Podcast

Join Collaborative for Student Success Director Jim Cowen and guest Maryland State Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury as they discuss the toll COVID-19 disruptions had on students and how Maryland is quadrupling down on federal funding with a state investment in public schools of over $4 billion. Listen in to hear about Maryland’s “very historic moment” for students and schools.

Tom Kane, an education economist from Harvard, describes the urgent need to address pandemic learning loss while federal recovery funds are available to support states and districts. He argues that district leaders need to be transparent with parents about what it’s going to take to get students caught up and discusses what research shows is effective in helping them do so.

Brad Billings, the career and technical education program administrator in Alaska, describes steps the Last Frontier has taken to bolster career and technical education using federal recovery funds. Efforts include the development of a resource clearinghouse serving industry representatives, schools, university systems and others as well as funding skills camps. Billings also tells of how career and technical education has transformed to better help students develop more advanced skills.

Austin Reid, senior legislative director for the National Conference of State Legislatures, shares the nuts and bolts on how states are distributing federal recovery funds and what role state legislators play in the process. He also dives into how labor shortages are impacting the ability of states and school districts to spend recovery funds and the need for more accurate and actional data to help shape recovery-focused decisions.

Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker explains how Connecticut has partnered with colleges and universities to determine the effectiveness of summer school and other programs funded by recovery dollars. In turn, Connecticut has become a leader in the transparent spending of federal funds, as well as in engaging students and their communities in determining how federal dollars should be invested.

Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn describes the “big bet” Tennessee has taken with recovery funds to address flagging literacy with high dosage tutoring. Schwinn highlights how the pandemic allowed parents to more meaningfully engage in schools and gives a preview of what’s next for Tennessee’s schools.

To kick off our series, Jim Cowen sits down with Chad Aldeman of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University and Christine Pitts of the Center on Reinventing Public Education to discuss highlights and concerns they’re seeing across the nation as they research K-12 recovery efforts. The group also respond to a question from Pennsylvania parent Jocelyn Pickford about how parents can engage more in local school funding decisions.

Join Collaborative for Student Success Director Jim Cowen this summer on a road trip showcasing how federal recovery funds are reshaping schools. Guests will include education commissioners, district superintendents, parents, and others who can give insight into how the funds are flowing. Look for the Route K-12 Podcast here or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts weekly starting on June 13th.