Shows
The Radical BureaucratRB-S3E4--Family, Zionism, and Creative RageSam and Abram discuss Sam's Jewish roots and family members, dip our toes into the history of zionism, and spend some time talking about the creative process.2024-07-221h 21
The Radical BureaucratS3:E3 - For What It's WorthSam and Abram talk about their inability to articulate, the role of art, and they make room for some other voices as we unpack 200 days of atrocities in Palestine. Here are the other voices:
Steven Stills and Buffalo Springfield, creators of the musical theme for our episode, "For What it's Worth"
Amy Goodman, Anchor on Democracy Now
Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health
Naledi Pandor, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor Emeritus of Linguistics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Beth Miller, Political Director, Jewish Voice for Peace
Eva Borgwardt, National Spokesperson...2024-04-2528 minThe Radical BureaucratS3:E2--Unpacking and Making Sense of PalestineSam and Abram unpack what they have been carrying about Palestine, the hopelessness and confusion of it all, and what we are feeling as we face each day's new cycle2024-03-1755 minThe Radical BureaucratS3:E1--Seeking Authentic Dialogue, Building Beloved CommunityWe begin a four part series about breaking silence without damaging relationships and striving to create productive dialogue about current events (like the occupation of Palestine). This episode focuses on the core values we try to sustain while creating these conversations: Humility, Community, and Justice.2024-02-2655 min
The Radical BureaucratBONUS: NYC Schools Chancellor Carranza Steps DownWe talk about the historic transition happening at the very top of the largest public school system in the nation. Chancellor Carranza has been a controversial figure at a pivotal moment in the history of NYC, and Sadye Campoamor and Zakiyah Ansari help us to make sense of this moment.2021-03-101h 04The Radical BureaucratS2:E20--Renato RosaldoRenato Rosaldo is a world-renown anthropologist and the author of four books of poetry. He is also Sam's dad! On this episode he discusses grief and grieving, in the time of COVID-19 and after the death of his wife, and Sam's mother, in 1981. He ends by reading from his book, "The Day of Shelly's Death."2020-05-3145 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E19—Tema Okun, @TemaOkunS2:E19—Tema Okun, @TemaOkun by Abram Guerra and Sam Rosaldo2020-05-0858 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E18--Colin Seale, @ColinESealeS2:E18--Colin Seale, @ColinESeale by Abram Guerra and Sam Rosaldo2020-05-0339 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E17--Jose Luis Vilson, @TheJLV #EducolorWe talk with Jose Luis Vilson, Nationally recognized Harlem educator and all around good guy. He helps us make sense of this moment, and highlights the importance of "grace."2020-04-2833 min
The Radical BureaucratS2:E16--Sam and Abram Make Space for GriefSam and Abram make space to talk about some of the loss that we are all facing, from the death of dear loved ones, to the more trivial losses of work, momentum, or just routine. What does it look like to intentionally dig in on an emotion that we pretty much avoid unless we absolutely have to?2020-04-2549 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E15--Naima Beckles, @ForYourBirthNYCWe talk with Sam's wife about healthcare, the hospital industrial complex, the importance of asking for help, planning, and preparing for birthing, and how things have changes since the COVID shut us down.2020-04-2149 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E14—Dan Honig, Johns Hopkins SAISWe have a sprawling conversation with Dan Honig, who helps us understand what's happening in West Africa and at his temporary Comfy COVID Country Cottage in Madison, Virginia. What does it take to not only make space for bureaucrats to want to rock the boat for the sake of the people, but to also reform and reimagine institution that keep the boat headed on the right course: justice.2020-04-1649 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E13--Radical, Yes. Bureaucrat? Not any more...Abram and Sam chat about two stories of folks who Rocked the Boat and fell out. Who went 'all in' to use a phrase from the Texas Hold-em fad, and lost their job in order to better serve the people that were counting on them.2020-04-1025 minThe Radical BureaucratS1:E12--Janelle Scott, UC BerkeleyS1:E12--Janelle Scott, UC Berkeley by Abram Guerra and Sam Rosaldo2020-04-0437 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E11--Ruben Brosbe, Harlem; @blogsbeWe talk with Harlem educator Ruben Brosbe, on Twitter @brosbe, about the impact of the pandemic, remote learning, tired pedagogies of test prep and 'business as usual,' and the real work of holding space with communities striving to learn and grow together.2020-03-3137 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E10--Sam And Abram DebriefSam and Abram share media (books, articles, music) that has been giving them life over the last few weeks. Happy Friday!2020-03-2835 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E9--Becky Tarlau, Penn StateDr. Rebecca Tarlou shares with us how life has changed for her at Penn State, how she is working locally to organize her neighbors to respond to the crisis, and what we might reimagine in our education and social systems given the current disruption.2020-03-2642 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E8--David Kirkland, NYU Metro CenterWe hear from David Kirkland (@davidekirkland), who leads a community of education justice innovators and movement builders at NYU's "Metro Center" (@metronyu): The Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools.2020-03-2639 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E7--Brian Salter, SeattleS2:E7--Brian Salter, Seattle by Abram Guerra and Sam Rosaldo2020-03-2438 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E6--Jaekun Cho, SeoulWe talk with Jaekun Cho in Seoul about living day by day through the coronavirus pandemic. We appreciated Jaekun's willingness to share his reflections, and how he is understanding his part in the interconnected global whole.2020-03-2335 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E5--Tassika Lloyd, @t_lloyd, Sociologist and VisionaryWe hear from Tassika Lloyd, who shares with us some of the ways her heart is heavy reckoning with (and calling people to reckon with) the ways that they are modeling things right now that are teaching our kids what it means to cope in a crisis. Takissa blew us away with her visionary call for collectivism in this critical chapter of human history.2020-03-2137 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E4--Seth Hanlon, American ProgressWe hear from Seth Hanlon, a veteran wonk and bureaucrat in the seat of the Federal Government. We discuss the challenges of working from home, the 'all hands on deck' environment in DC right now, and what our elected representatives from both parties are coalescing on in terms of economic recovery programming.2020-03-2038 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E3--Genevieve DeBose, LAUSDWe chat with educator, artist, and instructional leader Genevieve DeBose about making time for collective and self care, the social costs of isolation and physical distancing (socially we are still practicing solidarity and love!), and how schools and workplaces are important sources of belonging for students AND workers (AND managers AND leaders).2020-03-1935 minThe Radical BureaucratS2:E2--Toni Smith-Thompson of NYCLUSam and Abram chat with Toni Smith-Thompson, who is working from her NYC apartment as a Community Organizer for the NY Civil Liberties Union (NY State branch of the ACLU). The lockdown won't stop the movement, because we move from a place of purpose. There will be change, mistakes, losses, and grief (which we must take time to process), but there is also our purpose. The decisions we make, the leaders we become at this time of crisis, and the ways that we take action to live out our values—these are the stories our grandchildren will tell about us.2020-03-1732 minThe Radical BureaucratSeason 2! Coronavirus Lockdown with The Radical BureaucratSeason 2 of The Radical Bureaucrat: Now with less editing and polishing, but still made with love. Join us as we try to make sense of living through this unprecedented moment. Questions and Comments via Twitter @RadBureau2020-03-1733 minThe Radical BureaucratS1-E8: "Brazil," the Movie (Season Finale)For the last episode of the season, Sam and Abram invited some friends to watch and discuss Brazil, a surreal film that takes on themes of bureaucracy and alienation. Sam and Abram are joined by Patrick G. Williamson, who works for the NYC Department of Education and produces the podcast 3 Educated Brothas, and Toni Smith-Thompson, who is an organizer for the New York Civil Liberties Union.
In Brazil, protagonist Sam Lowry works for a massive bureaucracy called Central Services, but fantasizes about becoming a “lone wolf” hero who rescues a damsel in distress. It inspires a conversation addressing questions like: What...2019-03-0444 minThe Radical BureaucratS1-E7: If You Want to Go Far, Go Together (Paul Forbes)In this episode, Sam and Abram chat with Paul Forbes while he drives one of his Expanded Success Initiative students to college. The Expanded Success Initiative, which Paul runs, is a New York City Department of Education program that works with Black and Latino boys in high schools to make sure they graduate ready for college and career. Paul’s approach has a strong emphasis on community- and relationship-building.
Process vs. policy is a major theme in this conversation as Paul shares how he works at the school level to build trust in the program among educators and students. The gr...2019-02-0451 minThe Radical BureaucratS1-BONUS: MLK Day 2019A special tribute to the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior.2019-01-2119 minThe Radical BureaucratS1-E6: All About Love (bell hooks)"The Radical Bureaucrat: Love"
When a co-worker cried after a tense phone conversation, Sam started thinking about accountability and human relationships within bureaucracy. Inspired by this incident and by the closeness they’ve built while working on The Radical Bureaucrat, Abram and Sam spend this episode exploring the intersection of love with the bureaucratic workplace. Join a conversation framed around bell hooks’ All About Love in which the guys unpack what love is (and isn’t), what a workplace characterized by love would look like, why the concept of love is taboo, and how that taboo is baked into the system...2019-01-141h 13The Radical BureaucratS1-E5: Cutting School, Listening to Communities (Noliwe Rooks)The Radical Bureaucrat: Noliwe Rooks
At the beginning of her most recent book, Dr. Noliwe Rooks shares a conversation she had over and over with her white, affluent students at Princeton. They called education “the civil rights issue of our time,” and seemed eager and committed to eradicating educational inequity. Rooks quickly noticed that for all their enthusiasm, few of her students had actually visited the underserved schools and neighborhoods they wanted to help or talked to the parents, students, and educators there. When Rooks brought up this type of engagement, they seemed dismissive of the idea that it was even...2018-12-1659 minThe Radical BureaucratS1-E4: Radical Change, the Harvard Way“Is there any way to rock the boat without falling out of it?,” is the central question of Debra Meyerson’s article “Radical Change, the Quiet Way,” which Sam and Abram spend this episode discussing.
Meyerson’s article resonates because it addresses those “tempered radicals” who work to steer institutions toward justice from the middle – meaning without positional power. It’s a topic that forces us to contend with the racist and otherwise oppressive foundations upon which these public institutions, which we perceive as equitable and necessary, were built. Sam and Abram discuss this question of whether to work toward incremental change o...2018-12-0950 min
The Radical BureaucratS1-E3: Dream Boldly, Prioritize the Mission (Vinny Schiraldi)In today’s episode, Sam and Abram chat with Vinny Schiraldi, who oversaw radical changes running Juvenile Corrective Services in Washington, DC. Listen to Vinny explain how, guided by his approach of “acting incrementally while dreaming boldly,” he vastly cut down on institutionalization, abuse, and corruption. The story includes a steady stream of trauma and a lot of patient collaboration.
Topics of conversation include the advocates and bureaucrats with whom Vinny painstakingly reformed the system; how to work with staff who are traumatized by, but also propagate, a toxic status quo; myths and facts about juvenile justice; and how an instit...2018-12-0346 min
The Radical BureaucratS1-E2: Reformer, Revolutionary, or Something Else?What can a viral video of a teacher ripping up an elementary schooler’s book tell us about government regulation and management? In this inaugural recording, Sam and Abram try to unpack some of the arguments and assumptions in Elizabeth Green’s January 2018 article in The Atlantic: “The Charter School Crusader” about Eva Moskowitz and the school system she founded and now leads: Success Academy Charter Schools.
First, we explore the context of the education reform movement in NYC and restructuring of public schools during the Bloomberg era. This gives way to a discussion of the terms revolutionary and radical—which we d...2018-11-2645 min
The Radical BureaucratS1-E1: What are we Talking About HereMichelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, described a scenario in which a person rescues a baby drowning in a river--then another one, then another. How many babies would you have to rescue before walking upstream to address the root cause? How do you continue rescuing babies downstream while you walk upstream?
Fleshing out this and other metaphors, Sam and Abram lay out key concepts and themes they’ll explore in this first reason of The Radical Bureaucrat. Through discussion of articles and books, and interviews with thinkers and changemakers, they’ll explore many questions that follow from the prem...2018-11-1832 minThe Radical BureaucratThe Radical Bureaucrat TrailerThe Radical Bureaucrat trailer, where we briefly preview the coming season.2018-11-1003 min