Episode 3
Full Episode 3 - Examining College Access
In episode three we take on recent developments in American schooling including preparation for school shootings, the debate around college access, and the importance of the arts in our schools. The episode begins with a look at recent headlines, including Betsy Devos throwing serious shade at past administrations and calling public education "a dead end." In the Show and Tell, Manuel makes a powerful case for greater investment in the arts, and gives recognition to the many teachers and organizations doing just that across the country. For the Seminar we are joined by a high school principal manager and the founder of a college access non profit to discuss the big questions that arise from our national movement towards college for all. Is college right for everyone? And if not, when and how do we decide? Jeffrey closes out the episode with his Assessment on the Republican tax bill and its dangerous implications for public schools across America.
Further Reading
Below are links to some of the items mentioned and discussed in episode three:
Secretary DeVos on W. Bush and Obama
NAEP Nation's Report Card: Art's Results
NCES Postsecondary Enrollment Data
Cuts in Federal Funding for K-12
Episode 3 Audio Podcast
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Episode 3 Extras
Episode 3 Extra: One-on-One with Mo Hyman
We sit with Mo Hyman, who joined us for our panel discussion about college access, to learn more about her non-profit program College Access Plan. Mo Hyman has worked in education for more than 20 years as both an English professor and a nonprofit professional.
Episode 3 Extra: One-on-One with Rachel Bonkovsky
After our seminar discussion about college access, Jeffrey sat down with Rachel Bonkovsky to learn more about her work. Rachel is Senior Director of School Transformation at the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, where she supervises high school principals and heads up the organization's work around college-going culture.
Episode 3 Highlights
SHOW & TELL - EP. 3
Manuel brings in a well-used paintbrush and examines the shockingly low number of American students that have had access to a meaningful arts education in public schools. One of the first and biggest casualties of the No Child Left Behind era, arts education has many proven positive impacts on children and on society. The piecemeal approach we are currently taking to provide minimal arts education is admirable given budgetary constraints, but not enough to meet the needs of our students.
SEMINAR DISCUSSION - EP. 3
This week we’re joined by Rachel Bonkovsky and Mo Hyman for a discussion about the movement towards college for all in American public education. Is college right for everyone? If not, how and when do we decide? Rachel is a Senior Director of School Transformation at the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools where she manages high school principals and oversees the organization’s college going culture initiative. Mo Hyman is the co-founder of College Access Plan, a non profit college access program that provides college counseling to 1,500 students from middle school through college.
ASSESSMENT - EP. 3
Jeffrey takes aim at the Republican “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” and examines its potential impact on American public schools. The tax law, which transfers over $1.5 trillion of wealth from the people to the super wealthy, stands to place downward pressure on schools. From direct budget cuts to federal funding, to the ripple effect that cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP will have on students’ home lives, there are many implications for our schools that have gone largely unaddressed in the media.