Show notes:
Today’s episode is the third in what has become a three-part series on bright spots in K-12 education. In the previous two episodes, I talked to Karen Vaites about the “southern surge” successes of Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Alabama in K-12 reading; and I talked to Paul Bennett about Quebec’s long-standing leadership in K-12 math.
In today’s episode, I talk to Shaka Mitchell about charter school success stories and the school choice debate in the United States. Shaka Mitchell has led high-performing charter school networks, including Rocketship Education and LEAD Public schools, serving over 2,500 students in Nashville. His students include some of the most disadvantaged in the city. He is a Senior Fellow at the American Federation for Children and an adjunct faculty member at Belmont University. He writes on Substack, at Shaka’s Substack.
We discuss the importance of school safety, high standards, building strong relationships between schools and families, and more. We also discuss Shaka’s new initiative, the Come Together Music Project, which uses music to bridge political divides.
Don’t miss our next episode!
Make sure to subscribe, and stay tuned for our next episode, Episode 12, with Ron Rabou, President and CEO of Rabou Farms, author and speaker, and, most recently, co-founder and board member of Become a Peacemaker: a non-denominational faith-based initiative to reduce political polarization in Wyoming.
