Join us for a conversation on how we're doing in education, and out, one year into this unparalleled challenge. What has changed? What remains to be done?
Robert Woodson (@BobWoodson), Founder and President of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise and Jeffery Sikkenga (@AshbrookCenter), Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center join Reality Check to talk about the state of our nation, civics and education across America, why it’s important that we do better in and out of the classroom and how the Constitution and First Amendment need to be read and understood more widely, especially in this unprecedented season of unrest around the world.
Kicking off the 4th season of Reality Check, Jeanne Allen talks with the leading pioneers of education opportunity whose work inspired the many transformative changes happening today about having a new president, new legislators, new everything. Listen to the inspiration of these five leaders who made choice famous, from AZ to DC, from the Badgers to the Wolverines: Lisa Graham Keegan, Kevin Chavous (@kevinpchavous), Howard Fuller (@HowardLFuller), J.C. Huizenga (@nhaschools), and Mickey Revenau...
Social worker, author and professional psychoanalyst Erica Komisar (@EricaKomisarCSW) joins Reality Check to discuss the latest findings on the condition of schoolchildren and their emotional, social and mental well-being throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and how parents and others can best support their young ones in these trying times. Thanks, doctor!
A look at Chicago, unions, kids and the future of schools post Covid. A well-known former Superintendent of major city school systems, the wonderfully outspoken Paul Vallas (@Paulvallas) joins Reality Check to discuss what to do in today’s unprecedented education environment — including where and whether parents should have a say, what the unions are doing and how he thinks other districts educators behave. Not an episode to miss!
Back to School season is usually filled with hope and promise and excitement over another milestone. But this year, Covid has created disruptions in how we do school and many districts and schools still have not finalized their opening plans. While stories abound about parents and their travails, few are asking the big question – What do parents want? Covering that question and more on this special edition of Reality Check are Colleen Dippel, Founder and CEO of Families Empowered (familiesempowe...
Seth Andrew (@SethAndrew) founder of the Democracy Prep charter school network and the social venture incubator Democracy Builders, joins Reality Check remotely to discuss newest endeavor, a college called Degrees of Freedom (degreesoffreedom.org), providing a hybrid late high school, early college experience for students who are low income and the first in their families to attend college. Listen for more!
Kevin P. Chavous, President of Academics, Policy, and Schools at K12, Inc., joins CER ACTION Series Webinars to talk about how his company is responding to students’ and families’ needs in this critical time for education, how educators and advocates in the space can support substantive changes for good in their own systems, and what we can expect in the future for schools across the country. Listen on for more! If you like what you heard, join CER for the next episode in the ACTION Series on Ju...
This episode is a segment of the third CER ACTION series webinar that took place on April 21, with ASU Digital Prep CEO Julie Young, who joined Jeanne along with hundreds of listeners from all over to discuss her work in virtual education, now, in this serious time of global pandemic, and, for her students, during the regular schoolyear. If you want to know more about The Future of School, visit & bookmark edreform.com, follow us on Twitter @edreform, and don’t miss upcoming CER webinars, ev...
Need Internet access but don’t have broadband? Schools wrestling with how to help their students during this unprecedented crisis will want to hear Daniel Neal, Kajeet (@Kajeet) Founder & CEO, on another remote edition of Reality Check. Learn what he and Kajeet are doing now to “bridge the digital divide” and what you can do to respond to or get help during this challenging time.
Scott Cheney, executive director of Credential Engine, joins Reality Check to talk about the burgeoning marketplace of credentialing, and how policymakers, entrepreneurs and educators can work together to further streamline the pathways between high school, higher education and the workforce.
Mark Defusco, CEO and President of Bay State College (@drmarkdefusco), joins Jeanne on Reality Check to discuss his efforts and experience in helping to create new and better pathways to careers for students in high school, college and those returning to higher ed, through Bay State and initiatives in online and remote education that are making it easier for students to succeed, no matter their location or circumstances...
In anticipation of the planned U.S.-Italia Education Innovation Festival to be held this April in Ercolano, Italy and in light of the challenges both nations’ educators face with the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreaks, Reality Check talks to 5 innovators who are building and implementing products and services that not only help advance better learning but can be part of the solution to educating students outside of brick-and-mortar schools in this volatile time. For more information about the U.S.-I...
This week, Jamie Candee of Edmentum joins Reality Check with Jeanne and Michael to discuss the way online learning can be more relevant and helpful than ever not only when it comes educating students in both traditional settings and virtually, but also during times of national crises and strife, when more than ever students shouldn’t have to sacrifice their access to a great education, no matter what the situation. How can online learning programs, like Edmentum's, be particularly supportive to ...
Area9 Group CEO Ulrik Juul Christensen joins Reality Check to talk about learning science and personalization, in a run up to his keynote at the U.S.-Italia Education Innovation Festival (festival.edmaven.com) in Naples, Italy, April 27-29. From its origins in the 1980s to covering breakthrough new developments in technology, Artificial Intelligence and data science are fueling better, faster learning across the globe. How, why, and more about what it means for K to gray is a must listen.
Join Jeanne and her co-host, Michael Musante, for this week’s conversation with former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift, President and Executive Director of LearnLaunch, an edtech innovation hub that connects innovators to emerging trends, and drives the development of high-quality educational opportunities for learners of all ages. LearnLaunch’s “Across Boundaries Conference,” which has been described as New England’s premier education event, will convene for its 8th annual gathering in Boston...
Join Jeanne and her co-host, Michael Musante, for this week’s inspirational podcast episode featuring former NBA basketball star, and ESPN talk show host Jalen Rose, the Founder and Chairman of the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy charter high school in his hometown of Detroit, MI. Jalen holds nothing back when it comes to his passion for a high-quality education for every child, regardless of their zip code, or the circumstances of their home life or their neighborhoods. The Jalen Rose Leadership ...
Get ready for the most important education related Supreme Court case in 50 years by tuning into Jeanne’s interview with Kendra Espinoza, lead plaintiff in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, to be heard by the nation's highest court on January 22, 2020. A win for Espinoza would strike down the bigoted Blaine Amendments that currently exist in 37 states' constitutions and deny kids attending private schools equal access to state education funds. Also joining Jeanne and co-host Michael Mus...
The ever entertaining Michael Musante joins Jeanne as her new co-host in this special edition of Reality Check, talking to and about those who help children succeed in public charter schools, innovative institutions that will be maligned and misrepresented this weekend in Pittsburgh, when MSNBC airs the union-organized candidate forum on public education (https://on.msnbc.com/2PDr6wF). Hear veteran charter school educator Melanie Ward from Propel Schools (@PropelSchools), Brian Smith (@smith_bri...
On this week's episode, episode 80, of Reality Check, Jeanne talks with best-selling author John O'Neill about his latest book, The Fisherman's Tomb, a taut theological thriller about the quest to solve one of the greatest archeological mysteries of all time: where was the tomb of St. Peter? O'Neill, a Naval Academy graduate, and former law clerk to Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, has spent much of his life visiting and researching early Christian sites. Join Jeanne in celebrating...
Fox & Friends co-host and best-selling author Brian Kilmeade (@kilmeade) joins Jeanne on this week's episode 79 of Reality Check to talk about his's latest book, "Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers: The Texas Victory that Changed American History," and what gripping tales of history have to teach young students today. Kilmeade discusses his Fox Nation series “What Made America Great,” and his other books on leading figures in American history including Presidents Washington, Jefferson, and J...
Episode 78, this week's special "Veteran's Day Week" edition of Reality Check, Jeanne is joined by Jim Roberts, president of the American Veterans Center (@AVCupdate). Jeanne and Jim discuss the profound and powerful stories of America's men and women in uniform, that shaped so much of our country's history, our values, and our ideals. Listen to this great podcast about how military history brings so much of America's history to life, and why it is so important to remember the sacrifices of our ...
Diane Tavenner is an author, educator and the co-founder and CEO of Summit Public Schools (@SummitPS), as well as a free program that enables schools across the U.S. to implement Summit Learning, its personalized approach to teaching and learning. Diane joins Episode 77 of Reality Check to shed light on some of the misconceptions around personalized learning, discuss her success with Summit and beyond, and her experiences working with parents, teachers and others in the learning process to promo...
THE SCHOOL CHOICE ROADMAP IS AVAILABLE 1/21/20 Please know that all proceeds from the sale of the book are going to support National School Choice Week Andrew Campanella (@andrewrcamp)is the president of National School Choice Week, which has grown under his leadership from 150 events in 2011 to more than 40,000 in 2019. He is the author of the book, 'The School Choice Roadmap: 7 Steps to Finding the Right School for Your Child', a guidebook that helps parents identify education environments tha...
Mike Feinberg (@kippbigdog)has been transforming American education for more than 25 years, starting as a co-founder in 1994 of the KIPP schools – now a national network of over 200 K12 public charter schools. He is now a school venture fund entrepreneur, working to develop multiple pathways for students to succeed in career and in life. In Episode 75, join this insightful conversation with a true pioneer on everything from why charter schools succeed to what to do with higher ed’s myriad misste...
Miss Virginia & Bringing Opportunity to D.C. A new motion picture is debuting this month, featuring the story of Virginia Walden Ford (@VirginiaWalden) whose fight in Washington, DC to save hers and others’ children from failing and violent public schools led to the creation of the Opportunity Scholarship Program. On Episode 74 of Reality Check, she joins Jeanne to share her story and talk about the movie, Miss Virginia (@missvirginiamov) which is based in part on her crusade. The movie, is ...
Attorney Paul Clement, former clerk to the late Justice Antonin Scalia and U.S. Solicitor General brings his expertise to Episode 73 of Reality Check to discuss the Blaine Amendment and parental rights, the subject of an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case. Clement breaks down what you need to know to be informed about the most important education case in over a generation.
On Episode 72 of Reality Check, Jeanne delves into higher education and more, as well as the new book Choosing College with author and “disruptive innovator” Entangled Group founder Michael Horn (@michaelbhorn). Horn cuts through the noise, and helps students, parents, and educators alike focus on the things that should matter the most in the rapidly changing world of higher education. Listen for more discussion on the host of options available to leaners at all levels when it comes to work towa...
GSV Founder and CER Vice Chair Michael Moe joins Reality Check for Episode 71 this week to discuss the future of learning; new advances that are rapidly changing the workplace and the classroom alike, “How we get people the skills, the knowledge, the connectivity” to thrive in the 21st century,” and breakthrough alternative ways that people are learning and sharing ideas today. Listen for more on the role of data and information in shaping the global knowledge economy, why both China and AI shou...
Executive Director of the D.C. Association of Chartered Public Schools (https://www.dcacps.org) Dr. Ramona Hoage Edelin and Shawn Hardnett, Founder and Executive Director of Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys Public Charter School (https://www.northstarboys.org) in Washington, DC, join Jeanne for a not-to-miss Episode 70 of Reality Check covering the state of charter schools in the District of Columbia today, from the ever-present struggles for autonomy of schools that are so vital t...
