Courageous Conversations About Our Schools

Hosted by Ken Futernick
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Education
  • Monthly

Bringing people together for respectful conversations about today’s most contentious issues affecting our schools. A way forward in divided times.

  1. 6h ago

    When the Left and Right Actually Listen: Rick Hess and Pedro Noguera (Ep. 55)

    This podcast is about courage - courage to listen to people we don’t agree with, courage to challenge our own friends.  In this episode, host Ken Futernick speaks with two influential education thinkers from opposite sides of the political spectrum about their book A Search for Common Ground: Conversations About the Toughest Questions in K-12 Education. Instead of trying to win arguments on issues like school choice, standardized testing, or how history should be taught, they set out to listen and see what they could learn from one another. Rick Hess, head of education policy at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute, and Pedro Noguera, dean of USC's Rossier School of Education, share what they've learned from years of respectful disagreement. “It actually was not nearly as hard to find common ground as I think we might have expected,” Hess says. “Writing the book [with Pedro] was the most heartening exercise that I had done in 20-plus years.” When asked why conversations across political divides have become so rare and difficult, Noguera said, “I think there’s fear. Fear of putting your ideas out there, fear that you'll be attacked by your own side if you appear to be conceding ground, fear that you will look weak because you are even just engaging in the dialogue.”  Hess agreed. “It takes a lot more courage to tell your friends to back the heck off than your enemies. It's easy to insult our enemies.” Their courageous conversations serve as an important reminder: The search for common ground does not require us to abandon our core principles. But it does require us to listen, suspend judgment, and sometimes push back, even with those closest to us - all in the service of better schools for our children. Let us know what you think with a text message.

    When the Left and Right Actually Listen: Rick Hess and Pedro Noguera (Ep. 55)

  2. 4d ago

    Why Pushing Harder Makes People Resist More — with Elena Aguilar (Ep. 54)

    Have you ever tried to change someone's mind or get someone to act differently, only to watch them dig in their heels? Or do you recall offering someone perfectly reasonable advice, only to have them become defensive or angry? Sometimes we think, “If I only pushed harder or made a stronger argument.” But what if this approach to resistance actually makes things worse? In this episode, acclaimed author and educator Elena Aguilar challenges much of what we assume about people who resist change. Drawing on her new book, How to Coach Resistance, she explains why resistance often has less to do with stubbornness than with fear, frustration, and unmet fundamental human needs. The episode begins with Elena sharing a painfully honest story from early in her career. Sandra, the teacher in Elena’s story, was determined to reject her help. That resistance led Elena to wonder how she could "break" the teacher. Twenty years later, she sees that experience and Sandra very differently. To demonstrate Elena's approach to resistance now, she and host Ken Futernick engage in a spontaneous role-play. Ken plays a deeply frustrated, cynical teacher who has lost faith in his school and is skeptical about working with a coach. Instead of calling Ken out for being negative or offering quick solutions, Elena takes a different approach. She listens, becomes curious, and calls attention to what Ken is feeling beneath the surface.  Together, they explore some fascinating questions: Why do people resist—even when change might benefit them?What's happening beneath the surface when someone becomes defensive or cynical?How can acknowledging anger, sadness, grief, or fear create opportunities for change? Why might six seconds of silence work better than offering advice or a more persuasive argument?Why does it help to acknowledge our own emotions when encountering resistance?At the end of the episode, Elena explains why love and compassion—not control—belong at the heart of how we respond to resistance. Elena's work focuses on educators and coaches, but her insights in this episode extend far beyond schools. Whether you're a parent, partner, manager, community leader, or simply navigating difficult relationships, you'll likely leave with fresh insights into resistance and how we respond to it.  Let us know what you think with a text message.

    Why Pushing Harder Makes People Resist More — with Elena Aguilar (Ep. 54)

  3. Jul 18

    The Cost of Silence: Why Good People Don’t Speak Up (Ep. 53)

    Why do good people remain silent when they see problems that need to be addressed? The problem schools face is not always that there is too much conflict. Sometimes the greater problem is too little: people hold back concerns, avoid questioning decisions, remain quiet about problems that everyone can see, or simply disengage. Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, whose groundbreaking research introduced the concept of psychological safety, and civic leader Rich Harwood, founder of The Harwood Institute and author of The New Civic Path, join host Ken Futernick to examine the forces that produce silence—and what leaders can do to overcome them. They explore how fear of criticism, the pressure to “get along,” and repeated reform efforts that promise much but deliver little can leave teachers and community members cynical, exasperated, and reluctant to speak. Silence, they explain, seldom means that people don’t care. It often means they no longer believe speaking up will make a difference. Through compelling stories from schools, communities, and other organizations, Edmondson and Harwood describe how leaders can create the trust needed for honest dialogue and collective action. Their conversation explores the importance of humility, inquiry, shared aspirations, and the willingness to keep showing up. It also considers how educators can create classrooms where students feel safe expressing uncertain or unpopular ideas. The result is a hopeful and practical conversation about moving beyond merely getting along—and learning how to face difficult truths and work together. Let us know what you think with a text message.

  4. May 13

    An Alternative to “Knock it Off!” when Students Fight (Ep. 52)

    In this episode of “Courageous Conversations about our Schools,” host Ken Futernick talks with educator and interpreter Shelby Rideout about a simple, in-the-moment strategy for handling kid conflicts without defaulting to “Knock it off,” “Go to your room,” or forced apologies. Instead of sending kids away to “work it out” without tools, Shelby guides them to pause, lower the emotional temperature, and actively look for what they have in common.  She shares a hallway incident where two normally kind girls shifted from name-calling to laughing together after she led them in a “common ground” game—discovering shared faith and even a love of Ethiopian bread. The episode offers a practical reset strategy that educators and parents can use to help kids reconnect and work through their conflicts. Oh…it turns out this strategy can also work with adults. Let us know what you think with a text message.

    An Alternative to “Knock it Off!” when Students Fight (Ep. 52)

  5. Mar 24

    From Strangers to Connection: A Day That Changes Everything (Ep. 51)

    What if just 6 hours could transform how students see each other—and themselves? In this powerful episode, we take you inside Breaking Down the Walls, a high school workshop where simple conversations evolve into moments of deep vulnerability, empathy, and connection. At a Northern California high school, students move from awkward introductions to sharing personal stories of loneliness, bullying, and resilience. Through activities like “Cross the Line,” they discover something many didn’t expect: they are not alone. Walls built by fear, stereotypes, and silence begin to fall. This episode, featuring voices from students, educators, and a social-emotional learning expert, reveals why connection is essential for learning—and how schools can foster it. The result? A powerful reminder that when students feel seen and understood, everything changes—relationships, school culture, and, for many, a renewed eagerness to learn. Let us know what you think with a text message.

  6. Jan 16

    Why Connection—not Control—Is What Schools Need Now (Ep. 50)

    In this episode, Ken Futernick sits down with Mike Walsh—widely known across California education circles as a master human connector—to explore how schools can build trust, strengthen relationships, and create communities where both adults and students truly belong. Drawing on decades of experience as a school board leader, facilitator, and student advocate, Walsh shares how meaningful change doesn’t begin with answers, but with better questions—and with the courage to step aside so others can connect with one another. The conversation focuses on three powerful themes: Strengthening relationships among adults in the schoolhouse (starting at 1:40), including how curiosity, shared purpose, and intentional facilitation can help educators and staff reconnect during times of crisis and burnout.How school boards can better connect with their constituents (starting at 12:25), moving beyond performative public comment toward authentic engagement that invites parents and community members to help solve real problems together.Breaking down walls among students, as Walsh explains how Breaking Down the Walls workshops help young people overcome loneliness, fear of judgment, and disconnection by sharing stories, playing together, and discovering their shared humanity.The emotional high point of the episode comes at 33:29, when Walsh recounts a deeply moving story about an angry student whose hidden trauma reshapes how the entire room understands resilience, compassion, and the urgent need for hope in schools. This episode is a powerful reminder that connection—not compliance, not lectures, not politics—is what allows schools and communities to heal, grow, and move forward together. Let us know what you think with a text message.

  7. 12/01/2025

    The Extraordinary Transformation of a City and Its Schools—Pt 1

    When the pandemic struck Reading, Pennsylvania, its school system was already under enormous strain. The Reading School District—the poorest in the state—served 16,000 students, many of whom faced daunting barriers long before COVID arrived. Hundreds were homeless. Thousands stopped showing up to class. Teachers and principals were stretched thin. Community trust was low. And after years of missed opportunities and stalled reforms, many inside and outside the district believed real improvement was impossible. Part 1 of this two-episode series is a story about how that belief began to change. Host Ken Futernick speaks with Rich Harwood, founder of the Harwood Institute, and a wide range of local leaders who were determined to help Reading’s schools move from crisis to renewal. What unfolded wasn’t driven by a new curriculum, a flashy turnaround model, or a mandate from the outside. It started with something much simpler—and much harder: listening to the people who rely on the school system every day. Through dozens of conversations with parents, students, educators, and community partners in both English and Spanish, Harwood’s team discovered that residents weren’t focused on culture-war debates. They cared about whether children felt safe, supported, seen, and prepared for the future. Those conversations revealed key community priorities for improving the city’s schools. This episode highlights: How Reading’s school board struggles, high poverty levels, and pandemic disruptions left educators feeling isolated and overwhelmedWhy attempts at school reform had failed to take root—and how turning outward toward the community created space for new solutionsThe pivotal moment when Superintendent Jennifer Murray confronted stark feedback from the community, first with defensiveness, then with humility and resolveHow her leadership helped shift the district’s mindset from “these are our buildings” to “these are the community’s schools”How educators, nonprofits, and civic leaders began dismantling silos that had long kept them from working together effectivelyRather than focusing solely on classroom instruction or policy changes, Reading’s transformation would come from a new civic culture emerging—one in which schools are not expected to fix everything alone, and in which community partners see themselves as co-owners of students’ success. This is a story of a school system rediscovering its purpose by reconnecting with the people it serves. It’s a reminder that meaningful and sustainable school improvement requires trust, collaboration, and a willingness to hear the hard truths. In Part 2, we follow the concrete initiatives that emerged from this shift, including expanded after-school programs, a reimagined approach to English-language support, and a renewed commitment to early childhood education—each led by educators and community groups working in sync instead of in isolation. Let us know what you think with a text message.

  8. 12/01/2025

    The Extraordinary Transformation of a City and Its Schools—Pt. 2

    In Part 1, we heard how Reading, Pennsylvania, began to turn outward—listening to families, students, and educators to rethink what their school system could be. In Part 2, we see what happened when a new mindset and civic culture shifted from data gathering and healthy conversation to concrete action. Host Ken Futernick and Rich Harwood, founder of the Harwood Institute, return to trace three major initiatives that are reshaping life for students in the Reading School District—and changing how the community relates to its schools. You’ll hear how: After-school programs came back into school buildings after years of being kept out, transforming schools into safe, vibrant hubs where students can learn, eat a hot meal, and connect with caring adults.Youth and families themselves shaped these programs—from asking for more experiences and field trips to naming something as basic as food as a barrier to participation—leading partners like Centro Hispano and Communities In Schools to step in with thousands of daily meals.A new English as a second language network grew from simple church dinners into a citywide web of support, helping parents gain the confidence to talk with teachers, support their children’s learning, and fully participate in school and community life.Faith communities adopted schools, not by deciding what they would offer, but by asking principals, “What do your students and teachers need?”—and responding with practical support, from tutors to winter coats.Early childhood leaders, backed by a major grant, made a courageous public “U-turn,” shifting from adding more childcare slots to building demand and awareness so that more families see high-quality early learning as essential to their children’s success in school.Throughout the episode, educators and community partners describe how these efforts are changing the district’s relationship with the city it serves. Schools are no longer expected to shoulder every problem alone; instead, they’ve become the center of a shared project, with nonprofits, churches, funders, and residents working alongside them. Rich and Ken also step back to ask: What does this mean for other communities that want to strengthen their own school systems—whether they’re in deep crisis or simply trying to move from good to great? Drawing on Reading’s experience, Rich offers four practical mantras for getting started: turn outward, get in motion, start small to go big, and build a “trajectory of hope.” This is the story of a school system being rebuilt not just from the inside out, but from the outside in—one partnership, one program, and one act of listening at a time. Download a free study guide and find related resources for this series at schoolconversations.org/reading and theharwoodinstitute.org/reading. Let us know what you think with a text message.

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Bringing people together for respectful conversations about today’s most contentious issues affecting our schools. A way forward in divided times.

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