Brown v Board at Sixty-Five – The Stories We Tell Ourselves. In this first episode of our mini-series commemorating the 65th anniversary of Brown v Board, we’re joined by Dr. Rucker Johnson, author of Children of the Dream: Why Integration Works.

In the Season 2 finale, we discuss the many ways in which private money is funneled into public schools – which schools get it, what they use it for, and what the impact is on the overall system of public education.

We grapple with some of the issues around centering Whiteness in this work, as well as discussing whether a school is ever “too bad” and what it means for your kid to be “just fine”.

Gifted programs have long been criticized for serving a disproportionately large percentage of White and/or privileged students. In this episode, we talk about the challenges that gifted programs create for educational justice.

Dr. David Kirkland (NYU) joins us for a meta discussion around school integration. He shares a powerful vision of integration from a racial justice framework; it is one that is grounded in democratic participation and the sharing of resources and one that involves us all in the deliberation of what counts as knowledge, the language of curriculum, and the fundamental design of education.

Dual Language programs are exploding in popularity across the country — and particularly among White &/or privileged families in gentrifying communities. There’s great hope for equity in these programs, but also plenty of hazards, particularly around how White and/ or privileged families show up in the spaces.

What does ‘colonizing’ mean in the context of a global majority school, and how can we be thoughtful about not centering Whiteness? We talk to Kelly from NYC about some of the things we might think of as right, just because they are White.

We talk with Dr. Elizabeth McRae, author of Mothers of Massive Resistance: White Women and the Politics of White Supremacy, about what her research tells us about contemporary school segregation — and the hope her work gives for it’s dismantling.

We’re back! We try to address a basic question – why does one person’s choice matter? What impact does your choice have for your kid, for your school, and for the system.

Part 2 looks at the experience of being the “Only One” from the perspective of adults who were “Only Ones” – one White, and one Black. We discuss how race makes that experience different, and how that experience is ever present, even in adulthood.

The fear of your kid being the “only one” often pushes White families away from global majority schools. We’ll talk about it in two parts – parents of kids who are the only one, and adults who were the only one. In Part 1, we’re joined by Lauren from Pennsylvania. Look for Part 2 next week.

In this episode, we talk with Vicky, a Mexican mom whose kids attend an integrated school in a gentrifying neighborhood. Vicky shares what it feels like to be “saved” by some of the White &/or privileged families at her kids’ schools (spoiler: not so great). 

We couldn’t pull off a full episode this week, but we did want to update you on all the other things happening at Integrated Schools.

A hidden gem is a school that is “good” but not often found on the lists shared by White and/or privileged parents. Choosing a “hidden gem” can often have negative consequences for the school community.

A lifelong activist and 20 year veteran of nonprofit work, Chris Stewart is the current chief executive of the Wayfinder Foundation, and an outspoken critic of many current integration efforts.

He and Courtney discuss the many ways that desegregation efforts can be thwarted, and the ways they can go wrong if they are successful.

The Smog – is all of the things that we hear and say about schools, often without realizing the ways those things are racialized. “I don’t want to sacrifice my kid on the altar of social justice“ is just one of many.

Professor and author, Dr. Margaret Hagerman, discusses her new book – White Kids: Growing Up With Privilege in a Racially Divided America. We discuss her work, and what it tells us about the importance of the types of environments in which we raise our kids.

We’re joined by the Bordon family. In choosing a school for their daughters, they started out following the narrative of how people with the privilege of choose a school should go about it. After a conversation with their school district about who has has that privilege and the segregation that results from it, they made a change and sent both of their kids to global majority schools. Many years later, they reflect on that journey and how it has shaped their understanding of race, class, privilege, and education.

Courtney from LA, Anna from LA, and Sarah from Houston talk about their experiences choosing integrated schools, why IntegratedSchools.org exists, and the importance of showing up in integrating spaces with humility, and awareness.