GRPS Uncovered

In this special episode, co-hosted by Jermar Sterling, we revisit memories of Alexander Elementary during the 1970s. In doing so, we uncover the story of Oakdale Christian, a private school located just across the street. We bring in Ned Andree and returning guest Patrick O'Neal Luster (featured in Episode 2).

In this episode, I share a recent oral history from Allison Mckee, who arrived in Grand Rapids in 2021. As a mother of two, her search for information about Grand Rapids Public Schools led to unexpected discoveries—ones she is still working to understand and navigate today.

In this episode, I speak with Fredericka Brown, a former GRPS student from the 1990s who now navigates the district as a parent. Her story explains how she has become a passionate parent organizer with the Urban Core Collective.

In this episode, former GRPS student Betsaida Valdivia shares how their time in the district during the 2010s shaped their understanding of education, opportunity, and student voice — a journey that now guides their work as Youth Education Organizer for the Urban Core Collective.

In this episode, I interview Dennis Miller, a retired school security officer who, at the age of 19, began his career in GRPS in 1987. 

In this episode, I interview Quana O’Bryan who graduated from City High Middle School in 2003, a top ranking high school in Michigan. She is a funded futures trader, world traveler, mother, and currently working on a book for her community on living an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.

In this episode, I interview Patrick O’Neal (a.k.a. Coach P) who attended GRPS from 1970-1987. He's coached and mentored many youth in GRPS and started his own youth program at Martin Luther King Park.

To start off season two, this episode revisits an interview I did with Mel Atkins in 2022 at Schuler Books. In the 1960s, Mel was a part of the Black student protests in Grand Rapids and was featured in Jet Magazine. In 2008, Mel retired from GRPS after 40 years as a teacher, administrator, and athletic director.

In our last episode for season one, I interview Amanda Anka, my Special Projects Research Graduate Assistant, to give her analysis of the podcasts so far.

In this fourth episode, I interview Kandice Todd, a homecare assistant for autistic children and mom of 4, who attended GRPS from the late 1980s to 2001. Notably, she went to Park School, an alternative school for pregnant teenage girls and moms and graduated from the Youth Career Development Center (YCDC). Both schools have since been closed.

In this third episode, I interview Dr. Raul Ysasi, an education professor at Grand Valley State University, who worked mainly with the Latino student population in GRPS from 1977-2010. 

In this second episode, I interview Jerry Bentley who was one of the students forced to bus to South High to Union as part of the city’s racial integration plan in 1968. Jerry was also a teacher, tennis coach, and principal at GRPS from 1975-2010.

In this inaugural episode, I talk to Jermar Sterling, Youth Director of Community Kids in 2023. He attended GRPS from the late 1980s to early 2000s.