Have You Heard

What should kids learn about sex? Who should teach them? And if they learn too much, will they become deviants? According to Margaret Myers, the author of The Fight for Sex Ed, we’ve been fighting over these exact same questions for more than a century, obscuring the essential purpose of sex education. And Nawal Umar of the sex ed advocacy group SIECUS joins us to talk about the present day push to mandate the teaching of the so-called success sequence in schools. The financial support of listeners like you keeps this podcast going. Subscribe on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HaveYouHeardPodcast

Conservative activists in Texas are mobilizing against a billion-dollar voucher program. Parents and homeschoolers fear vouchers will bring regulation and state control to private education. Organizers describe surprising grassroots growth and political fallout that could reshape local primaries and party loyalty.

Aaron Fountain, scholar and author of High School Students Unite, digs up forgotten 20th-century teen activism with extensive archival research. He recounts thousands of student groups and underground papers, citywide organizing and walkouts that forced quick wins. He also uncovers school censorship, parent reports to the FBI, and how students pushed for curriculum and governance changes.

Our ability to disagree has turned toxic, and frayed relationships are leaving Americans more isolated and lonely than ever. Can schools help? Educational psychologist Hunter Gehlbach is convinced that teachers hold the key by helping students learn how to disagree better. That is unless AI replaces all of the teachers first. The financial support of listeners like you keeps this podcast going. Subscribe on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HaveYouHeardPodcast

Audrey Watters, an education writer and critic focused on ed tech, shares her insights on the troubling parallels between today's educational technology visions and Cold War-era fantasies. She argues that Silicon Valley’s push for robot teachers mirrors the 1950s fears around Sputnik, with urgent narratives driving funding and reforms. Watters critiques the tech industry's reliance on data over human connection, warning that this mindset undermines true educational values. She advocates for a shift towards public investment in education, rather than outsourcing to technology.

Susan Engel, a research psychologist and professor at Williams College, dives deep into the world of kindergarten, drawn from her observations across 29 classrooms nationwide. She reveals how kindergarten acts as a developmental turning point, shaping children's identities and social skills. Engel shares fascinating insights on balancing play with academic rigor and critiques the current overemphasis on phonics that may hinder a love for reading. She highlights effective teaching that prioritizes intellectual curiosity, urging a reevaluation of how we nurture young learners.

In this compelling discussion, Kevin Kumashiro, former dean and author, and Laura K. Fields, scholar and author of 'Furious Minds,' delve into the MAGA vision for education. Kumashiro reveals how Christian nationalism seeks to reshape public schools with a dual strategy of deinstitutionalization and re-Christianization. Fields introduces the 'new right' intellectuals influencing a push for patriotic curricula and critiques the response to the 1619 Project. Both guests highlight the urgent need to address the meaning crisis in education while advocating for a pluralistic approach in schools.

Patrick Brosnan, executive director of the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, and Sofia Rodriguez, an associate professor at NYU, dive into the past and present of immigrant education rights. They discuss the impact of ICE activities in Chicago schools and explore the implications of the Plyler v. Doe ruling. Patrick shares efforts like the Southwest Rapid Response Team to protect students, while Sofia highlights local victories in legislation. The conversation emphasizes the importance of community organizing and the critical need for educators to advocate for immigrant rights.

Have You Heard heads to Florida, where education policy is increasingly being determined by wealthy donors. We meet a billionaire who has been putting big bucks behind a very particular vision for the state’s education future. And we learn, yet again, that even the best laid plans have a way of going awry. Corporate influence exposer Jason Garcia and public education advocate Sue Woltanski take us on a tour of the Florida swamp, while Jack provides some answers to a question that many Floridians are asking these days: whatever happened to local control? The financial support of listeners like you keeps this podcast going. Subscribe on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HaveYouHeardPodcast

Quinn Slobodian, a historian and Boston University professor, dives into the resurgence of race science and its political roots. He reveals how the fixation on IQ mirrors historical social upheavals, linking modern arguments to the 1970s and 1990s. Slobodian discusses the damaging implications of these ideas for public education and civil rights. He also examines how rhetoric around genetic determinism resurfaces as a backlash against social progress and explores the unlikely coalitions pushing for privatization in education. A thought-provoking conversation!