Resource Center

Classnotes Podcast

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

Sign up to receive free email notices when new episodes are available. All we need is your e-mail address, and we won’t use it for anything else!

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.

If you like our show, please leave a short review for us on iTunes!

See Classnotes Podcast awards and recognitions

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


Listen on www.idra.orgavailable-on-itunes

Spotify logo

Amazon Music logo

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

Read More

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

Read More

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

Read More

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

Read More

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

Read More

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

Read More

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

Read More

Teacher Adapts Curricula to Circumvent Institutional Discrimination – Podcast Episode 183

Jun 04, 2018

Classnotes Podcast (June 4, 2018) Conversations about institutional discrimination usually take place at the macro, big-picture level. And those are important … read more

Read More

Holding Back In-grade Retention – Podcast Episode 182

May 11, 2018

Classnotes Podcast (May 11, 2018) Schools have long used the practice of holding students back to repeat a grade for such … read more

Read More

Supporting Refugee Students – Podcast Episode 181

Apr 12, 2018

Classnotes Podcast (April 11, 2018) Refugee children are a specific group of immigrant children, many of whom have experienced some … read more

Read More

Growth Mindsets to Increase Achievement – Podcast Episode 180

Mar 07, 2018

Classnotes Podcast (March 7, 2018) School leaders around the country are seeing the dramatic impact that the concept of a … read more

Read More

Strategies for Restorative Student Discipline – Podcast Episode 179

Feb 13, 2018

Classnotes Podcast (February 13, 2018) Recognizing the negative effects of exclusionary discipline, schools are testing ways of reforming discipline to … read more

Read More

Ready Texas Study of New Graduation Requirements – Podcast Episode 178

Jan 23, 2018

Classnotes Podcast (January 23, 2018) In 2013, Texas lowered graduation requirements for math, science and social studies and created a new … read more

Read More

Capacity Building Among School Leadership – Podcast Episode 177

Dec 11, 2017

Classnotes Podcast (December 11, 2017) School improvement begins with the school’s leadership. Effective, informed, committed principals who mentor and support … read more

Read More

5 Strategies for College Readiness in Diverse Schools – Podcast Episode 175

Sep 29, 2017

Classnotes Podcast (September 29, 2017) Some students face hurdles that end up steering them away from college. Some face barriers that … read more

Read More

Authentic Family Engagement through Education CAFEs – Podcast Episode 174

Sep 08, 2017

Classnotes Podcast (September 8, 2017) IDRA has launched the next generation of its model for family and community engagement. Originally … read more

Read More

Skills Needed for Teaching in Diverse Classrooms – Podcast Episode 173

Aug 03, 2017

Classnotes Podcast (August 3, 2017) With the quickly-changing dynamics across our communities, teachers often are facing the challenge of incorporating … read more

Read More

Using Socioeconomic Status for School Integration – Podcast Episode 172

May 30, 2017

Classnotes Podcast (May 30, 2017) There is no doubt that diverse classrooms have significant benefits for students both socially and academically, … read more

Read More

Taking Project Based Learning Schoolwide – Podcast Episode 171

Apr 13, 2017

Classnotes Podcast (April 13, 2017) Project based learning is not new. But more and more schools are seeing its benefits in … read more

Read More

How Inclusive Education Shapes Teaching in Diverse Classrooms – Podcast Episode 170

Feb 21, 2017

Classnotes Podcast (February 21, 2017) Most teacher preparation programs fall short in equipping teachers to use culturally responsive practices with … read more

Read More