Ethical Schools

Ethical Schools

Amy and Jon talk with educational innovators about creating ethical learning environments, helping students overcome the effects of trauma, and empowering young people to make change. Tune in weekly.

  1. Sep 28

    Ethics in early childhood classrooms: A framework for educators

    We welcome back Dr. Kym Vanderbilt of Lehman College, this time joined by her former students, Kelsey Nova and Cyndhia Silvero. We discuss how Dr. Vanderbilt’s graduate students create case studies based on ethical challenges they themselves have faced. Ms. Nova and Ms. Silvero share their own case studies. We also discuss the ongoing struggle for fair compensation for early childhood educators, especially assistant teachers and education directors. Overview 00:15-00:40 Intros 00:40-02:26 Objectives in assigning scenarios of ethically complex situations 02:26-05:06 Kelsey’s ethical dilemma scenario 05:06-06:14 Potential solutions 06:14-08:13 Cyndhia’s ethical dilemma scenario 08:13-09:14 Improving children’s experiences at more elite schools 09:14-10:37 Making schools more sensitive to cultural diversity 10:37-14:51 Does the State encourage teacher ed classes that discuss ethical issues 14:51-15:25 Penalty Kick video promo 15:25-17:00 Codes of ethics 17:00-23:28 Issues to resolve for high quality early childhood programs 23:28-26:55 Special ed issues 26:55-28:58 Why do these issues exist? 28:58-32:52 Denials/evaluations 32:52-39:50 Issues for early childhood staff as employees:              Autonomy vs compliance, staff pay and disparities 39:50-42:38 “Making this a career that people can stay in.” 42:38-43:50 Outro   Transcript Click here to see the full transcription of this episode.  Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

    Ethics in early childhood classrooms: A framework for educators

  2. Sep 20

    Play-In: Early childhood education needs more play

    Jon talks with Dr. Beverly Falk of the High Quality Learning Project, Lauren Monaco, New York City pre-K teacher, and experienced educators Gil Schmerler and Renee Dinnerstein. They discuss the centrality of play to children’s development as confirmed by recent research on how the brain works. A “play-in” in Manhattan calls for greater emphasis on play in early childhood classes. Overview 00:15-01:17 Intros01:17-02:53 Play’s defining features02:53-03:22 Defining early childhood03:22-08:46 How children learn and develop08:46-11:46 How central has play been historically to early childhood education11:46-24:15 Conflict between free play and academics in the early childhood education field24:15-28:36 Current status of play in early childhood education in NYS and NYC28:36-29:10 Penalty Kick video promo29:10-31:36 Patterns in community-based centers and schools31:36-36:06 What should NYS and NYC do to reinstitute proper levels of play?36:06-39:41 NYCplays.org: Organizing: How listeners can get involved, 9/26 Play-in39:41-41:08 Importance of public/education officials speaking up41:08-42:07 Play and explicit literacy instruction should be paired42:07-44:37 Parents getting mixed messages44:37-45:47 You can’t rush neurological development45:47- Outro Transcript Click here to see the full transcription of this episode.  References Protectors of Play (POP) website: nycplays.org Join NYC Plays’ free, all-ages Play-In with games, activities, and advocacy for play in schools: September 26, 12–2 pm, at Manny Cantor Center (197 East Broadway, 6th floor, NYC). Register here! The High Quality Early Learning Project (Podcast) February 20, 2026: NYC Kindergarteners are Being Diagnosed with Play Deprivation & We Can Change It (Podcast) February 27, 2026: The Proposal to Fix Kindergarten that NYC's Mayor Needs to Hear Renee Dinnerstein's book "Choice Time: How to Deepen Learning Through Inquiry and Play" Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

    Play-In: Early childhood education needs more play

  3. Jul 19

    Educating for The World We Want: Learning to Citizen with The Brotherhood Sister Sol

    We share brief presentations from the fifth “Global Saturday Salons” that Ethical Schools is sponsoring with three international partners. Nando Rodriguez is the Senior Manager for Environmental Programming at the Brotherhood/Sister Sol (BroSis) in Harlem, NYC. Camila Salcedo, 16, is a sophomore at Thurgood Marshall Academy, and Elias DeLeon, 17, is a junior at KIPP Charter School. Both have been members of the BroSis community for several years. Together, they explore what happens when young people are trusted with real responsibility, meaningful relationships, and hands-on experiences in nature. This salon series, Learning to Citizen: Tales of Youth Voice, Agency, and Care, honors learners and educators who are already practicing care, enacting citizenship, and learning how to regenerate their communities and their world. Discover more at edfortheworldwewant.net. Transcription Click here to see the full description of this episode.  References To view Nando's slides presented during the Salon, [access the presentation here]. Want the full conversation?  Watch the complete Salon, including the plenary session, on YouTube. Soundtrack by Poddington Bear.

    Educating for The World We Want: Learning to Citizen with The Brotherhood Sister Sol

  4. Jun 24

    What teens deserve: A creative out-of-school program

    Jon speaks with Dr. David Penberg, who ran the Liberty  Partnership Program at Bank Street College in the 1990s, and two of the participants, Madelyn Baez, and Tara Crichlow. Three decades later, Madelyn, Tara, and David explain how the program changed the trajectory of their lives. The Liberty Partnership was created as a college prep intervention for underserved and marginalized middle school students.   For the participants, it was a safe place of "uncomfortable empowerment" where their opinions were taken seriously in a simultaneously supportive and challenging environment. Overview 00:00-00:45 Intro 00:45-01:56 Liberty Partnership Program (LPP) origin and description 01:56-03:36 What LPP felt like to Madelyn and Tara 03:36-07:03 LPP structure and goals 07:03-09:40 How Madelyn and Tara joined 09:40-14:42 How experiences in the program were different from school 14:42-19:10 Environmental conversations 19:10-19:24 Trip to China 19:24-20:49 Asset-based program; not about “fixing” the young people 20:49-23:03 Opportunities and relationships 23:03-26:04 “Uncomfortable empowerment” 26:04-26:50 Options, opportunities, exposure, experience 26:50-30:37 Bank Street as a place of safety and empowerment during time of demonization  of young people of color after Central Park jogger case 30:37-35:03 Impact on students’ relationships with families and friends 35:03-37:02 Impact on David’s life 37:02-37:52 Remembering youths who died 37:52-40:51 The larger Bank Street environment 40:51-42:15 The “pure love” of the LPP community 42:15- Outro Transcript Click here to see the full transcription of this episode.  Soundtrack by Poddington Bear

    What teens deserve: A creative out-of-school program

  5. May 26

    Educating for The World We Want: Learning to Citizen with Green School Bali

    We share brief presentations from the fourth "Global Saturday Salons” that Ethical Schools is sponsoring with three international partners. Dr. Benjamin Freud is the Strategic Lead for Regenerative Education at the Green School Bali, Manon Tiange is a Grade 12 student mapping labor invisibility and systemic inequality in Bali, and Scarlett Gonella is a Grade 12 student investigating plastic pollution and advocating for clean water access in Indonesia. They talked about an educational culture rooted in contribution to community. Learners are trusted to ask difficult questions, collaborate across generations, and imagine reform at the highest levels. This salon series is called Learning to Citizen: Tales of Youth Voices, Agency, and Care. Our goal is to honor learners and teachers who are already doing the work practicing care, enacting citizenship, and learning how to regenerate their worlds. Discover more and join us on May 30th to learn with members of The Brotherhood Sister Sol: edfortheworldwewant.net

    Educating for The World We Want: Learning to Citizen with Green School Bali

  6. May 19

    Literature as identity-affirming, teaching as liberatory

    Dr. Chantal Francois and Dr. Jen McLaughlin Cahill, co-authors of Identity-Affirming Literacies in Schools, discuss their time at the school they call Pearl Street Collaborative, a progressive secondary school on Manhattan’s Lower East Side that prioritizes teacher inquiry and collaboration. Schedules include time for teachers to meet frequently with grade and content colleagues. Drawing on the work of Freire and Lilia Bartolomé, Drs. Francois and McLaughlin Cahill used literature to support students' identities, including by integrating an LGBTQ+ focus into English classes.   Overview 00:00-00:52 Intros 00:52-03:36 Humanizing pedagogy 03:36-04:44 Relationships and humanizing pedagogy 04:44-07:35 Scheduling facilitating creation and maintenance of faculty relationships 07:35-10:04 Collaboration as modeling for students 10:04-10:21 Pearl Street Collaborative 10:21-13:24 Literacy as more than reading 13:24-18:53 Reading and teaching as political 18:53-23:17 Mission statement as a meaningful document 23:17-31:23 Structuring literacy instruction around independent reading and reading whole books 31:23-36:44 LGBTQ+ identify-affirming literacies 36:44-40:34 Impact on students of LGBTQ+ focus 40:34- Outro References Book Identity-Affirming Literacies in Schools by Dr. Chantal Francois and Dr. Jen McLaughlin Cahill: buy it on Routledge or find it on Amazon Article by  Dr. Lilia Bartolomé "Beyond the methods fetish: Toward a humanizing pedagogy" Transcript Click here to see the full transcription of this episode.  Soundtrack by Podington Bear

    Literature as identity-affirming, teaching as liberatory

  7. Apr 19

    Upskilling teachers: Elements of social justice-focused teaching

    We welcome back Dr. Anthony Johnston to speak about his new book, "Introduction to Secondary Teaching: Blending Wisdom, Research, and Social Justice.” Dr. Johnston explores teacher wisdom of practice, social justice pedagogy, evidence-based practices, and adolescent brain research. He identifies the foundation of all classroom teaching as teacher identity, teacher presence, teacher passion, and teacher stance.

    Upskilling teachers: Elements of social justice-focused teaching

  8. Mar 25

    Global Conversations: Nature, Place, and Education, Salon #3

    We share brief presentations from the third of the “Saturday Salons” that Ethical Schools is sponsoring with three international partners. Kerry Kirk Pflugh is the executive director of the New Jersey School of Conservation. She also comes with extensive background experience at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Tom Roderick is the author most recently of Teach for Climate Justice: A Vision for Transforming Education. He was also the Founding Executive Director of Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility. Deb L. Morrison is a Learning Designer and Advisor at the University of Washington and a Lead Author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report 7. They talk about how educators can respond to the urgent environmental crises we face. Learn more and join at globalconversations.net

    Global Conversations: Nature, Place, and Education, Salon #3
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About

Amy and Jon talk with educational innovators about creating ethical learning environments, helping students overcome the effects of trauma, and empowering young people to make change. Tune in weekly.

Information

  • Creator
    Ethical Schools
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    225
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2019 Ethical Schools
  • Show Website
    Ethical Schools

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