiences. In this episode, Josh talks with Dr. Mariel Novas; educator, innovator, immigrant, and community builder, about the cross-section of these systems and how intersectionality plays a role in the movement of our nation (and whether that movement is backwards or forwards).

More about Mariel!
More on WEC.
More on DYS.
Check out this bit on Teach for America Mass!
MEEP? Yes you heard that correctly.

The child welfare system is a continuum of services that is setup to ensure children are safe and families have the appropriate resources to provide for the needs of their kids.. but does it? In our episode today, Josh talks to Danaah McCallum, a woman with over 20 years of experience working with the Department of Children and Families, about the complexities of this work and how it intersects with other systems. What do you think about the child welfare system?

More on DCF.
More on the Department of Mental Health.
More on WEC.

This week we sat down with Keyshawn O'Connell—a recent college grad from College of the Holy Cross—who talked to us about some of his experiences growing up in Worcester, attending the public schools, and getting involved with programs like Recreation Worcester, Dynamy Youth Academy (Upward Bound), and Bottom line.
Keyshawn shares his thoughts on how we might strengthen educational spaces for youth including increasing teacher diversity and giving young people a voice at the table.

More on Recreation Worcester.
More on Dynamy.
More on Upward Bound.

How much does opportunity outside of public education impact a students ability to be successful? This week, we talk with Frankie Franco, Community Engagement Specialist for the City of Worcester's Division of Youth Opportunities. Growing up in Worcester, Frankie shares his experiences navigating the public schools, the opportunities he had to join programs like Upward Bound, and how his brother had a different journey.

Learn more about the Latino Education Institute.
Here's some more about REC Worcester and Youth Grow.
The Appalachian Mountain Club can be found here.
More on 508 Bike Life.

How might we redesign the juvenile justice system so it is antiracist, developmentally appropriate, and transformative? We spoke to Katie Byrne who works for the Department of Youth Services as part of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). JDAI has made significant progress in decreasing the number of youth in juvenile detention over the past 10 years, but when you break that down by race and ethnicity, some groups have decreased more than others.

Learn more about JDAI here.
Take a look at the Anne E. Casey Foundation
More on Bryan Stevenson.

Public hearing is produced by Action! by Design. Executive Produced and Hosted by Joshua Croke. Creative Production by Myka Papetti. Audio Editing and Mixing done by Giuliano D'Orazio. Special thanks to Wyle Schumacher, our summer intern, for all the great work! 

Welcome to our first Sidebar! Sidebars will be bonus material that either couldn't fit into our radio show (hosted on our local NPR affiliate WICN 90.5) or anything else that we feel is important to share with you!

On this Sidebar, our host, Joshua Croke, was invited to facilitate the first Worcester Education Equity Roundtable Webinar focused on the future of education in the face of a pandemic.