Above photo courtesy of Matthew Britton

Segregation, if you haven’t been paying attention, might strike you as an educational problem from a bygone era. But, in fact, it’s increasingly seen as a major problem in modern American schooling. Take Howard County, Maryland, one of that state’s most integrated districts.

md-school-segregation-series-howard-20170325-story.html">The Baltimore Sun reports many of the districts’ AP and “gifted and talented” classes are disproportionately filled with white students, and remedial classes are disproportionately filled with black students. Our teachers say that type of often unintentional segregation hurts everyone.

Also relevant to this conversation: a a-school-for-my-daughter-in-a-segregated-city.html?_r=0">lengthy piece in The New York Times Magazine last year by journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones about the agonizing process she went through deciding where to send her daughter to school. Our teachers take some issue with her argument that parents are making a “moral” position by not sending their children to neighborhood public schools.

Also, a Dallas high school with a prayer room is at the center of a growing controversy over religious expression in public schools. This story is well told by Dallas public radio station KERA. Our teachers are fed up with discussions about religion and prayer and public schools. They say this, and many other controversies like it, miss the role schools often play in their local communities. Those angry about kids praying in school, they suggest, are just fuddy-duddy rules followers.

Plus, United Airlines found itself in a bit of a controversy over leggings recently. Discussion of what is appropriate dress in public--yoga pants? Bare shoulders?--is common in schools. Our teachers point out the gendered nature of school dress codes (and really, all dress codes.) And say there is a definite double standard with boys and girls when it comes to what they’re wearing.

Kids These Days? Maddie’s are really into ‘glitter jars’ as stress relievers. Daivd’s kids are all about Kendrick Lamar this week (Psst, he released two new songs.) And Rebeka’s kids...well, let just say...there’s been better weeks, but they’ve picked themselves up and are moving on to better days. Plus, they get to find out the results of the Dr. Seuss ‘Final Four.’ (Have to listen to Episode 9 for that one.)

Music used in this episode is Inspiring Corporate and Scottish Indie by Scott Holmes, as well as The Zeppelin by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited.