The Perkins Platform

Join us on Wednesday, March 30 @ 6pm EST for a conversation with Professor Bradley Gorham, PhD, discussing his research and thoughts on how media impacts and influences diverse social groups. Dr. Gorham is Chair of the Communications Department, Director of the Media Studies master’s program, and Interim Director of Global Partnerships at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.  He earned a PhD in Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. His research focuses on how media impact our implicit biases around race and gender, and the subtle ways in which language reveals underlying stereotypes and intergroup bias. He is also a proponent of international education as a way to break down cultural barriers and to increase tolerance and inclusivity.

Join us on Wednesday, March 23 @ 6pm EST for an exciting panel of prominent educators and leaders, sharing their experience on how things are going in schools since the pandemic started. Our panelists include Heather Lechner, Kevin Parkinson, Lakeesha Ramdhanie and Melissa Sweazy.

Heather Lechner is the Executive Director of Education for TFA. Her passion for equity is firmly rooted in a belief that all students should have access to a quality education that cultivates a love of learning through exploration and access to varied opportunities.

Kevin Parkinson is the Principal of Midtown Public Charter School. He lives with his wife and three kids in Jackson, Mississippi, and is a graduate of Columbia University's Summer Principal Academy.

Lakeesha Ramdhanie currently serves as the Head of Schools, Academics for KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools. When not serving the scholars of KIPP Metro Atlanta, Lakeesha loves traveling with her family and frequenting local festivals.

Melissa Sweazy is the Principal of Esmeraldo Santiago School in Chicago, IL.  Melissa is a data-driven leader and is celebrated in Chicago as one of a few leaders who successfully use performance indicators to drive her decisions in her school.

Founding team member and former Chief Clinical Officer of Hurdle, a digital health platform for people of color, Dr. Rufus Tony Spann joins us to share his thoughts on overthinking. Currently, Dr. Spann is a member of the Forbes magazine Health Advisory board. He is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, a Licensed Professional Counselor, yoga teacher, and a Reiki Master. He is the owner of a successful private practice, and he has assisted many therapists of color in receiving their independent licenses. Tune in on Wednesday, March 16 @ 6pm EST!

As Director of the Paulo Freire Institute at the UCLA Graduate School of Education, Dr. Carlos Alberto Torres, joins us to discuss his institute and the present-day relevance of the teaching and philosophy of Professor Freire. Dr. Torres is a professor of Social Sciences and Comparative Education and a political sociologist of education. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he did his undergraduate work in sociology at the Jesuit Universidad del Salvador, in Buenos Aires and holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University.  He has authored 40 books and more than 150 research articles, chapters in books, and entries in encyclopedias in several languages. He has participated in and presented papers and keynote addresses at numerous national and world congresses. His most recent book develops the connections between citizenship, democracy, and multiculturalism in education, with a comparative focus on Canada, the United States, and Latin America. His current research, in the political sociology of education, focuses on the cultural organizational contexts of learning and the tensions resulting from the dialectics of the global and the local in cultural creation in the social sciences in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. Tune in on Wednesday, March 9 @ 6pm EST!

Join us on Wednesday, March 2 @ 6pm EST for an hour-long special conversation.  The first half hour will be with Kalyn Belsha to talk about what she is hearing from educators nationally about the history and political science lessons that are being cut short in fear of punishment for violating policies and laws regarding anti-racism lessons. Kalyn is a national education reporter for Chalkbeat based in Chicago. She previously covered education for The Chicago Reporter, Catalyst Chicago, and the suburban Chicago Tribune. She is a former Spencer Fellow in Education Reporting at Columbia University and has taught journalism at Loyola University Chicago. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.  The 2nd half hour features educator, Dr. Winnie Williams-Hall to share her strategies for thoughtful, responsible conversations on difficult subjects. Williams-Hall is an author/researcher, mentor, restorative justice lead, equity advocate, former case manager and much more. She has and continues to dedicate her life to educating and advocating for youth for over 25 years. She began her career with Chicago Public Schools-CPS in 1996. She worked as a general education teacher before pursuing her real passion- supporting students with learning disabilities.  She has been a member of the Nicholson STEM Academy family for the last ten years+ and believes that middle school is her niche. Dr. Williams-Hall believes that continued education as well as professional development enhances teacher growth. It is for this reason that she decided to earn her doctoral degree in educational leadership with an emphasis on supporting diverse learners beyond high-school. Dr. Williams-Hall believes wholeheartedly in EQUITY and ADVOCACY! So, the work continues! Who says that teachers aren’t ‘SUPER HEROES?

Join us here for our regular radio broadcast stream on Thursday, February 24 @ 5pm EST for an exciting leadership panel and discussion about The School Leader Needed for a Post-Covid World, led by show host, Dr. Brian K. Perkins. This special episode will be broadcasted live from the School District of Philadelphia and with a panel of Philly’s best and brightest. Our panelists include SPA administration and alumni, as well as local, prominent leaders and educators. You also have the opportunity to watch this episode via Instagram Live (Instagram handle: @SPA_NYC_TC).

Vice President of Equity and Innovation at the Institute for Child Success (ICS), Mary C. Garvey, joins us for an important conversation discussing the adultification of black girls. Mary is a native New Yorker who is passionate about building equitable systems and fostering social justice through policy. At ICS, an early childhood research and applied policy organization, Mary leads the organization’s impact investing portfolio and advises on strategies that are in line with the principles of equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Mary has led more than a dozen presentations and trainings on the implicit bias inherent in preschool suspension and expulsion, the danger in the adultification of Black girls, and other barriers to achieving equity in early childhood and beyond. The National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), the South Carolina Summit on Early Childhood, and Clemson University are among those who have invited her to speak. Prior to ICS, Mary worked for National Hemophilia Foundation and PeerForward (formerly College Summit). She has also consulted on projects focused on housing policy, day care compliance, and breakfast in the classroom. Tune in on Wednesday, February 16 @ 6pm EST!

Join us on Wednesday, February 9 @ 6pm EST for an exciting conversation on open-mindedness with Yonason Goldson, director of Ethical Imperatives, LLC.  Yonason works with professionals to create a culture of ethics that builds trust, sparks initiative, and drives productivity.  He is a keynote and TEDx speaker, trainer, coach, and community rabbi, as well as a podcast host, columnist and author, repentant hitchhiker, world traveler, and retired high school teacher in St. Louis. He’s published hundreds of articles applying ancient rabbinic wisdom to the challenges of the modern secular world, and six books, most recently “Grappling with the Gray: an ethical handbook for personal success and business prosperity.”

Join us on Wednesday, February 2 @ 7pm EST for an inspiring conversation with Dr. Nadia Lopez, who opened a school to close a prison. She is pioneering a path of inspired leadership to show the world how underprivileged communities can beat the odds and create positive institutions that have a global impact. As the founder of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, a New York City public school located in Brooklyn, NY, Dr. Lopez’s story became a viral sensation as millions of people around the world became inspired by the positive learning environment, high expectations, and growing success rate at a school right in the middle of one of the most under-served communities in America. She is a best-selling author of The Bridge to Brilliance, international speaker, and award-winning educator who was honored alongside First Lady Michelle Obama with the Black Girls Rock Change Agent Award. She delivered a TED Talk on why she opened a school to close a prison and is currently the Chief Visionary Officer of The Lopez Effect where she provides strategic planning and coaching to leaders and educators, as well as the co-founder of ElevatED BLK, which focuses on sustainability, personal development, and wellness.

Consumer researcher and marketing professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Lan Nguyen Chaplin joins us for a conversation discussing how to disrupt a system that was designed to hold you back. Lan is the youngest of 14 from a Vietnamese refugee family and is a first-generation college graduate. She has 2 decades of experience in higher education and was featured as one of Poets & Quants’ Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professors in the World. She has taught at the University of Minnesota, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Arizona, and Villanova University. Professor Chaplin conducts research in the areas of children’s consumer well-being, materialism, and branding. Her research has been featured in global media outlets such as TIME, Forbes, The New York Times, and Fortune. Professor Chaplin is also the founder of QuanTâm, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that helps low income children feel valued and develop self confidence to take up space. She serves on the Partners Advisory Council at Cradles to Crayons (Chicago), an organization that provides low-income and homeless children daily essentials. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Communities in Schools of Chicago an organization that provides students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Tune in on Wednesday, January 26 @ 6pm EST!