The Harvard EdCast

Laura Chávez-Moreno says bilingual education inadvertently creates boundaries around Latinx identity by gathering Spanish-speaking students together.“Bilingual education, rightfully so, has focused on language,” says Chávez-Moreno, an assistant professor at UCLA. “But there has to be also a recognition that bilingual education, because it is a part of schooling in the U.S., that it is also engaging in the process of creating ideas about race and about creating our ideas about racialized groups.”In her new book, “How Schools Make Race,” she argues that while bilingual education aims to support students’ language and cultural identity, it often fails to address the broader racial dynamics affecting Latinx communities.Chávez-Moreno believes that more could be done to integrate discussions of race and ethnic studies. “There's this national debate in the U.S. about whether schools should or not teach about race, and sometimes that gets called like attacks on critical race theory. I use that in scare quotes because it's really not critical race theory, but it's used…” she says. “It's causing a lot of fear in terms of what teachers can do. And instead of having that debate, we should recognize that schools teach about race already, whether we like it or not, in indirect and direct ways. But we should recognize that in order for us to then improve how we teach about it, we really need to take a more systematic approach to how teachers engage in this work. And unfortunately, that's not happening in our schools.”She calls for an "ambitious" teaching model that would prepare educators to guide these conversations thoughtfully, helping students gain a deeper understanding of their place within a racialized society. In this episode, she discusses how bilingual education programs influence the racialization of Latinx students and how a more nuanced approach could enhance bilingual education and better equip students to understand the complexities of race in the U.S. 

The superintendent’s role is challenging and always evolving but too often educators step into this leadership position not fully prepared for what’s ahead. As a position with high turnover and equally high isolation at times, Lindsay Whorton, The Holdsworth Center president, says we need to be more upfront about the role if we are to attract, support, and retain leaders.“What we have to do is be honest but also be encouraging and celebrate what an incredible opportunity it is to be in these roles. Yeah, it's going to be hard and there's going to be these pressures. And it's a really complex, intellectually, emotionally, physically demanding job,” she says. “And it represents an incredible opportunity to facilitate a conversation in your community to help advance your district to do the right thing for kids and to really make a significant difference in the lives of both the students who are in your school system today and in the future.”The transition to a superintendent role often surprises those coming from senior leadership, as it requires them to assume a broader, more public-facing leadership stance. Many new superintendents feel "discomfort" or even disillusionment when realizing how drastically their responsibilities have expanded, including heightened community visibility and accountability. “What gets tricky is when that sense of discomfort turns into maybe I'm not capable, maybe I don't have the confidence, maybe this isn't something that I can do,” she says. “And so we think by helping people understand that it is normal to experience what we're calling a shift in professional identity, people can be a little bit less destabilized by that experience and can learn through it and get to the other side of feeling more prepared, more capable, more confident about the role that they have as a superintendent.”Whorton explains that navigating the superintendency successfully demands strong relational skills, strategic vision, and adaptability. A key component to long-term success, she notes, is the ability to foster strong board relationships, even as boards may change or challenge the superintendent’s direction. Additionally, Whorton advocates for recognizing the superintendency as a role that requires community leadership and suggests a shift toward viewing superintendents as central civic figures.In this episode, Whorton discusses whether the superintendent position has changed and why it’s necessary to reframe the role to inspire a new generation of leaders to step into this role. 

Edward Clapp, a principal investigator at Harvard’s Project Zero and co-author of "The Participatory Creativity Guide for Educators," advocates for redefining creativity as a collective experience. He discusses the pitfalls of viewing creativity as an individual trait and explores the crises individualism brings to education. Clapp emphasizes the importance of social dynamics and cultural backgrounds in fostering creativity, promoting a participatory approach where every student can engage meaningfully. He also highlights how a growth mindset can unlock diverse creative potentials.

Sexual misconduct by school employees is more prevalent than many of us want to believe, according to Charol Shakeshaft, a distinguished professor in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. Many times, school culture gets in the way of stopping this abuse from happening. “What I find is that teachers see things, kids see things, administrators see things, parents see things. And what they see are what I call red flags of possible problems, but certainly what they see are boundary crossings,” Shakeshaft says. “Teachers are crossing a professional boundary, and they don't report it. And they don't report it for lots of reasons. The foremost reason they don't report it is because they don't realize they're supposed to report it. Nobody's taught them or helped them understand that these are signs that a child might be being targeted for sexual misconduct.”For decades, Shakeshaft has studied sexual misconduct by school employees and served as a lead expert witness in hundreds of cases. In her book, “Organizational Betrayal: How Schools Enable Sexual Misconduct and How to Stop It,” she unveils a problem that is deeply entrenched in our schools and calls for greater awareness and action to protect students.Recent studies estimate about 17% of students report being the target of sexual misconduct by a school employee. “We expect our schools to be places that are looking out for our kids, and the people there are kind and good. And in fact, most of them are. Most of them are people who care about kids, who care about people, who are honest, who have good ethics. That's the good part,” Shakeshaft says. “But as in every profession, there are those who aren't. That's the sad part.”In this episode, Shakeshaft stresses how educators are responsible for reporting suspicious actions without having to determine whether the behavior is truly harmful and shares strategies for educators and families to recognize, report, and prevent these incidents from happening in their schools.

Elliot Haspel, a senior fellow at Capita and author focused on America's childcare crisis, discusses the urgent need for universal childcare in the U.S. He argues that childcare should be seen as a public good, akin to education and parks. Haspel reflects on historical policy failures and the necessity of bipartisan support for comprehensive reform. He identifies inclusivity and funding as key obstacles, emphasizing that functional childcare requires robust public investment. Haspel envisions a future where childcare is recognized as a societal right.

Drawing from her research and interviews with boys over the past three decades, Niobe Way, a professor of developmental psychology at New York University, reveals how boys in early adolescence express a strong desire for close, emotionally intimate friendships, but as they grow older, societal pressures cause them to suppress these feelings. She calls this a crisis of connection and it’s affecting all of us. “This crisis of connection is not just for boys and young men. It's with everybody where we're starting to disconnect from our emotional sensitivity, our need for relationships, our need for intimate relationships, not just with a romantic partner, but with friends, as we grow older…” Way says. “Even our notions of maturity, it's the same notions as manhood. It's about being independent, self-sufficient, autonomous, stoic. It's not about being emotional, being sensitive, being able to be mutually supportive with another person.”This loss of connection along with a culture steeped in toxic masculinity leads to emotional isolation, and contributes to rising rates of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and even mass violence. Often times society blames mental illness for the latter, but Way contends that our need to individualize these problems, rather than seeing them as cultural issues creates a cycle of not listening and blame. “The point that we're not asking is, why are they having mental health problems? I mean, what's leading them to be that mentally ill? What is leading them to do that? What's causing that? And why are so many young men at this point-- because the numbers are almost every day that we have a mass shooting-- why are there so many high numbers of young men, white, privileged young boys have mental illness? Why?,” Way says. “Once you start asking why, then you start seeing a cultural story of the way we're raising our children. And I'm going to implicate everybody, including me. We are absolutely raising our children to go against their nature by only valuing one side, by valuing academic achievement over kindness.”In the episode, Way advocates for a rethinking of not only how we raise boys, but all children, stressing the value of fostering emotional intelligence, empathy, and deep connections with others.

Ying Xu, an assistant professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, dives into the intriguing intersection of AI and children's development. She discusses how AI can enhance learning, especially when designed with educational principles, noting improvements in children's reading skills. However, Xu warns that while AI provides personalized learning, it cannot replace the critical human connections vital for social and language growth. She also emphasizes the need for AI literacy among children to navigate information effectively and encourages a balanced approach to integrating technology in education.

Eric Soto-Shed, a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, argues for the importance of teaching about the election in today’s classrooms. He emphasizes the alarming decline in public satisfaction with democracy and believes schools should be a safe space for civic engagement. Soto-Shed discusses the challenges teachers face from community backlash and restrictive policies but insists that avoiding such topics only fosters ignorance. Instead, he advocates for meaningful discussions that prepare students for active participation in democracy.

As millions of students prepare for summer vacation, many parents may worry about endless time spent on the screen. Michael Rich, pediatrician and Director of the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital, says children spend more time on the screen during the summer but that the real challenge is balance between screen time and offline activities.“Now, the issue with screen time also should not be that the time you spend on screen is toxic, but that it is displacing something else. And if it is displacing something that is arguably a richer, more positive experience, then one should be thoughtful about that and make that choice,” he says. “The problem with screens as we use them is that we use them in such an open-ended way, such a way that it's a default behavior.”He discusses the challenges of setting screen time limits in today's digital environment and offers practical strategies for structuring days with both screen and non-screen activities. One of the best ways, he says, is for parents to set good examples. “When we get home, we should put down our devices and focus on them, really look at them, listen to them, be silent with them, but not be distracted by our phones. Work is over ostensibly, although we don't remember that most of the time, and it's a time when you can actually enjoy them,” he says. “They're not going to be this old forever. They are constantly changing before us. So, in some ways, we need to value that time with them even more. And by doing so, we are modeling for them valuing time with us.”In this episode, Rich shares insights on navigating screen time in children's lives, and addresses concerns about the impact of screens on mental health, advocating for a nuanced approach that considers individual readiness and understanding.

With looming threats of high teacher turnover rates during COVID-19, Olivia Chi, an assistant professor at Boston University, wanted to study how the pandemic shaped who decided to become a teacher.Many states foresaw serious disruptions to the teacher pipeline as testing centers and schools closed around the county. While teacher requirements differ by state, many require a bachelor’s or master’s teacher education program, student teaching, state teaching exams, or some type of alternative certification program. Massachusetts sought innovative solutions to sustain their teaching workforce by issuing emergency teaching licenses. “In order to prevent a stopgap essentially in the teacher pipeline, Massachusetts issued what they called emergency teaching licenses. And these began in June of 2020, in response to all of the closures during the pandemic,” Chi says. “And the emergency teaching license is different from the others because it only requires a bachelor's degree to be eligible for the license. In other words, you did not have to complete and pass these teacher licensure exams in order to get the license. So if you have a bachelor's degree and you went through the typical checks, you could get that license and be eligible to be a Massachusetts classroom teacher in a public school.”Chi's research, conducted in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, demonstrates how emergency licenses influenced the demographics and effectiveness of the teaching workforce.“I think our results would put forth to consider more flexibility, particularly for those who have already engaged in the teacher pipeline or may already have lots of experience working in public schools as paraprofessionals or in other staff positions,” Chi says. “That being said, I don't necessarily think our results suggest we should just do away with all of the requirements and let anybody in.”In this episode of the EdCast, we discuss the study’s findings and what emergency teaching licenses can tell us about teacher requirements given the current state of the teaching workforce today.