Know-it-all: The Abcs Of Education

Teenagers deal with a lot. Puberty and their changing bodies and emotions. Social hierarchies and dynamics that play out publicly through social media. Schools have to grapple with all that children bring with them. Despite our changing times, drugs and alcohol continue to be a temptation for many teens, and far too many teens succumb to addiction. My guest, Rufus L. Brown, is the Director of Steps to Life, a transitional housing program in Indianapolis, Indiana. He has been counseling and supporting individuals caught in the dangerous web of substance abuse and addiction for many years, and he will talk to us about what educators and families can do to help their children who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and President of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC), which creates educational equity plans for schools and assists non-profit organizations to promote educational equity in their communities.

Autism and other disorders on the autism spectrum are difficult to understand. Although we don't know with any certainty what causes autism, parents and educators of children with autism have come up with remarkable strategies to support their children and nurture their gifts, and to be advocates for their children. My guests, Kerry Dillman and Markeycion McKinney, of LEARN Behavior Consultation Services, will talk to us about their work to equip parents and caregivers with the tools they need to support children with autism. Tamara Kassabian, incredible mommy to a child with autism, will share insights from her experiences working to give her child the love and care that he needs. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and owner of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC).

We're talking about race, class, and education. On Friday, the Washington Post published a piece by my community discussion partner, Dr. Natalie Hopkinson, entitled "Organic Chemistry: Two Tracks of Schooling Raise Questions About Class, Race and Community." This episode of Know-It-All continues the conversation. My guest, Dr. Paul C. Gorski, is a professor of education and founder of the undergraduate Social Justice program at George Mason University. He is also the founder of EdChange, a non-profit organization that helps celebrate diversity and promote educational equity. Dr. Gorski will talk to us about the danger of the myth that all poor people are of one culture and thus hold the same values. _______ Know-It-All Host Allison R. Brown is a civil rights attorney and owner of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC), providing educational equity plans for schools and helping non-profit organizations to promote educational equity.

Grassroots activism in education is responsible for birthing the movements that gave us Brown v. Board and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and is now responsible for the recent national focus on standardized testing, racial disparities in student discipline, school closures, and other pressing issues. My guest, Daniel del Pielago, is an Education Organizer for Empower DC in Washington, D.C. He has dedicated his life to grassroots activism in educating young people, particularly young people in and from under-resourced communities. He will talk to us about how he lives what he wants to see and how he works cooperatively with systems to promote innovative change for children. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and owner of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC).

It is Memorial Day, and we are honoring those who have lost their lives for this country. We will talk about how to teach our children to be advocates for, and students of, peace. And we'll discuss the role of faith and spirituality in peace education. Susan G. Burton is the Director of the United Methodist Seminar Program on National and International Affairs on Capitol Hill. She facilitates social justice learning experiences for students in which they come to understand the intersection of faith, justice, and service. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and owner of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC).

Public charter vs. traditional public schools, local communities vs. outside reformers, black vs. white. There are many distractions and red herrings in discussions about education reform. My guest, Dr. Andre Perry, has put many of those distractions on the table in his fascinating novel, The Garden Path: The Miseducation of a City. The novel is set in post-Katrina New Orleans, which has become a key education reform battleground. In Dr. Perry's take, the students prevail over all else. As the former CEO of a charter school network in New Orleans and a university professor there, Dr. Perry crafted The Garden Path on a solid foundation of personal experience. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and President of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC).

Girls' athletics are just the tip of the iceberg that is gender equity in schools. Many educators are aware that Title IX requires schools to allow girls equal access to school sports. But not everyone knows that Title IX also prohibits sex-based discrimination in school, which can take many forms. Guest, Dr. Susan Strauss, is the author of Sexual Harassment and Bullying - A Guide to Keeping Kids Safe and Holding Schools Accountable. She will talk to us about bullying and sexual harassment in schools and tell us how to stop sex-based discrimination when it happens and prevent it from occurring in the future. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and President of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC).

To show our appreciation for teachers this week, check out this oldie but goodie - Black Male Educators and Why Equity Requires Them. My guests were Joseph Isaac and Rennie Taylor, who are incredible teachers that consistently go above and beyond for the sake of their students. They talked about what it means to be black male educators.

Student equity and education advocacy rhetoric has often pitted teachers and educators against, essentially, everyone else. But, teachers are doing tremendous things to force change for equity from within and to deliver empowering social justice instruction to their students. My guests will talk to us about the language of equity and what it takes for teachers to be successful advocates for equity in their schools. Enid Lee is the Director of Enidlee Consultants and is a teacher educator, researcher, writer, consultant, facilitator, and speaker. Deborah Menkart is the Executive Director of Teaching for Change, which provides teachers and parents with the tools to create schools where students learn to read, write, and change the world. Host, Allison R. Brown, Esq., is a civil rights attorney and President of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC).

How can we keep our children safe? Schools are still the safest places to be, but since the Newtown, Connecticut tragedy, debate about whether to put more police and guns in schools continues to rage. Even pop culture has grabbed hold - from HBO's Vice to Fox's Glee, guns in school is a hot topic. Jim Eichner is Managing Director of Programs for Advancement Project, which recently released A Real Fix: The Gun-Free Way to School Safety. Jim will talk to us about how we can keep students safe by, among other things, asking them what they want. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and owner of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC).

Dr. Pedro Noguera is the Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University. He is a world-renowned sociologist, researcher, and prolific author of several publications, including the seminal book, "The Trouble with Black Boys...and Other Reflections on Race, Equity, and the Future of Public Education." Dr. Noguera will expound on his critique of current approaches to education reform that are too focused on privatization, high stakes testing, and punitive student discipline. We will talk about how schools can focus on ensuring life successes of students and youth by focusing on true racial and socioeconomic equity. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and owner of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC).

On Tuesday, April 2, President Obama announced his proposal to spend $100 million on a human brain mapping initiative that would financially support brain-related research and efforts to combat Alzheimer's, autism, epilepsy, and paralysis, among other things. Our guest, Dr. Jessica Phillips-Silver, is a neuroscientist whose specialty is the science of young brains. She will talk to us about what the President's brain mapping initiative means for students, and she'll also talk about the impact of such things as music and Montessori instruction on children's brains. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and owner of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC).

On March 22, the United States Department of Justice announced an historic settlement with the school district of Meridian, Mississippi, that seeks to end the disproportionate exclusion of black children from school for disciplinary infractions and the arrest of black students for minor offenses. Our guests, Ryan Wilson and Zoe Savitsky, are the Department of Justice trial attorneys (and my former colleagues) who investigated complaints of discriminatory student discipline in the district, litigated the case before the court, and negotiated the terms of the incredibly comprehensive agreement with the school district. They will talk to us about the terms of the agreement and explain what this means for Meridian students and students all over the nation. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and owner of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC).

Research has shown that, more than an achievement gap between students of color and white students and between low-income students and upper-income students, there exists an opportunity gap between students who are exposed to summer and out-of-school learning opportunities and those who are not. Our guests are Chitra Subramanian, Executive Director of MOMIEs TLC, and Dr. Malcolm Woodland, co-founder and Director of Young Doctors DC. They will describe the work they do to enhance students' educational experiences through extended learning opportunities - programming outside of the regular school day - that helps children progress academically, socially, mentally, and emotionally. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and owner of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC).

Special education is a veritable alphabet soup of legal requirements. Sometimes, we all can lose sight of the ultimate goal - to educate students with special needs and prepare them for life, college, and career.  Our guest, Donovan Anderson, is an attorney with over twenty years of experience serving students with disabilities and their families. He'll explain the rights of students and families and discuss how schools can best meet the needs of all of their students, even their exceptional learners. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and owner of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC).

Juvenile correctional facilities are dumping grounds for discarded children. Harsh discipline in schools often lights their path. Our guest, David Domenici, has made it his life's work to change the circumstances for children who have been cast aside by society. Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings, Mr. Domenici has seen how school discipline can exacerbate otherwise difficult circumstances that children face. We will talk about modifying school discipline practices to prevent juvenile justice interaction for children, and we will discuss what juvenile correctional facilities can do to empower students in custody. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and owner of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC).

Attention Deficit Disorder, Peer Pressure, Bullying, Suicide, Violence ... Stress. We are ailing, and our children seem to be the worst afflicted. Strong adult/child attachments are key to raising healthy children. The adults in that equation have to be us - their parents. Not their teachers, daycare providers, social workers. Us. But, instead of keeping our children close, we push them into the unwitting arms of their peers. Think Lord of the Flies. Our peer-oriented children are more focused on social acceptance than on inquisitive, intellectual, independent living. Our guest, Dr. Gabor Maté, is the internationally-renowned author of Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter; Scattered: How Attention Deficit Disorder Originates and What You Can Do About It; and When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection. He'll talk us through how to reconnect with our children and the importance of doing so. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and owner of Allison Brown Consulting

Superintendents all over the country are under mounting pressure to ensure high academic achievement for their students, provide safe and nurturing school environments, and treat students equitably.  Our guests, all superintendents, will divulge the insider secrets to keeping their heads under such pressures. Dr. Eugene White, Superintendent of Schools for Indianapolis Public Schools in Indiana; Dr. Maria Ott, recently retired Superintendent of Schools for the Rowland Unified School District in California; and Ricardo Medina, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the Alum Rock Union Elementary School District in California, will be our guests. Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and owner of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC), www.allisonbrownconsulting.com.

We're celebrating Black History Month with what promises to be a lively and wide-ranging discussion about recent events that have generated headlines. We'll talk about Django Unchained, the President's State of the Union address, Christopher Dorner, and more. We'll have a panel of guests - media expert, community organizer and youth advocate, student activist, and parent empowerment expert - to weigh in on the news items of the day and talk about their significance to Black America.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) children all over the world face unique challenges in life....and in school. Our guests will discuss the challenges LGBT students in this country face, explain what progress has been made to ensure equity for LGBT students, and share what must be done to move the ball even further. Aisha Moodie-Mills is the Advisor for LGBT policy and racial justice at the Center for American Progress (CAP), where her work with the FIRE (Fighting Injustice to Reach Equality) Initiative explores the intersections of race, economics, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Joseph Wardenski is a trial attorney in the Educational Opportunities Section of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he enforces federal civil rights laws protecting students from discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, sex, disability, and religion. ___ Host, Allison R. Brown, is a civil rights attorney and owner of Allison Brown Consulting (ABC), www.allisonbrowncon