7 episodes
Bootstraps Open Campus & EdSurge
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- Education
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5.0 • 9 Ratings
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A limited series from EdSurge and Open Campus about merit, myths, and how "pulling ourselves up" shapes education.
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Episode 7: The Power of the 'Grit' Narrative
A bonus installment of our series. We’re stepping back to review the key themes of the first season of the series, and look at what’s changed since we reported some of the controversies we dug into. Plus, we talk with Alissa Quart about why narratives of self-reliance are so hard to shake.
Host: Jeff Young (@jryoung)
A joint production of EdSurge and Open Campus. -
Episode 6: Rethinking the Rhodes
The Rhodes Scholarship was designed to forge a network of people who would go on to rule the world. So who gets this opportunity? And how is the world’s oldest and most well-known graduate scholarship dealing with the legacy of its founder, who used ruthless and racist practices to build the diamond empire that funded the effort.
Host: Jeff Young (@jryoung)
A joint production of EdSurge and Open Campus. -
Episode 5: Breaking Up With the SAT
The SAT can feel very different to different students. While it can give any college applicant stress, some low-income and minority students see it as evidence that selective colleges don't want them. Can the rise of test-optional policies lead to a new, more equitable era of college admissions?
Reporter: Eric Hoover (@erichoov) of The Chronicle of Higher Education
Host: Jeff Young (@jryoung)
A joint production of EdSurge and Open Campus. -
Episode 4: Playing the Grade Game
Our current grading system can be a way for kids to prove themselves, win college scholarships, or gain admission to highly selective colleges. It also can turn into a game that encourages comparison to fictional "averages." It's so ingrained it may feel impossible to imagine a world without letter grades or GPAs, but some say, let's give that a try.
Host: Jeff Young (@jryoung)
A joint production of EdSurge and Open Campus. -
Episode 3: Searching for Genius
Sometime early in elementary school, kids are put on one of two paths: regular or gifted. Where did this idea come from? The answer goes back more than a 100 years, to a once-famous scholar named Lewis Terman. And it turns out his legacy, and the future of gifted programs, are still very much under debate.
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Episode 2: Fighting for TJ
What a debate about the admissions process at one of the best public high schools in the country says about who should get what in education.
Customer Reviews
Fantastic look at the history behind today’s pressing questions about education
I just listened to this series and found the whole thing very well done. Great framing and excellent guests. They use a mix of academic experts and interviews with people directly involved in the issues. Highly recommend.
A Great Listen for Anyone Interested in Education
I want everyone to hear this podcast! It really dives in to the complex issues of equity in education and makes you consider how not everyone is on an even playing field when it comes to so many areas of education. The quote from MLK in the first episode really kicks it off, “It's all right to tell a man to lift himself by his own bootstraps, but it is cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps.”
But know that it’s not heavy-handed and is narrated with thought, a light tone, and some humor. Please listen if you’re interested in education.
Everyone should listen to this.
I have been involved with Medical School Admissions for over a decade and the issues addressed in his podcast are things that Admissions committees, at least the ones who are aware, confront every time they evaluate a candidate. Applicants have already been sorted through high school and college before they get to, or even apply, to medical school. The difference between the haves and the have Nots is striking and many on the missions committees just don’t understand. It is a constant struggle. I would like to make this podcast required listening for all admissions committee members, but it’s hard enough to get them to go through a PowerPoint on the issue.