In this episode, we’re stretching the boundaries of our “big tent”—the messy, hopeful space where we try to build a public education system worthy of all our kids. We sat down with Ms. Keri Rodrigues, President and co-founder of the National Parents Union, for a conversation recorded inside the U.S. Senate building (a first for us!).

Ms. Rodrigues brings her whole self into this work: mother, organizer, daughter of immigrants, former student who didn’t always get what she needed from school, and fierce believer in the power of parents showing up together. While the methods of school improvement NPU has advocated for the in the past may not have felt fully aligned with our values, we share a commitment to the common good of public education—and in a moment when that institution feels increasingly under attack, widening the circle of who we can struggle with feels essential.

In This Episode We Explore:

• Parent voice as expertise
• Why parents—especially those who’ve historically been pushed to the margins—carry knowledge that our systems often ignore, and what’s lost when family engagement is treated as transactional rather than transformational.
• The conditions that fuel fear-based parent movements
• Ms. Rodrigues offers a nuanced take on how groups like Moms for Liberty gained traction, and how a lack of authentic, respectful engagement with parents created space for bad actors to step in.
• Trust between families and schools
• What it means to leave “our hearts outside our bodies” every morning, and the very real fears that get activated when schools feel unwelcoming, dismissive, or unsafe—especially for Black, Brown, immigrant, and disabled students and their families.
• The broader crisis facing children
• From ICE raids to unregulated social media to defunding the Department of Education, Ms. Rodrigues paints a sobering picture of what American childhood looks like right now—and why focusing narrowly on academics misses the full context our kids are living in.
• Possibility inside the “messy middle”
• How unlikely coalitions (even with people we once vowed to “never work with”) can still form around shared values like literacy, safety, and teacher pay—and why bipartisan hope isn’t naïve, but necessary.
• Our own expectations of school
• After the interview, Val and Andrew reflect on power, privilege, trust, and the complicated dance between advocating for our kids and caring for all kids—work that sits at the very heart of public education in a multiracial democracy.

Why This Conversation Matters

If we truly believe that public schools are foundational to a functioning democracy, then we need a tent big enough to hold disagreement, nuance, and shared purpose. Not a tent where we water down our values or ignore harm, but one spacious enough for collective problem-solving. As Ms. Rodrigues reminds us, movements built on love endure longer than movements built on fear. And right now, our kids need us rooted in love.

Join the Conversation

Where do you see yourself in this big tent?

What are your expectations for parent voice?

How do you advocate as a parent or caregiver?

How do you build (or rebuild) trust with your child’s school?

Send us a voice memo: speakpipe.com/integratedschools

Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.

Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.

Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us [email protected].

The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.

This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

Music by Kevin Casey.

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What happens when over 600 educators, students, organizers, and advocates gather in community to center racial equity and storytelling? We found out at this year’s Color of Education Summit in Raleigh, North Carolina.

In this episode, Andrew takes us inside the summit—hosted by the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity—to hear voices from across the state and country. From keynote speeches to hallway conversations, we witness the power of stories to connect, inspire, and catalyze change.

We hear from Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith, who set the tone with vulnerability, legacy, and a call to collective action. And we meet educators, community leaders, organizers, and students whose stories underscore that equity work is personal, communal, and ongoing.

Dr. Val and Andrew reflect on what it really means to talk about equity—and how we move beyond “access” to ensure all children can truly thrive. If you’re wondering what role stories play in building a better future, or where to find hope in hard times, this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen in, and then tell us: What story are you carrying?

LINKS

• Color of Education 2025
• Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity
• Tara Roberts - Into the Depths (Podcast)
• I Am Leandro Project
• Profound Gentlemen
• Public Schools First NC
• Public School Forum of North Carolina

 

Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.

Share your thoughts by leaving us a voice mail - speakpipe.com/integratedschools

Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.

Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us [email protected].

The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.

This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

Music by Kevin Casey.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

 We’re sharing a special crossover: Dr. Val and Andrew join Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs and Adam Jacobs, co-hosts of the Raising Antiracist Kids podcast, to talk about parents as partners in building antiracist school communities. We dig into why relationships—especially across lines of race and class—are core to any multiracial democracy, what it looks like for White families to show up without centering themselves, and how we nurture brave, durable school communities together. Along the way, we sit with discomfort, model grace, and keep our eyes on the long game—this is a marathon relay, and we each carry the baton for a bit.

LINKS:

• Raising Antiracist Kids - Tabitha & Adam's substack
• The Raising Antiracist Kids Podcast
• White Parents, You Can't Support Black Lives Matter & Start A Private Learning Pod- Tabitha's article for Romper back in 2020
• Dr. Val's online organizing #ClearTheAir
• IntegrateNYC's 5R's of Real Integration
• Bettina Love on the spirit murdering of Black children
• S11E14 – What Was Lost: Noliwe Rooks on the Failures of Integration
• S7E2 – Moving and Choosing a School- Dr. Val's 2nd episode on the podcast

 

Visit our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.

Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.

Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].

The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.

This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

Music by Kevin Casey.

 

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What does it mean to truly know who you are—and how might that knowing shape what you give back to the world? In this episode, we’re joined by Byron Sanders—educator, CEO, community leader, and newly elected Dallas ISD school board member—for a vulnerable, expansive conversation about identity, purpose, and the responsibility that comes with our gifts.

Byron shares a deeply personal story of finding his way from trauma to mission, from being driven by what he didn’t want to become to discovering a life of service rooted in community. Alongside reflections on masculinity, Whiteness, and the narratives we inherit (and resist), Byron challenges us to consider the roles we each play in building a more just and joyful future—both in and beyond schools.

We talk about the power of imagination as a source of hope, the need for purpose-driven education, and the importance of community-based “third spaces” where young people can build the skills and self-understanding they’ll need to navigate an uncertain future. And we explore the dangers of narrow identity constructs—especially for boys and men—and the urgent need for models that reflect a fuller humanity.

This conversation is a reminder that our stories matter, that restorative possibility lives in community, and that every gift is also an assignment.

LINKS:

• Byron Sanders
• The Creator Archetype from Big Thought
• bell hooks - The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love
• Richard Reeves - Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It

 

Visit our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.

Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.

Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].

The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.

This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

Music by Kevin Casey.

Additional music Uncertain Ground and Black Mud by Blue Dot Sessions

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As we launch Season 12 of the podcast, Dr. Val and Andrew reflect on the start of the school year. With big personal transitions, and the country in a state of deep uncertainty, we ask, what now? How can we acknowledge the current state of eduction and find ways to act for justice.

LINKS:

• Parents as Partners: Building Antiracist School Communities - Dr. Val and Andrew on the Raising Antiracist Kids Podcast
• Big, Beautiful Monstrosity . . . And a call to action - Blog post from this summer about the budget bill creating a national voucher program.

Visit our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.

Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.

Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].

The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.

This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

Music by Kevin Casey.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism is the Integrated Schools Book Club pick for the fall. So we thought we'd revisit our episode with Dr. Ewing. If you've never attended Book Club, it's a wonderful to chance to chat with folks from around the country who are interested in school integration. We have small groups and great facilitators who make sure the conversation flows. Book Club is free! Register now!

---------------------------------

Public education is touted as the bedrock of democracy, a leveler of playing fields, and our best tool to create active, engaged citizens. And while that vision is powerful, Dr. Eve L. Ewing argues that it was never intended to be those things for Black or Native students. In fact, her new book, Original Sins: The (MIs)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism, maintains that schooling in America was created to prepare White kids for leadership, Black kids for subjugation, and Native kids for erasure. 

She joins us to discuss these three separate strands of education and the tools of discipline and punishment, implied intellectual inferiority, and preparation for economic subjugation used to support them.  She leaves us with love, justice and a focus on flourishing as possible antidotes to help us imagine something better. 

LINKS:

• Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South Side
• Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism
• Bughouse Square - Eve Ewing's Podcast with co-ghost, Studs Terkel
• Faith Ringgold - United States of Attica, 1971
• Gwendolyn Brooks - We Real Cool
• How Watermelons Became a Racist Trope - William R. Black in The Atlantic
• The Abigail Fisher case
• Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica - currently at the Art Institute Chicago
• Braiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall Kimmerer
• S7E9 – Revisiting Heather McGhee on How Racism Hurts Us All

Use these links or start at our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.

Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.

Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].

The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.

This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

Music by Kevin Casey.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

The president just signed a truly monstrous piece of legislation into law. Much has been written about the impacts on health, climate and the debt, but there is a lesser known evil lurking in this bill - a national school voucher plan. It's temping to lose hope, but there is something each of us can do.

LINKS: 

• A blog post version of this episode. 

Visit our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.

Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.

Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].

The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.

This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

Music by Kevin Casey.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

As Season 11 comes to a close, we wanted to spend some time reflecting on the lessons we've learned from this season and what we hope for in Season 12. We'll be off for the summer with a few possible bonus episodes, and back for real in the fall. In the mean time, we want to express our deepest appreciation for a number of people who make this podcast run. 

Firstly, to all of our guests, thank you for joining us, for sharing your stories and your wisdom with us. Being in conversation with each of you is a true gift that we do not take likely. 

To the podcast team - Darci, Jennifer, Jenna, Anna, Susan, Courtney - thank you for your work on transcripts and promotional material, but more importantly for your thought partnership on each episode and the entire season. The conversations you share, the insights you bring are what keeps the podcast relevant and topical and helps us dive into nuanced topics knowing you're listening and thinking about these things along side of us. 

To our Patreon supporters and Integrated Schools donors, your belief in this work and your willingness to support it with your financial resources isn't something we take for granted. Your belief in us keeps us invested in the work and motivates us to always make the best episodes we can. 

And finally, to all of you, our listeners, it is truly and honor to be in this with each and every one of you as we try to know better and do better. 

Until next season!

________________

Finding a school where your children can thrive, while avoiding contributing to the ongoing segregation we see today, can feel like a tough issue for socially conscious parents.

Check out our FREE guide on how you can start engaging with the education system to achieve just that: Click here to download the guide now!

________________

Visit our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.

Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.

Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].

The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.

This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

Music by Kevin Casey.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

“Having my children in public school was something that I wanted to do with people in my community. It was a commitment that we were making together. And then when I saw folks leaving, it felt like a betrayal.” – Stephanie Forman.

Where we send our kids to school is, for many, a complicated decision. We struggle to weigh multiple factors- curriculum and teachers, diversity of the student body, the commute and hours, not to mention what role we want to play in supporting the institutions where our kids spend 8 hours a day. 

Drs. Stephanie Forman and Lisa Sibbett are educational researchers in the Pacific Northwest and both decided to send their kids to public schools after weighing many factors. However, they saw many of their colleagues, who were also working to support education, and also expressed a belief in the importance of public schools, opting out, and instead sending their kids to private schools. 

Rather than write these people off, they decided to use their educational research skills to better understand the choice these families were making, what the impact was for them, and their families, and what tools might be best suited to reconnect those families to public schools, whether by bringing their kids back, or, at a minimum, advocating on behalf of public education.

They join us to share what they learned, and help us keep an open mind as we think about the choices people make for schooling. 

________________

Finding a school where your children can thrive, while avoiding contributing to the ongoing segregation we see today, can feel like a tough issue for socially conscious parents.

Check out our FREE guide on how you can start engaging with the education system to achieve just that: Click here to download the guide now!

________________

LINKS:

• Robin DiAngelo's Rules of Engagement for White Fragility
• Lisa's Substack - The Auntie Bulletin 
• S11E16 - Advocating for Black Educator Wellness with Asia Lyons

 

Visit our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.

Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.

Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].

The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.

This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

Music by Kevin Casey. 

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

“I hope that you know that I believe you, the community of listeners believes you, and that's good enough.” Dr. Asia Lyons

 

Dr. Asia Lyons is the host of 'The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators' where she practices archival justice by sharing the stories of Black educators who have left the classroom. Her own journey to education and then out of the classroom led her work both on the podcast, and in creating intentional spaces of healing for Black educators. Dr. Lyons's work focuses on the less sexy, but often more important work of retaining Black educators. Recruitment is a crucial starting point, but if we can't create spaces of wellness for Black educators, retention will always be a challenge. Dr. Lyons encourages all of us to speak up on behalf of Black educators, to create spaces of healing, and to advocate for justice at least as loudly as the voices who aren't. 

________________

Finding a school where your children can thrive, while avoiding contributing to the ongoing segregation we see today, can feel like a tough issue for socially conscious parents.

Check out our FREE guide on how you can start engaging with the education system to achieve just that: Click here to download the guide now!

________________

LINKS:

• The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators
• William A Smith - who coined the term Racial Battle Fatigue
• Taking Care and Moving Forward with Dr. LaShaune Stitt
• Boundaries, Burnout and Black educator Wellness with Josephine Ampaw-Greene
• S11E14 – What Was Lost: Noliwe Rooks on the Failures of Integration
• S10E15 – Rebuilding The Black Educator Pipeline with Sharif El-Mekki
• S10E14 – Jim Crow’s Pink Slip with Dr. Leslie Fenwick
• S11E8 – Gratitude and Validation: One Family’s Journey Through Integrated Schools
• S11E15 – Unearthing Joy: Gholdy Muhammad on Teaching with Love

Visit our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.

Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.

Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].

The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.

This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

Music by Kevin Casey.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands