Get Schooled

Domestic violence has significantly increased during COVID-19, but contrary to common misconception, it's a community problem. Each and every one of us has a role to play, as you'll hear from Lauren Pires, who consults with the Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP). Find the full special feature at www.soapboxproject.org/covid

What are teachers and students doing during COVID-19? What are old challenges that have amplified and new ones that have risen, like online predators? Lalo, a teacher from East LA, shares heartwarming stories of students, resilience, and education in America. Find bonus COVID content at http://www.soapboxproject.org/covid.

Victoria Wang used to teach kindergarden for two years. Then, she decided to take a trip around the US. In this episode of Get Schooled, Victoria and Nivi talk about burnout, respecting teachers, and Victoria's podcast, #TeacherLife. 

San Francisco, supposedly the tech capital of the world, doesn’t teach its students computer science - at least not enough. Nivi Achanta interviews Cynthia Chin, the program manager of Mission Bit (https://www.soapboxproject.org/getschooled/missionbit.com) , an SF-based non-profit that provides a free computer science education to public school students. They talk about why tech companies come to SF and don’t hire its own residents, how companies can give back, and one major tangible thing underserved students often lack. Check out https://www.soapboxproject.org for more information.

Are you familiar with the long-lasting affects of summer learning loss, otherwise known as "summer slide"? On this episode of Get Schooled, Nivi Achanta interviews Alec Lee, co-founder of Aim High and recipient of the prestigious Champion of Change award, to discuss what it looks like when you keep underserved kids on a path to success - especially in the summer. They chat about what Aim High does, how they measure success, and what you can do if you care about creating greater educational equity. Check out http://www.soapboxproject.org for more information. Get Schooled is produced by Soapbox Project.

TRIGGER WARNING - Aaron Persky, the judge who gave Brock Turner only 6 months in prison after he sexually assaulted Chanel Miller behind a dumpster and left her unconscious, was hired to coach tennis at Lynbrook High School. A team of activists, including host Nivi Achanta, Mayer Adelberg, Jackie Lin, and Shivani Kavuluru started organizing their community, building websites, starting petitions, and sending emails to get the word out. Within 24 hours of the news of Persky being hired, Lynbrook put out news that he was fired. Learn about the story at www.soapboxproject.org (http://www.soapboxproject.org/) and removepersky.com

 In honor of labor day, we're replaying our January episode about the Los Angeles teacher strikes and the roots of the American labor movement. We learn about one teacher's experience at the front lines, where she thinks they won, and what could have gone better. Find out more on our website at www.soapboxproject.org (https://l.messenger.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.soapboxproject.org%2F&h=AT2aLIBqkYxjG5bdJUWfqvD7cfmGrirjsOFabKaHYbh-9sVu4KpqnwKCApb9jdRifzEZdSJpzswauCr5ZQs5c7Pp0oKKPCw4EW-i9NR2jzVmFxPlGqqqMoJJj-ut1TOhBw4) , where you can also subscribe to our social impact newsletter.

The GIANT Room is an Innovation Hub for children to discover interests, ideate challenges they care to solve, get messy and bring their ideas into reality. Azadeh Jamalian and Jessica Mezei are two educators with PhDs in New York who want to revolutionize how we perceive children, and how they perceive learning and problem solving. They believe that kids will design the future and are working to give them the skills and mentorship they need. 

Galileo Learning's VP of Education, Pamela Briskman, talks about how their summer camp is a powerful program for design thinking and project-based learning - and why these skills are so important to build innovators who want to change the world. Pamela is joined by Mayer Adelberg, a former camper, staff member, and now filmmaker who was hugely influenced by his time at Galileo as a kid.

Today, we get an intimate picture of education in youth prisons and shelters. Nivi interviews Don Ivers, Michael Michel, and Tiffany Lynn, 3 teachers across America with experience in juvenile justice classrooms - they share their stories of job challenges, what people should understand about youth incarceration, and the deep connection between criminal justice and mental health.

Vicki, a protective mother and survivor of domestic abuse, shares her story on how her son's school failed to keep him safe - for over five years. She teaches us about the importance of being trauma aware and investing in resources that allow educators and community members to support children who grow up in violent homes. Check out www.soapboxproject.org/getschooled for more information.

Three teachers across America share what it's actually like to be a teacher, things they wish we knew about their jobs, and how the community can give back. Spoiler alert: it includes being an informed, empathetic, and active citizen. Thanks to Michele Wellington, Ale Checka, and Lana Saykali for sharing your stories!

Nivi Achanta interviews Arjita Sethi, co-founder of Equally, a company whose mission is to give equal education to every student, regardless of their background. Their first initiative is an augmented reality experience called DaVinci Club AR, that lets kids explore, interact with, and learn from the world (and encourages them to look up from their screens)!

The magnitude of Oakland Education Association (OEA)'s victory is bigger than most people know. Oakland public school teachers, who were on strike for a week with 97% of students out of schools, had to overcome three massive challenges: the charter school landscape, mass amounts of private money, and AB 1840, an education finance bill that teachers are calling a state takeover of public education.

On Monday, January 14, 2019, members of the United Teachers Los Angeles union took to the streets. For six days, they went on strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District for better conditions for their schools and their students. Nivi interviews Maya Suzuki Daniels, a teacher at San Pedro High School, who participated in the strike. They discuss education, resource shortages, and the importance of paying attention.

What happens to high school students when a deadly wildfire burns through their town and everything in its wake? Nivi goes up to Butte County a month after the devastating 2018 Camp Fire to discuss the systemic public education issues that have always existed in Paradise. Now, with the national spotlight on Northern California, those challenges are out in the open for everyone to see, and hopefully, learn from. Tune in for an interview with Doria Charlson about Campanile College Admissions Counseling and their push to help Paradise High School students attend college, against all odds.

How much does America spend on education? Nivi sets out to answer this question in a bite-sized episode and let Get Schooled listeners know the facts about how our schools are funded. For more information, visit www.soapboxproject.org/getschooledepisodes. Happy snack time!

Nivi gets the inside scoop from Lana about what it's like to be a first-year teacher. Join the Get Schooled team in a wild journey following teachers from around the country - you'll hear about the horrors and the highs and how you can support teachers in your community.

Welcome to Get Schooled, a show about American education.