Education Podcast with John Merrow | PBS

"Democracy at Risk" is a new report that documents where we are with education today, and it’s not good news. Last week we attended an event at the National Press Club that highlighted the release of this new publication. In this podcast, Rhode Island Superintendent Patrick McWalters highlights the contribution and drawbacks of federal involvement in education, specifically in regards to No Child Left Behind. AUDIO Duration: 7:24

"Democracy at Risk" is a new report that documents where we are with education today, and it’s not good news. Last week we attended an event at the National Press Club that highlighted the release of this new publication. This podcast features Linda Darling-Hammond's talk at that symposium. AUDIO Duration: 15:10

"Democracy at Risk" is a new report that documents where we are with education today, and it’s not good news. Last week we attended an event at the National Press Club that highlighted the release of this new publication. This podcast features Dr. Milton Goldberg's talk at that symposium. AUDIO Duration: 9:40

In Northern Ireland--a country that has experienced decades of religious conflict--only 6% of Catholic and Protestant students are taught together. Proponents of 'integrated education' are having to work hard to convince parents and teachers that it's critical to the country's peace process. We traveled to Northern Ireland to talk with Michael Wardlow, CEO of the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education. In this podcast, he discusses the impact 'integrated education' can have on ensuring lasting peace in a country rife with religious conflict. AUDIO Duration: 16:52

Superintendent Paul Vallas has the monumental task of turning around his state-run district comprised of New Orleans’ failing schools. Desperate times call for drastic measures, and Vallas has several in mind. AUDIO Duration: 11:23

Principal L. Nelson Burton must raise test scores at Washington, DC’s troubled Coolidge Senior High School – but he says that half of his teachers are not effective. AUDIO Duration: 11:23

Listen Up!, a Learning Matters’ arm, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year! Ten years ago we started with a small idea but realized something big: young people can use video to change their lives and to change their communities. Listen Up has since become the biggest network of its kind, created thelargest clearinghouse of youth media online, had our work featured in hundreds of local and international film festivals. Austin Haeberle and Rhea Mokund, Listen Up’s Directors, talk about the past, present and energized future of youth media. AUDIO Duration: 15:30

Helen Miller is a single mother in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. She works full time to provide for her family of five. Despite Superintendent Paul Vallas’ recent initiatives to keep children in school and out of the street, Ms Miller still struggles. She doesn’t want her 16 year-old son, Antoine, to become another one of New Orleans’ notorious statistics. Listen as Ms. Miller shares her concerns for her kids and, ultimately, the schools of New Orleans. AUDIO Duration: 7:28

Mayor Adrian Fenty and Chancellor Rhee are moving quickly to make big changes in DC’s failing schools. But their controversial proposal to fire central office employees and close 23 schools has left some feeling that that they are moving too fast. In this podcast, Mayor Fenty gives Chancellor Rhee an A+ on performance and discusses their plan to close schools. AUDIO Duration: 8:10

How do we reward our veterans for putting their lives on the line? Most soldiers say they want an education, but the current benefits offered through the GI BIll are inadequate to say the least. According to Virginia Senator Jim Webb, a former marine and Vietnam vet, it's a problematic cost of war: “We’re spending $8.2 billion this year on educational grants for people in this country, based purely on need, not for affirmative service of any kind. So this is a cost of war.” AUDIO Duration: 17:17

New Orleans’ new Superintendent of Schools, Paul Vallas, has received national attention for his sweeping initiatives – free laptop computers for every high school student, an extended school day, a special school for overage underachievers. So how does his boss, the State Superintendent of Schools, Paul Pastorek, judge Vallas’ progress? We caught up with Pastorek at the ceremonial demolition of one of the city’s storm ravaged school buildings to talk about school reconstruction, charter schools, technology in the classroom, and most importantly, to hear what Paul had to say about Paul. AUDIO Duration: 14:13

Parent advocate Margot Berkey is thrilled about the prospect of lasting school reform in Washington, DC. But can such reform take place without community input? In this podcast, Berkey discusses the ramifications of what she sees as a lack of transparency on the part of DC schools leaders. AUDIO Duration: 10:03

How do the best superintendents of the nation deal with the everyday challenges of running school districts? How do they negotiate the obstacles and develop innovative solutions to ensure that education remains a priority? Last September Rudy Crew, superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and Joel Klein, chancellor of the New York City Board of Education, debated these issues. The panel was held in Washington, DC, before the Broad Foundation Urban Education Award Ceremony. AUDIO Duration: 26:00

College sports conjure up conflicting images from academics to athletics scandals. Our newest documentary, Big Time Losers, examines the contradictions of this multi-million dollar industry. In this podcast, Lute Olson--interviewed in the film--talks about the educational aspects of college sports and why basketball and football in particular are critical to the university and all other college sports. AUDIO Duration: 20:11

If you were put in charge of one of the worst school districts in the country would you give high school students free laptops? Well, that’s exactly what Paul Vallas has done. Now several months into his superintendency of the Recovery School District in New Orleans, Vallas is betting on some bold initiatives to turn the system around and improve education for students. Hear Vallas talk about trying to upend old ways of doing business and set about changing how students learn. AUDIO Duration: 18:30