Reality Check With Jeanne Allen

Join us for a conversation on how we're doing in education, and out, one year into this unparalleled challenge. What has changed? What remains to be done?

Robert Woodson (@BobWoodson), Founder and President of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise and Jeffery Sikkenga (@AshbrookCenter), Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center join Reality Check to talk about the state of our nation, civics and education across America, why it’s important that we do better in and out of the classroom and how the Constitution and First Amendment need to be read and understood more widely, especially in this unprecedented season of unrest around the world.

Kicking off the 4th season of Reality Check, Jeanne Allen talks with the leading pioneers of education opportunity whose work inspired the many transformative changes happening today about having a new president, new legislators, new everything. Listen to the inspiration of these five leaders who made choice famous, from AZ to DC, from the Badgers to the Wolverines: Lisa Graham Keegan, Kevin Chavous (@kevinpchavous), Howard Fuller (@HowardLFuller), J.C. Huizenga (@nhaschools), and Mickey Revenaugh (@mickeyrevenaugh)

Social worker, author and professional psychoanalyst Erica Komisar (@EricaKomisarCSW) joins Reality Check to discuss the latest findings on the condition of schoolchildren and their emotional, social and mental well-being throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and how parents and others can best support their young ones in these trying times. Thanks, doctor!

A look at Chicago, unions, kids and the future of schools post Covid. A well-known former Superintendent of major city school systems, the wonderfully outspoken Paul Vallas (@Paulvallas) joins Reality Check to discuss what to do in today’s unprecedented education environment — including where and whether parents should have a say, what the unions are doing and how he thinks other districts educators behave. Not an episode to miss!

Back to School season is usually filled with hope and promise and excitement over another milestone. But this year, Covid has created disruptions in how we do school and many districts and schools still have not finalized their opening plans. While stories abound about parents and their travails, few are asking the big question – What do parents want? Covering that question and more on this special edition of Reality Check are Colleen Dippel, Founder and CEO of Families Empowered (familiesempowered.org), Houston, TX, Janelle Wood, Founder, Black Mothers Forum (blackmothersforums.com)and Microschool Partnership, South Phoenix, AZ, and Keri Rodrigues, Co-Founder and Founding President of National Parents Union (nationalparentsunion.org), Boston, MA. Watch this and more of CER's ACTION Series at https://edreform.com/covid-action/videos/

Seth Andrew (@SethAndrew) founder of the Democracy Prep charter school network and the social venture incubator Democracy Builders, joins Reality Check remotely to discuss newest endeavor, a college called Degrees of Freedom (degreesoffreedom.org), providing a hybrid late high school, early college experience for students who are low income and the first in their families to attend college. Listen for more!

Kevin P. Chavous, President of Academics, Policy, and Schools at K12, Inc., joins CER ACTION Series Webinars to talk about how his company is responding to students’ and families’ needs in this critical time for education, how educators and advocates in the space can support substantive changes for good in their own systems, and what we can expect in the future for schools across the country. Listen on for more! If you like what you heard, join CER for the next episode in the ACTION Series on June 2: edreform.com/covid-action/events

This episode is a segment of the third CER ACTION series webinar that took place on April 21, with ASU Digital Prep CEO Julie Young, who joined Jeanne along with hundreds of listeners from all over to discuss her work in virtual education, now, in this serious time of global pandemic, and, for her students, during the regular schoolyear. If you want to know more about The Future of School, visit & bookmark edreform.com, follow us on Twitter @edreform, and don’t miss upcoming CER webinars, events and resources you can use right now! Hope to see you there. Stay safe, and remember, we’re in this together.

Need Internet access but don’t have broadband? Schools wrestling with how to help their students during this unprecedented crisis will want to hear Daniel Neal, Kajeet (@Kajeet) Founder & CEO, on another remote edition of Reality Check. Learn what he and Kajeet are doing now to “bridge the digital divide” and what you can do to respond to or get help during this challenging time.

Scott Cheney, executive director of Credential Engine, joins Reality Check to talk about the burgeoning marketplace of credentialing, and how policymakers, entrepreneurs and educators can work together to further streamline the pathways between high school, higher education and the workforce.

Mark Defusco, CEO and President of Bay State College (@drmarkdefusco), joins Jeanne on Reality Check to discuss his efforts and experience in helping to create new and better pathways to careers for students in high school, college and those returning to higher ed, through Bay State and initiatives in online and remote education that are making it easier for students to succeed, no matter their location or circumstances...

In anticipation of the planned U.S.-Italia Education Innovation Festival to be held this April in Ercolano, Italy and in light of the challenges both nations’ educators face with the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreaks, Reality Check talks to 5 innovators who are building and implementing products and services that not only help advance better learning but can be part of the solution to educating students outside of brick-and-mortar schools in this volatile time. For more information about the U.S.-Italia Education Innovation Festival visit: https://festival.edmaven.com Featuring: Andrea Leone-Pizzighella, PennGSE Enrico Poli, Zanichelli Venture Jamie Heit, Ecree Sam Caucci, 1Huddle Michael McDonald, Gold Lotus

This week, Jamie Candee of Edmentum joins Reality Check with Jeanne and Michael to discuss the way online learning can be more relevant and helpful than ever not only when it comes educating students in both traditional settings and virtually, but also during times of national crises and strife, when more than ever students shouldn’t have to sacrifice their access to a great education, no matter what the situation. How can online learning programs, like Edmentum's, be particularly supportive to our education system and our students with the nation on high alert amidst COVID-19? Listen for more

Area9 Group CEO Ulrik Juul Christensen joins Reality Check to talk about learning science and personalization, in a run up to his keynote at the U.S.-Italia Education Innovation Festival (festival.edmaven.com) in Naples, Italy, April 27-29. From its origins in the 1980s to covering breakthrough new developments in technology, Artificial Intelligence and data science are fueling better, faster learning across the globe. How, why, and more about what it means for K to gray is a must listen.

Join Jeanne and her co-host, Michael Musante, for this week’s conversation with former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift, President and Executive Director of LearnLaunch, an edtech innovation hub that connects innovators to emerging trends, and drives the development of high-quality educational opportunities for learners of all ages. LearnLaunch’s “Across Boundaries Conference,” which has been described as New England’s premier education event, will convene for its 8th annual gathering in Boston on Jan. 30-31. The program will highlight innovations across the education sector, and more than 1,500 will be in attendance. Jane highlights several areas of focus for the conference this year, and ties her pioneering experiences in politics to her pioneering work in edtech. For more information about the LearnLaunch Across Boundaries Conference, visit its website: https://learnlaunch.org/2020conference/ Follow Jane Swift on Social Media: Twitter: @janemswift Facebook: Jane Swift This episode of Reality Check is

Join Jeanne and her co-host, Michael Musante, for this week’s inspirational podcast episode featuring former NBA basketball star, and ESPN talk show host Jalen Rose, the Founder and Chairman of the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy charter high school in his hometown of Detroit, MI. Jalen holds nothing back when it comes to his passion for a high-quality education for every child, regardless of their zip code, or the circumstances of their home life or their neighborhoods. The Jalen Rose Leadership Academy serves more than 400 high school students from inner city neighborhoods in Detroit – and continues serving graduates into their college or other post-secondary school experiences. One hundred percent of JRLA’s graduates go on to college and post-secondary educational opportunities. Jalen is full of hope, and optimism, and passion (and a few choice words of advice for policymakers). His enthusiasm is infectious, and you will catch it when you listen in on Jeanne and Michael’s conversation with him. Visit the J

Get ready for the most important education related Supreme Court case in 50 years by tuning into Jeanne’s interview with Kendra Espinoza, lead plaintiff in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, to be heard by the nation's highest court on January 22, 2020. A win for Espinoza would strike down the bigoted Blaine Amendments that currently exist in 37 states' constitutions and deny kids attending private schools equal access to state education funds. Also joining Jeanne and co-host Michael Musante is Erica Smith of the Institute for Justice. Kendra Espinoza was a single mother of two young girls when fate – and the Montana Supreme Court – propelled her into this legal fight to strike down religious exceptions to equal access to state education funds Montana’s kids. You will be impressed, and maybe a little awed by this story of determination and courage. Don’t miss this inside look at history in the making.

The ever entertaining Michael Musante joins Jeanne as her new co-host in this special edition of Reality Check, talking to and about those who help children succeed in public charter schools, innovative institutions that will be maligned and misrepresented this weekend in Pittsburgh, when MSNBC airs the union-organized candidate forum on public education (https://on.msnbc.com/2PDr6wF). Hear veteran charter school educator Melanie Ward from Propel Schools (@PropelSchools), Brian Smith (@smith_brian_d), founder of Catalyst Charter School and David Hardy (@davidphardy)of Boys Latin & Excellent Schools PA ponder why any politician - existing or aspiring - would want to deny parents the power to make choices.

On this week's episode, episode 80, of Reality Check, Jeanne talks with best-selling author John O'Neill about his latest book, The Fisherman's Tomb, a taut theological thriller about the quest to solve one of the greatest archeological mysteries of all time: where was the tomb of St. Peter? O'Neill, a Naval Academy graduate, and former law clerk to Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, has spent much of his life visiting and researching early Christian sites. Join Jeanne in celebrating the beginning of the Holiday Season with this inspiring tale of intrigue, passion, and the thrill of uncovering the hidden secrets of history.