Education on Tap

Is the way we're operating schools making our kids miserable? Developmental psychologist Susan Engel attempts to answer that very question in THE END OF THE RAINBOW, a new book out by The New Press. By focusing lessons on developing our children into happy adults and not on education as an investment, she posits that the next generation could lead truly meaningful lives. Learn how she believes we need to shift our thinking in this last episode of Season 1.

You've heard it: "Poetry isn't for everyone." The students in Ms. Jasani's English class at Baltimore's Digital Harbor High School certainly thought so. That is, until they got their hands on Langston Hughes, Zora Howard, and many other powerful poets through the Poet Warriors Project. As part of the program, students learn the skills poets use in order to fine-tune their personal writing and create change through their own work. In this episode, you'll hear from three poets, their teacher, and founder Emily Southerton. And you won't be disappointed. Visit the Poet Warriors Project on the web at www.poetwarriorsproject.org.

It seems more and more people are turning to social media these days to vent their opinions on everything from hamburgers to education. With the latter, one hot topic over the past year has been the Common Core State Standards. But how does the conversation on the Twitterverse actually influence policy decisions? Jonathan Supovitz and Alan Daly of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education are studying just that and are out with a new website (www.hashtagcommoncore.com) that strives to break it all down.

Rick Hess is a name that's familiar to many in education reform circles. He's a former teacher, author, and political scientist, and he's out with a new book. THE CAGE-BUSTING TEACHER aims to offer practical advice to educators to help them elevate their voices in decisions that affect their work, schools, and students. But is he just another countless person sitting in the ivory tower without portable ideas?

For years, the national conversation around education has focused largely on students graduating from high school. With the emergence of First Lady Michelle Obama's Reach Higher initiative and organizations like OneGoal, more attention is being placed on providing the supports and policies to move our kids beyond the post-secondary world. Whether that's receiving vocational training, an Associate's, Bachelor's, or beyond, life after 12th grade has become a prominent talking point in education circles across the country.

President Obama created the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans to speak truth to power, highlight and disseminate evidence regarding possible solutions in closing the opportunity gap, and serve as a liaison between and among communities that are focused on supporting students of color. This week, Executive Director David Johns joins the show and - among other things - charges every single person with a responsibility to do right by all of our children.

The School Justice Project (SJP) started only 18 months ago, but it's already making an impact on federal education policy and law. This week, we tell the story the organization through the eyes of Demetri, an SJP client. His fight for his education - at sometimes an embarrassingly personal cost - will lead you through a catharsis of emotion: anger, disappointment, and - eventually - pride.