Building the Black Educator Pipeline

Latest Episodes:

Education for Liberation (ft. Debra Watkins) Jul 14, 2022

Show notes

Mama Debra Watkins, Executive Director of ABEN joins the Building the Black Educator Pipeline Podcast to discuss the work of her organization, A Black Education Network.

ABEN combines and disseminates evidence-based research findings, education strategies, and culture through offering professional development opportunities, student-focused programming, and curricula designed to empower the educators of Black students and Black students themselves.

Host Shayna Terrell and Debra Watkins discuss what African-centered education looks like and why it is important for Black students. They also cover how education can serve as a vehicle for liberation and discuss how we can achieve justice for Black students.

S2E10: Freedom, America, and Education (ft. Dr. Greg Carr) Jul 07, 2022

Show notes

Resident Baba Dr. Greg Carr returns to his monthly slot on Building the Black Educator Pipeline Podcast to talk all things "freedom." Dr. Carr let's us know why he personally always feels free and discusses some symbols of freedom in the United States.

Shayna and Dr. Carr also break down the history of the 4th of July and Juneteenth and what they represent while discussing who gets to define what it means to be free and what that looks like.

Finally, the show covers the right to a quality education and how that is tied to our freedom or lack thereof.

The Importance of Black Male Leadership in Education (ft. Dr. Archie Moss Jr.) Jun 30, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Archie Moss, Jr. was born and raised in beautiful Miami, Florida. Dr. Moss is currently a Partner on the School Design Services team at Transcend where he coaches and supports school and district leaders on School Redesign across Texas. Prior to joining the Transcend team, Dr. Moss was a Teach For America Charlotte Corps Member where he taught 6th and 7th grade math at Whitewater Middle School. Dr. Moss also served as the Dean of Students for fifth and sixth grade at Whitewater K-8. Dr. Moss is a graduate from the University of Florida (Bachelors in Family Studies), University of North Carolina Charlotte (Masters in Middle Grades Education), and a recent graduate from the University of Memphis (Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies).

Dr. Moss’s passion led him to founding The Gentlemen’s League, an all-male mentorship program that serves boys of color. Dr. Moss served as an Impact Leader for Profound Gentlemen, where he supported male educators of color across the country.

After leaving Charlotte, NC, Dr. Moss moved to Memphis, TN to serve as the Resident Principal at Bellevue Middle School before being named Principal at Bruce Elementary School. Dr. Moss was the youngest Shelby County Schools principal and the first Teach For America Memphis Alum to lead a district school. During his tenure at Bruce, Dr. Moss led the school to State of TN Reward School Status, went viral due to his weekly bedtime stories series, and was featured in USA Today and on the Ellen Show. Through his nonprofit, Dr. Moss founded Shelby County Schools' first ever Elementary Basketball League. Dr. Moss also had the opportunity to deliver a TEDx Talk on Small Ideas leading to Big Change. Dr. Moss is also the CEO of Black Boy Joy Consulting LLC.

The Historical Impact of Freedom Schools (ft. Dr. Kristal Moore Clemons) Jun 23, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Kristal Moore Clemons has advanced racial and gender equity through her work in K-12 education, higher education, and nonprofit management. In her academic leadership, she has shaped curriculum and fostered positive academic experiences in face-to-face and online environments.

She is the national director of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools® program. This program uses culturally relevant pedagogy and high-quality books to deepen scholars’ understanding of themselves and all they have in common with others in a multiracial, multicultural democratic society.

Dr. Clemons is a native of Chicago, Illinois and a graduate of DePaul University having earned her B.A. in Women’s Studies and Political Science. She earned an M.A. from Washington State University in American Studies, her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Education-Culture, Curriculum and Change and a graduate certificate in Women’s Studies from Duke University. She and her partner reside in Virginia with their children.

Creating supportive and inclusive spaces for LGBTQIA+ students (ft. Frankie Smith and Andrea Rogers) Jun 17, 2022

Show notes

Frankie Smith and Andrea Rogers, LGBTQIA+ youth activists and students of Hill Freeman World Academy of Philadelphia, Pa join discuss the best strategies to create more inclusive environments for LGBTQIA+ youth.

A Critical Time for Black Educational Leadership (ft. Dr. William Hayes) Jun 09, 2022

Show notes

Now more than ever, having Black Leaders in education who can be competent change agents in our communities is crucial! Dr. William Hayes, CEO of Boys Latin Charters Schools, joins the show to discuss the current state of education and the importance of Black educational leadership.

Dr. William Hayes is the Chief Executive Officer of Boys' Latin of Philadelphia an all-male college preparatory network of two schools in West Philadelphia. He began his career in education in Boston, Massachusetts as a teacher, college counselor, and assistant principal. He went on to serve as a Pre-K to 8th grade turnaround principal in Cleveland Ohio and then transitioned to become a founding principal of both a middle and a high school in Camden, New Jersey.

Dr. Hayes holds a bachelor's of science in psychology from Morehouse College, a master's in education from Harvard University, and a Doctorate in Education Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University. He is a native of small town Hartsville, SC and an advocate for equitable access and opportunity for students of color.

The Reality of Building the Black Educator Pipeline (ft. Dr. Greg Carr) Jun 02, 2022

Show notes

What is the purpose of education?

Our resident Baba, Dr. Greg Carr rejoins the show to answer this question and break down how our system of education functions and the purpose it serves.
In this episode, host Shayna Terrell and Dr. Carr discuss how formal education has shifted over time in America and how different cultures see the role of education. Dr. Carr addresses the unique role of a public system of schools in a capitalist society, and the conversation touches on a parent's right to a quality education.

Shayna and Dr. Carr discuss the curriculum in our schools and who and what gets taught to children, as well as the spiritual and cultural violence that Black children often face at school.

Finally, the conversation touches on the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas and what the aftermath will be.

Mothers of the Movement Pt. 2 (ft. Mama Camara K. Jordan) May 26, 2022

Show notes

In the second part of our "Mothers of the Movement" episode of Building the Black Educator Pipeline Podcast, we celebrate and uplift the work of Mama Camara K. Jordan.

"Consider others as you would want them to be considerate of you." - A principle that Mama Camara leans on as a lifelong philosophy.

Camara K. Jordan was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she completed college and graduate school. She was proudly employed and personally and philosophically engaged with the Nidhamu Sasa Schule (an independent school) for 8 years which ended with the school’s closure. She remains involved with the founders and students of the school to date.

Following those years, she worked for a total of 34 years in several non profit organizations including the American Heart Association, Travelers Aid Society and the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania where she has worked in non-profit capacity building for 22 of those years in fundraising and program management.

Make sure to follow the BTBEP podcast on your preferred podcast platform and leave a review if you enjoy these powerful conversations.

Mothers of the Movement (ft. Mama Maisha Ongoza) May 19, 2022

Show notes

Host Shayna Terrell of the Center for Black Educator Development speaks with Maisha Sullivan-Ongoza about the role that Black mothers have historically played and continue to play in organizing and achieving societal change.

Maisha retired in 2014 from the Philadelphia Chapter of Say Yes to Education, Inc, which served as a Family Scholarship program and has served as adjunct professor at various universities in the Delaware Valley. She was also a popular radio talk show host for six years of “Fertile Ground” which focused on African American and African diaspora culture, history, communities and struggles.

She previously served as a Director within the Rendell mayoral administration in Philadelphia, PA, as part of the Mayor’s Children and Families Cabinet. UPDATE: You can now catch Building the Black Educator Pipeline on your preferred podcast platform. Make sure to follow the show leave a review if you value these important conversations.

Black Liberatory Education (ft. Ansharaye Hines & Brandon White) May 12, 2022

Show notes

Today's guests:

Ansharaye Hines is the Program Coordinator for Liberation Academy at The Center for Black Educator Development, a multi-year program that provides high school students with an intellectually rigorous, collaborative environment designed to foster a love for educating, personal and professional character development, and a strong foundation for pursuing long-term careers in education.

Brandon White is a former middle school ELA teacher and Restorative Practices educator for the Rochester City School District. In addition to providing these elements via traditional school settings, for seven years he was a servant leader intern and site coordinator for Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools Summer Literacy Programs located in Rochester. Currently as an ELA specialist for UnboundEd, Brandon selects, adapts, and sequences open educational resources, as well as supports the creation of professional development materials and resources that promote grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful instruction.