In our final episode of the 2024-25 season, we reflect upon our year of learning and how our philosophies of education continue to evolve. We return to perennial questions: What's the purpose of education? Who gets to learn, and how? How do we best learn? What’s worth unlearning? And, where are we headed? From redefining student success to shifting attitudes on academic freedoms and institutional values, we’ve covered a lot of ground over the past year. We’ll revisit insights from guests on scho...
Jun 12, 2025•29 min•Ep. 135
Something about the newsroom of The Reporting Project at Denison University in Granville, Ohio feels different. It’s energetic— humming, even when the lights are dimmed and the computer screens are turned off at the end of a long day of writing, collaborating, and crafting stories from the raw materials of community and change in rural Ohio. From Intel’s $20 billion arrival in the region to local election night coverage to the antics and attire of the Buckeye Lake Pirate Festival, The Reporting ...
May 29, 2025•46 min•Ep. 134
This week we’re taking a break from the evolving civic situation in the U.S. to shine light on global stories in education that you may have missed. Nepal’s National Teachers’ Strike Lifted: Teachers and Students in Nepal are resuming classes more than a month after teachers began demonstrating across the country in protests that included clashes with police over issues of teacher pay, sick leave, grading systems, and other issues. Negotiators had faced setbacks after several rounds of contentio...
May 15, 2025•25 min•Ep. 133
Our conversation this week is with Vivian Van Gelder, Director of Policy & Research at the Southeast Seattle Education Coalition, a nonprofit that unites more than 50 community organizations, schools, parents, and caregivers behind advocacy for equitable education policy. Vivian is the lead author of a report called Left to Chance: Student Outcomes in Seattle Public Schools, A forensic history . It’s a sweeping and detailed analysis of one public school district’s leadership and policy choic...
May 01, 2025•58 min•Ep. 132
Higher education in the U.S. faces an unprecedented storm of political and financial upheaval, highlighting critical tensions around free speech, academic freedom, and institutional integrity. Columbia University's initial compliance with demands from the Trump administration—banning protest masks, revising protest policies, and ceding departmental autonomy—signals a troubling shift away from protecting academic freedom, but capitulation isn’t the end of the story. Harvard University is resistin...
Apr 17, 2025•37 min•Ep. 131
This week, we’re reexamining old assumptions about merit and fit in higher education admissions with Emily Chase Coleman, co-founder and CEO of HAI Analytics, a company that helps colleges and universities use data to navigate challenges such as shrinking applicant pools, shifts in broader demographic trends, and rising costs. Learn how schools are rethinking what matters (beyond test scores and grades) and using new, data-driven methods to clarify institutional goals and support more equitable ...
Apr 03, 2025•35 min•Ep. 130
We’re rounding up and analyzing education news headlines this week on 16:1: The U.S. Department of Education is now half its former self—with 1,300 staffers gone and lawsuits brewing over what critics call a systematic gutting of civil rights protections. We’re sorting through the challenges and exploring the fallout on public education. Arrests of Palestinian student activists at Columbia have raised fresh questions about academic freedom and the future of the United States’ role in internation...
Mar 20, 2025•32 min•Ep. 129
This episode features the story of how a group of more than 700 pioneering women in the UK smashed through barriers to higher education and claimed degrees from Trinity College Dublin. Denied their degrees at Oxford and Cambridge because of their gender despite successfully completing their exams, the “Steamboat ladies” made use of an early 1900s loophole to earn official recognition by making a trip across the Irish Sea. The episode also explores the broader suffrage movement at the turn of the...
Mar 06, 2025•28 min•Ep. 128
This week’s news headline roundup covers the following stories: Proposed Ohio Senate Bill 1 higher education legislation targets DEI initiatives, faculty rights, and funding, sparking fierce debates across campuses. New research warns that leaning on generative artificial intelligence tools might be eroding our cognitive muscles, raising questions about AI tools in educational contexts. A NY Climate Change Education Bill would embed age-appropriate climate change lessons in K-12 curricula. Parti...
Feb 20, 2025•28 min•Ep. 127
Explore the life and work of Jerome Bruner, a pioneering psychologist, multidisciplinarian, and educator who transformed the study of learning. Discover how Bruner’s early experiences, including his corrective surgery for cataracts and his upbringing in New York City, influenced his path in education and cognitive psychology. Learn about Bruner’s role in moving psychology beyond rigid behaviorist frameworks, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of mental processes in learning. Explore Brun...
Feb 06, 2025•42 min•Ep. 126
This week in education news headlines, we cover: Australia has banned teenagers under 16 from using social media apps, with a one-year grace period for platforms to implement age verification measures. Disgraced college admissions advisor Rick Singer tries to stage a comeback with a new consulting venture. To boost incoming class sizes in a difficult economy, institutions like the University of Providence adopt direct admissions to streamline enrollment and promote diversity. A major data breach...
Jan 23, 2025•38 min•Ep. 125
Confronting Educational Censorship & Securing Academic Freedom: A Conversation with Jeremy C. Young of PEN America In our first episode of 2025, we’re talking with special guest Jeremy C. Young, the director of state and higher education policy at PEN America, a nonprofit organization that unites writers and their allies to defend the freedom of expression nationwide. He oversees PEN America’s state policy and advocacy work across all US free expression programs and directs the Freedom to Le...
Jan 09, 2025•48 min•Ep. 124
In our final episode of 2024, the 16:1 hosts share reflections and takeaways from the 2024 NCTE National Conference held in Boston, Massachusetts. The event was inspiring and energizing, featuring notable figures such as Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, comedienne Kate McKinnon, social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson, and beloved authors such as Jo Knowles. Though exhausting, the conference left us re-energized and brimming with ideas! Join us as we cover: Nationwide initiatives to ...
Dec 05, 2024•40 min•Ep. 123
What Could a Trump 2.0 Administration Mean for Teachers and Students Across the Country? This week we’re taking a hard look at the potential implications of a second term for former President Donald Trump on education in the United States. From funding overhauls to student safety, we explore how changes at the federal level could impact teachers, students, and educational institutions nationwide. We discuss new proposals for universal school choice programs, changes to student loan repayment pro...
Nov 21, 2024•36 min•Ep. 122
Voices in Teaching: A Conversation with Educator Megan Helberg This week we are very excited to kick off a new 16:1 series called Voices in Teaching, where we will interview educators who have been recognized for innovation and excellence in their craft. Our first featured educator is Megan Helberg, who hails from rural Loup County, Nebraska, where she taught 8th-12th grade English for 15 years. In 2020, Helberg received the prestigious honor of being named the Nebraska Teacher of the Year. Helb...
Nov 07, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 121
Charters Closures Leave Students Scrambling New research from the National Center for Charter School Accountability and the Network for Public Education reveals troubling patterns in charter school longevity. Analyzing over 2 million Department of Education records, researchers found that 55% of charter schools fail by their 20th year, with a quarter closing within just five years of opening. These closures, often triggered by enrollment decline or mismanagement, create significant disruptions f...
Oct 24, 2024•31 min•Ep. 120
Confronting Misinformation: Lessons from the Classroom Election season is upon the U.S., and with it comes a tidal wave of information—some enlightening, some misleading. In our latest episode, we explore the impact of misinformation and disinformation on schools and communities of learning. As educators, part of our mission is to help our students become informed citizens. But what happens when the channels upon which we rely are flooded with false or misleading information, fantastical conspir...
Oct 10, 2024•48 min•Ep. 119
Scandals, Subpoenas, and Student Loan Shakeups - Edu News for September 2024 Here’s the 16:1 Education News Headline Roundup for September, 2024. Don’t forget to sign up for the 16:1 podcast email newsletter for the latest news, resources, workshop offerings, and more! We start with a touch of chaos in Columbus, where the State Teacher Retirement System continues its rocky 2024 trajectory. A controversial board member is out, as is the executive director who was subject of a workplace misconduct...
Sep 26, 2024•25 min•Ep. 118
Student Well-Being: Why Mental Health Must Come First [00:02:22] Student well-being and strong mental health are essential for effective learning. This episode explores the growing mental health challenges faced by K-12 and college students globally. Rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues have surged, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent research from the U.S. Surgeon General notes a rise in mental health struggles among youth, including major depressiv...
Sep 12, 2024•38 min•Ep. 117
Education News Headline Roundup [00:08:10] The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is once again majorly delayed. On August 7th the U.S. Department of Education announced a rollout process for the 2025-2026 form that includes an October 1st date for limited testing, with the application set to open to all students on December 1 2024, two months later than the typical release date for the application. A federal appeals court has allowed an Iowa law that bans books with sexual content from K-...
Aug 29, 2024•49 min•Ep. 116
Education News Headline Roundup Last week brought news of a long-simmering conflict within OpenAI , a dominant player in the generative artificial intelligence space, over whether or not the company should release to the public a watermarking tool that would leave a secret trail of encoded breadcrumbs in textual output from ChatGPT. Updates from ongoing literacy reform initiatives across the country: A literacy reform bill in the state of Massachusetts failed to pass after pushback from the stat...
Aug 15, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 115
Education News Headline Roundup [00:05:22] University of Florida President Ben Sasse announced his resignation from his presidential position effective July 31, 2024, citing the need to focus on his wife's health and family responsibilities. ACT Education Corp has announced changes to the ACT format and length as the company transitions from a non-profit to a for-profit entity and grapples with the effects of COVID and fluctuating interest in test-optional admissions policies. 2U, Inc., a promin...
Aug 01, 2024•58 min•Ep. 114
Education News Headline Roundup [00:02:24] Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced a $1 billion donation to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. This generous gift aims to cover tuition for a majority of students, addressing the financial barriers to medical education. Dr. Elena Aydarova's recent work critiques Science of Reading reforms, arguing they often disguise motives of standardization, centralization, and privatization. Her analysis, based on advocacy efforts in Tennessee, reveals...
Jul 18, 2024•50 min•Ep. 113
Education News Headline Roundup Book bannings and classroom content updates from around the U.S.: From the Guardian : In Florida, a children's book titled "Ban This Book" by Alan Gratz, which ironically addresses the issue of book banning, was itself banned by the Indian River county school board. From the AP : In Oklahoma, the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously that local school boards, not the state Board of Education, have the authority to decide which books are available in public school ...
Jul 04, 2024•59 min•Ep. 112
The hosts are on summer break, which means the return of an annual tradition: the 16:1 year in review, where Katie and Chelsea kick back and share about their year of learning. Education news headlines will return next episode. Sources & Resources: Reported birth of rare white buffalo calf in Yellowstone park fulfills Lakota prophecy | AP News Bison Bellows: The birth of a white buffalo calf (U.S. National Park Service) ChatGPT is bullshit | Ethics and Information Technology Forbes letter th...
Jun 20, 2024•50 min•Ep. 111
Education News Headline Roundup Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has leveled criticism at the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision just days after the 70th anniversary of the ruling. In his concurring opinion on a decision allowing South Carolina to keep using a congressional map that critics say discriminated against Black voters, Thomas this month argued that the Brown decision took a "boundless view of equitable remedies" and involved "extravagant uses of judicial power" to end ...
Jun 06, 2024•55 min•Ep. 110
Education News Headline Roundup Over the past few weeks, there have been significant developments at the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio (STRS Ohio). On May 15, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost initiated an investigation into the allegations of a hostile takeover attempt of the $90 billion pension fund , which serves thousands of educators, by QED Systematic Solutions. Academic publishing is facing a crisis of credibility as journals close and thousands of retractions are issued in the w...
May 23, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 109
Education News Headlines: In Tennessee, Governor Bill Lee signed a controversial law that would allow some teachers and staff to carry concealed handguns on school grounds . The legislation has sparked significant debate and criticism, particularly from educational and activist groups who argue it could increase risks rather than improve safety. Baltimore, Maryland - In January of 2024 a recording went viral of Maryland’s Pikesville High School’s Principal Eric Eiswert making racist and antisemi...
May 09, 2024•49 min•Ep. 108
Education News Headlines Senate Democrats, including Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden, have sent a letter to the CEO of General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) condemning the FAFSA rollout the writers describe as a "near-total failure" that has created a "crisis of credibility" for the Education Department . The FAFSA rollout has been plagued by technical difficulties, delays, and last-minute adjustments, leading to a 40% drop in FAFSA completion among high school seniors compared to the pr...
Apr 25, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 107
Education Headline Roundup This week in the roundup of latest news and headlines impacting education: Ohio is set to increase the prices for teacher licensing fees in order to prevent the Ohio Board of Education from having a $3.5 million budget shortfall next year. In response to a growing literacy crisis, Oregon has so far distributed about $28 million in grants aimed at bolstering reading education . This initiative represents a critical effort to enhance educational outcomes and address syst...
Apr 11, 2024•55 min•Ep. 106
