With participation from 30 million students and annual spending over $19B, The School Lunch Program has the potential to be a massive lever for change. A world of quality food, with universal participation, less environmental impact, better jobs for food workers, and happier, healthier kids is possible. However, to get there, The School Lunch Program needs us all to participate.
We often talk about school segregation from a racial and /or class perspective, but an equally concerning issue is the segregation of kids based on dis/ability. And while many disabled students are marginalized by our educational system, it is particularly true for students of color. It’s an overdue conversation for us on the podcast, and it’s an important one, because, as the conversation makes clear, all forms of oppression are linked together, and destroying one will require them all to fall.
Preschool segregation profoundly impacts children and teachers. Dr. Casey Stockstill joins us to explore the importance of inclusive, diverse preschools, race and class dynamics for early learners, and the impacts segregation has on future learning environments.
School shootings are the most obvious manifestation of an un-safe school, and while they are tragic, they are rare compared to the daily harms our school structures can inflict on students. Dr. Meg Caven joins us to encourage a broader, more holistic view of school safety.
Showing up in global majority schools and then listening and becoming part of the community are crucial first steps for integrating parents, but the time comes when you have to speak up. However, knowing what to speak up about can be tricky. Dr. Toutoule NToya and Becky Boll join us to grapple with the challenges of knowing when to advocate and what to advocate for, and the importance of building community in that work.