Ed's (Not) Dead Podcast - The All Things Education Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

After a hiatus since February 2024, the Ed's Not Dead team returns with a dynamic episode that blends personal reflections and critical discussions on the evolving landscape of education.

In This Episode:

• Personal and Professional Catch-Up: The hosts share updates on their lives and careers, reflecting on the events of the past year and the journey since the podcast's inception in 2017.

• Analyzing Linda McMahon's Nomination: A deep dive into the article "SecEd Nominee Linda McMahon Has the Right Background for the Job", discussing her qualifications, the potential impact on the Department of Education, and the broader implications for schools nationwide.

• The Role and Future of the Department of Education: An exploration of the department's current functions, the surprising number of employees, and the possible consequences of its reduction or elimination under a new administration.

Is it time to get rid of math? The guys debate the usefulness of math requirements (along with other public education requirements) in our schools today and what it might mean to think differently.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/02/06/end-useless-math-requirements/

How do you implement standards based grading within the constraints of the performance / letter-grade system?

"Become totally evidentiary..."

"Spend...time determining, what is excellent, almost excellent?"

"Am I going to separate out behavior, from mastery?"

Show Notes:

During today's show, we debrief Betsy DeVos' terribly embarrassing interview on 60 Minutes during our first segment.

• What are the impacts of having an education secretary with such little experience and investment in and around public schools?

In our second segment, we have Tara García Mathewson from The Hechinger Report about the lack of physics teachers in schools with high poverty levels and schools that are composed largely of students of color.

Tara García Mathewson is a staff writer for The Hechinger Report where she covers national education issues. After graduating from Northwestern University, Tara worked at the Daily Herald, Illinois' third largest newspaper where she covered city government and education in Chicago's suburbs. Tara grew up in rural Western New York, and currently lives in Boston.

"Physics is widely considered to be a building block for a range of STEM disciplines— science, technology, engineering and math — and taking the course in high school is strongly correlated with getting a degree in a STEM field. Educators, policymakers and the general public agree that education in STEM is important. STEM occupations, jobs data show, pay more, and employment in STEM fields has grown at a faster rate than overall job growth."

In our final segment, we discuss new playground/recess ideas in Britain, and Casey leads us through a quiz show that will blow your mind!

Resources Mentioned/Referenced:

WaPost Transcript of 60 Minutes Interview

DeVos Takes Shot at 60 Minutes Interview

https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/betsy-devos-calls-60-minutes-a-waste-of-a-half-hour

Analysis of PISA and TIMMS

The Hechinger Report page for Tara Garcia Mathewson

One reason students aren't prepared for STEM careers? No physics in high school

In Britain's Playgrounds, 'Bringing in Risk' to Build Resilience 

Show Notes:

During today's show, we discuss the Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS shooting during our first segment.

• Despite all the noise on this issue, as educators, how do you think we should improve what we do to keep students and staff safe in our schools?

We discuss the major points in the case, who is on each side, and the implications for teacher unions moving forward.

In our second segment, we discuss the Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court Case.

• Public employees in Illinois did not want to pay mandatory union fees in a state where all employees who work in a job with unions must pay "fair share" dues, omitting portions of the fee that go towards political action.
• Janus argues that the required fees are a violation of his First Amendment free speech rights because the Union engages in speech and causes that he disagrees with, referred to as a compelled speech.
• Unions obviously view a decision against them as 1) would bring about their demise, 2) would take away worker protections as it relates minorities and women, and 3) there is no first amendment right to be free from compelled subsidies, 4) that Janus’ characterization of unions as purely political is a gross mischaracterization of union activities. 

In our final segment, a new Dear Betsy segment devolves into a discussion about nothing, kind of like Seinfeld, and kind of like Betsy Devos' actual work with education...nothing! 

Resources Mentioned/Referenced:

Dana Milibank: The Koch’s are Trying to Kill Unions

George Will on Janus

Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court Case

Why was Betsy DeVos at a Supreme Court hearing about the fate of workers unions?

Show Notes:

During today's show, we discuss the following topics during our first segment:

• From The Denver Post, we discuss the pros and cons of shortening the school week: "The four-day week, once a tool of rural districts, is coming to a Denver metro school district."

• Funding issues are causing school districts across the country to cut days from the school week.

• Achievement levels seem to stay at similar levels (in spite of the loss of an instructional day).

In our second segment, we interview Mr. Rick Wormeli, who is a national voice in standards based grading, differentiated instruction, and all things education. Rick Wormeli was one of the first Nationally Board Certified teachers in America, he brings 38 years of teaching experience in math, science, English, physical education, health, and history, and coaching teachers and principals. Rick’s work has been featured on Good Morning America, National Geographic Magazine, and the Washington Post. He is a frequent contributor to AMLE Magazine, and ASCD’s Education Leadership Magazine. Rick is the author of the award-winning book, Meet Me in the Middle, as well as the best-selling books Day One and Beyond, Fair Isn’t Always Equal, among others.

In our final segment, Casey leads us through a pop quiz on Higher Education! 

Resources Mentioned/Referenced:

Rick Wormeli's Website: "Let's Change Education Together"

4 Day School Week Coming to Suburban Denver

Study Shows Math Gains in 4 day School Week

AMLE.org

Show Notes:

During today's show, we discuss the following topics during our first segment:

• From EducationNext, we discuss Chester Finn's piece entitled: Emphasis on Thinking Skills over Facts in Schools Contributes to Truth Decay.

• Are teachers teaching thinking skills devoid of facts?

• What is the difference between math/science facts and social studies facts? Is there room for interpretation?

• What does Finn mean when he talks about "curricular squeamishness"?

In our second segment, we interview Ms. Gillian Williams, President of The Rensselaerville Institute. During our interview, Gillian and the gang discuss how TRI and their turnaround efforts are effective, what "durable change" looks like, and the key areas of successful educational change.

In our final segment, Robby leads us through the "Top Ten Most Controversial Education issues in US History." 

Resources Mentioned/Referenced:

Robby's Published! Semi Self-Contained Learning Communities in Grade 6: Bringing New Evidence to Bear on Middle Grades Education

EducationNext: Emphasis on Thinking Skills over Facts in Schools Contributes to Truth Decay by Chester Finn Jr.

The Rensselaerville Institute

Show Notes:

During today's show, we discuss the following topics during our first segment:

• From the Washington Post, we discuss the previously lauded Ballou High School where it was just discovered that many students who received a diploma missed an extensive amount of school (so much so that they probably shouldn't have graduated by traditional metrics). 

• More than 1 of every 10 students receiving a diploma from a D.C. public high school last year missed most of the academic year, according to an investigation released Tuesday that casts a shadow on a district that has trumpeted improvements in graduation rates.

• What does it mean to receive a diploma? Why is there doubt cast upon the students, when in reality it is an adult-created / system-created problem?

In our second segment, we bring back Hot Takes! and talk about school awards, teacher evaluations, tracking students to specific careers, and extracurricular activities. 

In our final segment, we bring back another beloved segment all about #DearBetsy! During #DearBetsy, we discuss Devos' most recent speech that posits that Bush 2 and Obama's respective education reforms have done little to impact students.

Resources Mentioned/Referenced:

Devos: Nothing Presidents Barack Obama or George W. Bush did in Education Reform Really Worked

No More School Awards!

What to do with extracurricular activities?

Article about just Ballou High School (WaPost)

DC Graduating Chronically Absent Students (WaPost)

Ask the Right Questions and Learn Something (WaPost Op-Ed)

Not Ballou's Fault (WaPost Op-Ed from Valedictorian)

Show Notes:

During today's show, we discuss the following topics during our first segment:

• From the New York Times (linked below), the way schools are evaluated may be changing. We discuss how a new study shifts how we look at "underperforming" schools.
• This study suggests that policy makers and education leaders may be thinking about student outcomes in all the wrong ways!

In our second segment, we have two very special guests to discuss Social Emotional Learning and a program they created called "TEAMology."

Resources Mentioned/Referenced:

How effective is your school district? A new measure shows where students learn the most

TEAMology

Invent Penn State backs TEAMology with $75,000 award from Fund for Innovation

TIME: Betsy Devos: The Biggest Controversies from year one

Devos reverses policy on campus sexual assault investigations

Ed Dept says it will scale back civil rights investigations

Betsy Devos wants to spend millions on school vouchers. Two new students say they don't actually work

A raw deal from Betsy Devos

For-profit college regulations

Devos Forcing scammed students to repay loans for meaningless degrees

Devos has 10 boats, two helicopters, a yacht scheduler and a lifestyle that you can’t afford ($580m in assets)

The Polarizing Pick to be Betsy Devos’ right-hand man

Students boo Betsy Devos as commencement speaker at HBCU

Republican Tax plan is an early christmas gift for Devos family (Senator Toomey inserted amendment that exempts schools that don’t accept federal funds from being taxed on their endowments)

Guest Information:

Tonight we have two guests who are experts in Social Emotional Learning and building Character in our young students. Students who rank higher on the Social Emotional Learning scale have demonstrated they are more successful students, as they demonstrate higher levels of skills such as problem solving, resiliency, and leadership, they are shown to score higher on tests, attend school more regularly and become more valuable assets to future employers and society.

Linsey Covert is a former teacher and school counselor and now instructor in the Penn State College of Education. As a graduate student, she saw a need for a practical solution to help students develop better relationships and life skills for a more successful future. She began developing ideas for Project TEAM over a dozen years ago and is now the director of Project TEAM, a school-wide anti-bullying movement developed at Penn State to help schools evolve into TEAM-oriented climates. She founded TEAMology, which under license from the university, began recently spreading the SEL and Character Foundations to schools throughout the region by launching a cloud based platform allowing teachers to easily access research based SEL curriculum, track progress, earn badges in SEL, and most importantly communicate, collaborate, and support one another.

Linsey is joined by Lisa DiBernardo, who not only taught these skills successfully to students in NJ for 6 years, and won awards, she joined the TEAMology movement as an Education Director and has been largely credited with helping 1,200 teachers and now 14,000 students improve their Social, Emotional and Character skills.