Hosts, Andrew, a White dad from Denver, and, Val, a Black mom from North Carolina, dig into topics about race, parenting, and school segregation. With a variety of guests ranging from parents to experts, these conversation strive to live in the nuance of a complicated topic.
Apr 17, 2024
In 2021, 80% of teachers in our country's public schools were White, while just 6% were Black. That same year, 54% of public school students were students of color, and 15% were Black. We also know of the extensive research showing the positive impacts of Black teachers on all kids, but especially on Black kids. However, as we learned last episode from Dr. Leslie Fenwick, we lost over 100,000 Black teachers in the wake of desegregation attempt, and the Black teacher pipeline was crushed through explicit and implicit government action. In 2019, Sharif El-Mekki founded The Center for Black Educator Development to do something about it. With a commitment to the "deeply subversive act of teaching superbly", they are targeting interventions to increase the number of Black teachers so Black and other disenfranchised students can reap the full benefits of a quality public education.
Mr. El-Mekki joins us to discuss his work, and explain how it is rooted in a Black educational tradition that stretches back generations. His teaching and leading is informed by his own upbringing attending a Black freedom school in Philadelphia, his experience as a teacher and school leader, and the teacher activists who poured into him throughout his life.
LINKS:
The Center for Black Educator Development
Philly's 7th Ward - Mr. El-Mekki's blog
The 8 Black Hands Podcast
Reviving the Legacy of the Black Teacher Tradition - Mr. El-Mekki's TED Talk
S10E14 - Jim Crow's Pink Slip with Dr. Leslie Fenwick
Ep 5 - Interview with a Skeptic - Chris Stewart on our show
The Nguzo Saba
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 – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
01:00:36
Apr 03, 2024
Seventeen years after the Brown v Board decision, in 1971, US Senator Walter Mondale chaired a number of Select Committee hearings on Equal Educational Opportunity. One of these hearings focused on what was happening to Black teachers and principals as the country begrudgingly worked to desegregate our schools. The hearing featured testimony and supplemental documentation calling attention to the vast number of Black teachers who were losing their jobs in the Southern, dual-system states. Despite Brown's promise of desegregated schools including faculty and staff in addition to students, districts across the South were finding ways to remove Black teachers and principals, rather than allowing them to teach White kids.
The transcripts from these hearings quite literally fell into Dr. Leslie Fenwick's lap as she began a PhD program in educational policy. The stories they held matched her own lived experience. Stories of highly qualified, highly educated Black teachers who served as community leaders, and fostered a sense of belonging and empowerment among their Black students was what Dr. Fenwick and her parents and grandparents had known. And yet, as she embarked on her PhD program, these stories weren't being told. Eventually, these transcripts would form the primary evidentiary basis for her bestselling 2022 book, Jim Crow's Pink Slip: The Untold Story of Black Principal and Teacher Leadership.
She joins us to talk about the book, her journey to writing it, and what understanding this untold history means for the ongoing quest for more teachers of color.
LINKS:
Jim Crow's Pink Slip: The Untold Story of Black Principal and Teacher Leadership
Transcript for the Senate Select Committee Hearing on the loss of Black Teachers
Dunbar High School - Washington, DC
Sumner Academy of Arts and Science - Kansas City, MO
The Summer of Soul documentary
Whitey On The Moon - Gil Scott-Heron
Sharif El-Mekki - The Center for Black Educator Development
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 – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
01:01:31
Mar 20, 2024
PART 3 of 3
In 1954’s Brown v Board decision, the Supreme Court ruled that separate was inherently unequal. However, the Brown II decision a year later said that fixing our separate education system should happen with “all deliberate speed.” The deliberate speed in most places was glacial, leading many local communities to file law suits demanding action. These local desegregation cases happened across the country following similar patterns, but varying due to local contexts. We are going to dive into several of these local stories in the coming months, and we are starting today with Denver, CO.
In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in Keyes v. Denver Public Schools, requiring Denver to desegregate its schools. This led to 21 years of court ordered desegregation, including through the use of busing. A local educational advocacy organization, Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education, recently hosted an event to commemorate the anniversary and reflect on the promises made at the time of the case, and the ways we have failed to live up to them.
Over the course of three episodes, we will be bringing you audio from that event. Our hope is that by understanding local stories, we can see national themes emerge that may help chart a path forward.
If you have a local story of desegregation to share, let us know! Record a voice memo and email it to podcast@integratedschools.org, or visit Speakpipe.com/integratedschools.
LINKS:
A video of the full event – Integration and Equity in DPS 50 Years After Keyes
Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education’s website – PHNEE.org
The slideshow from the event
Comments from the participants at the event
Pat Pascoe’s book – A Dream of Justice: The Story of Keyes v Denver Public Schools‘
Tomàs Monarrez on our show - S7E4 – Redrawing the Lines: Undoing the History of Segregation
EPIC Youth Theater on our show
S6E2 – EPIC’s “Nothing About Us”: Youth Theater on Integration
S9E10 – Between The Lines: An EPIC Comeback
S5E4 – All I Want for Christmas is 3.5%
Rucker Johnson’s book – Children of The Dream
A visual timeline of the Keyes case prepared by Laura Lefkowits
Andrew on Brother Jeff’s show talking about Integrated Schools and the event
Milliken v Bradley – which includes Justice Thurgood Marshall’s powerful dissent
Our episode with Michelle Adams about the Milliken case
More resources from PHNEE
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 – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
01:00:33
Mar 13, 2024
PART 2 of 3
In 1954's Brown v Board decision, the Supreme Court ruled that separate was inherently unequal. However, the Brown II decision a year later said that fixing our separate education system should happen with "all deliberate speed." The deliberate speed in most places was glacial, leading many local communities to file law suits demanding action. These local desegregation cases happened across the country following similar patterns, but varying due to local contexts. We are going to dive into several of these local stories in the coming months, and we are starting today with Denver, CO.
In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in Keyes v. Denver Public Schools, requiring Denver to desegregate its schools. This led to 21 years of court ordered desegregation, including through the use of busing. A local educational advocacy organization, Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education, recently hosted an event to commemorate the anniversary and reflect on the promises made at the time of the case, and the ways we have failed to live up to them.
Over the next three episodes, we will be bringing you audio from that event. Our hope is that by understanding local stories, we can see national themes emerge that may help chart a path forward.
If you have a local story of desegregation to share, let us know! Record a voice memo and email it to podcast@integratedschools.org, or visit Speakpipe.com/integratedschools.
LINKS:
A video of the full event - Integration and Equity in DPS 50 Years After Keyes
Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education's website - PHNEE.org
The slideshow from the event
Comments from the participants at the event
Pat Pascoe's book - A Dream of Justice: The Story of Keyes v Denver Public Schools'
S5E4 - All I Want for Christmas is 3.5%
Rucker Johnson's book - Children of The Dream
A visual timeline of the Keyes case prepared by Laura Lefkowits
Andrew on Brother Jeff's show talking about Integrated Schools and the event
Milliken v Bradley - which includes Justice Thurgood Marshall's powerful dissent
Our episode with Michelle Adams about the Milliken case
More resources from PHNEE
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 – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
00:59:28
Mar 06, 2024
In 1954's Brown v Board decision, the Supreme Court ruled that separate was inherently unequal. However, the Brown II decision a year later said that fixing our separate education system should happen with "all deliberate speed." The deliberate speed in most places was glacial, leading many local communities to file law suits demanding action. These local desegregation cases happened across the country following similar patterns, but varying due to local contexts. We are going to dive into several of these local stories in the coming months, and we are starting today with Denver, CO.
In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in Keyes v. Denver Public Schools, requiring Denver to desegregate its schools. This led to 21 years of court ordered desegregation, including through the use of busing. A local educational advocacy organization, Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education, recently hosted an event to commemorate the anniversary and reflect on the promises made at the time of the case, and the ways we have failed to live up to them.
Over the next three episodes, we will be bringing you audio from that event. Our hope is that by understanding local stories, we can see national themes emerge that may help chart a path forward.
If you have a local story of desegregation to share, let us know! Record a voice memo and email it to podcast@integratedschools.org, or visit Speakpipe.com/integratedschools.
LINKS:
A video of the full event - Integration and Equity in DPS 50 Years After Keyes
Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education's website - PHNEE.org
The slideshow from the event
Comments from the participants at the event
Pat Pascoe's book - A Dream of Justice: The Story of Keyes v Denver Public Schools
A visual timeline of the Keyes case prepared by Laura Lefkowits
Andrew on Brother Jeff's show talking about Integrated Schools and the event
Milliken v Bradley - which includes Justice Thurgood Marshall's powerful dissent
Our episode with Michelle Adams about the Milliken case
More resources from PHNEE
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 – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
00:35:39
Feb 21, 2024
We are fortunate to have many guests whose work is focused on research, policy, and the broader school integration movement. However, we know that most of our listeners are parents and caregivers, and many of our favorite episodes share the perspectives of those raising kids and making decisions about how to show up in schools, in communities, and in the country. Today's conversation with Jon Tobin (and his wife Amanda) is just that - an exploration of how one family continually finds ways to make decisions that reflect their values, that support their kids, and that work to make the world just a bit more just, everyday. We don't hold these parenting conversations up as THE way to live, but as A way to think about the choices we all make as caregivers. Jon and Amanda have a deep belief in the power of community, in the need to be rooted in place, and the need to invest their resources, time and energy into their community. One of the most powerful ways to do that is through supporting their local school.
LINKS:
Teachers Have It Easy - Dave Eggers
Our founder, Courtney Mykytyn
The Two Tour Pledge
JPB Gerald - Checklists and Merit Badges
WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORIES ABOUT BROWN V BOARD!!
We are working on a series to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Brown v Board decision this May. If you have a story of Brown’s impact on your life, or you have an elder who are you are connected to who might have a story tell, please send them our way!! Record a voice memo and email it to podcast@integratedschools.org, or visit 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.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
00:53:07
Feb 07, 2024
There's a difference between feeling like you belong in a space and that that space belongs to you. That true sense of belonging, of feeling seen and heard and respected in a space, has profound educational impacts. Dr. Shanette Porterhas studied schools that have created that sense of belonging, and found that not only are strictly academic measures improved (test scores, etc), but other benefits come as well. From increased graduation rates, to decreased disciplinary incidents, to increased attendance, schools that focus on creating a sense of belonging do better for the whole child.
Dr. Porter joins us to share some of her findings, as well as a powerful definition of belonging inspired by john a powell- founder of the Othering and Belonging Institute
LINKS:
Dr. Porter's research on how high school climate impacts student development and educational attainment - Investing in Adolescents
An article from Education Next highlighting the link between Social and Emotional Learning and long term success for students
The 74 Million's coverage of some of Dr. Porter's recent research.
john a powell - founder of the Othering and Belonging Institute
WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORIES ABOUT BROWN V BOARD!!We are working on a series to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Brown v Board decision this May. If you have a story of Brown’s impact on your life, or you have an elder who are you are connected to who might have a story tell, please send them our way!! Record a voice memo and email it to podcast@integratedschools.org, or visit 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.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
00:49:03
Jan 24, 2024
Local control of schools is long tradition in the US. The result is a patchwork of over 13,000 local school districts. This creates a challenge for The Federal Department of Education to enact change across the country. Roberto Rodriguez is the Assistant Secretary of Eduction for Planning, Policy, and Evaluation at the US Department of Education, where they recently awarded $10 million of grants through the Fostering Diverse Schools program, a grant designed to supporting voluntary efforts to increase school socioeconomic diversity throughout the country. He joins us to discuss the grant, as well as the Federal government's role in pushing policy forward. He highlights the need for local advocacy to advance important causes. The Department of Education must advocate for good policy, but creates the most meaningful change when partnering with local efforts.
LINKS:
The Fostering Diverse Schools grant program
A list of awardees of the recent Fostering Diverse Schools grants.
Chalkbeat article about the grants recently awarded
Unidos US - where Secretary Rodriguez got his advocacy start
The Bridges Collaborative from The Century Foundation
Our Brown v Board at 65 Series, The Stories We Tell Ourselves, which we revisited three years ago:
S6E8 – BvB@67 – Rucker Johnson Revisited
S6E9 – BvB@67 – Noliwe Rooks Revisited
S6E10 – BvB@67 – Amanda Lewis Revisited
S6E11 – BvB@67 – David Hinojosa Revisited
S6E12 – BvB@67- Greg and Carol Revisited
WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORIES ABOUT BROWN V BOARD!!
We are working on a series to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Brown v Board decision this May. If you have a story of Brown's impact on your life, or you have an elder who are you are connected to who might have a story tell, please send them our way!! Record a voice memo and email it to podcast@integratedschools.org, or visit 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.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
00:39:02
Dec 13, 2023
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 - volunteer@integratedschools.org
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 podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
00:31:03
Nov 29, 2023
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 podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
00:45:05
Nov 15, 2023
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 podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
01:08:53
Nov 01, 2023
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 podcast@integratedschools.org.
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 podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
01:00:34
Oct 18, 2023
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 podcast@integratedschools.org.
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 podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
00:59:51
Oct 04, 2023
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 podcast@integratedschools.org.
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 podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
01:07:49
Sep 20, 2023
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 podcast@integratedschools.org.
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 podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
00:39:07
May 31, 2023
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:
Share your favorite episode with someone and have a conversation with them about it.
Support our work on Patreon
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 podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
00:23:52
May 17, 2023
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:
Talk to your young people about school lunch. What impressions do that have? If they aren't eating it, what barriers are there?
Use the links above to learn more about the school lunch program, and find ways to connect with local advocacy efforts around universal lunch.
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.
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 hello@integratedschools.org.
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.
01:03:53
May 03, 2023
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 mother to an autistic 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
Dr. 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
Dr. Susan Faircloth on our show
ACTION STEPS:
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".
Ask if disabled people are involved in the creation of services, curriculum, and other supports for disabled people.
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 podcast@integratedschools.org.
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.
01:24:17
Apr 19, 2023
The schools conversation happens everywhere - the playground, work events, even in line at the supermarket. However, it is often focused on K-12 education. The pressures of getting your kid into the "right" school, moving somewhere with "good" schools, and playing the system to gain as much advantage as possible, usually revolve around K-12. However, despite the lack of guaranteed preschool in many places across the country, there are plenty of opportunities for families to make decisions that reflect their values and support their communities even for our youngest learners.
In this episode, we dive into the topic of preschool education and the often overlooked issue of segregation. We are joined by Dr. Casey Stockstill, author of the upcoming book False Starts: The Segregated Lives of Preschoolers, to discuss the prevalence and implications of race and class segregation in preschools. The conversation explores our personal experiences and observations, as well as the challenges faced by both children and teachers navigating this complex landscape.
Dr. Stockstill highlights the importance of choosing inclusive and diverse preschool environments that align with our values and contribute towards community-building efforts. We discuss the role of Head Start programs in providing better opportunities for children and how they impact early childhood education. The conversation also addresses teacher-to-student relationships, the challenge of finding mixed-income and racially mixed preschools, and the necessity of community-driven initiatives in early childhood education. Perhaps most importantly, Dr. Stockstill highlights the implications of segregated preschool environments on future learning thought the K-12 experience.
As parents and educators committed to educational equity, we may not always find easy steps or clear answers. Yet, by engaging in such nuanced conversations and making conscious preschool choices, we can play our part in breaking down racial barriers and creating inclusive environments for all children.
LINKS:
Preorder Dr. Stockstill's book - False Starts: The Segregated Lives of Preschoolers
Culture Study interview where we first learned of Dr. Stockstill's work
The “Stuff” of Class: How Property Rules in Preschool Reproduce Class Inequality - article by Dr. Stockstill
Learn more about Head Start
Dr. Brittany Murray on our show - PTA So White
Dr. Jessica Calarco - Negotiating Opportunities: How the Middle Class Secures Advantages in School - for more on how the trends we see in preschool show up in future learning environments
Dr. Susan Faircloth on our show - An Overdue Reckoning on Indigenous Education
ACTION STEPS:
Find ways to support local preschools, even if you aren't directly connected.
Support funding increases, universal access, teacher pay increases, etc. for early childhood education.
Work with local civil organization to find ways to support enriching educational experiences for all preschool kids.
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 hello@integratedschools.org.
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.
01:04:50
Apr 05, 2023
When you think of school safety, it's hard not to think of school shootings. And there is no question that gun violence in schools is tragic, harrowing, and gut wrenching. It shatters our vision of schools as a sanctuary. And yet, gun violence, while way too common, is still exceedingly rare, and there are many ways that kids are harmed in our schools on a daily basis that don't generate the same attention.
Dr. Meg Caven, a passionate educational researcher, focuses on issues of safety and equity in the educational landscape. With particular attention on school discipline and its impact on racial inequity, Dr. Caven's work highlights the importance of addressing social and emotional safety in addition to physical safety. As a queer-identified individual, she draws from her own experiences of freedom and safety in her educational journey to advocate for a more holistic approach to safety in schools.
In this episode, Dr. Caven pushes us beyond the one-dimensional conversation around gun violence in our schools, to consider a broader and more expansive view of what it means to be safe in school. From mental health to emotional health, from protection from bullying and structural violence, from disrupting the school to prison pipeline, she argues that a nuanced, multi-dimensional view of school safety is what is required if we truly care about equity, and want to see schools live up to the ideal of being incubators of democracy.
LINKS:
Dr. Caven's article in Kappan
The Education Development Center
Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum's quote about the smog of racism is from Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria
Ani DiFranco - To The Teeth
News story on a "rapid deploy bullet-proof safe room" for schools
ACTION STEPS:
Expand your idea of safety
Talk to the young people and other caregivers in your life about what it means to feel safe at school
Don't use "safety" as an excuse to not enroll in a particular school
Engage in conversations in your school communities about what I means for kids to feel safe enough to feel free to discover themselves
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 hello@integratedschools.org.
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.
01:04:35