Shows
Courageous Conversations About Our SchoolsThe Extraordinary Transformation of a City and Its Schools—Pt 1When the pandemic struck Reading, Pennsylvania, its school system was already under enormous strain. The Reading School District—the poorest in the state—served 16,000 students, many of whom faced daunting barriers long before COVID arrived. Hundreds were homeless. Thousands stopped showing up to class. Teachers and principals were stretched thin. Community trust was low. And after years of missed opportunities and stalled reforms, many inside and outside the district believed real improvement was impossible.Part 1 of this two-episode series is a story about how that belief began to change.Host Ken Futernick speaks with...
2025-12-0129 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsThe Extraordinary Transformation of a City and Its Schools—Pt. 2In Part 1, we heard how Reading, Pennsylvania, began to turn outward—listening to families, students, and educators to rethink what their school system could be. In Part 2, we see what happened when a new mindset and civic culture shifted from data gathering and healthy conversation to concrete action.Host Ken Futernick and Rich Harwood, founder of the Harwood Institute, return to trace three major initiatives that are reshaping life for students in the Reading School District—and changing how the community relates to its schools.You’ll hear how:A...
2025-12-0133 minCourageous Conversations About Our Schools"30 for Us" is Breaking Bubbles and Bridging Student Divides (Ep 49)What would make someone leave a thirty–year career on Wall Street to help heal America’s divides? In this episode of Courageous Conversations About Our Schools, host Ken Futernick talks with Adam Mizel, former investment banker turned bridge-builder, who co-founded US United to strengthen communities and classrooms through empathy, respect, and dialogue.When George Floyd was killed, Adam found himself shouting at the television—until his wife asked the question that changed everything: “What are you going to do about it?” That moment led him to Sheriff Chris Swanson in Flint, Mic...
2025-10-2838 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsTwo Panelists on Opposite Sides of the Ethnic Studies Debate Want to Continue the Conversation (Ep 48)In a live, online discussion we co-hosted with Braver Angels on September 4th, 2025, eight panelists discussed whether Ethnic Studies should be required for high school graduation, whether such a course should even be offered at all, or whether the content is likely to do more harm than good. Nearly 200 audience members from across the country listened in and posed questions as panelists shared their views and personal experiences, listened, and responded respectfully to audience questions. The conversation was lively, illuminating, and, at times, challenging, but it exemplified the value of civil dialogue when addressing controversial topics like t...
2025-10-0352 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsThe Future of California’s High School Ethnic Studies Course (Ep 47)Should high school students be required to take an Ethnic Studies course? Should such a course even be offered at all, or is the content likely to do more harm than good? These were the questions that a diverse group of panelists discussed in a live, online “fishbowl” discussion we co-hosted with Braver Angels on September 4th, 2025.Nearly 200 audience members from across the country listened in and posed questions as panelists shared their views and personal experiences, listened respectfully, and responded to the audience's questions. The conversation was lively, illuminating, and challenging at times, but it exemplified the...
2025-10-031h 45Courageous Conversations About Our SchoolsAre Your Schools Prepared for ICE Raids? (Ep. 46)In this timely conversation, attorney Leo Tucker shares his expertise on preparing schools and communities for immigration enforcement actions that could separate children from their families. As executive director of Aid (Aiding Survivors of Trafficking and Child Abuse), Tucker has developed a comprehensive, free guide called "Preparing for ICE Raids" that helps schools create rapid response plans to protect vulnerable students.Key highlights:Legal distinctions between "undocumented" vs. "illegal" immigrants and why terminology mattersReal-world examples of Fourth Amendment violations during enforcement actionsPractical strategies for...
2025-09-0432 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsCrossing Divides: How Schools Can Help Close America's Perception Gaps (Ep. 45)In this episode, host Ken Futernick speaks with James Coan, founder of More Like US, along with high school students Landon and Deegan, about perception gaps in American society.James explains how perception gaps are the exaggerated negative views we hold about people with different political beliefs. Research shows Americans across the political spectrum are actually more similar than they realize, but media, social platforms, and political systems often incentivize division.For Landon and Deegan, learning about perception gaps has changed their approach to conversations, making them more willing to listen to different perspectives and...
2025-08-1740 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsWhen "Good Citizens" Disagree: An Educational Historian Weighs in on the Competing Visions for American Schools (Ep. 44)In this Courageous Conversation, host Ken Futernick and Dr. Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor of History of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, delve into the heated debates surrounding American schooling. They explore the historical roots of compulsory education, analyze the recent Supreme Court ruling (Mahmoud v. Taylor) on opt-outs for LGBTQ+-friendly texts, and discuss the rise of unregulated homeschooling. Zimmerman shares concerns about the future of civic education and our ability to bridge divides, offering insights on how to foster courageous conversations in schools.Let us know what...
2025-07-2638 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsBruce Wasser Helped Students Stand Up For Principle. Do We Want More Teachers Like That? (Ep. 43)In this episode, host Ken Futernick sits down with Bruce Wasser, a former history teacher whose life story is as inspiring as his teaching career. Bruce shares his poignant journey from being a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War to becoming a beloved educator who had a profound impact on his students. Listen as Bruce recounts the pivotal moments that shaped his life, including the influence of his high school basketball coach and the challenges he faced in standing up for his beliefs. The episode also features Julia Damer, a former student of Bruce's, who shares her experiences in...
2025-07-0856 min
Teacher StoriesBending the Moral Arc: How One Teacher's Conscience Changed LivesIn this episode, host Ken Futernick sits down with Bruce Wasser, a former history teacher whose life story is as inspiring as his teaching career. Bruce shares his poignant journey from being a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War to becoming a beloved educator who had a profound impact on his students. Listen as Bruce recounts the pivotal moments that shaped his life, including the influence of his high school basketball coach and the challenges he faced in standing up for his beliefs. The episode also features Julia Damer, a former student of Bruce's, who shares her experiences in his...
2025-07-0856 min
Teacher StoriesControlled Chaos: How One Award-Winning Teacher Connects With Students Before Teaching the CurriculumEric Hall, an award-winning elementary school teacher from Northern Michigan, shares a touching story about a fishing trip he took in the dark of night with one of his students.
“That night,” he writes, “we didn't catch a single smelt, but we caught something better, a connection. And honestly, I'd wear that ridiculous headlamp again in a heartbeat, just maybe not next weekend."
“Jerky, Headlamps, and One Loyal Teacher” is a story that reminds us of the importance of building connections with students and being present for them, even in unconventional or unexpected situations.
In his conversation with host Ken Futernick...
2025-06-1325 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsThe Shoe Club: Walking Towards Empathy and Connection in a Michigan School (Ep. 42)This story starts with a bag of shoes that helped a school community heal after the tragic deaths of two students. That story blossomed into a unique project called the “Shoe Club” that fosters empathy and breaks barriers in a Michigan middle school. The founder of the club and guest on this episode is Matt Hamilton, a 2025 Horace Mann and NEA Award-winning teacher from East Jordan Public Schools in Michigan.The Club has gotten national attention with inscribed shoe donations from the likes of Jane Goodall, Michael Jordan, moon-walking astronaut Chalie Duke, Dolly Parton, and a Nobel Peac...
2025-04-1841 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsFrom Hate to Dialogue: A Conversation with Daryl Davis, “Klan Whisperer” (Ep. 41)How many of us would have the courage to have a conversation with someone who hates us? My guest, Daryl Davis, has done just that, not once, but for decades, with members of the Ku Kluz Klan and other hate groups, and many have renounced their ideology after getting to know him. A Black musician, Davis shares his unbelievable story driven by one powerful question: "How can you hate me when you don't even know me?" Prepare to be challenged to rethink how we and our students engage with those who seem the furthest from us. Here a...
2025-04-0756 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsCharacter Education is Essential (and Unavoidable). How To Do It Well (Ep. 39)This episode is part of our series on our sister podcast, Teacher Stories, on what schools can do to help save our democracy. Guests include Dr. Marvin W. Berkowitz, McDonnell Professor of Character Education at the Center for Character Education and Citizenship at the University of Missouri at St. Louis, and Dr. Kashina Bell, Deputy Superintendent for the School District of University City in St. Louis, Missouri. Both talk about character education - what it looks like, how it's done, and why it's vital to our democracy."I think the concept of the common good...
2025-03-2043 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsDemocracies Cannot Survive Without Quality Education. A Conversation with Author Brook Manville (Ep. 40)American democracy cannot survive without well-functioning schools that enable students to become good citizens and that teach them to appreciate what it means to live under a system whose only boss are the people themselves. That’s the claim my guest Brook Manville makes in his new book, The Civic Bargain – How Democracies Survive. In this wide-ranging conversation about civic education, Manville says schools must cultivate “civic friendship,” one of seven conditions that have been present in all democratic societies going back to ancient Greece. “[Civic friendship] does not mean that you agree with everybody or that you necessar...
2025-03-2048 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsThe Transformative Power of Curiosity - A Conversation with Scott Shigeoka (Ep. 38)Curiosity has been a common theme in this podcast. Conflict experts like my guests Amanda Ripley, Monica Guzman, and Peter Coleman say being curious and less judgmental is often a better way out of toxic conflict than making stronger arguments or presenting more facts. And, as we heard from our recent guest, Tim Shriver, it’s a much better alternative than treating one’s adversaries with contempt, which often makes matters worse. “Contempt only makes an enemy for your cause,” he says. But how does curiosity work? How can we be curious about people whose perspectives we reject? W...
2025-02-0843 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsWhy These Students Are Rejecting Contempt and Embracing Dignity (Ep. 37)In our previous episode (Ep. 36), Tim Shriver America’s widening political and social divides are, surprisingly, not due to our differences. “We’ve always had differences,” he says, “Contempt is the problem.” Shriver explains why treating others with dignity is more likely to produce the results we want and why contempt usually does the opposite. He and his colleagues created the Dignity Index to help us recognize the various ways we can regard our adversaries—either with contempt or with dignity. In the current episode, Futernick interviews four college students who are ambassadors for Students for Dignity, an organization...
2025-01-1550 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsGetting Students (and Adults) to Respect One Another’s Dignity - A Conversation with Tim Shriver (Ep. 36)Tim Shriver is a member of the Kennedy family, Chairman of Special Olympics International, co-founder of UNITE, and a former teacher. In this wide-ranging conversation with host Ken Futernick, Shriver describes a tool he co-created called the Dignity Index, and he describes how educators are using it to address our widening political and social divides. “We built it because there's an issue in our culture, in our families, in our homes, and in our schools that we haven't paid that much attention to. And the issue is how we treat each other when we disagree.” The Index is a fram...
2025-01-0454 min
EDC's Week in ReviewDecember 20 Edition of EDC's Week in ReviewWelcome to EDC’s Week in Review, your December 20 edition, here are the top stories:1. **Fatal Fire in Pollock Pines** http://inedc.com/24/news/early-morning-blaze-destroys-travel-trailer-leaving-one-dead/ 2. **Off-Duty Heroes Save Woman in Fire** https://www.facebook.com/EDHFIRE/posts/pfbid02y2v7gYGwvaC8Tt9f4gxznjMF7cYeNDt4mFvRG52sbjWi4sgrGT6v154GrGLj9nGKl 3. **Casino Manager Admits to Embezzlement** https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/former-casino-cage-manager-admits-to-nearly-10k-theft/ 4. **Storm Wreaks Havoc Across the County** https://www.mtdemocrat.com/news/hi...
2024-12-2005 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsSchools Are Abandoning DEI. How a Different Approach Can Preserve It (Ep. 35)School mission statements across the county commonly included language about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. DEI training for educators was also common. But that’s changed in recent years as school culture wars erupted around the books students have access to: how students learn about history, race, and gender identity, and anything that smacks of “woke” ideology. DEI, as perceived by its advocates, is a unifying concept, but because a growing segment of the population perceives it as a divisive, alienating, and controversial, school officials in many districts have stricken DEI language from their mission statements. Many have eliminated DEI personn...
2024-12-1258 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsTeachers Are Afraid to Talk About the 2024 Election (Ep. 34)One would think that schools are the perfect place for students to learn about elections. What better opportunity to use the critical thinking skills they’ve learned in making sense of what the candidates are saying and to distinguish credible information from what they often encounter on social and mainstream media? These skills would certainly serve them well after the election when there are sure to be protests, claims, and counterclaims about election fraud and tampering.However, many teachers said they wouldn’t be discussing the 2024 election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, acco...
2024-10-2741 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsBold, Effective Leadership in Polarized Times - An Illuminating Conversation with Katy Anthes (Ep. 33)This episode will interest anyone interested in what it takes to successfully lead a politically diverse school board (or any such organization) in these highly polarized times. My guest, Dr. Katy Anthes, did just that as Colorado’s Commissioner of Education from 2016 to 2023 by building trust, getting leaders to agree on norms about how they would disagree, and developing a common vision of education that members of her state board could embrace. Rather than avoiding sharp disagreements over questions about standardized testing, state standards, and how history should be taught, she leaned into “healthy conflict”— the kind that is p...
2024-10-2434 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsMeet Aaron Stark - Almost a School Shooter (Ep. 32)Ever wonder what goes on in the mind of a school shooter? Or, why someone chooses to kill innocent people? My guest, Aaron Stark, was ready to commit mass murder but decided, at the last minute, not to follow through with his plan. He also chose not to kill himself. In this episode, you’ll hear Aaron’s harrowing story of abuse, neglect, and trauma, and you’ll find out what it took to prevent yet another tragedy that would have contributed to America’s epidemic of gun violence. There’s no doubt that mental health services are a vital part...
2024-10-1740 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsBetter Mental Health Can Reduce Gun Violence in Schools. Do We Have the Will to Promote It? Part 2 (Ep. 31)One day after interviewing clinical psychologist Hayley Watson for Part 1 of this two-part series about the need for better mental health support in schools, Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia walked onto campus with a military-style rifle and killed two other students and two math teachers. He also injured at least 8 others before he was taken into custody. According to the shooter’s aunt Annie Brown, had been “begging for help from everyone around him.” Colt’s father, who has now been charged with several serious crimes, said that his son was “gett...
2024-09-1126 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsBetter Mental Health Can Reduce Gun Violence in Schools. Do We Have the Will to Promote It? Part 1 (Ep. 30)Immediately following the fatal shooting of two students and two math teachers at Apalachee High School in Georgia, the predictable debate over gun laws ensued. Less prominent were calls for another remedy for school gun violence that can have an immediate impact and, surprisingly, is not politically polarizing: mental health support. Colt Gray, the 14-year-old shooter had been “begging for help from everyone around him,” according to his aunt Annie Brown. It appears he was unable to find it. Unfortunately, students like Gray are not alone. As the need for students’ mental health support has grown...
2024-09-1141 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsRich Harwood Rocks My World! (Ep. 29)Rich Harwood knows a thing or two about depolarizing communities. He’s been doing it—successfully—for over 30 years, which is why I wanted to probe his thinking about the widening divides and the worrisome rise of culture wars that are threatening our public schools.Let me simply say, Rich rocked my world! Despite the extensive reading I’ve done on the subject and the interviews I’ve conducted with several conflict experts, I learned something new about the dynamics of conflict. And, more importantly, I learned some practical strategies one could use to help build stronger, healthier...
2024-07-3051 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsMiddie Rising - A City Unites and Defuses a School Culture War (Ep. 1 of 3)This is the first of three episodes about the unusual steps school leaders in Middletown, Ohio took to defuse tensions over race issues and health policies. These tensions could have led to a full-blown culture war - the kind of knock-down, drag out clashes that have pitted educators, parents, and even students against one another in a growing number of school districts across the country. In this episode you will hear why police had been called in to maintain order at a pivotal school board meeting in 2021. You’ll hear the voices of angry parents accusing Marlon Sty...
2024-07-2021 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsMiddie Rising - A City Unites and Defuses a School Culture War (Ep. 3 of 3)In the final episode of this series, several people reflect on the lessons learned from Middletown’s successful efforts to avoid a costly culture war and to unify around an inclusive vision of education that all of its students. In addition to Middletown’s community leaders who share their takeaways from this story, Amanda Ripley, an internationally recognized expert on conflict, provides powerful insights into the less visible dynamics at play. Trudy Palmer, the Christian Science Monitor’s cover story editor, explains why this story offers “credible hope" for communities looking for tangible ways to unify and discover common ground...
2024-07-2041 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsMiddie Rising - A City Unites and Defuses a School Culture War (Ep. 2 of 3)In this second of three episodes about a culture war simmering in Middletown, Ohio, we learn how Superintendent Styles responds to allegations of racism and violations of students’ rights because of health mandates. Hint: He didn’t fight back. Instead, he listened to his critics. He then asked for help from the community’s “quiet majority,” a group he called “the Positive Gossipers,” and members of the Middletown Area Ministerial Alliance These counterintuitive steps helped to defuse the conflict and ultimately enabled the district to focus on serious challenges affecting student learning. The current administration, the Board recentl...
2024-07-2026 min
Coaching In Session | Mastering Mindset and Personal GrowthBridging Educational Gaps: Transforming Schools and Education with Ken Futernick | Coaching In Session Ep.441In this episode of Coaching In Session, host Michael Rearden sits down with Ken Futernick, an expert in education and schools, to explore the challenges and opportunities in today’s educational landscape. Ken shares his insights on bridging the educational divides and ensuring equitable access to quality education. From innovative teaching methods to systemic changes, discover strategies that are transforming schools and empowering educators. Whether you're an educator, parent, or policy maker, this conversation provides valuable perspectives on how to create a more inclusive and effective educational system. Ken Futern...
2024-05-2452 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsBridging Youth Divides Through Morning Classroom Conversations (Ep. 25)This podcast usually focuses on how adults can have less contentious, more fruitful conversations about schools, but my two guests on this episode have plenty to say about the need to strengthen communication and relationships among young people. In fact, Nina Murphy and Kellie Dromboski (along with Maurice Elias) have written a book on the subject called, Morning Classroom Conversations. They show how devoting just 15 minutes each day for genuine conversation can have significant social, emotional, and academic benefits. By creating “brave spaces” for student conversation, students learn how limiting, even damaging, modern day interactions can be. “Without that perspe...
2024-04-0533 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsPolitics in the Classroom in these Divided Times? Now More Than Ever, says Educator Diana Hess (Ep. 24)It’s April 2024. Polarization in America is at an all-time high, and another highly contentious election season is fast approaching. Fears about teacher bias and the undue influence they might have over their students has raised suspicions among parents and has led several states to restrict what teachers can discuss with their students — like “divisive concepts” or subject matter that might cause students to feel anguish or discomfort because of their race. In response, many teachers now avoid controversial topics for fear they might be fired or lose their teaching licenses. Some have even quit because the restrictions and the susp...
2024-04-0332 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsA Conversation with Daniel Buck-Defender of the Education Culture Wars (Ep. 23)When Daniel Buck’s article, “In Defense of the Education Culture Wars,” appeared in my news feed, I thought, Is this guy kidding? Is he seriously arguing that the culture wars are a good thing for schools? Turns out he was, which made me think, I have to get this guy on my show.Buck agreed to join me, and what you’ll hear in this conversation is him explaining his thesis, my making sure I understood his argument, and then me offering my reasons for believing the opposite - that culture wars, like most wars, usually do far mo...
2024-03-2342 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsDo Discomfort, Anguish, and Divisive Concepts Belong in the Classroom? A Conversation about Free Speech in Public Schools (Ep. 22)Since 2020, nearly 20 states have passed legislation prohibiting public school educators from teaching “divisive concepts” or any content that might cause students to feel “discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress” because of their race or sex. Florida and several other states have also adopted new policies that ban instruction about gender and sexual identity, and teachers who violate these policies can be sued, fired and, in some cases, have their licenses to teach revoked. Critics say these laws violate free speech protections, and participants in this episode say they limit opportunities for students to have civi...
2024-03-0651 min
Outrage Overload: Rethinking politics, division, and media32. We just dig our heels in and make assumptions that are often wrong - Ken FuternickHow Real-Life Communities Are Tackling Tough Topics in EducationIn this episode, we meet Ken Futernick, the host of the podcast "Courageous Conversations About Our Schools." We discuss the importance of dialogue over debate in addressing the culture wars and divisive issues in education. Ken shares his concerns about claims of indoctrination in schools and the banning of books. He emphasizes the need for healthy conflict and listening to different perspectives to find common ground. The conversation explores the role of trust, relationships, and empathy in fostering understanding and depolarization. Through examples and personal experiences...
2024-02-1426 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsWhen Homeschooling Fails Should the Government Step In? (Ep. 21)According to a recent Washington Post article, homeschooling is the fastest growing form of education in America. As many as 2.7 million students are currently being homeschooled. One of my guests, Heidi Sampson, is a veteran homeschooling parent from Maine and a four-term Republican legislator. She concedes that homeschooling is not for everyone but says, “The overwhelming evidence nationally for homeschooling is the fact that there's an opportunity for students to excel.”Another guest, Nicole Doyle, a leader of the Georgia Black Home Educators Network in Georgia, says homeschooling is a form of “resistance” to people who blame Black par...
2023-12-2246 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsA Courageous Conversation with a Transgender Educator (Ep. 20)Most of us have opinions about transgender people and, perhaps, about the controversial policies affecting transgender students - like ones requiring teachers to notify parents if their students are using names that do not match their birth gender. But few of us have ever had a real, in-depth conversation with a transgender person where we have gotten a chance to hear their personal story or their perspectives on policies affecting students.This is why I decided to interview Bobbie Glass, a 72-year old transgender woman from Kentucky who has been an educator for most of...
2023-11-2850 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsBreaking Through - A Compton High School Teacher Discovers a Way to Bridge Toxic Divides - Part 2 (Ep. 19)In Part 2 of this story, high school students and a parent discuss their experiences participating in an innovative program called SEND (Student Empathy Network for Diversity) designed by Compton High School teacher, Jason Morgan, to strengthen relationships among students and parents from different parts of Los Angeles. (Listen to Part 1)Aaron Butler, a recent graduate from a high school in Compton, describes one of the first SEND activities with people from another community. “My mom and my dad came and we all met up and went on this hike. And it was honestly a beautiful experience going up...
2023-09-1656 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsBreaking Through - A Compton High School Teacher Discovers a Way to Bridge Toxic Divides - Part 1 (Ep. 18)In Part 1 of this story, Jason Morgan, a high school math teacher from Compton, California, describes the innovative program he created called SEND (Student Empathy Network for Diversity) that was designed to strengthen relationships among students and parents in different parts of Los Angeles. “I was talking with my neighbor during the height of like the George Floyd, murder,” Mr. Morgan recalls. “And we were talking about how it's gonna be really hard for communities to come together because we don't live with each other…but I thought about how can we bring our youth together in different...
2023-09-1644 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsCan Educators Prevent Racism in Schools? Diverse Perspectives, Lively Conversation (Ep. 17)Racist acts on school campuses are rising fast. Incidents of hate crimes and physical attacks with a weapon nearly doubled between the 2015-16 and 2017-18 school years. In the 2017-18 school year, schools reported nearly 6,000 hate crimes, according to the US Government Accountability Office. These are criminal acts, not what some people refer to as racial micro-aggressions, which by many accounts occur with great regularity in some schools. In this episode, a politically diverse group of guests discuss two provocative questions: 1) What can educators do to prevent racism? and 2) What should they do when it happens? Controversy arises because...
2023-06-1352 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsThe Pushback Against Social Emotional Learning. Where it's Coming from and How it Hurts Children (Part 2 with Stephanie Krauss) (Ep. 16)In part 2 of this episode, host Ken Futernick continues his conversation with author Stephanie Krauss about Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and her new book, Whole Child, Whole Life. They explore the growing pushback from conservative policy organizations, like the American Enterprise Institute, and from parent rights advocates like Stephanie McWilliams who says, “Social Emotional Learning is the latest craze that is taking over our education across our country. It is a program that schools are adopting to shift the school culture and educate what they call the whole child…They assume the role of parents essentially by using brainwashing tech...
2023-06-0124 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsThriving in Turbulent Times: Why Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is Essential (Part 1 with Stephanie Krauss) (Ep. 15)Host Ken Futernick speaks with Stephanie Krauss, author of the new book, Whole Child, Whole Life - 10 Ways to Help Kids Live, Learn, and Thrive. In Part I of this episode, Krauss, a former teacher with years of experience doing social work, explains why she wrote the book and why it’s especially relevant right now for parents and educators.“We're at a moment where young people are experiencing an unprecedented mental health crisis and being impacted in profound emotional ways,” she says. “They have lost so many social health opportunities from multiple years in the pandemic, which has also com...
2023-05-3127 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsThe Latest Culture War Dustup: Balancing Parent Rights With Student Rights (Ep. 14)Host Ken Futernick and his guests strive for civil dialogue around a contentious debate playing out across the country: What rights should parents of public school students have when it comes to what’s taught, the books students have access to, and the policies educators must follow? Ken’s guests, which include parents, a high school student, and two school board members, discuss their views on these related questions: What rights do students have and what if they conflict with parents’ rights? What rights do the people of a state (or of our nation) have when it comes to the ed...
2023-05-151h 17Courageous Conversations About Our SchoolsTaking a Stand Against Antisemitism in Schools (Ep. 13)Antisemitism in America is on the rise. In 2022, the Anti-Defamation League reported a 50% increase in antisemitic acts in schools over the previous year. In this episode, two students from Montgomery County, Maryland discuss the impact of recent antisemitic acts at their high school. One of them, Rachel Barold, was the target of a particularly vile and terrifying incident. Drawing attention from national media, she led a walkout at her school in which hundreds of her classmates and several community leaders called upon district leaders to do more to prevent hateful acts toward Jewish students. Joining them are a parent...
2023-05-031h 04Courageous Conversations About Our SchoolsOvercoming Toxic Polarization in our Schools with Peter Coleman (Ep. 12)Peter Coleman, a renowned expert on constructive conflict resolution, shares valuable insights about the sharp rise of polarization in America and the divisive culture wars that plague our schools. He is the authorof the book, The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization. After decades of political division, Coleman says Americans today are tired of the dysfunction and the toxic conflicts. “The good news,” he says, “is that most Americans - the exhausted majority - are fed up with the craziness…and are ready for something else.”Coleman believes the culture wars in education are partly a function of America’s...
2023-04-0954 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsPolitical Opposites Find Common Ground on Schools, Gender, and Sexuality (Ep. 11)What role should schools play when it comes to gender and sexuality? What books should students have access to? What topics should teachers and students be able to discuss? What kind of support should LGBTQ students be able to expect from their schools? These questions have become the focus of intense debate among parents, educators, students, and policy makers. Not surprisingly, conversations among those who disagree are seldom civil or productive. Board meetings have devolved into war zones, and battle lines are being drawn as parents are being told their rights are being violated. As the culture wars rage...
2023-01-241h 13
Accelerate Your PerformanceBridging Community DividesHow can you work to overcome division, create unity, and strengthen relationships in your district? In this episode of the Accelerate Your Performance podcast, Dr. Janet Pilcher invites Dr. Ed Manansala, County Superintendent of Schools for El Dorado County in California, and Dr. Ken Futernick, writer and educational consultant, to discuss how they worked together to find solutions for these issues. They explain how the Bridging Divides-El Dorado initiative was formed, how they built the conditions for a culture that promotes collaboration across community agencies, and how they improved communication between the public and public officials. ...
2023-01-1635 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsBook Bans Exposed: Who Decides What Students Can Read? (Ep. 10)In 2021-22, 138 school districts in 32 states banned more than 2500 books, affecting close to 4 million students. according to EdWeek. In some cases, books are removed because they are deemed by some to be pornographic. In other cases, book bans were prompted by themes considered inappropriate by local decision-makers. Forty-one percent of the books removed from school libraries last year contained LGBTQ characters. Books with prominent characters of color accounted for 40% of the books banned by local school boards. Can people with opposing views on this highly contentious issue listen to one another, have a civil conversation, and even find some...
2023-01-031h 03Courageous Conversations About Our SchoolsCalming the Culture Wars in our Schools with Journalist Monica Guzman (Ep. 9)In the end, nobody wins the culture wars, says journalist Monica Guzman. The surprising key to overcoming these conflicts is to become curious rather than confrontational — to reframe the us/them confusion with complexity. Guzman also urges us to reject the easy answers — the sense of certainty many of us feel that we have all of the answers and they don’t. Becoming curious means, we must become better listeners. Real listening, Guzman says, demonstrates that we understand and care about what others are thinking. Too often, we’re only interested in conveying what we believe and trying to win argu...
2022-10-3121 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsWeston Brown's Story: A Family and School Tragedy (Ep. 8)Weston Brown was homeschooled in Dallas, Texas and had limited access to the internet, books, television, and the outside world. At age 24, he mustered the courage to tell his parents that he was gay. Their reaction was not unexpected, he said. “They thought that I was mentally ill or demonically possessed.” Brown had no intentions of battling his parents over their anti-LGBTQ views -- until, that is, he viewed a viral video of his mother demanding that a local school board in Texas remove library books that she considered pornographic or that promoted LGBTQ themes. She also urged the Boar...
2022-10-1839 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsForbidden Topics: Are Schools Hiding the Truth from Students? (Ep. 7)Remember the classroom discussions of current events and controversial topics? They were opportunities to learn what was happening in the world, hear opposing perspectives, and formulate our own opinions. Recently, however, several states have passed laws restricting these discussions. In some cases, teachers are forbidden from discussing any issue that might cause students to feel anguish or discomfort. According to a 2022 study by Rand Corporation, “14 states had enacted some kind of state-level restriction on teachers’ ability to engage in classroom conversations about race, racism, and other forms of bias.” That study also found that a significant number of teachers oppose...
2022-10-0659 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsTaming the Culture Wars with Journalist Amanda Ripley (Ep. 6)Best-selling author Amanda Ripley has devoted much of her career studying and writing about conflict. In this interview, Ripley suggests ways to respond to the “conflict entrepreneurs” that are fueling the culture wars in education, and she explains what it will take to shift from “high conflict” – the kind that wreaks havoc on relationships and public discourse -- to “healthy conflict” that schools and all of our public institutions need to thrive.Ripley has written for Time Magazine, The Atlantic, the Washington Post and numerous other publications. Her most recent book is High Conflict – Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out.
2022-09-1841 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsCulture Wars Claim an Educational Hero: The Tragic Departure of Teacher of the Year Willie Carver (Ep. 5)America’s culture wars are driving great teachers out of the classroom, exacerbating a shortage that has reached critical levels in most states. The story of Willie Carver, an English and French high school teacher from Kentucky, is especially tragic. He was selected as the state’s teacher of the year in 2022 and honored recently with 49 other outstanding teachers at the White House. He was beloved by his students and colleagues. But Carver is also an openly gay teacher and the recent hostility toward LGBTQ educators and students simply became too much for him. In this episode Carver explains why...
2022-09-1343 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsGender and Sexual Identity in Schools: A Battle at the Epicenter of the Culture Wars (Ep. 4)SInce 2022 the number of new bills affecting LGBTQ students and how teachers are allowed to talk and teach about issues related to gender and sexual identity have skyrocketed. These bills and the larger question of the school’s role regarding to gender and sexual identity have generated considerable controversy among educators, parents, and the public at large. On one side are those who believe discussions about gender and sexual identity shouldn’t take place in the classroom. This sentiment was reflected in a statement by one of our guests, Meg Kilgannon, who said, “Let equipped parents have these conversations with t...
2022-06-1049 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsHigh School Students Weigh in on Race. Are their Elected Officials Listening? (Ep. 3)High school students on Kentucky’s Student Voice Team discuss findings and recommendations in their report, "Race to Learn." But many of these students are frustrated because some of their recommendations cannot be implemented because of restrictions in new state laws.Let us know what you think with a text message.
2022-05-1439 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsHow Students Learn about Race and Racism is Dividing Our Country (Ep. 2)Never before have Americans been so deeply divided about how history, current events, and controversial issues should be discussed in our public schools. At the center of these debates are questions about race and racism – what exactly students should learn about these concepts, how the concepts should be taught, and what the outcomes should be. The views and political perspectives of our guests vary widely (by design), but the purpose of the conversation is not to debate or argue but rather to have a respectful exchange of ideas, for participants to speak from the heart and to share their ow...
2022-04-2937 minCourageous Conversations About Our SchoolsAre Teachers Really Indoctrinating Students? (Ep. 1)Critics charge that teachers are indoctrinating their students with left-wing ideology on a variety of issues - how history is taught, the books they are allowed to read, and how students learn about gender and sexual identity. In this episode, I ask my guests to define what it means to indoctrinate, say whether it's always wrong, and speculate on its prevalence. Like most polarizing issues, the questions surrounding indoctrination are full of nuance.Let us know what you think with a text message.
2022-04-1345 min
Teacher StoriesPowerful Lessons from Julie Hasson's Collection of Teacher StoriesJulie Hasson and Ken Futernick discuss some of the powerful lessons learned from the teacher stories she writes about in her new book, Safe, Seen, and Stretched - the Remarkable Ways Teachers Shape Students' Lives.
Julie shares an inspiring story about her own teacher, Mrs. Russell, who, Julie says, laid the foundation for everything she has achieved.
Julie also tells the story of an engineering student who recalled what it was like when he and his elementary school classmates first got a chance to play volleyball with the "big kids." They'd hit the ball so hard and it got so rou...
2022-01-1223 min
Teacher StoriesTeaching Restrictions in Texas - A Threat to our Democracy?In June 2021, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill (HB 3979) that restricts what teachers can do in public school classrooms.
Teachers can no longer be required to participate in training about race or sex stereotyping.
Teachers can longer promote the idea that racism or sexism in America is, or has ever been, systemic.
It requires teachers who discuss current events to “explore the topic from contending perspectives without giving deference to any one perspective.”
It prohibits schools from giving academic credit for student’s “political activism, lobbying, or efforts to persuade members of the legislature or executive branch at the federal, state...
2021-08-2532 min
This Week in California EducationAn overdue present from Congress; a site to honor inspiring teachersLeilani Aguinaldo of School Services explains new federal Covid aid for K-12; Teacher Stories website founder Ken Futernick tells how to express gratitude to teachers.
2020-12-2300 min
Teacher StoriesTeaching and Learning During the Pandemic - No Silver Linings for SomeMany of the teacher stories published here about teaching and learning during the pandemic point to silver linings -- positive and often unexpected outcomes that have emerged in the midst of this health crisis. In this episode Ken Futernick, founder of Teacher Stories, says, "We need to hear stories of hope but just as importantly we, especially those of us in a position to make a difference, must hear stories about people--especially children, who face unbearable obstacles--those for whom there are no silver linings." Ken offers suggestions on what many of us can do to make a difference.
2020-06-0511 min