All of the Above Podcast

It can be hard to keep up with everything going on in education during distance learning as the world burns. Don’t worry, we got your back! In this episode we review recent headlines in education, from the drama over test-optional admissions to the looming wave of teacher resignations in light of pandemic teaching. While snowflakes come for the 1619 Project, the robot apocalypse may already be upo...

This week: Imagine starting the school year with a schedule that dictates the first 4 days of school but nothing beyond that. With no MOU in place governing distance learning, Sacramento joins a host of other districts across the nation where frustration, and disagreement over what’s feasible and best for kids is dominating the discussion.  Manuel and Jeff are joined by Sacramento City Unifie...

We’ve read the books and had the conversations, but how do we actually “do the work” and put anti-racism into practice in our classrooms? In our previous episode we looked at math instruction--now we’ll turn our sights to the English Language Arts classroom for a discussion with Julia E. Torres & Geneviève DeBose. These two super-dope, nationally-renowned educators help us unpack what it means...

This week: A teacher in Texas is placed on administrative leave for having BLM and LGBTQ affirming signs in her bitmoji classroom, an LA teacher is targeted by right wing extremists online for similar actions, and the New York City mayor and chancellor rush to reopen schools while educators say there  are not adequate safety measures in place. Manuel and Jeff discuss what is, perhaps, the mos...

School’s back in session and our very first guest of the school year is the super-dope teacher, activist, author, and #EduColor director José Luis Vilson! He joins us to discuss his journey in education and what math pedagogy can and should look like with regards to anti-racism and distance learning. But first, Jeff and Manuel explore recent headlines in education including a study exploring the m...

This week: As schools in Los Angeles are set to begin the year remotely next week, Manuel and Jeff discuss their vision for what we could do better in this second round of distance learning.  From reframing how we use the standards, to empowering teachers and students to shape curriculum, the sky’s the limit.  But will we actually do these things?  We'll know soon enough.   Pas...

The academic success of Asian American students is often propped up as proof that it only takes hard work and dedication to be successful in America regardless of one’s race. However, the truth is that not all Asian American groups are experiencing success in our school system and the so-called “model minority” idea is a harmful myth. Professor Dr. Betina Hsieh joins us to unpack the narratives ar...

This week: As the start of the school year draws closer, state and district policies begin falling into place regarding school reopening.  But recent data from the Kaiser Family Foundation sheds new light on the debate as it’s framed in the national media. Parents of color overwhelmingly support delaying the opening of school, while a strong majority of white parents favor a swift reopening.&...

All eyes were on Minneapolis when this summer began. What was it like to teach in the epicenter of this summer’s uprising for racial justice? And with all the new buzz around anti-racist schooling, what does a truly anti-racist, community-centered school look like? We’re joined by Arielle Rocca and Alex Leonard, two educators and co-founders of the Community Connected Academy at Patrick Henry High...

This week: After months of marching towards a hybrid reopening model, Los Angeles and San Diego began the wave of school districts in California, and in many parts of the country that announced they will open with distance learning for the fall. Manuel and Jeff discuss the ramifications on kids and educators, the politics of making these decisions, and the likelihood that this may just be the new...

The hosts of the Too Dope Teachers and a Mic podcast join us for a super-dope conversation about the ongoing fight for justice in education! Kevin Adams and Gerardo Muñoz are public school teachers in Denver and together we discuss race, pandemic teaching, and dismantling systems set up to harm our most marginalized students. But first, Jeff and Manuel explore recent headlines in education includi...

This week: an EdWeek blog gins up controversy citing survey data showing “most” educators think the textbooks in America’s schools adequately address the experiences of people of color, and then later modifies the article.  But is that what the data really shows?  And if so, what does it mean? Manuel and Jeff discuss the significance of the findings.  Also, we give props to our foun...

It’s our 50th full episode, and what a time to be an educator! Pandemic teaching, looming budget cuts, and calls for dismantling white supremacy and abolishing anti-Black racism in all of our institutions. What does this moment mean for educators? We bring back three of our favorite All of the Above O.G.’s--NBCT teacher and literacy coach Geneviève DeBose, trauma educator and community outreach co...

This week: the Gorsuch - Kavanaugh Supreme Court hands down two (gasp!) rulings that are NOT evil in one week that have implications on education. Who’d a thunk it? Also, as we officially pass into the summer season, the plans for reopening school are coming into a bit more focus. Manuel and Jeff debate the likeliest outcome. And we wrap up with discussion of some important movement in those nicel...

We nerd out in this episode as we explore the latest developments in neuroscience and what they say about how our students’ social worlds influence and grow their ways of knowing about the world and themselves. We’re joined by the brilliant Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, Professor of Education, Psychology, and Neuroscience at the University of Southern California. What does her research teach us a...

This week: the protests continue across the country in an unprecedented show of sustained, multiracial opposition to racism and police brutality, and institutions are following suit. Districts and major corporations have made statements declaring solidarity with the protestors and commitments to make change. But, with few policies enacted and no observable changes yet, are these just nice words, o...

This week: after the gruesome murder of George Floyd in the streets of Minneapolis at the hands of police officers, mass uprisings have taken over dozens of American cities. Manuel and Jeff lament that with schools closed, students lack an important place to process these traumatizing, complex events, to analyze critically, and organize with other students. Also, is this yet another reminder of th...

It has become a common refrain: “this pandemic has exacerbated existing inequities in education.” Yes, that’s most definitely true. But how? Where? And what are we going to do about it? To dig deeper into what equity means in the face of COVID-19, we’re joined by principal, author, and leadership coach Joe Truss for a discussion about what our schools are currently facing. Plus, Jeff and Manuel ta...

Within this mess of teacher shortages, looming cuts to education, ballooning student debt, and COVID-19 uncertainty, teacher education programs are dutifully trying their best to prepare a new generation of teachers to serve in our schools. In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Emma Hipolito, the Director of UCLA’s Teacher Education Program, to unpack the work that’s being done to prepare our teache...

It’s (virtual) commencement season and so many of our students are heading off to college! Given the fact that most universities have historically served a predominantly-white student body, how are today’s institutions of higher learning serving the needs of students of color? We’re joined by Dr. Richard Reddick, the Associate Dean for Equity, Community Engagement, and Outreach for the College of...

As teacher hiring season jumps into high gear, we are joined by Dr. Travis Bristol of UC Berkeley and Dr. Micia Moseley of the Black Teacher Project to discuss the persistent and troubling lack of diversity in the teacher workforce. The majority of students in America’s schools are students of color, yet the teaching force remains more than 70% white. Travis and Micia discuss their work to help di...

Larry “The Legend” Ferlazzo joins us today to discuss the impact that distance learning has had on the nation’s 4.9 million English Language Learners. The prolific blog writer, author of 12 books including the ELL Teacher’s Toolbox, and current high school teacher Larry Ferlazzo helps us unpack the challenges educators face in meeting the needs of English Language Learners right now, and how schoo...

As students attend class via video conference, and teachers grade work from afar, the jobs of school administrators have been turned on their heads as well. We’re joined this week by one of the nation’s most powerful voices on school leadership, Principal Kafele. With his expertise, we explore what it means to effectively lead a school in a time when you can’t see your students, teachers and staff...

As the wave of school closings and event cancelations spread, many wondered what the College Board would do about this year’s Advanced Placement (AP) exams. Well, after a period of rumors and speculation the College Board responded with a plan that is nothing short of controversial. We invite National Teacher of the Year finalist and AP Teacher extraordinaire Daniel Jocz onto our show to walk us t...

Schools across the country have been closed for weeks now, and many parents are pulling double duty, including supporting their children with what some people think of as the most intimidating part of school - learning math. We explore how it’s going, what’s working, and what we should be doing to continue students’ math learning at home with two brilliant minds in math education Dana Enriquez-Von...