Courageous Conversations About Our Schools Podcast
Our podcast brings people together for respectful conversations about today’s most contentious issues affecting our schools.
Episode Directory
Find your favorite podcast episodes by topic, guest, or category.
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Bruce Wasser Helped Students Stand Up For Principle. Do We Want More Teachers Like That? (Ep. 43)
The Shoe Club: Walking Towards Empathy and Connection in a Michigan School (Ep. 42)
From Hate to Dialogue: A Conversation with Daryl Davis, “Klan Whisperer” (Ep. 41)
Democracies Cannot Survive Without Quality Education. A Conversation with Author Brook Manville (Ep. 40)
Character Education is Essential (and Unavoidable). How To Do It Well (Ep. 39)
The Transformative Power of Curiosity - A Conversation with Scott Shigeoka (Ep. 38)
Why These Students Are Rejecting Contempt and Embracing Dignity (Ep. 37)
Schools Are Abandoning DEI. How a Different Approach Can Preserve It (Ep. 35)
Teachers Are Afraid to Talk About the 2024 Election (Ep. 34)
Meet Aaron Stark - Almost a School Shooter (Ep. 32)
Rich Harwood Rocks My World! (Ep. 29)
Middie Rising - A City Unites and Defuses a School Culture War (Ep. 1 of 3)
Middie Rising - A City Unites and Defuses a School Culture War (Ep. 2 of 3)
Middie Rising - A City Unites and Defuses a School Culture War (Ep. 3 of 3)
Bridging Youth Divides Through Morning Classroom Conversations (Ep. 25)
A Conversation with Daniel Buck- Defender of the Education Culture Wars (Ep. 23)
When Homeschooling Fails Should the Government Step In? (Ep. 21)
A Courageous Conversation with a Transgender Educator (Ep. 20)
Can Educators Prevent Racism in Schools? Diverse Perspectives, Lively Conversation (Ep. 17)
Thriving in Turbulent Times: Why Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is Essential (Ep. 15)
The Latest Culture War Dustup: Balancing Parent Rights with Student Rights (Ep. 14)
Taking a Stand Against Antisemitism in Schools (Ep. 13)
Overcoming Toxic Polarization in our Schools with Peter Coleman (Ep. 12)
Political Opposites Square Off on Schools, Gender, and Sexuality (Ep. 11)
Book Bans Exposed: Who Decides What Students Can Read? (Ep. 10)
Calming the Culture Wars in our Schools with Journalist Monica Guzman (Ep. 9)
Weston Brown's Story: A Family and School Tragedy (Ep. 8)
Forbidden Topics: Are Schools Hiding the Truth from Students? (Ep. 7)
Taming the Culture Wars with Journalist Amanda Ripley (Ep. 6)
Gender and Sexual Identity in Schools: A Battle at the Epicenter of the Culture Wars (Ep. 4)
High School Students Weigh in on Race. Are their Elected Officials Listening? (Ep. 3)
How Students Learn about Race and Racism is Dividing Our Country (Ep. 2)
Gender and Sexual Identity in Schools: A Battle at the Epicenter of the Culture Wars (Ep. 4)
On one side of this issue are those who believe discussions about gender and sexual identity shouldn’t take place in the classroom.
On the other side are those who believe that as students learn about diversity and respect for others in school, they must learn about differences in gender and sexual identity. Many also argue that LGBTQ students must have a safe and supportive learning environment, especially given the high number who suffer emotionally and socially as a result of bullying and prejudice.
The central questions guiding this Courageous Conversation are this: What role should schools play regarding policies, instruction, and classroom discussions related to sexual and gender identity? How can schools respect the rights of parents while also ensuring that students are well-supported and have a safe place to learn?