100 episodes

Welcome to ‘What I Want to Know’, one of the most downloaded K-12 education podcasts in the country! Listen in with our host, Kevin P. Chavous, as he connects with innovators and leaders who share practical, transformative solutions to the biggest challenges in education today.

As America rethinks the future of schooling, Kevin explores emerging needs and possibilities, for students and educators alike, through short, stimulating conversations. Subscribe to ‘What I Want to Know’ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform, and leave a rating and review so we can bring you more of the topics you want to hear about!

What I Want to Know, with Kevin P. Chavous Stride, Inc.

    • Education
    • 4.9 • 155 Ratings

Welcome to ‘What I Want to Know’, one of the most downloaded K-12 education podcasts in the country! Listen in with our host, Kevin P. Chavous, as he connects with innovators and leaders who share practical, transformative solutions to the biggest challenges in education today.

As America rethinks the future of schooling, Kevin explores emerging needs and possibilities, for students and educators alike, through short, stimulating conversations. Subscribe to ‘What I Want to Know’ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform, and leave a rating and review so we can bring you more of the topics you want to hear about!

    145. How can learning to read change lives? with literary advocate Oliver James

    145. How can learning to read change lives? with literary advocate Oliver James

    According to the Department of Education, more than 8 million Americans are considered functionally illiterate, meaning they cannot read and comprehend short texts or understand basic vocabulary. 
    Illiteracy often leads to low self-esteem and isolation, as well as higher chances of unemployment and poverty.
    What are the impacts of illiteracy? What factors influence literacy development? And how can learning to read change lives? 
    Oliver James joins Kevin in this episode to share how learning to read can change lives. 
    Meet Oliver:
    Oliver James is a literacy advocate and social media influencer. In 2022, he began using TikTok to share his struggle with reading.
    He has more than 300,000 TikTok followers and has formed a community focused on literacy and mental health.
    This is, What I Want to Know.
     

    • 25 min
    144. How can books introduce kids to tough topics? with "A Kids Book About" Founder Jelani Memory

    144. How can books introduce kids to tough topics? with "A Kids Book About" Founder Jelani Memory

    A survey found that one in five parents struggle to have meaningful conversations with their children. When it comes to topics like mental health, racism, shame, violence, and more, parents often strain to find the right way to introduce these topics to their children.
    Could books be the answer to this problem? What challenges are parents facing when it comes to communicating with their children? How can books introduce kids to tough topics? And why is it important to speak to children about difficult subjects?
    Jelani Memory joins Kevin in this episode to discuss how books can introduce kids to complicated topics.
    Meet Jelani:
    Jelani Memory founded A Kids Book About. This company publishes books to help parents start conversations with their kids about complex topics, like divorce, feminism, mental health, shame, and mindfulness.
    A Kids Book About website: https://akidsco.com/ 
    This is, What I Want to Know.
     

    • 41 min
    143. How can we best support students with ADHD? with Clinical Psychologist & ADHD Expert Dr. Sharon Saline

    143. How can we best support students with ADHD? with Clinical Psychologist & ADHD Expert Dr. Sharon Saline

    Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD, is among the most common mental conditions in children with an estimated 6 million kids having been diagnosed with the disorder. 
    Children with ADHD often feel misunderstood, and their parents often feel uncertain about the best way to be there for their child.
    What is ADHD, and how does it impact children? What should parents and educators know about the disorder? And how can we best support students with ADHD? 
    In this episode, Dr. Sharon Saline joins Kevin to discuss how we can best support students with ADHD. 
    Meet Sharon:
    Dr. Sharon Saline is a clinical psychologist & ADHD expert. 
    She specializes in an integrative approach to managing ADHD, anxiety, executive functioning skills, learning differences, and mental health in neurodivergent children, teens, and adults.
    Dr. Sharon Saline’s website: https://drsharonsaline.com/ 
    Learn more about Promising Practices 2024: https://promisingpractices24-spdc.vfairs.com/?leadsource=organic_social&utm_product=stride&lead_source_detail=podcast&utm_campaign=comms_wiwtk 
    This is, What I Want to Know.

    • 32 min
    142. How should we talk to our kids about social media? with Director of the WCW Youth, Media, and Well-Being Research Lab Linda Charmaraman

    142. How should we talk to our kids about social media? with Director of the WCW Youth, Media, and Well-Being Research Lab Linda Charmaraman

    According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, 95% of teenagers reported using social media and more than a third of them use it “almost constantly.” 
    High social media usage in children has caused concern in parents with many wondering if social media is safe for their kids. 
    What are the negative and positive impacts of social media? Should parents place a limit on their kids’ social media usage? 
    Linda Charmaraman joins Kevin in this episode to discuss how we can talk to our kids about social media.
    Meet Linda
    Linda Charmaraman is the director and founder of the Youth Media and Well-Being Research Lab at Wellesley College. 
    Her research and action interests include social technology and adolescent health, digital citizenship, innovative research methods, and how social identities affect wellbeing. 
    Youth Media and Well-Being Research Lab at Wellesley College website: https://www.wcwonline.org/Youth-Media-Wellbeing-Research-Lab/youth-media-wellbeing-research-lab 
    Learn more about Promising Practices 2024: https://promisingpractices24-spdc.vfairs.com/?leadsource=organic_social&utm_product=stride&lead_source_detail=podcast&utm_campaign=comms_wiwtk 
    This is, What I Want to Know.
     

    • 33 min
    141. How can we best support the future workforce? with President and CEO of Cara Collective Dr. Kathleen St. Louis Caliento

    141. How can we best support the future workforce? with President and CEO of Cara Collective Dr. Kathleen St. Louis Caliento

    According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 5.9 million Americans were unemployed as of 2022. And as traditional jobs evolve, there is an increasing demand for skills training and personal development. 
    How can we equip individuals with sustainable employment? What challenges are job seekers and employers facing today? And how can we best support the future workforce?
    In this episode, Dr. Kathleen St. Louis Caliento joins Kevin to discuss how we can best support the future workforce.
    Meet Kathleen
    Dr. Kathleen St. Louis Caliento is the president and CEO of Cara Collective, a workforce development organization dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals affected by poverty and promoting a more inclusive economy.
    Cara Collective website: https://caracollective.org/ 
    Learn more about Promising Practices 2024: https://promisingpractices24-spdc.vfairs.com/?leadsource=organic_social&utm_product=stride&lead_source_detail=podcast&utm_campaign=comms_wiwtk 
    This is, What I Want to Know.

    • 25 min
    140. How can we reduce chronic absenteeism? with Executive Director of Attendance Works Hedy Chang

    140. How can we reduce chronic absenteeism? with Executive Director of Attendance Works Hedy Chang

    Chronic absenteeism has been a growing challenge for our schools, especially following pandemic learning disruptions.
    In fact, a report found that chronic absenteeism rates more than doubled from 26% during the 2017–2018 school year to 66% during the 2021–2022 school year.
    What causes chronic absenteeism? How is this impacting our students and school communities? And how can schools and parents work together to solve this issue?
    In this episode, Hedy Chang joins Kevin to discuss reducing chronic absenteeism in our schools.  
    Meet Hedy:
    Hedy Chang is the founder and executive director of Attendance Works, a national and state-level initiative to advance student success by addressing chronic absence.
    She has spent more than three decades working in the fields of family support, family economic success, education, and child development. 
    Attendance Works website: https://www.attendanceworks.org/ 
    Learn more about Promising Practices 2024. https://promisingpractices24-spdc.vfairs.com/?leadsource=organic_social&utm_product=stride&lead_source_detail=podcast&utm_campaign=comms_wiwtk   
    This is, What I Want to Know.
     

    • 29 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
155 Ratings

155 Ratings

jbsh-atl ,

Restoring my Faith in our Education System

The guests on this show have some fantastic insights, ideas, experience and more. Kevin is a great host and puts everyone at ease, and the conversations are brief but packed full.

Kerwin78 ,

Terrific resource for teachers and administrators

Kevin covers the leading topics impacting education today and provides actionable guidance on how best to tackle the issues we face! It’s a great listen that I highly recommend for anyone in the industry!

Bobinva4526 ,

Excellent resource for anyone involved in education

I work in Ed tech and Kevin’s series brings expert points of view to the table every week that impacts my work.

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