The K-12 Governance Mess
The K-12 Governance Mess: Who IS in Control Here?
COMING SOON: This episode is an introduction to the confusing manner in which K-12 Education is “governed,” which guides listeners through a process of following the money in this multi-billion dollar industry to trace how greed, corruption, and apathy have infected our nation’s K-12 educational standing in the world. Esoteric and counter-intuitive concepts and terms must be unpacked to give Americans the chance to engage with this topic, which includes a deep dive into what “local control” means, and who is ultimatlely in charge and responsible for this gigantic, inexcusable mess. The confusing and largely absent role of county, state, and federal offices of education is described at length
The K-12 Governance Mess: School Boards—“Who Will Watch the Watchers?”
COMING SOON: Instead of a national board of K-12 educators using their collective expert knowledge to place our youth into the top rankings of learning outcomes in the world, we have this—local politicans who do not have any education or experience in our world call all of the shots. This is the ACTUAL institution which should be defunded and dismantled—not the U.S. Department of Education. We don’t call for that step however, and instead imagine the creation of a body of experts—current veteran teachers—with equal power in this mess to be able to stand up for our nation’s children.
The K-12 Governance Mess: The Emperor Has No Clothes
COMING SOON: Most superintendents used to be teachers, but they usually have taught for under 5 years and a very long time ago—and it shows. This epsiode delves deeply into the bizarre and impossible role of school district superintendents, with a compassionate, but brutally honest and stark description of this job. Topics covered include unpacking the term, “failing up” which teachers use to describe how district brass get promoted after obvious failures, and how our nation’s superintendents just get shuffled around instead of being called to account for their greed, ignornace, arrogance, and corruption. The cult of personality, and the role that sycophants play in massaging the egos of our nation’s superindentents will be addressed, as well as how these cults manufacture the consent of the school district staff and communities to comply with their bad ideas.
The K-12 Governance Mess: The Mess Within the Mess—Charter Schools, Vouchers, School Closures, Homeschooling, Unschooling, and Private Schools
COMING SOON: In this episode, the producers tackle this deeply nuanced topic, and unpack each of these terms with compassion and honesty, as they begin to reimagine how schooling options can be shifted to reflect our nation’s diversity. Female flight from neighborhood public schools, and over enrollment by gender into alternative cohorting or school options will be unpacked, as will the needs of neurodivergent and differently abled students, socieoeconomically disenfranchised students, and ethnic, racial, and religious minorities who all struggle to find a home in K-12 schooling today.
The K-12 Governance Mess: How to Authentically Include Parents and Students in all of the BIG and Little Decisions
COMING SOON: How can K-12 education reckon with the exclusion of parents in the governance of our world which forces them to turn to school boards to find entrance into the conversation? What role SHOULD parents have, and how should K-12 cross that divide to include them? What is a developmentally appropriate and truly authentic way to include students at all grade levels? Hard questions that deserve deep consideration are discussed in this episode
The K-12 Governance Mess: The Impossible Job of Being a School Principal
In this episode of K-12 Confidential, the hosts discuss the complexities and failings of K-12 governance with Roxanne, a former administrator with over 40 years of experience in education. The episode delves into the problematic nature of current K-12 administration, characterized by a lack of teacher autonomy, the detrimental effects of standardized test-driven governance, and the deprofessionalization of roles such as librarians and nurses. Roxanne provides a historical perspective on these issues and criticizes both the political agendas of Republicans and certain DEI frameworks in education. The episode emphasizes the need for a national K-12 educator governing board, advocating for teachers to lead the profession from within to reclaim educational quality and integrity. Listeners are encouraged to support this movement by signing a petition available on the K-12 Confidential website.
K-12 Confidential Co-Hosts, Trina and Mani, discuss the complexities and challenges faced by teachers and unions in K-12 education, specifically in the context of teacher strikes. The discussion includes U.S. literacy rankings, the impact of teacher unions, personal experiences of stress and burnout among educators, the financial struggles due to inadequate pay, and the emotional toll of going on strike. They highlight that teachers are often overworked, underpaid, and misrepresented by district leaders during strike negotiations. The hosts emphasize the need for a national K-12 Educator Governing Board to allow teachers to lead the profession from within, aiming for more substantial, systemic change over the current piecemeal improvements achieved through strikes.