The Counter Narrative: Changing the Way We Talk (and think) About Education

The #BlackPanther franchise has been a source of #inspiration for many fans of the #MCU. But what happens when a potentially damaging & divisive message is portrayed?

In this episode, I chat with Connie Hamilton, who has served as a teacher, coach, principal, and central office leader. She continues to devote her time to supporting teachers and leaders to implement quality instructional methods through her collaboration with educational organizations and the numerous books she has written. During our conversation, we explored allyship across difference through the lens of a white female. While I know that this may initially sound controversial, we wanted listeners to hear from someone who is traversing the challenging journey of self-discovery so that they can show up authentically as an ally. It is our hope that this understanding will not only encourage others to embark or continue on their own journeys but also provide helpful insight for others who are attempting to better understand the process. The truth is, we must all go through a version of self-exploration if we expect to be positioned to better align ourselves with those who are different from us. After all, as August Wilson once said, you’ve got to be right with yourself before you can be right with anyone else. Ready to dive into this transparent and vulnerable episode? Let’s go.

Jean Lacoste was a French tennis player and business man who went by the nickname "The Crocodile" which ended up serving as the iconic logo on his clothing line. He was an accomplished tennis player having won several cups and was considered the number one player in the world in both 1926 and 1927.  Lacoste even earned a bronze medal in the 1924 Olympics. Despite all of the accolades and public recognition, there exists a lingering mystery that still causes debates within some circles today. Was Lacoste a Black man? Join me as I share how this information came to my attention as well as the details I learned, and subsequent questions I developed, through my investigation into this tennis star's background. 

In this episode, I chat with TaRael Kee, an Assistant Principal at Collinsville High School, a site-based trainer for the American School Counselor Association, and the Past-President of the Illinois School Counselor Association. He is the Founder of The Kee to Success YouTube Channel/Podcast and Successful Shopping Online Store. TaRael is also a published author.  He was named the Collinsville School District e-Educator of the Year (2017),  recognized by College Board in (2018), received the Lindenwood Alumni Spotlight (2019), and was awarded Illinois School Counselor of the Year (2021).  TaRael graduated from Lindenwood University with a specialist degree in Educational Leadership in May of 2021. During our conversation, we talked about the impact that politics have on education, including how shipping migrants across the country affects the educational institutions receiving a sudden influx of students despite already struggling with a lack of resources. TaRael reflects on the ongoing battle between moral arguments and practicality. Yes, as educators we know and want to do what is right but are we equipped to always deliver on that message? We touch on the ongoing departure of educators as they are being left alone to figure it out and more often than not figure themselves out of the field. But … TaRael also leaves us with some words of wisdom … or should I say Kees to Success … on how we can respond to these challenges. Ready to hear more? Let’s go.

Leadership can be lonely ... but only if you are doing it wrong. Join me in this reflection as I urge our educational leaders to use this time to build their networks so that they are not moving through this journey alone. 

In this episode, I chat with Starr Sackstein, a recovering perfectionist who is an assessment reforming enthusiast. Currently, she is the COO of Mastery Portfolio, an Edtech Startup committed to helping schools move to Standard-Based communication.  Additionally, she works with teacher teams to engage students in the learning process, advocate for personal growth, and effectively use student data to drive instruction. Starr was a high school English and journalism teacher for 16 years, a lead Humanities learner for 2 years, a publisher and developmental editor, and social media manager. She is an author, blogger, and speaker committed to changing the way we do assessment nationally and globally. You can learn more about her work on her website MsSackstein.com and you can follow her on Twitter @MsSackstein. When Starr isn’t advocating for students and educators, she is a mom and partner looking for the next adventure. During our conversation, we talked about … assessments. In fact, Starr pointed out that we cannot expect major risk-taking in high stakes situations. And this goes for both our staff and our students. Starr shared stories of how she developed spaces for students to serve as cocreators of the curriculum in her space and was then investigated when students came to her class but skipped others. She shares the idea that our modern approaches disrespects and dishonors the natural learning process and questions why it seems that the love for learning happens to begin diminishing around the same grade level when these high stakes assessments are implemented. Ready to hear more about the role assessments could play in your classroom? Let’s go!

As parents, we all want to believe that our children are special, that they are unique, and that they are smart. But how would you respond if you were told that the level of your child's intelligence would be contingent upon those with whom your child went to school? That say, for example, your child would be considered gifted at one school because your child's academic abilities were beyond those of your child's peers but would qualify for special education services in another setting because those students were academically superior to yours? Understandably, most parents would celebrate the first scenario and contest the latter. Yet, this very thing is happening within our schools as we speak.  This episode shares a revelation that our family had when challenging my grandson's school and their push for him to be in a cluster program based an outdated IEP. Listen and let me know what you think. 

In this episode, I chat with John Whalen, a leading Restorative Practices pioneer in both theory and application. He has trained thousands of teachers, staff, and students throughout the United States. He is an innovator in professional development and training.  John has spoken at numerous national education conferences including ASCD Empower, ASCD Leadership Conference, the ESEA Conference, National Association of Community and Restorative Justice Conference, the Music City SEL Conference, and the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference. John is the author of the book Classroom Circles: A Toolkit for Building Relationships and Strengthening School Communities. John currently brings his experience to his role as a principal at the Tioughnioga Riverside Academy, a 4th-8th grade building in Upstate New York. He spent 15 years in the classroom teaching both 2nd grade and 6th grade mathematics.  He also spent over three years as a district Restorative Practices Coordinator leading implementation in over ten primary and secondary schools. John resides in Conklin, NY, with his wife and two daughters. During our conversation, John brings up a great point that often undermines the role and resulting impact of restorative practices in schools. Districts often focus on improving discipline issues when they should be focused on improving community connections and culture. In fact, he points out that the root of the word discipline is to learn and yet we do not spend enough time teaching how to get the results we want but instead hope that punishments will teach that lesson despite plenty of research that suggests otherwise. John stresses that restorative practices does not mean that we do not hold students accountable for their actions and the harm they have caused. He also stresses that this is a process … not a program … and thus the implementation and outcomes may look different from one building to the next. In the end, if we want change to happen, then we need to be willing to change. Ready to dive into this episode? Let’s go!

Folktales are a central part of our educational systems ... especially in the early grades. However, these tales reflect the Eurocentric ideologies that drive these institutions causing a large part of our population to abandon and forget the stories rooted in their respective cultural pasts. What can we do to reverse this trend?  

In this episode, I chat with Shaun Woodly, a decorated K-12 teacher, university professor, and author whose deep passion and research have allowed him great success as an educator and entrepreneur. He is the architect behind the educator movement “Teach Hustle Inspire” and has written the best-selling book “MC Means Move the Class: How to Spark Engagement and Motivation in Urban and Culturally Diverse Classrooms”. In both education and life, Dr. Woodly believes in having fun! He educates with love, enthusiasm, motivation, and hustle! During our conversation, we talked about the 2%. You know, the percentage of the teaching force that is composed of Black Males. We discussed the desire to force us into constrained positions such as disciplinarians and managers because we are not often considered as capable of being instructional leaders. We examined code switching and whether or not it should be necessary for our students in order to be accepted as “normal.” We differentiated between culturally relevant and culturally responsive. And, of course, we touched on music and explored Woodly’s parallel with his favorite medium and his role in the classroom and beyond. Ready to slightly transform your groove? Let’s go.