Education Podcast with John Merrow | PBS

Michelle Rhee talks with John Merrow about her controversial first year as DC Public Schools Chancellor and what she has planned for year two. AUDIO Duration: 16:29

"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 Peter McWalters highlights the contribution and drawbacks of federal involvement in education, specifically in regards to No Child Left Behind. AUDIO Duration: 7:24

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

George Parker, the president of the teachers’ union in Washington D.C., is now negotiating a new contract with School Chancellor Michelle Rhee. Rhee wants to make it easier to fire ineffective teachers, but Parker says she already has enough power.  In this audio podcast, hear how Parker balances the need for educational reform with his duty to protect workers’ rights. AUDIO Duration: 12:14

The Federal law known as No Child Left Behind has generated a massive amount of testing data. But is the data useful in the classroom? Jay McClain, principal at Bailey’s Elementary School in Fairfax County, VA, discuss how NCLB impacts his job.  AUDIO Duration: 11:14

5th grade teacher Betsy Walter sees her students making progress – but often, tests required by the federal law known as No Child Left Behind tell a different story. Walter, who once worked for Senator Kennedy, a sponsor of the law, discusses how NCLB evaluates her students.  AUDIO Duration: 12:29

Every Spring, the state teachers of the year travel to Washington to meet the President. But this year, they planned an event of their own – 50 of the state teachers of the year held a press conference calling for 10 major changes to the Federal law known as No Child Left Behind. Hear Maddie Fennell, the 2007 Nebraska Teacher of the Year, discuss how the law looks differently in Washington than it does in her Omaha classroom.   AUDIO Duration: 11:47

The Federal Law known as No Child Left Behind tests reading and math each year in grades three through eight. But is the testing helping kids learn how to apply knowledge in the real world? Lynn Riggs, a science teacher in Fairfax County, Virginia, worries that students are learning how to give the right answers – at the cost of learning how to ask the right questions.   AUDIO Duration: 16:55

The Federal Law known as No Child Left Behind tests reading and math each year in grades three through eight. But is the testing helping kids learn how to apply knowledge in the real world? Lynn Riggs, a science teacher in Fairfax County, Virginia, worries that students are learning how to give the right answers – at the cost of learning how to ask the right questions.   AUDIO Duration: 16:55

Anthony Cody is a National Board Certified Teacher with 18 years of classroom experience under his belt. But Anthony Cody is no longer teaching--he left the profession several years after the No Child Left Behind was passed. In this podcast, hear Cody explain why left, why it’s difficult for teachers to criticize the law, and why NCLB doesn’t “honor the reality” of urban education.   AUDIO Duration: 20:17

Amanda Sias, Kady Amundson and Jason Denlinger—three teachers at Rabouin High School, one of New Orleans’ lowest performing schools designated to the Recovery School District—debate whether their new, optimistic Superintendent, Paul Vallas, can turn around a district plagued by historical failure and poverty.   AUDIO Duration: 21:22

Washington, DC’s new and inexperienced superintendent, 37-year-old Michelle Rhee, discusses her plans to reshape the school district’s traditionally unresponsive central office and boost student achievement. AUDIO Duration: 15:26

Michelle Evans was appalled by the conditions at her son’s middle school – and so she changed them. Using a provision of No Child Left Behind, Evans lead the fight to convert Gompers Middle School to a charter school. Hear Evans, who many call a hero, describe the struggle and success of the effort. AUDIO Duration: 13:19

During Alan Bersin’s 7-year tenure as San Diego’s Superintendent of Schools he often found himself at the center of the controversy. Hear this nationally-known educational reformer share some of the lessons he learned fighting to improve failing schools. AUDIO Duration: 21:30

San Diego's Keiller Middle School re-invented itself as a charter school, and for the first time in ears, students are meeting the requirements of No Child Left Behind. So why, asks Executive Director Patricia Ladd, is the local school system treating it like an adversary? AUDIO Duration: 19:19

Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings responds to John Merrow’s questions about loopholes in the federal law known as No Child Left Behind. Is the law truly holding states accountable for educating all children? AUDIO Duration: 14:26

Though the federal law known as No Child Left Behind requires annual testing in reading and math, states develop their own tests and decide where to set the bar. Conservative education guru Chester Finn discusses these and other loopholes in No Child Left Behind ­ and tells us why it’s politically impossible to suggest a goal less than 100%. AUDIO Duration: 15:39

As the opportunity to reauthorize No Child Left Behind draws near, criticism of the law is mounting. But when President Bush signed the law early in his first term, it enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support. In 2001, John Merrow spoke with the President's Domestic Policy Advisor Margaret La Montagne and former President Clinton's Education Advisor Andy Rotherham. AUDIO Duration: 23:03

Does watching a violent movie increase the likelihood that a child will herself become violent? Does a focus on violent media distract from other crucial factors that turn kids violent? John Merrow asks Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of “Why They Kill,” about how our culture creates violent criminals. AUDIO Duration: 21:39

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

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

We have some exciting news for our podcast subscribers: The Education Podcast with John Merrow has moved to the PBS area of iTunes. To easily locate us, open your iTunes and, from within the Shop area, select Podcasts and then click on the Public Broadcasting badge. You will then see a link to the PBS section. Once inside the PBS area of iTunes, you will find The Education Podcast with John Merrow alongside many other quality PBS branded programs. Or, if you prefer to access our podcasts via RSS, please add our new RSS feed to your RSS reader. That new feed address is: http://www.pbs.org/merrow/rss/podcast.xml If you have any questions, please visit the Podcast section of the PBS website, at http://www.pbs.org/podcasts, or email us at podcasts@merrow.org Thank you and have a great day. AUDIO

Retired military officer Tim Howle finds a new way to serve his country as principal of McNair Elementary on Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He maintains that the two jobs are very similar, but perhaps not in the ways you might expect. AUDIO Duration: 13:00

Almost all of Nancy Welsh’s kindergarten students have a parent in Iraq or Afghanistan. Can she comfort all of them when they need comforting and still keep them focused on academics? AUDIO Duration: 16:00

27-year-old Scarlette Keeling struggles to raise her three children after her husband, Corey, leaves for a 1-year tour of duty as a medic in Afghanistan. It’s his third tour of duty. 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