Education Podcast with John Merrow | PBS

What is acceptable content in children's literature? Should librarians and parents be able to decide what books are appropriate not just for their children, but for all children? John Merrow spoke with Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, another Newbery winner, whose "Alice" books were among the most banned books of 1999 (second only to Harry Potter). AUDIO Duration: 15:39

Veteran educator Ted Sizer on what makes an excellent high school. Noise, cliques, uncertainty and arguments may not be so bad for high school students. Veteran educator Ted Sizer provides insights that go against conventional wisdom and explains why most American high schools are barely good enough. Duration: 26:19

Nancy Shulock doesn't think community colleges should get more money -- that is, without also implementing some major policy changes. She argues that we already know how to improve transfer and completion rates at community colleges but sometimes lack the political will to do so. In this podcast, Professor Shulock, Executive Director of the Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy at Sacramento State University, offers insights that have upset some community college leaders. AUDIO Duration: 15:55

Most students at Los Angeles Trade and Tech aren't seeking to transfer to a four-year school. Instead, they enroll to gain critical job training. Vice President of Academic Affairs Marcy Drummond discusses the challenges of running Trade Tech, and why she believes her institution is a “second class citizen.” AUDIO Duration: 13:30

Should a remedial teacher know why her student has been unsuccessful in the past? Joliet Junior College Professors Edy Alderson and Kathleen Perryman, who telephone their students at home and even offer rewards like chocolate bars, say yes. AUDIO Duration: 15:11

Community college professor Steve Zuro is doing all he can to help his remedial math students, but only half pass the class. What's going wrong? AUDIO Duration: 12:14

We�ve received so many requests for our program, Lessons of War, which aired on The NewsHour last week, we decided to make it this week�s podcast. So, if you missed it when it aired or would like to see it again, you can now watch the entire program online. In addition to The NewsHour segment, we produced four podcasts of extended interviews providing a more in-depth and personal look into the lives of the four people featured in the piece. VIDEO Duration: 13:54

Retired military officer Tim Howle finds a new way to serve his country as principal of McNair Elementary on Fort Bragg, North Carolina. AUDIO Duration: 13:00

Almost all of Nancy Welsh's kindergarten students have a parent in Iraq or Afghanistan. AUDIO Duration: 16:00

27-year-old Scarlette Keeling struggles to raise her three children after her husband, Corey, leaves to serve as a medic in Afghanistan. AUDIO Duration: 20:00

Third grade teacher and army veteran Gary Wieland has seven students who have parents serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. How does a veteran teacher juggle academics and a student's need for affection and reassurance? AUDIO Duration: 23:00

We expect a lot from our 1200 community colleges, and most of them bend over backwards trying to provide it-job training, a jumpstart on a 4-year degree, remedial education, even classes in motorcycle repair and ballroom dancing! But is being all things to all people possible, or even desirable? AUDIO Duration: 25:00

John Merrow's conversation with Steve Mariotti about creating a global movement around entrepreneurship education. AUDIO Duration: 20:25

The prevalence of eating disorders in society is hard to ignore. As many as 10 million women and 1 million men in the United States alone have either anorexia or bulimia. In this exclusive video podcast, we take a look inside America's college campuses, where eating disorders may affect up to 20% of its students. VIDEO Duration: 15:01

Watch as inner city high school students launch their own soda company, and hear why some say entrepreneurship education is the civil rights issue of our time. VIDEO Duration : 9:50