The 180

In his new book, The Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves, Dr. Shawn A. Ginwright provides what he describes as a “roadmap” for people to embody the change they want to see in society. He encourages readers to consider the transformative power of reflection, of considering not only what we do but who we want to be as individuals. That means grappling with trauma, harm and inequality as a critical step toward healing, well-being and ultimately flourishing. In school settings, this means that teachers have to be well enough and self-aware enough themselves to foster the well-being and thriving of the young people they are educating. More on Dr. Ginwright. He is a Professor of Education in the Africana Studies Department and Senior Research Associate at San Francisco State University. He is the Founder and CEO of Flourish Agenda, Inc., a national nonprofit consulting firm which designs strategies for healing and engaging youth of color and adult allies in their schools and communities. From 2018 to 2021, Dr. Ginwright served as Chairman of the Board for The California Endowment. In addition to The Four Pivots, he has written the books Black in School, Hope and Healing in Urban Education and Black Youth Rising. For his outstanding research and work with urban youth, Shawn Ginwright earned a Fulbright Senior Specialist Award from the U.S. State Department. To learn more about how to transform 21st century education using 21st century science, go to turnaroundusa.org.

In her new book The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Children's Lives, and Where We Go Now – a book that is already an Amazon “best of the month” selection – Anya Kamenetz writes that in March 2021, experts in pediatric infectious diseases reported that American youth were experiencing food insecurity, lack of socialization, depression, isolation....and were suffering academically, emotionally, socially and physically. Nonetheless, she laments, "our country has continued failing to put children at the center of our decision making to prevent or remedy these eventualities even though they were foreseen from the very beginning. We did grave harm to children simply by failing to consider their needs at all." Certainly the pandemic has a profound effect on every person around the globe, uprooting routines and cutting us off from vital networks. Teachers and experts Kamenetz interviewed revealed the cascading losses of delayed emotional development, learning loss and social disconnection as schools shifted operations to remote learning. But what about now? Have children – and schools – rebounded? What lessons for learning came out of the pandemic – and how are parents, educators and administrators applying them to everyday teaching? To learn more about how to transform 21st century education using 21st century science, go to turnaroundusa.org.

Today, a special episode of The 180. Dr. Pamela Cantor, founder and senior science advisor for Turnaround for Children, is a guest on a new podcast called The Future of Smart. Pam spoke with Grantmakers for Education's Ulcca Joshi Hansen about new research into youth and adolescent development and what that means for creating learning contexts that truly support and nurture the whole child. It was an outstanding conversation — and we're thrilled to bring it you here. For more on The Future of Smart podcast, go to https://link.chtbl.com/future-of-smart?sid=repost1. To learn more about how to transform 21st century education using 21st century science, go to turnaroundusa.org.

 “The desire to fit in is one of the most powerful, least understood forces in a society.” That's what  Todd Rose writes in his new book, “Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity, and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions.” Todd was our very first guest on this podcast. Three years ago, we talked with him about the idea that the U.S. education system was designed with an assumption that talent existed on a bell curve and that there was one standardized way to develop it. Talent, he argued, is not scarce. It is everywhere. And comparing individuals to averages is wholly misleading. So why does our education system largely continue on its existing path rather than finding new ways to harness each person's unique talents by personalizing learning? In today's conversation, Todd develops this idea further through his exploration of the mismatch between what individuals want and their primal need to align themselves with what they think the groups they are part of desire. More on Todd Rose: He is co-Founder and President of Populace, a think tank that blends thought leadership and original research with public engagement and grassroots advocacy. Previously, Rose was a professor at Harvard, where he founded the Laboratory for the Science of Individuality and served as the director of the Mind, Brain, and Education program. He is the author of two best-selling books, “Dark Horse” and “The End of Average”. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

Our topic today is ripped from the headlines: the war in Ukraine.   The horrifying images of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, on civilians, are everywhere. We see the stories. We hear the pleas for help, for an end to the violence. And so do our children. They internalize what they hear and see. If they feel concerned or worried, they might ask us about it. Of course, they also might not. So how should adults – parents, caregivers, teachers – talk with children about what's happening in Ukraine? Reassure them? What should we say? And is there anything else we can do? Dr. Pamela Cantor can offer guidance. She practiced child and adolescent psychiatry for nearly two decades, specializing in trauma. She is also the founder and senior science advisor of Turnaround for Children, and the author of two books on human potential, the science of learning and development, and educational equity. And on top of all that, I recently learned that she worked in Eastern Europe in the 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union including with Ukrainians and with Russians  who were healthcare professionals. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

In our previous episode, we discussed the national state of emergency in child and adolescent mental health. In the two years since the pandemic hit, young people have around the world have reported increased symptoms of distress, anxiety and depression. These feelings can interfere with focus, learning, friendships and the joys of life.  So how can adults see when a child is struggling and what can they do to help? Renee Prince, a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), is the Director of Mental Health Integration for Turnaround for Children. Renee leverages research and trends in the mental health field to ensure that Turnaround's tools and services are informed by current clinical knowledge of trauma-informed practices. As you'll hear, she also has helped schools build and tailor  three-tier support systems to meet the needs of the young people and families they serve.  For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

It's a national emergency: child and adolescent mental health. The CDC reports that “in May 2020, emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts began to increase among adolescents aged 12–17, especially girls.” And from February to March 2021,  visits for suspected suicide attempts were up 51% for adolescent girls and nearly 4% for boys compared with the same period in 2019. And now, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has released a strongly worded advisory entitled Protecting Youth Mental Health. Here's one excerpt: “The pandemic era's unfathomable number of deaths, pervasive sense of fear, economic instability, and forced physical distancing from loved ones, friends, and communities have exacerbated the unprecedented stresses young people already faced.” So what is it about adolescents and the adolescent brain that has made them particularly vulnerable to pandemic stress. And what can we as teachers, parents, and caregivers do to support them? Dr. Pamela Cantor has helped many young people surmount times of crisis . She practiced child and adolescent psychiatry for nearly two decades, specializing in trauma. She is also the Founder and Senior Science Advisor of Turnaround for Children, and is an author, and thought leader on the science of learning and development and human potential. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

We hear a lot today about the importance of creating equitable learning environments for all children -- providing each child what they need to be successful, which means some might need more than others depending on their starting point. We also hear a lot about  backlash against some of those efforts. So when ideas about equity vary from community to community, how does it get implemented? Does an environment that is equitable for one child necessarily mean it becomes unequitable for another? Where is the balance – and how does it get struck? LaShawn Chatmon is the founding Executive Director and Kathleen Osta is Managing Director of the National Equity Project. NEP works with education leaders nationally on these very questions – helping design and implement community-appropriate approaches to equitable learning. Both have worked in schools – LaShawn as a teacher and leader, Kathleen as a social worker –and, can offer practical guidance on how to build and implement approaches that work. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

In our last conversation, we heard from leaders of the National Equity Project on what it means to create equitable learning environments for all children, providing each child with what they need to be successful. On this episode, we hear from students – two students who are youth advocates for the National Equity Project. What do they say young people need to be successful? How do they view the education system – who do they think it is designed for, and what critical pieces do they see as missing?  Ana De Almeida Amaral is a Stanford University sophomore studying comparative studies in race and ethnicity with a double major in political science. Micah Daniels is a sophomore at the University of Illinois at Chicago, majoring in neuroscience. Both lead and facilitate engagement with students from 18 school districts across the U.S., helping them advocate for equitable learning in their communities. Ana and Micah have a direct line to what American middle and high school students say they want from their educations today - and their ideas for how to get it. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

In our last conversation, Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade – Professor of Latina/o Studies and Race and Resistance Studies at SFSU and Co-Founder of the Roses in Concrete Community School – explained why the purpose of education should be youth wellness. Today, we address the nuts and bolts: Specifically, what can the rest of us learn from Dr. Duncan-Andrade's experience in building East Oakland's Roses in Concrete school and apply to our own situations – as parents, educators, and community members – to rethink and reorient community education? For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade has a way of asking questions about the American public school system that are as precise as they are provocative. One of his questions: “Why do we take children by law from their families at age six for 13 consecutive years for eight hours a day?” The response, he says, should be Youth wellness. Every school, he says, “should make a promise to every family that when you drop your child off to us in the morning and turn your back and walk away, our promise to you is that when you come back and pick them up your child will be more well than when you dropped them off.” He knows that's impossible. But the point for Dr. Duncan-Andrade is that by simply making that promise, our schools have the chance, every day, to own it, apologize, and make it right. And while the goal of wellness might be simple, his remedy to reach it is not: A complete rethink and rebuild of public education, one built through something he calls “community responsiveness.” Dr. Duncan-Andrade – Professor of Latina/o Studies and Race and Resistance Studies at San Francisco State University – also seeks to bring his vision to life through the East Oakland school that he co-founded, the Roses in Concrete Community School, in lectures he delivers around the world, and through his books and numerous journal articles on effective practices in schools. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

Today we continue our conversation with Zaretta Hammond. In part one, Zaretta explained what it means to be a culturally responsive teacher – and why it's necessary not only to stimulate intellectual curiosity, but also move beyond cognitive redlining and transition students to cognitive independence. In part two, Zaretta extends the analysis, outlining practical steps for teachers to become, ideally, personal trainers of cognitive development. And we discuss whether educators should be worried about so-called “learning loss” during the  Covid-19 pandemic or focus instead on what students may have learned away from school? Some background: Hammond is the author of “Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain” and founder of the “Ready 4 Rigor” blog. She is a former English teacher and, for nearly two decades, has worked at the crux of instructional design, professional development, and achieving equity. She is particularly interested in the work teachers must do to help students become the drivers of their own learning. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

This may seem obvious: Students learn best in environments where they feel a sense of safety and belonging – environments that the science of learning and development has shown open up the brain to learning.  But what if children find themselves in spaces, that teacher educator and author Zaretta Hammond calls “inequitable by design?” What is the responsibility for teachers and schools if the obstacle to learning is our educational system itself?  And further, what does it mean to be a culturally responsive teacher – and why is that necessary, not only to stimulate intellectual curiosity, but to move beyond “cognitive redlining” and transition students to “cognitive independence”? Zarretta Hammond is the author of “Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain” and founder of the “Ready 4 Rigor” blog. She is a former English teacher and, for nearly two decades, has worked at the crux of instructional design, professional development, and achieving equity. Hammond's research explores and analyzes the brain functions that inform how we learn and think. And it delves deeply into how students of color would benefit from culturally responsive teaching, and what it means – and doesn't mean – for how educators can help students get ready to tackle the rigorous content necessary to succeed. As you'll hear, it's such thought-provoking conversation that it called for two episodes of this podcast. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

The science of learning and development reveals how academic growth is fueled not just by the acquisition of knowledge, but from dynamic relationships between students, teachers, peers and what they experience. So what experiences can education technology offer to support those relationships and spur engagement and motivation to learn? That's what Newsela seeks to create - by tapping into every child's curiosity in accessible and relevant ways. Newsela offers educators and students access to current news stories no matter their reading level - on everything from the mission to Mars, to the Derek Chauvin trial, to the new pets in the White House. And it seems to be working. A randomized controlled trial study found that students using Newsela twice a week doubled their reading scores compared to students taught reading without the platform. Today, Newsela is in 90% of American schools, serving 37 million students and 2.5 million teachers. EdTech funders have certainly taken notice. Newsela recently announced a $100M Series D investment. So how does it work? For the answer we turned to Dan Cogan-Drew, Newsela's Co-founder and Chief Academic Officer. Dan has worked in education for 25 years, as a public, independent and charter school teacher, and with a focus on integrating digital learning technologies to engage students and accelerate learning. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

How do teachers know how their students are doing? Grades? Grades measure how much students have learned. Attendance? Attendance measures whether they show up. But as the Science of Learning and Development shows, how well children learn depends on how well and how safe they feel. So it's important for educators to have a true picture of the whole child. And, of course, the urgency and challenge to understanding how children are doing has only increased during the pandemic. That's why Turnaround for Children has developed its Well-Being Index. This series of questions helps children describe how they are feeling . By taking these measurements on a regular basis over a period of months, teachers can learn not only what their students might be facing on the inside, but also how to help. How does the Well-Being Index work? Dr. Christina Theokas is Turnaround for Children's Chief Applied Science Officer. She oversees the teams that translate the science of learning and development into resources and tools for educators – including the Well-Being Index and the teams that partner with educators to design schools that are organized to support whole child development and learning. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

In our previous podcast, we heard from Turnaround for Children about how their Well-Being Index was designed and is meant to work. Today, we get hear the details – from the field – about how it works in action. P.S. 340 is a K-5 school in the Bronx, NY. Frankly, it's one of those incredible schools that goes well beyond reading, writing and arithmetic to help students learn and grow. P.S. 340's mission, stated clearly on its website, is to educate the whole child. To do that, the school offers an extraordinary range of programs not only to their students, but also to their families. This year, P.S. 340 is working with Turnaround for Children on a new way to learn about and help their students. They're using the Well-Being Index. This series of questions helps children describe how they are feeling. By regularly taking these measurements over months, teachers can learn not only what their students might be facing on the inside, but also what they might do to help. So how is it going? To find out, we talked with the school's principal, Alexei Nichols, and fifth grade teacher Diana DaCorta. As you'll hear, P.S. 340 is creating something that all schools – and parents – may want to learn from. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

When it comes to learning and thriving during the pandemic, many students have faced one obstacle after another - lack of access to high speed internet and devices, disconnection from teachers and friends, the cancellation of sports, clubs and church choirs.   But where many people see obstacles, Hal Smith sees opportunity.   Smith is Senior Vice President of Education, Youth Development & Health for the National Urban League and leads the organization's programmatic, advocacy, policy and research work in those areas.   Across his career, Smith has focused on issues of educational opportunity, access and excellence for historically underserved communities wherever teaching, learning and development take place.   Which is why, as you'll hear, Smith argues that the pandemic presents the chance to reimagine what school could look like – to seize the moment and try something better – grounded in the science of learning and development. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

Education is among the highest stated priorities right out of the gates for the Biden Administration. Besides the obvious – getting kids and teachers back to school safely and quickly – major challenges remain around what some call “unfinished learning” and others call “learning loss” that have been revealed and exacerbated by the pandemic – as well as enduring and systemic questions of how to address gaps in equity, race, funding, and opportunity… as well as the best ways to integrate lessons from the Science of Learning and Development in reimagining education in America. With each issue so urgent and so connected, how should the Department of Education prioritize them? Further, given our prized system of local school control, what exactly can a federal Department of Education do? To find out, we spoke with Dr. John King, our nation's 10th Secretary of Education who served under President Obama. King has dedicated his career to education. His parents were New York City public school teachers. He taught high school social studies in Puerto Rico and Boston. He served as a middle school principal. Today King is president and CEO of The Education Trust, a nonprofit organization that seeks to identify and close opportunity and achievement gaps, from preschool through college. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

As schools try to determine how best to help students, the challenges, it seems, are everywhere: Health, safety, technology, food security, personal growth, and, of course, learning. Which is what makes learning about EL Education's approach so useful. EL Education guides a network of over 150 public schools in more than 30 states –  helping build schools in low-income communities that send all graduates to college through high student achievement, character and citizenship, while also building teacher capacity through professional coaching, resources and open-source curriculum. But how does it work? And in particular, how are the program's fundamentals helping students, parents, teacher, and administrators maintain learning and growing. To learn more, we spoke with Ron Berger and Laina Cox. Ron is Chief Academic Officer for EL Education, and Laina is Principal at Capital City Public Charter Middle School in Washington D.C. As you'll hear in this part one of our two-part conversation, a lynchpin to EL's success is something called Crew robust advisories that form human connections, and the connections in EL schools form a community. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

Today we continue our conversation with Ron Berger and Laina Cox. Ron is Chief Academic Officer for EL Education, and has been with the group since its founding.Ron is Chief Academic Officer for EL Education, which guides a network of over 150 public schools in more than 30 states – helping build schools in low-income communities that send all graduates to college through high student achievement, character and citizenship, while also building teacher capacity through professional coaching, resources and open-source curriculum.  Laina is one of those educators and administrators who bring EL's vision to life, as Principal at Capital City Public Charter Middle School in Washington D.C. In fact, today's conversation focuses even more in depth on what exactly that means in Laina's school – literally, how they do it. In this conversation, Ron and Laina also take on the question more broadly – looking at learning in America today – and address some of the broader social questions of how learning can and should work in the face of a pandemic, social unrest, and more. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

Today we continue our conversation with Margaret Beale Spencer, the Marshall Field IV Professor of Urban Education at the University of Chicago. In Part 1, Prof. Spencer explained – in powerful narrative – her own history and how her personal path led to the topics central to her life's work: identity, resiliency and competency building within a racially, ethnically and economically diverse society.  Today, we dive deeper into Dr. Spencer's scientific research on human development and ask her for guidance to address the elephant in many rooms today: racism. As kids, faculty, and staff have come back together in their respective school communities they don't necessarily share a sense of urgency about righting – or even addressing – historical wrongs against Black people. Where is the most important place to start? For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

As the new school year begins in the substantial shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, our students face challenges that go beyond making friends and making up for lost time in the classroom – beyond virtual Zoom teaching and hybrid learning. After a summer of protests against systemic racism and police brutality, amid calls for a racial reckoning, many students, parents, and educators are engaging in conversations about race, equality and opportunity, and they may even find themselves discussing what makes some people vulnerable – to Covid, to violence – and what makes others resilient? That's just part of what makes today's conversation with Margaret Beale Spencer so timely. Because human vulnerability, resilience and context are concepts that Prof. Spencer has spent her career studying and addressing. Prof. Spencer is the Marshall Field IV Professor of Urban Education in the department of Comparative Human Development at the University of Chicago. Her career spans more than 30 years during which she has authored well over 100 published articles and chapters. In fact, we found our conversation with Dr. Spencer so meaningful, we are bringing it to you in two parts. This first covers her personal history and the kinds of resources and support that not only fueled her resiliency but informed her work and views.  For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

In our last podcast, we spoke with Diane Tavenner about the path forward: How schools and families should prepare as we all head into the unknown – the launch of the first full school year during the Covid-19 pandemic. Today we talk with Diane again, this time about how she – and the approach to learning that she developed through Summit Public Schools – got here. Like anything else – perhaps even more so – education today requires a blend of the visionary and the practical: We need the extraordinary ideas and insights to reach the seemingly impossible goal of ensuring opportunity for every child… but also the practical paths – the daily steps required to make those opportunities possible. But what should that blend look like? How does it integrate not only a clear focus on academics, but also what's happening beyond the classroom. And how should the crucial teacher, parent and student relationships and responsibilities work together to bring that vision to reality?  Diane answers these questions. And as you'll hear, “opportunity” and “practical” are very important words in her vocabulary. Some background: Diane is the co-founder and CEO of Summit Public Schools, which operates 15 public middle and high schools in California and Washington State. She also serves on the board of T.L.P. Education, the organization helping schools across the U.S. to implement Summit Learning – Summit's personalized approach to education. Before founding Summit, Diane spent ten years as a public school teacher, administrator, and leader in traditional urban and suburban public schools throughout California.  Diane is also the author of “Prepared: What Kids Need for a Fulfilled Life,” which offers “a blueprint for how parents can stop worrying about their children's future and start helping them prepare for it.” One note before we start: This second conversation with Diane was actually our first one together. We recorded this conversation about five months ago – in fact, I open the talk by asking her about a great honor: Bill Gates had recently listed “Prepared” as one of his five holiday recommendations. Unfortunately, just as that conversation was about to post, Covid-19 hit, schools were in turmoil, and we delayed. We're thrilled to finally release it now. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast

As schools and families prepare to head straight into the unknown – the launch of the first full school year during the Covid-19 pandemic – nearly everyone is looking for a roadmap. Not just whether to fully open or go with a hybrid or fully online, but rather how – regardless of where things go – to help kids stay connected, grow, and stay on course. The Summit Schools are a place to look, and Diane Tavenner is one to ask. Diane is the co-founder and CEO of Summit Public Schools, which operates 15 public middle and high schools in California and Washington State. She also serves on the board of T.L.P. Education, the organization helping schools across the U.S. to implement Summit Learning – Summit's personalized approach to education. Before founding Summit, Diane spent 10 years as a public school teacher, administrator, and leader in traditional urban and suburban public schools throughout California.  Diane is also the author of “Prepared: What Kids Need for a Fulfilled Life,” which offers “a blueprint for how parents can stop worrying about their children's future and start helping them prepare for it,” As you'll hear, that personalized approach – one that puts relationships at the center of learning, and leverages a continuous learning platform – was key to navigating the disruptions last spring and maintaining a productive environment. And now, Summit is prepared to do it again. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast.

In the aftermath of George Floyd's death, protests have erupted across the world and deep-seated anger has come to the fore. How can we stand together against discrimination and racism? How can we move forward? And how do we talk to our children about it all? Tami Hill-Washington is an educator with deep experience in the K-12 school system. Today she works at Turnaround for Children, whose work, among many other activities, explores the science and actions around learning, as well as social and emotional well-being. Tami partners with school leaders, helping them develop positive and inclusive learning environments. In this conversation, Tami shares her world views and what it takes to rethink and reimagine our society – and education in particular. She speaks about a world in which we listen, show empathy and embrace others. A world in which we rethink our 20th century education – and where diversity and inclusion are ingrained in our shared values. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast

How can we move forward as a united community? And within that framework, how can teachers help our children? Are they prepared to create safe environments and foster an environment of diversity and inclusion? I now continue my conversation with Tami Hill-Washington, an educator with deep experience in the K-12 school system. Today she works at Turnaround for Children, which explores the science and actions around learning, as well as social and emotional well-being. Tami partners with school leaders, helping them develop positive and inclusive learning environments. In this conversation, Tami explains why she is hopeful – hopeful that we will come together as a nation and in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, whom she references: “That our children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast

As the nationwide, indeed global, protests for police reform continue, the core questions remain: How do we end racial violence? How do we create an equitable playing field where all citizens can prosper and feel safe? I sat down with MenSa Ankh Maa to discuss these questions and more. MenSa is a former principal and consultant to schools on cultural proficiency. Today he is a partnership director at Turnaround for Children and his role is to deliver Turnaround's professional learning series to principals and their leadership teams in DC Public Schools in our nation's capital. As you'll hear, MenSa's perspective and experience – focusing every day on keeping himself and his family safe – just might point a way to some answers. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast

What's next? In this uncertain time, the question impacts nearly every aspect of our lives. But as learning has moved out of schools and into homes – off chalkboards and onto Zoom – the question of “what's next” seems particularly central to our existing approach to education and how kids learn. Few raise these questions – or search more for answers – than Michael Horn. Among other roles, Michael is a senior strategist at Guild Education and is co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation. Michael also serves as an executive editor at Education Next and is the author of Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns, Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools, and most recently, “Choosing College.” From technology to policy to distance learning, does this moment offer opportunities for transformational change or simply greater risks? Does this disruption offer a unique, generational opportunity to rewrite the existing rules? For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast/

As protests, police brutality and the ongoing threat of COVID-19 upend notions of safety and unleash deep-seated fury and grief, stress and worry abound, particular for communities of color. Adults are understandably having difficulty managing their own stress, and they are worried about the effects of all this on their children. A few days before George Floyd suffocated under the weight of a Minneapolis police officer's knee, we spoke with Dr. Sheila Ohlsson Walker about the steps we can take during this unsettling time to be well and even thrive.  Sheila holds various science and teaching positions at Tufts University's Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development; Johns Hopkins School of Education; George Washington University and the University of California, Irvine. Among other roles, she also sits on Turnaround for Children's advisory board. Sheila has spent much of her career researching the intersection of biology and behavior. Most recently, she has written a series of articles for Turnaround called ”Back to Basics” that illuminates how and why a handful of synergistic, simple, and scientifically-grounded lifestyle choices offer protection and fortify mental and physical health for life. As she explains, our bodies and brains are integrated systems. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast/

As protests, police brutality and the ongoing threat of COVID-19 upend notions of safety and unleash deep-seated fury and grief, stress and worry abound, particular for communities of color. Adults are understandably having difficulty managing their own stress, and they are worried about the effects of all this on their children. A few days before George Floyd suffocated under the weight of a Minneapolis police officer's knee, we spoke with Dr. Sheila Ohlsson Walker about the steps we can take during this unsettling time to be well and even thrive.  Sheila holds various science and teaching positions at Tufts University's Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development; Johns Hopkins School of Education; George Washington University and the University of California, Irvine. Among other roles, she also sits on Turnaround for Children's advisory board. Sheila has spent much of her career researching the intersection of biology and behavior. Most recently, she has written a series of articles for Turnaround called ”Back to Basics” that illuminates how and why a handful of synergistic, simple, and scientifically-grounded lifestyle choices offer protection and fortify mental and physical health for life. As she explains, our bodies and brains are integrated systems, and making self-care part of our daily routine – even during the most challenging of times – can provide the stabilizing sense of control that builds resilience. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast/

Wasn't raising a child tough enough already? Now, in the coronavirus age – with schools closed and children learning at home – we suddenly have added an additional challenging role to the mix: teacher. It's a responsibility that comes with no how-to manual, and certainly no 1-800-number to call for help. So what should caregivers know about how to do it? How do they teach when they're also a parent – balance between too much help and too little? And are there practical tips – lessons from science – that parents and caregivers can use to make the experience work for all parties involved? Well, Pamela Cantor, M.D. has some. She is Founder and Senior Science Advisor of Turnaround for Children. And as you'll hear during this episode of Turnaround's podcast, The 180, by focusing on what she calls The Three Rs: Relationships, Routines and Resilience – science can show parents ways not only to help their children learn, but also how we all can come through this period stronger and bet. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast/

The coronavirus is producing a lot of anxiety, stress and worry for everyone. What happens to our bodies when we are under stress? How can parents restore a sense of safety for their children in such trying times? Here are 6 tips from Pamela Cantor, M.D., Turnaround for Children's Founder and Senior Science Advisor, in conversation with host Chris Riback.  To supplement the insights and advice offered by Dr. Cantor on this episode, Turnaround has created a coronavirus pandemic resource page: https://www.turnaroundusa.org/coronavirus/

There are signs that children are under stress that everyone can learn to recognize. But children respond to stress in different ways depending on their individual histories. Here's what to look for according to Pamela Cantor, M.D., Turnaround for Children's Founder and Senior Science Advisor, in a discussion with host Chris Riback.  To supplement the insights and advice offered by Dr. Cantor on this episode, Turnaround has created a coronavirus pandemic resource page: https://www.turnaroundusa.org/coronavirus/

Life as we know it has been upended; schools, churches, theatres, stadiums and businesses closed. Children miss their teachers and their peers and their normal routines. So how are we going to create new ways for young people to be safe, safe physically to be sure, but also emotionally during such stressful times? How can children help? Here are some ideas from Pamela Cantor, M.D., Turnaround for Children's Founder and Senior Science Advisor, in conversation with host Chris Riback.  To supplement the insights and advice offered by Dr. Cantor on this episode, Turnaround has created a coronavirus pandemic resource page: https://www.turnaroundusa.org/coronavirus/  

We know we are supposed to practice social distancing and scrupulous hygiene to protect ourselves and others from coronavirus. But knowing what's right and doing the right thing are not the same, especially when it comes to children. Pamela Cantor, M.D., Turnaround for Children's Founder and Senior Science Advisor, explains why, with host Chris Riback.  To supplement the insights and advice offered by Dr. Cantor on this episode, Turnaround has created a coronavirus pandemic resource page: https://www.turnaroundusa.org/coronavirus/

How to help children know that one day, they and we will be okay again. There are several ways, Pamela Cantor, M.D., Turnaround for Children's Founder and Senior Science Advisor, tells host Chris Riback.  To supplement the insights and advice offered by Dr. Cantor on this episode, Turnaround has created a coronavirus pandemic resource page: https://www.turnaroundusa.org/coronavirus/

Everyone has a super power to help children through this crisis, says Pamela Cantor, M.D., Turnaround for Children's Founder and Senior Science Advisor. To supplement the insights and advice offered by Dr. Cantor on this episode, Turnaround has created a coronavirus pandemic resource page: https://www.turnaroundusa.org/coronavirus/

In this special edition of The 180 Podcast on the coronavirus, host Chris Riback talks with Pamela Cantor, M.D., Turnaround for Children's Founder and Senior Science Advisor, about how to address the fear, stress and disruption caused by the pandemic. A new strain of coronavirus has created a global crisis. Humans never encountered this strain until just a few months ago, so don't have immunity or protective factors against it as with viruses that have been around a long time. There is no vaccine and no medications to treat it, yet. It is also highly contagious and can lead to death, especially among the elderly and those with underlying health conditions. The virus is already straining the capacity of governments and health care systems to confront it. Schools, businesses and borders are closed, and global financial markets are reeling. Americans are being told to stay home in order to be safe. But to provide physical safety, means disruption of the very things that produce emotional safety, namely the human connections everyone needs to feel secure, cope with stress, manage fear, and surmount this crisis. School and college-aged students are being separated from their teachers and friends, a sudden disruption made more acute because so many students depend on their schools for food, health care, and adults they trust. The massive change in the way Americans live, learn and work is the biggest problem for young people today and the adults surrounding and supporting them. So the engineering problem becomes how to create both physical AND emotional safety at the same time for all children.  During this special edition of The 180, Dr. Cantor offers insights and advice on how we can help children and the people who love and care for them weather this unprecedented emergency. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast/

Mention innovation in America, and what comes to mind? Silicon Valley? NASA? Tech firms? Not for Jim Shelton. He thinks: Education. In fact, he wonders: Why, as we learn more about the Science of Learning and Development, shouldn't education – like, say, the military – have a full research & development infrastructure? That thinking has driven Shelton – in the private sector, non-profits and government – on a singular path: Innovating our approach to learning, teaching and educating, and using that innovation to create more opportunity, greater equity, and of course, better student outcomes. Jim served as Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Education under President Obama – a role he took only after overseeing the Office of Innovation, which included managing the government's Investing in Innovation Fund. Before joining the administration, Jim drove education innovation in various roles, including as Program Director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. After leaving, he continued his push, serving as President of Education at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, where he remains as an advisor while pursuing additional ventures. So what does education innovation look like – and how can it take inputs from science and elsewhere to redefine 21st century education? Here's our conversation with Jim Shelton. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast/ 

Race in America is a daily part of nearly every aspect of our lives including, of course, education. And that intersection where race, identity, equity and education all meet – that's where Na'ilah Suad Nasir has dedicated her research, action, and career. Nasir's work centers on what she calls the "racialized and cultural nature of learning and schooling" – in other words, how to consider identity and racial inequality with the goal to advance equitable access to high-quality education. And how, as a result, school districts might rethink a “standardized” approach. Some background: Nasir is President of the Spencer Foundation, the Chicago-based funder of education research. Previously, Nasir was a faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley and served as the university's second Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion. She is the author of numerous publications, including “Racialized Identities: Race and Achievement for African-American Youth” and co-editor of “We Dare Say Love: Supporting Achievement in the Educational Life of Black Boys.” We discussed her philosophy – as well as the practical steps educators – from K-12 and beyond – can apply from the science of learning and development to change the way kids learn. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast/ 

If as the saying goes, learning happens everywhere, how can our community based programs – the ones outside the classroom that serve and engage our children and youth – use the Science of Learning and Development to rethink and redesign what kids do after the end of school bell rings? Karen Pittman just might be the perfect person to ask. Pittman is co-founder, President, and CEO at the Forum for Youth Investment whose mission is simple and daunting: To change the odds that all children and youth are ready for college, work, and life.  Pittman is a globally recognized leader in youth development, launching new organizations and initiatives at virtually every stop. Those stops include the Urban Institute, Children's Defense Fund, and Clinton administration, as well as a stint with retired General Colin Powell to create America's Promise, an umbrella group that connects hundreds of national nonprofits, businesses, community leaders, and more, focused on helping young people succeed. Pittman has won numerous honors, written three books, and was named one of the 25 most influential leaders in after school by the National Afterschool Association.  For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast/

As the Science of Learning and Development becomes better understood – the discoveries that connect how children develop and learn and how their environments can make or break their progress – a next challenge becomes clear: Turning that research into practice. So what exactly will it take from schools in communities and through public policy to make education work for every child in America? Linda Darling-Hammond, to put it mildly, has some ideas. Linda is president and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute and President of the California State Board of Education. She also is Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Emeritus at Stanford University. With many other leadership roles, award-winning books, more than 500 publications and education experience from preschool through higher ed, Darling-Hammond is simply one of this country's leading thinkers and doers in the field. In fact, in 2006 she was named one of the nation's 10 most influential people affecting educational policy, and in 2008 she headed President Obama's education policy transition team. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast/

Today we have much scientific knowledge that didn't exist when many of the systems that serve children, in and out of school, were designed. For example, today we know that talent is not distributed along a bell curve. What if we were to apply this new knowledge in new ways? What untapped potential might we see and unleash? As the global workforce undergoes a once in a century transformation wouldn't it make sense to also reconsider our inputs into that workforce: The way we recognize talent and help all children grow and learn?  Our inaugural conversation is with Todd Rose, director of the Mind, Brain and Education program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he also leads the laboratory for the science of the individual. He's also the co-founder of Populace, a non-partisan think tank dedicated to equipping all people to live fulfilling lives in an open, and thriving society. Rose is author of the End of Average, and most recently, Dark Horse: Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast/

Welcome to The 180, our podcast that explores how to transform 21st century education, how to turn it around using 21st century science. In these conversations, we'll talk with some exceptional people rethinking and redesigning K-through-12 education – how our children should learn – in America. Helping with the introduction: Dr. Pamela Cantor. Pam is Founder and Senior Science Advisor of Turnaround for Children, and she championed this podcast because she sees the promise – the essential opportunities for each child – emerging every day from the science of learning and development. For more information, go to www.turnaroundusa.org/podcast/