Shows
Never Close the InquiryK-12 Education Expert Karen Vaites On Reversing America’s Decline in Reading AchievementEpisode 28 - K-12 Education Expert Karen Vaites On Reversing America’s Decline in Reading AchievementSince 1969, the National Assessment Governing Board has been conducting the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)—the “Nation’s Report Card”. In 2024, fourth grade reading scores hit their lowest mark in 20 years, with 40% of tested students scoring “below NAEP basic”; eighth grade reading scores hit their lowest mark ever, with 33% of tested students scoring below basic. Some of the blame for the low scores goes to the pandemic: from 2019 to 2024, 49 of 50 states lost ground in reading achievement, with Maine students leading the pack by droppi...2025-06-171h 00
The Reason RoundtableArtificial Intelligence Is Making Everything WeirdThis week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is already reshaping jobs, education, politics, and personal identity—sharing examples from scam calls and students cheating to Darth Vader swearing in Fortnite. The panel also discusses how Democrats are failing to attract young men, no matter how much money they spend. Finally, they examine President Donald Trump's latest trade policy contradictions from the past week.
0:32—What is one way AI has made life weird?
3:08—Writing with AI is about to get a lot weirder
9:12—Excitement and fear abo...2025-06-021h 07
Bajada DialoguesKaren VaitesKaren Vaites, a children's literacy advocate, discusses the current state of education, the role of media, and the importance of early literacy. She highlights the decline in education reporting and the impact of political discourse on public trust in schools. Vaites emphasizes the need for effective literacy strategies, particularly in states that have shown improvement, and offers practical advice for parents to foster literacy in their children.Karen and Jason explores the profound impact of early musical exposure on children's development, the importance of unlocking their potential through diverse learning experiences, and the challenges posed by...2025-05-1341 min
Getting HammeredThe Southern Surge: The Untold Hopeful Story on Literacy, with Karen VaitesKaren Vaites, a curriculum expert and open-schools advocate from Covid days highlights the bright spots in the NAEP national report card in literacy in perhaps surprising places— Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama. We talk how they did it, with LA and MS going from absolute bottom of the pack to 1 and 2 in results for underprivileged kids. It’s inspiring! Why isn’t it being covered more by national media? Listen and pass it on!Follow Karen on her platforms:@karenvaites on XSchool Yourself on Substack2025-04-2346 min
Toronto Today with Greg BradyAUGUST 15: Toronto woman’s concerns about homelessness and addiction issues in her neighbourhood. Mandating ride-share drivers to switch to emission free vehicles in about 6 years time. Concerns with increased screen time for younger kids.Greg Brady (@GregBradyTO) focuses in on a Toronto woman’s concerns about homelessness and addiction issues in her neighbourhood – she’s reached out to Mayor Olivia Chow and her local councillor – several times – and no luck with addressing the issue with city hall.. We speak with Nikki Bettinelli about what she’s seeing in her neighbourhood.Next, Kristine Hubbard, Operations Manager at Beck Taxi, about mandating ride-share drivers to switch to emission free vehicles in about 6 years time … has the city overstepped their boundaries by putting forward this requirement? The timeline seems impossible.. what does Kristine think? We find out.2024-08-1520 min
Passle CMO Series PodcastCMO Series REPRESENTS - Inspiring Inclusion: Promoting a Culture of Recognition from the TopTo celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day 2024, we invite you to join us as we talk with marketing and business development leaders from the world’s best law and professional services firms.
This special episode of CMO Series REPRESENTS shines a light on leaders as they share their personal stories, best practices and the inspirational people who have influenced their career journeys and inspired inclusion in their firms.
Join us for part one of this special series, as we uncover the transformative power of recognition and role modelling in fostering a culture...2024-03-0637 min
The Education Gadfly ShowA view from the frontlines of the reopening wars - 03/03/21On this week’s podcast, education policy wonk Karen Vaites joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss her experience leading a return-to-school movement in New York City. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how the admissions policies of Boston’s exam schools affect racial diversity.2021-03-0325 min
Melissa & Lori Love Literacy ™Ep. 20: Karen Vaites Brags about BaltimoreIn this episode, Karen Vaites and Janise Lane unpack a recent visit to see Wit & Wisdom's high quality curricula in action Baltimore City Public Schools. After the visit, Karen posted this blog. It's a must-read! Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebookToday is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT...2020-01-1024 minMelissa & Lori Love Literacy ™Ep. 15: Addressing Assumptions about Curriculum with Catlin GoodrowCatlin Goodrow, consultant at Evidently Reading, addresses common assumptions teachers and leaders have about high-quality curricula. Why aren't more districts, schools, and teachers using high-quality curricula? We debunk these assumptions in this episode! A central curriculum is boring/irrelevant.Providing a curriculum disrespects teacher expertise.Common Core-aligned curricula are "too rigorous" for our struggling readers.Find Catlin on Twitter @EvidentlyR & keep up with her blog posts here! Visit Tim Shanahan’s blog for more information on so many topics related to this!Follow Karen Vai...2019-10-2547 min
The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast124: A Closer Look at Open Educational ResourcesOERs have gotten really good over the last few years, but in order to steer clear of the crap, you have to know where to look. In this episode, I interview curriculum evangelist Karen Vaites about where teachers can go to find outstanding materials—from single-use resources to full-year curricula—that are 100% free.2019-06-2434 min
The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast124: A Closer Look at Open Educational ResourcesOERs have gotten really good over the last few years, but in order to steer clear of the crap, you have to know where to look. In this episode, I interview curriculum evangelist Karen Vaites about where teachers can go to find outstanding materials—from single-use resources to full-year curricula—that are 100% free.2019-06-2434 min