Ed's (Not) Dead Podcast - The All Things Education Podcast

Welcome back! The guys are back and just in time for a "year in review" session of the Ed's Not Dead podcast. During this episode, we discuss some of the articles listed below, and begin to touch upon the stories we think will be at the forefront of education news come 2024. Happy New Year! Year in Education 2023 Review January: Seizing on Parents' Frustration, GOP Governors Push for Education Savings Accounts February: Florida Just Became the Nation's Biggest School Choice Laboratory March: Schools Still Pouring Money Into Reading Materials That Teach Kids to Guess  April: Teen Mental Health Crisis Pushes More School Districts to Sue Social Media Giants June: Due Process, Undue Delays: Families Trapped in NYC's Decades-Long Special Ed Bottleneck July: COVID Recovery Has Stalled for Most Students August: New Study: Schools Prioritizing Social-Emotional Learning See Strong Academic Benefits September: ChatGPT Is Landing Kids in the Principal's Office, Survey Finds November: Six Hidden (and Not-So-Hidden) Factors Driving America's Student Absenteeism Crisis   December: Sales Skyrocket for Phone Pouch Company as In-School Bans Spread

For our first official episode of our 7th year on the pod, we welcome veteran Ed's Not Dead guest, Phyllis Fagell on the pod. Phyllis is a licensed clinical professional counselor, certified professional school counselor and journalist. We discuss her most recent book, Middle School Superpowers: Raising Resilient Tweens in Turbulent Times, what's changed since her last appearance on the pod, and what's next for middle school life.  Buy Phyllis' book via her website: https://phyllisfagell.com/ or anywhere you get your books! Follow Phyllis on Twitter https://twitter.com/Pfagell and Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/phyllislfagell/  Big shout out to Tom Siddons at Sleepy Lizard Avocado Farm in Florida! Buy your avocados and mangoes today via his website @  https://www.guacfarm.com/home 

The gang is back...for an hour LOL After a lengthy hiatus due to personal and professional obligations, the dudes are back in force. The dudes discuss the recent Hugh Hewitt piece on banning smartphones in school, catch up on the year in review, talk about summer plans, and what's next for the Ed's Not Dead team (hint: Ed is DEFINITELY not dead)!

The Superintendent Series (Part 2 with Dr. Monifa McKnight) The Series continues with Ed's Not Dead's examination of the courage and lived experiences of school system leaders and the successes and challenges of public school systems. We'll be interviewing three courageous leaders who are leading their school systems to better days after three immensely difficult years. This episode features Dr. Monifa McKnight, Superintendent of the Montgomery County Public School System in Maryland - the 15th largest school system in the nation. Over the last two decades plus Dr. McKnight has served as a classroom teacher, staff development teacher, school based leader and middle school principal, led MCPS's program to develop school-based leaders, deputy superintendent, and now the first African American female superintendent in one of the premier school system's in the nation.

On today's pod, we welcome a very special guest in our Superintendent Series with Dr. Darryl Williams, superintendent of the Baltimore County Public School system. Dr. Williams is a highly experienced and successful educational leader who has held a variety of important roles in public ed: from teacher to principal to superintendent, Dr. Williams has spent 30 plus years improving outcomes for students and we are so excited to have him on the pod! We also discuss Stephanie Saul's piece about the NYU Organic Chemistry professor who was fired after students started a petition and shared their grievances about his teaching and communication styles. Who is to blame? https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/us/nyu-organic-chemistry-petition.html

The dudes have returned with gusto! They talk about the dreaded teacher shortage, teacher certification and degrees, and much more. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/09/13/teacher-requirements-shortage-jobs/ The gang also chats with Scott Joftus, co-founder and president FourPoint Education. FourPoint engages with school systems and leaders in the areas of school and district improvement, system reviews and strategic planning, and leadership development. Joftus is also a member of the Montgomery County, Maryland board of education, the 14th largest school system in the United States.  

How can middle school leaders ease the transition to high school? https://www.k12dive.com/news/how-can-middle-school-leaders-ease-the-transition-to-high-school/625897/ What is most important when planning for transitions between schools, individual grade levels, and what do we know what works in the best interest of kids?

The guys are back from a semi-hiatus, and discuss the awful events from Uvalde, as well as getting up to speed from our last episode.  We also had the pleasure of bringing teacher, and instructional leader Miriam Plotinsky on the show to talk about her new book: Teach More, Hover Less: How to Stop Micromanaging Your Secondary Classroom. https://www.amazon.com/Teach-More-Hover-Less-Micromanaging/dp/1324019875  

It's time for YOUR questions! We picked a whole boot load of questions that you had on your mind about education, schools, edpolicy, the super bowl, and more! Listen and enjoy AND happy new year! NOTE: apologies if this shows up in your feed more than once! We messed up the original audio file! 

It's time for YOUR questions! We picked a whole boot load of questions that you had on your mind about education, schools, edpolicy, the super bowl, and more! Listen and enjoy AND happy new year!

Is Math Racist? Wrong Question: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/12/15/is-math-racist-public-school-pedagogy/ California Moves to Replace Math with Data Science: https://www.educationnext.org/california-moves-to-replace-math-with-data-science-in-the-name-of-equity-and-inclusion/

For a special pre-Thanksgiving episode, the guys discuss Robert Pondiscio's recent piece that disparages Social Emotional Learning / describes it as the new downfall of public education as we know it. https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/not-everyones-board-turning-schooling-therapy For actual facts about SEL and to ensure you are residing in reality, visit CASEL to learn more about what SEL is and what it looks like / sounds like in the classroom: https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/

How much should we be worried about the growing tensions and anger directed at schools and school boards across the country? And ... connected to this discussion: how much should parents have a say about what is taught in schools? Arrest Parents at School Board Meetings?   How much say should parents have in what is taught in schools?

The guys are back for season 5 and they discuss the phasing out of GT programs in the largest school system in the country: New York City and what its impact will have on education. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/08/nyregion/gifted-talented-nyc-schools.html They are also joined by Ed's Not Dead resident historian, Johann Neem, to discuss the individualist fallacy and the future of ed under COVID. Neem is a senior fellow at the University of Virginia's Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture and a professor of history at Western Washington University and the only END 3 Peat Guest!

Casey Siddons, Robby Dodd, and Peter Crable breakdown the implications for schools regarding Erica Dhawan's new piece: Why the hybrid workforce of the future depends on the geriatric millennial Casey Siddons then takes on the interview with Sebastian Turbot, who is the CEO and Chief Curator of eko6, a Canada-based consultancy that guides governments, cities, businesses and civil-society in creating engaging platforms that turn ideas into action.

Peter, Robby, and Casey talk about the Chris Stewart piece: "Yes, America is Racist, no you shouldn't teach my kids if you disagree." https://educationpost.org/yes-america-is-racist-no-you-shouldnt-teach-my-kids-if-you-disagree/ Peter and Casey also interview Adeola Whitney, CEO of Reading Partners, a national nonprofit that mobilizes communities to provide students with the proven, individualized reading support they need to read at grade level by fourth grade.

For our 1st episode as a media partner with the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), we bring on Gregg Behr, who was recently featured on their panel for "How to Build a Learning Ecosystem (https://fb.watch/5oiyeDhZpj/). Gregg is the founder and co-chair of Remake Learning and is also the author of "When You Wonder, You're Learning" Mister Rogers' Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0306874733?tag=hacboogrosit-20)

The dudes discuss Samantha Hedges' new piece in Discourse Magazine: Social Justice Is Now the Fourth Purpose of Public Schools and All Four Are in Conflict: https://www.discoursemagazine.com/culture-and-society/2021/04/21/social-justice-is-now-the-fourth-purpose-of-public-schools-and-all-four-are-in-conflict/ We also interview Robert Pondiscio (@rpondiscio), senior fellow and vice president for external affairs at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute about his new piece in EducationNext: https://www.educationnext.org/can-teaching-be-improved-by-law-twenty-states-measures-reading/   

This is the final episode of the Pandemic Pass mini-series all about how we can best emerge as a school system stronger and better than before. This episode, Siddons is joined by his friend/colleague Serenity Moore to interview the incomparable Zaretta Hammond. Moore and Siddons ask Zaretta about deficit thinking and the premature determination of "learning loss" and much much more!

The dudes discuss the LA Times piece on the "educational mess" we now find ourselves and what it will take to get back. https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-03-23/post-pandemic-educational-mess The guys also interview Dr. Leslie Fenwick who is the dean emeritus of Howard University’s School of Education, about HBCUs, supporting our students of color, and diversifying the teaching workforce across the country.  

For the penultimate episode of the Pandemic Pass series Siddons sit down with Lynne Harris, who is a newly elected board of education member in the 14th largest school district in the nation - Montgomery County Public Schools, right outside the DC Metro Area. They talk about how boards of education could be rethinking education and what our local school systems should be prioritizing upon return to face to face instruction.

Today's topics: * Guns on students' Zoom classroom / bedroom debate. Where is the line between students' privacy, and the safety and well-being of others? * We bring on Dan Reed from www.justupthepike.com to talk about the impact of housing policy and zoning laws on education and the opportunity gaps that students face across the country.

For this third part of The Takeaway, I talk with Joe Feldman, author of Grading for Equity. We discuss how grading practices impact the opportunity gaps that our students of color and our english language learners experience and what he hopes to see in terms of practices on grading and equitable outcomes and about what our schools should look like upon return. Check out Joe's book: https://www.amazon.com/Grading-Equity-Matters-Transform-Classrooms/dp/1506391575

For this next part of The Takeaway, part of the Pandemic Pass series, I bring in the incredible Rick Wormeli. This is Part 1 of 2 on this topic. Rick is the foremost voice on what it means to be an effective teacher, and my go to source for research and beliefs on grading and assessment. Rick takes us through what he hopes will be a major change to our school systems practices on grading and assessment, and what our schools will look like upon return.

This episode, I brought on Phyllis Fagell, author of Middle School Matters (linked below), and a school counselor herself, to talk about the mental health crisis facing our kids and families mid-pandemic and how we move beyond it. https://www.amazon.com/Middle-School-Matters-Beyond-Parents/dp/0738235083

The dudes discuss the passing of the controversial education figure Richard Elmore who once said: "I do not believe in the institutional structure of public schooling anymore". Is this to be believed? https://t.co/ioIk5ltc58 This is intertwined with a piece by Valerie Strauss in the WAPO about how 2 cities in very different states handled the return to school: https://tinyurl.com/m53twsd9 Guests: Dr. Daryl Howard and Phillip Yarbrough from the BOND Project (http://bondeducators.org)

Part 3 of Episode 4 I speak with Dr. Josh Starr - CEO of PDK Int'l (https://kappanonline.org/) and a former superintendent who will give us the granular, on the ground look at how he sees our schools returning, and what systems leaders could be doing to improve our recovery. Check out Dr. Starr's "On Leadership" column via Kappan: https://kappanonline.org/category/col-starr/  

For part 2 of Episode 4, I meet with one of our local state delegates, Jheanelle Wilkins. Jheanelle and I talk about how the state should respond - what legislation should be pursued next, the revolutionary and exciting Black Agenda from the first African American Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, Adrienne Jones, and what should states and localities be doing to attract and retain a more diverse teaching force.

How exactly do we get out of this mess? Part 1 of Episode 4 of Pandemic Pass is w/ Congressman Bobby Scott - Chair of the Ed and Labor committee in the HoR. The 30,000 foot view of how we recover. We talk the CARES Act, the impact on HBCUs, and what else Congress should be doing to help.

This is part 2 of episode 3 - Siddons chats with Dr. Umut Ozek,  Principal Researcher with the Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research Program at the American Institutes for Research. You can find him on twitter @uozek Dr. Özek’s research interests include immigrant students, implementation and consequences of educational accountability, design and effects of school choice programs, and value-added measurement. I honestly couldn’t have found a better guy to talk to as it pertains to Covid, education, and parents. We talk about his experience as a parent - first hand in dealing with the pandemic at home with his own children - Dr. Ozek’s children attend Fairfax County Public Schools -  With over 185,000 students enrolled, FCPS is the largest public school system in Virginia, and the 12th largest in the nation. We also chat about how he views these challenges from his perspective as an immigration and education researcher. Dr. Ozek is an incredibly smart guy and I was so privileged to have him join me - this is part 2 of Episode 3 of Pandemic Pass, Parents and COVID.

This is part 1 of Ep 3, with Leslie Boggs, President of the National Chapter of the PTA. Leslie Boggs is the 56th president of National PTA, the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer child advocacy association. One other mention for Leslie is her priorities that are now more important than ever - As PTA president, Boggs is a huge advocate for more funding for mental health access for students and has pushed for more funding for public schools and to strengthen family engagement for all children. Two things that our schools desperately need right now and in the very near future to recover from this pandemic. 

For episode 2 of Pandemic Pass, I talk to three college students and a high school student about their experiences - Adriana Quinonez, Lupe Lazaro, and Alexia Ferraro all of whom are freshmen at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. For the 2nd part, I speak with Nichele Washington, a senior at John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, Maryland. For both parts, we discuss the challenges and the ups and downs of how this pandemic has impacted them and shaped their world views.

Episode 1 seeks to determine our baseline - where are we now as an education system? Siddons sits down with Des Moines Iowa Public School superintendent, Dr. Thomas Ahart who has been at the helm of DMPS since 2012 and has provided exceptional leadership throughout the COVID19 crisis. He was featured in the WAPO this past fall for his navigation of DMPS in a state governed by a close ally of the now former president. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/09/08/iowa-schools-coronavirus-lawsuit/ 

In season 1 of Pandemic Pass, Casey Siddons looks for how public education will emerge from the pandemic by talking to parents, teachers, students, ed policy makers, and politicians that will lead our way out of this crisis. Siddons takes listeners to all corners of the US through interviews and discussions on what is most important to them. Through his own experience as a classroom teacher, department chair, teacher coach, edu-blogger, and leader and teacher of teachers, Siddons attempts to dissect how public education is suffering under this pandemic, and what it will take to rebuild our public education system.

Last episode of the year - the guys bid adieu to Dear Betsy by ceremoniously going through all of her "accomplishments" as ed secretary: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/12/02/betsy-devos-biden-education-secretary/3781931001/ https://www.npr.org/2020/11/19/936225974/the-legacy-of-education-secretary-betsy-devos Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott has represented Virginia’s third congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1993.  Prior to his service in Congress, he served 15 years in the Virginia General Assembly. Congressman Scott currently serves as the Chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor. In this capacity, he is advancing an agenda that improves equity in education, frees students from the burdens of crippling debt, protects and expands access to affordable health care, ensures workers have a safe workplace where they can earn a living wage free from discrimination, and guarantees seniors have a secure and dignified retirement.  

We Need a Marshall Plan for our Schools Topics: what would we like to see Biden do for education? Two Outsiders Emerge for Ed Secretary And we interview Mr. Greg Cruey, a West Virginia middle school social studies teacher, about his thoughts and his role in the Washington Post piece that featured him: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/teaching-election-west-virginia/2020/11/29/b8e40a38-2b3a-11eb-92b7-6ef17b3fe3b4_story.html And his ideas for school reform / push for local community schools!

The dudes discuss: The merits of free college under a Biden-Harris administration - we discuss the ins and outs of free college based on an EducationNext piece - https://www.educationnext.org/dont-ruin-college-by-making-it-free-threats-quality-innovation/ We also interview Kimberlee Carlile who is the director of Talent Ready Utah. This GOED program helps build the Utah workforce while providing students with increased career and education opportunities. Through the Talent Ready Apprenticeship Connection program, 27 students have been partnered with Switzerland's Stadler Rail to help guide career development. Most recently, the Utah Legislature allocated $16.5 million in CARES act money to establish the ‘Learn & Work In Utah’ program. This initiative includes support for the Utah System of Higher Education’s Custom Fit program and several other workforce training programs to provide education and training to displaced workers.  https://www.talentreadyutah.com/

1. What determines if and how schools reopen? Trump Voters: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/11/10/partisanship-schools-reopening-virus-trump-unions/ 2. We prognosticate for the Biden Administrations' pick for Dear Betsy's replacement. 3. No Senior Year for You! https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/school-to-student-you-took-too-many-courses-no-senior-year-for-you/2020/10/29/b0842c1e-194d-11eb-aeec-b93bcc29a01b_story.html

The Education Revolution Awaits - Tom Friedman: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/opinion/covid-education-work.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage Guest: Dr. Diana D'Amico Pawlewicz is a historian of education and social policy. She is an assistant professor in the Educational Foundations and Research Program at the University of North Dakota. Dr. Pawlewicz’s research explores school policy as social policy and centers on fundamental questions around equity, race, power, and the role of institutions in creating or disrupting inequality. www.DianaDamico.net

The Ed's Not Dead team is back and stronger than ever for the premiere episode of season 4. The dudes discuss: * How is the pandemic "new normal" impacting teaching and learning? * Is college over reliant on social emotional learning and a focus on "mushy gushy" data points? Casey facilitates an amazing quiz between Robby and Peter, where Robby trounces Peter and regains an award of our END quiz show!

We bring back Dr. Johann Neem to discuss his recent piece in USA Today about COVID19 and the threat to our public education institutions as we know them.  https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/07/31/covid-19-and-public-schooling-threat-public-education-column/5521151002/ The gang also discusses a Washington Post opinion piece from a small town Arizona superintendent regarding the challenges of opening up: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08/01/schools-reopening-coronavirus-arizona-superintendent/?arc404=true 

We discuss the Grade-Level Expectations Trap - https://go.shr.lc/3dEB3EI via @Shareaholic Should we be teaching to where students are? Or should we be teaching students based on curriculum and grade-level established expectations? https://www.educationnext.org/grade-level-expectations-trap-how-lockstep-math-lessons-leave-students-behind/ We also interview Former Obama Education Secretary John King about the nationwide systemic challenges the coronavirus is presenting school systems and communities, and what our schools will look like post-COVID19. And as a bonus, we interview prospective MCPS Board of Education member, Sunil Dasgupta about his hopes and expectations for his seat on the Board of the 14th largest school system in the nation.

We discuss David Lopilato's article in Bethesda Beat: "Let's Reconsider How We Do High School": https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/opinion-lets-reconsider-how-we-do-high-school/ What should systems do with regard to standardized testing, antiquated grading systems, and school rankings? Diane Ravitch is a Research Professor of Education at New York University and a historian of education and a former assistant secretary of education under George H.W. Bush. She is the Founder and President of the Network for Public Education (NPE). Diane’s Blog is dianeravitch.com and is a go to for the most current progressive thought pieces in education today.

Using the Valerie Strauss WAPO piece, we discuss the ins and outs of what a return to school will look like while still in the thick of the COVID19 outbreak: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/schools-reopen-fall-coronavirus/2020/04/26/d60e2f62-85b3-11ea-878a-86477a724bdb_story.html We also invite Andy Hargreaves on the show to discuss what he perceives as the major impacts of COVID19 on our education system psyche, as well as his new memoir coming out in June, "Moving."

The dudes discuss the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on schools, families, and communities across the country, chat about the extent to which smarter teachers = smarter students (based on an EducationNext piece by By Eric A. Hanushek, Marc Piopiunik and Simon Wiederhold: https://www.educationnext.org/do-smarter-teachers-make-smarter-students-international-evidence-cognitive-skills-performance/ The dudes also get to interview Lynne Harris. Lynne is a Registered Nurse and educator who is running for the at large seat on the board of Education in Montgomery County Maryland. Lynne is currently a teacher of the Healthcare Professions at Thomas Edison High School of Technology. Prior to being a teacher, Lynne served as the President of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs.

The gang is recording remotely this time due to the ongoing pandemic / COVID 19 issue. The dudes discuss the short and long term impacts of the pandemic on our schools and communities: Assuming that most if not all districts will be out of school for extended amounts of time, what does teaching and learning / school supervision look like from a district and school level? Is online distance learning the way to go for all age groups, including elementary? How much should parents be homeschooling? Try to recreate school day or just do whatever? What is the best way for students to catch up next year on what they have missed this year? We conclude with a Dear Betsy segment: "Betsy DeVos has a problem with numbers" https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/03/07/betsy-devoss-problem-with-numbers/  

Peter, Robby, and Casey begin the show with a dive into presidential politics through a recent Chalkbeat article: The 2020 Cheat Sheet: http://projects.chalkbeat.org/primary-2020/index.html#/candidates How do the current presidential candidates measure up in terms of educational policy platforms - the gang lugs out a Price is Right "spin the wheel" to discuss a variety of ideas within the democratic party. Finally, the gang interviews Natalie Wexler, author of the recently published book: The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System--and How to Fix It. They discuss the worthiness of teaching skills vs content and the observations of elementary classrooms for Natalie's book that drove her to have concerns over our education system.  

We may not have been a podcast for a decade, but we have been discussing what's hot and impactful in education for the better part of a decade. Follow along memory lane with us as we discuss and analyze the biggest education news stories of the past ten years. https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/us/2019/12/20/education-stories-2010s-decade/

NAEP Articles Discussed: https://www.educationnext.org/make-2019-results-nations-report-card/ https://www.the74million.org/a-disturbing-assessment-sagging-reading-scores-particularly-for-eighth-graders-headline-2019s-disappointing-naep-results/ Brookings Institute: The NAEP Proficiency Myth https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2016/06/13/the-naep-proficiency-myth/ NAEP Myths vs Facts: https://www.nagb.gov/content/nagb/assets/documents/publications/a-closer-look-at-naep.pdf Interview Biography: Ricardo Cano covers California education for CalMatters. Ricardo joined CalMatters in September 2018 from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, where he spent three years as the education reporter.

What are the top issues affecting teachers and public education right now? What can be done to strengthen public schools at the federal and state levels? Will there be a tipping point when we, collectively as a nation, make the decision to fully fund our schools? Have we finally jumped the shark with data and value added evaluation systems? What's the next "big thing" in education?