Editorial Staff

Citizen Stewart on Changing the K-12 Education Power Structure

/0 Comments/in , , , /by Editorial Staff
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on
LinkedIn
+

This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara and Gerard engage in a candid conversation about education policymaking with Chris Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of Brightbeam, known to many by his popular Twitter & blog feeds as “Citizen Stewart.” Chris shares his background as a student, parent, school board member, and longtime activist, and how those experiences have shaped his outlook on the challenges facing school reform. They delve into the obvious and lesser known barriers to changing the status quo, including the lack of involvement among rank-and-file parents in policy decision making and the disproportionate influence of labor unions in politics and the media. Chris voices concerns about the Democratic political candidates’ growing hostility toward ensuring African-American schoolchildren have access to better learning opportunities, and how the focus on class warfare has misdirected attention from the reality of our public schools graduating individuals who cannot participate in the economy. They also discuss the relationship between education and other issues such as criminal justice reform.

Stories of the Week: This week, NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, the inspirational icon featured in the 2016 film, “Hidden Figures,” passed away at 101. All schoolchildren should know her story, unacknowledged for so long, of struggle and triumph in the face of race- and gender-based segregation and discrimination. In Ohio, a new plan from the state superintendent would reduce the minimum scores on the graduation assessment so that students could qualify for a diploma if they demonstrate basic competency, rather than proficiency, in math and ELA. What impact will the lower bar have on graduates’ preparedness for options in higher education and employment?

Newsmaker Interview Guest:

Chris Stewart is the Chief Executive Officer of BrightBeam. He was named CEO in April 2019, after formerly serving as chief executive of Wayfinder Foundation. Chris is a lifelong activist and 20-year supporter of nonprofit and education-related causes. In the past, Stewart has served as the director of outreach and external affairs for Education Post, the executive director of the African American Leadership Forum, and an elected member of the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education where he was radicalized by witnessing the many systemic inequities that hold our children back. Chris blogs and tweets under the name Citizen Stewart. He is based in the Minneapolis area.

The next episode will air on March 6th, with guest, Kevin Chavous, President of Academics, Policy, and Schools with K12, Inc.

Commentary of the Week:
Wall Street Journal: Should All Children Learn to Code by the End of High School?
https://www.wsj.com/articles/should-all-children-learn-to-code-by-the-end-of-high-school-11582513441

Tweet of the week:

News Links:

NBC News: Katherine Johnson, NASA mathematician depicted in ‘Hidden Figures,’ dies at 101
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/katherine-johnson-nasa-mathematician-depicted-hidden-figures-dead-101-n1141566

cleveland.com: Ohio graduates won’t have to be “proficient” in math or English, under state superintendent’s plan
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2020/02/ohio-graduates-wont-have-to-be-proficient-in-math-or-english-under-state-superintendents-plan.html

Get Updates on Our School Choice Research

Recent Episodes

Notre Dame Law Assoc. Dean Nicole Stelle Garnett on Catholic Schools & School Choice

In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy interview Nicole Stelle Garnett, Associate Dean and John P. Murphy Foundation Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School, and a national expert in education law and school choice. Dean Garnett discusses the vital role Catholic education plays in fostering faith, community, and the pursuit of “the true, the good, and the beautiful.” She explores the challenges posed by the decline of Catholic schools in urban areas, as outlined in her book Lost Classroom, Lost Community: Catholic Schools' Importance in Urban America, and highlights policy solutions such as expanding educational choice options to support Catholic school families.

Alexandra Popoff on Vasily Grossman & Holocaust Remembrance

In this special Holocaust Remembrance Day episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and the Heritage Foundation's Jason Bedrick interview Alexandra Popoff, a former Moscow journalist and acclaimed biographer. Ms. Popoff delves into the life and legacy of Vasily Grossman, a 20th-century Jewish Soviet writer and journalist. She explores Grossman's transition from chemical engineering to writing, influenced by his Jewish heritage and the historical context of the time.

Stanford’s Lerone Martin on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. & the Civil Rights Movement

In this special MLK Day episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Prof. Lerone Martin, Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor at Stanford University and Director of the MLK Research and Education Institute. Dr. Martin offers deep insights into the life and legacy of Dr. King.

ExcelinEd’s Dr. Kymyona Burk on Mississippi, Early Literacy, & Reading Science

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Dr. Kymyona Burk, Senior Policy Fellow at ExcelinEd and former state literacy director for Mississippi. Dr. Burk shares insights from her remarkable career in K-12 education reform. She discusses her journey from classroom teacher to leading transformative literacy initiatives in Mississippi that resulted in groundbreaking improvements in early literacy and NAEP reading scores.

Harvard’s Leo Damrosch on Alexis de Tocqueville & Democracy in America

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Leo Damrosch, the Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Literature Emeritus at Harvard University and author of "Tocqueville’s Discovery of America". Prof. Damrosch delves into Alexis de Tocqueville’s historic nine-month journey through the United States in 1831–1832, which inspired his masterpiece, "Democracy in America".

UK’s John Suchet, OBE, on Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker, & Ballets

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Dr. Jocelyn Chadwick interview distinguished British television journalist, author, and Classic FM presenter, John Suchet, OBE. Mr. Suchet explores the life and legacy of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, one of Russia's greatest composers. He shares insights into Tchaikovsky’s upbringing, his late start in composing, and the emotional challenges that shaped his career and music.

U-OK’s Dan Hamlin on Emerging School Models & Learning Loss

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Dan Hamlin, an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Oklahoma. Prof. Hamlin offers his insights on the state of K-12 education policy and reform. He shares how his academic experiences and research shaped his philosophy on education and informed his work with Harvard PEPG’s “Emerging School Models” conference.

NYT #1 Bestseller Dava Sobel on Marie Curie & Women in Science

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Dava Sobel, acclaimed author of The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science. Sobel delves into the life of Marie Curie, the “scientific Joan of Arc,” exploring her extraordinary journey from clandestine education in Tsarist-controlled Poland to becoming the first woman to win two Nobel Prizes in different scientific disciplines.

Becket Fund’s Eric Rassbach on Loffman v. CA DOE, Religious Liberty, & Schooling

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Eric Rassbach, Vice President and Senior Counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Mr. Rassbach discusses the Loffman v. California Department of Education case, where Becket successfully secured a unanimous Ninth Circuit decision ensuring equal access to special education funding for religious school students.

CUNY’s Carl Rollyson on William Faulkner & Southern Literature

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Carl Rollyson, CUNY professor, and acclaimed biographer of William Faulkner. Prof. Rollyson offers an in-depth exploration of Faulkner’s life, work, and enduring legacy.

NH Gov. Chris Sununu on School Choice

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview New Hampshire Governor Christopher Sununu. Gov. Sununu discusses his upbringing in a well-known political family and how the influence of his father, a former governor and White House chief of staff, and his brother, a former U.S. senator, has shaped his public service.

Dr. Helen Baxendale on Great Hearts Classical Liberal Arts Charter Schools

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Dr. Helen Baxendale, the chief of staff and vice president of strategy at Great Hearts Academies. Dr. Baxendale discusses how her global educational experiences inform her perspective on K-12 policy and Great Hearts’ mission to integrate the humanities, math, and science for intellectual and character development.