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Classnotes Podcast

podcasts-icon-lgAward-winning podcast for people who care about excellent and equitable education for all children.

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Classnotes is IDRA’s free award-winning podcast series for educators and public school advocates that explores issues facing U.S. education today and strategies to better serve every student.

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See a list of all of IDRA’s Classnotes Podcast episodes


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Challenging Colonialism in the Classroom – Part 1 – Podcast Episode 203

Jul 15, 2020

Classnotes Podcast (July 15, 2020). Educators across the country are working to make classrooms and instruction culturally responsive and relevant … read more

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How Equity Audits Reveal Harmful Education Policies – Podcast Episode 202

Jun 23, 2020

Classnotes Podcast (June 23, 2020). Equity audits are powerful tools to help school districts identify root causes of inequities that … read more

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STEM Students Describe Life in a COVID-19 World – Podcast Episode 201

May 28, 2020

Classnotes Podcast (May 27, 2020). Those most impacted by the sudden shift to distance learning clearly are the students themselves. … read more

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School District Takeovers History and Today – Podcast Episode 200

Mar 06, 2020

Classnotes Podcast (March 6, 2020). For several decades, some states have used the threat of taking over a school district … read more

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Meet the Chief Science Officer Students Who Brought the Program to Texas – Podcast Episode 199

Nov 26, 2019

Classnotes Podcast (November 26, 2019). While the Chief Science Officers program is designed to support new student leadership for STEM, … read more

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Principal Leadership for English Learner Success – Podcast Episode 198

Nov 14, 2019

Classnotes Podcast (November 14, 2019) English learners success in many ways depends on strong school leaders, many of whom are adjusting … read more

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Most Recent Fights for Fair Funding of Texas Schools – Podcast Episode 197

Oct 23, 2019

Classnotes Podcast (October 23, 2019). After a little over a decade of relatively fair funding in Texas, policymakers adopted changes … read more

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Quick History School Finance in Texas – Podcast Episode 196

Oct 11, 2019

Classnotes Podcast (October 11, 2019). For schools to successfully educate their students, fair funding is essential. Five decades ago, a … read more

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Impact of Mass Shootings on Schools – Podcast Episode 195

Sep 01, 2019

Classnotes Podcast (August 30, 2019). Following the tragic mass shooting at the Walmart in El Paso, the trauma does not … read more

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Three Strategies for Engaging Girls in Math – Podcast Episode 194

Aug 06, 2019

Classnotes Podcast (August 6, 2019). Over the last two decades, we’ve seen great improvements in engaging girls in math. They … read more

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Student Voice – Chief Science Officer International Program – Podcast Episode 193

Jul 22, 2019

Classnotes Podcast (July 22, 2019). The Chief Science Officers program was initiated in 2015 by Arizona-based SciTech Institute to elevate … read more

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Code-switching as a School Strategy – Podcast Episode 192

Jul 01, 2019

Classnotes Podcast (July 1, 2019). In linguistics and language classes, the term “code-switching” describes how speakers mix two or more … read more

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Student Activists in High School – Podcast Episode 191

May 21, 2019

Classnotes Podcast (May 21, 2019). Students at high school in San Antonio are taking a proactive role to promote student … read more

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Superintendent Program for Equity and Social Justice through Education – Podcast Episode 190

Feb 12, 2019

Classnotes Podcast (February 12, 2019). Most schools express within their vision that “all children will learn.” Yet, the pathway to … read more

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3 Ways to Make Schools Safe for LGBTQ Students – Podcast Episode 189

Jan 15, 2019

Classnotes Podcast (January 15, 2019). Most parents and caregivers would agree that all students should be provided with the same … read more

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District Innovation Reverses Truancy – Podcast Episode 188

Dec 20, 2018

Classnotes Podcast (December 20, 2018) Schools across the country are learning from experience what research is showing that zero tolerance discipline … read more

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Achieving Integrated Schooling – Podcast Episode 187

Nov 27, 2018

Classnotes Podcast (November 27, 2018) Communities and schools across the country are becoming more segregated across racial, ethnic and class lines. But … read more

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Dress Codes and Religion Equity – Podcast Episode 186

Oct 25, 2018

Classnotes Podcast (October 25, 2018) There may forever be a tension between what teenagers want to wear to school and … read more

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Stronger Parent Involvement through Family Leadership in Education Projects – Podcast Episode 185

Sep 19, 2018

Classnotes Podcast (September 19, 2018) IDRA’s Education CAFE model takes parent involvement to a whole new level. Rather than limiting … read more

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Teacher Responsibilities in Supporting LGBTQ Students – Podcast Episode 184

Aug 16, 2018

Classnotes Podcast (August 16, 2018). Schools must be safe places for all children. LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer … read more

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