Jon Moscow

Transcription of the episode “Supporting Black and Indigenous educators: Creatively developing community in Washington state”

[00:00:15] Jon M: I’m Jon Moscow. [00:00:16] Amy H-L: And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Our guest today is Danielle Bryant, Director of Equity at Capital Region Educational Service, District 113, in Washington State. Welcome, Danielle.  [00:00:28] Danielle B: Thank you for having me. [00:00:30] Jon M: What is an educational service district, and what’s its relationship…

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Supporting Black and Indigenous educators: Creatively developing community in Washington state

We speak with Danielle Bryant, Director of Equity at Capital Region Educational Service District 113. Ms Bryant helps to break down isolation of Black educators and supports Indigenous educators and schools on reservations. A District program facilitates paraeducators becoming certified teachers.

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Rebuilding the Black teacher pipeline: Advancing justice and academic outcomes

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  [00:00:16] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Our guests today are Ansharaye Hines, Assistant Director of Career and Technical Education and Curriculum at the Center for Black Educator Development, and Mimi McKee, Director of External Relations at the Center. We’ll be talking with Ms. Hines and Ms. McKee about…

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Rebuilding the Black teacher pipeline: Advancing justice and academic outcomes

Ansharaye Hines and Mimi McKee of the Center for Black Educator Development discuss how the presence of highly qualified Black teachers supports students’ educational success. The Center advocates for educational equity and provides multiple teaching pathways to encourage and support Black high school and university students to become teachers.

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Transcription of the episode “SATs and the illusion of fairness”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff,  [00:00:16] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Harry Feder, executive director of FairTest, a nonprofit that advocates for equitable and transparent educational testing. Harry came to FairTest after a long career in public education in New York City as both teacher…

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SATs and the illusion of fairness

We speak with Harry Feder of FairTest, an organization that advocates for fair and open testing, about the reinstitution of standardized test requirements at some “Ivy Plus” colleges, and why it matters. We discuss how testing choices affect inclusion and exclusion in admissions and what most non-“Ivy Plus” schools do. In a follow-up interview with Harry Feder, we will discuss standardized tests in K-12 schools.

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What Would YOU do? Walling Out or Welcoming In?

What boundaries should a school set on student speech, if any, in order to foster social-emotional learning, civil discourse, and friendship among students? How might they hold themselves and their students accountable for upholding school values, even when they are not reflected on the national political landscape? We invite you to watch the 3rd episode…

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Transcription of the episode “Enriching student life: Art for all”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  [00:00:16] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guests today are Michelle Vitale and Dr. Andrea Siegel of Hudson County Community College in Jersey City. Ms. Vitale is Director of Cultural Affairs for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Curator, Benjamin J. Dineen III and Dennis…

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Enriching student life: Art for all

We speak with Dr. Andrea Siegel and Michelle Vitale of Hudson County Community College about the ways they bring art into students’ everyday lives. They’ve assembled a multi-ethnic art collection which is displayed on rotation in the galleries and hallways. Living with art is new to many of the students, who are often the first generation in their families to go to college. Our guests tell their own stories about their parents’ reactions to their choosing to become artists.

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What’s real and who/what matters: Sentientism in schools

We speak with Jamie Woodhouse, UK educator and thought leader on sentientism. An ethical worldview informed by evidence, reason, and compassion, sentientism prioritizes the well-being of humans and animals other than human. We discuss strategies for introducing sentientism in the classroom, the questions students ask, and ways teachers can incorporate sentientism in the curriculum.

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Transcription of the episode “What’s real and who/what matters: Sentientism in schools”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  [00:00:16] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Jamie Woodhouse, host of the Sentientism Podcast and YouTube channel, and a frequent lecturer in schools across the United Kingdom. Welcome, Jamie.  [00:00:28] Jamie W: It’s a pleasure to be here. I’m a long-term…

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Transcription of the episode > Celebrating students’ “superpowers”: What tests can’t measure

[00:00:14] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  [00:00:15] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. Peter Hughes, superintendent of the Cresskill Public School District, a pre-K through 12 district with four schools in Bergen County, New Jersey. Welcome, Peter!  [00:00:17] Peter H: Thank you. Glad to be here. …

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Celebrating students’ “superpowers”: What tests can’t measure

We speak with Dr. Peter Hughes, superintendent of New Jersey’s Cresskill School District, an affluent New York City suburb with large Korean and Israeli communities, about respecting disparate cultures while centering individual students’ interests, talents, and needs. We discuss effective means of communicating with bicultural parents and inclusive strategic planning. How can schools prepare students for joyful futures where they also serve others and are impactful on the world around them?

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Inquiry and interpretation: Learning US history from primary sources (Encore)

We speak with Lee Schere, Director of Teaching and Learning at the Office of K-16 Initiatives of CUNY about the Debating U.S. History Program, an inquiry-based curriculum and teacher learning program. Students learn that history is not one set of agreed-upon events and interpretations. Though designed for NYC schools, the curriculum is available free to teachers everywhere.

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Solving chronic absence: A whole-school approach (Encore)

We speak with Hedy N. Chang of Attendance Works, who describes the long-term impact on student success of chronic absence in all grades. Framing chronic absence as a truancy issue can increase alienation from school. Distinctions between excused and unexcused absences can unfairly penalize low-income students and students of color. Chronic absence rates may hit 40% this year. Ms. Chang discusses relationship-based strategies for mitigating absenteeism.

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Transcription of the episode “Experiential learning: Where human history and nature connect”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  [00:00:17] Jon M.: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Jackie Broder, director of the Mamakating Environmental Education Center. Welcome, Jackie!  [00:00:25] Jackie B.: Thank you for having me.  [00:00:28] Amy H-L: The Mamakating Environmental Education Center describes itself on the website as “where…

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Experiential learning: Where human history and nature connect

We speak with Jackie Broder, director of the Mamakating Environmental Education Center in New York’s Catskill Mountains. The Center abuts the Basha Kill wetland, a vital self-contained ecosystem. It helps students, families, and community members to connect with the area’s distinct biodiversity and rich history and to develop an emotional connection with nature.

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The “Name Game”: racialization in a suburban high school (Encore)

Drs. Tony de Jesus, Anthony Johnston, and Don Siler of University of St. Joseph recount their intervention in a multiracial high school in crisis. White students had instigated a “game” of addressing Black students as the n-word. We discuss the impact of racialization in the Trump era on white students, students of color, and the school community as well as actual and potential responses by schools.

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Transcription of the episode “Solving teacher shortages: It’s not just pay”

[00:00:15] Jon M: I’m Jon Moscow.  [00:00:16] Amy H-L: And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guests today are Dr. Katherine Norris and Dr. Kathryn Wiley. Dr. Norris is associate professor and chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the School of Education at Howard University. Dr. Wiley is assistant professor…

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Solving teacher shortages: It’s not just pay

Drs. Katherine Norris and Kathryn Wiley, colleagues at Howard University’s School of Education, speak about obstacles to recruiting and retaining teachers and increasing diversity. Money matters, but even more, so does ending discrimination. “Racial battle fatigue” is pervasive among Black teachers.

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Surveillance in school: Invasive technology, junk science

We speak with Albert Fox Cahn and Sarah Roth of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, or S.T.O.P., about the increasing use of surveillance technology to track students. Claiming their technology can predict who will be a threat to themselves or the school, companies market programs that report to school officials on students’ keystrokes, words, and behaviors. School officials can provide it to law enforcement or parents.

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Transcription of the episode “Surveillance in school: Invasive technology, junk science”

[00:00:15] Jon M: Hi, I’m Jon Moscow.  [00:00:17] Amy H-L: And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Today we’re speaking with Albert Fox Cahn, founder and executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, or S.T.O.P., and Sarah Roth, an AmeriCorps fellow at STOP. We’ll discuss surveillance technology in schools. Welcome Albert and Sarah….

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Transcription of the episode “School district battles: Protecting education from bans”

[00:00:15] Jon M: I’m Jon Moscow.  [00:00:17] Amy H-L: And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Mike Gottesman, a retired attorney who founded and leads the New Jersey Public Education Coalition, a nonpartisan group dedicated to ensuring that New Jersey public schools embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion, and combating attacks…

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School district battles: Protecting education from bans

We speak with Mike Gottesman, founder of New Jersey Public Education Coalition (NJPEC), a grassroots organization that educates and activates NJ citizens in school districts to protect the integrity of schools from conservative extremist groups. NJPEC organizes on-the-ground support for community members and provides information for school board candidates, In its first year, the Coalition has grown to1500 members along with subject matter experts and partner organizations.

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Transcript of the episode “”Parents’ rights” campaigns: Targeting school books and curricula”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  [00:00:16] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI, the Public Religion Research Institute, a non-profit, non-partisan research organization dedicated to conducting independent research at the intersection of religion, culture, and public policy. Dr. Deckman studies the…

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“Parents’ rights” campaigns: Targeting school books and curricula

Dr. Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI, Public Religion Research Institute, analyzes current “parents’ rights” campaigns and their precedents. At a time of demographic change, conservative Christians seek to ban books and curricula that conflict with their educational agenda. Dr. Deckman discusses the use of social media and the importance of where people get their news in shaping these battles. PRRI’s polling data show what parents and the public think about school issues.

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Transcript of the episode “Challenging credentialism: An alternative vision of education”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  [00:00:17] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Arlene Goldbard, whose most recent book, “In the Camp of Angels of Freedom: What does it mean to be educated?” was just published in January. Arlene is a writer, visual artist, speaker, social activist,…

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Challenging credentialism: An alternative vision of education

We speak with Arlene Goldbard, writer, visual artist, speaker, social activist and consultant, whose most recent book is “In the Camp of Angels of Freedom: What does it mean to be educated?” An autodidact from a working-class background, Arlene challenges “the certainty that academic qualifications are the best measure of ability.” She interweaves the stories and portraits of her “angels,” her personal story, and a critique of standard narratives of education. We talk with her in particular about two of her “angels,” Paulo Freire and Paul Goodman.

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Transcription of the episode “Intersections: Supporting Black LGBTQIA+ students”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  [00:00:17] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition () (NBJC), the civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black LGBTQ+ people. Dr. Johns served as the first executive director of…

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Intersections: Supporting Black LGBTQIA+ students

We speak with Dr. David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, NBJC, about the challenges faced by Black LGBTQIA+ students. Most young people at this intersection live in the South among other Black people, not in secular, gay-friendly cities like San Francisco or Hollywood.These young people face economic and cultural barriers to accessing mental health services, Dr. Johns explains how, rather than telling these students what sorts of support they need, adults should ask them.

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Transcript of the episode “Climate anxiety: a generational plague”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  [00:00:17] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Lian Zeits, co-founder of the Climate Mental Health Network. Lian is working on his Masters of Divinity at Naropa University. Welcome, Lian. [00:00:29] Lian Z: Thank you for having me. The issue of climate…

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Climate anxiety: a generational plague

We speak with Lian Zeitz, co-founder of the Climate Mental Health Network, which promotes wellness in light of the climate crisis. According to a recent survey, 70% of young people are fearful for their future due to climate change. Teachers can foster wellness by interweaving insights into their curricula, and by instilling habits of hope and resilience. The Climate Mental Health Network prioritizes input from students, working with a Gen Z advisory board.

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Gender and sexually diverse students: Creating comfortable schools (Encore)

We speak with Dr. Elizabeth J. Meyer of the University of Colorado about ensuring that K-12 schools are welcoming and safe for students with non-normative gender identities and expressions. Dr. Meyer found that these students thrive in schools that center student-directed learning and interdisciplinary exploration as opposed to schools that replicate society’s toxic hierarchies. Generally, students are much more…

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Transcription of the episode “Undocumented students: Keeping secrets, navigating obstacles”

[00:00:15] Jon M: Hi, I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. Gerardo Mancilla. Dr. Mancilla is an associate professor in the School of Education at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin, and the creator and host of the Educators and Immigration Podcast. Welcome, Gerardo.  Gerardo…

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Undocumented students: Keeping secrets, navigating obstacles

Dr. Gerardo Mancilla, associate professor in the School of Education at Edgewood College and host of Educators and Immigration podcast, reflects on his experiences as an undocumented student in the ‘90s. We discuss what has changed, and what hasn’t. Overview 00:00-00:40 Intros 00:40-09:15 Experiences as an undocumented student 09:15-12:03 Changes for undocumented students since the…

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Transcript of the episode “Recruiting teachers of color: What works”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Helpern-Laff.  [00:00:16] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Elizabeth Steiner, policy researcher at the RAND Corporation with expertise in education policy, policy analysis, program evaluation, and qualitative methods and analysis. Ms. Steiner is an affiliate faculty member at the Pardee RAND Graduate…

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Recruiting teachers of color: What works

We speak with Elizabeth Steiner, education policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, about diversifying the K-12 teacher workforce. Data consistently shows the benefits, especially to Black and Latiné students, of learning from teachers of color. Ms. Steiner discusses recruitment strategies advocated by teachers of color and other educators and researchers.

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Transcript of the episode “The purpose of education: Educating for a solutionary future?”

[00:00:15] Jon M: Hi, I’m Jon Moscow.  [00:00:17] Amy H-L: And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. And this is Ethical Schools. Today we speak with Zoe Weil, president and co-founder of the Institute for Humane Education, book author, columnist, speaker, and one of the most thoughtful, productive, and prolific humans I know. In her Psychology Today column…

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The purpose of education: Educating for a solutionary future?

We welcome back Zoe Weil, president and co-founder of the Institute for Humane Education, to speak about her recent Psychology Today column on the purpose of education. Although the official goal of many school systems is to prepare students for global competition, compassion, cooperation, and creativity are the qualities we should be emphasizing. A generation of solutionaries has a much better chance of creating a sustainable planet where humans and animals other than humans can thrive.

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Transcription of the episode “Reimagining the school system: Centering children, families, and teachers”

[00:00:15] Jon M: I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. We have a special program today. I’m pleased to have Lev Moscow as co-host and Santiago Taveras as our guest. Lev teaches history and economics at The Beacon School in New York City and hosts the A Correction Podcast. Santiago Taveras, universally known as Santi,…

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Reimagining the school system: Centering children, families, and teachers

Guest interviewer Lev Moscow joins Jon in conversation with Santiago Taveras, principal of Charter High School for Computer Engineering and Innovation and former deputy chancellor of the NYC Department of Education. Santi talks about false assumptions that school systems make about teachers, students, and parents. He discusses why so much professional development wastes teachers’ time, why college for all is a misguided target, and why so much DOE money gets misspent.

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Transcription of the episode “Going public: Education scholars as policy advocates”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  [00:00:17] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. Kevin Kumashiro. Dr. Kumashiro is the former dean of the School of Education at the University of San Francisco, a founder of Education Deans for Justice and Equity, and the organizer of the…

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Going public: Education scholars as policy advocates

We speak with Dr. Kevin Kumashiro, a founder of Education Deans for Justice and Equity and organizer of the International Conferences on Education and Justice. Dr. Kushimaro describes how education scholars across the country are forming professional communities, both to build their capacity and to speak collectively on issues of public policy, leveraging their research to promote justice and equity. He argues that progressives must cease ceding the framework of education policy to corporate forces.

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Transcription of the episode “Descriptive inquiry: Teachers talking about hard subjects”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. [00:00:17] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guests today are Dr. Cecelia Traugh, dean of the Graduate School at Bank Street College of Education, and Dr. Cara Furman, associate professor of literacy at University of Maine, Farmington. They are co-authors of “Descriptive Inquiry in…

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Descriptive inquiry: Teachers talking about hard subjects

We speak with Dr. Cecelia Traugh and Dr. Cara Furman, co-authors of “Descriptive Inquiry in Teacher Practice: Cultivating Practical Wisdom to Create Democratic Schools.” Descriptive inquiry is a structured, collaborative process in which teachers share and get practical feedback on classroom challenges. Breaking down teachers’ isolation, descriptive inquiry encourages non-confrontational conversations about racial and other biases. Teachers benefit not only from the wisdom of their colleagues but also from the safe space and supportive community.

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Transcription of the episode “Evolving demographics: Rural schools in transition”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  [00:00:17] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. David Fine, superintendent of the Dover Union Free School District in Dutchess County, New York. We want to talk about some of the ethical challenges facing schools in a small rural district. Welcome,…

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Evolving demographics: Rural schools in transition

We speak with Dr. David Fine, school superintendent in Dover, a mostly white small town in rural Dutchess County, NY, where longtime residents have been joined by other families to create a more diverse and integrated demographic base. Dr. Fine emphasizes inclusivity, building close relationships with families, and encouraging student engagement in conversations across divides. As there are few social service or mental health programs nearby, Dover schools fill critical roles in the community.

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The attack on public education: Will public schools survive? (Encore)

We speak with University of South Carolina law professor Derek Black about the history of education as a core government service and the current wave of voucher laws in red states. Professor Black argues that these will permanently reduce education funding levels and threaten the very existence of public schools. We also talk about the #RedforEd resistance and the need to substantially increase funding for schools with many low-income students.

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Transcript of the episode “Challenging censorship: Student journalists fight back”

[00:00:15] Jon M: Hi, I’m Jon Moscow.  [00:00:16] Amy H-L: And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guests today are Hillary Davis, Advocacy and Organizing Director at Student Press Law Center (SPLC), and Sara Fajardo, first year student at Rutgers and a graduate of SPLC New Voices Student Leaders Institute. We’ll be discussing…

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Challenging censorship: Student journalists fight back

We speak with Hillary Davis, who runs the New Voices program at the Student Press Law Center, and Sara Fajardo, who experienced censorship firsthand at her high school. School administrators frequently prevent students from publishing articles or posts that might make parents nervous or “damage the school’s reputation.” New Voices laws, which students shepherd through state legislatures, aim to guarantee freedom for student journalists.

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Transcript of the episode “Students speak up: NYC Youth Agenda”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  [00:00:16] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guests today are three young activists with the NYC Youth Agenda. Welcome, Eugenia Bamfo, Alexandra Rouvinetis, and Mukilan Muthukumar.  [00:00:25] Amy H-L: Why don’t you each briefly introduce yourself and tell us how you became involved in…

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Students speak up: NYC Youth Agenda

We speak with students Eugenia Bamfo, Alexandra Rouvinetis, and Mukilan Muthukumar, members of the NYC Youth Agenda. Using citywide student survey data, Youth Agenda teams aggregated young people’s needs to make recommendations to policymakers in five areas — housing security, food justice, mental health support, economic mobility, and leadership and civic engagement. Among the findings: large numbers of students are unaware of existing youth programs, many don’t trust the “trusted adults” in their schools, and Department of Education “student voice” efforts are tremendously understaffed.

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Supporting student civic activism: Social studies on steroids (Encore)

Dr. Alan Singer, Dr. Pablo Muriel, and Gates Millennium Scholar Dennis Belen-Morales, three generations of teachers, describe how they center student activism in their project-based social studies and history classes while giving students the tools to pass the NYS Regents exams. Dr. Singer was Dr. Muriel’s professor in college, and Dr. Muriel was Mr. Belen-Morales’ high school teacher and college professor in turn. Now all three are at Hofstra University.

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Transcription of the episode “Gender and sexually diverse students: Creating comfortable schools”

[00:00:15] Jon M: Hi. I’m Jon Moscow.  [00:00:16] Amy H-L: And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Our guest today is Dr. Elizabeth J. Meyer, associate professor, Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice and affiliate faculty, Women and Gender Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Dr. Meyer’s research and writing focuses on issues related to gender and…

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Gender and sexually diverse students: Creating comfortable schools

We speak with Dr. Elizabeth J. Meyer of the University of Colorado about ensuring that K-12 schools are welcoming and safe for students with non-normative gender identities and expressions. Dr. Meyer found that these students thrive in schools that center student-directed learning and interdisciplinary exploration as opposed to schools that replicate society’s toxic hierarchies. Generally, students are much more comfortable talking about issues related to gender diversity than their teachers or parents.

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Students doing original research: Project-based learning in Ohio (Encore)

We speak with middle school teachers, Debbie Holecko and Claudia Bestor, and their former student, Rafel Alshakergi, about a student-led research project that led to ethical civic engagement. Rafel explains how the experience emboldened her to ask questions and “speak [her] mind.” The project, which got national attention, cut against Ohio’s high-stakes test orientation; many teachers are afraid to do project-based learning because Ohio doesn’t have tenure and bases 40% of teacher evaluation on student test scores. The teachers discuss how to meet standards through project-based learning. This interview is just a joy to listen to! (Encore)

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Transcript of the episode “Dismantling bias in schools: A multiyear model”

[00:00:15] Jon M: I’m Jon Moscow. [00:00:16] Amy H-L: And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. John Pascarella, Professor of Clinical Education at the University of Southern California, USC. Dr. Pascarella is Chief Academic Officer of K-12 Professional Learning at USC Race and Equity Center. Welcome, John! [00:00:37] Jon…

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Dismantling bias in schools: A multiyear model

We speak with Dr. John Pascarella, Chief Academic Officer of K-12 Professional Learning at USC Race and Equity Center. The Center works with schools to identify disparate outcomes for students and strategies to eliminate them. Dr. Pascarella discusses the need for educators to stand up against systemic bias as it occurs in daily school life. He points out that we need to be aware that we are all inevitably involved in differential power relationships and offers suggestions for teachers engaging in ongoing self-reflection.

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Transcript of the episode “From Skinner to computer-based education: Can machines teach?”

[00:00:15] Jon M: Hi, I’m Jon Moscow. [00:00:17] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is independent journalist, speaker and blogger, Audrey Watters. Her new book, “Teaching machines. The history of personalized learning” was just published by MIT Press. Welcome, Audrey, and congratulations on the book! [00:00:35] Audrey W: Thank…

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From Skinner to computer-based education: Can machines teach?

We speak with independent journalist Audrey Watters, author of “Teaching machines: The history of personalized learning,” about the origins of teaching machines and the pedagogies that incorporate mechanical devices for teaching and learning. Ms. Watters explains how BF Skinner’s emphasis on behaviorism, in combination with commercial opportunism, has led in some cases to the supplanting of teachers by computer software.

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Efforts to ban books escalate: Tips for resistance

We speak with Dr. Richard Price, associate professor of political science at Weber State University, about recent attempts to ban books, especially those about GLBTQIA+ people and people of color, from classrooms and school libraries across the country. (Spoiler alert: it’s not only in red states). Dr. Price offers strategies for teachers, principals, and school districts for responding to book challenges.

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Policing attendance boundaries: Education as private property (Encore)

We speak with Dr. LaToya Baldwin Clark, assistant professor at UCLA School of Law. Dr. Baldwin Clark explains how school boundaries are used for racial exclusion. In many cases, schools don’t just reflect, but cause, segregated neighborhoods. Dr. Baldwin Clark argues that closing the education gap isn’t just about bringing up the bottom, but bringing down the top as well. Parents, teachers, and administrators need to work together to prevent children from benefiting from unearned privilege. Inequality is intrinsically detrimental.

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Transcript of the episode “Distortions and fabrications: The state of climate education”

[00:00:15] Jon M: Hi, I’m Jon Moscow.  [00:00:17] Amy H-L: And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is investigative reporter Katie Worth. From 2015 to 2021, Ms. Wirth worked for the PBS series, Frontline, focusing on the intersection of science and politics. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, National Geographic,…

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Distortions and fabrications: The state of climate education

We speak with Katie Worth, investigative journalist and author of Miseducation: How Climate Change is Taught in America. Ms. Worth explores what children across the country are taught, or not taught, about climate change. In 24 states, oil and gas company representatives teach children about the wonders of fossil fuels, downplaying or denying their climate impacts. With an eye on sales in Texas, textbooks falsely depict a scientific debate over climate science, and often cover it in the last unit of the last chapter.

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Transcription of the episode “Gender Inclusivity: Where Science and Ethics Intersect”

Jon M: 00:15 Hi, I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: 00:17 And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools, where we discuss strategies for creating inclusive and equitable schools and youth programs and help students to develop commitment and capacity to build ethical institutions. Jon M: 00:30 Our guests today are Sam Long and Lewis Maday-Travis….

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Gender Inclusivity: Where Science and Ethics Intersect (Encore)

We speak with high school science teachers and trans men, Sam Long and Lewis Maday-Travis, who have developed resources and trainings to help biology teachers develop gender-inclusive curricula. Science tells us that sexual and gender diversity is both normal and positive.

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Transcript of the episode “Changing school culture: The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM)”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. [00:00:16] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Today we continue our conversation with Dr. David Osher, Vice-President and Institute Fellow at the American Institutes for Research. Dr. Osher has published on school climate and the conditions for learning, SEL, supportive community-building approaches to school discipline…

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Changing school culture: The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM)

We continue our conversation with Dr. David Osher of the American Institutes for Research, delving deeper into the CBAM approach to school culture change. Dr Osher describes a study he and colleagues conducted, following every student who had been suspended in New York City over ten years. The study confirmed that exclusionary suspension has damaging impacts throughout a student’s academic career and beyond and has damaging impact on other students in the student’s classes as well.

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Anna Allanbrook on Brooklyn New School: Centering children, marginalizing tests (Encore)

We speak with Anna Allanbrook, longtime principal of Brooklyn New School (BNS). Learning at BNS is inquiry-based and cross-disciplinary. As well, BNS is known as the “opt-out school” because 95% of families opt out of standardized testing. The school offers no test preparation.

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Transcription of the episode “Global citizenship education: Building on the legacy of Paulo Freire”

[00:00:15] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  [00:00:16] Jon M: And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. Carlos Alberto Torres. Dr. Torres is a Distinguished Professor at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, Founding Director of the UCLA Paolo Friere Institute, and UNESCO Chair in Global Learning…

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Global citizenship education: Building on the legacy of Paulo Freire

We speak with Carlos Alberto Torres, Distinguished Professor at UCLA. Dr. Torres worked closely with Paulo Freire and now directs the UCLA Paulo Freire Institute. He argues that we need to create a model of ethics education that combines social justice and natural justice, or sustainability. Freire viewed the planet as an oppressed entity. We talk about creating a political culture in our schools that centers peace and the global commons, what in other places is called civic culture. Part one of a two-part interview.

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Transcript of the episode “Math literacy: Every student’s right (Part 2)”

[00:00:15] Jon M: Hi. I’m Jon Moscow. [00:00:16] Amy H-L: I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Today, we continue our conversation with Dr. Terri Bucci, Associate Professor of Math Education at Ohio State University at Mansfield and Co-Director of OSU Mathematics Literacy Initiative, which changes the way K-12 math is taught. Welcome back, Terri….

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Math literacy: Every student’s right (Part 2)

We continue our conversation with Dr. Terri Bucci of the Mathematics Literacy Initiative at OSU’s Mansfield campus. Dr. Bucci observes that we rarely ask children how they learn best. MLI’s implementation of the Algebra Project changes the classroom culture, giving agency to even the youngest students. “We have to get rid of ‘sharecropper education.'” Dr. Bucci talks about the constitutional amendment that Bob Moses envisioned, guaranteeing a quality education to every child.

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Transcript of the episode “Malign neglect: School systems fail immigrant students”

[00:00:15] Jon M: Hi, I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. My co-host, Amy Halpern-Laff, will be with us again next week. Our guest today is Stephanie Carnes. Stephanie is a bilingual, trauma-focused social worker with extensive experience working with Central American immigrant students and their families in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her consulting firm…

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Malign neglect: School systems fail immigrant students

We welcome back Stephanie Carnes, a school social worker who has worked extensively with Central American immigrant students and their families. School systems are designed for homogenous student populations, rather than the diverse reality. Despite new immigrants’ high motivation levels, they often fail for lack of support. School social workers could help design asset-based programs but often aren’t given a seat at the table.

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Transcript of the episode “Theory meets practice: no magic carrots”

[00:00:15] Jon M: Hi. I’m Jon Moscow.  [00:00:16] Amy H-L: And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Today we’ll continue our conversation with Dr. Garrett Broad, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University. If you haven’t yet listened to Part One, you might want to do so now….

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Theory meets practice: no magic carrots

We continue our conversation with Dr. Garrett Broad of Fordham University, talking about high school and college students’ experiences working with non-profits and about what students know/should learn about food and food justice. Students often join non-profits with unrealistic expectations. There are tensions between keeping the organization afloat and pursuing radical change.There are no silver bullets; entrenched problems have complex solutions.

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Transcription of the episode “Transitions to adulthood: Supporting teens with mental health issues”

[00:00:15] Jon M: Hi. I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. My cohost, Amy Halpern-Laff, will be back next week. My guests today are Marsha Ellison and Evelyn Frankford. Dr. Ellison is an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and director of communications at the Transitions to Adulthood Center for…

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Transitions to adulthood: Supporting teens with mental health issues

We speak with Dr. Marsha Ellison and Evelyn Frankford about assisting students with serious mental health challenges make transitions from high school. These students often don’t receive the supports they want and need, especially finding work or navigating college disability accommodations. Long-term relationships with a knowledgeable adult and positive youth development strategies can make a difference—but require commitments of time and money.

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Disrupting power structures: Organizing youth for equity in schools

We speak with Keith Catone, executive director of CYCLE, the Center for Youth & Community Leadership in Education at Roger Williams University. CYCLE helps students, those who are most affected by school policies, to destabilize systemic power hierarchies, and encourages teachers to adopt an “organizing disposition.” Through trainings and ongoing support, CYCLE helps community youth organizations to build capacity, alliances, and power to achieve equity-based change.

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Transcription of the episode “Disrupting power structures: Organizing youth for equity in schools”

[00:00:15] Jon M: Hi. I’m Jon Moscow.  [00:00:16] Amy H-L: And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. Keith Catone, Executive Director of the Center for Youth and Community Leadership in Education or CYCLE at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. Keith is the author of The Pedagogy of Teacher…

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Transcription of the episode “The Algebra Project: Bob Moses on Math Literacy as a Civil Right (Encore)”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] Hi, I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  Jon M.: [00:00:15] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Bob Moses, hero of the Civil Rights Movement, and champion of math literacy died this week. We are reposting our interview with him, from February 2020.  Amy H-L: [00:00:33] During the civil rights movement, Bob Moses was…

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The Algebra Project: Bob Moses on math literacy as a Civil Right (Encore)

Bob Moses died this week. In memoriam, we repost our interview with him from February 2020. The Algebra Project founder and president–and lead organizer of the famous 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer voting rights campaign–talked about math literacy as an organizing tool to guarantee quality public school education for all children. He described the Algebra Project’s strategies to connect math to students’ life experiences and everyday language.

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Teaching differently about being “modern”: Questioning Western mindsets

In our guest episode of Lev Moscow’s podcast, A Correction, Professor Walter Mignolo of Duke discusses decoloniality, a radically different way of thinking and teaching which rejects the “naturalness” of racial capitalism and its development. Lev and Dr. Mignolo discuss what this can look like in high school and college classrooms.

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Transcript of the episode “The attack on public education: Will public schools survive?”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Derek Black. Professor Black is a professor of law at the University of South Carolina School of Law. The focus of his current scholarship is the intersection of constitutional law and public education, particularly…

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The attack on public education: Will public schools survive?

We speak with University of South Carolina law professor Derek Black about the history of education as a core government service and the current wave of voucher laws in red states. Professor Black argues that these will permanently reduce education funding levels and threaten the very existence of public schools. We also talk about the #RedforEd resistance and the need to substantially increase funding for schools with many low-income students.

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Transcription of the episode “Air quality in schools: At the intersection of technology and equity”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guests today are a Anisa Heming and Corey Metzger. Anisa Heming is the Director of the Center for Green Schools of the US Green Building Council (USGBC). Corey Metzger is the Lead of the Epidemic Task Force…

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Air quality in schools: At the intersection of technology and equity

We speak with Anisa Heming and Corey Metzger of the U.S. Green Building Council and ASHRAE about a new report on schools’ efforts around the country to protect against COVID-19 by improving indoor air quality. Like so much else about schools, air quality comes down to resources, in this case, for infrastructure and maintenance. Also, there has been no central source of reliable information for district administrators. While COVID-19 has drawn our attention to air circulation and ventilation, there are other reasons to be concerned about air quality. Not only are there other airborne pathogens, but studies show that learning improves with better indoor air quality.

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Transcription of the episode “Black men as teachers: Recruitment, retention, development, empowerment”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Our guests today are Dr. Daman Harris and Dr. Inger Swimpson of the Building Our Network of Diversity, BOND, Project in Montgomery County, Maryland. Dr. Harris is co-founder and co-leader of the BOND project. He is an elementary school principal and teaches…

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Black men as teachers: Recruitment, retention, development, empowerment

We speak with Dr. Daman Harris and Dr. Inger Swimpson of Building Our Network of Diversity, the BOND Project, in Montgomery County MD, which provides spaces for Black and Latino men to support one another in their teaching and their lives. Although having Black teachers benefits Black and white children alike, U.S. schools have few Black teachers, and even fewer Black men. BOND works to make schools better places for boys of color, making it more likely that they’ll go into teaching, and better for Black men, so they’ll be more likely to stay in teaching. Networks and partnerships, especially with HBCUs, are crucial.

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Critical analysis: not just for students

We speak with Dr. Sam Abrams of the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education (NCSPE) at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Abrams describes his analyses of statistics released by local and national education systems and widely disseminated by the media. Sometimes the reports are wrong or misleading, which can have serious consequences…

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Transcription of the episode “Students as subjects: Ethical considerations of research in schools”

Jon M: [00:00:15] Hi. I’m Jon Moscow.  Amy H-L: [00:00:16] And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Marianna Azar, Director and Chair of the Institutional Review Boards, or IRBs, of the New York City Department of Education. This is Part One of a two-part interview. Today we’ll be talking about…

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Transcript of the episode “Creative problem solving: Developing solutionary thinkers”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:17] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. We’re pleased to have Zoe Weil back on the podcast. Zoe is co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education, IHE. We also have Laura Trongard,  who teaches AP world history and AP United States government and…

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Creative problem solving: Developing solutionary thinkers

We welcome back Zoe Weil, of the Institute for Humane Education, along with Laura Trongard, Oceanside (NY) High School teacher to discuss how teachers are implementing IHE’s Solutionary program. Laura describes how students adopt habits of solutionary thinking in their schoolwork and their lives. Zoe talks about IHE’s new micro-credential program, an online course that prepares teachers to use the solutionary framework. The new edition of Zoe’s book, “The World Becomes What We Teach,” with new content on pandemics and racial tensions, will be released in June.

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Students as subjects: Ethical considerations of research in schools

We talk with Marianna Azar, Director and Chair of the NYC DOE’s Institutional Review Boards. The IRBs review all research proposals conducted through the schools to make sure they are conducted ethically and that the benefits to the students outweigh any burdens. In Part 1 of a 2-part interview, Ms. Azar describes how the IRBs work and their impact on researchers, schools, students and parents. Next week we’ll continue exploring the ethical issues that confront IRBs, including issues raised by Big Data.

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Transcript of the episode “Making antiracist change: A template for educational leaders”

Jon M: [00:00:15] Hi. I’m  Jon Moscow.  Amy H-L: [00:00:16] And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guests today are Sarah Diem and Anjalé Welton. Dr. Diem is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Missouri. And Dr. Welton is a professor in the Department…

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Making antiracist change: A template for educational leaders

We speak with Dr. Sarah Diem of University of Missouri and Dr. Anjalé Welton of University of Wisconsin, Madison. They discuss the seemingly neutral “colorevasive” policies that actually reinforce racial inequity. Drs. Diem and Welton present an action protocol for school and district leaders who seek to create antiracist schools.

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Transcription of the episode “Exacerbating inequality: Private money in public schools”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. Sue Winton, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education at York University in Toronto, Ontario. Dr. Winton’s research focuses on the interplay between educational policy and the democratic commitment to equity and social justice. Today,…

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Exacerbating inequality: Private money in public schools

We speak with Dr. Sue Winton of York University in Toronto about the effects of private money–much of it from parents- that replaces decreased public funding of schools. Fundraisers and fees for special programs benefit affluent schools and the children who already have the most access to opportunities. Low income parents often feel pressure to donate beyond their means for their children’s sake.

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Transcription of the episode “The bigger picture: High school improvement in the Bronx”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Our guest today is Grace Alli Brandstein. Ms. Brandstein is a school improvement and instructional coach for the New York City Department of Education and supports high schools in the Bronx. Prior to her work as a coach, she was a high…

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The bigger picture: High school improvement in the Bronx

We speak with Grace Alli Brandstein, an improvement and instructional coach with the New York City Department of Education. Ms. Brandstein works with Bronx high schools that the State has designated as needing support. This is part one of a two part interview. Today, we discuss challenges teachers and students at these schools face, and their everyday achievements. Ms. Brandstein talks about the impacts, both positive and negative, of being rated as needing improvement, especially the pressure it puts administrators, teachers, and students. Next week, Ms. Brandstein talks about abolitionist education.

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Transcript of the episode “Teaching the ‘isms’: Students’ lived experience in context”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guests today are English teacher, Jillian McRae, history teacher, Sam North, and 12th grader, Alaysha, all from Ossining High School in Westchester County, New York. Jillian and Sam co-teach a year long college level course, SUNY Racism,…

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Teaching the “isms”: Students’ lived experiences in context

We speak with Jillian McRae and Sam North, English and history teachers at Ossining (NY) High School, and their student, Alaysha. For 15 years, Sam and Jillian have co-taught a college-level course called “racism, sexism, and classism: a popular approach.” They focus on pervasive systems of power, and encourage students to discuss their own experiences of privilege, disadvantage, and intersectionality.

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Transcript of the episode “Early childhood education: It is play, but it is not ‘babysitting'”

Jon M: [00:00:15] Hi. I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: [00:00:16] And  I ‘m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Michele Washington, a lecturer in the department of early childhood childhood education at Lehman College, City  University of New York. Ms. Washington has deep experience in the field of early childhood, including…

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Early childhood education: It is play, but it is not “babysitting”

We speak with Michele Washington, longtime early childhood lecturer at Lehman College, about expertise at the preschool level. Head Start, pre-K, and 3-K teachers can support children and families in myriad ways once parents or guardians trust them. Cultural humility is essential; teachers need to understand and respect their children’s families and communities.

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Transcript of the episode “Districtwide decisions: day to day ethical considerations”

Jon M: [00:00:15] I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: [00:00:16] And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dan Callahan, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education in the Peekskill City School District in Westchester, New York. Welcome, Dan! Dan C: [00:00:32] Thank you for having me. It’s a real pleasure for me to…

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Districtwide decisions: Day to day ethical considerations

We speak with Dan Callahan, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education in Peekskill City School District, 45 minutes north of Manhattan. The low-income district in wealthy Westchester is 70% Latino, including many students from immigrant families. We discuss how the district has adapted to rapid demographic changes and schools’ role in helping students meet challenges. Mr. Callahan reflects on the decisions he and his staff make that impact students’ lives in very concrete ways, and the tension between consistency, applying the same rules for all students, and specificity, looking at the totality of circumstances in each individual case.

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Transcript of the episode “UPDATE: Moving toward admissions equity and culture change at Manhattan’s Beacon High School”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Martin Luther King Day week seems an especially good time to get an update on the campaign for equity at Beacon, an elite, screened public high school in Manhattan. As listeners may remember, last June we interviewed students…

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UPDATE: Moving toward admissions equity and culture change at Manhattan’s Beacon High School

We speak with Beacon PTA members Toni Smith-Thompson and Robin Broshi about NYC’s new requirements and the school’s proposed admission plan. Then we listen back to last June’s interview with activist students from the Beacon Union of Unions.

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Transcription of the episode “Policing attendance boundaries: Education as private property”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. LaToya Baldwin Clark, assistant professor at UCLA School of Law, where she writes about race, parenting, and educational stratification. Dr. Baldwin Clark earned a BS in economics from the Wharton School,  an MA…

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Policing attendance boundaries: Education as private property

We speak with Dr. LaToya Baldwin Clark, assistant professor at UCLA School of Law. Dr. Baldwin Clark explains how school boundaries are used for racial exclusion. In many cases, schools don’t just reflect, but cause, segregated neighborhoods. Dr. Baldwin Clark argues that closing the education gap isn’t just about bringing up the bottom, but bringing down the…

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Transcript of the episode “Students as experts: Diversity, equity, and inclusion”

Jon M: [00:00:15] Hi, I’m Jon Moscow.  Amy H-L: [00:00:16] And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. Judith King-Calnek of  the United Nations International School. Dr. King-Calnek has been at UNIS since 1994 as a teacher of anthropology, theory of knowledge, and history; head of the humanities department; president…

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Students as experts: Diversity, equity, and inclusion

We speak with Dr. Judith King-Calnek, United Nations International School’s first Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Since UNIS faculty and students come from all over the world, they draw on one another’s backgrounds and lived experience in presenting and analyzing social issues. Faculty, parents, alumni, and, especially, students are involved in new DEI initiatives. Students are actually writing curriculum, providing feedback, and delivering DEI modules to…

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Transcription of the episode “

Jon M: [00:00:15] Hi. I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: [00:00:16] And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to ethical schools. Our guests today are 8th grade social studies teacher Debbie Holecko, literary arts teacher Claudia Bestor, both at North Olmlstead Middle School, and their former student, now 10th grader, Rafel Alshakergi. North Olmsted is a suburb about…

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Students doing original research: Project-based learning in Ohio

We speak with middle school teachers, Debbie Holecko and Claudia Bestor, and their former student, Rafel Alshakergi, about a student-led research project that led to ethical civic engagement. Rafel explains how the experience emboldened her to ask questions and “speak [her] mind.” The project, which got national attention, cut against Ohio’s high-stakes test orientation; many teachers are afraid to do project-based learning because Ohio doesn’t have tenure and bases 40% of teacher evaluation on student test scores. The teachers discuss how to meet standards through project-based learning. This interview is just a joy to listen to!

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Transcription of the episode “Abolitionist education: Creating liberatory spaces (Part One)”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. This is the first of a two part interview. We’ll post the second part next week. Our guest is Dr. Edwin Mayorga, Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Studies and the Program in Latin American and Latino…

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Abolitionist education: Creating liberatory spaces (Part One)

We speak with Swarthmore’s Dr. Edwin Mayorga, who explains how abolitionist classrooms and schools create “freedom as a place” in contrast to racial capitalism. Teachers are the lead inquirers and try to “move at the speed of trust,” helping to create classrooms full of joy. Edwin describes Philadelphia’s Kensington Health Sciences Academy as a school where teaching and learning are based on establishing relationships of mutual respect.

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Transcription of the episode “BIPOC and undocumented: A trauma-filled intersection”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. Cristiana Best, assistant professor in the Department of Social Work and Equitable Community Practice at University of St. Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut. Prior to becoming a full-time academic, Dr. Best spent 30…

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Transcription of the episode “The impact of deportation policies on Latinx students’ mental health”

Jon M: [00:00:15] Hi. I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: [00:00:16] Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. Randy Capps, Director of Research for US programs at the Migration Policy Institute. Dr. Capps has published widely on immigration and integration at the state and local levels, and studied the impact of the detention and…

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The impact of deportation policies on Latinx students’ mental health

Dr. Randy Capps, Director of Research for U.S. Programs at the Migration Policy Institute, surveyed Latinx high school students to see how fear of deportation – of their parents, relatives, friends, or themselves – impacts their mental health. The students, roughly half foreign-born and half US-born, suffered anxiety, depression, and PTSD at significantly higher rates than other students their age. Strong bonds immigrant students formed with one another were a source of mutual support. Students who engaged in public policy activism showed improved mental health.

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Transcript of the episode “Holistic history: The African diaspora”

Jon M: [00:00:15] Hi. I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: [00:00:17] And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff.  Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. Kim Butler, Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies and Director of the Certificate Program in Africana Studies at Rutgers University. A former president of the Association for the Study of the…

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Holistic history: The African diaspora

Dr. Kim Butler, who leads Rutgers’s Africana Studies program, says that while we usually teach history and social studies in discreet, testable units, events are complex and interconnected. Slavery throughout the Americas was central to the development of capitalism. Dr. Butler describes how working class students often can’t choose a liberal arts education because they have to focus on getting jobs.

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Transcription of the episode “Teaching economics as political and ethical choices”

TRANSCRIPTION OF THE EPISODE WITH LEV MOSCOW “TEACHING ECONOMICS AS POLITICAL AND ETHICAL CHOICES”

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Teaching economics as political and ethical choices

We welcome back Lev Moscow of the Beacon School to discuss his approach to teaching political economy, which actually applies to any social science. It’s not primarily about the numbers but about the human choices behind them. How do we determine who gets paid what and who gets to spend 80,000 hours in a lifetime engaged in meaningful work? Also, how our mantra of continuous economic growth will end life as we know it.

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Transcription of the episode “Identity-focused classes: Experiments in cultural relevance”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] Hi, I’m  Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. Emily Penner, assistant professor in the School of Education at the University of California at Irvine. Welcome, Emily! Emily P: [00:00:28] Thanks so much for having me.  Amy H-L: [00:00:30] You and…

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Identity-focused classes: Experiments in cultural relevance

We speak with Dr. Emily Penner, who studied the impacts of two programs in which students delved into their respective races, ethnicities, and communities. San Francisco’s was designed for academically-struggling students of a range of ethnicities. Oakland’s was designed for young Black men across academic achievement levels, as part of the district’s “targeted universalism” approach. The results, in both cases, were dramatic.

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Transcription of the episode “Parent voice: Supporting families with special needs”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] Hi. I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Ellen McHugh. Ellen is regional program manager and regional coordinator for Parent to Parent of New York State. She’s also co-chair of the Citywide Council on Special Education. She’s the parent of a…

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Parent voice: Supporting families with special needs

Ellen McHugh, long time activist and Public Advocate Williams’s appointee to the NYC Citywide Council on Special Education, delves into the challenges facing parents of students with special education needs. Ethical relationships among educators, parents, and the students themselves are crucial to these students’ success. Too often educators minimize the importance of parental input even though the law requires that they be equal partners in their children’s educational planning. Remote and hybrid learning has added new obstacles to and opportunities for partnerships between parents and educators.

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Consumption as ethics: Talking with students about food

We welcome back Monica Chen of Factory Farming Awareness Coalition. She describes the animal-agricultural complex that exploits workers in meatpacking plants and animals in factory farms and devastates communities and the environment. Monica introduces FFAC’s culturally-competent virtual lessons and presentations for students from middle school through university, customized for all subject areas. Students who want to become social justice activists, with food as the hub that connects worker rights, sustainability, and environmental racism can apply to FFAC’s intern program.

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Transcription of the episode “Consumption as ethics: Talking with students about food”

TRANSCRIPTION OF THE EPISODE “CONSUMPTION AS ETHICS: TALKING WITH STUDENTS ABOUT FOOD”

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Transcription of the episode “Food injustice: The corporatization of school meals”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] Hi, I’m  Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:16] And  I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools.  Amy H-L: [00:00:19] Our guest today is Monica Chen, executive director of Factory Farming Awareness Coalition, a nonprofit that educates individuals and organizations on the impacts of our food system. A veteran teacher, Monica has worked  with…

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Food injustice: The corporatization of school meals

We speak with Monica Chen, veteran teacher and executive director of Factory Farming Awareness Coalition. Monica tells us how cow’s milk became a staple in school lunches even though most children of color do not have the ability to digest lactose, the main carbohydrate in dairy products. She explains how checkoff programs like Got milk? mislead the American public into thinking these are healthy foods for human children.

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Transcription of the episode “Food injustice: The corporatization of school meals”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] Hi, I’m  Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:16] And  I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools.  Amy H-L: [00:00:19] Our guest today is Monica Chen, executive director of Factory Farming Awareness Coalition, a nonprofit that educates individuals and organizations on the impacts of our food system. A veteran teacher, Monica has worked  with students in elementary,…

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Supporting student civic activism: Social studies on steroids – Part 2

Dr. Alan Singer, Dr. Pablo Muriel, and Gates Millennium Scholar Dennis Belen-Morales, three generations of teachers, describe how they center student activism in their project-based social studies and history classes while giving students the tools to pass the NYS Regents exams. Dr. Singer was Dr. Muriel’s professor in college, and Dr. Muriel was Mr. Belen-Morales’ high school teacher and college professor in turn. Now all three are at Hofstra University. Part 2 of a two-part series that contains lots of specific strategies for teachers and passion for civics education.

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Transcription of the episode “Police and metal detectors in schools: Students perspectives”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:18] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guests today are Nia Morgan and Anahi Ortiz Fierros. Nia is Interim Organizing Coordinator of the Urban Youth Collaborative, UYC, a youth- led coalition of New York based organizations fighting for educational justice and police-free schools. Nia…

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Police and metal detectors in schools: Student perspectives

Nia Morgan and Anahi Ortiz Fierros of Urban Youth Collaborative describe how police and metal detectors humiliate and traumatize students. The story of the “fork in the backpack” illustrates the system’s absurdity. And while NYC school arrests are down overall, Black and Latinx students are arrested at much higher rates than white students. NYS legislature considers Solutions Not Suspensions Act. Campaigns for police-free schools are taking place around the country.

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Transcription of the episode “Too Late For Reform: Abolishing the Police in Schools”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow.  Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Toni  Smith-Thompson. Toni is a Senior Organizer in the advocacy department of the New York Civil Lberties Union, NYCLU. She focuses on campaigns to strengthen public education, including campaigns to reduce school suspensions and…

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Too Late For Reform: Abolishing the Police in Schools

Toni Smith-Thompson, Senior Organizer at NY Civil Liberties Union, discusses the importance of replacing police presence in schools with restorative practices. Toni envisions ethical schools, in which all students feel both appreciated by and accountable to school communities, and conflicts are resolved internally. Students returning to school, many of whom will have experienced trauma associated with the pandemic and police violence, will need nurturing, not punitive measures.

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Transcription of the episode “Reimagining college admissions: Performance assessment pilot at CUNY”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] Hi, I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:17] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. Michelle Fine. Michelle is Distinguished Professor of Critical Psychology, Women’s Studies, American Studies and Urban Education at the Graduate Center of the City  University of New York  () CUNY.) Welcome, Michelle. Michelle…

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Reimagining college admissions: Performance assessment pilot at CUNY

Dr. Michelle Fine speaks about better alternatives to standardized tests for students to demonstrate college-readiness. NYC’s Consortium Schools, which use Performance Based Assessment Tasks, collaborated with CUNY to open CUNY’s 4-year colleges to more low-income Black and Latinx applicants. Students, especially Black males, did better at college than test score-admitted peers. Dr. Fine gives a passionate call for democratic school cultures based on student initiated work and collaborative revision.

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Transcription of the episode “Crises and opportunity: A holistic approach to supporting and empowering youth”

Amy H-L: [00:00:01] Hi, I’m Amy Halpern-Laff Jon M: [00:00:02] And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. In light of COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter protests, we’ll listen to the conversation I had with Jason Warwin, Co-founder and Associate Executive Director of The Brotherhood/ Sister Sol, Bro/Sis, a Harlem-based organization that provides comprehensive…

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Crises and opportunity: A holistic approach to supporting and empowering youth

In light of the pandemic, which has disproportionately impacted BIPOC, and BLM uprisings, we’re revisiting Jon’s interview with Jason Warwin of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol. COVID-19 has devastated Bro/Sis’s community of Black and Brown youth and their families. And despite the pandemic, Bro/Sis staff and members are joining protests to demand systemic change. We’ll check in with Jason and then listen to the interview from last June.

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Why teach history? Knowing “why” shapes “how”

Richard Miller, who taught in progressive NYC secondary schools for 28 years, talks about teaching students to think like historians, weighing different sources and drawing their conclusions from evidence. The past gives context to the present, and understanding historiography, or how history is interpreted over time, equips students to view current issues from multiple perspectives.

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Transcription of the episode “Why teach history? Knowing ‘why’ shapes ‘how”

Amy H-L: [00:00:00] Hi. I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Our guest today is Richard Miller. Richard retired after 28 years of teaching history in New York City middle and high school grades, including at Central Park East Secondary School, CPESS, and Beacon High School. Welcome, Richard.  Richard M: [00:00:31] Thanks…

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The principal as “keeper of the vision”: Fostering and protecting an ethical community

Jill Herman, founding principal of East Side Community H.S, now at Bank Street College, raises essential questions: To whom should a principal be accountable? How can social emotional learning and academics be integrated? What do we mean by an ethical school?

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Transcription of the episode “The principal as ‘keeper of the vision’: Fostering and protecting an ethical community”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Our guest today is Jill Herman. Jill currently leads conference groups and advises students in the Principal’s Institute at Bank Street College and as a consultant to the New York City Department of Education. Among many other roles in her career, she…

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Transcription of the episode “Grief and loss: Supporting students, families, and teachers in a pandemic”

Amy H-L: [00:00:15] Hi. I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: [00:00:16] And I’m Jon Moscow. Our guest today is Cynthia Trapanese. Cynthia teaches first grade at The New School of San Francisco. Cynthia was a board certified pediatric chaplain for 17 years before returning to school to become a credentialed elementary school classroom teacher eight years…

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Grief and loss: Supporting students, families, and teachers in a pandemic

Cynthia Trapanese, a teacher who spent 17 years as a pediatric chaplain, observes that we are all grieving right now, and that adults need to be aware of their own feelings of loss in order to help children and families effectively. During this period of isolation, children miss not only extended family, especially grandparents, but also their friends, classrooms, and the details of their school days. The impact of prolonged separation from school will be long-lasting. Cynthia is holding webinars for teachers and parents, and shares tips and resources with us.

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Transcription of the episode “Vulnerable students’ needs and rights in pandemic: Threats and opportunities”

Jon M: [00:00:15] Hi, I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: [00:00:16] And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Our guest today is Diana MTK Autin. Diana is Executive Co-director of the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network. She’s also Co-director of the National Center on Leadership and Family Professional Partnerships and Executive Director of PLACE,  the National Center for Parent Leadership Advocacy and…

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Vulnerable students’ needs and rights in pandemic: Threats and opportunities

Diana MTK Autin, parent advocacy leader, describes how distance learning fails to meet the needs of many students and exacerbates inequities. She leads several organizations that help parents advocate effectively for their own families and also for systemic change. The pandemic’s impacts are likely to be felt by students for a long time, and unless students’ rights are defended, long-standing legal protections may be weakened with devastating effects.

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Transcription of the episode “Engaging young black men in school: What we can learn from art class”

Jon M: [00:00:15] Hi, I’m  Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: [00:00:16] And I’m Amy Halpern- Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Dr. Don Siler. Dr. Siler is assistant professor of education at the University of  St Joseph in Hartford, where he’s taught since 2014. Welcome, Don. Don S: [00:00:32] Hey, how you doing? Jon M: [00:00:34] Good….

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Engaging young black men in school: What we can learn from art class

Dr. Don Siler, a researcher and inservice teacher educator, himself a former high school dropout, discusses how art classrooms invite students to be themselves, to explore their lived experiences, and to work on projects that mean something to them. Student engagement in the art classroom can be leveraged across subject areas by incorporating both the arts and art-based pedagogy throughout the curriculum. Student outcomes improve when we broaden the ways in which students get information, process the information, and demonstrate their understanding of the information.

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Transcription of the episode “Creating a safe haven: Changing lives after school”

Jon M.: 00:15 I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H.: 00:17 And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Our guest today is Jason Garcia. Jason is Assistant Vice President of Youth and Workforce Programs at SoBro, a multifaceted community development organization in the South Bronx. Jason designs and runs a range of out of school time programs for youth, including…

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Creating a safe haven: Changing lives after school

Jason Garcia of SoBro, a South Bronx community-based organization, describes how after school staff members help young people deal with the effects of trauma. Staff members teach content, guide students through transitions, and help students build long term relationships. SoBro’s youth workers wear many hats — guidance counselor, social worker, referral source — filling in where schools and families lack resources.

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Post-Graduation Planning: Helping students to explore myriad options

Lindsey Dixon, Director of Career Readiness at Urban Assembly, talks about helping students make more informed college and career decisions. The current model is restrictive and outdated, leading to suboptimal outcomes for the majority of students. Hands-on experiences and self-reflection programs can help young people better prepare for fulfilling careers and lives.

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Transcription of the episode “Centering SEL for social and economic mobility”

Jon M: 00:15 I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: 00:16 And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Jon M: 00:19 Our guest today is David Adams. David is the Director of Social Emotional Learning at the Urban Assembly. He previously served as the social emotional learning coordinator for District 75 in New York City, where he shaped the district’s approach to…

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Centering SEL for social and economic mobility

David Adams is Director of Social Emotional Learning at NYC’s Urban Assembly, a network of schools that does not screen students. David focuses on the intersection of academic and technical skills, social-emotional competencies, and career development to create social/economic mobility. Students must have a relationship with the teacher or the content for optimal learning. Perspective-taking is central to ethical development. Schools have to “know their ‘why’” and be able to explain it in plain language.

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The Algebra Project: Bob Moses on math literacy as a civil right – Part 1

The Algebra Project founder and president–and lead organizer of the famous 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer voting rights campaign–talks about math literacy as an organizing tool to guarantee quality public school education for all children. Bob Moses describes the Algebra Project’s strategies to connect math to students’ life experiences and everyday language. The interview is divided into two episodes.

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Navigating college and career pathways: Self-knowledge, preparation, and parameters

Maud Abeel, nationally-recognized education consultant, focuses on college and career readiness for middle and high school students, including “match and fit.” The earlier the students begin to think about postsecondary options, the better. There are myriad resources for students and their families, many of them free and online. Maud discusses cohorts, groups of high school classmates who enter college together and support one another, increasing their likelihood of success. She also talks about obstacles and dilemmas counselors face, including overwhelming caseloads.

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Transcription of the episode “Navigating college and career pathways: Self-knowledge, preparation, and parameters”

Jon M: 00:15 I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: 00:16 And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Jon M: 00:19 Our guest today is Maud Abeel. Maud’s an educational consultant both in New York City and nationally, working across the continuum from zero to the postsecondary years. She’s especially focused on college and career readiness for middle and high school students….

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Transcription of the episode “Parent-school relationships in early childhood programs: family engagement is driven by families”

Amy H-L: 00:15 Hi, I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: 00:17 And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools. Amy H-L: 00:20 Our guest today is Dr. Yasmin Morales-Alexander. Yasmin is an assistant professor in the Early Childhood graduate program at Lehman College. She was the inaugural recipient of Teacher’s College’s Shirley Chisholm Dissertation Award, recognizing TC doctoral graduates who have advanced…

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NYC schools: still separate and unequal

Student activists Coco Rhum and Hebh Jamal describe what real integration of NYC schools would look like and how to achieve it. Bringing sharp analysis and insight from their experiences as leaders in IntegrateNYC and Teens Take Charge, they were interviewed by Lev Moscow on our sister podcast, acorrectionpodcast.com.

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Multicultural Education: Challenges and Aspirations

We speak with New York State Regent Luis O. Reyes on the evolution of multilingual education in New York, beginning with the ASPIRA Consent Decree that in 1974 established bilingual education as an entitlement for Puerto Rican and other Latinx students. NY is gradually transitioning to bicultural and bi-literate education. The Regents’ Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework represents the way forward.

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Emotionally Responsive Education: “inviting and containing”

Margaret Blachly of Bank Street’s Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice describes how to fit materials, curriculum, and relationships together to create an emotionally safe classroom. Emphasizing the importance of a deep understanding of child development, she tells how important it is to know each child’s “story.” Margaret shares what she’s learned as a dual-language and special ed teacher and gives advice to new kindergarten teachers. Reflecting on Dewey’s Education and Experience, she talks about the ethical dimensions of teaching and the connections between the classroom and the larger society.

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Special education: How students and their teachers are shortchanged

Jia Lee, NYC special education teacher and union activist, talks about the unfairness of the Fair Funding Formula, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the tendency of schools to re-traumatize vulnerable students. She also highlights the contrast between NYC Chancellor Carranza’s call for more culturally responsive classrooms and the City’s newly-mandated MAP tests, and the gap between what the United Federation of Teachers does and what it could do.

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Ed schools as allies to new teachers of color

Dr. Harriet (“Niki”) Fayne of Lehman College School of Education describes strategies to support new teachers and “second stage” teacher-leaders. She discusses ways to attract teacher candidates, reduce early-years attrition, and help teachers grow while staying in the classroom. Lehman builds ethics into leadership training and maintains long-term relationships with its graduates and the schools they teach in.

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José Jiménez on gender diversity and sexual identity in elementary schools

We speak with José Luis Jiménez, principal of A.C.E. Academy for Scholars, PS 290, in Queens. A queer educator of color, he came out to his students during Pride Month in 2017. If a community is truly welcoming to all, he thought, “you don’t “check a part of yourself at the door.” José encourages his…

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Ujju Aggarwal on school choice, whiteness as property, and the “right to exclude”

We speak with Dr. Ujju Aggarwal, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Experiential Learning at the New School’s Schools of Public Engagement. Dr. Aggarwal explains how neoliberalism, with its emphasis on individual choice, includes a “right to exclude” and perpetuates discriminatory school admissions, not only to some charter schools but also to district schools and programs, describing in particular the experiences of parents in Manhattan’s District…

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Adjoa Jones de Almeida of the Brooklyn Museum on art as experience

We speak with Adjoa Jones de Almeida, Director of Education at the Brooklyn Museum. We discuss the significance of “art as experience.” Ms. Jones de Almeida describes art’s transformational power to educate and empower students of all ages, both personally and politically. The Museum partners with teachers across the academic spectrum and works to include diverse families and communities.

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Transcription of the episode “Adjoa Jones de Almeida of the Brooklyn Museum on art as experience”

Amy H-L: 00:15 Hi, I’m Amy Halpern-Laff Jon M: 00:17 And I’m Jon Moscow. Welcome to Ethical Schools, where we discuss strategies for creating inclusive and equitable schools that help students to develop both commitment and capacity to build ethical institutions. Amy H-L: 00:29 Our guest today is Adjoa Jones de Almeida, Director of Education…

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Mark Santow on Suing Rhode Island for Educational Equal Protection

We speak with Dr. Mark Santow, Chair of the Department of History at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. Dr. Santow and his middle school son, along with 12 other plaintiffs, are suing the state of Rhode Island in federal court under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution for failing to provide civics curricula and other components of an adequate education to some Rhode Island students. The suit is especially notable because most education equity cases are brought in state courts. We discuss the racial, socioeconomic, and political underpinnings of educational inequality.

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Transcription of the episode “Mark Santow on Suing Rhode Island for Educational Equal Protection”

Jon M: 00:15 Hi, I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: 00:18 And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools, where we discuss strategies for creating inclusive and equitable schools and youth programs that help students to develop commitment and capacity to build ethical institutions. Jon M: 00:33 Our guest today is Dr. Mark Santow. Dr. Santow…

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Transcription of the episode “Lev Moscow offers advice for secondary school teachers”

Jon M: 00:15 Hi, I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: 00:16 And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools, where we discuss strategies for creating inclusive, and equitable schools and youth programs that help students to develop both commitment and capacity to develop ethical institutions. Jon M: 00:31 Our guest today is Lev Moscow. Lev teaches…

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Lev Moscow offers advice for secondary school teachers

We interview Lev Moscow who, for the last 14 years, has taught history and economics at The Beacon School in New York City. Lev reflects that advisory, done well, can serve as a venue for students to explore questions of ethics, purpose and happiness. He talks about balancing the history curriculum to include non-European perspectives. Getting students to read more than a few sentences is perhaps today’s teachers’ greatest challenge and Lev explains his approach.

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Transcription of the episode “Kym Vanderbilt on ethical early childhood teacher preparation”

Jon M: 00:15 Hi, I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: 00:17 And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools where we discuss strategies for creating inclusive and equitable schools and youth programs that help students to develop a commitment and capacity to build ethical institutions. Jon M: 00:29 Our guest today is Kym Vanderbilt. Kym Vanderbilt is a full time lecturer and…

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Kym Vanderbilt on ethical early childhood teacher preparation

We interview Kym Vanderbilt, Lecturer and Professional Development Liaison in the Early Childhood/Childhood Department at CUNY/Lehman College. Kym describes her students’ concerns about meeting the needs of teacher assistants and parents as well as children. She talks about the test-heavy teacher certification process, which is both intimidating and expensive for aspiring teachers of limited means, and how she tries to create a more welcoming and supportive environment for her students, staying in touch with them long after they become teachers themselves. To give us context, Kym gives us a fascinating overview of the complicated history of early childhood education.

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Transcription of the episode “David Kirkland on New York’s State’s Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework”

Jon M: 00:15 I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: 00:16 And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to Ethical Schools where we discuss strategies for creating inclusive and equitable schools and youth programs that help students to develop both commitment and capacity to build ethical institutions. Jon M: 00:29 Our guest today is Dr. David E. Kirkland, Executive…

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David Kirkland on New York’s State’s Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework

We speak with Dr. David E. Kirkland, Executive Director of NYU’s Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools. A leading voice in culturally responsive and sustaining education, the Metro Center helped write New York State Education Department’s new Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework. The Framework is founded on a view of education that regards culture as a critical component of learning. Multiple expressions of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender, language, and sexual orientation, are regarded as assets to be recognized and cultivated.

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Soledad Hiciano on nurturing and educating immigrant children in an age of deportation and deprivation

We speak with Soledad Hiciano, executive director of Community Association of Progressive Dominicans (ACDP), a multi-service community organization in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. She describes the challenges of supporting children who may have experienced multiple traumas, including homelessness and the deportation of close relatives.

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Silvia Canales on Relationship-Based College Counseling

We speak with Silvia Canales, who coordinates the college advisory program at Brotherhood/Sister Sol, an organization that provides comprehensive and holistic support services to underserved youth. Silvia talks about fully integrating college counseling into a program environment in which adults know young people well and students engage in systematic self-reflection. Find more about Silvia and…

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Adán Vásquez on The Washington Heights Community Conservatory of Fine Arts: “I could be the one playing the cello!”

We talk with Adán Vásquez, executive and artistic director of the Association of Dominican Classical Artists and the Washington Heights Community Conservatory of Fine Arts, a unique free classical and folk music education program for the youth of Upper Manhattan. Adán Vásquez, a harpist, is an educator, an acclaimed classical musician, and a community activist. He talks about making Latin American and European classical music and Latin American folk music accessible to low-income young people of color, and the role of performing arts in transforming children’s lives and community building. We listen to excerpts of students playing Carabine by Julio Alberto Hernández and the Conservatory faculty (“La Camerata Washington Heights”) performing Migraciones by Servio R. Reyes.

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Transcription of the episode “Adán Vásquez on The Washington Heights Community Conservatory of Fine Arts: “I could be the one playing the cello!”

Amy H-L : 00:15 I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Jon M: 00:15 And I’m Jon Moscow. This is the Ethical Schools podcast, where we discuss equitable and inclusive learning environments that help students to become capable of creating a more ethical world. Amy H-L : 00:27 There’s a new blog post up on ethicalschools.org. It’s by Shirley…

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Transcription of the episode “Jason Warwin on The Brotherhood/Sister Sol: Building strong Black and Latinx youth leaders for social change”

Jon M: 00:10 Hi, I’m Jon Moscow. This is Ethical Schools podcast, where we talk about how to create ethical and inclusive learning environments that support students in becoming capable of and committed to creating a more ethical world. Today we’re speaking with Jason Warwin. Jason Warwick is Associate Executive Director and Co-founder of the…

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Jason Warwin on The Brotherhood/Sister Sol: Building strong Black and Latinx youth leaders for social change

Jason Warwin is the Co-Founder and Associate Executive Director of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol, an organization that provides comprehensive, holistic and long-term support services to youth who range in age from eight to twenty-two. Located in Harlem (NYC), Bro/Sis also has programs dedicated to developing Black and Latinx youth in Africa, Latin America and The Caribbean. Jason is a specialist in the design of transformative experiences and we talked about how the Bro/Sis model leads young people to ethical leadership and educational achievement, and makes them an essential part of a solid community that has been fighting oppression for almost 25 years.

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TRANSCRIPTION OF THE EPISODE “Mark Gordon on the Friends and Relationships Course: Teaching and learning from people with intellectual disabilities about sexuality, interdependence, and inclusion”

Jon M: 00:15 Hi, I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: 00:17 And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to the Ethical Schools podcast where we talk about how to create equitable and inclusive learning environments that support students in becoming capable of and committed to creating a more ethical world. Today we’re going to talk about an educational…

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Mark Gordon on the Friends and Relationships Course: Teaching and learning from people with intellectual disabilities about sexuality, interdependence, and inclusion

We talk with Mark Gordon, founder of the Friends and Relationships Course, a program in New Mexico that provides classes for adults with intellectual disabilities who want to learn how to form intimate and other relationships. He talks about what he’s learned over 15 years of teaching sexuality classes, learning along with his son about the ongoing necessity for interdependence. We also discuss society’s failure to welcome and accommodate people with developmental disabilities.

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Deborah Meier on Public Education and Democracy: What makes an ethical school (Transcription of the episode)

Jon M : 00:15 I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: 00:16 And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to our Ethical Schools podcast. We talk to all kinds of educational innovators who are creating what we call ethical classrooms and schools and we’ve been talking about how to develop relationships. Ethics is based on relationships, and within the…

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Deborah Meier on Public Education and Democracy: What makes an ethical school

We talk with MacArthur “genius” award winner Deborah Meier, a founder of the small schools movement, about what makes a good school. She talks about how to build and maintain trust and mutual respect among students, teachers, and families.

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Eva Lopez on Act4Change: Applying Theatre of the Oppressed to building social justice in The Bronx

We talk with Eva Lopez about Act4Change, a Theatre of the Oppressed project in the Bronx. Eva Lopez uses theater techniques to invite children and youth to envision liberation and to empower them to resist oppression. Audiences become spect-actors to examine root causes of bullying, domestic violence and other personal/societal crises.

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Eva Lopez on Act4Change: Applying Theatre of the Oppressed to building social justice in The Bronx (Transcription of the episode)

Jon M: 00:14 Hi, I’m Jon Moscow. Amy H-L: 00:16 And I’m Amy Halpern-Laff. Welcome to the Ethical Schools podcast where we speak with educational innovators about creating ethical educational environments and instilling lifelong ethical habits. We often underestimate the power of the arts to support SEL and to create ethical communities. Jon M: 00:34…

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NY Opens the Door to SEL

In August, the New York State Education Department published Social Emotional Learning: Essential for Learning, Essential for Life, a detailed document calling for all NYS schools to incorporate social emotional learning into their daily instructional practice with fidelity and district-wide support.  The linked Social Emotional Learning Benchmarks, however, are voluntary, and the authors point to…

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