Public School Kids

Erika Peterman

Public School Kids is a storytelling series about what we share as Americans, and why it matters. Created and hosted by Erika Peterman - a former attorney, photographer, and Montana public school kid - the series weaves personal stories with the history of public education to understand how schools shape who we are, how we live together, and who we want to become. More than 90% of Americans have something in common: we’re public school kids. From classrooms and cafeterias to the ideas that shaped America itself, Public School Kids looks at the experiences, values, and contradictions woven through our shared story. At a time when Americans are increasingly sorted by algorithms, Public School Kids asks: Who do we want to be?

Episodes

  1. Common Ground

    Jun 12

    Common Ground

    What happens when people from different backgrounds grow up together? For many Americans, public school is one of the first places they encounter people whose lives, beliefs, interests, and experiences are different from their own. It's where friendships form across social circles, where kids learn to navigate differences, and where they begin to understand that the world is bigger than themselves. In this episode of Public School Kids, Erika Peterman talks with two Montana public school kids whose lives took very different paths: New York Times Hollywood Correspondent, Brooks Barnes, and conservationist, Ryan Callaghan. Together, their stories reveal how public schools create the shared spaces where young people learn confidence, curiosity, empathy, and how to live alongside people who aren't like them. Historian Johann Neem returns to explain why America's public schools were intentionally designed to bring diverse groups of people together, and why that mission may be more important today than ever. Plus, recurring contributor Chrysti the Wordsmith explores the history and meaning of the word citizen. In this episode: Navigating difference, belonging, and identityLessons learned from football fields, choir rooms, lunch tables, and hallwaysWhy exposure to different people mattersThe origins of America's public schools and the Common School MovementChrysti the Wordsmith on the history of the word citizenFeaturing: Brooks BarnesRyan CallaghanJohann NeemChrysti the WordsmithMusic by Andrea Peterman: www.andreapeterman.com Additional tracks: "Back To Cool "by Shane Ivers – https://silvermansound.com "Pickup Line” Johnathon M. Horner (Beat Mekanik) About Public School Kids Public School Kids is a storytelling series about what Americans share and why it matters. Through stories from classrooms, communities, and public school kids across the country, the series explores the role public education plays in shaping citizenship, character, and our shared American experience. Learn more at Public School Kids

    31 min
  2. Why Does America Have Public Schools?

    Jun 12

    Why Does America Have Public Schools?

    Why does America have public schools? Most of us assume the answer is obvious: to teach kids how to read, write, and do math. But the story is much bigger than that. In the premiere episode of Public School Kids, host Erika Peterman explores the origins and purpose of public education in America. Along the way, she shares the story of her father growing up in Conrad, Montana, and reflects on how schools help create the communities that shape us. With historian Johann Neem as our guide, we travel back to the founding of the United States, when a new nation faced a fundamental question: How do you prepare ordinary people to govern themselves? The answer helped create one of America's most important institutions: the public school. Plus, meet recurring contributor Chrysti the Wordsmith, who explores the history and meaning of a word at the heart of this episode: democracy. In this episode: A story about community from Conrad, MontanaWhy Thomas Jefferson believed education was essential to self-governmentThe origins of public education in AmericaWhy public schools were designed to serve something bigger than individual studentsChrysti the Wordsmith on the history of the word democracyFeaturing: Johann NeemChrysti the WordsmithMusic by Andrea Peterman: www.andreapeterman.com About Public School Kids Public School Kids is a storytelling series about what Americans share and why it matters. Through stories from classrooms, communities, and public school kids across the country, the series explores the role public education plays in shaping citizenship, character, and our shared American experience. Learn more at Public School Kids

    29 min
  • 2 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Public School Kids is a storytelling series about what we share as Americans, and why it matters. Created and hosted by Erika Peterman - a former attorney, photographer, and Montana public school kid - the series weaves personal stories with the history of public education to understand how schools shape who we are, how we live together, and who we want to become. More than 90% of Americans have something in common: we’re public school kids. From classrooms and cafeterias to the ideas that shaped America itself, Public School Kids looks at the experiences, values, and contradictions woven through our shared story. At a time when Americans are increasingly sorted by algorithms, Public School Kids asks: Who do we want to be?

Information

  • Creator
    Erika Peterman
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    2
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Erika Peterman 2026
  • Show Website
    Public School Kids

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