School closures are often framed as inevitable—but what if they’re the result of deeper systemic choices?
This week, we talk with Dr. Mara Tieken about how closures disproportionately impact Black, Brown, and low-income communities—and why they rarely deliver the promised benefits. Together, we explore the idea of spatial injustice and what it means to see schools not just as buildings, but as the heart of our communities.
If schools are being closed in your community (or even if they’re not), this conversation invites us to ask: what do we owe each other—and all of our kids—when it comes to public education?

In this episode, Andrew and Dr. Val talk with Logan Tilton about what it means to encounter history as something living and human. Through reflections on learning histories she had never been taught, Logan shares how understanding the people behind movements—from enslaved ancestors to young foot soldiers in Selma—changes how we see both the past and our responsibility in the present.Together, they explore how history can evoke grief, anger, pride, and hope—and how community helps us hold all of it. Logan reminds us that when young people are trusted with the truth, they don’t just learn history—they carry it forward.

In this heavy-but-hopeful episode, we hear from Minneapolis parent leaders navigating crisis on the ground as ICE operations disrupt families, schools, and daily life. Carina (a White mom and bridge-builder in dual language spaces) and Cisne (a Spanish-speaking immigrant mom and community leader) share how relationships, language justice, and mutual aid helped their community respond. A reminder we can’t shake: systems may fail us, but relationships help keep us safe.