The Integrated Schools Podcast

As 2023 comes to a close, we just wanted to take a brief moment to reflect on the year, talk about our hopes for 2024, and hear from you! We share listener voice memos, an update on Integrated Schools, including our new board of directors, and tease a few of the episodes coming in the new year!

LINKS:

Blog post about our new board of directors

Send us your voice memos! -http://speakpipe.com/integratedschools

If you'd like to volunteer, send us an email - [email protected]

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.

Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – @integratedschls on twitter, 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 Jaden González. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

Music by Kevin Casey.

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

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We were thrilled to have two interns working on the podcast over the past summer. One of them, Jaden González, found an episode of the Teaching Hard History podcast from Learning for Justice that spoke to him, so he joined us to talk about it and play a portion of it. In it, we hear from Dr. Aisha White who has studied how children, especially young children, understand and learn about race. It dispels the myth that children are ever too young to learn about race, and has helpful suggestions for how to have conversations that build a healthy racial identity for all kids. It also sparked a great conversation with Jaden about his own racial identity development as a Puerto Rican growing up in New York City with a multiracial family. 

LINKS: 

The History of Whiteness and How We Teach About Race - from Teaching Hard History

ICYMI: Seeing White - our episode featuring the Seeing White podcast series from Scene on Radio.

The P.R.I.D.E Program from The University of Pittsburgh

Grace Abounding: The Core Knowledge Anthology of African-American Literature, Music, and Art

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.

Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – @integratedschls on twitter, 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 Jaden González. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

Music by Kevin Casey.

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

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Like many of you, we were blown away by Richard Rothstein's The Color of Law for the ways it unveiled institutionalized racial segregation and its lingering impacts on our country. His methodical unmasking of the explicitly racist policies that led to the creation of the suburbs, the wealth gap, educational disparities and more helped expose the idea of "de facto" segregation, or segregation that occurs naturally, as a myth. The ways that we are segregated today were caused by intentional governmental policies, and we have yet to redress the harm caused.

While The Color Law presented compelling stories about how we got here, it didn't offer many solutions. Richard's daughter Leah, a community organizer and housing activist, was among the many people who wondered what could we do to not only minimize future injustice, but also make repairs for the past harms caused. They decided to write Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law to answer that question. In it, they present a number of ways people can advocate for justice in their local communities, as well as highlighting inspiring work happening around the country.

Both Richard and Leah join us to talk about The Color of Law, Just Action, and how everyone has a role to play in creating the true multiracial democracy we are striving for.

LINKS:

Just Action - Richard and Leah Rothstein

The Color of Law - Richard Rothstein

Segregated By Design - short film overview of The Color of Law

Just Action's website - Justactionbook.org

Richard and Leah's Substack

If you want to get involved locally, check out The Redress Movement

Drs. Darling-Hammond on our show

Jade Adia - There Goes the Neighborhood

Jade Adia on our show

Dr. Erica Turner on our show

The civil rights museum in the former Woolworth's that provided Richard's entry to civil rights work

 

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.

Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – @integratedschools on Instagram, 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 Courtney Mykytyn. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

Music by Kevin Casey.

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

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Our focus on this show is often on parents and caregivers and the choices we make, from where to send our kids to school, to how we show up in those communities, to how we advocate for our kids and all kids. We have also talked about students and teachers, and national level policies. However, we have not previously spent much time talking about the district level decision makers, from school board members, to superintendents, to central office staff. Due to the decentralized nature of our education system, these leaders have tremendous power to affect change, and often find themselves on the front lines of dealing with changing school districts.

As our country becomes increasingly racially diverse and socioeconomically unequal, schools are often the first public institutions addressing those changes. Dr. Erica Turner has studied how district level leaders have dealt with this, and wrote about it in her book, Suddenly Diverse, How School Districts Manage Race and Inequality. She joins us to share some of what she found.

Key Takeaways

1. Schools are seen as the closest form of government to many individuals. They are often delegated the responsibility to deal with societal problems such as poverty, gun violence, and nurturing a multiracial democracy, which can be an overwhelming load.

2. Race-evasive managerialism plays a significant role in the education system. Schools end up devoting more attention to data and business models, often sidestepping the complex issues of racial and social equity. This approach can sometimes be a way for educators to feel like they are taking action without directly confronting the structural challenges they face.

3. There is a prevalent fear of White flight, which often limits the potential reforms in education. Dr. Turner urges listeners to reexamine this fear, citing studies that reveal White flight is not solely a result of school desegregation efforts.

4. Despite the heavy issues in education, Dr. Turner encourages listeners to see hope in social movements and community cooperation. Movements like Black Lives Matter are contributing to a wider comprehension of systemic racial inequality. She urges listeners to join such movements, fostering conversations and pushing for change together.

 

LINKS:

Suddenly Diverse, How School Districts Manage Race and Inequality - Dr. Erica Turner's book

The Problem We All Live With - Normal Rockwell

The Problem We All Live With - Nikole Hannah-Jones on This American Life

Equity in Pandemic Schooling: An Action Guide for Families, Educators & Communities​ - Dr. Turner's contribution to questions about equity during the pandemic interruptions to education

 

Send us your ideas – speakpipe.com/integratedschools, or click the “send voicemail” button on the side of our website, or just record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at [email protected].

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 Instagram, IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].

We’re proud members of Connectd Podcasts, a network dedicated to helping shows like ours grow and thrive. For more info, or to check out their other amazing shows, head over to their website.

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

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Gentrification sucks . . . yet change is inevitable. We're joined today by Young Adult author, Jade Adia, whose first novel, There Goes The Neighborhood takes place in a fictional neighborhood in South LA being wracked by gentrification. Through a story of friendship, found family, and coming of age, Jade invites us in to a neighborhood deeply worth saving, and three friends who set out to save it in a deeply problematic way. We discuss Jade's personal story and how it led to her writing this novel, and we discuss ways of getting involved and finding connection in our neighborhoods.

LINKS:

There Goes The Neighborhood - Jade Adia

Jade's website

Register for bookclub sessions in early November

Study guide for There Goes the Neighborhood

S5E1 - Gentrification and School Segregation - with Dr. Kfir Mordechay

PHYS.org article on the increase in gun violence in gentrifying spaces.

JAMA article on Gentrification as a Factor in the Incidence of Firearm Injuries

Send us a voice memo! Speakpipe.com/integratedschools

 

Send us your ideas – speakpipe.com/integratedschools, or click the “send voicemail” button on the side of our website, or just record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at [email protected].

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 Instagram, IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].

We’re proud members of Connectd Podcasts, a network dedicated to helping shows like ours grow and thrive. For more info, or to check out their other amazing shows, head over to their website.

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

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The son of a Black father and a White mother, John Blake grew up in a deeply segregated, Black neighborhood in Baltimore with a great mystery - who was his mom? Until he was 17, all he knew about her was that she was White, her name was Shirley, and her family hated Black people. Meeting her, at age 17, began a journey of racial understanding and changed his life. Mr. Blake has been writing about race and religion as a reporter for over 25 years, and over those years he has come to discover that facts don't change people, relationships do. His relationship with his mother and her sister, his father's relationships on the decks of a Merchant Marine ship, the multi-racial community he formed through church - these relationships across difference are what led to changes in racial attitudes for his relatives and for himself. Creating these relationships was demanding. Finding understanding with his White family who harbored ill will towards Black people was demanding. Yet the promise of these relationships to change hearts and move people towards understanding made it worth the effort.

This is the power of real integration. This is the power of community, It's demanding, but the promise is great, and, as Mr. Blake argues, the only way we can move towards becoming a true multiracial democracy.

Mr. Blake's story taps into all of our themes for this season. His is an incredible story teller, and his stories have the power to shift hearts. The relationships he builds through being in proximity and community with people who are different are the seeds that bloom into greater racial understanding. He calls on us to work to create spaces where Gordon Allport's Contact Theory can exist, and, we would argue, the best place for that to happen is in our public schools. And, finally, he shows us the power of hope to sustain us through hard times, with the knowledge that progress is being made, even if we don't always see it.

He chronicles it all in his memoir, More Than I Imagined: What a Black Man Discovered About the White Mother He Never Knew, and he joins us to talk about it.

LINKS:

More Than I Imagined: What a Black Man Discovered About the White Mother He Never Knew - John Blake

50 Years Ago, a White Woman Touching a Black Man on TV Caused a National Commotion - Vanity Fair

Simply Psychology on Contact Theory

Gordon Allport

Choosing Our Name - Integrated Schools founder, Courtney Mykytyn

Michelle Adams on Radical Integration

S5E16 – Revisiting Not In My Suburbs - Michelle Adams on our show

S6E4 – In Full View of Race: Elise Boddie on Integration

IntegrateNYC's 5Rs of Real Integration

S6E1-Third Wave School Desegregation: A Call for Real Integration

A More Perfect Reunion: Race, Integration, and the Future of America - Calvin Baker

Ta'Nehisi Coats on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - 5:10 is the discussion about hope

White Supremacy with a Tan - John Blake

Rebecca Solnit

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know - Adam Grant

Send us your stories – speakpipe.com/integratedschools, or click the “send voicemail” button on the side of our website, or just record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at [email protected].

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 – @integratedschls on twitter, IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].

We’re proud members of Connectd Podcasts. 

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. Additionally music provided by Blue.Session.

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

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We're back!!

After a wonderfully busy summer, we are back with a whole new season and we have some great stuff planned. To kick things off, we're talking about where we find ourselves as this school year starts, and the themes we are focusing on this season. These themes feel relevant in this moment and will guide us through the season. They are:

The importance of public schools

The power of storytelling

The power of proximity and the importance of being in community

Stamina - the importance of finding hope and relationships to sustain the work

We also talk about a very exciting event that happened this summer . . . at least it was exciting for your co-hosts, as we met in person for the first time!

Our biggest ask for you, in addition to sharing the podcast with others, is to send us your voice memos. Given the theme of the power of storytelling, we are really hoping to feature your stories as much as possible this season. So, whether you have a full story, or just a thought that has been lingering, we want to hear from you! Why do you think public schools are important? How are finding your way into community? How are you struggling? Where do you turn when you need hope or stamina? What else should we be talking about? Send us your ideas - speakpipe.com/integratedschools, or click the "send voicemail" button on the side of our website, or just record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at [email protected]. 

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 – @integratedschls on twitter, IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].

We’re proud members of Connectd Podcasts, a network dedicated to helping shows like ours grow and thrive. For more info, or to check out their other amazing shows, head over to their website.

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

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

As Season 9 comes to a close, we reflect on some of the amazing conversations we had over the past 16 episodes, and hear from you about what you’re grappling with. From the Heather McGhee’s episode in the very beginning of the season through Episode 15 on school lunches, we tried to focus on solidarity and elevating voices that have been missing from our conversations.  Cathryn and The Saviors focused on the experience of one low-income parent, The Segregated Lives of Preschoolers focused on our youngest learners, The Intersections of Disability, Race, and Segregation began unpacking the needs of disabled students and caregivers. And, of course, we featured student voice in Between the Lines: An EPIC Comeback. Students are the most directly impacted by our education system, so we lean into to featuring their voice and their perspective whenever possible.

Through it all, we leaned into nuance, recognizing that no one has all the answers, and that the best way to know better and do better is through relationships.

Lots of thanks for the season:

• All of our guests who were willing to share their insights, their perspectives, their research, and their values. We are all richer for having heard from you.
• All of podcast staff who work on transcripts and promotion and offer thought partnership on each and every episode – Anna, Darci, Jennifer, Courtney, Susan, Emily. Thank you!
• Our friends at Connectd Podcasts for the ongoing support. Check out all their shows, as there are so many important conversations happening on the network.
• All of our Patreon supporters. Your financial support allows us to keep this podcast going, but even more importantly, your engagement on the Patreon page and participation in happy hours means the world to us.
• And, most importantly, thank you to all of you who listen, who share, who keep this conversation going. The world is changed one relationship and one conversation at a time, and you all engaging with the conversations we share brings us hope.

ACTION STEPS:

1. Share your favorite episode with someone and have a conversation with them about it.
2. Support our work on Patreon
3. Hit the “follow” button in your podcast app to make sure you don’t miss an episode.

 

We’ll be back in the fall!!

 

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 – @integratedschls on twitter, IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].

We’re proud members of Connectd Podcasts, a network dedicated to helping shows like ours grow and thrive. For more info, or to check out their other amazing shows, head over to their website.

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

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 Do you remember waiting in line at school for square pizza and chocolate milk? This seemingly everyday ritual holds the key to significant and meaningful change within our education system. Today, we delve deep into the fascinating world of The School Lunch Program and its potential for transformative impact.

We’re joined by Dr. Jennifer Gaddis, an associate professor at The University of Wisconsin-Madison, known for her compelling research on school food and the systems and politics surrounding it. With over 30 million students participating in school meal programs daily, we explore the historical context and the challenges faced by these programs, such as dealing with stigma, shame, and access to quality nutrition. Furthermore, we touch on environmental justice and the farm-to-school program, spotlighting the importance of fostering strong relationships between local communities, farmers, and the education sector.

As we tackle labor issues and financial challenges faced by schools in providing scratch cooking options, we also celebrate the inspiring stories of schools and organizations making positive changes in lunch programs across the nation. Ultimately, Dr. Gaddis encourages us all to participate in the school lunch program, as that is the most likely way to create a system that serves all kids, our environment, and food service workers best.

LINKS:

• Dr. Gaddis’s Book – The Labor of Lunch: Why We Need Real Food and Real Jobs in American Public Schools
• Dr. Gaddis’s NYT Op-Ed – Why Are You Still Packing Lunch for Your Kids?
• Dr. Gaddis in The Washington Post – Cooking School Lunches from Scratch Can Fix Labor and Supply Issues
• Dr. Gaddis on Problem Areas with Wyatt Cenac
• Janet Poppendieck – Free For All: Fixing School Food in America
• Susan Levine – School Lunch Politics: The Surprising History of America’s Favorite Welfare Program
• Report from 1968 on lunch programs across the country – Their Daily Bread
• Chef Ann Foundation 
• Food Corps

ACTION STEPS:

1. Talk to your young people about school lunch. What impressions do that have? If they aren’t eating it, what barriers are there?
2. Use the links above to learn more about the school lunch program, and find ways to connect with local advocacy efforts around universal lunch.
3. Find ways to increase your participation in the program, and encourage others to do the same. Even simple steps such as sending a main course, but getting sides, or participation a couple of days a week / month, can have meaningful impacts on the system.
4. Advocate for food service workers, and more scratch cooking in ALL schools.

 

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.

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

We’re proud members of Connectd Podcasts, a network dedicated to helping shows like ours grow and thrive. For more info, or to check out their other amazing shows, head over to their website.

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

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We often talk about school segregation from a racial and /or class perspective, but an equally concerning issue is the segregation of kids based on dis/ability. And while many disabled students are marginalized by our educational system, it is particularly true for students of color. It’s an overdue conversation for us on the podcast, and it’s an important one, because, as the conversation makes clear, all forms of oppression are linked together, and destroying one will require them all to fall.

We are joined for the conversation by Joyner Emrick, a disabled person with two disabled kids, and Shubha Balabaer, a non-disabled parent to a disabled toddler. They both offer insight and vulnerability about a subject that is often hard to talk about. From the choice for person or identity first language, to the medical vs social model of disability, the conversations lives in the nuance of a complicated topic.

We try to ground ourselves in the disability justice movement and its dedication to dismantling systemic oppression. It is clear that the fight for disability rights is inextricably linked to the fight for social justice and equity for all.

LINKS:

• Sins Invalid’s 10 Principals of Disability Justice
• Shelley Moore’s video about “the outside pins”
• Ableism Enables All Forms of Inequity and Hampers All Liberation Efforts– Truthout
• Incarceration and Ableism Go Hand in Hand – Truthout
• Dear Parents Who Want to Keep Their Nonspeaking Children Safe as They Go Out Into the World – Communication First
• A YouTube Playlist of “Lessons in Liberation” an abolitionist toolkit for preK- 12 education.
• Shubha’s incredible zine about their experience
• An episode of Prentis Hemphill’s Finding our Way podcast called “Reclaiming Ugly”
• An episode of the Groundings Podcast on ableism
• More from Shelley Moore on “scaffolding complexity”
• PBS Educators series, The Circle Makers
• You’re Going to Love This Kid!: Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom – Paula Kluth on creating educational spaces that can include everyone
• A helpful guide to person / identify first language from the NIH
• A study on identity vs person first language from autism stakeholders
• Disabled Activist, Imani Barbarin’s website
• Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist – Judy Heumann
• Dr. Susan Faircloth on our show

ACTION STEPS:

1. Normalize asking “What does your body need?” – the answer is never “nothing”, but it might be “all of my needs are being met right now”.
2. Ask if disabled people are involved in the creation of services, curriculum, and other supports for disabled people.
3. Make use of the resources in these show notes.

 

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.

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

We’re proud members of Connectd Podcasts, a network dedicated to helping shows like ours grow and thrive. For more info, or to check out their other amazing shows, head over to their website.

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

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy