According to Dr. Deborah Loewenberg Ball, mathematics has the power to disrupt white supremacy unlike any other subject in school. As a professor and former Dean at the University of Michigan, Director of TeachingWorks, and elementary school math teacher herself, Deborah pushes back on the notion that math is culturally neutral. In fact, she believes that changing the way we teach math could help break patterns of inequality and injustice that are perpetuated in our classrooms. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast.

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Episode 23: Fighting Racism with Mathematics

As a clinician in K-12 education, Adjoa Asamoah witnessed too many injustices in our schools. So she decided to pivot her career to the intersection of policy and politics, where she has worked to tackle systemic inequities across our country. Her efforts to actualize liberty and justice for all have been noticed, and during the last presidential race, she was tapped to be the National Advisor for Black Engagement for the Biden-Harris Campaign based on her ability to engage the community and her record of success.

Anti-Hair Discrimination, Educational Equity, and Dismantling the School to Prison Pipeline

Caroline Adegun began her career as a human resources recruiter. Then a stint working for a celebrity in Los Angeles inspired her to open The Hollywood Wingwoman Talent, the first non-profit talent development firm serving low-income (and sometimes homeless) artists trying to make it in the industry. And recently, she has become a force on social media, taking the new Clubhouse app by storm. With more than 50,000 members now (and growing daily) in her faith-based "club," Caroline channels her background in human development to create a sense of community for people around the world -- at a time when they need it most.

Episode 21: The Hollywood Wingwoman: Hope, Heart, and Human Development

Rehabilitation counselors provide independent living support and job readiness training for people with disabilities, empowering them to integrate more fully into the community. According to Drs. Maureen McGuire-Kuletz and Kenneth Hergenrather, directors of the Center for Rehabilitation Counseling Research and Education, there is a pressing need for more rehabilitation professionals as a generation of counselors prepares to retire. They discuss the intersection of disability and poverty, why this population has been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and what can be done to address these challenges. 

Rehabilitation Counseling - Fostering a Better Quality of Life for People with Disabilities

When Titilola Harley’s plan to become a teacher got derailed, she decided to channel her business acumen to make a difference in schools. Now she approaches education as a consultant, helping schools and organizations work through challenges they’ve struggled to address on their own. But even though she uses management tools to guide her recommendations, she firmly believes that teachers are the experts whose voices need to be heard for lasting change to happen, especially for our most vulnerable students.

Episode 19: Bringing an MBA Mindset to Education

The GW Center on Education Policy (CEP) is celebrating 25 years as a trusted, independent source for education policy research and analysis. Since its founding, citizens and policy makers at all levels have turned to CEP for nonpartisan, evidence-based information about our system of public education. Maria Ferguson, Executive Director of CEP, shares how access to research without “spin”—especially related to controversial programs—is crucial to help create the conditions for better public schools.

Episode 18: Center on Education Policy - Boiling It Down to the Facts

Dr. Michael Usdan has had a long and distinguished career in education - as a teacher, school board president, university professor, college president, state commissioner of higher education, and institute president. Drawing from many years of experience in K-12 and secondary ed, he shares his thoughts on the advantages and challenges of our highly decentralized system, and whether its possible to address the variability across the U.S. in light of changing demographics and increased inequality.

Episode 17: Dealing with America’s Decentralized Education System

What is the real impact of technology and process transformation on American workers? Are we doing enough to prepare the modern workforce at a time of growing inequality and stagnant wage growth? Dr. Mary Kay Vona, Principal in Ernst & Young LLP's People Advisory Services, and Dr. Ellen Scully-Russ, Associate Professor of Human and Organizational Learning, discuss the changing nature of work, talent shortages in the U.S., and curricula to support the jobs of the future.

Episode 16: Workforce Development in an Era of Change - “What if a robot takes my job?”

In today’s world of instructional design, there are more tools available than ever before. Educational technology is incorporated across all learning environments, from K-12 and higher education to corporate, government, and military training. So how can teachers design quality instruction using technology to meet a variety of learners’ needs? Drs. Michael Corry and Natalie Milman discuss new information delivery methods, artificial intelligence tools, and whether the use of technology in schools has actually lessened the “digital access divide.” 

Episode 15: Ed Tech, Online Learning and the Digital Access Divide

Heterosexual Black women have the 2nd highest rate of HIV infection as a group; however, Black women in college are nearly ignored in the HIV literature. Dr. Delishia Pittman discusses her research on the shared and unique risk factors of this population, whether online dating has increased the risks, and ongoing racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes.

Episode 14: Racial Disparities in College Student Health

"Global education” builds cultural competencies, encourages the exchange of ideas and people, and develops human capital. Could the policies and practices of other countries shed light on ways to improve our own schools and colleges, especially in our neediest communities? Dr. James Williams and Dr. Laura Engel discuss lessons learned from abroad, how the U.S. is faring compared to other countries, and whether the rise of nationalism is leading to the end of the golden age of internationalization in education.

Episode 13: International Education, Globally Speaking

Would you want to be treated by a doctor whose medical school was not accredited? Probably not. So why don’t we hold the same high standards for teachers and school administrators? Dr. Chris Koch, President of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and former Illinois State Superintendent of Education, shares how ensuring quality in teacher/educator prep programs really makes a difference, especially for educators in schools with the most need.

Episode 12: Why Accreditation Matters

Can public schools become more adaptive, dynamic, and people-centered organizations? Is it possible to implement change in way that both empowers teachers and improves student outcomes? Sarah Beck, an award-winning school-based leader and former teacher, draws on the skills she learned as a business consultant to help promote school improvement and increase employee engagement in one of Virginia's largest and most diverse middle schools.

Episode 11: Public Schools As Agile Organizations

Research-Practice Partnerships (RPPs) create a two-way street between practitioners and researchers to address problems of practice and come up with solutions. Using this research, leaders can make data-informed decisions about the strategies that really work to improve their schools and school districts. Ruth Wattenberg, recently re-elected member of the DC State Board of Education, and Dr. Elizabeth Grant, education policy professor, discuss the benefits and challenges of a potential RPP for Washington, DC in this episode of EdFix.

Episode 10: The Research-Practice Partnership Advantage

How do we better identify, address, and prevent the behavioral health issues that become barriers to learning in our most underserved schools? The Bainum Family Foundation and GW’s Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS) are partnering on a project to expand school-based mental health services in D.C.’s Wards 7 and 8. Dr. Olga Acosta Price, Director of CHHCS, and Dr. Nisha Sachdev, Senior Director of Evaluation for the Bainum Family Foundation, share their approach to advancing the field of school mental health by bridging research, practice, policy, and philanthropy.

Episode 9: Improving School Mental Health for Children Living in Poverty

Michael J. Feuer, Dean of the George Washington University's Graduate School of Education and Human Development, talks with researchers, practitioners, and policymakers about effective strategies and ideas for improving our schools and colleges. He explores ways to connect their worlds to take on some of education’s most complex issues. Education is the greatest contributor to ​​our nation's economic and social progress. It requires knowledge, agility, and optimism ​from many sources. ​From preschool to postsecondary, get your fix with EdFix.

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