logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2020
52m 23s

Nice White Parents - Ep. 5

Serial Productions & The New York Times
About this episode

Chana has traced the history of the school from its founding and come to the present. But now: One unexpected last chapter. Last year, the school district for BHS mandated a change in the zoning process to ensure all middle schools would be racially integrated. No longer can white families hoard resources in a few select schools. Black and Latino parents have been demanding this change since the late 1950s. The courts have mandated it. Chana asks: How did this happen? And is this a blueprint for real, systemic change?

To get full access to this show, and to other Serial Productions and New York Times podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, subscribe at nytimes.com/podcasts.

To find out about new shows from Serial Productions, and get a look behind the scenes, sign up for our newsletter at nytimes.com/serialnewsletter.

Have a story pitch, a tip, or feedback on our shows? Email us at serialshows@nytimes.com 

Up next
Aug 7
The Retrievals S02 Episode 4: The Solutions
Sometimes you can’t wait for research to tell you what to do — you just have to go ahead and do it. We get back on L&D with Clara, Mindy and Heather. Subscribe now to get early access to this episode. Our newest podcast, “The Retrievals, Season 2” is out now. Search for it wherev ... Show More
45m 59s
Aug 7
The Retrievals S02 Episode 3: The Guidelines
Pain during a cesarean section isn’t a new problem. But for a long time, it’s been a hidden one. In England, a patient named Susanna not only brings the problem to doctors’ attention, but also tries to solve it. Our newest podcast, “The Retrievals, Season 2” is out now. Search fo ... Show More
54m 54s
Aug 7
The Retrievals S02 Episode 2: The Speech
What went wrong with Clara’s delivery? And can Heather get doctors to talk about it? Our newest podcast, “The Retrievals, Season 2” is out now. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts, or follow it here: lnk.to/retrievals2 To get full access to this and other Serial Producti ... Show More
44m 31s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2020
5: ‘We Know It When We See It’
This episode contains strong language.Chana has traced the history of the school from its founding and come to the present. But now: One unexpected last chapter. Last year, the school district for BHS mandated a change in the zoning process to ensure all of middle schools will be ... Show More
52m 22s
Aug 2020
3: ‘This Is Our School, How Dare You?’
Chana Joffe-Walt explores how white parents can shape a school — even when they aren’t there.She traces the history of I.S. 293, now the Boerum Hill School for International Studies, from the 1980s through the modern education reforms of the 2000s. In the process, Chana talks to ... Show More
45m 3s
Jul 2020
2: 'I Still Believe in It'
Chana Joffe-Walt searches the New York City Board of Education archives for more information about the School for International Studies, which was originally called I.S. 293.In the process, she finds a folder of letters written in 1963 by mostly white families in Cobble Hill, Bro ... Show More
53m 26s
Aug 2020
4: 'Here’s Another Fun Thing You Can Do'
Public schools are inequitable because the school systems are maniacally loyal to white families. We can’t have equitable public education unless schools limit the disproportionate power of white parents. But is that even possible? Chana finds two schools that are trying to do ju ... Show More
48m 54s
Jul 2020
Introducing: Nice White Parents
If you want to understand what’s wrong with our public schools, you have to look at what is arguably the most powerful force in shaping them: White parents. A five-part series from Serial Productions, a New York Times Company. Hosted by Chana Joffe-Walt.For more information about ... Show More
2m 54s
Jul 2020
Schooling the System
It’s been over 60 years since the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. But in 2020, some classrooms are still pretty segregated. Don reflects on his own educational journey and speaks with Michigan State University’s Professor Shenek ... Show More
24m 11s
Jun 2023
The Weeds: We Need to Rethink Discipline in Schools
This Juneteenth, we’re sharing an episode of The Weeds, a Vox Media podcast where host Jonquilyn Hill breaks down the policies that shape our lives.This episode digs into school discipline and the achievement gap with Francis Pearman of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Ed ... Show More
52m 22s
Dec 2021
Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
Contributor(s): Dr Beverly Daniel Tatum | Walk into any racially mixed secondary school and you will see young people clustered in their own groups according to race. Is this self-segregation a problem to address or a coping strategy? Beverly Daniel Tatum guides us through how ra ... Show More
53m 54s