Dropout Nation: Coverage of the Reform of American Public Education Edited by RiShawn Biddle

The Dropout Nation Podcast: Give the Gift of Education

RiShawn Biddle — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:30:22 +0000

On this week’s Dropout Nation Podcast, I detail the economic and social value of education for our kids, communities, economy and nation. More than ever, a high-quality education is the ticket out of poverty, prison and despair.

You can listen to the Podcast at RiShawn Biddle’s radio page or download directly to your iPod, MP3 player or smartphone. Also, subscribe to the podcast series. It is also available on iTunes, Blubrry, the Education Podcast Network and Zune Marketplace.

The Dropout Nation Podcast: Embracing a New Vision of Parents in Education

RiShawn Biddle — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 05:10:57 +0000

On this week’s Dropout Nation Podcast, I explore the culture of condescension among defenders of traditional public education — and even some school reformers — against parents, and their unwillingness to embrace families as king — and consumers — in education. Despite all the statements about the importance of parental engagement in education, what actually happens in classrooms, among policymakers and in think tanks is runs counter to embracing parent power and the true role of parents as kings — and lead decision-makers — in education. This culture against parent power must end.

You can listen to the Podcast at RiShawn Biddle’s radio page or download directly to your iPod, Zune, MP3 player or smartphone. Also, subscribe to the podcast series. It is also available on iTunes, Blubrry, Podcast Alley, the Education Podcast Network, Zune Marketplace and PodBean. And the podcast on Viigo, if you have a BlackBerry, iPhone or Android phone.

Rewind: The Dropout Nation Podcast: Six Steps Toward Building Parent Power

RiShawn Biddle — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:18:27 +0000

To complement this week’s Dropout Nation Podcast — and the upcoming podcast on Sunday on more questions parents can ask to improve education for their kids — here is a rebroadcast of a podcast on steps school reformers must take to in education decisionmaking. The expansion of charter schools and other forms of school choice, along with initiatives borne out of the No Child Left Behind Act and Race to the Top such as Parent Trigger, offer great opportunities to truly put children and families at the center of education (and improve the lives of even the poorest children). But only if an infrastructure is built to help parents make the best decisions.

You can listen to the Podcast at RiShawn Biddle’s radio page or download directly to your iPod, MP3 player or smartphone. Also, subscribe to the podcast series. It is also available on iTunes, Blubrry, Podcast Alley, the Education Podcast Network, Zune Marketplace and PodBean. Also, add the podcast on Viigo, if you have a BlackBerry, iPhone or Android phone.

The Dropout Nation Podcast: Rallying Single Parents, Grandparents and Immigrants for School Reform

RiShawn Biddle — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 04:03:34 +0000

On this week’s Dropout Nation Podcast, I discuss the importance of rallying single parents, grandparents and immigrant families for reform of American public education. For school reformers, these families are hungry for ways to improve the quality of education for their children. All they need is for reformers to actually come to the ground and help them turn policy into reality.

You can listen to the Podcast at RiShawn Biddle’s radio page or download directly to your iPod, MP3 player or smartphone. Also, subscribe to the podcast series. It is also available on iTunes, Blubrry, Podcast Alley, the Education Podcast Network, Zune Marketplace and PodBean. Also, add the podcast on Viigo, if you have a BlackBerry, iPhone or Android phone.

The Dropout Nation Podcast: Using School Reform to Build a Nation of Millions

RiShawn Biddle — Sun, 23 May 2010 04:01:14 +0000

On this week’s Dropout Nation Podcast, I discuss how Black America can use school reform and embrace entrepreneurship in order to expand our presence in corporate suites and other areas of American economic and social power. As wonderful as it may be to see the success of Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama, we need a nation of millions of strong, well-educated African-American men and women to achieve long-lasting success. This, by the way, also applies to Latino and other minorities.

You can listen to the Podcast at RiShawn Biddle’s radio page or download directly to your iPod, MP3 player or smartphone. Also, subscribe to the podcast series. It is also available on iTunes, Blubrry, Podcast Alley, the Education Podcast Network and Zune Marketplace.

The Dropout Nation Podcast: Six Steps Toward Building Parent Power

RiShawn Biddle — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 22:27:53 +0000

On this week’s Dropout Nation Podcast, I offer six steps for school reformers and grassroots activists to expand the role of parents in education decisionmaking. The expansion of charter schools and other forms of school choice, along with initiatives borne out of the No Child Left Behind Act and Race to the Top such as Parent Trigger, offer great opportunities to truly put children and families at the center of education (and improve the lives of even the poorest children). But only if an infrastructure is built to help parents make the best decisions.

You can listen to the Podcast at RiShawn Biddle’s radio page or download directly to your iPod or MP3 player. Also, subscribe to the podcast series. It is also available on iTunes, Blubrry, Podcast Alley, the Education Podcast Network and Zune Marketplace.

The Dropout Nation Podcast: Parent Trigger: More Than A Gimmick

RiShawn Biddle — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:45:22 +0000

This week’s Dropout Nation Podcast focuses on California’s parent trigger school reform law (along with Connecticut’s efforts to pass a similar measure) and why the arguments against it from such skeptics such as Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews and Diane Ravitch don’t stand up to scrutiny.