On this week’s Dropout Nation Podcast, a day of service at a Little Rock, Ark., church offers a reminder of why congregations of faith are critical to spurring systemic reform of American public education and economically reviving hard-hit communities. The religious institutions at the heart of communities can help our kids get high-quality education from the schools at the center of their lives. And school reformers should reach out to those churches in order to advance this goal.

You can listen to the Podcast at RiShawn Biddle’s radio page or download directly to your iPod, Zune, MP3 player, smartphone, Nook Color or Kindle.  Also, subscribe to the podcast series. It is also available on iTunes, Blubrry, the Education Podcast Network,  Zune Marketplace and PodBean. Also download to your phone with BlackBerry podcast software and Google Reader.

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On this Christmas Eve edition of the Dropout Nation Podcast, I look at the battle in Chicago between Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the American Federation of Teachers’ affiliate over extending the school day for the Second City’s high school — and explain why this squabble exemplifies why we need a revolution in American public education. We have made education a comfortable place for laggard adults in teaching and leadership at the expense of the futures of children.

You can listen to the Podcast at RiShawn Biddle’s radio page or download directly to your iPod, Zune, MP3 player, smartphone, Nook Color or Kindle.  Also, subscribe to the podcast series. It is also available on iTunes, Blubrry, the Education Podcast Network,  Zune Marketplace and PodBean. Also download to your phone with BlackBerry podcast software and Google Reader.

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On this month’s Conversation,  the former D.C. Public Schools chancellor and StudentsFirst founder explains why we need more Wayne Wheelers, Lee Atwaters, and James Carvilles for advancing reform, the need to build stronger ties with grassroots, and why reform-minded younger teachers will have to look outside of the NEA and AFT to overhaul American public education. She also talks about what she would have done differently during her tenure overhauling what was once the Superfund Site of traditional districts.

You can listen to the Podcast at RiShawn Biddle’s radio page or download directly to your iPod, Zune, MP3 player, smartphone, Nook Color or Kindle.  Also, subscribe to the Conversation podcast series and the overall Dropout Nation Podcast series. It is also available on iTunes, Blubrry, the Education Podcast Network,  Zune Marketplace and PodBean. Also download to your phone with BlackBerry podcast software and Google Reader.

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On this week’s Dropout Nation Podcast, I explain how school choice helps children escape failure factories, spurs families to demand Parent Power and spur reform, and helps attack the pernicious effects of Zip Code Education practices that have denied high-quality education to all children — especially those from poor and minority backgrounds. It is time to expand choice, especially through new ways such as Parent Trigger laws.

You can listen to the Podcast at RiShawn Biddle’s radio page or download directly to your iPod, Zune, MP3 player, smartphone, Nook Color or Kindle.  Also, subscribe to the podcast series. It is also available on iTunes, Blubrry, the Education Podcast Network,  Zune Marketplace and PodBean. Also download to your phone with BlackBerry podcast software and Google Reader.

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On this week’s Dropout Nation Podcast, I explain why we can’t simply “improve” American public education or count on one silver bullet to overhaul a failed system. We must replace our Model T and broken pocket watch system of educating children with one that will help all kids succeed.

You can listen to the Podcast at RiShawn Biddle’s radio page or download directly to your iPod, Zune, MP3 player, smartphone, Nook Color or Kindle.  Also, subscribe to the podcast series. It is also available on iTunes, Blubrry, the Education Podcast Network,  Zune Marketplace and PodBean. Also download to your phone with BlackBerry podcast software and Google Reader.

Photo courtesy of OhHerro.

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On this week’s Dropout Nation Podcast, I discuss the importance of embracing the legendary James Brown’s Black Power mantra in advancing school reform. It is critical to strongly challenge the thinking of education traditionalists such as Diane Ravitch and Randi Weingarten — and do so without apology.

You can listen to the Podcast at RiShawn Biddle’s radio page or download directly to your iPod, Zune, MP3 player, smartphone, Nook Color or Kindle.  Also, subscribe to the podcast series. It is also available on iTunes, Blubrry, the Education Podcast Network,  Zune Marketplace and PodBean. Also download to your phone with BlackBerry podcast software and Google Reader.

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