Back to Freedom School Vermont Education Equity Project

Season 2, episode 8 – Netdahe Stoddard (Part 2) – In this second recording, Netdahe speaks to how the work of Building Fearless Futures continues to evolve, along with the different levels of self reflection, internal communication, support, accountability and trust building that is required to grow as individuals and as an organization. The conversation then transitions into some of the cultural dissonance within all the different communities we navigate.

Season 2, Episode 7 – Netdahe Stoddard (Part 1) – In this multi-part conversation, Netdahe and Infinite go deep into some of the complexities of trying to dismantle white supremacy culture in Vermont – especially for people who categorize themselves as white. “It feels like…   “being responsible for whiteness, I feel like white people are taught that it has to go hand in hand with shame, that you have to feel diminished somehow, and to me it’s like a part of being grown, it’s a part of being the same kind of person that cares about my child and wants there to be clean air.”

Season 2, Episode 6 – Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Lydia Diamond shares stories from her journey and struggles with adjusting to Vermont. She reflects on what it’s been like to advocate for her family, organizing for mutual aid, while addressing and overcoming racism in schools. 

Thierry Mugabo Uwilingiyimana, Winooski’s first Black classroom teacher (who is no longer with the organization) shares his family’s journey from Rwanda, why are there so few Black educators in our public schools, ways of getting to equity, the challenges and opportunities of personalized learning, creating high expectations for students, measuring progress for students, and what he considers to be the “tragedy” of Winooski.

Season 2, episode 4 – Infinite and Steph Yu discuss some of the looming questions raised by the “Pupil Weighting Factors Report” prepared by the University of Vermont for Vermont’s Agency of Education, including; What’s the best way to get resources to the kids who need them? and What does improving outcomes/success look like? Their discussion also explores broader questions about who gets to decide how funds are used at the local level, the paradox of the “magnet” elementary schools in Burlington’s Old North End neighborhood; how much we can realistically expect from schools to meet the needs of our children with the highest needs; and larger systemic steps toward taking collective responsibility for getting children’s needs met. 

Season 2, Episode 3- Recent high school graduate, Saja Almogalli, breaks down the realities on the ground for young people moving through Vermont’s public education system, the challenges of family engagement, youth voice, some of the tensions that exist around addressing racism, and how she learned how to read by listening to rap music and Rhianna.