Talking About Kids R. Bradley Snyder

In honor of Pride Month, I wanted to look at sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in kids. In particular, I wanted a better understanding of the terms that are used to describe gender identity and gender expression. I also wanted to get an overview of what happens when we fail to support kids who are perceived as not conforming to prevailing sexual and gender norms. To help with this, I reached out to Madelaine Adelman. Maddie is a Professor of Justice Studies in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University, an author, and, for over two decades, one of the driving forces in GLSEN, a national organization that was founded by teachers to promote safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education. More information about Maddie and links to resources for parents and educators are at www.TalkingAboutKids.com.

School shootings are all-too-frequently in the news. When they are, there is a good chance that my guest’s work will be cited. David Riedman is the co-founder of the K-12 School Shooting Database, which contains detailed information on all school shootings in the United States from 1970 to present. David, an expert on security and crisis management, has spent a lot of time with this information, and his conclusions about our society’s response to school shootings might surprise you. More information about David, including a link to the K-12 School Shooting Database is at talkingaboutkids.com.

Aaron Kupchik returns to Talking About Kids to discuss his new research on the origins of contemporary school discipline practices. Aaron is a Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware and the author of numerous articles and books, including the award-winning Judging Juveniles: Prosecuting Adolescents in Adult and Juvenile Courts and Homeroom Security: School Discipline in an Age of Fear. When I initially invited Aaron back to provide an update on school violence, Aaron replied, “I don’t study school violence. I look at the crappy things adults do because of an irrational fear of school violence,” which is why we like him. More information about Aaron, including links to his books, is at www.talkingaboutkids.com.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I wanted to examine the evolving demands of motherhood, and I could think of no better person to help me do that than Nicole Feliciano. For nearly two decades, Nicole has convened and supported mothers, initially through her wildly successful blog, MomTrends, then with her book Mom Boss: Balancing Entrepreneurship, Kids & Success, and most recently with Ski Moms Fun, which is a podcast and social media focusing on winter sports and motherhood. She and I discuss the changes she has seen and her advice for staying balanced. More information about Nicole, including links to her projects, is at TalkingAboutKids.com.

My guest this episode is Sheryl Cababa. Sheryl is the Chief Design Officer at Substantial, an insights, design, and development firm based in Seattle, WA. Sheryl and her colleagues are working with amazing partners – like The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – and using equity-centered research to improve education technology. Sheryl and I discuss what “equity-centered research” is and how it might benefit the kids in your life. More information about Sheryl and her new book, Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers, can be found at TalkingAboutKids.com.

Public opinion of school boards is low, and that is understandable. When school boards are not making headlines for banning books, enacting discriminatory policies, or arming teachers, videos of brawls erupting at school board meetings are blowing up social media. So when the award winning educator, AJ Crabill, comes out with a brand new book that proports to outline how school boards can improve so that student outcomes can improve, I jumped at the chance to talk with him. The book is called, Great on Their Behalf:  Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Become Effective. I think it is smart, accessible, and right. More information about AJ and his new book can be found at www.TalkingAboutKids.com.