The Perkins Platform

In today's show, Dr. Perkins will discuss his framework for improving school experiences around the globe.  Over the last 15 years, Dr. Perkins has traveled extensively discussing school climate and educational contexts.  He is a respected expert on educational design and innovation and has been a consultant in the Republic of South Africa, Brazil, China and Thailand.   Listen in today and he...

Our current series on school improvement initiatives has focused on a variety of strategies.  All of which have required buy-in and support from a range of stakeholders including but not limited to teachers, students, parents, community members and policy developers.  This broadcast solicits the input from those on the front line responsible for the leadership of these inititatives at the building...

In April, our guest is Dr. Warren Simmons, executive director, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University.  AISR is a national policy research and reform-support organization that works with urban districts and communities to improve the conditions and outcomes of schools, especially in urban communities and in those attended by traditionally underserved children. Their work focuses...

SPECIAL BROADCAST!This lively and illuminating conversation about New York City’s public schools will focus on NYC’s educational successes and failures, the Bloomberg agenda and its impact, the Common Core roll out, privatization, charters, assessment, teacher quality, and what future direction lies ahead for our schools. It will feature, Mr. Eric Nadelstern (former Deputy Chancellor) and Ms. Will...

In March, our guest is the legendary child psychiatrist, Dr. James Comer.  Dr. Comer is the Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine's Child Study Center, and has been a Yale medical faculty member since 1968. During these years, he has concentrated his career on promoting a focus on child development as a way of improving schools. His efforts in su...

Our February show will feature Dr. Robert (Bob) Slavin, co-founder of Success For All.  Success for All grew out of a program of research and development that started with basic research on cooperative-learning strategies. By 1980, Bob's group at Johns Hopkins University had learned how to harness the power of kids working with kids by structuring methods in which groups could succeed only if...

Conceptualized in 1948, the International Baccalaureate Programme has become widely recognized for its rigorous curriculum and evaluation process for grades 3-12.  Schools all over the world have adopted the IB program with a recent surge in interest and participation among schools in urban communities throughout the United States.  Our guests in January will discuss IB and its benefit to schools...

Mental health in public schools is a major concern.  According to HHS, the figures usually indicated for diagnosable mental disorders suggest that between 12% and 22% of all youngsters under age 18 are in need of services for mental, emotional, or behavioral problems. The Center for Mental Health in Schools reports that the reality for many large urban schools is that well over 50% of their studen...

A number of recent studies have showed a significant correlation between quality early childhood education programming and success in high school and college.    Our guests on November 13 (2pm) will talk about what children need to know and be able to do for school success. Clarisse Mendoza is the Deputy Chief of Academic Affairs for the UNO Charter Network in Chicago, IL  Prior to her work at UNO...

There is a national debate currently underway among k-12 policymakers, leaders, teachers regarding the usefulness of the common core standards initiative. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort that established a single set of educational standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English language arts and mathematics that states voluntarily adopt. On October 16, we...

The September (9/18) broadcast features, Nancy Meador, President - National Association of Elementary School Principals. Nancy most recently served as principal for Madison Middle School in Nashville, Tennessee, has enjoyed a long career in education, serving in elementary and middle schools as a principal, assistant principal, classroom teacher, and as executive director for learning support serv...

On our 1-year anniversary, we have a special guest on Perkins Platform:  Dr. Henry Levin - William Heard Kilpatick Professor of Economics and Education at Teachers College Columbia University. He is also the David Jacks Professor Emeritus of Higher Education and Economics at Stanford University where he served from 1968-99.  Professor Levin is the director of the Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in...

As the Perkins Platform wraps up its first year of programming, Dr. Perkins will spend the next installment reflecting on the year of events in education and its impact on leadership.  He will offer his critical perspective on policy and practice strategies for consideration by the education community.  Join us for a solutions-based expert opinion on improving education outcomes. Dr. Perkins is th...

Our June 19 (2pm EST) broadcast will feature a group of innovative leaders who have been at the forefront of designing and implementing new public and charter schools.  The leadership task for these new enterprises is an awesome responsibility.  Engaging communities and inspiring the instructional staff is only a small portion of what is necessary for success in these new schools.  Our panel have...

Our guest on May 15 is Dr. Elaine Weiss, National Coordinator-Broader, Bolder Approach (BBA) to Education Campaign at the Economic Policy Institute.  She is co-author of a ground-breaking report on the impact of test-based teacher evaluations in DC, NYC and Chicago. Some of the Key Findings:     - Test scores increased less, and achievement gaps grew more, in “reform” cities than in other urban di...

Before Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans had some of the worst schools in the nation, rapid superintendent turnover, and a human resources and financial crisis leaving over $3 million in salary and benefits being paid to deceased employees. After Katrina, the city underwent several drastic shifts with the most prominent being the decentralization of the education system and the creation of one of the...

*Rescheduled Show* Last week's show was postponed due to technical difficulites.  Please join us for an exciting show discussing the challenges facing urban school boards in today's political climate.  Ms. Minnie Forte-Brown, Chair- Council of Urban Boards of Education is our featured guest.  The troubled political atmosphere in our nation's centers has created a wave of discontent...

Currently, there is considerable debate on the sustainability of urban school turn around efforts.  In 2009, the Obama Administration announced its intention to "turn around" 5,000 of the nation's lowest performing schools.  Since that time, school districts have scrambled to find district and school-level leaders who specialize in this work.  Critics say it's not sustainable w...

The guests for the February show will be Drs. Yvette Jackson and Veronica McDermott, co-authors of Aim High, Achieve More How to Transform Urban Schools Through Fearless Leadership (ASCD Press).  We will discuss how expectations impact student performance and success particularly in urban communities.  We will also discuss how leaders cultivate cultures of high expectation in their schools.   Dr....

The January guest was scheduled to be Dr. Joshua Starr, Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools-Maryland. Dr. Starr began his tenure as Montgomery County Public Schools’ superintendent of schools on July 1, 2011, after having been the superintendent in Stamford, Connecticut.  In the middle of major curriculum revision, Dr. Starr has called for a 3-year moratorium on standardized testing...

Our December guest is Mr. Jean Claude Brizard, former Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools.  Recently, Mr. Brizard and the CPS Board of Education were in the media spotlight with the 2012 CPS teacher strike.  Prior to his appointment in Chicago, he was Superintendent of Schools for the Rochester City School District (Rochester, NY), a position he held for three years.  Our conversatio...

The November Special Edition (1 hour) will feature two special guests who are the chief architects for the ongoing merger of Shelby County and Memphis City Public Schools - David Pickler and Martavius Jones.  The unification is considered to be the largest school district consolidation in American history. Fraught with historical tensions, issues of race and equity, this is a consolidation ambitio...

 The October Guest is Ms. Betsy Landers, President – PTA.  We will discuss how the PTA encourages parents to participate in the educational process and the ways in which school leaders can better engage parents to be active participants in their child's educational program. From the moment she joined PTA® in 1989, Landers’ dedication to PTA has been unwavering. When she encountered challenges...

The September 2012 broadcast of The Perkins Platform will focus on the challenges that school board members across the nation face to insure high quality education experiences to all children.  Recent challenges to the need for school boards  have placed many board members on the defense and left many fighting to stay relevant.  Our special guest will be Dr. Anne Bryant - Executive Director of the...

The preimer broadcast of The Perkins Platform will feature the executive director of the American Association of School Adminsitrators, Dr. Dan Domenech.  The host is Dr. Brian Perkins - Director of the Urban Education Leaders Program at Teachers College Columbia University.  Dr. Perkins is a national expert on urban school climate and urban district leadership.  He has more than a decade of exper...