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

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- This episode is a pause to ponder segment. These biweekly sessions will allow me to share with you my personal thoughts and reflections on a wide spectrum of topics as they relate to education. It is my hope that you will be able to take something from these segments and apply it in a meaningful way as you continue to do amazing work. Remember, while we all have different roles, we all have a single job, educating our students. -- What do the New York Yankees and teacher retention have to do in common? Well, consider that in the past 25 years, 44% of the championship teams also fell into the top 3 salary spendings for their respective years. In fact, the average winning team had a payroll that was nearly one standard deviation higher than the average. And the Yankees? Well their five championships during the past 25 years can be attributed to having a payroll that was 2 standard deviations higher than the average.  What does this mean? One of my favorite players, Anthony Rizzo, former first basemen for the Chicago Cubs, recently joined the Yankees and has not been quiet about his dissatisfaction with the teams reluctance to pay him or others what they were worth. In short, he said to invest in your people.  While I understand that MLB salary caps and educational funding are vastly different models, the point of this discussion still holds true. How is it possible that there are teachers who are making a liveable wage (or higher) while others are required to work additional jobs to survive? Furthermore, how can we expect the same level of performance from these same groups of teachers? Or even, what are we saying about how much we value their contributions to our organizations? In short, if you value your people, you need to invest in your people. Yes, it may be costly up front, but the results speak for themselves.  -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- In this episode, I chat with Zachary Korth,  a second year Assistant Principal within Chicago Public Schools. He previously served as the Math Instructional Coach and College and Career Counselor within Austin ISD and a STEM Instructional Coach in Portland Public.  With a wealth of experience in restorative practices and building a climate and culture of high expectations and energy, he ensures everyone gets what they n eed to be successful. Whenever interacting with Mr. Korth you know he will always listen, support, and, if needed, offer solutions. In honor of Pride Month, we centered our conversation around the LGBTQ community. Specifically, we addressed the continued issues members of this community are facing not just from society but from their parents and educators. Note that I didn’t mention peers because as Zach and I both noted, a majority of the students within our schools have largely accepted their LGBTQ counterparts. In fact, Zach shares his perceptions of why adults are so often reluctant to embrace these orientations that they view as “abnormal.” Yes, that was sarcasm Texas. During the conversation, we continuously circled back to the idea of not only acceptance but respect and love. Afterall, we are all humans and deserve to be treated as such. Ready to hear more? Let’s go! -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- This weekend marks the second annual national holiday of Juneteenth despite it being in existence for over 150 years and celebrated within the African American community. With such infancy, there are undoubetedly a number of issues that still need to be addressed and its these that I address as I share my hopes for Juneteenth not only for this year, but also moving forward. -- This episode is a pause to ponder segment. These biweekly sessions will allow me to share with you my personal thoughts and reflections on a wide spectrum of topics as they relate to education. It is my hope that you will be able to take something from these segments and apply it in a meaningful way as you continue to do amazing work. Remember, while we all have different roles, we all have a single job, educating our students. -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

In this episode, I chat with Carmen Daniel, the Owner and Founder of Dare 2 Dream: College & Career Consulting in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Carmen is a third-generation teen mom and first-generation college graduate. She believes that in order to break the generational curses and a perceived deficit thinking plaguing underrepresented students and communities, that educational policies, leadership, and financing, must be free of systemic racism and oppression. As a graduate of the Cleveland Heights - University Heights School District, Carmen took extreme pride in giving back to the community that helped to shape her educational blueprint. Her research interests include: critical race theory, college access and persistence among Black students, urban education leadership, and college persistence for Black teen mothers and fathers. Specifically, she is interested in the ways within-school segregation policies influence Black student motivations for pursuing a postsecondary degree. During our conversation, we asked an important question - are we amplifying student voices or simply masking our own. All too often we push students into postsecondary decisions without considering their aspirations. We talked about taking the time to listen to students’ stories and helping those experiences determine the pathways that students will take in life. We explored the concept of imposter syndrome and how generational educational trauma impacts our perceptions of school and the choices made beyond primary and secondary school. And we even took some time to dream about what school could be if we adopted the scheduling models of higher education in our lower levels.

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Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- This episode is a podcast collaboration. Every once in a while, podcasters will team up and blend their two shows into one. Sometimes we trip over one another’s feet but in the end it's a wonderful blend of our two spaces. In this episode, I chat with Trevor Aleo and Kayla Duncan of Conceptually Speaking. If you haven’t heard their show, and you like what you hear today, be sure to check them out on nearly every platform where podcasts are found. For this show, we blended our two show’s formats by each bringing 3-5 concepts that we believe are critical while challenging the negative narratives that often permeate our educational spaces. From identifying and grounding ourselves in our purpose to being intentional about the work that we’re doing so that it is in alignment to focusing on the assets that our students and peers bring to the table, we explore the various facets that need to be in place for us to push back and begin flipping the script. Ready for two shows in one? Let’s go. Connect with Conceptually Speaking Click here to check out their podcast Click here to check out their website -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- This episode is a pause to ponder segment. These biweekly sessions will allow me to share with you my personal thoughts and reflections on a wide spectrum of topics as they relate to education. It is my hope that you will be able to take something from these segments and apply it in a meaningful way as you continue to do amazing work. Remember, while we all have different roles, we all have a single job, educating our students. -- "Be a man!" "Stop being such a girl!" "Real men don't cry!" These toxic messages have been repeated time and time again to our young men and yet we wonder why they continue to struggle. During this episode I share some personal connections to these comments and disclose some of my past while imploring listeners to reconsider how we approach our young men who are experiencing mental health issues.  -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.

In this episode, I chat with Dr. LaQuanta Nelson, a former guest of ours on Inside the Principal’s Office and The Boss (you’ll hear more about that later). She has served in education as a mentor, motivational speaker, teacher, assistant principal, and principal over the last 17 years and currently serves as Principal of Magnolia Middle School in Moss Point, Mississippi. Dr. Nelson believes in empowering scholars and all educators on their journey to greatness. She has found a true passion in working with turn-around schools. Dr. Nelson has presented and keynoted at conferences and events at the state, regional and national level. She has served on boards such as the Mississippi Department of Education Principals’ Advisory Group, MDE Middle School Task Force and the Mississippi Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation. During our conversation, we talk about the expectations that we have for our students and how they manifest. We need to recognize the power that our words have not just on our students but on the community as whole. Dr. Nelson also points out that these positive expectations can, and will, reflect authentic caring and ultimately transform the self-efficacy for schools. She shares how her own experiences with tough love allows her to love on her kids and their families and the powerful results that stem from those relationships. We close out with some practical ideas for closing the year strong when so many educators are exhausted and ready to give up. Are you ready to learn with The Boss?

What do Star Wars and Mental Health have in common? Apparently a lot more than I originally thought. Though I am a fan of the series and recognized the iconic quotes that can easily be attributed to most areas of life, I never stopped to consider their connection to mental health.  Considering that I recorded this on May 4th and that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, it made sense to combine the two into an episode.  Thank you to MensLine Australia that wrote the article which inspired this episode.

Welcome to the Counter Narrative Podcast, a show designed to change the way we talk, and think, about education. By sharing stories of successes and triumphs, we aim to challenge the dominant narrative that often negatively portrays our disenfranchised populations. I’m your host, Charles Williams. An urban educator for more than 15 years, a current school principal in Chicago, an educational consultant, an equity advocate, and the co-host of Inside The Principal’s Office. -- In this episode, I chat with Anurupa Ganguly, the Founder & CEO of Prisms, a VR learning platform that teaches foundational secondary math and science concepts spatially and intuitively, before building up to symbolic notation. She began her career as a math & physics teacher and later served in leadership roles across the Boston Public Schools, NYC DOE, and Success Academies. She holds a BS and MEng in EECS from MIT, and an EdM from BU. During our conversation, Anurupa explained her journey through education and how that inspired her to start a company that allows students to digitally immerse themselves into mathematical concepts through VR. Imagine how impactful and powerful it would be to shift from learning exponential rate of change on worksheets to being involved in a pandemic simulator calculating the spread of an unknown disease. Anurupa also pushed back on the idea that the limited access we often associate with such products is due to budgets and funding (consider the mass amounts of funding schools have received during the past two years) and other excuses that do little more than maintain the gaps that we see in opportunities. This is a powerful conversation that I wish I could have released immediately after recording it so be sure to check out Prisms and see how you can bring this innovative technology to your own space. -- Prisms Website Prisms Twitter Anurupa Twitter Prisms LinkedIn Anurupa LinkedIn -- I want to thank you for listening to The Counter Narrative Podcast. If you like what you are hearing, please be sure to like, subscribe, and of course share it with friends and family. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about the show so please leave a comment or two as well. I’m not sure what platform you’re using but the show can be found on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and plenty of other platforms. If the show isn’t on your preferred site, let me know and I’ll be sure to get it up and running. This podcast is also featured on SchoolRubric.com, where you can find educational articles, videos, and interviews with educators from around the globe. Be sure to connect with me and other listeners by following the show on Twitter at @theCNpodcast and joining the show’s Facebook Group.